As year-round Washingtonians know, it’s that time of year again. Eager young interns arrive in earnest droves to fill those couple inches on their resumes between their GPAs and their “other interests”. Many of these interns will be drawn to live and/or play in Georgetown. Consider this a crash course:
Endgame for Scheele’s Soon?
GM is hearing through several channels that a resolution of some sorts is nearly at hand for the Scheele’s Market situation. It sounds like the controversial Marc Teren will likely take ownership of the building but he will make some sort of a promise to keep the market open for decades to come. What that means for the Lees and how binding that promise is is still yet to be seen. Expect some sort of news about this soon.
And We’re Back…
GM is back from his two week honeymoon and completely unready to dive back into the daily humdrum, but no matter: the neighborhood blogger never rests!
So what did GM miss over the last two weeks? A quick read through the normal sources reveals this:
City Council Gives Mixed Messages on Jellef: As GM discussed a while back, the Mayor’s proposal to buy the Jellef Branch of the Boys and Girls Club was never a done deal. The Council sent the first shot across that plan’s bow when it struck the $15 million set aside in the Mayor’s budget to purchase the property. CMs Evans, Cheh and Medelson have all said encouraging words about the likelihood that the Council will eventually find money for the transfer, but for now it’s in flux.
CAG Elects New President: The Citizens Association of Georgetown elected a new president to replace Denise Cunningham. Jennifer Altemus will take the helm.
Georgetown Library Plans Announced: The plans for the Georgetown Library were presented to a group while GM was away. From the Current’s account, it sounds like the designers tried to solve the problem they were facing earlier with trying to have a community meeting room in the basement level by moving it to the second floor. Either way, GM is a little surprised they went ahead and announced the plans before bringing them back before the ANC.
Five Guys Shuts Down Temporarily: The Georgetown Five Guys apparently shut down for a short time in an attempt to “get ahead” of the bad press reporting on a rodent infestation. It seems to GM that you could probably set up a camera outside any DC restaurant and find a few mice or rats scurry by, but it’s best just not to think about it…
Cannon’s Owners Sentenced: Robert Moore Sr. and Robert Moore Jr. were sentenced to three years probation for their role in illegal fish trafficking. Senior must stay out of the fish-monerging biz for three years and Junior must post a sign at Cannons door announcing that the store won’t sell any Rockfish. Earlier reports said that they would also pay a combined$150,000 in fines and $53,000 in restitution.
That’s it so far as GM’s jet-lagged eyes can see. The June ANC agenda was released tonight, but that’ll have to wait until tomorrow.
Filed under Around Town
Favorite Things #1 – The History
While GM is on his honeymoon, he’s publishing his top ten favorite things about Georgetown. Today we’re finally at number one: the history.
Georgetown is an old place. People have lived here since the mid-eighteenth century. Over the 250 or so years it’s existed, Georgetown has seen many people and stories pass through it. First it was a rough and tumble port. Eventually it grew to be a finely built and respectable municipality. With the decline of the C&O Canal among other factors, the village became the location of poor Irish and African American slums. Roosevelt’s new dealers started the gentrification ball rolling, and now it’s almost uniformly expensive (although GM insists there are still deals to be found if you look hard enough).
That’s the broad-brush history of Georgetown. And yes, frequently the history of Georgetown is told like a walking tour of which famous politician lived in what house. That’s all fine and good, but GM is more interesed in the more obscure history, like how our streets used to be called something else, and the fact they used to make rope in Montrose Park, or the fact that according to the 1920 census, GM’s block was full of cops, government clerks, and tradesmen.
Is that a trait unique to Georgetown? No, of course not. Neighborhoods across DC have their own unique histories as well. And if GM lived in those neighborhoods, it would probably be his favorite thing there too. But as it is, he lives in Georgetown, on a street that was once called “Road Street”, in a home that once housed an Irish draftsman, and discovering odd things like that (or that 31st street used to be a hippy hangout) is by far his favorite thing about living here.
Sadly for GM, his honeymoon is over this weekend. He’ll be back Tuesday to cover all the things he missed while he was traveling on the rails through Europe. Thank you for bearing with him.
Filed under Favorite Things, History
Favorite Things – The Architecture
While GM is on his honeymoon he is publishing his top ten favorite things about Georgetown. Today number two: the architecture.
According to the rules of real estate lingo, every single home in Georgetown is a “federal” home. That’s simply not true. This ignorant and broadbrush depiction of Georgetown’s architecture ignores the fact that the village is actually a wonderful cross-section of 19th century architecture.
From pre-federal Georgian buildings, to legitimate Federal homes, through to the vast majority of homes, which are mostly Victorian, Georgetown has it all.
The variety is in style as it is in depth. We’ve got the mansions and grand homes in multiple styles, but we’ve also got a large variety of more modest homes whose original owners couldn’t even afford a “style” (many have had colonial decorations added over the years, which now seem as old as the house despite the fact that they’re probably 50-75 years newer).
GM loves walking through Georgetown gawking at the architecture, and that’s why he selected it as his second favorite thing about Georgetown.
Filed under Favorite Things
Favorite Things #3 – Montrose Park
While GM is on his honeymoon, he’s counting down his top ten favorite things about Georgetown. Today it’s number 3: Montrose Park.
Montrose Park lies along R St. between Oak Hill Cemetery and Dumbarton Oaks. It’s got open and shady fields, four tennis courts, winding paths, and a playground, all within its 10 acres.
And it’s basically an off-leash dog park to boot. (Just don’t tell NPS that…)
Montrose Park regularly appears on various “best kept secrets” but in GM’s view, the park is no longer a secret. During the mornings it’s full of dog-walkers and early strollers, by the afternoons it’s full of birthday parties and whiffle ball games. Not to mention more dog walkers and the late strollers.
Yet despite all this use, it’s still idyllic and and a peaceful spot is not hard to find. Whether it’s the gas-lamp lit Parrot Walk, the hedge maze, or a bench on the hill overlooking Rock Creek Park, Montrose Park offers a place to quietly read the paper, even when the rest of the park is packed.
We can all thank Sarah Louisa Rittenhouse, who with a group of women who petitioned Congress to buy up the land and preserve it for “the recreation and pleasure of the people”. Now that the secret is completely out, her wish continues to be fulfilled.
Previously:
4: Nathans
8: Bistro Lepic
9: Q St.’s Elms
Filed under Favorite Things
Favorite Things – #4 – Nathans
While GM is on his honeymoon he is publishing his top ten favorite things about Georgetown. Today at number 4 is Nathans Restaurant.
Nathans is not the nicest restaurant in Georgetown. It’s not the oldest restaurant in Georgetown. And it’s not the most popular restaurant in Georgetown. But what it is is the most improbable restaurant in Georgetown.
Why improbable? It’s sitting on one of the most expensive and sought after corners in Georgetown. It’s constantly surrounded by tourists and suburbanite teens out shopping at stores they could probably find in the suburbs.
Yet despite all of that, it still continues as a quiet and peaceful refuge and a local favorite. Saddle up the the bar on a Sunday and you’ll eventually see someone you recognize come through the doors. Better yet, come to a Q & A Cafe and you’ll probably recognize your fellow diners from the neighborhood and the guest from TV (and perhaps also from the neighborhood).
So yes, some may prefer other places like Clyde’s or Martins for the tavern needs, but none of them is quite as improbable as Nathans. If Nathans does eventually close, we’ll finally see how improbable its continued existence was when some bland and generic chain snaps up the space, rips out the bar, tears up the well-worn floorboards, and turns it into just another place to buy shoes or phones or whatever.
Previously:
8: Bistro Lepic
9: Q St.’s Elms
Filed under Favorite Things
The Georgetown Metropolitan 
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