The first half of 2009 has been good to DC. We're dealing slightly better with the recession than the rest of the country. Violent crime and murders are down, relatively. The new Presidential administration has breathed fresh life into and world wide attention onto DC. Even Hollywood is shining a light on the District with no less than three reality shows and an Owen Wilson flick being filmed here this year. Some observations:
14th and U is the new 18th and Columbia
Want to emulate 18th and Columbia on the weekend? Add a little street harassment, one fight, gridlocked traffic, bunch o' jumbo slice, pinch of lost Virginians and a nightly dose of mass bar hopping. U Street isn't quite all the way there, but its certainly giving Adams Morgan a run for the money as most annoying nightlife neighborhood.
Coffee shop is the new coffee shop
Nothing says you are are a bonafide, made-it, DC neighborhood than a locally owned coffee shop. These indie establishments give a sense of place to an area, some ownership to the residents-customers and provide a gathering place where neighbors can at least look at, if not interact with each other. Mt Pleasant has one in Dos Gringos. Now a couple of other neighborhoods are gearing up for their own versions. Chinatown Coffee in, well, Chinatown and Big Chair in Anacostia.
Yoga studio is the new coffee shop
Quiet Mind, Boundless, Yoga District, Studio Serenity, Past Tense and the list goes on. Yoga studios are popping up all over. Many of the midtown neighborhoods, including Adams Morgan, Mt Pleasant, Columbia Heights and U Street each has their own. Some neighborhoods have more than one. Close to home, familiar and relaxing. Like a coffee shop, but healthier.
Natinal is the new Nationals
Thankfully and mercifully my ticket plan for the Washington Nationals has expired. I won't likely be giving any more money to this team in 2009. I support them, but will be watching from home for the rest of the season. The odd jersey-gate episode was funny, but the team's actual performance is almost literally sickening. They represent Washington in such a nonchalant manner, you might forget that we built a 3/4 billion dollar stadium for the team only a year ago. Hockey season can't return soon enough.
Barry '09 is the new Barry '90
For a civil rights worker, the mayor who initiated a teen summer work program and helped jump start U Street's revival, Marion Barry has seemingly thrown away second chance after second chance. He trumped critics by winning the mayorship and then a council seat after being declared politically dead, but Barry has come into some more trouble as of late. In 2009 he's been maligned for his anti gay marriage views, public sex life episodes and job hiring oddities. In the eye of his supporters, he still on top. Considering that, I think should quit while he's ahead; i.e. retire after his current term is over.
Real Word DC is the new Real World Phila
Locals hate on the new Real World before, during and after they show up. Real World house located is a renovated historic building in a happening neighborhood. Reality treated as a relative term for the duration of the show. Check, check and check. Same show, different day, 135 miles south.
NextBus is the new on-time bus
All my friends, and many readers of this blog tell me that NextBus is great. I agree. Wholeheartedly. However, as a commenter pointed out on an earlier post, there is a potentially icky consequence of having this system. Will knowing when the next bus is approaching replace caring that that bus is actually on time? I hope not. There are still bus schedules WMATA! Just because we know the next 42 bus is arriving in 15 minutes doesn't mean we don't realize that it's scheduled to be arriving in 5 minutes.
Any I forgot, let me know...
14th and U is the new 18th and ColumbiaWant to emulate 18th and Columbia on the weekend? Add a little street harassment, one fight, gridlocked traffic, bunch o' jumbo slice, pinch of lost Virginians and a nightly dose of mass bar hopping. U Street isn't quite all the way there, but its certainly giving Adams Morgan a run for the money as most annoying nightlife neighborhood.
Coffee shop is the new coffee shop
Nothing says you are are a bonafide, made-it, DC neighborhood than a locally owned coffee shop. These indie establishments give a sense of place to an area, some ownership to the residents-customers and provide a gathering place where neighbors can at least look at, if not interact with each other. Mt Pleasant has one in Dos Gringos. Now a couple of other neighborhoods are gearing up for their own versions. Chinatown Coffee in, well, Chinatown and Big Chair in Anacostia.
Yoga studio is the new coffee shop
Quiet Mind, Boundless, Yoga District, Studio Serenity, Past Tense and the list goes on. Yoga studios are popping up all over. Many of the midtown neighborhoods, including Adams Morgan, Mt Pleasant, Columbia Heights and U Street each has their own. Some neighborhoods have more than one. Close to home, familiar and relaxing. Like a coffee shop, but healthier.
Natinal is the new Nationals
Thankfully and mercifully my ticket plan for the Washington Nationals has expired. I won't likely be giving any more money to this team in 2009. I support them, but will be watching from home for the rest of the season. The odd jersey-gate episode was funny, but the team's actual performance is almost literally sickening. They represent Washington in such a nonchalant manner, you might forget that we built a 3/4 billion dollar stadium for the team only a year ago. Hockey season can't return soon enough.
Barry '09 is the new Barry '90
For a civil rights worker, the mayor who initiated a teen summer work program and helped jump start U Street's revival, Marion Barry has seemingly thrown away second chance after second chance. He trumped critics by winning the mayorship and then a council seat after being declared politically dead, but Barry has come into some more trouble as of late. In 2009 he's been maligned for his anti gay marriage views, public sex life episodes and job hiring oddities. In the eye of his supporters, he still on top. Considering that, I think should quit while he's ahead; i.e. retire after his current term is over.
Real Word DC is the new Real World Phila
Locals hate on the new Real World before, during and after they show up. Real World house located is a renovated historic building in a happening neighborhood. Reality treated as a relative term for the duration of the show. Check, check and check. Same show, different day, 135 miles south.
NextBus is the new on-time bus
All my friends, and many readers of this blog tell me that NextBus is great. I agree. Wholeheartedly. However, as a commenter pointed out on an earlier post, there is a potentially icky consequence of having this system. Will knowing when the next bus is approaching replace caring that that bus is actually on time? I hope not. There are still bus schedules WMATA! Just because we know the next 42 bus is arriving in 15 minutes doesn't mean we don't realize that it's scheduled to be arriving in 5 minutes.
Any I forgot, let me know...
17 comments:
Check out the NextBusDC iPhone app http://nextbusdc.com/iphone
More than just one problem with NextBus (and I think that was me who said that about the schedules). The other glaring problem is the digital divide - those who do not have regular access to the Internet. Which is to say at least half of the bus riding population of the District of Columbia.
You seem like a nice guy, so it sorta pains me to say this, but I gotta
Sigh, one day these bloggers will get it. Once they hit their 40s maybe.
I've also found nextbus to be kind of inaccurate. Wondering if it's right has replaced wondering if it will come soon!
How about "Crime is the new Crime"? How does DC MPD still not make DC streets safe?
"Anonymous" with the blogger hate - if you ever rode the damn bus you would know that Nextbus works via phone.
Remember that funky little device? Call a number, punch in some other numbers and voila - Nextbus times!
The advertisements are ALL OVER THE BUSSES. Oh, and the bus stops ALL HAVE THE PHONE NUMBER POSTED.
You idiot. Take your snark and f-off. Damn troll.
I really think the idea that a coffee shop can make a neighborhood a neighborhood speaks poorly of DC...that's just a really depressing thought. Then again, I dont' like coffee...
Gentrification is Gentrification? Yup. I wonder why you never see white folks gentrifying working class white neighborhoods?
Anon 9:05 a.m. I do not think of myself as a troll despite your belligerent assessment. And I post here a lot. And I've been riding the DC buses for 15 years, but thanks anyway.
Some people do not have cel phones. Make that many people, and if they do, they might not be able to just spend their minutes checking when the bus is coming.
Why so angry?
anon at 1018: what is happening is re-gentrification. whites were in this city a lot longer than black have. not so sound like a racist, but the phrase "gentrification" is an incredibly loaded term used for race baiting purposes. I, for one, think the revitalization of DC is fantastic. Bigger tax base, more businesses, more vibrancy. If you wanted me to choose between that and a bunch of yuppie white people or the "authentic" DC of blight without the BS of yuppies, I'd chose the former any day.
Anon 10:47, anon 9:05 here - note that I did not say "cell phones" in the original post - I said phones. I did this consciously.
You can call NextBus from any phone - home, cell or payphone - 10 minutes before going to the bus stop and then head down. No need for fancy expensive technologies like an iPhone or the interwebs. Heck, you don't even need a home phone. OMG!
I'm not angry just happy to point out the pompousness of your "I hate to say this but I know everything and am wise" lalala commentary. And now you pull the "I read this blog more and ride the bus for 15 years" card. Golly gee - that must make you the expert on busses and far more qualified to snarkily post here! Get over yourself.
The points in the original blog post were valid and similar to what I say regularly. I found them interesting and was glad someone else was worried about WMATA falling into the same traps.
You are the self-appointed expert on blog commenters' tone as well as knowing their motivation! Good job!
hey, i appreciate all comments, critical and laudatory.
please don't bash each other (or me).
Marissa, what makes a neighborhood is different for every individual depending on taste. For me, it's a good coffee shop, a good sandwich shop, and pizza by the slice. For some, it might be a corner liquor store selling singles.
alex--
That saddens me. For me it's a lot more intangible. It's the people, how they act toward each other, how involved they are with their surroundings. DC lacks that in almost every section of the NW quadrant because no one's there for more than two years.
Marissa, I completely agree.
Um, Marissa have you ever actually lived in one of the non- young urban professional neighborhoods of Northwest? You know, not Adams Morgan and Dupont but the Palisades, Tenleytown, Chevy Chase DC, Kent, Forest Hills, etc? People have lived there happily for decades and in some cases (like my mom) generations. Some people just make stuff up when talking about this city, because it sounds good. Just because you're a carpertbagger and you associate with such, doesn't mean everyone else is.
Regarding the generalization of NW residents as unable to interact with each other... I don't see it. I really don't.
There are some flippant know-nothings in DC, yes. I may even be one of them for all I know. But they do not make up the majority of residents of DC or NW.
The whole thing about the coffee shops and yoga studios is this: I'm not saying there has to be a coffee shop to make a neighborhood legit. That's ridiculous. The meaning was two-fold. 1)having an indie place like a coffee shop helps distinguish one place from another, maybe instill a little neighborhood pride for having a cool hanggout nearby. 2)i literally was documenting the number of yoga studios in ward one, which i think is a lot of studios.
Post a Comment