T-minus 364 Days: Inauguration

Yes, I know it's way too early to be thinking about Inauguration. But, yesterday marked one year until we celebrate another peaceful transfer of power from one President to the next. A year form now, the 45th President will be embarking on their second day of work, and we'd be in the middle of what would probably be a three day weekend with Inauguration falling on a Friday in 2017 (January 20). Other dates to look forward to before then:

• February 1: The first presidential primary: Iowa Caucuses.
• March 1: Super Tuesday: Fifteen states have presidential primaries/caucuses on this day.
• March 12: District of Columbia Republican Caucus. FYI - This is on a Saturday. 
• June 14: District of Columbia Democratic primary. Yes, literally the last primary in the U.S.
• July 18-21: Republican Convention in Cleveland.
• July 25-28: Democratic Convention in Philadelphia.
• September 26: First presidential debate.
• October 4: Vice presidential debate.
• October 9: Second presidential debate. 
• October 19: Third presidential debate. 
• November 8: Election Day.
• December 19: Electoral College meets in each state to cast official votes for President & VP.
• January 6, 2017: Joint Congressional session to tally electoral votes.
• January 20, 2017: Inauguration of new President.

Mass Exodus, National Mall Edition

Not as bad as 2009. Or 2005 for that matter. 

2013 Inauguration Preparations Underway

Swearing in platform under construction on the west front of the Capitol.

Happy New Year! I hope 2013 has been as good to you so far as it has been to me. Here's to a safe, productive, and fruitful year.

The 2013 Presidential Inauguration on January 21 will be the nation's 57th. This will be my third since living in the District. Regardless of party, I really enjoy the spectacle associated with Inauguration and always plan to witness some of it in person, if at all possible. How many Americans get to see the President (almost) up close and personal? Not as many as you think. Luckily, I have been able to personally meet President Obama and President Bush 43.

Yes, I've had my cynical rants about inauguration rentals, and that's fun. But all joking aside, every four years hundreds of thousands of people travel to the District to be a tiny part of American history. Media outlets are predicting smaller numbers than 2009, but any one-time event that attracts this many visitors will have an impact on those who live here full time. 

(The last thing I'll say about inauguration rentals is that there are plenty of hotels in DC with rooms available. So, if you're charging four figures for an air mattress and a shared bathroom, you're already being underbid by people who do this for a living.)

The 21st will feature of just a few official events, but they'll make up most of the day: the ceremonial swearing in at the Capitol, the inaugural parade, and the official Inaugural Balls (there appear to be just two this year).

Preparations are well underway. The Capitol platform for the ceremonial swearing-in is being constructed. It's quite large at 10,000 square foot and will hold 1,600 people on the day of inauguration.

Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 4th and 15th Streets is being prepped for the parade including re-striping and bleacher seating.

At least one ball location is public at this point (titled The Inaugural Ball) and it is being held at the Walter  E. Washington Convention Center. The Commander-in-Chief's Ball is apparently happening, but I haven't seen a location mentioned as of today will also be held at the Convention Center. 

Major cell phone companies have added temporary cell phone towers to handle any spike in data usage. 2009 (10 generations ago in smartphone years) saw jammed cell signals all over the Mall for much of the day. 

Metro has created a special page detailing their plans for the day. Most importantly, Metro Rail will open at 4:00AM Monday and run until 2:00AM Tuesday morning. Rush hour service (and fares) are planned from opening until 9:00PM. Mt. Vernon Square, Smithsonian and McPherson Square Stations will be closed on the 21st.

These are just a few of the many changes by federal and local agencies. And oh yeah, NO PURPLE TUNNEL OF DOOM. So, there's that.

The lead up does feel a bit muted, compared to 2009. I can't say how this stacks up to 2005 since I wasn't around for Inauguration 2001, but I suppose it is similar, because an incumbent prevailed each time. Still need to host events for supporters and donors (and yes, the general public!), but naturally the excitement has leveled relative to that of an election of a new President.

More info on Inauguration 2013 as the big day approaches.

Parade seating at Penn and 7th NW.

Temp cell towers at 3rd and Constitution NW.

Countdown to Inauguration Begins

January 2009

Just over half of the District's 483,600 registered voters participated in the 2012 election. On the DC ballot were races for President of the United States, U.S. Congressional Delegate, Council of the District of Columbia, ANC, U.S. Shadow Representative and Senator, State Board of Education as well as three charter Amendments.

Mount Pleasant precincts (39 + 40) mirrored the District at large. Barack Obama received 91.8% of the Mount Pleasant vote (4,758 votes), Mitt Romney 4.9% (253), Jill Stein 2.2% (116) and Gary Johnson 0.8% (43). There were 14 write-ins in Mount Pleasant.

Now as the rest of the nation is relieved of Election Fever for at least two years, DC begins preparing for Inauguration. This will be my third Inauguration as a resident. I never leave town. I love it. Regardless of party, I enjoy the spectacle and hey, it's been been happening --with varying degrees of spectacle of course-- since 1789.

Inauguration is scheduled for January 21, a day later than usual. The Constitutionally-prescribed first day of the Presidency is January 20th, which is a Sunday. The President will officially be sworn into power on that date, but the public ceremony will wait until Monday. Viewing platforms are already being constructed at the Capitol Building. Other plans are being finalized by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. Hundreds of thousands are expected to descend upon the District in two months. So weird this happens every four years, no matter what. Pretty cool, too.

The Sound of Two Hands Clapping for Metro

For an oft-maligned, oft-ridiculed, cash-challenged, and much complained about agency, Metro performed exceptionally well last week and I want to publicly thank them. They set all kinds of records and still managed to move the masses to (or close to) their desired destinations. Some of the numbers:

On the very first day of the week Metro rail broke it's Sunday ridership record with 616,324 trips. That was the day of the Obama-attended free concert at the Lincoln memorial. The concert drew about 400,000 people.

The next day saw the shattering of the all time Metro rail record with 866,681 trips. A record which would last less than 24 hours. Monday's rail ridership was the second all time record breaking day within the last six months. The previous record was set in July 2008 on the day of a national women's conference and a Nationals game.

Of course Tuesday was the big day. And by big, I mean BIG. A new Metro rail ridership record was set and just destroyed Monday's number. Inauguration day travel helped Metro rail record 1,120,000 trips, a huge 30% increase over the previous record. Its the first time in Metro's history in which its provided an excess of one million trips by rail. The number isn't exact, I presume because Metro was forced to open gates for entrance/exit without payment (or record) for safety reasons.

Metro bus, which I took to the festivities, logged an impressive number on January 20th with 423,000 trips taken. More than half were taken on the rapid bus corridors set up within the city.

All this with occurred amidst an atmosphere of multiple cooks in the kitchen. The Secret Service, Presidential Inaugural Committee, Capitol Police, Park Police, MPD, National Guard, DDOT, VDOT and a handful of other major forces were shaping policy and practice on the ground for the last few weeks. Metro had to respond to their wishes and demands as well as serve the customers, many of whom were new to the system. Even a near tragedy, a woman falling on the tracks just ahead of a train, didn't cripple the system's ability to move us around on Tuesday.

So, a rare standing ovation for Metro as I applaud its leader John Catoe, and the employees, for making it work and proving that our transit system is viable and indeed world class.

Now, back to work on improving and enhancing service. And getting Metro a dedicated funding source from the Feds, Maryland, DC and Virginia. Thanks Metro.

Next Inauguration Post: January 2013

Lived up to all the hype. Crowded, cold, extraordinary. A full review after the dust settles. We have a new neighbor, and I think this one's a keeper. Congratulations to the new President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama.

Photos: City Alive for Inauguration

Photos: Inaug Concert

Metro was fine. We even had seats on the way back up on the green line.

Security was surprisingly a breeze. Got there at 1:30pm and staked out a decent spot.

Did anyone else notice the strange and awkward sequence with the eagle and its handler? I really wanted it to be released. I don't know the purpose of having it there. Anyone?

I was interviewed by a TV station from Alabama. Worst questions ever! I guess they're just handing out journalism degrees for nothing these days. When asked who I was there to see I said "uh... the President-elect." She says "No, I mean aren't you excited about the music? Who are the performers you want to see." So I chumped out and gave the usual guy answer: Beyoncé. Nice. Too late to take it back I guess.

The "pre-show" invocation by Gene Robinson was not aired on television. Weird, as it was the only live portion of the "pre-show" and was a rather good speech.

Best performance: Toss up between John Mellencamp and Garth Brooks. Brooks wins in a coinflip. He got the crowd moving and dancing! Long way for a guy with a seriously creepy alter ego. I mean, who even remembers Chistopher Gaines. I mean, really. No one.

Final Notes: The Inauguration Bears Down

**Don't worry, worriers. Only about 200 of the city's 1,000 alcohol-serving bars and restaurants have been approved for extended hours during inauguration. Check The 42 Bus post from January 13 to see which bars are taking advantage.

**Metro is changing plans almost daily, responding to the Inaugural Committee and other factors. After initially reserving its parking lots for buses only, they reversed field and are now opening Metro station parking lots to the general public, starting at 3:30am on January 20th. The first trains start to roll at 4:00am that day.

Metro decided to run trains until 2:00am on Tuesday morning to accommodate the visitors attending balls and other late night activities on Monday night. That's a change from the midnight closing proposed before.

On the bus front, thankfully Metro has also added special bus service in DC, reversing a decision to run a Saturday schedule for all routes on January 20th. Some routes will still run on a Saturday schedule, but Metro has dedicated several rapid bus corridors to get people pretty close to the inauguration and parade. 16th Street NW is one of the corridors for us Mount Peasant folks. Those special routes will have rush hour service all day on January 20th until 9:00pm.

Metro is also urging us to walk, if possible and has a new map (PDF) giving walking directions from various stations, including several in Virginia.

**And speaking of our friends from my home state, the Commonwealth, well, they are miffed and upset. Government agencies have decided to close all Potomac River crossings (save Wilson Bridge) to private automobile traffic. The rules are slightly convoluted, but basically only charter buses, Metro buses, taxis, limos and emergency vehicles will be able to cross a bridge to get into DC on January 20th. Otherwise, if you are approaching from the south in your own car, you need to take the beltway west to Bethesda or north to New York Ave (Route 50), then drive into DC.

Pedestrians from VA will be able to use various river crossings. That's the message of the day, transit or walking. If you live in Arlington or Alexandria, I would seriously consider taking the Metro to Arlington National Cemetery and then walking across the Memorial Bridge. The Washington Post provides a nice little map here. For us in DC, we'll be allowed to walk in the I-395 3rd Street tunnel, but who would want to! Scary!

**The Times-Dispatch thinks traffic back-ups will literally extend 110 miles into Richmond, VA.

**Recent weather reports indicate below average temperatures, low-30s, and overcast. No snow as of today's forecast.

**Most of the get rich quick inaugural apartment rentals flopped. As I said before, there is an extremely limited market for your circa 1970s bi-level home in Bowie. No, Annandale isn't "only minutes away" form DC. And that short drive into town you promised from Shirlington isn't looking that great right now either. Look at the bright side; you probably needed those new linen and towel sets anyway.

Photos: Union Station aka Obama Merchandise Central

Apparently Union Station is actually Obama Merchandise Central. There are nearly 10 establishments in the station selling Obama/Inauguration items only. Most are carts, some have been around for a long time and all were super busy when I visited today. A button maker I encountered on my trip to Portland last year is even there. They are cleaning up. Another fellow is selling photos "with" Obama. One guy sold Obama sandals. Even larger corporations are getting in the game. IKEA set up their version of oval office for a promotion they are calling "Embrace Change." And Pepsi has plastered the station with buzz words from the Obama campaign, each including a Pepsi logo. Very 1984-ish in a weird way. Anyway, it'll all be over in 6 days.

200+ Bars to Extend Hours, None in Mt Pleasant

Thanks to a lot of hard work by Capital Spice (huuuuuuuge props), its easy to see that no Mount Pleasant bars or restaurants will be taking advantage of extended inauguration hours. I'm not sure there was an expectation or even desire to have any bars on Mt Pleasant Street open that late anyway. Not to mention voluntary agreements.

However, there are quite a few on the 42 bus line. Here are some of the notable places on the 42 which are allowed to serve until 4:00am and remain open 24 hours/day January 18-21:

Perry's, Rhumba Cafe, Cashion's, and Jyoti in Adams Morgan. I'll eat at Jyoti any time of day or night. May have to pay them an after midnight visit next week.

In Dupont, there are heaps of places, but the hot spots will probably include Hilton Hotel, Bistro du Coin, Gazuza, La Tomate, Kramerbooks (no surprise there), Front Page, and Eighteenth Street Lounge.

Downtown and PQ have so many I won't list them all, but if you're inclined to party into the late night on 7th Street over the inauguration weekend try RFD, Clyde's, Rocket Bar, Indeblue or Fadó.

Keeping Tabs: On the Tracks Edition

***Will Crystal City get light rail or street car before DC? Not likely, but the transit idea is being floated by Arlington County developers and residents. While we stew over street alignment and watch our already purchased street cars idle in Europe, Arlington is quietly planning a comprehensive transit plan for the entire county which will take shape over the next few years. Eyes on the prize DC; focus, focus. I still want street cars for east-west travel up here in mid town. What about a street car on Irving St/Columbia Rd/Calvert Bridge linking Washington Hospital Center to Woodley Park? Or Petworth to Friendship Heights? Or street cars on 16th Street from Silver Spring to the White House? We can do it!

***Metro rescinds some inauguration day polices, including the nice sounding, but ill advised ideas of free parking at stations and reduced subway fares all day. As a local, I originally championed those ideas, but they really don't make sense when the agency can cash in on the massive influx of out of towners using the system. Since the system will be running at rush hour capacity for 15 hours that day, it seems fair to charge peak fees. And why not charge for parking on potentially the busiest Metro day in history. Seems like a potential bonanza.

***Do you Amtrak? I love rail and rarely leave the East Coast to visit family and friends. So, Amtrak has become my preferred mode of transport for interstate travel. But I can't afford Acela, and it terminates in DC for those of us wanting to travel fast down south. Well, the Feds are beginning to rethink high speed rail for corridors all over the country, and that's a good thing.

***Speaking of Amtrak and inaugurations.... The President Elect and the rail loving Vice-President Elect will arrive in DC by train for the inauguration. Yes, Obama will travel from Philadelphia, scoop up Biden in Delaware, make another stop in Charm City then finally arrive in the District. The trip is a nod to President Lincoln (and others who road rail before the era of planes and limos). It will also give a chance to a few citizens in Phila, Wilmington and B'more to the see the pair without having to travel to DC.

Bar Decision Draws Opponents

What seemed like a straight forward and simple change has become a contentious issue for local and even national government officials. The city council decision to extend bar and alcohol service hours for the inauguration has drawn some predictable and not so predictable opposition since the 12-1 vote on December 2.

I'm OK with the ANC commissioners, residents of entertainment districts, and churches filing complaints. I understand that. If you live near 18th and Columbia or M and Wisconsin, I totally understand. Your neighborhood may be a little busier than usual on those nights. However, you should not be subject to illegal behavior. That obviously is not the aim of letting these places stay open. Be honest and realistic with your forecasts and expectations. Local debate and concern is natural and needed. Of course in DC, its expected because are hyper politicized about every issue.

Add to the mix a letter sent to Mayor Adrian Fenty from two United States Senators. One from California and the other from Utah. Neither from DC, as we have no Senate representation. Sens Feinstien (D-CA) and Bob Bennet (R-UT) mailed Fenty and Council Chair Gray to advise the two to reconsider the council vote. The 12-1 council vote. Of a council not located in CA or UT. It's in the District and represents the people of the District. Its a non-starter on considering their letter as legitimate factor as the legislation is the most local of local matters and not at all Constitutional in nature, like, for example, the DC gun laws.

Here are my top reasons that Council should keep the 5am ruling.

5. Pro partiers know how to party. Most people don't party until 5:00am on a weekday. Only a select few. These are the pros. Many of them are industry people who never get to legally party after work because they work beyond last call. Pro partiers know how to handle themselves. They are not wild animals, just solid partiers. They know their limits, how to stay safe on the streets and how to get home safely. Don't worry about them. By the way, there are few pro partiers in DC. Most will be coming from out of town. All the regular partiers will go home when they are tired or out of money, like they do every other night of the year.

4. Many bars will close at the normal hour. The Council ruling is not a requirement. Many bars and restaurants will choose to close according to their normal schedule. Perhaps the owners have a voluntary agreement with neighbors. Many won't stay open longer because they won't be able to staff their places for the additional days. Others just aren't equipped for 24 hour service. They literally won't have enough stock or space to expand service for this one time deal. Natural attrition. There you go.

3. We're talking about four nights and 11 total hours. The bill authorizes bars and restaurants to extend alcohol service hours from 3:00am to 5:00am on one day (Jan 18th) and 2:00am to 5:00am for 3 consecutive days, the 19th, 20th and 21st. That's 11 additional hours. 11 extra hours over four days. That's a big deal for an individual establishment, but the impact on the general public will be much more muted. The average person is not going to rage for 4 straight nights. Its nearly impossible, unless you are one of the pros mentioned above. Remember we're talking about 11 hours here. So much for all that extra necessary policing. Maybe if they saved some of those meaningless overtime shifts for this special occasion, we wouldn't be scrambling.

2. Congressional rule over DC is virtually illegitimate. Despite the wording of the Constitution, at this point, we rule ourselves. DC no longer needs the parent-over-shoulder known as U.S. Congress. Every city council in this country makes good, bad and mixed-outcome decisions on their own. They may pay at the ballot box, but we are the only city who pays with Fed oversight, under constant threat of Congressional veto of our own laws. At over 500,000 residents we operate like a small state and are more capable of self rule that at least a handful of derelict, corrupt cities and states across the U.S. Camden, East St Louis, Detroit, all of Illinois and Florida in the year 2000 all come to mind. Where is the Feinstien and Bennet letter to Illinois threatening to boot their criminal (allegedly) governor? There isn't a letter, because Feinstien and Bennet have no grounds to lord over Illinois state business. The same should go for DC.

1. For the love of pete, pretend you live in a real city for once. I don't know what it is about the occasional flashes of social conservatism in this town. Maybe its some of the mid-western or small town transplants. Maybe its old money. Perhaps some within our strong faith communities. I don't know. But please, for once I just want to say "LIVE A LITTLE." A childish, basic refrain, but its not to be helped sometimes in this town. The world will not end if some people drink at a bar until 5am. There will be more pressing issues at the inauguration like: availability of protest zones and upholding 1st amendment rights, safety of the all visitors and the President himself, possible freezing temperatures and January weather, critical transportation repercussions and lots of others. While some are even calling for an earlier last call, I wish that we could call this 12-1 vote a done deal and move on to the next.

Reform Schools, Get Served Until 5 AM and More Inauguration News

***"Teachers hate her. Principals are scared of her." Those are the first two sentences of an abstract for this extensive article about our very own Michelle Rhee, DCPS Chancellor. She graces the cover of the current Time Magazine after recently getting national attention by way of CNN and even the Presidential debates. I've said it before, but I support all the chancellor is doing, although I know there are some hurt feelings among teachers and others who may have been relieved of their duties. If the system ends up the better for her efforts, then obviously the payoff is worth the stretch.

***First reviews are coming in for the newly opened Capitol Visitor Center. The Washington Post offers harsh criticism, on both architectural and symbolic grounds. I tend to agree. The New York Times offers a slightly friendlier review, but pans the effort as falling short in the end. Surprise, a federal government project that came in over budget, years late and still didn't fulfill its aims. Wait, not a surprise.

***Some DC hotels may opt for a quick and dirty face lift. They want to impress the inaugural crowds, who, coincidentally, are paying through the nose for accommodations.

Also, on the inauguration front, have you heard this? Our very own Jim Graham (Ward One council member) introduced a measure to allow DC bars and restaurants to remain open for 24 hours a day from January 17-21, 2009. Also, they'd be allowed to serve alcohol until 5:00 AM, a three hour extension of the usual 2:00 AM weeknight restriction. Thoughts? I can't say I'm against it, but am sure that local opposition will surface.

UPDATED: The emergency legislation passed by a vote of 12-1. Phil Mendelson accounted for the only "against" vote.

15 Hours of Rush Hour Service for Inauguration

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, or Metro, will face one of its toughest tests next January 20th. The inauguration of Barack Obama, is likely to bring a record number of visitors to the city for this special event, but how many, no one is sure. There are wild estimates of up to 4 million visitors and the odds of Metro breaking the daily ridership record are strong. To that end, the agency is starting early with a special website dedicated to the inauguration already. There are plans for special fare cards and Smartrip cards (pictured) to commemorate the event. Special fare cards are not unprecedented; the Pope's visit and opening of Nationals' Park both garnered special cards earlier this year.

Here are some of the more unique transit attributes of the inaugural weekend:

***15 hours of rush hour service: Metro rail will open at 4:00 AM on January 20th and run at rush hour intervals until 7:00 PM. How they will do this, I have no idea. The staff and equipment will have to be taxed to the maximum. I feel like they can barely sustain rush hour service on a normal weekday, so running cars every 3-8 minutes all day seems like a monumental challenge. In a surprise move, only off peak hours will be charged all day. Nice. Also, Tuesday service will be extended until 2:00 AM, January 21.

***Stations closed: As anticipated, the Navy-Archives Station will be closed. The security barrier will likely extend north along 7th Street NW beyond the station. Also, not surprisingly, the Mall entrance of the Smithsonian station will be closed. The Independence Ave entrance will be open, but for the love of pete, avoid this station all together if you can.

***Free parking!: Well, parking at Metro anyway. Parking at Metro stations is free from opening on Saturday morning until closing on Tuesday night. For all you out of towners driving in for the day, get to those end of line stations early, they will fill up within minutes on Tuesday January 20.

***Buses will operate less frequently: In either a genius or boneheaded move, Metrobuses will operate on a Saturday (reduced service) schedule on January 20th. The practical me sees the logic: roads will be clogged getting into downtown and there are major closures in the downtown core. Less buses make sense. However the other practical me says, get those people on buses and at least get them close to downtown. Not everyone is within walking distance of the festivities or wants to ride like a sardine on the train. I want to know how this one plays out. I was hoping to take the 42 that day, but we'll see.

*** Extra security: Metro station restrooms will be closed on January 20th, so go at home! Also expect to see TSA agents and their dogs on trains and buses throughout. Expect many escalators to be turned off, for crowd flow reasons, which I'm not sure I understand.

I guess the themes of the day will be patience and flexibility. At this point, know one knows how many people will show up, what the weather will be like or how capable Metro will be. Some of that will get sorted out as we approach the date. If all else fails, watch it on TV. After its all said and done, your couch may have the best seats in the house.

Keeping Tabs

A few news stories:

Hardly necessary to take a cab from Adams Morgan to Mount Pleasant, but if you really need to on the weekends, its now "easier." A story about the mandatory, new cab stands on 18th Street (pictured left). Recipe for disaster? And you thought there were too many petty fights on this block already.

If your dream condo went all rental on you before you could buy it, you'll appreciate this NYT article. Its about a couple of projects on 14th Street NW. Turns out U Street and Columbia Heights weren't quite ready for $1+ million condos. Shocking.

Triple the attendance, smaller budget? The Fed appropriations for President Obama's 2009 Inauguration total $15.0 million. That's $2.3 million less than the final cost of President Bush's 2005 event, which drew about 300,000 people. More than 1 million are expected for Obama. Doesn't add up to me. But, I was a poli sci major, so math isn't my strong suit.

Prime, barren, potential office space at Connecticut and K, which I wrote about last week, finally gets construction financing. Maybe the planned parking lot on that site is no longer necessary. $194,000,000 of guaranteed income tends to lessen the need to nickel and dime desperate parkers.

Inauguration Rental Shenanigans

Among the phenomena related to last week's Presidential election is this: Washington area condo and home owners are now somehow convinced that the world is ready to shell out tens of thousands to be in DC for the Inauguration. Yes, I know, I know--its historic, there are limited hotel rooms and money is no object to some people. However, will even a small percentage of these people really get the thousands of dollars of which they are asking?

I wanted to see what was being offered and how ridiculous people could get in the name of providing a room for a fee. Here are some of the most interesting inauguration rental offers I have found. I based my listing on how loudly and long I laughed after first reading the posts.:...

$40000 / 1br - Loft Style Luxury Condo for Rent during Inauguration week (Jan. 17-22) (DuPont Circle): This inauguration rental requires a $10,000 deposit. Its in the DeSoto, a newish building across from Whole Foods on P Street, near Dupont. One bedrooms here normally rent for about $2,500 a month. At $10,000 per night this a 12,000% increase over the normal rent. Ouch.

$75000 / 2br - Inauguration Special - Entire Week - First Come (Bethesda): This entry amused me for a few reasons. 1.) So little information is offered: I'd like to know a lot more before I called about a $75,000 one week investment. 2.) Apparently its in a "building primarily used for low-income housing." Gives new meaning to the term buy low sell high. And 3.) Like many other entries the author takes liberties with lines like "a stone's throw away from all the DC action," when this place is adjacent to NIH-Medical Center.

$250 1 Bedroom plus Den for Inauguration Week (Mt. Pleasant): This one was is one of several offers out of Mt Pleasant. Its really not that remarkable. Some listings for Mt Pleasant were vastly overpriced and stretched some of the facts, but this one actually seems reasonable, relative to the rest. Still more than I would normally pay for a night at a decent hotel.

$2200 / 3br - Luxury condo during Inauguration week -- walk to balls, dining, Metro (Dupont/Kalorama): I'm sorry, but there is no house or apartment which is both "a block from the Washington Hilton" and "a 10-minute walk from the Omni Shoreham Hotel." Equally questionable is the statement that this house is "a 5-minute walk to both the Dupont Circle Metro and the Woodley Park/Adams-Morgan Metro;" maybe one, but not the other. Many of the posts have little white lies similar to this one. On the face, not that egregious of an exaggeration, but the little things matter at such high prices. This place is $2200 per night.

$5000 / 4br -Inauguration Rental Just 2 Stoplights to DC! (McLean): Again, this is one of the misleading entries. I mapped the route out, and its true! One could get to DC, stopping at only two traffic lights, both on Glebe Road. The author forgets to mention that you'd then have to travel an additional 7+ miles from Chain Bridge to downtown DC. That includes the countless traffic lights in Kent, the Palisades, Burleith, Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, West End, GWU, the National Mall and SW/Federal Center on the way to the Capitol Building.

$10000 Upscale Apartment for Inaugural Week (Wash DC (5 mins from)): This is one of the many entries which promises accommodations that are "5 minutes from..." everything. This apartment is even 5 minutes from "Regan" Airport and the Convention Center, which I learned is "on both blue and yellow metro lines..."

$188000 / 3br - Quaint, Luxurious Inauguration House - Early Bird Special -Furnished (Damascus, MD): OK, I wasn't sure if this price was for buying the house outright, or for renting it during the inauguration. It features amenities such as "dial-up internet service" (hello, 1992? dial up!?), a "quaint" gravel driveway, but no refrigerator (its "down"). And its 25 miles outside the beltway! Perhaps there was a typo and the owner meant to offer it at $188 for the week.

Oh goodness, I could go on and on and on. This is fascinating! Its like a dam broke and all these want-to-be capitalist entrepreneurs spilled out. Don't believe the hype people! No one is paying ten grand to rent your worn out townhouse in Bowie! A $3,000 security deposit on a five night rental is absurd! I don't even smoke, but for $2,000 a night you bet I want to light up in your house and do whatever else makes me happy.

I love it, all these fools saw some news story and thought they could get a piece of the action. Fantastic. More comedy for me I guess. Keep it coming DC home owners, keep it coming.

The $99,000 Inauguration Package and Some Predictions

Feeling like an entrepreneur? Want to make something for (almost) nothing? Don't mind feeling like an opportunist? Try selling your apartment floor for the Presidential Inauguration.

My parents and many, many of my friends want to come up to DC, but none of them can find a room, surprise. I have friends who would never visit DC because of traffic, crime, "its boring," too far, New York's cooler, too close, traffic (again), too conservative/liberal or whatever reason they could come up with. Now these same people now want to join the rest of the Western world in trying to secure tickets and lodging to the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. My parents live within driving distance, but they would like to stay in a hotel. Most hotels are sold out from here to Manassas and Baltimore (that is not a joke). But there is one package they might be interested in: The Ritz-Carleton Red, White, Blue and Green Inauguration Package. Its for the location in Georgetown, on South Street.

It costs $99,000.00. Yes, ninety nine thousand United States dollars, zero cents. What might you get for the nearly tenth of a million dollars? Well

• Four-night stay in a Presidential Suite
• First Class Round trip airline tickets
• 24-hour on-call chauffeur in luxury hybrid vehicle
• Gucci luggage set to last a lifetime
• Seating for two at the Inaugural parade
• Two tickets to one of the official Inaugural balls
• Private dinner in the Chimney Stack dining room, featuring all-organic menu and organic wine pairing (up to 8 people)
• In-room Eco-Friendly Bath and Body Works Spa Gift Basket
• Eco Lux in room amenities including organic slippers and monogrammed bath robes
• Four night stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman including round trip first class airline transfers from Washington, D. C. to Grand Cayman

Basically , the R-C put together a package centered around sustainable travel and living coupled with the fact that, oh, a certain someone will be starting a certain jobbie job that day. Other pieces of the puzzle include TerraPasses to offset the carbon omissions incurred during your airplane flights, a post-inauguration vacation on Grand Cayman Island, and a "sustainable" custom set of luggage by Gucci. I have no idea what sustainable luggage looks like, but I hope they aren't made of leather! Maybe they are made of recycled old luggage or something. You also get chauffeured around town in a hybrid vehicle all week and two tickets to an inaugural ball and the inaugural parade. I'm guessing the parent company to R-C has made a few political donations, at least enough to have guaranteed tickets to the parade and a ball.

It has been virtually impossible for the normal people to get a hold of tickets. I've tried calling our Delegate Eleanor Holmes-Norton and my parents tried their Representative, neither with any luck. There are 250,000 official tickets available, each and everyone to be distributed through the Inaugural Committee and members if the United States Congress. My best guess is that they'll provide another venue--the Mall, Verizon Center, Nationals Park, etc-- in order to accommodate the masses with live feed video screens. I predict more than 1.5 million visitors for the inauguration. I also predict a new Metro rail daily ridership record, surpassing the 854,638 riders set on July 11, 2008.

DC will be packed and buzzing more than usual during Inauguration week. Its also likely to be in a deep freeze. I attended events at the 2005 Inauguration and most of the week was spent in sub freezing, icy conditions. Outside events were nearly unbearable, leaving participants numb from head to toe between the low temperatures and the listless presenters playing mostly to tele cameras and not to the crowds.

My floor may have a few bodies on it that January week. I am open to hosting my friends, fly by night DC fans or no. We will have a good time and I can try to show them that we in DC are indeed always cool, new President or not. Obviously, I'd never charge anyone! Are you hosting anyone? Are you renting your place out? Are you getting out of town to avoid the crowds? Just curious.