Goodman League

Photos: New York City

Photos from a recent visit.

The harbor.

"I'm want to be on (a) TV." 

Commerce.

Sorry to interrupt, but.

Hey don't forget about us.

The sun sets on everyone at the exact same time. 

How to wow everyone at the reunion.

Down Under Bridge Overpasses ©.

Memorial.

Midtown  / Village.

Transit Hub / WTC.

O W T / W T C

BK.

(Northern) Battery Park City.

Photos: New York City

Photos from some recent visits.

Adams Morgan Day is September 14

Adams Morgan Day Festival 2013.

My favorite DC neighborhood festival is set for September 14. Adams Morgan Day signals the start of fall here DC: football, baseball playoffs, hoodie weather, colorful trees, hot coffee from you favorite shop. At the same time, summer usually puts up a last gasp blast of heat and sunshine on this day, typically making the festival a memorable closeout to the season. And, oh yeah, it's attended by 35,000+ of your closest friends.

September 14 is a Sunday and the festival will run from Noon until 7:00 PM. Most of the action will take place on 18th Street NW between Columbia Road and Florida Ave, as usual. Organizers are bringing back the popular Dance Stage this year. It will be located at Florida and 18th and features lots  of special guests. Also, the popular Arts on Belmont returns. More details as they come, but go ahead and put this fest on your calendar. A few photos from the years:

Crowded in 2012.

Band plays in 2007.

Kids jamming for decent crowd; on site of  what is now the Marie Reed soccer field. 2008.

Arts on Belmont, 2008.

2010. Notice the construction of Jack Rose, left.

Friday Fun Post: New Orleans

Two weeks ago I visited New Orleans for the first time. Since I'm from the south, I had lots of preconceived ideas --all positive-- about what life was like in this midsize city (pop. 379,000) with the outsized reputation. All the positives were confirmed. Awesome, friendly people as residents (with their own version of southern hospitality), a fantastic collection of diverse and distinct neighborhoods, crazy, engaging architecture, easily accessible public transit and yes, they know how to show you a good time. Did I mention I was there for WrestleMania XXX?

That's XXX as in the 30th iteration. WrestleMania has been on my to-do list since I was a kid. In some ways I'm still kind of child-like, but the difference between now and then is that I can pay for things like trips to WrestleMania. So, I did. And it was so worth it. Not sure I'd go again (questionable if any others would live up to this one), but I'm totally sold on New Orleans and I definitely want to return there for more food, more self guided walking tours (i.e. getting lost), more Mississippi River, and more Bourbon Street. Here's the best of what I saw, in photos.

Summary: Eat, Sleep, Break the Streak + YES! YES! YES!

French Quarter house and bicycle.

Quiet street with colorful houses.

The buses and streetcars meant I didn't need a rental car.

Streetcar tracks on the way to Carrollton neighborhood.

There were like, A LOT of 90s cover bands. This band played Ginuwine b/w Pearl Jam.

Not Miami.

The mighty Mississippi. Calm and beautiful.

Got to meet one of my heroes: Tia Torres of Villalobos Rescue Center. Much love.

Don't let anyone tell you can't get vegan food in NoLa. This place is the bomb.

And don't let anyone tell you can't get GREAT coffee service in NoLa...

French Quarter shopping district.

This place is just huge.

Sort of like a mini-Eastern Market except there are multiple booths selling alligator. To eat.

The Saint Louis Cathedral

Open container seems like a bad idea until you hang out on Bourbon St, where it just... works. Everyone was cool.


Loved this town.

Washington Auto Show 2014: A Photo Essay

The downside to these car shows is that form year to year, they don't seem to change very much. I think I had 95% of the 2013 car show experience in 2014. And the 5% wasn't much to write home about. There was the usual mix of predictable and mostly big, boring domestic pick up trucks, a large dose of high end, expensive foreign cars, and "why isn't this available now" concepts. Basically: practical cars the average person could very well end up buying vs colorful eye candy for the few who can afford vs "absolutely no one has this yet because this is the only one."

All that being said, for someone who hasn't owned a car in a dozen years or so (RIP trusty 4-door '93 Cavalier), I did get a kick of seeing the concept cars at the massive Washington Auto Show. The show was held last week at the Walter Washington Convention Center. Here's what caught my eye.

There were two exhibit halls. I always forget that the lower one is basically underground. So weird.

This car is made for surviving winning the zombie apocalypse.

So, Airstream is still a thing. And still awesome. This touring coach had a kitchen, real shower/restroom, tvs, and a bed

One of the many all-electric cars scheduled to be released this year. No gas reserve on this one.

Smart Car is not new, but I love how tiny it is. However.....

...this thing was FOR REAL TINY. It's a concept electric one-seater with a range of only 31 miles per charge.

A fuel cell concept that is one year form production. Converts hydrogen into electricity and water. No gas, no plug-in.

When I hear "exotic foreign car," this is sort of what I think of. This is a $68,000 Lotus from the UK.

There were some older cars, too. This one was for sale.

Someone painted this truck with Navy Seals.

People stood in line to ride in a Jeep around an oval dirt track. Still unclear about the appeal of this one.

I was glad to see Metro there. This hybrid electric bus was a huge hit with the kids.

Peeked outside to check on the Marriott Marquis (left). Yep, still there.