The ***OFFICIAL*** Washington, DC thread (1 Viewer)

[Don Quixote]

Any recommendations for a kid-friendly restaurant for dinner downtown? My nieces (ages 4 and 0.25) are coming into town later this week, and not having kids myself, my downtown knowledge is mostly just bars or romance/business-type establishments, and not sure what place may cater to kids. I work in the Metro Center area, so recommendations within walking distance are all the better.

Hill Country is very family friendly. and the food is GREAT!!!!! they even have some family combo plates that may work well. plus sides like mac and cheese and such that the kids will love.http://www.hillcountrywdc.com/

Thanks. I'll check that one out.

 

[dgreen]

Fairfax County law requires a working land line for the neighborhood pool to be open, so no pool on this incredibly hot day.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I was in Purcellville Friday night when the storm hit. Didn't lose power where I was but half the town was out. Went to the Cooper/Maiden show Saturday from a friend's house in Reston. He had power, but Rte 7 from at least Reston Pkwy to Rte 28 was out as late as yesterday morning. The had closed all median crossings and every traffic light was dark except one running on a generator. I cannot imagine was rush hour is going to be like on that stretch this a.m. Got home (Woodstock off of 81) yesterday morning and had power, but it had been off for some unknown length of time. I was wiped from the show the night before so didn't do anything with my food, but am thinking of pitching most everything in the fridge/freezer just to be safe. WTOP yesterday was reading off gas stations that were OPEN in DC and it took less than 2 minutes.

Haven't seen DC Thunder post. He's in Mont Co, I believe, which is one of the hardest hit. Hope he and everyone else here is ok.

 

[Wrighteous Ray]

We still have no power at our house. Came in to work and our whole computer system is down.

ETA: Computer system just came on! Now I can not do work on purpose.

 

[Foosball God]

I'm in Leesburg and we lost a huge limb off of one of my trees, luckily it fell away from the house. We had some flickering of power but it stayed on.

 

[Worm]

Any recommendations for a kid-friendly restaurant for dinner downtown? My nieces (ages 4 and 0.25) are coming into town later this week, and not having kids myself, my downtown knowledge is mostly just bars or romance/business-type establishments, and not sure what place may cater to kids. I work in the Metro Center area, so recommendations within walking distance are all the better.

Hill Country is very family friendly. and the food is GREAT!!!!! they even have some family combo plates that may work well. plus sides like mac and cheese and such that the kids will love.http://www.hillcountrywdc.com/

I didn't ask, but thanks for this. I'll be on my own sight seeing with the kids tomorrow while the wife is at a conference.

definitely swing by. and make sure you get the moist brisket and the jalepeno cheese sausage. Thank me later!!!

They were out of sausage. OUT OF SAUSAGE!!!

 

[PinkydaPimp]

Any recommendations for a kid-friendly restaurant for dinner downtown? My nieces (ages 4 and 0.25) are coming into town later this week, and not having kids myself, my downtown knowledge is mostly just bars or romance/business-type establishments, and not sure what place may cater to kids. I work in the Metro Center area, so recommendations within walking distance are all the better.

Hill Country is very family friendly. and the food is GREAT!!!!! they even have some family combo plates that may work well. plus sides like mac and cheese and such that the kids will love.http://www.hillcountrywdc.com/

I didn't ask, but thanks for this. I'll be on my own sight seeing with the kids tomorrow while the wife is at a conference.

definitely swing by. and make sure you get the moist brisket and the jalepeno cheese sausage. Thank me later!!!

They were out of sausage. OUT OF SAUSAGE!!!

that is unfortunate! hopefully the moist brisket was plentyful!

 

[Worm]

Moist brisket was good. The sides were a flop with the kids, though. Win some/lose some.

 

[valhallan]

Moist brisket was good. The sides were a flop with the kids, though. Win some/lose some.

I didn't want to spoil it before you went, but imo Hill Country is one of the most overrated restaurants in the city. I think more and more people are realizing this too, since last year I needed a reservation on a Saturday but just walked in on a recent weekend.

 

[dgreen]

BBQ isn't DC's specialty.

Anyone tried Standard? You can get a whole pig's head!

 

[dgreen]

Google car pulled over in DC

 

[Don Quixote]

For any Parks & Recreation fans, I recommend giving this a follow: https://twitter.com/ParksRecinDC

Rumor is NY and 13/14th next stop.

 

[dgreen]

Went to the Hirshhorn Museum Saturday. I don't think I've ever been inside before. I'm not really an art guy. I just don't have an appreciation for it and rarely "get it". But, I enjoyed some of the exhibits there. I had my boys (7 and 5) with me and there was some fun stuff to keep them entertained.

They really enjoyed the Suprasensorial exhibit. And I scared the 5 year old by taking him into a really dark room where you could only see the fangs and eyes of a cat (panther/jaguar/whatever) growling at you. 7 year old thought it was cool.

 

[VA703]

going to German Beer Night at Dulles Oktoberfest

first time.. cant wait

 

[PinkydaPimp]

Wingfest

I have been to the NYC event and its a great time. unlimited wings and beer. Im tempted to make it down for this one as well.

 

[Swing 51]

D.C. area sports bars want to host your fantasy football draft partyWith the NFL season rapidly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about fantasy football. Not just whether or not it’s worth taking Jimmy Graham with your late second-round pick, but where you and your league are going to hold your fantasy draft. There are plenty of sports bars that are willing to provide space and WiFi, and some will even toss free food and drinks your way.BlackFinn (D.C. and Bethesda)BlackFinn is offering three incentives to draft-party planners: A draft board and other necessary supplies; access to the bar’s seasonal football menu (wing platters, discounted 100-ounce beer towers) and $10 gift cards that are valid on any Sunday or Monday during the regular season. There’s no charge to reserve space, but they do ask that you bring a minimum of eight people.Buffalo Wing FactoryVirginia’s four Buffalo Wing Factory locations are all ready to host draft parties – they even provide a free “Draft Kit” with a board, highlighters, pads, Post-It notes and all the tools. (If you’re drafting with a laptop, there’s free WiFi, too.) Call in advance, because every reservation also includes a free appetizer platter for the group to share. Just don’t plan to host your draft on a Thursday: That’s the chain’s popular all-you-can-eat wing night, and no reservations are taken.Public Bar (Downtown and Tenley)Though it’s best known as a place to watch football during the regular season, both locations of Public Bar can function as fantasy draft locations. The large booths boast tables wide enough for laptops, and come complete with outlets for charging laptops and iPads. Just make sure you make reservations on weeknights or at off hours to avoid the crowds.Ventnor Sports CafeFor fantasy draft parties, Ventnor Sports Cafe turns its upstairs bar into a private conference room, with one long table, a projection screen and plenty of outlets for charging laptops. There’s no charge to reserve the room, which comes with its own server, but the number of slots are limited, since Ventnor will let your draft party run as long as you want. “We have one group of guys that’s been coming here for years,” says owner Scott Auslander. “They all come in around 1 [p.m.] on Sunday, and their wives come by to pick them up around midnight.”By Fritz Hahn | 01:15 PM ET, 08/24/2012

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/going-out-gurus/post/dc-area-sports-bars-want-to-host-your-fantasy-football-draft-party/2012/08/24/84a1c1ca-ee03-11e1-afd6-f55f84bc0c41_blog.html

 

[The_Man]

Interesting article about DC:

Bubble on the Potomac - Time Magazine

7 of nation's top most affluent counties are now in Washington area, 9 of top 15Liberal as I am, I do think it's a problem that the nation's top growth industry is government.

 

[dgreen]

Interesting article about DC:

Bubble on the Potomac - Time Magazine

7 of nation's top most affluent counties are now in Washington area, 9 of top 15Liberal as I am, I do think it's a problem that the nation's top growth industry is government.

Growing up in NoVa, I definitely had a skewed view of wealth. I honestly used to think that people who lived in places like Manassas were poor because of their relative status in the area.The DC area always does well on these lists because they use median (I'm sure we do just fine with mean household or per capita numbers, too) and there are tons of government workers who hover around the local median. A household of two GS-9s is going to earn 100k a year. GS-9 is an easily attainable level for a young college graduate. With all the educated people attracted to the area (mostly to work in government or support government), we develop a large upper middle class.

Yes, there are pockets (large pockets) that are skewed towards the lower quartiles and pockets (again, large pockets) that are skewed towards the upper quartiles. But, the DC area usually has a lower gini coefficient (measuring equality - low = more equality) than other metros. Then again, our median is probably most of the country's top quartile.

 

[dgreen]

Cool data visualization regarding median income

 

[VA703]

Cool data visualization regarding median income

wowso half the countries median value is <50,000

 

[Swing 51]

So I played disc golf yesterday afternoon. Wore shorts and short sleeved shirt and ended up sweating - on October 24

We are going to pay at some point for this Indian Summer right?

 

[Todd Andrews]

Cool data visualization regarding median income

wowso half the countries median value is <50,000

The country median household income is under $50,000 after the Bush Great Recession, so it makes sense. Hit the slider on that link map and bump it up to $90,000/year income and then $100,000/year and you see that the DC suburbs are the average highest earning area households in the country--in counties with more than 1 million people the average household incomes are between $90-100,000 per year or almost half the US median household income.

 

[beaux]

Cool data visualization regarding median income

Arkansas = First state to be all gray...

 

[dgreen]

Celebrity Sighting: Riddick Bowe (Ft. Washington, MD, resident) at the Chick-Fil-A in District Heights, MD.

 

[Don Quixote]

If I decide to do my grocery shopping tomorrow, what are the odds all of the stores are already out of everything?

 

[Apple Jack]

RUN TO HIGH GROUND!!!

 

[roarlions]

If I decide to do my grocery shopping tomorrow, what are the odds all of the stores are already out of everything?

Stopped at Giant in Annandale this morning and everything was quiet, they still had plenty of batteries.

 

[Don Quixote]

If I decide to do my grocery shopping tomorrow, what are the odds all of the stores are already out of everything?

Stopped at Giant in Annandale this morning and everything was quiet, they still had plenty of batteries.

That is good to hear. Hopefully still some stuff left for me tomorrow.CWG's latest forecast is not looking all that promising: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/washington-dc-will-not-escape-hurricane-sandy-latest-storm-scenarios/2012/10/26/19a6c5b8-1f8c-11e2-9cd5-b55c38388962_blog.html

 

[dgreen]

I don't think I've ever lost power in this house for more than a few minutes. And that's only happened a couple times. Everything is underground. And I can't imagine that this storm would greatly diminish my ability to get food for a few days, so I'm totally ignoring Sandy.

 

[Apple Jack]

Am I losing my mind or did 2 Amys used to be in Adams Morgan on Columbia???

 

[TobiasFunke]

Am I losing my mind or did 2 Amys used to be in Adams Morgan on Columbia???

You are losing your mind. There's no pizza place on Columbia in Adams Morgan. Maybe you're thinking of Cashion's? That's on Columbia, and is also run by a female with a first name starting with A.

 

[Apple Jack]

Am I losing my mind or did 2 Amys used to be in Adams Morgan on Columbia???

You are losing your mind. There's no pizza place on Columbia in Adams Morgan. Maybe you're thinking of Cashion's? That's on Columbia, and is also run by a female with a first name starting with A.

ANN. Yes, that's exactly what I'm thinking of. Nice work.

 

[dgreen]

Homicides in DC by neighborhood.

 

[TobiasFunke]

Homicides in DC by neighborhood.

Apparently I live in "Washington Heights," near "Strivers" and "Reed-Cooke."I've been there over a decade, never heard any of those names.

 

[Apple Jack]

I didn't realize how much the homicide rate had fallen in DC. That's good to see.

 

[dgreen]

Homicides in DC by neighborhood.

Apparently I live in "Washington Heights," near "Strivers" and "Reed-Cooke."I've been there over a decade, never heard any of those names.

So they take Adams Morgan, one of the more recognizable neighborhoods to people in the area, and break it into three sections nobody knows?

 

[Apple Jack]

Homicides in DC by neighborhood.

Apparently I live in "Washington Heights," near "Strivers" and "Reed-Cooke."I've been there over a decade, never heard any of those names.

So they take Adams Morgan, one of the more recognizable neighborhoods to people in the area, and break it into three sections nobody knows?

"Rebranding."

 

[Jewell]

Homicides in DC by neighborhood.

The drop-down for the "manner" of homicide is fascinating. My favorite is "poisoned cocaine". The ol' a little anthrax in your frenemy's nose candy maneuver.Tobias, I saw in that recent parenting thread that you're a relatively new father. I just wanted to send my congrats.

 

[dgreen]

Tobias, I saw in that recent parenting thread that you're a relatively new father. I just wanted to send my congrats.

Congrats, Tobias.Any idea what your living plans are as your child grows older? I've recently been obsessed with the idea of moving my wife and kids into the city and living the urban life. I really think my family and I would enjoy that lifestyle. The main thing stopping me is money, so I don't think we'll ever do it while having 3 kids. But, even if we had the money, there's all the stories of the DC schools. Now, I'm not of the opinion that my kids need to be in the very best schools, but I would like their school to not totally suck.I've always wondered what the usual "DC schools suck" statements are based on. What is it that makes them suck? Is it results-based? Safety issues? They teach that -5^2=25? Is it city-wide or just the poorer neighborhoods that bring the entire school system down?Speaking of neighborhoods, I'm a little shocked by Columbia Heights' homicides. I guess it has improved some the last 10 years, but I assumed it would be much safer based on how high home values have rose in that area.

 

[dgreen]

Just to add a question to my last post: Who here lives in the city with a family (spouse and kids or just kids)?

 

[Sweet J]

Tobias, I saw in that recent parenting thread that you're a relatively new father. I just wanted to send my congrats.

Congrats, Tobias.Any idea what your living plans are as your child grows older? I've recently been obsessed with the idea of moving my wife and kids into the city and living the urban life. I really think my family and I would enjoy that lifestyle. The main thing stopping me is money, so I don't think we'll ever do it while having 3 kids. But, even if we had the money, there's all the stories of the DC schools. Now, I'm not of the opinion that my kids need to be in the very best schools, but I would like their school to not totally suck.I've always wondered what the usual "DC schools suck" statements are based on. What is it that makes them suck? Is it results-based? Safety issues? They teach that -5^2=25? Is it city-wide or just the poorer neighborhoods that bring the entire school system down?Speaking of neighborhoods, I'm a little shocked by Columbia Heights' homicides. I guess it has improved some the last 10 years, but I assumed it would be much safer based on how high home values have rose in that area.

totally anecdotal: I live in Alexandria (Del Ray): I would probably be ok with sending my kids to public school in DC for elementary school, but NOT for middle school or high-school. Not research-based, but gut-based. Just too many horror stories.I do send my kids to public school in Alexandria. Have a kid in elementary school now (3rd grade) and a kid in GW Middle School (6th). Both are fine. They will go to TC Williamns, and I'm fine with that, too.

 

[Sweet J]

Homicides in DC by neighborhood.

Tobias, I saw in that recent parenting thread that you're a relatively new father. I just wanted to send my congrats.

Congrats, AV!!

 

[Sweet J]

Just to add a question to my last post: Who here lives in the city with a family (spouse and kids or just kids)?

You are in VA, right? What town?

 

[dgreen]

Just to add a question to my last post: Who here lives in the city with a family (spouse and kids or just kids)?

You are in VA, right? What town?

Western Fairfax County. My address is Clifton, but most people would consider the location Centreville. Clifton, for those who don't know, is mansions on 10 acres with horse farms and a charming old town in the middle. I'm in a townhouse community just inside the zip code. We are in the Centreville High School district.

 

[valhallan]

Tobias, I saw in that recent parenting thread that you're a relatively new father. I just wanted to send my congrats.

Congrats, Tobias.Any idea what your living plans are as your child grows older? I've recently been obsessed with the idea of moving my wife and kids into the city and living the urban life. I really think my family and I would enjoy that lifestyle. The main thing stopping me is money, so I don't think we'll ever do it while having 3 kids. But, even if we had the money, there's all the stories of the DC schools. Now, I'm not of the opinion that my kids need to be in the very best schools, but I would like their school to not totally suck.I've always wondered what the usual "DC schools suck" statements are based on. What is it that makes them suck? Is it results-based? Safety issues? They teach that -5^2=25? Is it city-wide or just the poorer neighborhoods that bring the entire school system down?Speaking of neighborhoods, I'm a little shocked by Columbia Heights' homicides. I guess it has improved some the last 10 years, but I assumed it would be much safer based on how high home values have rose in that area.

I don't have kids, but I do live in a family-friendly neighborhood in upper NW. I've met many folks with children. It seems they attend DCPS for elementary and private schools after. No idea why but it's extremely consistent.

 

[dgreen]

Tobias, I saw in that recent parenting thread that you're a relatively new father. I just wanted to send my congrats.

Congrats, Tobias.Any idea what your living plans are as your child grows older? I've recently been obsessed with the idea of moving my wife and kids into the city and living the urban life. I really think my family and I would enjoy that lifestyle. The main thing stopping me is money, so I don't think we'll ever do it while having 3 kids. But, even if we had the money, there's all the stories of the DC schools. Now, I'm not of the opinion that my kids need to be in the very best schools, but I would like their school to not totally suck.I've always wondered what the usual "DC schools suck" statements are based on. What is it that makes them suck? Is it results-based? Safety issues? They teach that -5^2=25? Is it city-wide or just the poorer neighborhoods that bring the entire school system down?Speaking of neighborhoods, I'm a little shocked by Columbia Heights' homicides. I guess it has improved some the last 10 years, but I assumed it would be much safer based on how high home values have rose in that area.

I don't have kids, but I do live in a family-friendly neighborhood in upper NW. I've met many folks with children. It seems they attend DCPS for elementary and private schools after. No idea why but it's extremely consistent.

Interesting. That matches Sweet J's gut feeling about DC schools. I see many families with small children whenever I'm in the Capitol Hill area, so I assume there's decent elementary schools there. I wonder how much of this is racial. I'm guessing the upper NW elementary schools stay mostly white. Once the kids get to HS, there are fewer schools and they have to start mixing neighborhoods.Unfortunately, I don't ever see us affording a home suitable for a family of 5 in upper NW. I mean, if we both really applied ourselves and went for the best-paying jobs we could get, I'm sure it's attainable. But, I really don't want to ever work that hard.

 

[Don Quixote]

totally anecdotal: I live in Alexandria (Del Ray): I would probably be ok with sending my kids to public school in DC for elementary school, but NOT for middle school or high-school. Not research-based, but gut-based. Just too many horror stories.I do send my kids to public school in Alexandria. Have a kid in elementary school now (3rd grade) and a kid in GW Middle School (6th). Both are fine. They will go to TC Williamns, and I'm fine with that, too.

I'm not far from you, in the North Ridge/Braddock Heights neighborhood of Alexandria. Live around the corner from George Mason elementary.I don't have kids yet, but part of the reason we picked our place is because happy enough with the public schools we'd be sending our kids to for if/when we should/do have kids.I also just like having a bit more living space that you get in Alexandria that you don't get in the city too.

 

[dgreen]

More DC area fun: Bigwig Digs. See where famous people lived in the DC area.

 

[Don Quixote]

More DC area fun: Bigwig Digs. See where famous people lived in the DC area.

Like that site. Another one of my favorites for DC history is Ghosts of DC.

 

[Jewell]

More DC area fun: Bigwig Digs. See where famous people lived in the DC area.

Early one morning, when I was driving through Georgetown, I saw Madelaine Albright coming out of a townhouse. Either it was Madelaine's home or she was doing a walk of shame.