Still Life with Robin: Tom Sietsema know what makes a good restaurant!

 by Peggy Robin

I've long thought that Tom Sietsema has a dream job -- dining out every night, enjoying the work of creative chefs, exploring new cuisines, not thinking about the tab! Even when the restaurants fall down on some important part of the job, it still must be fun to get to tell everyone what you didn't like, as well as what you enjoyed. When you are the Dining Out critic for the Washington Post, your opinion really counts!

I'm such a fan, I like to save Tom Sietsema's seasonal dining out guides (I'm one of those dinosaurs who keeps a paper copy in a folder), so I'm glad that last weekend the print edition of the Post included the 2023 Spring Dining Guide: Tom Sietsema's 25 Favorite New Restaurants. If you're not a print-devouring dinosaur like me, you can read the online edition at  https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/interactive/2023/best-new-restaurants-in-dc/?itid=ap_tomsietsema

So many new restaurants to try! I just wish there was more than one in the general Cleveland Park/Woodley Park vicinity. His Woodley Park pick is Donsak Thai, at 2608 Connecticut Avenue - you can read the online review here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/04/07/donsak-thai-restaurant-review/ You can bet I'll be trying this one out first among the 25 recommended new places in his Spring Guide.

Quite a few of the others are in far-flung suburbs -- and there are even two in other cities: there's a recommendation for one in Baltimore (Woodbury Tavern) and one in Columbia, MD (Peter Chang's).

The part of the Spring Dining Guide I enjoyed the most was his essay about a restaurant that doesn't exist. After asking his readers to describe the qualities they would like to see in the perfect restaurant, Tom wrote up the result in a ten-point list: https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/05/17/the-perfect-restaurant/. I have to say, I agree with every single point times ten!!!

Tom Sietsema's fantasy restaurant would be one that incorporates everything on that list -- and mine would be the same, plus one more thing: It should be located in one of the now-empty restaurant spaces in the Cleveland Park commercial strip, just a short walk from my house!

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Get Out! Monday, May 29 is Memorial Day and the Grand Marshals Are Apollo Astronauts

by Peggy Robin

The National Memorial Day Parade is on Monday, May 29 from 1:00 - 4:45 PM

Location: Constitution Avenue NW, between 7th and 17th Streets

Details of Parade Route: 

• Starting at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue 
• Proceeding north on 7th Street to Constitution Avenue NW
• West on Constitution to 17th Street NW
• Disbanding on Virginia Avenue and 18th Streets

The Grand Marshals of the 2023 parade are ‘The Legends of Apollo’ – Russell ‘Rusty’ Schweickart (lunar module pilot on Apollo 9), Charlie Duke (lunar module pilot on Apollo 16), and Harrison ‘Jack’ Schmitt (lunar module pilot on Apollo 17) – heroes from NASA’s famed Apollo program 50 years ago and among the first men to walk on the moon. This comes as NASA prepares the next generation of moonwalkers through the forthcoming  Artemis program.

For more details, visit: https://www.americanveteranscenter.org/avc-events/parade/

To watch from home (via YouTube): WATCH THE PARADE

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The "Get Out" event of the week is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays.

Still Life with Robin: Why Stay on Twitter? For the Recycling Tips!

 by Peggy Robin

Just about six months ago, not long after the Musk-Rat took over Twitter, I publicly dithered in my "Still Life with Robin"  about whether I should give up tweeting @StillLifewRobin. Here's that column: http://alllifeislocal.blogspot.com/2022/11/still-life-with-robin-twitter-conundrum.html

Six months later, I'm still here. Admittedly, there's a lot more crap on Twitter than there was before (way more hate speech, disinformation, trolling, etc.) -- but I still think it's greatly outweighed by the good stuff. I've stayed mainly to feed my addiction to New York Times word games, and in particular, the #hivemind community, tweeting about Spelling Bee. But I'm also in love with the birds, bees, buildings, sunrises and sunsets and weather phenomena captured daily and tweeted by my favorite local photographers -- among them, several CP Listserv members, CP neighbors, and Capital Weather Gang regulars. 

The best of these are:

Diane Krauthamer @DianeKrauthamer

Jen Packard @jpackardphoto

Tom Hentoff @TomHentoff

Peter Forister @forecaster25

Kevin Ambrose @dcstormchaser 

DC City Girl @dccitygirl_

Jeanie in D.C. @RiverGirl707

Recently, I've discovered a new gem that I want to pass along to you - and she's neither fish nor fowl -that is to say, she 's neither a word-gamer nor a shutterbug. She is in her own category of RECYCLER - and if you're still on Twitter, I highly recommend you follow her:

Charlotte Dreizen

@CharDreizen

https://twitter.com/CharDreizen

Best thing about her twitter feed: Answers to questions you didn't even know you had!

https://twitter.com/CharDreizen/status/1659000866156756993

Here are two recent examples:

One day (soon, I hope!) the Musk-Rat will be gone, and whoever comes in next will be bound to clear out the dregs that the Musk-Rat brought in.....but the recycling tips, the local photos, and the word-game hints will still be here!

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Still Life with Robin is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Get Out! It's the Adams Morgan Porchfest on Saturday, May 20 from 2-6 PM

by Peggy Robin

The PorchFest movement has been popping up in neighborhoods around DC and in other cities too....but the Adams Morgan PorchFest is the Big Mama of them all, and it's on this Saturday, 2-6pm, with 70+ bands and ten years of history experience behind it. What a great, compact strolling area is Adams Morgan for this event, where you can easily go from porch to porch with stops at cafes and shops along the way.

Here's the deal:

With over 70+ bands, this AdMo PorchFest Spring edition will showcase some of DC’s best musical talent featuring nearly every musical genre, including classic rock, funk, go-go, rap, reggae, blue grass, classical, and pop. Seventeen porches, patios, and stoops will become stages for the day, drawing music-lovers from around the region into the tree-lined streets and small businesses of Adams Morgan.

Event patrons can pick up a music map and wristband at the event headquarters located in the plaza at the corner of Columbia and Adams Mill Roads NW. Event wristbands are FREE and provide attendees with dozens of discounts at various Adams Morgan businesses. After stopping by the event headquarters, guests can stroll through the neighborhood for nonstop musical performances from 2-6pm, enjoy lunch, dinner, or drinks at a neighborhood hangout, and shop for unique gifts at local boutiques.

Each PorchFest location will host up to four 45-minute sets, all of which are free and open for all to enjoy. The main stage will feature various headliners to include Gordon Sterling and The People, Fanfaire, Bryan Lee Music, and The Experience Band. The Experience Band is the first-ever Go-Go headliner at Adams Morgan PorchFest! Go-Go is a music of celebration and participation, as Go-Go truly thrives with a crowd to dance to the groove and respond to the performer’s proclamations. It’s also the official music of DC! 

The full lineup of performers can be found at AdMoPorchFest.com.

Map: https://bit.ly/439xIqU 

2023 Adams Morgan PorchFest Official Schedule

(schedule & lineup is subject to change)

https://admodc.org/porchfest/

Spring ’23 PorchFest Wristband Discounts

Pick up your wristband at PorchFest HQ (Corner of Columbia Rd. & Adams Mill Rd. in front of Truist Bank). Unless otherwise noted, most discounts are good all day on Saturday, May 20, but please confirm with the business

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The "Get Out!" event of the week is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays.

Still Life with Robin: Something old, something new, something on the way, something too old to know how old, and something that changes every now and then

by Peggy Robin

Today, it's an odd mix of the old, the new, the so-new-it's-not-even-here-yet, the so-old-I-can't-even-guess-how-long-it's-been-here, and the has-been-around-for-a-while-but-with-lots-of-fun-changes-along-the-way. These are great DC sights/sites and I'll take them in order:

1. OLD....But Never Gets Old! Celebrate 30 years of our neighborhood's Tex-Mex treasure! 

"Never Gets Old: How Cactus Cantina Has Kept The Chips (And Salsa) Coming For Three Decades"

DCist has the full story of the 30 year anniversary of this venerable, beloved restaurant Wisconsin & Macomb St.

https://dcist.com/story/23/05/08/never-gets-old-cactus-cantina-dc-wisconsin-ave-fixture-three-decades/

2. Newbies! And Cute! Baby ducklings follow Mama Duck into the State Department.

Love this pic on Twitter, posted by Overheard District  @OverheardWDC

https://twitter.com/OverheardWDC/status/1656803468386893825/photo/1  

3. On the way....we hope! Water Park & Spa coming to DC.

D.C. Plans Resort-Like Spa And Waterpark In A Bid To Further Boost Tourism 

Another great piece of news reporting from DCist. First big hurdle is to find a place to put it. As DCist reported: "Bowser announced that D.C. would work with Therme, an Austria-based operator of well-being resorts, to identify a space somewhere in the city for what’s expected to be a facility ranging in size from 450,000 to 600,000 square feet. Described by Therme executive Omar Toro-Vaca as “an urban oasis housed in extraordinary architecture and beautiful surroundings,” the planned resort would include a spa, “next-generation waterpark,” and dining options."

4. It's Old...But How Old, I Couldn't Find Out!

This photo of an old tree at the National Arboretum was posted on Instagram by Sarah R. of SideHustlePhotos.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsFea-nNRgh/ 

Check out the rest of her Instagram shots at https://bit.ly/44YF5TU  

5. And Reappearing in New Poses Every So Often -- It's the Barbies on Q Street!

I've saved the best for last. It's the Barbie Pond on Q Street - a tableau of artistically posed dolls and props - has been around since 2014 but the iconic dolls have recently taken up the hot new sport: It's Pickleball, of course! Stroll by 

Read more about the latest incarnation of the Barbie Pond on the Popville blog: https://www.popville.com/2023/05/continuing-coverage-of-the-q-street-barbies-cont-11/  

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays. (Posted a day early, to get the jump on the weekend!)

Get Out! Celebrate the EU in DC; Support Authors of Banned Books in Columbia, MD; Appreciate the Fine Arts in Bethesda - All in ONE WEEKEND

 by Peggy Robin

Going back to the time, B.C.P. (Before Covid Pandemic), the weekly "Get Out!" events column on the Cleveland Park Listserv routinely listed a dozen or more events, with descriptive write-ups, links, and contact information for each one. When everything started shutting down at the beginning of 2020, we shut down the column for a while, and then re-invented it as a single, featured event of the week. Now that everything is back in full swing, we could easily return to the double-digit listings of events....but man, that was time-consuming! Still, there's now too much going on to limit the "Get Out!" column to just one thing. So here's the compromise: THREE great events, and if you plan your weekend just right, you can probably squeeze them all in. 

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CELEBRATE THE European Union on May 13: EU Open House Day

This event falls every year on the first Saturday after Europe Day on May 9. This date marks the signing of the Schuman Declaration on May 9, 1950, which established the European Coal and Steel Community, a multinational entity that would eventually become the European Union as we know it today.

We celebrate Europe Day by opening our doors to the public so that Americans can catch a glimpse of the European cultures that make up the European Union. Normally you have to cross the Atlantic to visit the EU, but at Open House, you just have to cross the street!

On Saturday, May 13, from 10 AM to 4 PM, the European Union and its Embassies open their doors to the public for a day of culture, food, music, and more. No registration, tickets, or passport required!

Plan your embassy-hopping day with a directory/schedule available here:

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/node/411582_da?s=253 

and this map:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/viewer?ll=38.91714919571436%2C-77.06540155579476&z=14&mid=1DPQJTPX9IYudKEj3XlM4oToGePMCn6YF

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It's a short hop on the Red Line to the 

Bethesda Fine Arts Festival | May 13 & 14

Saturday, May 12 from 10am - 6pm

Sunday, May 14, 10am - 5pm

Woodmont Triangle

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/jraM5myVpjkF7gi86?coh=178572&entry=tt

The 2023 Bethesda Fine Arts Festival is back this weekend, featuring fine art created by 120 of the nation's best artists, live entertainment, and great food from Bethesda restaurants.

Located in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle, along Norfolk, Auburn & Del Ray Avenues. Admission to the festival is FREE and free parking is available in the public parking garage on Auburn Avenue. This event is held rain or shine.

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Don't miss the 

Books in Bloom Literary Festival in Columbia, MD

Saturday, May 13 from 11am - 5pm

Color Burst Park, located at 6000 Merriweather Drive

Now back for its seventh year, the Books in Bloom festival highlights banned books, freedom of speech, libraries' civic and education's roles in communities, and the exploration of race, gender, and diversity in literature.

Books In Bloom is an innovative, progressive, and memorable festival, poised to be one of the premier book festivals in the region.

This year, Books in Bloom will be headlined by two incredible authors - teacher and LGBTQ+ rights advocate Chasten Buttigieg, and a world-renowned poet Nikki Giovanni, who uses her work to raise awareness on important social issues. Through their works, both headliners highlight this year’s theme of “Building Community – Through Empathy and Understanding Each Other”.

Books in Bloom 2023 will feature a full day of in-person programming.

The festival is free and open to the public.

Register to join us for the free one-day outdoor festival full of author readings, children's activities, a pop-up bookstore by Busboys & Poets, and more.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/books-in-bloom-2023-tickets-568454682257

For more information, please visit: www.booksinbloommd.com

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/fVQN97wMxM7wgs8SA?coh=178572&entry=tt

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The "Get Out" Events column is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays.

Still Life with Robin: Would somebody turn down the volume on those birds! Part 2: Update & thank-you!

American Robin
(Image via Wikimedia Commons)

by Peggy Robin

Wouldn't ya know it -- the very next night after writing about the problem of early morning bird noise (in last week's Still Life with Robin column), I was hardly disturbed by the high-decibel tweeting and chirping that had broken my sleep for many nights before. Yes, I was still awakened at around 5:30am but the volume was nowhere near as loud and the duration not as long as it had been the previous times. If I hadn't been in the habit of waking up around 5~5:30, I probably would have slept through it. I fell back to sleep quickly and barely remembered the wake-up when I got up for real at 7:00.

The night after that, the early morning bird noise was at a lower volume still. I heard it faintly in a half-sleep and didn't even get out of bed.

The third night after my column ran....nothing! Silent night! The birds and their noise had vanished into the ether. And haven't returned.

I'm thinking of this as an instance of what I call, "the doctor's appointment cure." It's what happens when I have a minor but annoying medical condition -- a cough, say, or a mysterious bump or swelling, or a pain that bothers me for some days or weeks. It's just bad enough to cause a bit of worry but not bad enough to make me fear something's seriously amiss. But it persists for just long enough for make me think I ought to have a doctor take a look at it. So I make an appointment and I'm given a date and time to come in. Suddenly, often overnight, the condition is healed! Just making the appointment seems to be the cure.

Sometimes, I'm not entirely sure that the bothersome thing has fully gone away, and so I don't cancel the appointment, but by the time I am waiting in the doctor's examining room, it really is so much better that I just have to say to the doctor, "Believe me, there was this big, raised bump right HERE!" The doctor then looks at me with that "why are you wasting my valuable time?" expression, and I silently vow, the next time I put the "doctor's appointment cure" to the test, to cancel the appointment the minute I notice any sign that the symptom has eased.

However, if writing about the bird noise is what made it go away, I can't say I've wasted anyone else's time. I got so many great responses to the column -- and I do want to thank everyone who took the time to write. The replies fell into three distinct categories, all of them good. Let me share them with you now. 

1. Commiseration and fellowship. I received quite a few notes from people letting me know that bird noise at 5 in the morning is not beloved. A few of you have been secretly thinking dark thought of avicide! Or maybe just thinking of scaring those feathered noisemakers away to somebody else's yard. They're not proud of these thoughts; they just wanted me to know it's OK to have them. It was good to hear from people in the same boat -- even though these correspondents were not offering any practical suggestions to deal with the problem.

2. Helpful hints. Don't give up on the white noise machine -- that was the number one practical piece of advice I received. There may be other white noises that will work better to mask the sound than the ones that I'd tried and abandoned as worse than the bird-noise. Try running a fan in the bedroom, one person advised. Or better still, get a HEPA air cleaner, which, in addition to making a nice whooshing sound that will cover up the tweeting, will at the same time clean dust, pollen, and viruses out of the air. Another person said leaving the TV on at a low volume worked for her. 

3. Information. If you must live with the bird noise, you might as well find out who's making the sound, and what it means. Several of my correspondents recommended using Merlin, the free bird-sound identifying app developed by the ornithology department at Cornell: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/sound-id/. One person wrote to say she was pretty sure I was hearing robins. They're rather territorial and can make quite a racket when telling other robins to stay out of their space. Well, of course they are! As a Robin, I understand how much you love your home and how vocal you must be in its defense! If that was the reason behind the racket, I have to respect it. They are my peeps, after all!

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Get Out! And Come to the Fair (a/k/a The Flower Mart at Washington National Cathedral)

by Peggy Robin

It's that time of year....it's time for the FLOWER MART at the Washington National Cathedral....and it looks like the weather will cooperate.

The 84th Annual Flower Mart takes place on  on the Cathedral grounds

Friday, May 5th from 10 am - 6 pm

Saturday, May 6th from 10 am - 5 pm.

Let me just say this straight out! This is the BEST EVENT of the season. If you can't enjoy the Flower Mart....Well, I can't complete this sentence because I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't find something to enjoy. Here's just some of what's on:

• Fun rides & slides for the kiddies
• Good food from around the world
• Dozens or vendors and craftspeople selling gifts, fashions, accessories and  handicrafts 
• White elephant treasures and trinkets
• The Cathedral Tower Climb
• Plant & Flower Sale
• International Floral Show
• Puppet shows and, many other performances, including dancing Morris Men!

Ride Our Antique Carousel

All Hallows Guild’s antique carousel is a favorite of the young and young at heart. It dates from around 1890, and is one of only two surviving carousels manufactured by the U.S. Merry-Go-Round Corporation. The carousel was purchased by the Guild in 1963 and we continue to restore and refurbish this historic treasure.

Learn more about the antique carousel:  https://allhallowsguild.org/programs/flower-mart/antique-carousel/

Visit the "Flower District."

Our Flower District is located in the center of the Cathedral's front lawn. In addition to excellent array of garden plants, you will find herbs, bonsai, orchids, floral arrangements and cut blooms. We will have a variety of interesting containers in which to display your plants. The talented and knowledgeable Cathedral horticulture staff will be on hand to answer your gardening questions.

Explore Our Booths

Purchase spring plants for your garden, find treasures in our White Elephant Tent, children's books in our Book Tent, and shop for a wide array of merchandise at over 65 boutique booths. Flower Mart is the perfect place to find gifts for Mothers Day, graduations, and something special just for you!

Map and listing of vendors and booths:

https://allhallows.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/FlowerMart/FM2023map-_brochure.pdf

International Floral Display

Since 2006, Washington Embassies and their floral designers will have installed gorgeous displays that highlight each country’s natural and cultural heritage in the nave of the National Cathedral. The floral display is open throughout Flower Mart. Bring your camera. Admission is FREE.

Read more about the Floral Displays here:  https://allhallowsguild.org/programs/flower-mart/international-floral-display/

Free Entertainment

Throughout both days of Flower Mart, entertainers perform on the main stage in front of the Cathedral (or inside in the event of rain). We will present a wide-ranging array of talented singers, dancers, musicians, and choral groups.

Check the schedule of performances here:  https://allhallowsguild.org/programs/flower-mart/fun-activities/

Puppet Show & Other Activities for Kids

In addition to our carousel, Flower Mart has an entire Children’s Area with a huge array of games and carnival rides. Tickets for the carousel, rides, and games, can be purchased at the ticket booth in the Children’s Area.

The Lewinsville Puppeteers are back at Flower Mart this year! They will be presenting "Happily Ever After" in the Cathedral's Bethlehem Chapel on both days of Flower Mart. Purchase tickets for the puppet show in the Children's Area.

Puppet Show Poster: https://allhallows.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/FlowerMart/FM2023PuppetShow.pdf 

Cathedral Tower Climb

The Tower Climb returns to Flower Mart this year! Experience Washington DC like never before with a climb to the top of the Cathedral towers, where you’ll experience panoramic vistas from the highest geographical point in the nation’s capital.

Tower Climb tickets are $30 and will be sold at the Tower Climb Tent on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6. Tower Climbs will take place on Friday at 1:30pm & 4:30pm, and Saturday at 10:30am, 12:00pm, 1:30pm, 3:30pm. Tickets are limited.

Please note: Prepare for rigorous activity. The Tower Climb is not for those with a fear of heights or enclosed spaces, or for those with limited mobility – stairs include both enclosed stone staircases and also open metal, spiral stairs. Participants must be at least 11 years old, and the minimum height requirement is 48 inches. Infants cannot be carried on Tower Climbs.

Enjoy Great Food

Flower Mart has everything from barbecue and smoothies to funnel cakes, crepes and artisan pizza. Don't miss grabbing a lobster roll - a Flower Mart favorite!

Parking Information

During Flower Mart, there is no parking on the streets of the Cathedral; however there are a limited number of spaces in the Cathedral’s underground parking garage. On Friday, May 5 regular hourly garage rates will apply. On Saturday, May 6 there will be a $10 event parking fee upon entry to the garage (cash, credit or debit card). The parking garage will be open from 6 am until 11 pm both days.

Whatever else you do on this action-packed weekend, don't miss the Flower Mart this Friday or Saturday! 

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The "Get Out!" event of the week is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays.

Still Life with Robin: Would somebody turn down the volume on those birds!

Blackbird vocalizing 
Image by Wikimedia Creative Commons

​​by Peggy Robin

I've always been a light sleeper, waking up to any sort of noise. But there's a new one this year and I still haven't figured out how to deal with it. It's bird song....and it's loud! It's been starting around 5:00 or 5:30 every morning for the past few days. It's not an unpleasant noise -- it's actually fairly melodic--- not squawking, cawing, or screeching -- but lots of chirping and tweet-tweet-tweeting. It's the decibel level that gets to me. I can't imagine how many birds, or dozens of birds, it might take to produce sound at that volume.

I have absolutely no idea what type of birds I'm hearing. Or where they might be. Or how long they'll keep this up. Given that this is the first year I've heard them, I guess I'll just have to wait to find out more. I've walked around the yard in daylight, looking up at the trees to see if I can spot any big, new nests. There's a large, old silver maple and a medium-sized pear tree in my front yard, and I can't see any evidence of a nesting colony having taken up residence in any of the branches. But then, I don't really know if I should be looking for nests. Maybe the birds are just getting together for an early morning sing-off and happen to have converged on a spot near my house....?

Anyway, what good would it do me if I found out why they're being so loud? There's nothing I could --or would-- do about it, if I discovered the cause. Who am I to tell a bunch of birds where and how loud they can sing? The trees are their habitat, while mine is inside a house. It's on me to deal with the noise that penetrates my walls -- I get that. I just haven't quite figured out a strategy. Ear plugs? It's part of the light-sleeper syndrome that I find it impossible to fall asleep with foreign things stuck in my ears. I lie awake, just itching to pull them out, until I finally do. White noise machine? Simply another type of noise, in some ways worse that the bird racket. I've tried it on many settings from "gentle rain" to "pounding surf." The rain setting makes me feel like my roof's sprung a leak, while the surf setting gets me tense, as I'm waiting for the next wave to crash -- the big one that could wash me out to sea. Of course, at the time of night when I'm ready to sleep, all is quiet; it will be many hours before the bird noise begins. So I have little incentive to tolerate the feel of the ear plugs or the sound of the white noise machine as I'm trying to fall asleep. 

I suspect, by the time I come up with some sort of solution, the problem will resolve itself. It could be just a temporary, seasonal thing, and the birds will move on when they're ready. Maybe that's something they're discussing with each other in their early morning conferences. Where's the next stop on our song-tour? Who'll be next the next audience for our pre-dawn serenade?

While I don't foresee how this little story will end, it does remind me of an incident that took place sometime in the early 1980s, when I had a house on Macomb St, not far from my present house on Ashley Terrace. My cousin Rob was in DC for a few days, here from New York. I put him up in a cozy little attic room with a dormer window, just at eye level with the branches of a grand old pin oak. When you looked out that window and saw the great branches, all leafed out in green, you could imagine that you were in a treehouse in the middle of the forest. You could easily forget you how close you were to downtown, just a few stops away by Metro, from the station two blocks to the north.

After Rob had spent the first night up there, he came down for breakfast, and I asked him how he'd slept.

"Terrible!" he replied, and I was shocked. The bed had a good mattress, excellent bedding, fluffy pillows -- and the temperature just right.

"What was the matter?" I asked anxiously.

"Those birds!" he said. "Right outside the window -- so noisy! How does anyone sleep through it?"

"You thought the birds were too loud?" I said skeptically. "But you live in Manhattan! There are sirens all night long. Car alarms. And the bars on your block close down at 3 am. All much louder than a few birds in the trees."

His reply? "It all depends on what you're used to. I'm used to those noises, so I just tune them out. I'm not used to bird noise, so I couldn't get back to sleep."

It's been more than 40 years since we had this conversation -- and my wise cousin is no longer with us -- but I'm betting he's right and in time I will learn to tune out the avian chorus....or perhaps they will move on, just as I master the skill. Either way will be OK.

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays -- most of the time -- but occasionally it does get pushed back a few days, especially if I've had an interruption in my normal routine (including much-needed sleep) and so need to nap during the day!

Get Out! And Explore the FRENCH MARKET in Georgetown, Friday - Sunday

 by Peggy Robin

JE T'AIME GEORGETOWN!

Our annual Georgetown French Market is a popular open-air market – originally inspired by the outdoor markets in France – that has become a tradition in DC, and one of the biggest shopping events of the year for our small businesses of Book Hill. In 2023, we’re celebrating our 20th edition!

Georgetown French Market

Friday, APRIL 28 10 AM to 5 PM

Saturday, APRIL 29 10 AM to 5 PM

Sunday, APRIL 30 12 PM to 5 PM

Book Hill's Parisian-Inspired 

Sidewalk Sale along Wisconsin Avenue from O Street to Reservoir Road

More than 35 local boutiques, antique stores, restaurants, salons and galleries display their discounted wares for up to 75% off. 

Neighborhood restaurants also offer food and drink specials, including:

• Lunch items from an outdoor grill
• A sale on French wines
• Pastries, croissants, and macarons from French bakery Patisserie Poupon. 

On Saturday and Sunday, the French Market also features:

• Live music
• A balloon artist
• A caricature artist
• Roaming stilt-walkers
• A unicyclist
• Pop-up flower and book sales
• And more!

Visit our official French Market website for the full list of promos and programming!

The 20th Annual Georgetown French Market is sure to be magnifique!

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The Get Out! event of the week is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays. 

Still Life with Robin: The former "Dave Thomas Circle" needs a new name -- and DDOT wants your help!

by Peggy Robin

If you've been reading this column for any length of time, you may have noticed how many times I've jumped into local naming controversies. FIVE columns on renaming the Reds***s (whose former name is in the one-who-must-not-be-named, like Voldemort).  

Then there was the long-running Wilson HS name-change, with the school re-emerging as Jackson-Reed. Three columns on that account.

Or you may remember the Name That Shelter contest that resulted in the "The Brooks" -- a lovely tribute to Donald Brooks, a DHS case worker who was a tireless advocate for the homeless, whose last name also happens to be evocative of  gently flowing waters. See:  http://alllifeislocal.blogspot.com/2019/04/still-life-with-robin-name-that-shelter.html

I also liked the Name That Neighborhood brouhaha on Twitter, which elicited a tweet-fest of tongue-in-cheek suggestions for the new Amazon HQ + Mini-City/Company-town that is now officially known as "National Landing." Just one column, but it was a fun one:  http://alllifeislocal.blogspot.com/2018/11/still-life-with-robin-name-that.html 

My personal triumph in the naming arena came at the conclusion of the Potomac Conservancy's contest to name two Potomac River/Chesapeake Bay dolphins, which I actually WON with my paired suggestions, Mac and Chessie. See: http://alllifeislocal.blogspot.com/2019/06/still-life-with-robin-names-are-in.html

So I'm more than ready for to take on another great naming challenge. This one comes from DDOT and requires a bit of background. For a long time, one of the most accident-prone locations in DC was the complicated intersection of three streets, Florida Avenue NE, New York Avenue NE, and First Street NE, that used to form a sticky sort of web around a small island, in the middle on which sat a Wendy's hamburger joint. So naturally, people took to calling it "Dave Thomas Circle" after the famous founder of the fast food franchise (how'd ya like that quintuple alliteration?) In 2021 the DC government acquired the land by eminent domain and started the process of redesign for greater safety, creating new intersections, and in the process, a new public green space.

To see what the finished design will look like, go to:

https://www.floridaaveproject.com/florida-avenew-york-ave-intersection

 

Odd, isn't it? Not a circle, as the three grassy plots are triangular in shape and not connected to each other but separated by streets -- so it's not a plaza, either. Do these odd plots of land constitute a park? A crossing? A commons? A green? What to call them?

DDOT is stumped and they would like our help.

DDOT NY/FL Ave redesign project

First, read the excellent DCist article that explains the problem in more detail, and with diagrams and maps, giving more historical and political background than I have space for:  

https://dcist.com/story/23/04/17/help-rename-the-redesigned-dave-thomas-circle/?fbclid=IwAR3SnWZ03hhBbXfYcxMDLPPYmc9uBzevfKOAi-drzSkgDLiA6ZQeMPgZM1o

Second, look at the helpful NoMa BID's webpage to read about various perspectives on the naming issue, giving both present-day and historical reference points, along with a list of possible terms to consider: https://nomabid.org/florida-new-york-avenue-intersection-naming-inspiration/#naming

Third -- now we get to the fun part! -- come up with something creative and enter the contest:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BLTH35C

I won't reveal the name I entered, unless of course it is chosen as a finalist....or it wins! I will just say this: I did NOT suggest Trafficky McTrafficJam -- or maybe better: Jammy McTrafficJam.

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.