DC History | DC Real Estate Mama

7 Houses You Should Never Buy in Washington DC and One You Should!

Melissa Terzis — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:19:13 +0000

7 Houses You Should Never Buy

I’ve bought and currently own a lot of homes. Between my personal experience and what I see every day showing homes to clients and doing home inspections, I’ve got a list for you of seven homes you should never buy. Stick with me because I have tips for how to mitigate the problem or how to spot some of these house types. It is not always immediately obvious. It’s not all bad news here. I’m going to let you in on a secret near the end: One gem of a home that if you find it, you should absolutely buy it. It’s totally contradictory from a lot of advice you may hear. Along the way, I’m also going to throw water on what other real estate “experts” warn about when they say to never buy old homes.

A House with an Insurance Loss

Homeowner’s Insurance is a huge deal right now. Have you happened to notice this crazy weather we’ve had in the past decade? Well so has your insurer. Insurance companies have been paying out unbelievable claims for damage from all the various natural disasters we have experienced. Couple that with rampant insurance fraud and the problem is catastrophic.

Insurers decided to get proactive instead of reactive. There are companies that will drop you if your roof is over a certain age. Even if it doesn’t leak, they may not renew your policy. This means you either have to find other insurance that will take you, which of course will cost more, or you have to replace a roof that may have some life left to it. Fifteen years for a regular asphalt shingle roof is about the cutoff where some insurers say “Get a new roof, or get a new insurance company.”

If a loss was ever paid on a home, most insurers won’t touch it. There are homes which may be in perfect condition, maybe even rebuilt after damage like a fire or flood, and still – they won’t be insurable.

If you think you can forego insurance and you have a mortgage, guess again. Your mortgage company won’t let you. They will buy you a policy and make you pay for it via your mortgage payment.

Some states like Florida are in such a crisis that people are either selling and leaving the state or having to go with the insurance company of last resort, offered by the state. However, those companies are usually cost-prohibitive.

Hot Tip: How do you know if a house had a claim paid? Much like a credit report, the insurance industry has the CLUE Report. This report can be pulled to find out what claims have been paid out on a home to any previous owner at any point in time. Our contracts here used to require that the buyer secure homeowner’s insurance within 7 days of closing. Now they state that you have to secure insurance within 7 days of ratification – which is when all parties sign and agree to the offer.

Flips

I’m tired of people calling these flippers “Developers.” Developers actually develop property. They develop land, add value, work out issues with jurisdictions and utility companies, and negotiate with contractors, city or county reviewers and other interested parties in the community. I’m married to one, and the complexity of his job is nothing like what house flippers do.

There are good flippers. They are the ones who will take a house “down to the studs” and re-do everything to include all plumbing and electrical systems. I’ve been in so many flips in DC that when I find a house that’s flipped poorly, it screams it loudly. Flippers put lipstick on a pig, stage it elegantly and hope you don’t notice.

Hot tips coming at you: How can you tell if it’s a crappy flip? Flooring is new but uneven? Problem. I’ve said this line 100 times but if the backsplash is crooked that’s not a problem but it’s a problem. Anything new that was touched and re-done should be perfect. Straight, level, in perfect condition. Not crooked, not uneven, not done with cheap materials.

Another way to tell – Are there permits? Most jurisdictions have a way to look up permits online. See what’s been pulled and if they are final and closed. Also, not all jurisdictions operate equally. There are a couple counties in the DC Area where permits mean nothing. Contractors either don’t get them and there’s no repercussions or the government is so lazy that they don’t stop illegal construction or enforce standards.

When you buy a home, there should be receipts from tradespeople that the seller should provide. Their crew will have handled the general renovation to the house – demolition, drywall, painting and potentially structural issues. Specific items like the roof, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling systems should have been completed by those tradespeople. There should be receipts and warranties that will convey to you.

1980’s Construction

There are a few time periods of construction I hate. The 80’s are my #1 time-period to avoid. My parents owned two different condos built in the early to mid 1980’s. I currently own two condos built in the early to mid 1980’s. Three of these 4 condos between my parents and I have a similar story that goes like this: Developer built the condo building, ran out of money, cut corners at the end. Forty years later people are still dealing with fallout. Water intrusion and spalling are the two most common issues we’ve experienced.

Why did this happen? I went on a witch hunt to figure it out. In 1981, the Economic Recovery Act was passed which made real estate into a great tax shelter for people. A lot of foreign investors came to purchase property in the U.S. Money supply grew, and lending was going wild for banks. In 1986, tax reform eliminated the tax shelters. Even though someone shut the music off, the party kept going. Banks kept lending. Savings and Loans crashed, rents began to fall, and the money spicket was cut off.

Most everything that was built was thrown up quickly so they could keep moving and make money on the next project.

My parents sold their two properties. I still own my two 1980’s, legwarmer, rubiks cube specials. One is a problem. The other has been managed well and seemed to be okay but we’ve got a meeting this week to discuss a “special assessment.”

Remember Surfside – the Champlain Towers Collapse in Miami? 1981. That’s all you need to know. Your hot tip on this issue is this – There’s almost no way around it. Early to mid 1980’s construction should mostly be avoided.

A Rundown Rental House

Poor house. It’s not its fault that the owner is a slumlord. Much like an Enterprise Rental Car, lots of abuse is doled out to rental homes. And owners tend to not keep the homes in peak condition. We have what I call a “group house” next door. The owner is never around, and she rents the house to four unsuspecting young professionals. She turned her garage into a bedroom to get more rent and her contractor, if you could call him that, just lay plywood across some beams. Water was pouring into the garage under the floor until it finally flooded. Then came the mold.

We unfortunately share a chimney with this b*tch. The liner needed to be replaced and she refused to do it. So we had to pay. I don’t expect she will ever reimburse us because she sucks. I hope she sells it soon but I expect that she won’t as long as she can milk the money out if it while doing minimal repairs.

If you find a great house that was a rental and you want to buy it – great! But get all the home inspections possible and be prepared to negotiate hard for the major systems and big ticket items.

Hot Tip: One of the telltale signs a house is a rental? All the bedroom doors have locks on them.

Houses with Deferred Maintenance

Did you know I’m psychic? I can tell you right now what homes in any market are going to have the most deferred maintenance. The ones built between 2000-2010. Most of these homes still have the original everything. It seems like the owners decide to sell instead of replacing things. And because we’re 15-25 years out from the build date, I can guarantee you that everything is going to fail at one time. After houses cycle that period of time, owners tend to replace things as required. So a house built in 1995 for example, has probably already had a roof replaced and a new HVAC.

One or two things needing repair or replacement is to be expected. But all the Big Ticket Items – Roof, Plumbing, Electrical, Heating, Air, Water Heater. Don’t do it. I always say, “Don’t make YOUR problem, MY problem.”

You may not know that everything needs repair until you do a home inspection. But believe me, and here’s your hot tip – spending a few hundred dollars on a home inspection and walking away is cheaper than spending a few hundred thousand for a house that needs new “everything.”

Wet Basement

If a house currently has or has ever had water in the basement, you are pretty much guaranteed that it will always be a problem. You will hear all kinds of reasons but all I can say is that no matter how much regrading of the outside, how many sump pumps are installed, how much waterproofing has happened, don’t buy it.

Hot Tip: How will you know if a house has a wet basement? Look for the dehumidifier in the basement. Look in the closets, and in the garage. You’ll find it. It’s always there somewhere.

Stupid Yard

Finally, don’t buy a home where the backyard goes uphill, so the low-end is close to the house. Here’s something you can always count on with water. Water comes downhill to look for the lowest spot to land. That will be right against the foundation of your house. And if that’s not bad enough, you won’t be able to go outside for weeks after rain or snow, because there will be a mushy moat right outside your backdoor.

What’s the good news? And what should you not listen to other real estate advisors about?

They all love to say don’t buy “Old Homes.” They are all clearly using the same AI to write their video scripts. People who say to not buy old homes don’t understand old homes. Houses will never be built like they used to. I live in a 1930’s home and I love it. Yes, the plumbing and electric has been updated. Yes, we had to add central air conditioning and remove an oil tank to convert to gas. But it’s all brick which is impossible to find on new homes now. Brick insulates unbelievably well. We have original wood floors and gorgeous trim that thankfully no one painted white.

Old houses are amazing. The structure and the “bones” as they say have stood the test of time. Yes it can be very sexy to buy a new home, but the charm and solid construction, use of real hardwood floors and brick, radiator heat – I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Finally, I promised to tell you the one home type you should buy as soon as you walk into it?

It’s the home people always call the “grandma home.” The curtains, carpet, and furniture with plastic covers on it are usually the giveaway. There’s been no renovations since it was built in the 50’s or 60’s. This is the house you want. It’s solid, built well and hasn’t been destroyed by a parade of various owners with bad renovations over the years. You have a fresh canvas on which to make your new home into your own.

Relocating to DC? Tips You Need to Know!

Melissa Terzis — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 14:13:44 +0000

Relocating to DC

You got a great job and it requires moving to Washington DC! You’re totally overwhelmed, wondering where am I going to start?

I started this YouTube channel over five years ago for people just like you. I do these videos for you every week and break down living in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. I’ve lived here over 20 years and I know these areas. I go deeper than anybody. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss the new videos.

DC is a really complicated area to figure out. DC has a very broad meaning when it comes to geography. People who live an hour outside the city will still tell their friends who don’t live here, “I live in DC.”

Where should you start? And what’s one thing you MUST DO before finalizing your move? We’re going to cover it all.

Learn the Options

You either know your U.S. Geography well or you checked out a map and saw that next to DC on one side is Maryland and on the other is Virginia. There is a lot of choice here when it comes to housing location. Thankfully, my channel will help you. I cover so much about the metro area in my other videos. But let’s talk about the things you will need to figure out first.

First, where is your job? Most people have an idea of how long and far they want to commute to work. They also have a priority for public transportation or vehicle. If you need to make a few morning stops like dropping a spouse at work and kids at school then you may plan to drive. If you don’t have those morning commitments or you don’t like driving then proximity to public transportation will be important.

Second, are schools important? For some, commute will take priority and for others the schools will. In Maryland, Montgomery County which covers most of the Maryland area directly north of DC offers school choice and consortiums where you have preference for a group of high schools. In Virginia, you have several different school districts to consider. There’s Arlington County which has their own school system, Fairfax County, the City of Alexandria and Falls Church City – all of which have their own school systems.

What kind of lifestyle do you want? Do you want a true city experience, or something more urban where you can walk to shops and restaurants? Or are the suburbs right for you?

How tolerant are you of various taxes? DC’s income taxes are the highest. Once you make $60,000, you will be taxed 8.25% all the way to an income of $250,000. In the next bracket of $250,000 to $500,000, the income tax is 9.25%. Compare that with Maryland which charges 4.75% to 5.5% for the same income brackets. But in Maryland, don’t forget you’re in a state which has multiple taxing authorities. DC is just DC. But Maryland also has a county income tax which adds 3.2%.

Virginia has the lowest of the income taxes because the Commonwealth of Virginia does not give the counties much taxing authority. Virginia has basically a flat tax of 5.75% unless you make below $17,000.

Before you call Virginia the winner, just know they charge personal property taxes on cars, boats, RV’s and planes should you have one.

Another consideration is your tolerance for crime. Some areas are a little more prone to crime than others. Mostly I’m looking at you, DC.

Prioritize Your Must-Have List for Your New Home

Duh Melissa. I know. But once we have this list tightened up we can figure out if the focus of your search will be DC, Maryland or Virginia. Some things to consider, and things I love to ask: What is your lifestyle like now? Do you like that or do you want a change? I met with a few different people living in New York City. They are all tired of the rat race and the hours it takes to commute to work, being on the trains and subways in a post-covid world, the prices and the crime.

What if you don’t come from a hectic place like New York though, and it’s not as clear cut what you’re looking for? This will probably require a visit. You will need to know your options and seeing that in person is really going to be best. For many people, the move to DC is a step up from what they had before. I have had clients who were shunned for being a same sex couple where they lived and felt like moving here was a breath of fresh air.

For other clients though, they are giving up a lot to move here. I’ve had clients who have an amazing swimming pool they could use 9 months out of the year. While you can find homes with pools here, it’s not super common. And you will only be swimming outdoors three months here.

Contact Movers and Discuss the Option to Store Your Stuff

Guys and gals – Moyer and Sons. They are a Maryland based moving company and they handle long distance moves and storage. They don’t even know who I am so I’m not getting a kickback here. I saw one of their trucks in the Carolinas once. After some research, I learned they are a family run company and have really great reviews. Clients who I’ve referred them to have raved about them.

Another option is Town and Country Movers.

Similar to Moyer & Sons, they handle long distance moves and storage.

Consider a Short Term Rental

Uh, Melissa, aren’t you a Realtor and don’t you SELL property? Yes, I do. And I have not even a pinky toe in the short-term rental pool. But I hate to see someone come here and buy a home in an area that isn’t right for them. It’s better to get into a six month rental so you can get your boots on the ground and experience the different areas. Actually living here and seeing it with your own eyes, on an extended time period is much easier than trying to sum it up in a weekend visit.

I advise people to live as close to work as possible to minimize their commute, with the least expensive rent they can find. Then use the time in their rental to learn about the other areas and options available to them. Use this time to live somewhere fun like in the city or in Arlington or Bethesda. If you have kids, living for a few months in a condo could be a nice change of pace. You can store the majority of your stuff an hour or two outside the city where storage rates are less expensive, and enjoy an urban lifestyle before you find the DC Dream Home!

Immerse Yourself in the Nation’s Capital

No matter where you are coming from, you’re going to see downsides here. Unless you move from San Francisco, New York or New Jersey where you’re so tired of high rent, high property taxes or miniscule living spaces that this seems like a dream. Or maybe you’re in Florida and trying to escape their insurance crisis.

Just know that here you will find that the traffic is bad, there are really bad drivers, the cost of living is high, and people discuss politics incessantly.

But, there’s so much more to life in DC than the government and there’s so much good stuff here too. Many museums are free, Marylanders may not know how to drive but they do know their seafood, and the weekend getaways within 2-3 hours of DC are the best of anywhere I’ve ever lived.

At the beginning of the video I told you that there’s one thing you have to do before you finalize the move and it’s this. Double, triple, quadruple check that the salary offered will satisfy your requirements. The high cost of living here is a shock to people when they move here. You want this move to make your family better off, not worse, right? Something like going from $85,000 to $110,000 might seem like a home run. But I talk to people all the time who get sticker shock once they start pricing out their DC lifestyle. Fight hard for those coins, you are going to need them!

I hope my take on how to relocate here was at least a little helpful. I’ve got a Relocation Guide that includes a lot more information that I’m happy to share. Please shoot me an email at Melissa@MelissaTerzis.com and I will be happy to send that over.

5 Shocking Secrets About Living in Georgetown DC You Won’t Believe

Melissa Terzis — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 13:47:42 +0000

Georgetown DC

What neighborhood recently discovered the remains of 28 slaves underground, is home to a University that only stayed solvent due to the sale of 272 slaves to Louisiana, and has reinvented itself more times than Madonna? GEORGETOWN! We are also going to talk to you about the biggest tourist trap in the city that’s here in Georgetown and what you should do instead.

A few years ago, even last year, this would have been a different video. Georgetown started out as the original port of the nation’s capital. It became its own municipality. Then turned into Ground Zero for the preppy kids at the same time a huge portion of the punk movements was happening here as well. If you are thinking, “How could punks and preps co-exist?” Well, they really couldn’t. In the 1970’s and 80’s, Georgetown was known as the best place for indie stores. In the late 90’s, many of those stores were taken over by large chains. Then about ten years ago, many of those large chains moved over to 14th Street. Lots of storefronts were boarded up. During the pandemic and riots, it was evident how dire the situation in Georgetown had become.

But now, Georgetown is BACK. It’s BACK BABY! It’s so heartwarming to see. The restaurants have lines, the sidewalks are packed. It’s awesome. I keep adding to the list of places I want to visit and restaurants where I want to eat in Georgetown.

I do these videos for you every week and break down living in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. I’ve lived here over 20 years and I know these areas. I go deeper than anybody. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss the new videos.

Location

Georgetown is in the Northwest Quadrant of DC, about as far south as you can go without falling into the Potomac River. Roughly bordered by Rock Creek on the east, Glover Archbold Park on the west, Reservoir Road on the north and the Potomac on the south. The Key Bridge takes you across the Potomac into Rosslyn which is in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Real Estate

Georgetown has always been one of the most expensive neighborhoods with prestige unmatched by most of the rest of DC.

Georgetown real estate is pretty wild. There are single family detached homes here, but there aren’t thousands of them. They exist though and they cost a pretty penny, $2M up past $20M.

There are also a handful of 1 bedroom rowhomes here! There aren’t many and they have anywhere from 500 – 800 square feet. History tells us that these smaller homes were once servant’s quarters or potentially the homes of slaves at one time. Side note: in most of DC property records it will be rare to find a home with a year built in the 1800’s. This is due to a fire that happened at land records where much was lost. So many homes that say they were built in 1900 is purely a guess. Georgetown is indeed the oldest neighborhood in DC, and many of these homes were in existence in the 1800’s – we just can’t prove it.

Most Georgetown home prices start in the mid $1M’s. If you want something close to 2000 sf, you are going to pay close to $2M. Yes, real estate really costs in excess of $1000/sf here. Prices climb steadily to the $5M point. Then there are properties priced beyond that, into the tens of millions or more. These are very unique homes typically with a ton of history and often famous previous residents.

There are condos in Georgetown and they fall into a couple different types. The condo buildings along the Potomac River offer stunning views. They also offer stunning prices and stunning monthly condo fees. You will be paying over $1M to live along the water and have a view. Some of these gorgeous beauties can sell over $5M up to $8M. You can get into some buildings for less than $1M but you’ll be facing north, away from the Potomac, so, no river view for you!

There are some other condo buildings throughout Georgetown that are not on the waterfront. These buildings are much older and historic in nature, though may have been renovated inside. One great example here is the Colonial at 1305 – 1315 30th Street. Built in 1820, it was originally a female seminary with visitors such as Martin Van Buren, James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson. After the Union defeat at the Battle of Bull Run, the building became an army hospital. After the war was over it was converted into apartments. The building was restored in 1953, and now in present day is getting a full makeover into condominiums.

Fun

There is lots of shopping here. There have been many generations of the shopping scene in Georgetown. Natives lament the days of the local mom and pop shops that made up the retail options in Georgetown. Britches, Sunny’s Surplus, Up Against the Wall and Commander Salamander to name a few. But now you have a mostly robust retail area, though the rents have hurt many businesses who moved over to 14th Street. Some awesome stores like West Elm and Barnes & Noble left. But guess what? Barnes & Noble is coming back! June 26, they are re-opening in Georgetown at 3040 M Street and I’m thrilled!

The Georgetown Waterfront Park provides a scenic setting for strolling, jogging, or picnicking. There’s a splash pad open in the summer and an ice skating rink open in winter. You can also access the Capital Crescent Trail from the waterfront for walking, running, or biking that stretches for miles along the river and goes up to Bethesda.

The Georgetown Boat House is on the water and you can rent canoes or kayaks and head out on the Potomac.

You can also grab a water taxi here and ferry over to the DC Waterfront or Old Town Alexandria.

There are some notable landmarks to visit. The Exorcist Stairs usually have someone snapping a photo when you go by. Dumbarton Oaks Museum and Gardens, Tudor Place Historic House and Garden are both worth a visit. Then there’s Old Stone House, which is the oldest unchanged building in DC.

In April, there is the Georgetown French Market. More than 35 local boutiques, antique stores, restaurants, salons and galleries display their discounted wares for up to 75% off. This year the French Embassy had a chocolate tasting on the weekend of the French Market too.

From June to October, there is Dancing on the Waterfront which is a free weekly outdoor dance with the Potomac as your backdrop! This unique event takes place in Georgetown Waterfront Park, where participants of all ages and skill levels gather to embrace the joy of dancing in the open air.

In December there is Georgetown GLOW, which is a festival of outdoor light installations.

Every Sunday there is the Georgetown flea market in the parking lot of Hardy Elementary School.

Do not miss Blues Alley. It’s a Jazz Club that opened in 1965 and you have definitely heard of many musicians who have played here. Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald and Stan Getz are some of the few who have bestowed their talent at Blues Alley. Side note – Blues Alley has a non-profit arm for young performers which offers a summer camp and orchestra.

Pinstripes in Georgetown has fantastic food, which I wouldn’t have expected and it’s a great place to bowl or play bocce ball.

Volta Park and Pool is one of my favorite parks in DC. There is a playground with equipment for all ages, basketball court, tennis courts and of course the pool. It does get crowded, however.

The best vet in DC is here, Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Morgan and his wife Kris own it and I’ve been going there with my pups for over 17 years.

There’s also a cat café, Crumbs and Whiskers, where you can have a snack and play with cats.

This isn’t quite “fun” but I’m sticking an honorable mention here for the dueling auto repair shops on Wisconsin Avenue. We’ve always been partial to the Shell Station. They haven’t done us wrong and their prices are fair. The old service manager was so good of course he got moved, and now they have a female manager, Elizabeth! The funniest thing is her husband is the service manager across the street at the Exxon. I once said, “whose shop should I take my car to?” and she said, “OH DEFINITELY US!” Just know that you have two great options for car repair in Georgetown, which is pretty impressive.

Family & Kids

Georgetown Library is one of my happy places. It smells good, the librarians are awesome and it’s easy to park right out front. You can have any book in the library system delivered here, and they also have a really great Children’s Room downstairs. There’s reading time and other gatherings for the little ones. The kids room is just a great place to hang out.

There’s a cooperative play location at Volta Community Center if you’re able to get a spot there for your little one.

Did you know? The public elementary school that serves Georgetown is Hyde-Addison. Before we dive into Hyde-Addison, let’s do a comparison. I live in the neighborhood north of Georgetown called Glover Park. Our Elementary School is Stoddert. Stoddert has 87% in boundary students and 20% of the school is classified as an English Language Learner.

Hyde-Addison is 33% in boundary and 7% are classified as English Language Learners.

This may seem like a super curious statistic that only 33% of the Georgetown Elementary School is in-boundary but there are a couple reasons for this. First, Georgetown generally doesn’t lend itself well to family living. The house prices are high, green space is limited aside from Volta Park and generally the people who live in Georgetown seem to trend older. But there are families in Georgetown. I know some of them. And I also know that they send their kids to private schools.

Hyde-Addison feeds to Hardy Middle School, and then Georgetown is zoned for the new high school coming to the Palisades. It’s tentatively called MacArthur, but they are going to rename it at some point. It’s opened Fall 2023 for the 9th grade and some 10th graders. All reports are generally positive.

There are a few private schools in Georgetown too – Georgetown Visitation, Holy Trinity and just off Reservoir Road is WIS, Washington International School. There’s also a charter high for those interested in the arts, Duke Ellington.

Food

Georgetown’s M Street used to be THE place for all the eats. There are still restaurants there, but many now are off the beaten path and tucked away on streets that aren’t Wisconsin or M.

Filomena is the best best best Italian Food hands down. It’s the old-school kind of Italian. Reservations are usually booked weeks out. This is the real deal for Italian. Leave the gun, take the Cannoli. I mean this, do not leave without getting the Cannoli.

Il Canale is another Italian favorite, located just off M Street at 31st.

Café Milano is on Prospect Street, just off Wisconsin. This is a big Presidential favorite with many of the people who lead this country choosing Café Milano for dinner.

Fabio Trabocci’s Fiola Mare is the best place for ambiance, people watching and all kinds of delicious. It’s spendy and also very dark so you will probably be dining near someone famous but you won’t be able to see them so you’ll never know.

Over by Georgetown University there is 1789, a long-standing and highly rated favorite in the Clyde’s chain. I always assumed 1789 was named for the year the George Washington became our first President but nope. It was named for the year Georgetown University was founded.

Taking it down a notch, next door to 1789 is the Tombs, a basement level pub with bar food for the Georgetown students and their families. It’s worth a visit to be part of the student culture as much as for the food.

We can’t not mention Clyde’s on M Street. They consistently crank out the best food, one of my all-time favorites since I moved to the DC Area, I will always say yes to Clyde’s. Another local all-American place is Martin’s Tavern which opened in 1933 and is at the corner of Wisconsin and N Street.

Angolo Ristorante is one of the Italian Restaurants on M Street, and it feels very much like you’re in a trattoria in Italy. The owners are awesome and so nice, and it’s great to grab lunch there when we are at our office.

Sweet Green started in Georgetown in the original Little Tavern which was a chain of burger places in the 1930’s and 40’s. You can’t miss the tavern building at the corner of Bank Alley and M Streets.

One of the “newer” places in Georgetown opened in 2011, and that’s Stachowskis Butcher. They are on P Street, and offer a large selection of smoked and cured meats and also prepared foods as well that you can pick up for dinner.

If you want a café or pastry, Georgetown has that covered. Boulangerie Christophe has some delectable pastries, and they also have pre-made sandwiches that are excellent. Laduree is a French Café that is absolutely gorgeous inside with the way the pastries are displayed.

Also, don’t forget a stop to Call Your Mother, which has bagels so good there’s always a line. You’ll recognize it as the gorgeous pink building on 35th Street where no matter what time you drive by, someone is doing a photo shoot out front.

What about cupcakes? Where are the best cupcakes in Georgetown?

Don’t say Georgetown Cupcake. That’s basic and there are better options. If you haven’t been to Baked and Wired, you’re missing out. Don’t always go to the place with the longest line. The locals all laugh at the tourists lined up for Georgetown Cupcake because Baked and Wired is absolutely where it’s at.

Thomas Sweet on Wisconsin Avenue and P is the go-to for ice cream and forget what we said about avoiding long lines because Thomas Sweet will always have a long line when the weather is warm.

For grocery stores you have to get a little outside of Georgetown to what they call “Upper Georgetown,” or as I call it, “Glover Park.” There you will find Safeway, Trader Joes and Whole Foods.

There is also a Farmer’s Market at Rose Park on Wednesdays in the summer months from 3-7 p.m.

History

The founding of Georgetown pre-dates the founding of DC as our capital city. Because this was one of the only areas of DC where people were settled, if you expected that there would also be slaves living in Georgetown, you are correct. More on this in a bit.

Georgetown was a separate municipality until 1871 at which time Congress deemed it part of the whole city. Within the next couple decades, Georgetown’s local ordinances were repealed and their streets renamed to fit in with the rest of the city.

Did You Know: There’s a long-standing myth in DC that Georgetown residents fought the metro coming to the neighborhood for fear of crime. The real reason there isn’t a metro is that the infrastructure changes to bring the train safely underground was a non-starter. This would have required underpinning many homes, compromising their structural integrity.

Here’s a photo of Wisconsin and M Streets, facing east, in the early 1900’s.

In the 1970’s, Georgetown was the OG of hipster land, known for its thrift stores and record shops.

The Exorcist was partially filmed here, with the steps being the obvious scene you will remember.

In the 1980’s, Georgetown became the place to see and be seen. In Maryland, the drinking age changed from 18 to 21 in 1982. But you could still drink in DC at 18 until 1986. Guess which Mayor supported raising the drinking age? Marion Barry. For most of the 80’s, the city would be flooded on weekends with kids looking for a good time. Georgetown streets were straight up gridlock. If you want to know what Georgetown was like in the 80’s, watch St Elmo’s Fire. It was filmed here, and it captures this time perfectly.

Did You Know: The Preppy Handbook named Clyde’s in Georgetown as THE Definitive Preppy Bar for DC. Clyde’s opened in 1963 in what used to be a motorcycle hangout. Clyde’s had the first full size bar since Prohibition.

In the mid 1980’s there was also a growing punk movement and some of the major players lived or worked in Georgetown, Glover Park and other parts of Northwest. I did a punk video with the girls too, definitely check that out! In the 80’s the city was experiencing a high crime wave. Georgetown was somewhat of a respite from the crime happening in the rest of the city.

In the 1990’s when the grunge era hit, the preppies were gone. Alternative music was everywhere. As the 1990’s wore on, people started going to other places like Adam’s Morgan and the nightlife started to shift. In came the national chain stores and high-end hotels that began a new definition of Georgetown into the turn of the 21st century.

In the past five to ten years, lots of stores have closed or relocated to other parts of the city. The rents here are just too high for many retailers and the customer base is likely as much tourist as local. But, this spring there has been an amazing influx of people again! Lines at restaurants and packed sidewalks. It feels like the heyday is back.

In 2021, archeologists discovered the remains of 28 African Americans, believed to be slaves, from the early 1800’s.

One of the biggest residents of Georgetown is Georgetown University. Founded by Jesuits, it has come to light in the past several years that the University has ties to slavery. First, the big donors to the University were living in Maryland Plantations. It’s money that was made from the work of slaves that made these families wealthy enough to donate to the school.

The second and more outrageous tie to slavery was in 1838. Two early Presidents of the University, in a quest to keep the school solvent, sold 272 slaves to Plantation Owners in Louisiana. The reason this was discovered was because the school was going to name a couple buildings after the people who organized this sale.

Conclusion

That is Georgetown, the oldest neighborhood in DC with so much history, charm and great places to chow down. The retail area is currently not as robust as it has been in decades past, but this neighborhood endures and will once again thrive, I’m sure of it.

Living in Georgetown | DC’s Iconic Neighborhood

Melissa Terzis — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 05:28:17 +0000

Living in Georgetown

Living in Georgetown means living in the first neighborhood in Washington DC. Georgetown started out as the original port of the nation’s capital, became its own municipality, then turned into Ground Zero for the preppy set, hosted a portion of the punk and grunge movements and became one of the most expensive neighborhoods with prestige unmatched by most of the rest of DC.

Living in Georgetown – Real Estate

Living in Georgetown carries a cache and a price tag. The real estate is pretty wild. There are single family detached homes here, but there aren’t thousands of them. They exist though and they cost a pretty penny, $2M up past $20M.

There are also a handful of 1 bedroom rowhomes here! There aren’t many but they do exist and they have anywhere from 500 – 800 square feet. History tells us that these smaller homes were once servant’s quarters or potentially the homes of slaves at one time.

Side note: in most of DC property records it will be rare to find a home with a year built in the 1800’s. This is due to a fire that happened at land records where much was lost. So many homes that say they were built in 1900 is purely a guess. Georgetown is indeed the oldest neighborhood in DC, and many of these homes were in existence in the 1800’s – we just can’t prove it.

There are condos here, and lest you think they are inexpensive, guess again. The condo buildings are along the Potomac River and they offer stunning views. They also offer stunning prices and high monthly fees. You will be paying over $1M to live along the water and have a view. You can get into some buildings for less than $1M but you’ll be facing north, away from the Potomac, so, no river view for you!

Food

Georgetown’s M Street used to be THE place for all the eats. There are still restaurants there, but many now are off the beaten path and tucked away on streets that aren’t Wisconsin or M.

Il Canale is another Italian favorite, located just off M Street at 31st.

Café Milano is on Prospect Street, just off Wisconsin. This is a big Presidential favorite with many of the people who lead this country choosing Café Milano for dinner.

We can’t not mention Clyde’s on M Street. They consistently crank out the best food, one of my all time favorites since I moved to the DC Area, I will always say yes to Clyde’s. Another local all-American place is Martin’s Tavern at the corner of Wisconsin and N Street.

Angolo Ristorante one of the Italian Restaurants on M Street, and it feels very much like you’re in a trattoria in Italy. The owners are awesome and so nice, and it’s great to grab lunch there when we are at our office.

Also, don’t forget a stop to Call Your Mother, which has bagels so good there’s always a line. You’ll recognize it as the gorgeous pink building on 35th Street.

What about cupcakes? Where are the best cupcakes in Georgetown?

Thomas Sweet on Wisconsin Avenue and P is the go-to for ice cream and forget what we said about avoiding long lines because Thomas Sweet will always have a long line when the weather is warm.

There is also a Farmer’s Market at Rose Park on Wednesdays in the summer months from 3-7 p.m.

Fun

The Georgetown Boat House is on the water and you can rent canoes or kayaks and head out on the Potomac.

In April, there is the Georgetown French Market. More than 35 local boutiques, antique stores, restaurants, salons and galleries display their discounted wares for up to 75% off. In December there is Georgetown GLOW, which is a festival of outdoor light installations.

Every Sunday there is the Georgetown flea market in the parking lot of Hardy Elementary School.

Pinstripes in Georgetown has fantastic food, which I wouldn’t have expected and it’s a great place to bowl or play bocce ball.

Volta Park and Pool is one of my favorite parks in DC. There is a playground with equipment for all ages, basketball court, tennis courts and of course the pool. It does get crowded, however.

The best vet in DC is here, Georgetown Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Morgan and his wife Kris own it and I’ve been going there with my pups for over 15 years.

There’s also a cat café, Crumbs and Whiskers, where you can have a snack and play with cats.

This isn’t quite “fun” but I’m sticking an honorable mention here for the dueling auto repair shops on Wisconsin Avenue. We’ve always been partial to the Shell Station. They haven’t done us wrong and their prices are fair. The old service manager was so good of course he got moved, and now they have a female manager! The funniest thing is her husband is the service manager across the street at the Exxon. I once said, “whose shop should I take my car to?” and she said, “OH DEFINITELY US!” Just know that you have two great options for car repair in Georgetown, which is pretty impressive.

Living in Georgetown with Family & Kids

Georgetown Library is one of my happy places. It smells good, the librarians are awesome and it’s easy to park right out front.

There’s a cooperative play location at Volta Community Center if you’re able to get a spot there for your little one.

Did you know? The public elementary school that serves Georgetown is Hyde-Addison. Before we dive into Hyde-Addison, let’s do a comparison. I live in the neighborhood north of Georgetown called Glover Park. Our Elementary School is Stoddert. Stoddert has 83% in boundary students and 20% of the school is classified as an English Language Learner.

Hyde-Addison is 30% in boundary and 9% are classified as English Language Learners.

This may seem like a super curious statistic that only 30% of the Georgetown Elementary School is in-boundary but there are a couple reasons for this. First, living in Georgetown generally doesn’t lend itself well to family living. The house prices are high, green space is limited aside from Volta Park and generally the people who are living in Georgetown seem to trend older. But there are families in Georgetown. I know some of them. And I also know that they send their kids to private schools.

Hyde-Addison feeds to Hardy Middle School, and then Georgetown is zoned for the new high school coming to the Palisades. It’s tentatively called MacArthur, but they are going to rename it at some point. It’s opening Fall 2023 for the 9th grade and some 10th graders.

There are a few private schools in Georgetown too – Georgetown Visitation, Holy Trinity and just off Reservoir Road is WIS, Washington International School. There’s also a charter for those interested in the arts, Duke Ellington. These schools all draw students from all over the metro area – not just those living in Georgetown.

History

The history of Georgetown is absolutely fascinating. The founding of Georgetown pre-dates the founding of DC as our capital city. Because this was one of the only areas of DC where people were settled, if you expected that there would also be slaves living in Georgetown, you are correct. More on this in a bit.

Some may say that this whole “we’re not part of you” attitude still persists today.

Did You Know: There’s a long standing myth in DC that residents living in Georgetown fought the metro coming to the neighborhood for fear of crime. The real reason there isn’t a metro is that the infrastructure changes to bring the train safely underground was a non-starter. This would have required underpinning many homes, compromising their structural integrity.

Here’s a photo of Wisconsin and M Streets, facing east, in the early 1900’s.

In the 1970’s, Georgetown was the OG of hipster land, known for its thrift stores and record shops.

The Exorcist was partially filmed here, with the steps being the obvious scene you will remember.

In the mid 1980’s there was also a growing punk movement and some of the major players working and/or living in Georgetown, Glover Park and other parts of Northwest. I did a punk video with the girls too, definitely check that out! In the 80’s, the city was experiencing a high crime wave and Georgetown was somewhat of a respite from the rest of the city.

In the past five to seven years, lots of stores have closed or relocated to other parts of the city. The rents here are just too high for many retailers and the customer base is likely as much tourist as local.

In 2021, archeologists discovered the remains of 28 African Americans, believed to be slaves, from the early 1800’s.

If you are interested in living in Georgetown, I would be happy to assist! Please let me know how I can help introduce you to this very iconic neighborhood.

Living in DC 2020 Predictions Part 2 | Densification

Melissa Terzis — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 10:07:06 +0000

Living in DC 2020 Predictions

This is the second part of the 3 part series, covering the 2006 Washington Business Journal’s Predictions for 2020.

When this was published, I can remember sitting in my office, working for a national builder. I was blind to the fact that in a few months, the phones were going to stop ringing, all hell was going to break loose in the real estate industry and we were all about to be out of jobs.

I’ve held on to this for many years. It survived a move or two, but it didn’t survive Annie who chomped on the corner a few years back. If you want to see what life with Annie is like, check out the video.

This discussion is about Jobs & The Economy in the Washington DC Area.

WBJ Item #2 – Things Will Get Compact

Prediction: approvals will happen to develop close-in shopping centers, malls, industrial areas. Shopping centers from Bethesda & Chevy Chase up to Germantown and over in Silver Spring were mentioned as being old enough to warrant redevelopment.

Reality: Westwood I in Bethesda off River Rd is mentioned – I took my kids to MyGym there in 2015-2017 and this was always in the plan but it’s still there. Chevy Chase Lake Shopping Center though has indeed been leveled. Wildwood Shopping Center in Bethesda? Still there.

WBJ Item #1 – The Laws of the Land Will Change

Prediction: Because there is so little land to develop, development will go to new areas, and hopefully new heights as Developers push for a relaxation on DC’s height limit.

Reality: They rattled off a number of proposed and approved projects– some of which have occurred like the development in NoMa (“north of mass” they called it back then), residential by the stadium and Anacostia development to rival Georgetown. But some haven’t – like Burnham Place, which is still in the works and expected to be built in the air rights over the tracks going into Union Station. While we were preparing for this video, the first renderings for Burnham Place were presented in mid-June 2022, showing 12 buildings across the 15 acres over Union Station, but all of this happening is contingent on the redevelopment of Union Station.

What else has happened that was not mentioned in 2006 is the cutting up of houses into condos.

WBJ Item #5 – Washington will remain flat

Prediction: Developers will push to relax the height limit which is 160 feet max, with no building being 20 feet taller than the width of the street it faces.

Reality: The height limit prevails, thankfully. This isn’t NY, and we have a lot of history and architecture here to preserve. And thank goodness they didn’t build huge offices and condos because they would be empty now due to the pandemic.

WBJ Item #6 – Rosslyn Will be Cool

Prediction: Changes to the Rosslyn skyline with new high rises, this will no longer be Pittsburgh on the Potomac. (Their joke, not mine.)

Reality: This happened. They knocked down one of my family’s favorite restaurants for decades, the Orleans House. They had this amazing salad bar that was on a Mississippi Riverboat. I salivate over this salad bar for far too long in the video, and it’s set the bar for what I want in my salad bars for my life!

Rosslyn is a continued work in progress as they recently imploded the Holiday Inn and continue working on that corner to bring residential and retail there.

Also, it’s not Lee Highway anymore. It’s Langston Blvd, so take note!

Then, if you want to hear us go on about gondolas for way too long, check the video.

WBJ Item #11 – You Just Might Live Where You Work

Prediction: There would be many more employment centers around metro stations.

Reality: Well, this may have been the time to predict a pandemic because this became so true. But the 2006 prediction was based on development and people still venturing out of the home to work. Now, it seems like many people have been given permanent work from home orders.

WBJ Item #17 – You Can’t Grow Without Water

Prediction: The city’s waterfronts are going to be developed into attractions.

Reality – Indeed this is happening. There are water taxis that take passengers across the river back and forth to multiple locations. The SW Waterfront is the best example of a massive redevelopment.

WBJ Item #18 – Mall Rats Will Scurry

Prediction: Museums that no longer fit in the national mall will pop up in other areas of the city

Reality: Accurate. Remember the Newseum? Spy Museum, Holocaust Museum, they’ve all had to find locations elsewhere in the city.

WBJ Item #19 – Mall Debates Will Continue

Prediction: Necessary changes to the mall in terms of improving infrastructure – sidewalks, restrooms will occur.

Reality: If this is happening, it’s not readily evident but a longer, slower work in progress – which isn’t far from how our founding fathers approached the development of the mall. It took them decades to get it done. Can we get some women up in here?

That covers the density section of the WBJ Predictions. We are going to get to the last piece in this series next week – transportation.

DC Punk Scene – the 70’s and 80’s Music of the Nation’s Capital

Melissa Terzis — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 20:03:36 +0000

70’s and 80’s Music

Washington DC has a reputation for being a town about politics and only politics. But what a lot of people don’t know is that DC was ground zero of a major punk movement in the 70’s and 80’s. Some pretty big names came out of this city from that time that you will definitely recognize. The music that has come from this city has been groundbreaking and had popularity that extended far beyond the beltway.

Georgetown looks pretty different now than it did in the 1970’s and 80’s. M Street was lined with Mom and Pop stores that people lament the loss of to this day. While the Ramones were playing CBGB in New York City, a little Georgetown University radio station shuttled punk to the forefront of the DC music scene.

In 1976, a bar called Keg in Glover Park hosted a band – Overkill. The reception was not even lukewarm. People wanted the rock and metal bands popular at the time. Between the radio station and a couple bands like Overkill, the next few years were peppered with people trying to bring punk to life. The radio station was shutdown by the President of Georgetown U.

In Sept 1977, a man named Skip Groff opened a record store in Rockville, MD, called Yesterday and Today. He intended for it to be a place for people to find 60’s music but when he realized that the punk records were flying off his shelves, he paid attention. His store becomes a place to get the records that they

In 1978, some of the early punk musicians were looking for places to practice and ultimately play. They found it in the Atlantic Building, which housed a venue called Atlantis. They played for free in exchange for rehearsal space. Atlantis was the main punk venue for a year. Until it closed. But it reopened in 1980 with a different name – one that everyone in DC knows. Hint – The address was 930 F Street.

The beginnings of punk in DC were typically in the “white” neighborhoods. As expected, these kids who brought the punk scene weren’t welcomed with open arms. People were coming off disco, listening to what we would now call classic rock – Boston, ELO Aerosmith. These guys were threatened by the punks.

Then a band, Bad Brains, formed by two black teenagers from SE DC, became the first breakout band, and the one to watch. When they play the Bayou, a club in Georgetown on June 24, 1979, a bunch of skater kids from Wilson H.S. used fake ID’s to get in. They are so enamored with this scene, they form their own band.

Ian Mackaye starts in a band called the Teen Idles. They lasted a year, made a record, formed a record label and then broke up by 1980. The record label was Dischord Records, which MacKaye started from his parent’s basement on Beecher Street in Glover Park.

They decided that all the people they knew in other bands – they would put out their records too. Their roadie from the Teen Idles, a guy named Henry Garfield – started S.O.A. – State of Alert. Their record was the second put out by Dischord.

These guys were high school kids. Henry Garfield worked at Haagen Dazs in Georgetown, which was at 1438 Wisconsin Ave. He went on to manage it. Ian MacKaye worked at Georgetown theatre across the street.

They move to a bungalow in Arlington so they can all live (and work) (and play) together. Ian goes on to front a band called Minor Threat.

They called the walk from Haagen Dazs to the Key Bridge a “terror walk” because the bars had patrons spilling into the street, ready to fight a punk for how they looked.

1981 – Henry Garfield who is singing for S.O.A. gets a chance to audition for a band Black Flag which was a pretty big deal. And, they hired him. Henry moved to L.A., leaving behind both D.C. and the last name Garfield. He is now Henry Rollins.

Kids below drinking age wanted to see these bands, Ian worked out with the 9:30 club that these kids get a black x on their hand. Ends up being the subject of Minor Threat song, “Straight Edge.” That’s where the term was born to describe someone who doesn’t drink, do drugs.

Dischord Records was criticized for not working with every band sent their way. They really wanted to keep the focus on the DC scene. They have stayed true to that “business” model.

First few years of the scene were not violent. The city was boarded up in many areas, and these neighborhoods lent themselves well to hosting a punk show in an abandoned building. In the mid 80’s, as more people joined “the scene” things took a turn. A new group of punk kids came into the scene but for them it was about drinking, doing drugs and being vandals.

1983 – The punks were running out of places to play their music. A place in Dupont just north of the circle at 1738 Connecticut Avenue called “Food for Thought” became a new hangout place. It was owned by a man Bob Ferrando. Bob’s son Dante who was in a few local punk bands as well, went on to open a club in DC named after the club his great-grandfather opened in NYC many decades earlier – the Black Cat.

What happened to Food for Thought? It closed in 1999 and became Bistrot du Coin.

1984 – There’s another wave of punk coming as more high school bands form and start playing. There’s a high school freshman named Dave who was a guitarist for a band and who was teaching himself to play drums.

Summer of 85 was “Revolution Summer” – the original punk scene was disenchanted with the new wave of violence.

Some new music and bands hitting the scene were singing about different topics – suicide of a friend, having a heart broken. This ends up being another wedge in the punk community of those who were “emo” for “emo-core” and those who weren’t.

Social activism of 1985, punk scene joins the apartheid protests in front of the South African Embassy, in the footsteps of a group called Positive Force, flex their muscles in the political activism arena. Concerts to benefit the homeless, spreading awareness of AIDS. Not all bands on board with this – just b/c they were in DC didn’t mean they wanted to be associated with politics. (totally get it.)

1986 – That high school freshman, Dave, was now 17 left his original band and dropped out of high school to join a band called Scream.

1987 – In come the women. The first chapter of female bands were very much about the music. The scene wasn’t exactly hospitable to them as audience members.

Ian MacKaye started another band – Fugazi. Some may say the music had a bit more mass appeal. They end up being popular tour internationally. These bands were never into political issues, but as their following grew and they got older, they started taking stances against the skinhead racist punk that had emerged, against the attacks of women, gay men, people of color.

Major record labels were paying attention. It was hard for some of these bands to look away – they were touring relentlessly and playing in towns where their records weren’t available. Signing with a label meant an end to that. This scene though was very anti-establishment, so getting signed was truly selling out. Fugazi is approached by the same man who signed Mick and the Stones. They said no.

DC Space and 9:30 club – both downtown continued to be the main venues where the bands play

Nirvana saw that high school kid Dave play and wanted a drummer like him. You probably know how this one ends…When Dave Grohl auditioned for Nirvana, he can’t believe they have 1000 people at their shows because the only local band he had seen with those numbers in attendance was Fugazi.

1991 – All girl punk band Bikini Kill – members start a fanzine, Riot Grrrl movement to represent the women in punk.

Nirvana’s Nevermind is out. Smells Like Teen Spirit video captures the crowd stage diving. Then this starts happening at the shows.

Crime is up in DC and nationwide. DC space closes, real estate crash hits the city. And this is where punk changes. Parts of the movement came into mainstream – and that is what we coin “grunge” music. Other parts remained what they would say “true to themselves” and didn’t do the media interview requests from Spin, Rolling Stone and MTV. It was definitely NOT in their plans to sign to a label.

Dysfunctional History Of Washington DC: MLK to Present Day

Melissa Terzis — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 16:14:22 +0000

History of Washington DC

We’re back with our last installment of DC history with the DC Real Estate Mama. If you haven’t seen Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3, check those out first. In this final part of our series, we’re going to explore the period from the late 1960’s to our modern-day—which includes riots, crime, corruption, and recovery through the decades. If you’ve never heard of Marion Barry, you’re also going to be hearing a lot about the good and bad antics of this longtime DC mayor.

Martin Luther King’s Assassination

Let’s jump back in at April 4th, 1968. This was a massive turning point that reshaped the history of DC and many other parts of the country. When news of the assassination of Martin Luther King broke, riots ensued in several cities—and DC was one of them. For 4 days, unrest raged and decimated several neighborhoods in the area.

14th and U Street, which was known as “Black Broadway,” was home to several jazz clubs, music theaters, and black-owned businesses. After the riots, this area was completely destroyed. Additionally, 7th Street down to the National Mall also saw intense devastation. While housing in DC took the brunt of the damage from these riots, the H Street corridor—a major shopping district at the time—also suffered heavy losses. Other affected areas included Rhode Island Avenue, parts of Anacostia, and a variety of spots throughout DC that are too numerous to catalog.

In total, 900 businesses, 700 homes, and nearly 400 liquor stores were smashed, looted, and destroyed. To end the conflict, 13,000 troops were sent in to occupy the city—the highest amount of troops that had been seen in DC since the Civil War. It took 30 years for some of these neighborhoods to recover; to understand why post-riot rebuilding took so long, it’s important to understand what was happening in DC from the 1970s-1990s.

Neighborhoods Affected By Riots

In 1969, Nixon came into office and vowed to target crime in DC. In 1970, he passed a DC crime bill that included a variety of features—including the “No-Knock” rule. This meant that police could enter a structure without knocking or announcing their presence. Around this time, the Vietnam War was escalating and a major economic recession was looming. There were many protests, therefore, going on around the city for these and other reasons.

The riots put a wrench in the growth of many DC neighborhoods. Georgetown, for example, was a shopping area with restaurants and plenty of mom-and-pop stores. It remained supported by students at Georgetown as well as Washingtonians looking for entertainment—and this didn’t change much throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Dupont Circle, meanwhile, was a little bohemian neighborhood in the 1970’s that was popular with the gay community. It was home to the country’s first gay bookstore, Lambda Rising, which opened in 1974. Logan Circle, however, remained decimated by the riots—the neighborhood was overrun by drug dealers, prostitutes, and many empty and boarded-up buildings. This extended to the eastern neighborhoods as well; for many years after the riots, people would not travel east of Connecticut Avenue and the 17th Street area.

The Rise Of Marion Barry

A major player in the History of Washington DC is Marion Barry.

In 1973, DC passed the Home Rule Act, where Congress gave the power of DC over to the local city council and then-mayor, Walter Washington. Although he had been appointed mayor in 1967, the Home Rule Act made it official. He acted as DC mayor from 1975-1979. In 1976, Metro opened in DC, with Marion Barry becoming the next mayor from 1979-1991—serving a total of 3 terms. The Washington Post famously said, “To understand the District of Columbia, one must understand Marion Barry.”

Marion Barry did much to advance the city forward through the Civil Rights era, and he was largely effective in his earlier years as mayor of the city. There was, however, much corruption rooted throughout this time—which didn’t become evident until later terms.

The 1980s And The Crack Epidemic

In the early 1980’s, DC saw a real estate boom that resulting in changing neighborhoods. A huge punk scene was emerging, taking hold in Georgetown and Dupont Circle. A counterculture movement in Dupont Circle at the time had people congregating there, though Logan, Shaw, and U Street had still not recovered from the riots.

Marion Barry’s second term start edin 1983 and the situation was fairly poor. Drugs, prostitutes, and failing city services were rampant. Barry would walk through neighborhoods, talking about how he was going to fix the problems. People living in the housing projects in these communities would lean out of their windows and yell “Crackhead!”—an indication that there was something wrong.

Barry’s service—as well as who served whom—was in question. As he made demands about what contractors were going to be hired to service the city, it was discovered that many of these people were his friends and financial supporters. They were inflating prices and then leaving it to the city to foot the bill, with Marion Barry behind it all.

Surprisingly, Barry won a third term in 1986, despite word circulating on what was really happening behind the scenes. Like other cities in America at the time, the crack epidemic hit DC hard. Previous to this era, cocaine was a “rich man’s drug,” but crack cocaine was cheaper and became available to more people. DC became rife with open-air drug markets, a street where people could drive through, roll down the window, honk their horn, and get quick access to drugs.

Hanover Place was a major location for drug activity, and in 1986 the city deployed 60 police officers to do round-the-clock patrolling of this area until they got it clean. Vacant buildings were boarded up, trash and cars were used to barricade the alleys, and Hanover Place was closed for business by the end of that year. While they were successful, the drug scene simply relocated south and to other neighborhoods like Trinidad and Shaw.

Escalating Violence In The 1990s

Violence was also escalating in DC. In 1986, the city saw 194 murders. By 1988, there were 434 murders that year, and by 1990 DC was the murder capital of the U.S. This same year, Marion Barry is caught on camera in an infamous drug bust—sending him to jail for 6 months. As a result, DC elected its first female mayor, Sharon Pratt. Still, in 1991, DC saw 482 murders. Between 1986 and 1993, there were 3,000 total murders in the city.

To end this violent, drug-filled era, the federal government granted funding to many cities to start redeveloping low-income housing—and DC was one of those cities. In 1991, the Metro added the Green Line to areas that previously had little public transportation options. This paved the way for redevelopment to start happening.

When Marion Barry got out of jail, he shockingly decided to run for City Council with the slogan: “He may not be perfect, but he’s perfect for DC.” In 1994, Barry is reelected as Mayor. At this point, the city is broke and filled with corruption. A board created in 1995 was tasked with overseeing city money—including the ability to overrule any financial decisions by the Mayor. By 1997, the Clinton administration stepped in to pull DC from its financial crisis. In doing so, all power was taken from Barry. This left him in charge of the city’s libraries, parks and recreation, and nothing else. He did not run for mayor again.

Gentrification And Marion Barry—Again

Gentrification came to DC in the 1990s and 2000s, which brings redevelopment of many neighborhoods. New houses, fancy condos, and renovations began. Anthony Williams is elected mayor in 1998, regaining control of DC’s money by 2001. He worked hard to get the city back on track, making many improvements that led to the revitalization of many DC areas. In 2004, Marion Barry resurfaced and runs for City Council—and won.

Even though he served multiple terms on City Council, a multitude of bad decisions led to a downward spiral. At one point, he voted against same-sex marriage, tested positive for cocaine, had unpaid taxes, has a massive collection of unpaid speeding and parking tickets, and made racist remarks against Asian people. Finally, City Council voted unanimously to strip him of all power. This history sums up how DC is run: it’s very forgiving. If you look up Marion Barry on DC.gov’s mayor’s office page, he’s described as a “Washington, DC hero.”

Real Estate Changes In DC

Real estate followed a predictable pattern with the ups and downs of the DC government. From the 1990s until 2008 and 2009, the real estate market was on a tear. While the market took a dive in the rest of the country, DC prices were only affected by about 15%. Thankfully, the city has proved to be fairly recession-proof. Most of the development during that time was halted, and many condos became apartments.

In 2006, Adrian Fenty became mayor of DC, followed by Vincent Gray in 2010 and Muriel Bowser in 2014—who still holds the position today. In 2012, the real estate industry starts to pick back up—and we’ve been in a run-up of prices ever since. Massive new developments have continued, and recovery has come in the form of expensive real estate. Many longtime residents have been forced out of their neighborhoods, which is a topic of much contention in the city. Others claiming to be “developers” are simply buying houses and flipping them, often with shoddy construction. Unsuspecting consumers have bought houses that later fall apart and have to be condemned.

The History of Washington DC Marches On

History is being made in DC every single day. During the months I’ve spent researching our city’s history, we’ve experienced the coronavirus epidemic, the killings of unarmed black men and women by police, the ensuing riots, and civil unrest that appears to be here to stay. Many people are again fleeing DC, this time due to COVID-19 concerns. Most don’t want to live in close quarters with others, with condos quickly losing their appeal. The demand for people to buy houses with swimming pools and more land are currently very high.

Our city will move on to its next chapter, though hopefully it won’t be another wash/rinse/repeat cycle of fraud, corruption, population decline, people leaving DC, people moving back to DC, and recovery. It’s anyone’s guess, so we’ll just have to see as the History of Washington DC is made year after year.

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Dysfunctional History of Washington DC: Roaring 20’s to the Riotous 1960’s

Melissa Terzis — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 18:02:08 +0000

The History of Washington DC (Part 3)

We’re back with part 3 of the history of Washington DC. Today I have my two helpers, one of whom may or may not be Harry Truman. This time we’re starting in the 1920s and it’s gonna be a bumpy ride! (If you haven’t seen Parts 1 or Part 2, make sure you check them out to get caught up to speed).

The KKK was allowed to march on Washington in the 1920s. Despite this fact, black culture was gaining a footing in a DC neighborhood called Uptown. U Street, the commercial area, was home to hundreds of black-owned businesses.

Uptown housed a variety of important projects, such as the True Reformer Building. Opened in 1903, it was one of the first buildings to be built—from conception to completion—solely by black men. Duke Ellington grew up in this neighborhood, playing his first gig at the True Reformer Hall and returning often in later years to play again.

Another notable building is U Street’s Lincoln Theatre, which opened in 1910. Many notable R&B and Blues singers performed here, and an underground ballroom opened in 1923 behind the theatre —under the parking lot. Another theatre, the Dunbar, opened up in 1920.

Community donations helped open the YMCA on 12th Street between S and T Streets, with a $25,000 grant given by J.D. Rockefeller. President Roosevelt called the building a monument to the advancement of the city of Washington. The Y is now on W Street, named after Anthony Bowen. This ex-slave started the first YMCA for “colored” men and boys.

On 13th and U Street, the Whitelaw Hotel was named after John Whitelaw Lewis. He started the first bank for black people call Industrial Bank, which is an important part of the History of Washington DC. The bank still lies at 11th and U Street.

Moving on to the late 1920s and early 30s, Herbert Hoover’s one-term presidency brought both positives and negatives to the country. While known for his business sense and humanitarian ways, one incident regarding a bonus promised to WWI veterans turned into turmoil.

Congress had promised a bonus to WWI servicemen, but it was not to be paid until 1945. Sadly, many of the men who fought in this war might not be alive to collect on the promise. With the Great Depression wreaking havoc on the U.S economy and unemployment at an all-time high, the WWI veterans decided they would collect on their bonus early. Dubbed the “Bonus Army, they set out for Washington.

Hoover decided that it was a local problem, not a federal one, and sent the DC police out to deal with it. After two of the Bonus Army was shot, U.S army troops were summoned and went into attack mode. Tanks, tear gas, and machine guns were brought out, and the U.S Army’s General MacArthur ignored Hoover’s instructions to stop the attack. MacArthur burned the biggest Bonus Army camp to the ground, changing the whole idea of peaceful public assembly.

After Hoover, Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s ability to connect with the people resulted in a 3-term presidency – the only one the U.S. has ever seen. FDR’s New Deal helped people get back to work, creating jobs and permanent agencies that grew employment 160% in DC. These new jobs created a massive construction boom, with the Supreme Court, Federal Reserve Building, Jefferson Memorial, and the Pentagon all built during this era – unbelievably important progress in the history of Washington DC.

DC was fairly free until the Pearl Harbor attack of 1941. Thereafter, snipers and guards protected The White House. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were also relocated to Fort Knox. During this time, DC became packed with people arriving in the city as WWII raged on. This created a massive housing shortage, with people living in boarding houses and renting rooms from homeowners. Some of the boarding houses were stylish and housed more than 600 people in a collection of 23 brownstones.

To address housing concerns, the government begins to build its own housing to become the city’s biggest landlord. Many tenants are called “Government Girls,” which local newspapers branded as a “girls gone wild” type situation. An entire article from the Washington Post blamed the government for not properly “supervising” the girls and turning them loose in a city full of men.

In 1942, construction began on McLean Gardens, owned by the son of a wealthy businessman named John McLean. The hotel was part of a larger 3,100-acre tract of land originally granted to Colonel Thomas Addison and James Stoddert in 1718. James Stoddert’s grandson, Benjamin, is the namesake of a local Glover Park elementary school.

These men named the land “Friendship” in honor of their bond, which is how Friendship Heights got its name. The mansion built by the McLeans was designed by John Russell Pope, the same architect behind the Jefferson Memorial and the National Gallery of Art. The McLean’s were socialites, partying with important people and spending lots of money. John’s wife Evelyn was the last private owner of the Hope Diamond, now housed at the Smithsonian. They eventually sold the estate for $1,000,000 cash and 45 buildings took the original mansion’s place. These buildings housed 720 families as government housing until 1948, then was converted to condominiums in 1981.

In the 1940s, armed services were segregated. Black people weren’t allowed to be in the Navy unless serving as mess hall attendants or cooks. They were not allowed in the Marines at all. FDR’s wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, nudged her husband to meet with the head of the NAACP. The president then signed a governmental non-discrimination policy against race, color, creed, or national origin. He also creates the Fair Housing Employment And Practices Committee.

When WWII was finally over, things slowly went back to normal. The U.S. was considered the largest superpower in the world, and the country grew as well as D.C. However, between 1950-2000, the population of the city decreased by almost 30%. With threats of an atomic bomb from Russia, government officials moved out of the city and created the prototype for the modern suburb.

A Highway plan originally hoped to included 3 beltways to bring traffic out to the suburbs; instead, DC got the outermost beltway, which is now known as 495. By the mid-1950s, all other highway plans fell apart, while Washington’s population steadily decreased. Voting for anything in the city was impossible. It’s almost like the history of Washington DC continuously repeats itself.

During the 16 years of presidencies of Truman, Eisenhower, and FDR, there were periods of incredible progress for civil rights. While DC was the first place to integrate schools in 1954, “white flight” was so swift that districts were 95% black after just 10 years. DC got voting rights in 1961, voting Democrat in every single presidential election since. However, despite paying federal taxes, DC has no representation in congress, something the history of Washington DC relives over and over to present day.

In 1962, JFK forced the Redskins to allow black players on the team. In 1963, a march on Washington by both black and white called for equality for all. Sadly, JFK was killed that same year, and his legislation was never signed. Thankfully, the next president Lyndon B. Johnson signed a bill of civil rights that passed in 1964. The next year, LBJ tried to get home rule for DC passed, but it was sabotaged. Instead, he proposed that DC have a mayor and a council. Congress agreed—as long as they controlled the budget.

In 1967, LBJ appoints Walter Washington—a black man—mayor of Washington DC. He faces plenty of racism.

In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot almost 103 years to the day after Abraham Lincoln was. His death sets off a massive wave of riots throughout the city, affecting DC for decades to come.

Stay tuned for the final part of the History of Washington DC

Dysfunctional History of Washington DC: Civil War to the Roaring 20’s

Melissa Terzis — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 17:10:25 +0000

History of Washington DC (Part 2)

Murder, murder, murder… with a side of prostitution. And, what is night soil? All coming your way on part 2 of today’s video about the History of Washington DC. (Check out pt 1 here if you missed it to learn about the juicy history of Washington DC)

The first half of the 19th century was rough for Washington city.

Boarding houses popped up all over the city to house the influx of people moving to Washington. But along with that came lots of violence as well. The biggest sport was cockfighting. Washington Circle was a major site for cockfighting in DC.

Also, there were humans fighting. Duels were common. Congressmen went to work with weapons on them, and it was common to physically fight things out. All in a day’s work!

In the 1850’s there was growing dissension between those who were pro-slavery and those who were not. Lincoln gets back to DC in 1861 to start his first Presidential term. He hadn’t been there since his one term in Congress ended in 1849. What he found was a city unchanged from 12 years earlier.

The Capitol and Monument were unfinished. Hundreds of cattle were grazing right in front of the monument on the grass. DC gets baseball at this time too – the team started as a baseball club made up of government workers from mostly the IRS and Treasury and they used to play right next to the Capitol.

Also during the Civil War years, there were over 450 brothels in DC – many around Pennsylvania Ave, the White House and Capitol Hill area. Attempts to control the population of prostitutes, estimated to be up to 15,000 women, were taken over by Civil War General Joseph Hooker. He moved them to an area known as “murder bay” because of all the slums and unsavory characters there. And no, the term “hooker” didn’t come from his last name. It’s a good story though – check out the video!

Depending on their position on slavery, states started leaving the Union. Lincoln expected Virginia, was working hard to not lose MD as then DC would be surrounded by 2 Confederate States. In the spring of 1862, DC emancipated all slaves.

As a city, Washington looked horrible. Many residents left, many freed slaves were living in poor conditions, without work, prices were going up. Malaria, Typhoid, measles, TB were rampant in the city.

The administration practically ran DC as a dictatorship – arresting anyone believed to be spying or a southern sympathizer.

April 14, 1865 President Lincoln and his wife went to see Our American Cousin at Fords Theatre at 10th and E and he was fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth.

Post Civil War the population grew tremendously and the infrastructure couldn’t keep up. President Grant went to work making progress on the city that the presidents before him had either been unwilling or unable to achieve.

In 1867, DC had 106,000 people, and 1/3 are black.

The wild ride regarding the history of Washington DC and the ability to self-govern starts back in 1871. Congress made DC a district, incorporated it and this meant it would get a Governor. But they simultaneously passed the Organic Act which gives the President the power to appoint the governor, as well as a council, Board of Health, Board of Public Works. Washington City lost the right to choose their own local leaders.

Things were so bad in DC with pigs and cows roaming the city leaving their waste all over and people were leaving their own human waste, called “night soil” outside. What a wonderful time this sounds like in the history of Washington DC.

The Gilded Age was a time at the end of the 1800’s of a lot of economic growth. Alexander Shepherd, once a plumber, now a politician, is appointed to the Board of Public Works. As a result of his alliances with other business people, he was able to accomplish a lot for the city. By the end of 1874, there were now 100 miles of paved streets, 200 miles of sidewalks, 30 miles of water mains, 70 miles of sewer. The squares and circles that L’Enfant envisioned were built, and Congress names them after Civil War generals.

Shepherd was ruthless in his quest to develop the city and was ousted when it was learned that he had been skimming money from his projects. By 1874, the Governor post and boards are replaced with a 3-member commission who had direct rule of the city. The city has no congressional representation. It stays like this for almost 100 years.

At the same time, the abandoned Washington Monument is finally finished as well as the Capital Grounds.

Up until this time in DC, the prominent citizens lived in Georgetown, Capitol Hill or close to the White House. The Senators & Congressmen start bringing their families to live in DC, instead of it being a stopping place for them when Congress was in session. People start moving to the North and West – up 14th Street, over toward Connecticut and Massachusetts Avenues.

William Morris Stewart, Senator from Nevada, is the first to buy land in Dupont Circle. He built his mansion at the intersection of Massachusetts and Connecticut. His west coast affiliation results in Dupont Circle originally being named Pacific Circle but was renamed to Dupont Circle in 1884 – a fascinating and often unknown fact about the history of Washington DC.

In 1888 the city gets streetcars.

The actual northern boundary of the city was called Boundary Street, which you would now know as Florida Avenue. Below or south of Florida/Boundary was the City of Washington, and north of it was the County of Washington. These were the suburbs.

If you note how going north, there is also a steep hill that exists north of Florida into neighborhoods like Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights. It was difficult to travel to these areas without cars back then so people often had a house in the “city” and one in the suburbs – a few miles away.

There was a late 1800’s attempt to fence off Ledroit Park for white people only but it was struck down in court.

Early 1900’s sees continued growth and unfortunate slums/alley dwellers

James McMillan, a Senator from Michigan, heads up the District of Columbia Committee and along with his aide Charles Moore, they managed to make incredible progress for DC. McMillan then helps the inception of the Senate Park Committee.

He appointed 3 commissioners to get the city design back on track. They develop a plan for the city based on the orientation of The Place de la Concorde, the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The Louvre becomes the Capitol, the Arc de Triomphe will be a memorial to Abraham Lincoln, Place de la Concorde the Monument.

Union Station was conceived at this time as well, on Swampoodle which was lowlands just north of the Capitol building, so named because it fill with swamps and pools after rain. Occasionally you will see a mention of Swampoodle, but it’s not a well known term from the history of Washington DC.

The first trains ran through in 1907. This didn’t come without cost – thousands of Irish laborers lived here and were displaced. The Union Station building as well as others in the city including Carnegie Library, Senate and House buildings, Museum of Natural History, first part of the Dept of Agriculture, and the National Cathedral were all completed at this time.

In 1912, First Lady Helen Taft and the wife of the Japanese Ambassador planted 3000 cherry trees at the tidal basin.

Woodrow Wilson took office and was President from 1913-1921. The city and country simultaneously went backward and forward at the same time. He enacted income tax, reformed banking system, gave women the right to vote.

(Well, begrudgingly. He wasn’t really a believer, and tidbit – he signed the bill into law that made Mother’s day a thing.) He created Prohibition.

And, he instituted segregation policies in 1913 that had not existed for 50 years since the Civil War. This doesn’t get unraveled again until some 40 years later with President Truman and President Eisenhower.

Wilson appointed Louis Brownlow to be a city commissioner and he took on public welfare in the city – police, fire, health and welfare. He found that the city’s hospital was archaic, the police dept was a mess – he started reforming each agency. He appointed a new Police Chief who then got the roads and traffic laws in order.

His term as commissioner is dominated by a few major issues that affected the History of Washington DC. Our entrance into WW1, the Influenza epidemic of 1918, Prohibition, woman’s suffrage and race relations. DC is also experiencing a massive population growth and the city’s services can’t keep up.

1920 Women get the right to vote but when 480 black American soldiers came home from WWI, they were met with a more segregated city than the one they left. Then the news began publishing reports of black men attacking white women, all hell breaks loose and race riots start – black against white. Wait.

When Wilson left office, he bought a house on S Street in Kalorama which many thought weird because he didn’t seem to like the city very much. In addition, he was buried at the National Cathedral 3 years later which seemed even odder. He is the only president to be buried there.

The Lincoln Monument was finally complete and dedicated though, but not without more drama. Where to put it. Should it be bronze or marble. Sitting or standing. Men cannot make decisions to save their lives.

In 1923, Calvin Coolidge takes office and brings a calm and competent wave to the white house. He appoints the commissioners to DC, and also increased funding for schools.We’ll continue the History of Washington DC on the next video – Part 3!

Then finish up with Part 4!

Dysfunctional History of Washington DC: Where Should We Put the Capital?

Melissa Terzis — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 00:20:29 +0000

History of Washington DC (Part 1)

What is the history of Washington, DC? Where is it? Is it in Maryland? Virginia? Is it a state? Nope Nope and Nope.

DC is a district, not a state. At least not yet. There’s a lot of history regarding the location of the district.

The capital was originally located in Philadelphia.

James Madison argued that the capital of the country should exist not within a state. Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Virginia all offered to have the capital on their land.

James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were the founding fathers tasked with finding a place for the capital city. They agreed to have the capital on the Potomac River between two slave states – Maryland and Virginia. This was the Compromise of 1790.

Why? Because the North still had unpaid debts for the Revolutionary War. The three men agreed the Federal Government will assume the rest of these debts. (Hamilton wanted this) But the South had already paid their debts back, so they had to agree to assume part of the debt. In exchange, they got the capital in their preferred location. (Jefferson and Madison wanted this)

This means DC is below the Mason Dixon Line. This isn’t a well-known fact about the History of Washington DC. Most people think Maryland was in the north.

In 1790 George Washington selected “10 miles square” for the capital and boundary stones were laid out at every mile around what was the original city.

The capital is called Washington City, and it’s named the “Territory of Columbia” which pays homage to Christopher Columbus. George Washington commissioned Pierre L’Enfant to design the capital city, with oversight from three commissioners – Thomas Johnson, Daniel Carroll and David Stuart.

L’Enfant had specific visions for the city. He wanted a walk/promenade which is now our National Mall. He wanted the leader’s palace which became the White House. And, he liked how European cities placed the leader’s palace on the best spot, but L’Enfant instead chose to put Congress there – on the hill. And this is how Capitol Hill was named.

The city is laid out in 4 quadrants and is on a grid. Numbered streets run north/south; Lettered streets run east/west.

All 50 states are represented by streets here as well, and they run on angles. Where they intersect, L’Enfant designed what still exist today – green spaces. Circles and squares. This is the true history of Washington DC that is still regularly discussed today.

L’Enfant didn’t finish his work, and not by his choice. George Washington had to terminate him when he became disagreeable and difficult to work with. In his desire to build New Jersey Avenue, L’Enfant demolished Daniel Carroll’s house. (This Daniel Carroll was the cousin of the Commissioner Daniel Carroll, to whom L’Enfant reported.)

The capitol building was built (the first time) in the 1790’s.

By 1800 DC citizens realize they have no voting power and no representation.

1802 Congress incorporated the city and granted limited home rule. White male property owners can elect a council which is overseen by a Mayor. Mayor is appointed by President. In 1812 Congress gives the council the right to select the Mayor but DC waited until 1820 to be able to vote in an election.

In the War of 1812, the British invaded and burned much of the capital city including the White House, the Capitol, Treasury Building among others. The northerners tried to reclaim the capital city and relocate back to Philly but it was voted down.

It takes a painstaking 12 more years to get the Capitol building re-built. The capitol dome, which didn’t come until later, is 8.9M lbs. Where the 4 quadrants of the city come together there is a marker inside the Capitol building.

Here is a fascinating fact about the history of Washington DC. In the early 1800’s Southwest was an island called “The Island” because the Washington City canal went around it. Navy Yard was full of brothels with saucy ladies waiting for sailors to hit land.

Livestock was wandering the city. Sewers doubled as canals. Disease was widespread. By all accounts it was pretty gross. And people make fun of the Capital City!

Mid 1800’s the building continues. James Smithson leaves money to the U.S. for a “Smithsonian Institution” which is supposed to be for increasing the knowledge among men. It was about $50M in today’s money.

So why can both Maryland and Virginia claim that DC belongs to them if anyone? Looking at a map, DC really does reside on the Maryland side. But, the original boundaries of the city included Alexandria, and it used to be called Alexandria DC. But Alexandria petitioned to be returned to Virginia.

That retroceding happened in 1846 and included Alexandria City and all of Arlington County. This explains why there is an Alexandria City, which is different from Alexandria in Fairfax county – outside the beltway.

Join me for Part 2 of History of Washington DC where we cover the Civil War to the early 1900’s!

And then check out Part 3 and Part 4!