Washington D.C. Metblogs » dc_christine

Where the Tourists Aren’t

dc_christine — Fri, 08 Apr 2005 14:22:20 +0000

It’s not easy to find something to do in this city without having to compete with the herds of tourists taking up prime outdoor spring real estate. However, there are a few things going on this weekend that are off the beaten path:

The Bethesda Art Walk starts tonight at 6:30, with free guided tours from the Bethesda Metro Center, located at the corner of Old Georgetown Road and Wisconsin Avenue. 17 galleries are participating in the art walk. - Courtesy of DC Art News.

For fans of Japanese film, The Cherry Blossom Cinema series opens tonight and runs through Tuesday, April 12, at the American Film Institute’s Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.

On Sunday, Sex and the Sandinistas and Hollywood Harems screens at 9 p.m. on the Black Cat’s Backstage, 1811 14th St. NW. $5 (proceeds benefit Visions in Feminism).

What are you doing this weekend?

Sin City Tonight!

dc_christine — Thu, 31 Mar 2005 16:15:09 +0000

For those of you (okay, me) who can’t wait until the weekend to see Sin City, there’s a midnight screening at Loew’s Georgetown tonight.

A Better Use For Comp Tickets

dc_christine — Tue, 22 Mar 2005 15:01:24 +0000

There’s a story in the Washington Post today about Tickets-4-Kids; a local organization that matches donated comp tickets to underprivileged children in the D.C. Metropolitan area. This is a wonderful idea. And, frankly, I can’t figure out why these kids aren’t offered the tickets directly from the venues. I suppose to them it makes more sense to give the tickets to people who can afford them. Quite honestly, if someone were really interested in attending a play, sports event, or show, I think they would probably have found a way to get their hands on a ticket.

I admit that I have used comp tickets in the past. But they were always passed on to me from the friend or co-worker of the individual who originally got them. And any tickets I have received directly from the event I’ve had little interest in.

This is an organization that makes so much sense it’s painful. It makes sense that the local community would be able to participate in some of the great things DC has to offer. And by local, I mean the people who have spent the majority of their lives and time in the DC area and who are, in fact, the foundation of the community that the majority of us take advantage of during our time here.

Even if it makes little sense on the outset to donate your block of baseball tickets to kids, being able to attend a sporting event allows them a chance to exercise their social skills, while being exposed to different aspects of society. The ability to move freely across the class grid is something many take for granted. And yet those are experiences that have propelled many of us to excel. So instead of passing those tickets on to your secretary’s brother’s boss, take a moment to find out if there is someone out there that would actually benefit from them.

Sick of Paying for Over-priced Train Tickets to NY?

dc_christine — Fri, 18 Mar 2005 18:29:08 +0000

Three weeks ago we decided to plan a weekend trip to NYC. The train sounded nice. I could catch up on my reading, maybe take a nap for the first time in weeks. And I thought it had to be cheaper than flying. After checking the fares for RT tickets on Amtrak’s website, I changed my mind. Taking the train is not cheaper than flying. Not only that, but I could take the train from San Francisco to Seattle for the price of a ticket from DC to NYC. I know that there is a huge demand due to commuters, but damn. If you have the money, by all means, take the train. But if you’re like me and you’d rather spend that money while you’re actually in NY, then the Chinatown Express is the way to go. $35 Round Trip. Its not fancy, and it’s not for everyone. And it definitely depends on the time of year (as with anything, tourist season is not a good time). But to be able to travel for less than the cost of your hotel room is too good to pass up.

Attention DC Bloggers

dc_christine — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 22:47:04 +0000

According to it’s website The Brookings Institution is holding a live, interactive discussion on the impact of blogs in the media.

As the website states, “members of the “new” and “old” media will weigh in on the ever-evolving role of the press and the future of journalism. The discussion will focus on new mediums and practices in journalism and what impact these have had

Idle Weather Chit-Chat

dc_christine — Mon, 07 Mar 2005 15:27:39 +0000

Who else is losing their mind being stuck inside today? Yesterday, J and I wandered Adam’s Morgan and Dupont Circle in the afternoon. The weather here is absolutely gorgeous. The next few weekends are the brief window of opportunity for us to enjoy our streets and neighborhoods before they’re taken over by tourists. One of my new favorite places in Dupont Circle to sit outside is Teaism on R street. They have a wide assortment of teas that are served by the pot. Their chai is the real thing (perfect with the ginger scones). And the prices are very reasonable ($2.50 for a big mug of chai and $2.00 for two scones). I have yet to try their bento box lunches or bubble tea (iced tea with big tapioca pearls, also called Zhenzhou Pearls), but I’ve heard they’re awesome. And judging from the crowd at lunchtime on Sunday I’d say this is a pretty hot lunch spot. Teaism is about 3 blocks north of the Dupont Metro station on R street.

Dining Out For Life

dc_christine — Tue, 01 Mar 2005 17:27:31 +0000

Mark you calendars and make your reservations now for the annual Dining Out For Life event. When you eat at a participating restaurant on March 10th, up to 100% of the proceeds from your bill go to Food and Friends, an organization that supports individuals with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses.

This one of the easiest ways to get involved. They’re not asking you to do anything you wouldn’t normally do. You don’t even have to go out of your way as there are so many fabulous restaurants on the list.

She’s Crafty

dc_christine — Sat, 26 Feb 2005 16:12:29 +0000

If you want to shop in DC, all you have to do is step outside your front door. This city seems built on an infrastructure of department stores and consumer goods. However to find one-of-kind, unique, personalized gifts you have to wade through miles of designer boutiques and kitschy mall stores to find it. Thankfully, for those of us who are craft inclined, the Washington City Paper has added a new classified section where you can find everything from hand-made glass jewelry to handbags and totes embellished with your favorite book or album cover.

Recent Crime in Mt. Pleasant

dc_christine — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 15:00:45 +0000

Police Say Be On Guard, Late Night In Mount Pleasant - There have been 5 robberies in the Mt. Pleasant/Columbia Heights neighborhoods in the last week. The good news is that not only have the police stepped up their foot patrol at night, the residents have been involved in stopping at least one attack according to a message thread on the Mt. Pleasant forum. Which, by the way, is a great place to hear about Mt. Pleasant events before anyone else.

DC Cab (was a bad, bad film)

dc_christine — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 19:06:46 +0000

Most of the time when I get in a cab, I completely ignore any signs about fares, taxes, fees, etc. I figure that if I’m going to take a cab, that my money is gone. I don’t worry myself with how the fare system works; I just get in and go and hope the driver knows where they’re going.

That is, until I got into a DC cab yesterday. The first thing I noticed was the lack of a meter. So I thought to myself “great, I better act like I know where I’m going or this guy’s going to screw me.” But I figured what am I going to do? It’s 6 degrees outside and I’m late, so… Then I saw the zone map. Call me stupid, but this thing makes little sense to the uninitiated DC resident. At all. I mean, the whole thing just looks shady. Like maybe if they confuse you enough, you’ll just give them whatever they want. But, I digress.

I found a great explanation at DC Pages on how the taxi zones work inside DC. It turns out that because of these zones, I saved some money getting to work yesterday. By taking a cab from inside DC it only cost me $4 more to go from Mt. Pleasant to McLean, then it would if I took a Virginia cab from Rosslyn to the same place.