No longer needed for Non-Verizon users (photo courtesy Flickr user brownpau)

When my high school pal David asked if he should get an iPhone or Blackberry, I gave him my DC opinion.

While I’d love to have an iPhone, the AT&T exclusivity has always been a barrier for me taking the plunge. When I moved into the area three years ago, I sported a Motorola Razr and a Cingular cell phone plan. However I noticed that my service was lacking around my Clarendon neighborhood and at the office. So I switched to Verizon.

One of the added benefits of Verizon was it’s service underground on the Metro system. To this day I enjoy checking e-mails on my blackberry as I zoom (or wait) along the Orange line.

Of course my friend Dave doesn’t have this problem since he’s still in Boston but now I won’t have that problem as WMATA recently unveiled plans to phase in cell service from other major providers.

Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, AT&T and T-Mobile will work together to install service in the follow stations: Ballston, Bethesda, Columbia Heights, Crystal City, Dupont Circle, Farragut North, Farragut West, Federal Triangle, Foggy Bottom-GWU, Friendship Heights, Gallery Pl-Chinatown, Judiciary Square, L’Enfant Plaza, McPherson Square, Metro Center, Pentagon, Pentagon City, Rosslyn, Smithsonian and Union Station. The goal is to have wireless access up and running by Mid-October, and complete system-wide service by Fall 2010.

It’s too bad I recently re-upped my Verizon plan for two more years, otherwise I’d be thinking about making the jump. How about you? Will the expanded service in Metro make you think about changing cell phone plans?

I actually was thinking about the “We Are One” Inaugural concert kickoff but I previously made plans for lunch out in Tyson’s Corner.

Driving out to Tyson’s from Arlington was surprisingly quiet, I didn’t expect traffic leaving but I thought maybe with all the road closures that there would be traffic heading into the city. But everything looked smooth as Barack Obama.

I arrived at Coastal Flats only to hear that my original plans had fallen through. Well I decided to take the opportunity to enjoy lunch anyways (this time at Gordon Biersch) and walk around the suburbia that is the Tyson’s Corner Mall.

After an excellent burger and garlic fries I was ready to walk off the food coma and make out with girls. The later probably wouldn’t be wise to do after eating some of those delicious fries.

Walking through the mall I passed by a Verizon FiOS kiosk, where several

TV were playing CNN. All of a sudden Denzel Washington came on and I realized the concert had already started. When Obama and Biden walked down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial a crowd quickly formed. It was cool to see how the Inauguration still manages to catch the attention of those busy with their own lives.

After the walk around the mall I headed back to my place to watch the rest of the concert on HBO. While I’m not surprised that a number of celebrities that showed up to speak, I was shocked to see how big the names were. The PIC has a live blog up that pretty much walks through the entire program.

"We Are One" courtesy of the Presidential Inaugural Committee

One comment I do want to make is on the Bald Eagles that were brought out- it was kind of a weird pause if you ask me. I respect and admire the animals but they were brought out then silence, and then when they tried to fly they were tied down so it looked like they were attacking their owners more than flying. For a minute I thought they were going to let them go or something but it just turned out to be an odd display of our national bird.

After the concert I met up with my friend Mike and we enjoyed the Ravens/Steelers game at Bailey’s then it was on to downtown to check out the nightlife scene.

The scene was rather quiet despite the extended hours, then I remembered that Metro was only running til Midnight which could explain the lack of crowds around the area. I did meet a group of “Obama Mamas” on the Orange line. They were from Seattle and attended the  Washington State Society reception over at Sam & Harry’s. The mamas traveled all the way from the West Coast and were surprised with how nice the people have been everywhere they went. From the Inaugural concert to downtown. What can I say, we aren’t New Yorkers here.