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| Me, at George Washington's Mount Vernon |
We'll be moving back to Iowa in a few days after our semester in Washington. In nearly four months, we had time to get around to quite a few of the spots you'd expect we'd have gotten to, besides teaching for the Capitol Hill Internship Program, attending innumerable lectures and public policy panels, and following
the latest Trump scandals in the
Washington Post.
My warmest memories of this time are of the places off-the-beaten-track, that required discovery but also rewarded it. I don't think I came close to my goal of experiencing the day-to-day lives of urban Washingtonians, but to the extent that this has felt like home for a few months, these were some of the places that helped make it so.
This small museum is part of the Smithsonian empire, but located off the mall and across the Anacostia River. It is, we've been told, really the only museum in town specializing in the history of the city. When we visited, it had just opened a new exhibit, "A Right to the City," on conflicts over neighborhood development, an important chapter in recent Washington history. There was a lot to digest, and getting back to it is a priority.
My Saturday morning routine was to walk six blocks or so to their Eastern Market location, stand in line for 10-15 minutes with a slice of Washington life, and get three bagels (always an "everything" for Jane) to go for our Sunday breakfast along with a small coffee for now. Usually I hate to wait in line, particularly in narrow confines, but this gave me a chance to people-watch. Bonus points if the Uber Eats person comes through while you're waiting and reminds you that waiting in line is optional.
(3) DC Library.
We live a few minutes' walk from two branches, the
Northeast and the
Southeast. Getting a temporary card was easy, and we've checked out books and magazines, attended talks (and the Northeast's 80th birthday party!), and used it as a temporary office. For that I have to use the Southeast facility, as my laptop's adapter isn't compatible with the Northeast's plugs. Patrons are a diverse lot; last time I sat next to a guy with an open container of fried chicken.
Westminster Presbyterian Church on the near southwest side hosts jazz concerts every Friday night (and blues every Monday night) in their sanctuary. There's delicious home-cooked food for sale in the basement, and the musicians are among Washington's finest. Seating is comfortable, acoustics are excellent, and nobody's expecting you to buy rounds of drinks. The MC (pictured above) is an absolute card, too.
After six weeks or so of attending churches in our neighborhood, we realized we needed to choose a community. We chose differently, and I wound up at this socially-conscious congregation a block east of the Supreme Court building. I found an adult Sunday school group that engages vigorously with whatever topic the vicar brings, met a group from the church at the March for Our Lives, and even helped with Easter brunch.
(6) Metro's D6 bus.
I've been taking the Metro's rail system on visits to Washington for decades, but felt like a real local when I mastered the parallel bus systems run by the Metro and the District of Columbia ("the Circulator"). The D6 stops at Stanton Park near where we live, and proceeds to downtown, DuPont Circle and Georgetown. At certain times we're joined by students going to or from school. It was the means to getting so many places we came to call it the Magic Bus.
The Kaufmann Foundation's inspired network of entrepreneurial coffee klatches has yet to reach the city, but in February a new group started in suburban McLean, accessible by the Metro's silver line. There are more government contractors and online ventures than I've been accustomed to hearing in Iowa, but the presentations have been strong and the attendees friendly and willing to share ideas.
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| Source: Department of Parks and Recreation website |
This city facility a few blocks from our apartment is our go-to place for workouts. It was easy for us to get temporary resident status, and while we were advised to keep a copy of our lease with us, the staff usually recognizes us. The pool is well-used, but in the city people are used to sharing space. About halfway through our time here they got a new swimsuit wringer for the men's locker room.
The video on their homepage shows the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, which they celebrate every Sunday afternoon at their store on H Street. It's understated but beautiful watching them (usually her) roast the beans on what looks like a campstove (open the door to let the smoke out), share their aroma with whoever is in the store, and then grind and brew them. Everyone gets a small cup.
Washington is a bike-friendly city, gold level, and elected officials as well as the District Department of Transportation are supportive. Keeping the fires lit beneath all these initiatives is this grass-roots organization headquartered in Adams-Morgan. I've attended
sessions on advocacy, as well as plans for
Irving Street, and joined a group in my neighborhood working on ideas for K Street.
This small museum is part of the Smithsonian empire, but located off the mall and across the Anacostia River. It is, we've been told, really the only museum in town specializing in the history of the city. When we visited, it had just opened a new exhibit, "A Right to the City," on conflicts over neighborhood development, an important chapter in recent Washington history. There was a lot to digest, and getting back to it is a priority.
My Saturday morning routine was to walk six blocks or so to their Eastern Market location, stand in line for 10-15 minutes with a slice of Washington life, and get three bagels (always an "everything" for Jane) to go for our Sunday breakfast along with a small coffee for now. Usually I hate to wait in line, particularly in narrow confines, but this gave me a chance to people-watch. Bonus points if the Uber Eats person comes through while you're waiting and reminds you that waiting in line is optional.
We live a few minutes' walk from two branches, the Northeast and the Southeast. Getting a temporary card was easy, and we've checked out books and magazines, attended talks (and the Northeast's 80th birthday party!), and used it as a temporary office. For that I have to use the Southeast facility, as my laptop's adapter isn't compatible with the Northeast's plugs. Patrons are a diverse lot; last time I sat next to a guy with an open container of fried chicken.
Westminster Presbyterian Church on the near southwest side hosts jazz concerts every Friday night (and blues every Monday night) in their sanctuary. There's delicious home-cooked food for sale in the basement, and the musicians are among Washington's finest. Seating is comfortable, acoustics are excellent, and nobody's expecting you to buy rounds of drinks. The MC (pictured above) is an absolute card, too.
After six weeks or so of attending churches in our neighborhood, we realized we needed to choose a community. We chose differently, and I wound up at this socially-conscious congregation a block east of the Supreme Court building. I found an adult Sunday school group that engages vigorously with whatever topic the vicar brings, met a group from the church at the March for Our Lives, and even helped with Easter brunch. 
I've been taking the Metro's rail system on visits to Washington for decades, but felt like a real local when I mastered the parallel bus systems run by the Metro and the District of Columbia ("the Circulator"). The D6 stops at Stanton Park near where we live, and proceeds to downtown, DuPont Circle and Georgetown. At certain times we're joined by students going to or from school. It was the means to getting so many places we came to call it the Magic Bus.
The Kaufmann Foundation's inspired network of entrepreneurial coffee klatches has yet to reach the city, but in February a new group started in suburban McLean, accessible by the Metro's silver line. There are more government contractors and online ventures than I've been accustomed to hearing in Iowa, but the presentations have been strong and the attendees friendly and willing to share ideas.
The video on their homepage shows the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, which they celebrate every Sunday afternoon at their store on H Street. It's understated but beautiful watching them (usually her) roast the beans on what looks like a campstove (open the door to let the smoke out), share their aroma with whoever is in the store, and then grind and brew them. Everyone gets a small cup.
Washington is a bike-friendly city, gold level, and elected officials as well as the District Department of Transportation are supportive. Keeping the fires lit beneath all these initiatives is this grass-roots organization headquartered in Adams-Morgan. I've attended sessions on advocacy, as well as plans for Irving Street, and joined a group in my neighborhood working on ideas for K Street.
After all that goodness, I think we're fortunate that the Nesmiths will be returning to Cedar Rapids.
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