Zachary M. Schrag’s recently published book The Great Society Subway has been on my “to read” list for quite some time now. Since the first time I visited Washington, D.C. I was captivated by the city’s Metro system, which I first began to explore in earnest when I lived in the city without a car […]
E-Democracy and Online Civic Infrastructure
It seems to me that on the web the people who make the biggest splash aren’t always successful. Think about all the spectacular .com failures who had all the money, fame, and dreams in the world. The reality of the Web 2.0 mini-boom we’re experiencing is that the big success stories – Flickr, TheFaceBook, del.icio.us […]
915 Rhode Island Ave. NW
Ever since I moved in basically across the street from this property, I have wondered about it. The high, barred windows and tightly boarded windows and doors give it an institutional and vaguely hostile feel. A little internet snooping turned up little information on the property. DC city government’s online property sale database (which includes […]
‘Queen of Sheba’ Tasty, Cheap
Hopefully my mini-review of a new restaurant in my neighborhood, Queen of Sheba, will appear on DCist sometime tomorrow. I’ll give you a hint: it’s good. Here’s some pictures of the restaurant, located at 1503 9th Street, NW. (At P) Update: Here’s the review on DCist
Skydome Report
As promised, I checked out a DC memorial to the 1970s I notice every time I cross the 14th Street bridge to Virginia. What icon is that? Why, the Crystal City Doubletree’s rotating lounge, of course. In an earlier era it seemed no self-respecting city lacked a rotating restaurant, preferably lodged high up in a […]
Riding the Green Line
I’ve been traveling the Green Line into Prince George’s County quite a bit recently to do research at the National Archives College Park facility. The entire commute takes me around 30 minutes, and I have found the Green Line (with its new trains and sparse reverse commute) quite pleasant. From my house I walk three […]
Review: Richard Sennett’s The Uses of Disorder
Richard Sennett’s The Uses of Disorder is one of those books I had heard obliquely mentioned so many times I decided, finally, to read it. Published in 1970, it has aged curiously. Labeled “sociology” by the publisher, the books’ oddly diverse jacket endorsements suggests the stew of ideas contained — the front cover claims it […]