The Armed Forces Retirement Home, also called the Old Soldiers’ Home, sparked a battle with area residents in late 2005 when it released plans for commercial and residential development of its bucolic estate in north-central Washington. Now, a community nonprofit is in the fray, fighting to create a park on a portion of the home’s land, closed to the public for over 50 years. Officially established late last summer, Washington Central Parks wants to use... more ›

It's going to be 73 degrees today Washington, and we can hardly think straight for the giddyness associated with the possibility that it's time to put our winter coats away. But don't worry, we're not too drunk with sunshine to forget that Sweet 16 action in the NCAA mens basketball tournament starts today -- so don't forget to check in on your standings in the DCist pool. The only problem of course being the... more ›

We're a bit late on discussing this, because yours truly was on the left coast last week when the news came out, but considering the potential impact of the issue, we're posting late, rather than never. The Armed Forces Retirement Home made news earlier this year after announcing plans to develop a portion of its large Northwest property. The news was greeted with excitement by many, but neighbors of the property, particularly on the western, Petworth side, quickly aired concerns over the scale of potential development and the ways in which it might affect their streets and views. DCist examined many of these issues here, and here. more ›

Summer heat is one of those story-in-a-pinch type themes, there for newspapers when the vacation months grow long and no cat has been recently rescued from a neighborhood tree. It's hard to fault the Post for the attention today, though; after one of the mildest springs in recent memory, yesterday leaped to brain-boiling, shoe-sole-sizzling hot. Temperatures are predicted to moderate, back to around 80, after Thursday, but it's clearly time to banish thoughts of a mild summer. more ›

It was a tantalizing prospect. The news that Walter Reed Army Medical Center would close in 2011 had District residents and officials dreaming of the possible uses for the 113 acres of land located between 16th Street and Georgia Avenue in residential Northwest Washington. Getting their hands on the land was always a longshot, however, and news organizations are reporting today that the Feds have lowered the boom on the idea -- deciding instead to... more ›

Appearing this afternoon at a Pentagon near you, Gary Sinise will be performing with the Lt. Dan Band as part of the America Supports You program, a “nationwide initiative to showcase and communicate Americans’ support of the Armed Forces,” according to Reuters. We at DCist wish we were joking with the band name, but it really is called the Lt. Dan Band. For those of you not familiar with Lt. Dan, he was Forrest Gump’s alcoholic, paraplegic pal who later made peace with the Vietnam War and his injuries. With our newfound knowledge of the Lt. Dan Band, we wonder if other bands could pop up with names inspired by supporting characters in Robert Zemeckis films. The George McFly Experience? Could be big for Crispin Glover. Or what about Baby Herman's Hermits? Anyway, it sounds like this performance might be closed off to the public (it's in the Pentagon Courtyard). But don’t fear, we’ll let you know as soon as tickets for the 9:30 Club show go on sale (password = CSI:NY). more ›

It's already been a busy year for development in the corridor of land that stretches from Bryant Street north along North Capitol to Catholic University. DCist has kept a close eye on the debate between residents of the nearby neighborhoods (of Park View, Petworth, and Brookland) and the Armed Forces Retirement Home, which intends to open portions of its massive campus to commercial and residential development. Green space has been a part of that discussion, specifically whether or not the AFRH property will include some, and participants of the debate have often mentioned the McMillan Reservoir property as an alternative location for park land. more ›

Two weeks ago, we took a look at the developing discussion over the fate of proposed development on the campus of the Armed Forces Retirement Home (which we'll refer to as the Home, or AFRH). The post prompted a long discussion and a stream of emails, so today we revisit the subject. The campus site currently consists of about 270 acres, most of which is open space (though closed to the public) but which does... more ›

The Post fired a shot this Sunday in the growing fight over a land-use plan for the campus of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, and some residents of area neighborhoods are preparing their own response. Established in 1851, the Old Soldiers' Home, which once served as Lincoln's summer Presidential residence, was originally surrounded by 500 acres of open land amid the neighborhoods of Park View and Petworth, with Brookland off to the east. The... more ›

This picture, uploaded to DCist Photos by photogene, is of the statue of Dante in Meridian Hill Park. Sadly, the subject's signature work makes it appropriate to this morning's news: the situation in New Orleans is still awful. In response, the relief efforts from the D.C. area are growing. A few examples: yesterday about 300 newly homeless veterans were welcomed to the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Northwest; Governor Warner has declared a limited state... more ›

This photo was posted to DCist photos on Flickr by Justin Johnson of digital obscura. It will be clear becoming cloudy with highs in the low 70s today. more ›

As readers of DCist may well know, the on-going saga as what to name RFK Stadium continues, even though city officials promised on the day of the Nationals home opener that the stadium would officially be christened "Armed Forces Field at RFK Stadium." Being that the deal has not yet materialized, another name may now be in the running. In an opinion piece posted on Fox News' website yesterday, CATO Institute policy analyst, blogger, and... more ›

Just in the nick of time, Mayor Anthony Williams announced early this morning that a deal had been worked out for RFK's naming rights. While the formal announcement isn't expected until 11:30 a.m., Williams appeared on both WTOP and Fox 5 News this morning and hinted that RFK would become the "Armed Forces Field at RFK." Under the terms of deal, the military would pay $6 million over three years for recruitment kiosks and signage... more ›

With President Bush's re-election less than one week past, planning is well underway for his second inaugural ceremony. more ›