Results tagged “blackfriday”

Am I the only person in the District of Columbia who actually enjoys Black Friday?

As we reported earlier this week, the District of Columbia arranged with Metro to open the rail system an hour earlier than normal this morning, at 4 a.m. instead of 5 a.m., in order to accommodate shoppers looking to be the first to arrive for early bird sales on "Black Friday." Metro spokesperson Lisa Farbstein emailed to let us know that 2,287 people rode Metro between 4 and 5 a.m. today, and that the cost to the city to pay Metro to open early was $27,000. That comes out to the District having paid $11.80 for each early bird rider. Given that today is also a tax-free holiday for shoppers in the District, that $27,000 is money the city won't make back in sales tax revenue, either.

On Friday, desperate, cash-strapped retailers are hoping you'll show up and buy things (at huge markdowns!1!!!1!). It's a national shopping day so special that it has a name and even a web site. Here in D.C., we don't have a ton of destination shopping centers, but we do have a big one that wasn't open this time last year: the DCUSA complex in Columbia Heights. For those of you planning on heading to Target or Marshalls on Friday, DCUSA, the MPD, ANC 1A, WMATA, and Ward 1 D.C. Council member Jim Graham all have your back.

Well, maybe this year it won't be snowing? D.C. residents' holiday rituals can include everything from frenetic Black Friday shopping to a trip to the White House Christmas tree. But for some of us with a high tolerance for cold, the traditions include standing in line for hours to get free tickets to the Kennedy Center's Messiah Sing-Along. As we told you last year, much like those folks who lined up the night before to...

Happy Day-After-Thanksgiving, D.C. Normally we like to get you your headlines in the a.m., so we hope you'll forgive us for rounding up the news later in the day today -- we needed to spend the morning rolling our much fatter selves out of bed and calling our doctors for a new Lipitor prescription. What do you mean, it isn't necessarily a good idea to put gravy on pumpkin pie? Breaking News: People are Shopping!:...

Happy Thanksgiving, Washington. The streets are quiet this morning in the capital; one cab driver remarked to this writer that it was his favorite day to drive in the city -- no traffic, no tourists, and everyone he picks up tends to be cheery and a big tipper. The forecast in D.C. today is calling for an unseasonably warm high of 72 degrees, with a solid chance of afternoon showers and gastrointestinal distress. What's the...

Black Friday, the be-all, end-all of go-crazy shopping days (well, not for those celebrating "Buy Nothing Day"), is less than two turkey-filled days away. But in our blind rush to leave a tithe at the alter of mass consumerism, we often lose our thrifty ways. Not to worry - for those of us with office jobs, that raise is right around the corner, coming soon to help ease those credit card bills come January. Right?

Kris Racer left the punk scene to do some solo soul searching. The former frontman for Ohio based Tagline is being taken very seriously by critics, with an acoustic presence comparable to Elliot Smith and Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carabba. He sings with sincerity, speaking to the twenty-somethings across the country about work, relationships, and the future. But Kris isn’t just another moody musician. There’s a nerdy quirkiness that separates him from the rest, and...

It's almost Black Friday, which means it's about that time where we look at our bank account balance and realize that we barely have enough money for rent, let alone hundreds saved in preparation for Christmas gift-giving. Too bad clay handprints and homemade cards are no longer considered legitimate presents, and our offices, unlike our elementary schools, don't provide "Santa Shops" where we can buy "I Love Mom" mugs and cheaply made ornaments for the entire family for under $10.

Now that Black Friday and her bastard half-brother Cyber Monday are behind us, it's time to ditch mall food court and Internet cafes in favor of shopping among a real, slightly more civilized crowd. On Saturday, several local businesses are partnering to host charity shopping events benefiting oh-so worthy organizations. As if that weren't reason enough to break out the plastic, the D.C. tax holiday is still in full effect. Suddenly we're feeling festive...