Today DCist begins a new supplement to our weekly agendas. If you still don't have plans for tonight we've got an assortment of activities to get you off the couch and out enjoying all the area has to offer. >> Jumping on the cherry tree bandwagon, Black Cat hosts The Cherry Blossom Jam. Rap artists Marsha Ambrosius, of Floetry fame, Chrisette Michelle, Frestile and MN8. [1811 14th St. NW, $22, Doors open at 8... more ›

Good morning to those of you who are working today, on a day that many set aside to honor American Presidents with HUGE SAVINGS! and ONEOFAKIND DEALS! We trust that you made the best of your unjustly short weekend, and managed to stay on your feet on the skating rink sidewalks of our fair city. We applaud our neighbors who did their best to keep their portion of sidewalks clear and dry. Unfortunately, we... more ›

It may have been buried towards the bottom of a Post article this morning, but this little piece of news is sure to please some people: In other action, the council approved an emergency bill that allows exceptions for businesses that are within 400 feet of a school, college or District-operated recreation area applying for liquor licenses. D.C. law prohibits such proximity, but the bill will allow exceptions for businesses in commercial areas.It's been a... more ›

WJLA is reporting today that a new office within the District government has been created to better coordinate outreach to the growing population of African immigrants in the city and region. D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams has stated that the new office will help serve the 400,000 African immigrants that have come to the area in recent years, and will join similar offices that serve Latinos, Asians and Pacific Islanders and gay, lesbian and transgender people. Even though African immigrants represent only 12.5 percent of the District's foreign-born population, thousands commute in from the surrounding region and work in various industries, from owning restaurants to driving cabs. more ›

It's a familiar sight to anyone who's driven in D.C. on a Sunday: rows upon rows of double-parked cars. The vehicles belong to churchgoers, many of whom make the trip in from the suburbs for worship services. The spectacle lasts for the better part of the day, cutting many streets down to a single lane in each direction and occasionally trapping the cars of unprepared neighborhood residents.

So far as we know, the double parking is technically illegal — but police and parking enforcement officers turn a blind eye. After all, traffic is light on Sunday, and it doesn't seem right to pick on churchgoers.

But it looks like a storm is brewing over church parking. Today, WJLA's website carries a story about the parking situation; and just yesterday this DCist came across an NBC4 camera crew (pictured above) shooting material for a piece about the issue.

More importantly, area businesses and residents are starting to complain. The Logan Circle News blog reports that a campaign has been started asking city officials to crack down on the illegal parking. And the manager of Vegetate has told DCist that Shiloh Baptist Church's objections to his restaurant may be motivated by parking concerns: Vegetate's brunch offerings seem destined to make Sunday parking on Ninth Street a contentious issue.

Some argue that parking enforcement should be completely even-handed. Others point out that many congregation members have been displaced by gentrification, and that denying them easy access to their churches would add insult to injury. The only thing that's certain is that the city's economic boom means the debate isn't likely to fade away. What do you think?

New development in the historic Shaw neighborhood has put two restaurateurs' liquor licenses on uncertain footing and sparked a conflict about the future of the neighborhood. The restaurants are located on Ninth Street between the new Convention Center and Rhode Island Avenue, just blocks from both the Mt. Vernon Square and Shaw Metro stations and steps from where this DCist lives. They also both happen to be located a stone's throw from Shiloh Baptist Church,... more ›

We hope that you enjoyed Sunday's gorgeous weather. This photo, snapped by Fur Cafe, posted on DCist Photos via Flickr, is looking southeast over Connecticut Avenue toward the Washington Monument from the heights of Kalorama. more ›

DCist has always thought that D.C. lacks neighborhoods with a clear ethnic identity. There is no Little Italy, no Koreatown, no Pulaski Square. There is a Chinatown, but in reality, it is a Chinablock flanked by a Hooters, an Irish pub, a Chipotle and a Coyote Ugly. And while Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights used to be a district of mainly Salvadorans, an influx of Route 42 hipsters caused Don Juan's (corner of Lamont and... more ›