Looks like August won't be as slow in the art world as it will be in the business-suit-wearing part of city. Kick off the month of gallery openings at First Friday in Dupont. At the Hillyer Art Space, a gallery funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, get lost in Eve: A Series, a macro view of artist Mia Rollow's invented, video projected landscapes. First Friday runs 6 to 8... more ›

"Listen, not a year goes by, not a year, that I don't hear about some escalator accident involving some bastard kid which could have easily been avoided had some parent — I don't care which one — but some parent conditioned him to fear and respect that escalator." —Brodie, Mallrats I was conditioned perhaps a little too heavily to fear and respect the escalator. While I had no trouble riding up, getting on from the... more ›

>> There's a great, free Caribbean-themed outdoor concert tonight on the Kennedy Center's South Plaza Stage from 5:30 to 9 p.m.: Wyclef Jean, Shaggy, Jamaica’s The Ska-talites, and Richmond's jazz-funk outfit Plunky & Oneness. The show will go on rain or shine. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. >> Assuming the predicted thunderstorms late tonight don't block the view completely, you might want to dust off that telescope and see if you can spot the... more ›

Here's the view today of the front of 1536, 1534 and 1532 9th St. NW, three of the four condemned rowhouse properties owned by Shiloh Baptist Church. Yesterday I posted a rear view of some properties that are also seriously dilapidated but that had some visible yard work recently completed, and one commenter pointed out that those are not the same buildings. This is absolutely correct: those properties, located next door, are part of... more ›

Much like yesterday's photo, this one struck us as being that perfect capture of people at home in their environments. Flickr user The Skipping Hippy took this photo of Harry the Manager in his domain at Chick & Ruth's Delly in Annapolis, MD. Even better, the bright, cheery colors and the view down the length of the diner add a great feel to it. EXIF. The Skipping Hippy was at the DCist Exposed opening... more ›

This marks the return of DCist's bar feature, Coalition of the Swilling. Don't forget Poland! Post by DCist contributor Brandon Gentry It's no secret: 18th Street can be a real mess, especially on the weekends. Drunk folks crowd the sidewalks, angling for fights and hook-ups. Too many of the bars cater to the lowest common denominator ("Shots! Blaaaargh!") or to adults playing dress-up (it's hard to pretend you're on a secret mission when you're puking... more ›

Austinist gets arty with an interactive guide to SXSW, loved some local art galleries and a new art exhibit and lamented the possible loss of "Friday Night Lights" production to New Mexico. Bostonist was happy they finally found an Anna Nicole Smith connection to their fair city and that an Apple Store was opening up. They were less happy that new rules have been established limiting underage shows and that their Governor is spending... more ›

The Montgomery County School Board unanimously approved a new sex education curriculum for 8th graders and high school sophomores at their board meeting this morning. The district's old curriculum caused an uproar in 2005 as it included a video for 10th graders showing a woman putting a condom on a cucumber, a discussion of homosexuality and bisexuality in 8th grade sex-ed classes, and the singling out of certain religions for being intolerant towards homosexuality. The... more ›

If you can drag yourself out of bed early tomorrow morning (and if you're like us, that'll be difficult to manage with a post-Work Holiday Party Hangover), those of you in Virginia could be in for a nice treat: It's time for the Geminid Meteor Shower. Astronomer Ken Wilson at the Science Museum of Virginia said as many as 120 meteors falling per hour are expected to be visible over Virginia at about 6 a.m.... more ›

If only this was the view we were graced with at the end of every Metro ride, some of us might greet the day with wide-eyed enthusiasm, instead of the cynical commuter rage to which we often succumb. Flickr user ulalume reminds us what we miss when we keep our heads down. Find the EXIF data here. more ›

Happy Day After the Fourth of the July, Washington. We hope you managed to get some sleep last night despite the all-night fireworks marathons taking place in many city neighborhoods. Not that we're complaining — since the view of the National Mall fireworks from the north was largely obstructed by a giant cloud of smoke, locals putting on their own displays pretty much saved Independence Day for many of us. There will be more... more ›

What the Corcoran grad has left is meager, propped in the corner of his one bedroom apartment and studio. The place is treacherous, a hazard to his work as much as his lazy archives. Enter the room without looking up and you'll knock over the canvas he's working on. But look up, avoid the canvas, and you'll step on his glass oil palette that lays on the floor. The windows are covered up - the view is a brick wall two yards away - and a bottle of ear-plugs sits on the desk, with used pairs strewn on his bedside table. "I complained about the neighbors... now they stomp on the ground and play music even louder." more ›

This past Sunday, celebrated Washington Post music writer Jay Dot Freedom of the Lake wrote up a superb article on Ryan Schreiber, who, while deeply contemplating farm implements some years ago, hit upon the idea for the sine qua non online guide to the indie rock universe—Pitchfork Media. Launched from the Minneapolis home of his folks, Schreiber’s baby has since become something of a kingmaker. Cluttered with inside jokes and boasting writing several degrees more... more ›

It's that time again! For this month's Three Stars -- our monthly feature that highlights three local bands -- we'll start off today with The Hint, take a look at The Apparitions tomorrow, and finish things up on Thursday with Shortstack. more ›

Every time we crossed the 14th Street Bridge, we wondered what the rotating bar atop the Crystal City Doubletree was like. This week we decided to stop wondering, and hazard the post-urban tangle of freeways around Crystal City on foot to check it out. After some Googling we found out the hotel calls the bar the Skydome Lounge, and that it's a bar with light fare during the week and restaurant on weekends. At worst,... more ›

The cosmos put on a spectacular show last night for those crazy hardy enough to venture outside into the cold night air. The annual Geminid meteor shower, which this year runs from December 6-19, hit its peak in the overnight hours. There should be a repeat engagement tonight, but the National Weather Service is forecasting a solid cloud cover for the region, which will block the view. more ›

Written by DCist contributor Rob Birgfeld While stories are often traded about "that guy" who made millions because he was ahead of the real estate curve, few match that of a Brazilian family interested in little more that auto repair. Just one year after riots decimated much of downtown Washington in 1968, Pedro Petrovich opened an auto repair shop on 13th Street, one block north of Logan Circle. Soon after, he moved Petrovich Auto Body... more ›

... Wait, Google already does. Google has now put forth its Google Earth feature. It's in its beta testing period but here's what you'll be able to do: more ›

Duck Watch Begins at Treasury: Remember the expectant duck nesting outside the Treasury Department that captured the heart of all America? Well, those eggs may be hatching this week, the AP, via WJLA, reports. We can already hear the ooohs and ahhhs coming from the area, but unfortunately, the view from the nearest DDOT camera, seen here at 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, is turned away from the duck's security perimeter. If the world can... more ›

We thought that we'd seen it all on metrorail. But sure enough, DCist saw the up-ended Red Line train that crashed into another one yesterday at the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan. WMATA did its best to shield the view of the damage from riders with a blue tarp, but there is something very odd about seeing a metrorail car sticking up at a 30 degree angle resting awkwardly atop another train car. more ›

On Friday, DCist got an advanced look at IndeBleu, the restaurant and lounge on G Street that is primed to set a new standard for service, design and taste in the District. Though IndeBleu is still under construction, you can tell from this DCist photo that the view from its second floor dining room will provide a great vantage point of the Seventh Street corridor, MCI Center and the National Portrait Gallery (whenever renovations are... more ›

Two weekends back, DCist took a trip to the Old Post Office Pavilion. We weren't there to mingle with tourists in the food court, we went for the view. With the Washington Monument closed for security upgrades, the tower of the Old Post Office is the next best thing. Its free access and normally low traffic is one of the best relatively low-key tourist sites in the city. (Please note that the National Park Service's... more ›

As part of security upgrades to the Washington Monument, the grounds will close until early next year, the Post reports. more ›

DCist always appreciates the wit of James F. over at why.i.hate.dc. We think that his Northern Virginia commute is getting to him, but that frustration fuels his blogging brilliance. We wonder if it will push him over the edge one of these days. This weekend, James had some choice words about the Redskins, going as far as to call the team’s owner, Dan Snyder a “Douche Bag.” Oh, there’s more. The stadium is difficult to... more ›