Good morning, Washington, and welcome to Friday. There's nothing like a nationally televised address about troop levels to put you in a mood for a sound night's sleep heading into the weekend, isn't there? Certainly we would never have tossed and turned contemplating the "sinister ingenuity" that allows President Bush to escalate a war and then de-escalate it a year later without ever having a plan to successfully end it, and yet be able... more ›

If the new super-posh retail (think Jimmy Choo's, Tiffany's, etc.) and condo construction going on in Upper Northwest have deterred you from venturing further up the western side of the Red Line, it's time to buck up and take a trip to the D.C./Maryland line to Indique Heights -- the new bigger and better outpost of Cleveland Park's Indique. The highly praised work of chef and co-owner K.N. Vinod is worth braving the urine-tinged smell... more ›

It's official -- winter is over. Today is the Vernal Equinox, the day that daytime and nighttime are of equal length. But Mother Nature isn't one to make things easy on us. Our friends at Capital Weather are reporting that tomorrow might be particularly winter-like -- the temperature won't break 40, and we may even get some snow. So, enjoy today's mild weather as long as you can. Man Killed at Shaw Metro Station:... more ›

Whether it's pizza, slurpees, or wifi, getting something for nothing is a thrill that few can resist. There's just something about the allure of the freebie that somehow multiplies the value of the object a hundredfold. Every time free cone day rolls around, we all stand in line for more time than it would take to make the ice cream ourselves (including the necessary cow milking). But who are we kidding? We love free stuff, especially when it's edible. more ›

Yesterday's discussion in the comments served as an interesting reminder of how, despite gentrification, the District remains largely divided. How many residents of Upper Northwest have had a drink at Georgena's Restaurant & Bar (once known as Player's Lounge)? Similarly, how many Fort Dupont residents frequent Bourbon? Though certainly due in part to geography, the plain fact of the matter is that divisions in D.C. remain, and can be the cause of much strife. Just read other posts we've written on "The G Word". more ›

We picked up this little tidbit via Laura Rozen's blog, War and Piece. It seems that folks in a diplomat-heavy neighborhood in Upper Northwest are less than pleased that one of the chief architects -- one Paul Wolfowitz -- of the Iraq war is staging a very different sort of "invasion and occupation" in their neck o' the woods, as the Post mentioned this past week. The reason? A not-so-secret romance with Arab feminist and World Bank communications advisor Shaha Riza. It seems Wolfowitz's comings and goings have set tongues wagging on Riza's block. After all, his guards sit outside in a car until he leaves. more ›

Yesterday's Animal Watch in the Post had an interesting item about an orange corn snake being found in a hallway at an apartment building in the 4200 block of Cathedral Avenue. If we're guessing correctly, we think that the apartment building in question is The Towers, that cocoon-like building in Wesley Heights that is stuck in an era circa 1966. more ›

Amid the media attention focusing on last week's Inauguration, the Congressionally chartered home mortgage loan giant Fannie Mae announced it pulled out of its plans to move some of its staff to Southwest D.C. Hailed as one of the key pieces to spur redevelopment in the vicinity of the Waterside Mall on M Sreeet SW, a Fannie spokesman says "[t]he decision is one of several actions Fannie Mae has taken to reduce future costs in... more ›

Upper Northwest Residents May Be Sickened by WWI-era Chemicals: A survey by the Northwest Current of 345 households in the Spring Valley area found 131 current or former cases of "chronic" diseases. Some residents think the illnesses are caused by chemicals contaminating the soil in the area from the World War I American University Experiment Station, where hundreds of scientists developed chemical weapons in a 600-acre area, including chlorine, chloride, cyanide, Lewisite, mustard gas and... more ›

While the race for the White House will dominate the Election Night coverage, the future of the Senate hangs in the balance tomorrow as voters in a handful of states will determine who will control the chamber. But the Republicans seem that they will likely hold on to their majority, though it will be very slim. South Dakota: After the Bush-Kerry matchup, all eyes will be on the Mount Rushmore State. There, former Rep. John... more ›

More Water Woes: Perchlorate doesn't sound like something you want in your drinking water. But the Post brings us an alert saying that the chemical "known to disrupt the thyroid gland and linked to hormonal dysfunction, developmental delays and infertility" has been found in groundwater near the Dalecarlia Reservoir in Upper Northwest. The Northwest Current newspaper has been all over the issue of World War I-era chemical armaments in the Spring Valley neighborhood and first... more ›

Now that the proposed baseball stadium in Near Southeast is getting a lot of attention, other projects along the Southeast and Southwest waterfronts are being highlighted. The Post gives an update on the plans of Fannie Mae, the home mortgage giant, to consolidate its downtown and Upper Northwest offices into one large new headquarters building near the Waterfront metrorail station. Fannie Mae plans on moving into new quarters at the Waterside Mall on M Street... more ›

Due to technical problems with DCist's laptop, we neglected to get Part IV of "The Ladies of the Upper Northwest Side" up, so here is the conclusion. If you want to read the entire series click here for parts I, II and III. In the conclusion, the focus shifts from The Towers' formal quarters to its parking garage, where anything can happen. more ›

For the final two installments of "The Ladies of the Upper Northwest Side," we move to The Towers, one of the most fascinating apartment houses in the District. It is a true cocoon and you'll see why if you read on to the jump. more ›

In Part Two of "The Ladies of the Upper Northwest Side," we turn to the slowly vansihing Washingtonian accent. Never heard the Washingtonian accent? You may need to start hanging out with some of the city's older residents. If that isn't an option, read on to the jump. more ›

In some scary news, there are fears of sexual predators at large in Rockville and in Upper Northwest D.C. WTOP reports that four men broke into the home of a Rockville woman and raped her after they demanded drugs. more ›

As Florida stares down Hurricane Frances, DCist thought it's appropriate to showcase one odd reminder of the last tropical system to make its way through the Washington area. At the corner of 18th and U sts NW is this sign -- the old 18th and U Diner has yet to take down its advertisement for a Hurricane Isabel party from last year. It says: "Bring Her On." No word on when or if the sign will ever come down. more ›

The quiet, wooded Spring Valley neighborhood of Upper Northwest could be turning back to nature to battle an decades-old problem: chemical weapons poisoning. During World War II, Spring Valley and parts of the American University campus were used as testing ground for chemical weapons and munitions. more ›

A persistent resident of Upper Northwest convinced the city to study interactions between pedestrians and automobile traffic on Connecticut Avenue near her Chevy Chase Circle home. Their solution was something called "Safe Steps," where the city provides bright orange flags to pedestrians to use to signal to motorists. more ›

People living in areas of Northeast and Southeast continue to face high levels of unemployment, according to new data. The Post reports that while D.C. has seen great economic prosperity the past decade, the unemployment rate overall is still high. This is especially the case east of the Anacostia River where there are many neighborhoods where the jobless rate is anywhere between 25 and 83 percent. more ›