Vince Wadhwani likes cities. After a stint as what he describes as an “engineer in the midwest,” Vince moved to Washington, D.C. not only to get an MBA but also for the urban lifestyle – the public transit, the fun things to do, and unique businesses to explore. However, Vince was irked by the omnipresent corporate chains, which he views as part of the suburban world he thought he had left behind. In order to help support and promote independent businesses (which he defines as having less than four locations) he built a website called BuyIndie where you can enter information about independent businesses, rank them, and even leave comments.

The politics of corporate franchises aside, we like what he’s trying to do: we here at DCist like the quirks of independent businesses and the unique flavor they give our neighborhoods. We do our best to support them when possible. Although BuyIndie is a good idea, it doesn’t have many entries yet. That’s where you fit in: go and add your favorite haunts. We’re also exploring options to integrate our content with his site, but we’d like your feedback first. What do you think of the site? Would you like to see us work together?