Photo by kimberlyfaye

I’ve never been to the National Harbor — I don’t think I can stand to see “The Awakening” anywhere but at Hains Point — but from what little I knew, it’s not a place you live. Sure, you’d go there for a conference, maybe to shop, and possibly to enjoy their groundbreaking local restaurants and character-infused bars. Or not. But people actually do seem to live there. The Post reports today on some of the people that have begun filling what will eventually be 2,500 residential units in the development, including a couple that gave up their Eastern Shore home for a 900-square-foot one-bedroom condo. (Yes, I did a double-take on that one too.) Sure, they have a world of entertainment options at their disposal, but they also have to bike across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to get groceries.

Metro Seeks to Prevent Suicides: After the death of a teenage train jumper at Columbia Heights yesterday was called a suicide, Metro is starting to implement measures that would help prevent suicide attempts in the system, reports WTOP. So far this year nine people have attempted suicide by jumping in front of trains, with seven people dying as a result. In 2008 there were five attempts, two being fatal. Metro is working with a suicide prevention group to implement an outreach program for those that may be suicidal and starting a training program for Metro workers to better identify people that are suicidal.

D.C. Libraries Scale Back Service: Looking to save money like every other agency in the District’s government, the city’s public libraries will see scaled-back service as of October 5, writes the Post. With the District facing a $666 million budget gap over the next three years and the library system forced to cut $4.8 million from its $40 million budget, public libraries will close on Monday holidays, neighborhood libraries will close on Sundays and the D.C. bookmobile will be put out of service.

Deeds and McDonnell Go Head to Head in Debate: In a debate that touched on everything from national issues to local concerns, Democrat Creigh Deeds and Republican Robert McDonnell went at it over taxes, transportation, race, cap and trade and a decades-old thesis in an hour-long debate in Tysons Corner. WTOP’s got a long write-up — my favorite part is when Deeds declares himself a “Creigh Deeds Democrat” instead of an “Obama Democrat” — as does the Post and the Times.

Briefly Noted: D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray joins chorus of those upset over school budget cuts … I-270 called “hell on earth” … Absentee ballots in Virginia available today … Samurai sword death not a homicide.

This Day in DCist: On this day in 2008 we wondered if we’d see marriage equality in D.C. in 2009 and the D.C. Council finally updated their circa-1994 website. Oh, and we found out that D.C. cops also love Family Guy. In 2007, we debated what the best pizza in D.C. is and saw the Senate end our hopes for a voting seat in the House.