Via Atrios, this little geographically motivated blog spat between Ben Adler at TAPPED and Brian Beutler, about whether New York or California has a better environmental record, misses the more important point: This study shows that it’s Washington, DC that actually has the lowest per capita gasoline consumption of any place in the country, by an impressively wide margin. We’ve certainly explored issues related to the relative greenness of densely populated urban environments, compared…

>> Both the Examiner and the WaPo have stories today about the dreary work ahead for D.C.’s deputy mayor for education, Victor Reinoso. A recent report released by the Children’s Advocacy Roundtable which shows that 32 percent of children in the District of Columbia are living below the poverty line — twice the national average. The report also highlights the high number of youth victims of violent crime and the high obesity rate among…

This morning DCist Ryan found a story in the New York Times about the lack of public restrooms in Gotham City. DCist Michael said he’d recently observed a tourist relieving himself in Washington Circle, and theorized that this might also be a problem in our nation’s capital. I then asked if I could come forward and tell a story I had never told anyone. Way back in the twentieth century, as a high school kid…

As the warmer technically-spring-but-still-cold-as-hell days arrive, so does a slew of festivals and events. Marking its fourth year, D.C.’s Six Points Music Festival kicks off this week. If the schedule and general planning approach this year are any indicatoin, it looks to be a much more cohesive and promising event than it has been in the past. The young festival has grown from a no-name event looking to champion the local music, to finding…

So, it seems like George Mason may have used up much of the region’s supply of NCAA tourney magic in last year’s dramatic run. Of the seven regional teams in this year’s tournament, only Georgetown survived the first weekend to make the Sweet 16 – stay tuned to DCist for more hoops coverage as the city unites behind the Hoyas. And before you ask: no, I’m not the least bit bitter about having a bracket…

The Washington Post reports what some of you who’ve been out using Metro today may have already heard: six-car train on the Green Line derailed just before 4 p.m. this afternoon near the Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center stop, injuring 20 people, one of those seriously. The Associated Press has more, describing the 45-minute wait approximately 60 people had before being reached by fire crews and helped out of the tunnel. This from AP:The accident happened…

Boy howdy, yesterday sure was quite the hootinany over at the D.C. Council, as members scrambled to push their pet bills through before this year’s session finally, finally comes to a close. Here’s a quick rundown of what went on, gleaned from the WaPo and Examiner: >> We told you this was in the works before, but the council finally did pass a nice pay raise for themselves and incoming Mayor Adrian Fenty. From the…

Seeing as we’ve already effusively reviewed them twice, we figured that it was about time to step back and solicit your thoughts on The Hold Steady and their magical concert abilities. Were you at their Black Cat show Saturday night? Did you swig Budweiser and Jim Beam along with the band members? Were the songs lighter-worthy, or yawn-inducing? Did you find their presence powerfully earnest or overrated? A quick spin around the blogosphere shows that…

Anyone who reads our posts on local transportation knows that we are big advocates of transit at DCist. Though many DCists are already living la vita auto libre, as DCist Ryan once put it, starting today, we get to give a more detailed account of just what it is like to live car-free in DC. Car-sharing company Flexcar has teamed up with Metro for the Low-Car Diet, a promotion that challenges us and two dozen…

We apologize in advance for what’s sure to be one of those self-indulgent posts that can irk folks around these parts. But we’re just too damn effusive and needed to post our congratulations. DCist Ryan, our fabulous editor, got himself hitched to a lovely lady on Friday and we couldn’t be happier for the couple. For the slightly-relevant-but-still-a-stretch D.C. content, well, you couldn’t have found a more district-y wedding if you tried. Who else but…