Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping are of the opinion that the masses have an opiate other than religion. And if it’s the merchandise that keeps us in line, then there is no time of year when we binge on our fix of choice like the holiday season. Bank accounts and credit card statements across the nation can do the testifying for us on this point. And so it is at the most…

Many neighborhoods in the District tend to go through a rather predictable routine. They start as fringe areas, slowly attract residents and business owners looking for good deals on housing and commercial properties, see an influx of newcomers as word spreads, and soon become the city’s next hot destination. And throughout the process the usual conflicts tend to emerge — between old and new residents, between local and national businesses. Yesterday the rather tranquil Barracks…

A group of friends gathered last Friday night at a rain soaked campground just outside the village of Cooperstown, NY for a weekend that had been in the works for over a decade. All of us, just north of 30 and pals since high school, grew up in D.C.’s Maryland suburbs and were in town to celebrate the induction of Cal Ripken, Jr. into baseball’s Hall of Fame. The event was so much more than…

This post is by new DCist contributor Matt Pelkey. It’s almost Friday and a drink or two may sound like a great way to decompress. But happy hour shouldn’t always be about forgetting a tough week, so tonight toast to local business and a thriving community instead. Mount Pleasant Main Street, one of ten DC Main Streets programs, is sponsoring a wine tasting this evening from 7 to 9 p.m. at Dos Gringos restaurant,…

Back to the feeding trough, all. After spending a weekend in the beautiful and delicious Bay Area, it’s nice to be back to the reality of dirty campaigning, impossible political prognostications, and the constant braying that the turrists are going to blow us up. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t love it… Restaurants in Anacostia? Is it time to put a sit down restaurant in the middle of Anacostia? That’s the question Washington Business…

Via the always delightfully surly Rock Creek Rambler, we learn that the proud Navy town of Norfolk, Va. has lifted its 56-year ban on tattoo parlors within city limits. Sixty years ago, Norfolk’s East Main Street was world famous for its tattoo parlors, taverns and burlesque palaces. In 1945, there were about a dozen parlors to choose from. That ended in 1950 when the City Council approved a citywide ban on tattoo parlors. Tattoos were…

On a busy corner of Route 1, where Laurel, Md.’s quaint Main Street meets the beginning of a strip mall slide all the way down to College Park, we found one of the last Little Tavern restaurants still standing in the region. Harry F. Duncan founded the Little Tavern chain in 1927 in Louisville, Ky., but when he and his wife Doris moved to Washington in 1928, they established the first Little Tavern Shop at…

Outside the Beltway on Route 1 in Prince George’s County is Laurel, Md. — a sprawling suburb that has acquired more than its fair share of strip malls and chain stores. But it hasn’t always been a playground for T.G.I. Friday’s and countless Blockbusters. No, Laurel was established in 1870 as an iron factory town and even boasts a historic little Main Street that is a surprisingly interesting food finding destination. The purpose of our…

Barracks Row Restaurant Crawl Next Weekend Have you been to 8th St. SE lately? The place is going crazy! New places like The Old Siam and World Cafe are snuggling into the Hill neighborhood next to old standbys like Banana Café and Levi’s Port Cafe. They’re even putting in a Dunkin’ Donuts on the corner of 8th and Pennsylvania! Hellooooo Coolattas. The folks along Barracks Row are pretty excited about it too, and they’re throwing…

Welcome back, Washington. We hope you had a Turkey Day filled with food, family, and football triumphs. Now it’s back to work, maggot! Hey, at least it’ll be warm: today is likely to be rainy, but will have temperatures in the sixties. That’s not bad for being on the cold side of Thanksgiving. Annapolis Fire Destroys Building, Costs Millions: The weekend’s big news was the blaze that tore through Annapolis’s historic district. No one was…