Photo by Rolenz For as long as the U Street corridor has been described as “up and coming” or “rapidly developing” or “almost totally gentrified,” there’s been hand wringing among neighborhood groups over whether it might ultimately turn into something as unwieldy as Adams Morgan’s 18th Street. Everyone wants the area around where U and 14th streets NW intersect to be a vibrant business district, but hardly anyone wants drunk college students spilling off…

Earlier this week Matthew Yglesias took us to task for referring to a “Mid-City” part of town when discussing a campaign for a new Trader Joe’s near U Street. Matt is actually quite wrong to suggest “shady real estate cabals” are the architects of the term Mid-City, but the fault for his misinformation is likely ours. You see, last winter we ran a post mocking the MidCity Business Association’s moniker, basically accusing them of trying…

FRIDAY: >> Provisions Library’s Cartoon Film Series continues tonight with Ducktators, Dutch director Wolter Braamhorst’s look at the use of cartoons as propaganda during World War II. The film, originally released in 1997, sheds light on how entertainment and war have gone hand-in-hand since at least the 1940s, and features interviews with famed Loony Tunes animator Chuck Jones. 7 p.m., free. >> Be sure to check out the Arts Agenda for details on the gallery…

We first heard the name “midtown” used to refer to a neighborhood in D.C. by a friend who occasionally frequented the clubs along Connecticut Avenue between Farragut Square and Dupont Circle. Other friends have frowned on the term, arguing the name was simply lifted from New York. We’re split on the term: it can be a useful descriptor, though we tend to shy away from the New York-D.C. comparisons the word invites. Do you think…