Why We [Heart] DC

Overheard while eating lunch today in the courtyard of the National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum:

Guy #1: I want a hit piece done. I really like the sound of that.
Guy #2: OK, but if we do a hit piece on (company name), it has got to come from a respected journalist. Someone who will be read. And you know this means all out war, right?
Guy #1: Oh yeah. I'm ready for war. I'm prepared.

NY Times Ponders the "Real DC"

For those who may not have seen it, the NY Times ran an article today discussing the revival of certain dilapidated DC neighborhoods, with a focus on the quality restaurants that are opening there. All in all, it's a pretty balanced portrait of our city.

Still, it seemed that the article might have missed its mark a bit by focusing only on restaurants that have opened within the last couple of years. It's great that places like Cork and Marvin have been successful and are getting good press, but what of the establishments that predate them? Reading the article, one might think that Logan and U street, for instance, were barely habitable until 2007...which of course leaves out the growing number of restaurants, pubs and shops that have been opening up here over the last decade. And are we the only ones that feel Cakelove is waaay overrated?

On the flip side, it's refreshing to read an article about our neighborhood that doesn't mention Ben's Chili Bowl. Don't get us wrong, we enjoy Ben's greasy half smoke-fest as much as anyone, but our neighborhood has grown so much that it no longer needs to be defined by the one business that has managed to survive the neighborhood turmoil.

Our favorite quote in the article?

"She’s consulting on the Mexican menu for the H Street Country Club, which is supposed to open in February. It will feature an irony-laden miniature golf course that requires putters to work through the swinging briefcases of K Street lawyers and shoot around Marion Barry, the former mayor and councilman.“The D.C. culture has evolved now to a point where we can be proud of it,” said Lee T. Wheeler, the artist who designed the course."

Shooting golf balls at Marion Barry? Who wouldn't love that?

I [heart] DC Part II: Beautifully Progressive

In an effort to counter some of the DC self loathing and bashing that we sometimes observe, Mr. 14th & You and I are highlighting the positive. If you're feeling down, check out previous posts here, here, and here.

DC is wonderfully, fabulously, irrepressibly socially progressive. (Mom, you've done nothing wrong; sometimes parents raise hippies without meaning to.) What's even better than our city-wide character is that Logan Circle residents reflect these ideals.

I should be clear that I'm not a complete political party loyalist or as flamingly liberal as even my pinko commie husband (not a slur, but self-proclaimed). I dislike plenty that goes on in DC culture and politics. At the end of the day, though, I feel that this city's progressive tendencies support compassionate and responsible treatment of people and the environment such as . . .

Environmental Protection: The DC government has a number of programs in place to protect the environment. One of the environmentally friendly activities our city is most successful at is recycling. DC recently added extensively to the list of materials it will accept for weekly residential recycling pick-up. You can now dispose of almost all plastic food containers; dry cleaning bags; plastic grocery bags; and rigid plastics such as laundry baskets and flower pots. Even before the recent expansion of the recycling program, residential recycling rates for newspapers, cardboard, plastic bottles, and green bottles exceeded national averages (2008 Waste Sort Report). Many of the items not included in the weekly recycling collection can still be recycled or disposed of safely through the city dump. For example you no longer have to wait for semi annual hazardous waste disposal events to get rid of computers and TVs because DC is providing free electronics recycling. If you don't recycle where you live or work, go here for more information about how to start.

The local government involvement in environmental protection doesn't end with waste issues.
DC is now requiring that all new construction over 50,000 square feet comply with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. Foregoing revenue our city government even charges reduced sales tax on new hybrid vehicles. To encourage residents to do even more for the environment, the DC government sponsors such events as the Energy Efficiency Expo coming up on November 1. For more information from the DC government about going green go to this site.

DC homeowners go well beyond government requirements. In the recent Post Magazine Home and Design Issue a Florida Avenue, NW home was featured for its unique design and environmental considerations. We even have enough green households that you could even tour solar homes earlier this month. Parked in front of our increasingly energy efficient Logan Homes, I've been seeing an explosion of Smart Cars, which is remarkable in that they very recently came onto the US market and there is currently a waiting period for delivery.

DC business support the environment too. Reusable shopping bags have become a staple at our local stores; Go Mama Go and Pulp have a good variety available for purchase. Commissary has branded itself as a green business using clean sources of electricity. As well, in our neighborhood, there are two stores specifically focussed on environmentally friendly goods — Greater Goods at 1626 U Street, NW and Eco-Green Living at 14 69 Church Street, NW. Anyone in need of new furniture can easily find very worthwhile recycled pieces at resale shops along 14th and U Streets — Miss Pixie's, Good Wood, and Rough and Ready among other retailers.

Support of the GLBT Community: No one would argue that there is no discrimination against the GLBT community in DC. However, DC is increasingly more accepting than many other cities. We've moved well beyond having one gay-friendly neighborhood and one recognition of the gay community during a pride festival.

The 1992 DC Law 9-114, the Health Benefits Expansion Act, allows for unmarried couples to register as domestic partners. According to Wikipedia, there are only eight other states in the US with domestic partnership laws. In fact, our neighbor Maryland was unable to get a limited partnership law enacted until this year. California did not enact its first limited partnership law until 1999.

As registered partners in DC, couples, gay and hetero, are protected with hospital/nursing home visitation rights, family leave, ability to include a partner on health insurance plans, rights to inheritance, and the ability to receive alimony if the relationship is terminated.

The DC government has specifically reached out to the GLBT community. Under law, DC does not allow for discrimination on actual or perceived appearance, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The Federal Government and many states do not define nearly as many protected classes as DC does. Within the mayor's administration, we have a permanent cabinet level Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Affairs headed by ANC 2F commissioner Christopher Dyer. This office is responsible for public education, community outreach, and public policy development. As well, members of the office go out into the community during monthly events. See their schedule here.

Workers' Rights: As of this year, employers over a certain size must provide paid sick leave. What a tremendous help to hourly wage earners who otherwise might feel compelled work while ill. I, for one, do not want a line cook with norovirus preparing my food because he can't afford to miss out on pay. Nor do I want a healthcare worker with a contagious disease attending to the immune compromised. This law also provides time off for victims of violence and abuse. The mandatory sick leave bill passed despite strong opposition from the DC Chamber of Commerce and business owners. According to the Washington Post, San Fransisco is the only other US city with a similar law on the books.

DC also supports parents with a mandatory annual leave allotment of 24 hours for parental duties. Parents and primary caregivers can take time off to go to parent-teacher conferences, school graduations, and even student performances.

As well, in Washington employers must provide 16 weeks unpaid medical leave for individuals to take for themselves or an immediate family under the DC Family Medical Leave act. Here employees have the option to take four more weeks off for medical concerns than what is nationally mandated under FMLA.

Faith Communities: In this city we have plenty of houses of worship that advocate for inclusion. In our neighborhood, several churches advertise their acceptance gays and racial minorities. I have seen rainbow flags hanging on churches and as well as signs and websites reassuring that all are welcome to come worship. If you are seeking an "affirming" church, synagogue, or religious organization, visit this page on the DC Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Affairs.

As well some of DC's churches have tackled human rights and political issues beyond sexual orientation. St John's Church in Thomas Circle has hosted or will host forums this year on preventing gun violence, supporting human rights, and maintaining the separation of church and state. This past Sunday Eboo Patel, named one of America's top Muslim visionaries by Islamica Magazine, spoke before the service at the Washington National Cathedral. Last night the Cathedral hosted a packed house for a foreign policy discussion entitled "America and the World: Picking Up the Pieces." Churches, once known for being homogenous slices of their immediately surrounding areas, are now beginning to reflect the diversity and probing intellectualism of DC's culture.

Health and Wellness: In 2007, DC attacked one of the major contributors to heart disease and cancer, cigarette smoking, by banning smoking in almost all places of business. With this legislation, our city became one of fewer than 20 "states" with a comprehensive smoking ban. Contrary to pre-ban fears, no more bars and restaurants folded in the year following the ban than would have been expected any other year. In fact, I'm more inclined to go out knowing that I'll feel and smell better when I come home.

Addressing another source of heart disease, we have proposed legislation to ban trans fats in restaurants in committee. I'm not entirely sure if I agree with such laws, but I do like that our city is considering measures to keep our populace healthy.

Exercise is key to almost any wellness effort, and DC culture does well to promote it too. We happen to be fortunate to live in a city with lots of green public land, a wide river, and a temperate climate. If jogging and gym memberships aren't for you, hop on a SmartBike and roll the streets for a while. Or you could join up with a club such as the International Club, which offers tennis, fencing, and sailing lessons. You could get lost in the depths of the internets trying to choose just one running club or kickball league. I have no idea how one ever chooses a yoga studio with all of the options in our neighborhood such as Flow Yoga Center, Boundless Yoga, Circle Yoga, DC Yoga, and Maruka Yoga. For those who need a coach, we have two personal training gyms here in Logan within blocks of each other — Body Smith and One World Fitness. My entirely unscientific survey indicates that Logan residents are pretty good at caring for their fitness and manage to do so in creatively fun ways. Thanks to the newly opened Lululemon on P Street, we can all look better in our active pursuits. As consumers of health products and services, Logan also offers a lot of options. We have two naturopathy centers, Tulsi Holistic Living and The District Wellness Group nestled in among chain and non traditional pharmacies and myriad medical offices.

For those who are actively fighting severe illness, we also have a couple of public and private programs of note. Our HIV/AIDS Administration has ties to a number of community organizations and a fairly extensive website connecting the infected to services. And Logan Circle is home to the Whitman Walker clinic, a truly admirable and compressive organization. Though Congress prohibits DC from using public funds for needle exchange, PreventionWorks still protects the IV drug addicted, their children, and their sexual partners from infectious disease with a free needle exchange program. To move the addicted beyond dependence the Department of Health has an Addiction Prevention and Recovery Administration. We can always do more to prevent and treat disease, but it is still remarkable to me that a city with a population around 600,000 has so many public and private health resources.

Social Causes: Whether you want to help the homeless, cure breast cancer, or end the AIDs epidemic, there are numerous walks, fundraisers, and community events for your cause (charity walk list here). Being the nation's capital, we also have associations for everything, including an association for associations. Not only can you walk the walks, but you can make your career helping in whatever sector matters to you most.

So, before you bash DC or just generally get down on our city, remember that we care for people and environment alike. There's always more that we could be doing, but our policies are at least as comprehensive if not more so than those you will encounter in famously progressive citie such as Portland, San Francisco, or Boston. Enjoy the freedoms DC gives you and take advantage of the remarkable government and private resources here to support and express your world view.

Show DC Some Love

A consistent conversational topic amongst the 14thandYou household is the apparent inferiority complex and/or general dislike seemingly shared by a good many people with regards to the DC area and its environs. To be sure, the District has its share of problems--many of which we have written about here. Crime, local government ineptitude, questionable/back-asswards developmental policies, poorly run city services...there's no shortage of fodder for these topics. Many cities share them; some less, others more so than D.C.

But it seems that in D.C. there's a greater degree of scorn geared towards the city, and in my own completely arbitrary and un-scientific survey, it seems D.C. has greater proportion of residents who feel "trapped" or "stuck" in their present location than perhaps any other U.S. city. This feeling manifests itself in a multitude of ways, but perhaps none more vocally than the blogosphere. Why, there's even an entire blog devoted to a *hatred* of the District (albeit somewhat tongue-in-cheek). A couple of days ago, DCist posted a story about how Outside magazine had ranked D.C. as the #1 "town" in the U.S. Talk about arbitrary rankings; D.C.'s seemingly random placement atop the list (followed by such urban behemoths as Chatanooga and Crested Butte) was simply bizarre. But, hey, the District at least warrants a pat on the back for the good press generated by the Outside magazine ranking, no matter how seemingly strange it may be...right? Not according to the majority of commenters that followed, many of whom reacted with a mix of head scratching and disdain over why *any* publication might rank D.C. atop *any* list, short of perhaps a list of governmental inefficiency or some other unfortunate ranking. Which we feel is more than a little unfair.

The 14thandYous don't take issue with many of the complaints lodged against the District, but a lot of truly wonderful aspects about our fair city get completely overlooked in such visceral commentary. Thus, we're embarking upon a series of posts designed to point out the things that we love about living here (with full respect and props to the recently launched welovedc.com). To cap off this introductory post, and shed a little light on my own feelings about the District, I'll share a brief, personal story:

Growing up in the midwest in the livable-but-tremendously-bland Columbus, Ohio, I often imagined packing up and heading off to greener pastures in one of the great American cities. Boston with its New England setting and high culture called to me, as did the gleaming towers of Chicago. New York was, well, New York--congested, overpowering, expensive and amazing; and I was fairly certain life in San Francisco would be highly enjoyable. But no city captivated me with inspiration and--dare I say--romanticism like D.C.

I never made it to D.C. as a child. Despite living only 6-or-so hours away by car, my family always had other vacation destinations in mind. Thus, I grew up with a somewhat larger-than-life vision of what visiting the city would actually be like. To stroll the Mall amongst the Smithsonian buildings, to see the Capitol lighting up the night atop its perch on Capitol Hill, to stroll through Lafayette Park on the way to the White House, capped off with a dinner in Georgetown--these were the thoughts that resided amongst my midwestern-bred mind.

My first visit to D.C. came eight years ago, on a business-related trip. I'll never forget my initial gasp and excitement as my car wound its way up 395 into the heart of the city and the Washington Monument appeared in view. Strolling through the streets of the city that evening, observing the way the light gently shown off of the stately federal buildings, the quiet and surprising tranquility of the downtown at night, the reflection of the Kennedy Center in the waters of the Potomac, I became instantly hooked. I had a strong suspicion that somehow I would end up here someday.

My opportunity would come several years later, in the form of a job opportunity that I couldn't pass up. I moved here with my small, ill-tempered feline companion in spring 2004, met the future Mrs. 14thandYou several months later, and haven't looked back since. I'm still awed at times by the stunning beauty of L'Enfant's city; how the city can--despite its problems and warts and everything else seemingly leveled at it--radiate with an elegance unmatched by any other American city. Both of us truly do feel blessed to live here.

Feel free to share any of your own personal observations or stories in the comments...we hope to have our first installment of this series up within the next couple of days. Cheers.