I really do love my city, but it's not for everyone and there were times I thought it wasn't for me. The politics, the humid summers, the crowded Orange Line trains at rush hour; seriously, what's to love? Well, lots. Like the music scene. Some of my favorite moments in DC have been during live shows. I saw Shout Out Louds at the 930 Club on a Sunday night before lots of other people had "discovered" them. I loved watching Torquil Campbell hang from the rafters (or pipes or something) when I saw Stars at The Black Cat. And back when I was a Howie Day fan, I think I was able to see him live four times one year.
I've also been able to take advantage of the arts and the outdoors in DC. I loved the Hirshhorn After Hours events I got to attend. Skating in the sculpture garden always makes me happy. I met my husband when we were both Sunday morning volunteers with the golden lion tamarins at the National Zoo. I've had countless heart to heart conversations with one of my best friends in the park at Logan Circle, many lazy days with a good book and a picnic blanket in Dupont Circle, and I loved walking home through Rose Park when I used to work in Georgetown.
Oh, and the coffee shops. It's not technically in DC, but I spent many hours at Murky Coffee when I was in law school which has led to my love of busy afternoons with good caffeine and good music at Peregrine and Mid City Caffe, and drawn out Sunday mornings with vanilla lattes and magazines at Sova or Big Bear. If you've been in DC a while and you still haven't found your place, I'd suggest giving one of these coffee shops a try. There is an intense sense of community in each one.
And community is where DC really shines. I've never felt more at home in the city I call home than I have since we moved to our neighborhood last November. I love our block and all the people who live here. And beyond the houses on our block, I love that sushi and karaoke at Sticky Rice or mussells and fries at Granville Moore's means just a short walk. My long runs on the weekends take me through Eastern Market, Lincoln Park, past the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. Concerts at the Rock & Roll Hotel are even better when you don't have to take a cab home. It's great seeing familiar faces at all your favorite spots, and feeling like a familiar face when you're there.
I'll say that my little corner of Northeast DC is the best, but I know others feel just as strongly about where they live and work and play. And in honor of that love I know we all feel for our neighborhoods, I tried to include a whole lot of them in this new DC flag print. E and I are in the process of purchasing our first house, about 100 yards from where we currently live. I can't wait to hang one of these prints in our new home in our favorite neighborhood.
