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Have to say, I recently moved out of DC in part because I thought the city was a little small for me. But, I really think some people are really going a little overboard here.
Yes, Philly and Boston have more mixed used downtowns.
But, if we are counting rowhouse areas like Society Hill and South Street as downtown Philly, then we are getting pretty close to counting places like Dupont for DC.
I never said DC is a better food city than Philly. I said DC has more restaurants DT. DC has it's own food just like Philly. Chicken and Mambo and the Half Smoke. It's not as popular but it works for us.
Bajan,
Your credibility is out the window if you believe Boston Commons and Rittenhouse Sq crush the National Mall. On any given day or weekend, the mall could entertain everything from corporate softball games to a million plus protest march. Did I mention the 40 or so museums in and around the mall.
Your credibility is out the window if you believe Boston Commons and Rittenhouse Sq crush the National Mall. On any given day or weekend, the mall could entertain everything from corporate softball games to a million plus protest march. Did I mention the 40 or so museums in and around the mall.
You write as if the Mall is some vibrant place like Washington Square Park, Rockefeller Center, or Central Park. There are no acrobats. There is no speed chess. There are no artists. There's no entertainment there. It's primarily a destination for tourists and a staging ground for the occasional rally. It's just not a particularly fun place to go for DC residents unless you're taking a late night walk around the Tidal Basin. For the most part, DC residents avoid it because it's crowded with tour buses waiting to dispense throngs of middle-schoolers and fannypack-wearing senior citizens.
The two exceptions are the Jazz in the Sculpture Garden and the ice skating rink. Those I do enjoy.
Below is a very typical Wednesday Evening in Rittenhouse and the Summer concert series, a picnic, bottle of wine and some fine meats and cheeses from DiBrunos
But again to me this next one really epitomizes the Center City experience to me (BYOBs are a blessing and curse - this one in particular is a blessing)
^^ Now that last pic is something DC needs more of. There are some outdoor cafes in downtown and further up Connecticut Avenue, but there ought to be a lot more.
^^ Now that last pic is something DC needs more of. There are some outdoor cafes in downtown and further up Connecticut Avenue, but there ought to be a lot more.
Honestly this is one of the best things to happen to Center City over the last 15 years - I just read somewhere that the number of outdoor cafes went from ~30 to something like 230 over the last 15 years in center city. It adds to the urban experience. This was fought hard for as prior there were stricter zoning that required more sidewalk space but today that is mostly forgone; and in the pic above and today this is truly common on many streets/corners as the seating practically goes to the street but has added so much life and enhanced the restaraunt scene (especially in good weather months) in the city. Plus the downtown area has really capitilized on what are mostly antiquated liqour laws but sprung a BYOB cafe/restaurant rennaisance with crafty chefs/great atomasphers/fresh dishes and reasonble prices - win for all
Even some of the cafes have seating right on the edage of the street with tables on either side of where the pedestrian flow is - so in some ways the city flow of pedestrian flows right through the experience so to speak
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
8,128 posts, read 7,560,868 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BajanYankee
You write as if the Mall is some vibrant place like Washington Square Park, Rockefeller Center, or Central Park. There are no acrobats. There is no speed chess. There are no artists. There's no entertainment there. It's primarily a destination for tourists and a staging ground for the occasional rally. It's just not a particularly fun place to go for DC residents unless you're taking a late night walk around the Tidal Basin. For the most part, DC residents avoid it because it's crowded with tour buses waiting to dispense throngs of middle-schoolers and fannypack-wearing senior citizens.
The two exceptions are the Jazz in the Sculpture Garden and the ice skating rink. Those I do enjoy.
Ok my only problem is that your not comparing apples to apples here thats just on the National Mall, which is not the only park in DC lets be real here. Rock Creek Park, Dupont Circle etc. are more places where you will see artists/ speed chess games going on in DC not on the mall because its so open. You all are making DC seem like its some far off city that has never seen urban culture in both the daytime and nightlife. Its not AS dense as Philly but it is still just as much vibrant.
Right ppl goin on DC like its chopped liver....Then you got ppl claimin DC in one post and trying to put it down in another ....
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boredatwork
