Washingtonian

Good morning. Sunny and hot with a high around 97 today. A low near 74 overnight. The Nationals host the Mets this evening after a wild game last night. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.

This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Knave, “Don’t Feed the Shark.” Something tells me this DC band gives a memorable live performance. Find out yourself tonight when they play Rhizome with Rain Shears and Big Government.

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

War news: In a reversal not seen since the one-day effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month, President Trump announced on social media Monday that while he had planned to attack Iran Tuesday, he wouldn’t. (NYT) The President said Middle East allies including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar had asked for time to seek a deal to end the war Trump started, which is now in its 81st day. A negotiated settlement with Iran has remained out of reach since the sides agreed on what was first billed as a two-week ceasefire in early April. (AP) Iran’s latest proposal does not look substantially different than its previous ones, including the one Trump called “garbage”: It wants reparations from the US for damage from the campaign as well as an end to sanctions and the US blockade of its ports. (Reuters)

Stuck in the riddle with you: Trump wants Iran to end its nuclear program. Iran sees that as a red line. “The result is a war of endurance centred on one of the world’s most critical waterways.” (Reuters) Iran said it had established an authority that would formalize its de facto control of the Strait of Hormuz. (France 24) Meanwhile, Pakistan, which is ostensibly brokering an end to the war, has deployed jets and thousands of troops to help defend Saudi Arabia, a US ally. (Reuters)

Back at home: Global oil prices fell after Trump’s announcement, though gas prices in the US rose again, to a national average of $4.533 a gallon. (AAA) Trump’s approval rating fell to 37 percent, and support for the war registered at 31 percent. (NYT) Young conservative supporters of the President expressed “a striking level of frustration” over the war in interviews. (Politico)

There’s a kind of slush / All over the world tonight: As expected, Trump dropped his lawsuit against the IRS, which he oversees, in exchange for the establishment by the Department of Justice, which he oversees, of a $1.776 billion fund to “compensate those who, like him, have claimed they have been targets of a ‘weaponized’ justice system.” (Washington Post) Trump and his family members won’t receive any funds from the slush fund. January 6 rioters, however, may get some of the money. (NYT) Brian Morrissey, a top lawyer at the Department of the Treasury, resigned after the fund was announced. DOJ won’t need approval from Congress as it decides how to disburse payments. (NYT) You can read the agreement here. (Law Dork)

Ballroom pickle: Republicans in the US Senate are searching for a way to fund security at Trump’s planned White House ballroom that will satisfy him, members, and Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough. (Punchbowl News) Trump pressured Senate Majority Leader John Thune to fire McDonough after she zapped funding from the current version of a reconciliation bill. (Notus) Trump put the screws to Thune in a call yesterday. (Semafor)

Administration perambulation: A top State Department official, Christopher Landau, pushed his department to approve a visa for Zbigniew Ziobro, a former Polish government official who’s on the run from charges in his country. (Reuters) Trump proposed admitting 10,000 more white South Africans, saying they faced an “emergency refugee situation.” (NYT) A county prosecutor in Minnesota announced charges against Christian Castro, an ICE officer who shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis this January. Castro and another officer claimed Sosa-Celis, who is in the US legally, attacked officers with a snow shovel and a broom, an account that video of the incident does not support. (AP) A Brookings report estimates that 100,000 American kids have had at least one parent detained by the feds since Trump’s second term began. (ProPublica)

Perambulation, Part Two: DOD’s inspector general is investigating the Pentagon’s program of deadly strikes on small boats it accuses of smuggling drugs. (NBC News) The New York Times filed another lawsuit against the Pentagon over press restrictions it has imposed. (WSJ) The FBI hopes to purchase access to license-plate readers that would allow it to track vehicles anywhere in the US. (404 Media) The EPA proposed eliminating limits on four “forever chemicals” in drinking water. (Washington Post) The House of Representatives is considering a bipartisan measure that would charge electric vehicle owners an annual fee for their use of roads. (NYT) The Senate confirmed Steve Pearce as the new head of the Bureau of Land Management. Environmentalists and Democrats opposed the appointment. (AP) Trump bought stock in drugmaker Eli Lilly, which makes Zepbound, as the government announced initiatives to get GLP-1s covered by Medicare. (KFF)

Make plans for a rainy Memorial Day weekend, by Daniella Byck:

I had planned a Memorial Day itinerary that spoke to the unofficial start of summer — definitely outdoors, maybe on the water. But the forecast is looking dreary all weekend long, so we need a day trip plan that can pivot. If Monday is looking dry and not too hot, it’s a free entry day for National Parks around the country, including Shenandoah National Park. Head to the northern end of the park around Front Royal for a quick and easy 1.3-mile hike to Lands Run Falls, an hour and a half drive from DC. Ditch your car in the Lands Run parking area (mile 9.2 on Skyline Drive) and venture through the trees to see the small cascades. Now, come Monday, if it’s still raining or you need to kill some time while the ground dries up or you just want to add another activity to your trek, stop by Skyline Caverns for an indoor adventure. The caves in Front Royal are filled with anthodite formations, including a freaky old 18-inch crystal. Learn all about them on a one-hour tour. Tickets are $30 per person, and you can add on a mini train or mirror maze experience for $8 per person and activity.

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• Luckily, no one was hurt when some fool threw a beer keg through Georgetown Cupcake’s window.

• Marv’s Dogs, a kid-friendly hot doggerie from the owners of Cork Wine Bar, opened recently in Tenleytown.

• The Hitching Post, Sushiko, Perry’s—these 25 DC-area restaurants are classics for a reason.

• Last month’s splashiest residential real estate transactions—and who made them.

• Photos from Sunday’s prayer festival on the National Mall.

• A Nantucket-inspired wedding near Annapolis.

Local news links:

• Citing video of a brawl at a Navy Yard Chipotle over the weekend, US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro doubled down on her plans to prosecute parents for teens’ misdeeds. (Washington Post) The FBI is now looking into the fracas, which has yet to produce reports of injuries or damage. (WUSA9)

• Four Democrats, including Dorothy McAuliffe and Bree Fram, dropped plans to run for Congress after the Virginia Supreme Court invalidated a new congressional map narrowly approved by voters in a recent referendum. (ABC News)

• Trump called for an investigation into a printing error that caused Maryland officials to reissue mail-in ballots, falsely saying “nobody knows” what will happen with the old ones. The state says they won’t be counted. (NBC News)

• Florida’s NextEra Energy plans to buy Richmond-based Dominion Energy. (Washington Post)

• The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington has endorsed Kenyan McDuffie in the race to succeed DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. (Axios D.C.) McDuffie’s chief opponent, Council member Janeese Lewis George, campaigned with her embattled colleague Trayon White, saying she loves him. (Jewish Insider) White’s bribery trial will begin in September. (WTOP)

• Police in Prince William County say an employee of a gas station fatally stabbed a man during a fight. (DC News Now)

• Alexandria police shot and killed a man they say had shot a woman at an apartment they shared before charging at them. The woman later died. (WUSA9)

• The Nationals banned at least one of the three people who unfurled a white-nationalist banner at Sunday’s ballgame. Jake Lang, a pardoned January 6 rioter, took credit for the stunt online. (The Athletic)

• Remember those high-priced stolen bottles of wine? Two of the bottles are back. (Washington Post)

• Won’t someone get the Prince of Petworth a hot dog hat? (PoPville)

Tuesday’s event pick:

• “Othello,” starring Wendell Pierce, opens at Shakespeare Theatre Company.

See more picks for this week from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

Correction: This post originally said a pause in fighting between the US and Iran was first billed as a “two-weed ceasefire.” It was, in fact, intended to be a two-week ceasefire. 

The post Chipotle Brawl Sparks FBI Investigation, Trump Falsely Claims Maryland Could Count Botched Ballots, Nationals Ban White Nationalist first appeared on Washingtonian.

Good morning. Sunny and hot with a high around 97 today. A low near 74 overnight. The Nationals host the Mets this evening after a wild game last night. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.

This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Knave, “Don’t Feed the Shark.” Something tells me this DC band gives a memorable live performance. Find out yourself tonight when they play Rhizome with Rain Shears and Big Government.

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

War news: In a reversal not seen since the one-day effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month, President Trump announced on social media Monday that while he had planned to attack Iran Tuesday, he wouldn’t. (NYT) The President said Middle East allies including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar had asked for time to seek a deal to end the war Trump started, which is now in its 81st day. A negotiated settlement with Iran has remained out of reach since the sides agreed on what was first billed as a two-week ceasefire in early April. (AP) Iran’s latest proposal does not look substantially different than its previous ones, including the one Trump called “garbage”: It wants reparations from the US for damage from the campaign as well as an end to sanctions and the US blockade of its ports. (Reuters)

Stuck in the riddle with you: Trump wants Iran to end its nuclear program. Iran sees that as a red line. “The result is a war of endurance centred on one of the world’s most critical waterways.” (Reuters) Iran said it had established an authority that would formalize its de facto control of the Strait of Hormuz. (France 24) Meanwhile, Pakistan, which is ostensibly brokering an end to the war, has deployed jets and thousands of troops to help defend Saudi Arabia, a US ally. (Reuters)

Back at home: Global oil prices fell after Trump’s announcement, though gas prices in the US rose again, to a national average of $4.533 a gallon. (AAA) Trump’s approval rating fell to 37 percent, and support for the war registered at 31 percent. (NYT) Young conservative supporters of the President expressed “a striking level of frustration” over the war in interviews. (Politico)

There’s a kind of slush / All over the world tonight: As expected, Trump dropped his lawsuit against the IRS, which he oversees, in exchange for the establishment by the Department of Justice, which he oversees, of a $1.776 billion fund to “compensate those who, like him, have claimed they have been targets of a ‘weaponized’ justice system.” (Washington Post) Trump and his family members won’t receive any funds from the slush fund. January 6 rioters, however, may get some of the money. (NYT) Brian Morrissey, a top lawyer at the Department of the Treasury, resigned after the fund was announced. DOJ won’t need approval from Congress as it decides how to disburse payments. (NYT) You can read the agreement here. (Law Dork)

Ballroom pickle: Republicans in the US Senate are searching for a way to fund security at Trump’s planned White House ballroom that will satisfy him, members, and Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough. (Punchbowl News) Trump pressured Senate Majority Leader John Thune to fire McDonough after she zapped funding from the current version of a reconciliation bill. (Notus) Trump put the screws to Thune in a call yesterday. (Semafor)

Administration perambulation: A top State Department official, Christopher Landau, pushed his department to approve a visa for Zbigniew Ziobro, a former Polish government official who’s on the run from charges in his country. (Reuters) Trump proposed admitting 10,000 more white South Africans, saying they faced an “emergency refugee situation.” (NYT) A county prosecutor in Minnesota announced charges against Christian Castro, an ICE officer who shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis this January. Castro and another officer claimed Sosa-Celis, who is in the US legally, attacked officers with a snow shovel and a broom, an account that video of the incident does not support. (AP) A Brookings report estimates that 100,000 American kids have had at least one parent detained by the feds since Trump’s second term began. (ProPublica)

Perambulation, Part Two: DOD’s inspector general is investigating the Pentagon’s program of deadly strikes on small boats it accuses of smuggling drugs. (NBC News) The New York Times filed another lawsuit against the Pentagon over press restrictions it has imposed. (WSJ) The FBI hopes to purchase access to license-plate readers that would allow it to track vehicles anywhere in the US. (404 Media) The EPA proposed eliminating limits on four “forever chemicals” in drinking water. (Washington Post) The House of Representatives is considering a bipartisan measure that would charge electric vehicle owners an annual fee for their use of roads. (NYT) The Senate confirmed Steve Pearce as the new head of the Bureau of Land Management. Environmentalists and Democrats opposed the appointment. (AP) Trump bought stock in drugmaker Eli Lilly, which makes Zepbound, as the government announced initiatives to get GLP-1s covered by Medicare. (KFF)

Make plans for a rainy Memorial Day weekend, by Daniella Byck:

I had planned a Memorial Day itinerary that spoke to the unofficial start of summer — definitely outdoors, maybe on the water. But the forecast is looking dreary all weekend long, so we need a day trip plan that can pivot. If Monday is looking dry and not too hot, it’s a free entry day for National Parks around the country, including Shenandoah National Park. Head to the northern end of the park around Front Royal for a quick and easy 1.3-mile hike to Lands Run Falls, an hour and a half drive from DC. Ditch your car in the Lands Run parking area (mile 9.2 on Skyline Drive) and venture through the trees to see the small cascades. Now, come Monday, if it’s still raining or you need to kill some time while the ground dries up or you just want to add another activity to your trek, stop by Skyline Caverns for an indoor adventure. The caves in Front Royal are filled with anthodite formations, including a freaky old 18-inch crystal. Learn all about them on a one-hour tour. Tickets are $30 per person, and you can add on a mini train or mirror maze experience for $8 per person and activity.

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• Luckily, no one was hurt when some fool threw a beer keg through Georgetown Cupcake’s window.

• Marv’s Dogs, a kid-friendly hot doggerie from the owners of Cork Wine Bar, opened recently in Tenleytown.

• The Hitching Post, Sushiko, Perry’s—these 25 DC-area restaurants are classics for a reason.

• Last month’s splashiest residential real estate transactions—and who made them.

• Photos from Sunday’s prayer festival on the National Mall.

• A Nantucket-inspired wedding near Annapolis.

Local news links:

• Citing video of a brawl at a Navy Yard Chipotle over the weekend, US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro doubled down on her plans to prosecute parents for teens’ misdeeds. (Washington Post) The FBI is now looking into the fracas, which has yet to produce reports of injuries or damage. (WUSA9)

• Four Democrats, including Dorothy McAuliffe and Bree Fram, dropped plans to run for Congress after the Virginia Supreme Court invalidated a new congressional map narrowly approved by voters in a recent referendum. (ABC News)

• Trump called for an investigation into a printing error that caused Maryland officials to reissue mail-in ballots, falsely saying “nobody knows” what will happen with the old ones. The state says they won’t be counted. (NBC News)

• Florida’s NextEra Energy plans to buy Richmond-based Dominion Energy. (Washington Post)

• The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington has endorsed Kenyan McDuffie in the race to succeed DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. (Axios D.C.) McDuffie’s chief opponent, Council member Janeese Lewis George, campaigned with her embattled colleague Trayon White, saying she loves him. (Jewish Insider) White’s bribery trial will begin in September. (WTOP)

• Police in Prince William County say an employee of a gas station fatally stabbed a man during a fight. (DC News Now)

• Alexandria police shot and killed a man they say had shot a woman at an apartment they shared before charging at them. The woman later died. (WUSA9)

• The Nationals banned at least one of the three people who unfurled a white-nationalist banner at Sunday’s ballgame. Jake Lang, a pardoned January 6 rioter, took credit for the stunt online. (The Athletic)

• Remember those high-priced stolen bottles of wine? Two of the bottles are back. (Washington Post)

• Won’t someone get the Prince of Petworth a hot dog hat? (PoPville)

Tuesday’s event pick:

• “Othello,” starring Wendell Pierce, opens at Shakespeare Theatre Company.

See more picks for this week from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

Correction: This post originally said a pause in fighting between the US and Iran was first billed as a “two-weed ceasefire.” It was, in fact, intended to be a two-week ceasefire. 

The post Chipotle Brawl Sparks FBI Investigation, Trump Falsely Claims Maryland Could Count Botched Ballots, Nationals Ban White Nationalist first appeared on Washingtonian.

DC 1

Where: Cleveland Park.

Bought by: Julia A. Schiller, an antitrust lawyer at O’Melveny, and Lowell J. Schiller, an FDA policy expert.

Listed: $5,150,000.

Sold: $4,912,500.

Days on market: 1.

Bragging points:A 1925 Tudor Revival–style house, known as Pine Crest Manor, with six bedrooms, six bathrooms, two half baths, a breakfast atrium, a guest suite, an art-storage room, three terraces, and a screened porch.

2

Where: Kalorama.

Sold by: Marc H. Brodsky, a retired physicist, and Vivian S. Brodsky, a retired teacher.

Listed: $2,999,000.

Sold: $2,999,000.

Days on market: 4.

Bragging points:A 3,200-square-foot condo in a 1910s Beaux Arts building with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a foyer, two parking spaces, and access to a roof deck.

 

Virginia 3

 

Where: Great Falls.

Sold by: Richard A. Patterson, president and CEO of RRR Automotive Group.

Listed: $5,999,900.

Sold: $5,400,000.

Days on market: 278.

Bragging points:A 10,880-square-foot estate on five acres with six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three half baths, billiards and game rooms, an exercise room, a guesthouse, an outdoor kitchen, a pool, a poolside bathroom with a spa and sauna, and a sports court.

 

4

Where: McLean.

Bought by: Samantha Barrett Badlam, a partner at Ropes & Gray.

Listed: $4,600,000.

Sold: $4,400,000.

Days on market: 147.

Bragging points:A custom-built house with six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three half baths, four fireplaces, a great room, a guest suite, a recreation room, a wine room, a fitness room, a dog-washing station, and a screened porch.

 

5

Where: McLean.

Bought by: Sol Isaiah Brody, vice president of global-trade licensing and sanctions at BAE Systems.

Listed: $5,900,000.

Sold: $4,699,999.

Days on market: 299.

Bragging points: A 14,100-square-foot French-chateau-style estate on five acres with six bedrooms, seven and a half bathrooms, five fireplaces, a two-story foyer, a gym, a rooftop terrace, a 50-foot-long heated pool, a waterfall pond, and a courtyard patio.

 

6

Where: Arlington.

Bought by: Anna Grahan Jeanblanc, director of corporate strategy and development at RTX, and Michael Charles Jeanblanc, an investor at Thrivent Asset Management.

Listed: $3,495,000.

Sold: $3,480,000.

Days on market: 21.

Bragging points: A new house with six bedrooms, six bathrooms, two half baths, a breakfast room, a dog-washing station, a game room, a three-season screened porch, and a patio.

 

Maryland 7

Where: Bethesda.

Bought by: Ryan Youngho Park, an oral surgeon, and Anna Aeri Park.

Listed: $3,189,000.

Sold: $3,150,000.

Days on market: 36.

Bragging points:A new three-level house with six bedrooms, five bathrooms, two half baths, a finished basement with a wet bar, a two-car garage, and a fenced, tree-lined backyard.

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

#vid-container1 {display: none !important;}<br />

The post 7 Luxury Home Sales in the Washington Area—and Who Bought and Sold Them first appeared on Washingtonian.

DC 1

Where: Cleveland Park.

Bought by: Julia A. Schiller, an antitrust lawyer at O’Melveny, and Lowell J. Schiller, an FDA policy expert.

Listed: $5,150,000.

Sold: $4,912,500.

Days on market: 1.

Bragging points:A 1925 Tudor Revival–style house, known as Pine Crest Manor, with six bedrooms, six bathrooms, two half baths, a breakfast atrium, a guest suite, an art-storage room, three terraces, and a screened porch.

2

Where: Kalorama.

Sold by: Marc H. Brodsky, a retired physicist, and Vivian S. Brodsky, a retired teacher.

Listed: $2,999,000.

Sold: $2,999,000.

Days on market: 4.

Bragging points:A 3,200-square-foot condo in a 1910s Beaux Arts building with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a foyer, two parking spaces, and access to a roof deck.

 

Virginia 3

 

Where: Great Falls.

Sold by: Richard A. Patterson, president and CEO of RRR Automotive Group.

Listed: $5,999,900.

Sold: $5,400,000.

Days on market: 278.

Bragging points:A 10,880-square-foot estate on five acres with six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three half baths, billiards and game rooms, an exercise room, a guesthouse, an outdoor kitchen, a pool, a poolside bathroom with a spa and sauna, and a sports court.

 

4

Where: McLean.

Bought by: Samantha Barrett Badlam, a partner at Ropes & Gray.

Listed: $4,600,000.

Sold: $4,400,000.

Days on market: 147.

Bragging points:A custom-built house with six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three half baths, four fireplaces, a great room, a guest suite, a recreation room, a wine room, a fitness room, a dog-washing station, and a screened porch.

 

5

Where: McLean.

Bought by: Sol Isaiah Brody, vice president of global-trade licensing and sanctions at BAE Systems.

Listed: $5,900,000.

Sold: $4,699,999.

Days on market: 299.

Bragging points: A 14,100-square-foot French-chateau-style estate on five acres with six bedrooms, seven and a half bathrooms, five fireplaces, a two-story foyer, a gym, a rooftop terrace, a 50-foot-long heated pool, a waterfall pond, and a courtyard patio.

 

6

Where: Arlington.

Bought by: Anna Grahan Jeanblanc, director of corporate strategy and development at RTX, and Michael Charles Jeanblanc, an investor at Thrivent Asset Management.

Listed: $3,495,000.

Sold: $3,480,000.

Days on market: 21.

Bragging points: A new house with six bedrooms, six bathrooms, two half baths, a breakfast room, a dog-washing station, a game room, a three-season screened porch, and a patio.

 

Maryland 7

Where: Bethesda.

Bought by: Ryan Youngho Park, an oral surgeon, and Anna Aeri Park.

Listed: $3,189,000.

Sold: $3,150,000.

Days on market: 36.

Bragging points:A new three-level house with six bedrooms, five bathrooms, two half baths, a finished basement with a wet bar, a two-car garage, and a fenced, tree-lined backyard.

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

#vid-container1 {display: none !important;}<br />

The post 7 Luxury Home Sales in the Washington Area—and Who Bought and Sold Them first appeared on Washingtonian.

Ben’s Chili Bowl location_on1213 U St., NW languageWebsite

What is there left to say about the Chili Bowl? Its history in the civil-rights movement, its survival through riots and gentrification, its legendary nonagenarian matriarch, Virginia Ali—this is one of DC’s most enduring restaurants. And for many Washingtonians, one bite of a chili half-smoke here induces Proustian nostalgia. After a period of renovations during which the original location was relegated to a less soulful storefront across U Street, the revamped Ben’s is set to open in late April.

 

The Bombay Club location_on815 Connecticut Ave., NW languageWebsite

The definition of a Washington power-lunch spot, Ashok Bajaj’s Indian dining room by the White House has been serving refined curries and thalis to a Brooks Brothers crowd for nearly 40 years. Though it may have been eclipsed in the hearts of foodies by other downtown South Asian spots—including Bajaj’s own Rasika—the chandeliered place still feels singular in its quiet elegance.

 

Carlyle location_on4000 Campbell Ave., Arlington languageWebsite

This crown jewel of the Great American Restaurants chain, which opened 40 years ago alongside the rest of the Village at Shirlington, still nails the formula that made its tables so coveted back in the day. The dining room, while a bit faded, is comfy and filled with spacious booths. Service is eager and accommodating. Cocktails are under $12. And the food? Yeah, it feels a little focus-grouped—you might recognize the marinated rib eye and chocolate waffle from the menu at its siblings—but it’s crowd-pleasing for sure.

 

Deli City location_on2200 Bladensburg Rd., NE languageWebsite

This slightly shabby time capsule on an unlovely stretch of Bladensburg Road is a ticket to an older, unpretentious DC. Commendable pastrami on rye with potato salad—or a scrapple-and-egg breakfast—somehow tastes even better in a sunlit, wood-paneled space decorated with “Washington Redskins” memorabilia, photos of Janet and Michael Jackson, a still from Sanford and Son, and a presidential-history calendar that ends with Obama’s first term.

 

The Hitching Post location_on200 Upshur St., NW languageWebsite

This laid-back Southern-food institution in Petworth is the kind of place where even introverts can’t help but chat up the tables around them. It’s gone through some changes since it opened back in 1967—founders Al and Adrienne Carter sold it to Barry Dindyal in 2012—and you can now pregame your crabcakes with a palak chaat. But the fried chicken is as crackly and satisfying as ever, and sides like potato salad, slaw, and cornbread are just as tasty.

 

Huong Viet location_on6785 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church languageWebsite

Founded in 1987, this is the longest-running Vietnamese restaurant in Falls Church’s Eden Center. The sprawling menu features nearly 200 dishes, including good renditions of bánh xèo (crispy crepes filled with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts) and spicy lemongrass beef noodle soup. Other signatures such as sweet-lacquered roasted quail and bubbling caramelized-fish hot pot have helped keep the red-boothed dining room consistently humming over the years. One notable relic of the past: The place still accepts only cash.

 

Il Pizzico location_on15209 Frederick Rd., Rockville languageWebsite

Step from a nondescript Rockville strip mall into this white-tablecloth dining room and you’re transported to the early ’90s, a golden era of upscale Tuscan-leaning cuisine. You’ll find gracious service plus a bucatini amatriciana and fettuccine with veal ragu that still hit all the right notes 35 years later. After rib-sticking secondi such as braised short ribs over polenta, save room for the chocolate mousse, its plate drizzled with raspberry sauce for a wink of ’90s flair. Love notes from happy diners are clothes-pinned to the restroom walls —“Always fabulous!”—and we happily added ours.

 

Jaleo location_on480 Seventh St., NW languageWebsite

José Andrés’s original DC restaurant, now in its fourth decade in Penn Quarter, still serves up a lively scene and satisfying tapas such as a perfect pan con tomate and juicy shrimp bubbling with slivered garlic. On a recent visit, we couldn’t get enough of the rossejat, toasted broken noodles with seafood that hit all the best paella notes in a smaller skillet. Finish with the Basque cheesecake, gorgeously caramelized until almost burnt, but ultra-creamy in the center.

 

La Chaumière location_on2813 M St., NW languageWebsite

Escargots sizzling in herb butter to sop up with crusty bread. Delicate sole meunière that needs little more than a squeeze of lemon. Rosy medium-rare beef medallions. You can order bistro classics at cooler places around town, with more interesting sides than mashed potatoes piped onto nearly every plate, but La Chaumière still does them justice after half a century in Georgetown. French country specialties like quenelles de brochet—fluffy fish dumplings in lobster sauce—round out the retro offerings.

 

La Ferme location_onBrookville Rd., Chevy Chase languageWebsite

Inside this farmhouse restaurant tucked into a residential neighborhood, you’ll find the same lace curtains, wood beams, thick tablecloths, and bow-tied servers that have defined it since the mid-’80s. Also unchanged: nicely executed classics like onion soup, endive salad, trout amandine, sole meunière, and fluffy soufflés. A well-heeled old guard fills the dining room nightly, while a new generation of neighborhood regulars—now roughly the same age as the restaurant—holds court at the bar.

 

L’Auberge Chez François location_on332 Springvale Rd., Great Falls languageWebsite

It’s easy to forget that the original Chez François opened near the White House in 1954. In 1976, owner François Haeringer moved it to this cozy Tudor cottage, where it feels a world away from official Washington. Haeringer’s son Jacques now runs the kitchen but has largely stayed true to his late father’s vision: The lobster with Sauternes sauce, choucroute garni, Chateaubriand, and Grand Marnier soufflé taste as good as they did decades ago. Don’t be alarmed when you see the $100-plus entrée prices—they include your entire meal, from appetizer to salad to dessert.

 

Le Refuge location_on127 N. Washington St., Alexandria languageWebsite

At a recent lunch at this charming 43-year-old Old Town bistro, the lights dimmed and “Sixteen Candles” played to celebrate an octogenarian’s birthday. We’d happily spend ours here, too, lingering over frog’s legs glossed in garlic butter and soulful coq au vin with creamy scalloped potatoes. An asparagus salad with smoked trout makes an ideal starter or a light lunch. For dessert, blow out the candles over classic crème brûlée or a slice of chocolate-mousse cake.

 

Mangialardo and Sons location_on1317 Pennsylvania Ave., SE languageWebsite

Where’s the best Italian sub in the area? It’s a question we get all the time. The answer is this closet-size deli, which started as an Italian grocery and has been serving the Hill lunch crowd for more than 70 years. The sandwiches aren’t fancy but are constructed on fresh rolls, with paper-thin meats, crisp lettuce, and vinegary peppers, all layered in perfect proportion.

 

Nam-Viet location_on1127 N. Hudson St., Arlington languageWebsite

Cofounder Nguyen Van Thoi was an interpreter for the US Army during the Vietnam War who was captured and sent to a reeducation camp. He and his wife, Ngoc Anh Tran, the chef of the family, eventually emigrated to Arlington and opened this Vietnamese restaurant in 1986. Nam-Viet became well known for its spring rolls (still among the best around) but also as a reunion hub for former POWs (among them, the late senator John McCain). “Mr. Thoi,” as he was known, died in 2005, and “Mrs. Thoi” is semiretired. The restaurant is now run by their son, Richard Nguyen, who’s updated the menu with new dishes, craft cocktails, and a viral Vietnamese iced coffee served with Pokémon-shaped ice.

 

Old Ebbitt Grill location_on675 15th St., NW languageWebsite

Wander into this dining room near the White House around 5 pm and we challenge you to find an empty table or bar seat. In 2025, the saloon-like spot was the fourth-highest-grossing restaurant in the country and sent out nearly 620,000 meals. While it tends to be written off by locals as a tourist trap, it actually gets a lot right. The famous raw bar is still worth visiting, but the kitchen excels with nicely crusty oysters Rockefeller and lemon-spritzed crab dip, too. The burger is thick and satisfying, and the bar shakes up a mean margarita.

 

Panjshir location_on114 E. Fairfax St., Falls Church languageWebsite

The slow-cooked, soul-warming Silk Road fare at this suburban institution—opened in 1985 by Aziz Niazy and predating the region’s Afghan food boom—is now stewarded by Niazy’s children, Esmat and Maria. Some dishes—such as stewed lamb with pumpkin or baked apples and prunes, served alongside rice layered with candied carrots and raisins—lean sweet, but a shot of yogurt or green chutney keeps things lively.

 

Peking Gourmet Inn location_on6029 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church languageWebsite

The walls are crammed with portraits of noteworthy guests who have visited this Chinese-American stalwart over the decades, from Bill Clinton to Robert De Niro to, more recently, Tiffany Trump. The main draw here is Peking duck, carved tableside and served with housemade crepes, ready to roll up with hoisin sauce, julienned cucumber, and slivers of spring onion. Other popular dishes with heaping portions include the sweet and crispy Szechuan beef and jumbo fried salt-and-pepper shrimp with crunchy garlic.

 

Perry’s location_on1811 Columbia Rd., NW languageWebsite

This 42-year-old Adams Morgan restaurant served very traditional Japanese cuisine when Saied Azali first began working there as a server and manager. In 2000, he and the restaurant’s accountant bought the place, and over the years it has served Spanish tapas, functioned as a nightclub, and hosted DC’s first drag brunch, which continues today. More recently, it’s gained acclaim far beyond the neighborhood, thanks to chef Masako Morishita’s modern takes on Japanese comfort food, such as garlic edamame dumplings showered in Parmesan and shrimp-katsu burgers with egg salad.

 

Ristorante Tosca location_on1112 F St., NW languageWebsite

Owner Paolo Sacco’s downtown power spot of the early aughts remains packed with suits at lunch a quarter century later. Order delicate agnolotti stuffed with short rib or juicy Parmesan-crusted chicken milanese and you’ll quickly taste why. A post-pandemic refresh brought an airier, more relaxed look with a handsome marble bar, but gracious formal service and white tablecloths remain.

 

Saints Paradise Cafeteria location_on601 M St., NW languageWebsite

Hidden in plain sight, the cafeteria of the United House of Prayer for All People has been serving a rotating selection of soul-food lunch specials cooked by congregants for about 60 years. Enter the church from a nondescript side door and line up at the steam table for fried whiting, smothered pork chops, meatloaf, liver and onions, mac and cheese, collard greens, candied yams, cornbread, or whatever looks good that day.

 

Shamshiry location_on8607 Westwood Center Dr., Vienna languageWebsite

On a busy night at this 33-year-old Tysons kebab spot, it feels as if an entire social scene from 1970s Tehran has been reconstituted here. Impressive heaps of steaming Persian rice, topped with shards of crispy tahdig from the bottom of the pot, are almost as much of a draw as the meat itself. One favorite pairing is salmon kebab with fluffy dill-and-fava-bean polo. And don’t forget dessert: stretchy saffron ice cream with rose syrup.

 

Sushiko location_on5455 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase languageWebsite

DC’s first sushi restaurant opened in Glover Park in the ’70s and expanded with a second location in Friendship Heights nearly 30 years later. While the original closed in 2013, its suburban sibling carries on signatures such as Tuna Five Ways. Chef/owners Piter and Handry Tjan keep things fresh with omakase tastings of lesser-known fish and creative yet balanced rolls like the Element—tuna tartare, potato crisps, avocado, and red onion tucked into soy paper.

 

Taberna del Alabardero location_on1776 I St., NW languageWebsite

Many Washingtonians first encountered authentic Spanish cooking at this downtown standard-bearer, where the service remains formal and attentive. Nearly 40 years on, tapas such as croquetas with serrano ham, tortilla de patatas, and gazpacho are textbook traditional and full of flavor. One paella is an umami-packed showstopper, with beautifully cooked seafood and squid-ink-black rice spooned tableside from the pan at a tufted banquette.

 

Tachibana location_on6715 Lowell Ave., McLean languageWebsite

Tachibana was among the first crop of Japanese restaurants in the area when it opened in Arlington in 1982, and it’s been a mainstay of McLean since relocating there in 1996. The affordable, family-friendly dining room hasn’t veered from tradition over the years. You won’t find crazy fusion rolls or luxe omakase offerings, but the wide-ranging menu offers a solid selection of nigiri and classic rolls, tempura, udon and soba noodles, and other chef’s specials ranging from broiled yellowtail jaw to monkfish-liver pâté.

 

Teddy’s Roti Shop location_on3019 Georgia Ave., NW languageWebsite

This low-key Caribbean institution has been one of the area’s few purveyors of Indian-influenced Trinidadian dishes such as roti, buss-up shut (a torn flatbread), and doubles (chickpea fritters) since it opened in 1994. Last year, Teddy’s moved from its distinctive rowhouse space on upper Georgia Avenue to a more central location in Park View. The oxtails, curried chickpeas, and heady Scotch-bonnet sauce remain unchanged.

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post 25 Classic Restaurants in the DC Area That Stand the Test of Time first appeared on Washingtonian.

Ben’s Chili Bowl location_on1213 U St., NW languageWebsite

What is there left to say about the Chili Bowl? Its history in the civil-rights movement, its survival through riots and gentrification, its legendary nonagenarian matriarch, Virginia Ali—this is one of DC’s most enduring restaurants. And for many Washingtonians, one bite of a chili half-smoke here induces Proustian nostalgia. After a period of renovations during which the original location was relegated to a less soulful storefront across U Street, the revamped Ben’s is set to open in late April.

 

The Bombay Club location_on815 Connecticut Ave., NW languageWebsite

The definition of a Washington power-lunch spot, Ashok Bajaj’s Indian dining room by the White House has been serving refined curries and thalis to a Brooks Brothers crowd for nearly 40 years. Though it may have been eclipsed in the hearts of foodies by other downtown South Asian spots—including Bajaj’s own Rasika—the chandeliered place still feels singular in its quiet elegance.

 

Carlyle location_on4000 Campbell Ave., Arlington languageWebsite

This crown jewel of the Great American Restaurants chain, which opened 40 years ago alongside the rest of the Village at Shirlington, still nails the formula that made its tables so coveted back in the day. The dining room, while a bit faded, is comfy and filled with spacious booths. Service is eager and accommodating. Cocktails are under $12. And the food? Yeah, it feels a little focus-grouped—you might recognize the marinated rib eye and chocolate waffle from the menu at its siblings—but it’s crowd-pleasing for sure.

 

Deli City location_on2200 Bladensburg Rd., NE languageWebsite

This slightly shabby time capsule on an unlovely stretch of Bladensburg Road is a ticket to an older, unpretentious DC. Commendable pastrami on rye with potato salad—or a scrapple-and-egg breakfast—somehow tastes even better in a sunlit, wood-paneled space decorated with “Washington Redskins” memorabilia, photos of Janet and Michael Jackson, a still from Sanford and Son, and a presidential-history calendar that ends with Obama’s first term.

 

The Hitching Post location_on200 Upshur St., NW languageWebsite

This laid-back Southern-food institution in Petworth is the kind of place where even introverts can’t help but chat up the tables around them. It’s gone through some changes since it opened back in 1967—founders Al and Adrienne Carter sold it to Barry Dindyal in 2012—and you can now pregame your crabcakes with a palak chaat. But the fried chicken is as crackly and satisfying as ever, and sides like potato salad, slaw, and cornbread are just as tasty.

 

Huong Viet location_on6785 Wilson Blvd., Falls Church languageWebsite

Founded in 1987, this is the longest-running Vietnamese restaurant in Falls Church’s Eden Center. The sprawling menu features nearly 200 dishes, including good renditions of bánh xèo (crispy crepes filled with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts) and spicy lemongrass beef noodle soup. Other signatures such as sweet-lacquered roasted quail and bubbling caramelized-fish hot pot have helped keep the red-boothed dining room consistently humming over the years. One notable relic of the past: The place still accepts only cash.

 

Il Pizzico location_on15209 Frederick Rd., Rockville languageWebsite

Step from a nondescript Rockville strip mall into this white-tablecloth dining room and you’re transported to the early ’90s, a golden era of upscale Tuscan-leaning cuisine. You’ll find gracious service plus a bucatini amatriciana and fettuccine with veal ragu that still hit all the right notes 35 years later. After rib-sticking secondi such as braised short ribs over polenta, save room for the chocolate mousse, its plate drizzled with raspberry sauce for a wink of ’90s flair. Love notes from happy diners are clothes-pinned to the restroom walls —“Always fabulous!”—and we happily added ours.

 

Jaleo location_on480 Seventh St., NW languageWebsite

José Andrés’s original DC restaurant, now in its fourth decade in Penn Quarter, still serves up a lively scene and satisfying tapas such as a perfect pan con tomate and juicy shrimp bubbling with slivered garlic. On a recent visit, we couldn’t get enough of the rossejat, toasted broken noodles with seafood that hit all the best paella notes in a smaller skillet. Finish with the Basque cheesecake, gorgeously caramelized until almost burnt, but ultra-creamy in the center.

 

La Chaumière location_on2813 M St., NW languageWebsite

Escargots sizzling in herb butter to sop up with crusty bread. Delicate sole meunière that needs little more than a squeeze of lemon. Rosy medium-rare beef medallions. You can order bistro classics at cooler places around town, with more interesting sides than mashed potatoes piped onto nearly every plate, but La Chaumière still does them justice after half a century in Georgetown. French country specialties like quenelles de brochet—fluffy fish dumplings in lobster sauce—round out the retro offerings.

 

La Ferme location_onBrookville Rd., Chevy Chase languageWebsite

Inside this farmhouse restaurant tucked into a residential neighborhood, you’ll find the same lace curtains, wood beams, thick tablecloths, and bow-tied servers that have defined it since the mid-’80s. Also unchanged: nicely executed classics like onion soup, endive salad, trout amandine, sole meunière, and fluffy soufflés. A well-heeled old guard fills the dining room nightly, while a new generation of neighborhood regulars—now roughly the same age as the restaurant—holds court at the bar.

 

L’Auberge Chez François location_on332 Springvale Rd., Great Falls languageWebsite

It’s easy to forget that the original Chez François opened near the White House in 1954. In 1976, owner François Haeringer moved it to this cozy Tudor cottage, where it feels a world away from official Washington. Haeringer’s son Jacques now runs the kitchen but has largely stayed true to his late father’s vision: The lobster with Sauternes sauce, choucroute garni, Chateaubriand, and Grand Marnier soufflé taste as good as they did decades ago. Don’t be alarmed when you see the $100-plus entrée prices—they include your entire meal, from appetizer to salad to dessert.

 

Le Refuge location_on127 N. Washington St., Alexandria languageWebsite

At a recent lunch at this charming 43-year-old Old Town bistro, the lights dimmed and “Sixteen Candles” played to celebrate an octogenarian’s birthday. We’d happily spend ours here, too, lingering over frog’s legs glossed in garlic butter and soulful coq au vin with creamy scalloped potatoes. An asparagus salad with smoked trout makes an ideal starter or a light lunch. For dessert, blow out the candles over classic crème brûlée or a slice of chocolate-mousse cake.

 

Mangialardo and Sons location_on1317 Pennsylvania Ave., SE languageWebsite

Where’s the best Italian sub in the area? It’s a question we get all the time. The answer is this closet-size deli, which started as an Italian grocery and has been serving the Hill lunch crowd for more than 70 years. The sandwiches aren’t fancy but are constructed on fresh rolls, with paper-thin meats, crisp lettuce, and vinegary peppers, all layered in perfect proportion.

 

Nam-Viet location_on1127 N. Hudson St., Arlington languageWebsite

Cofounder Nguyen Van Thoi was an interpreter for the US Army during the Vietnam War who was captured and sent to a reeducation camp. He and his wife, Ngoc Anh Tran, the chef of the family, eventually emigrated to Arlington and opened this Vietnamese restaurant in 1986. Nam-Viet became well known for its spring rolls (still among the best around) but also as a reunion hub for former POWs (among them, the late senator John McCain). “Mr. Thoi,” as he was known, died in 2005, and “Mrs. Thoi” is semiretired. The restaurant is now run by their son, Richard Nguyen, who’s updated the menu with new dishes, craft cocktails, and a viral Vietnamese iced coffee served with Pokémon-shaped ice.

 

Old Ebbitt Grill location_on675 15th St., NW languageWebsite

Wander into this dining room near the White House around 5 pm and we challenge you to find an empty table or bar seat. In 2025, the saloon-like spot was the fourth-highest-grossing restaurant in the country and sent out nearly 620,000 meals. While it tends to be written off by locals as a tourist trap, it actually gets a lot right. The famous raw bar is still worth visiting, but the kitchen excels with nicely crusty oysters Rockefeller and lemon-spritzed crab dip, too. The burger is thick and satisfying, and the bar shakes up a mean margarita.

 

Panjshir location_on114 E. Fairfax St., Falls Church languageWebsite

The slow-cooked, soul-warming Silk Road fare at this suburban institution—opened in 1985 by Aziz Niazy and predating the region’s Afghan food boom—is now stewarded by Niazy’s children, Esmat and Maria. Some dishes—such as stewed lamb with pumpkin or baked apples and prunes, served alongside rice layered with candied carrots and raisins—lean sweet, but a shot of yogurt or green chutney keeps things lively.

 

Peking Gourmet Inn location_on6029 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church languageWebsite

The walls are crammed with portraits of noteworthy guests who have visited this Chinese-American stalwart over the decades, from Bill Clinton to Robert De Niro to, more recently, Tiffany Trump. The main draw here is Peking duck, carved tableside and served with housemade crepes, ready to roll up with hoisin sauce, julienned cucumber, and slivers of spring onion. Other popular dishes with heaping portions include the sweet and crispy Szechuan beef and jumbo fried salt-and-pepper shrimp with crunchy garlic.

 

Perry’s location_on1811 Columbia Rd., NW languageWebsite

This 42-year-old Adams Morgan restaurant served very traditional Japanese cuisine when Saied Azali first began working there as a server and manager. In 2000, he and the restaurant’s accountant bought the place, and over the years it has served Spanish tapas, functioned as a nightclub, and hosted DC’s first drag brunch, which continues today. More recently, it’s gained acclaim far beyond the neighborhood, thanks to chef Masako Morishita’s modern takes on Japanese comfort food, such as garlic edamame dumplings showered in Parmesan and shrimp-katsu burgers with egg salad.

 

Ristorante Tosca location_on1112 F St., NW languageWebsite

Owner Paolo Sacco’s downtown power spot of the early aughts remains packed with suits at lunch a quarter century later. Order delicate agnolotti stuffed with short rib or juicy Parmesan-crusted chicken milanese and you’ll quickly taste why. A post-pandemic refresh brought an airier, more relaxed look with a handsome marble bar, but gracious formal service and white tablecloths remain.

 

Saints Paradise Cafeteria location_on601 M St., NW languageWebsite

Hidden in plain sight, the cafeteria of the United House of Prayer for All People has been serving a rotating selection of soul-food lunch specials cooked by congregants for about 60 years. Enter the church from a nondescript side door and line up at the steam table for fried whiting, smothered pork chops, meatloaf, liver and onions, mac and cheese, collard greens, candied yams, cornbread, or whatever looks good that day.

 

Shamshiry location_on8607 Westwood Center Dr., Vienna languageWebsite

On a busy night at this 33-year-old Tysons kebab spot, it feels as if an entire social scene from 1970s Tehran has been reconstituted here. Impressive heaps of steaming Persian rice, topped with shards of crispy tahdig from the bottom of the pot, are almost as much of a draw as the meat itself. One favorite pairing is salmon kebab with fluffy dill-and-fava-bean polo. And don’t forget dessert: stretchy saffron ice cream with rose syrup.

 

Sushiko location_on5455 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase languageWebsite

DC’s first sushi restaurant opened in Glover Park in the ’70s and expanded with a second location in Friendship Heights nearly 30 years later. While the original closed in 2013, its suburban sibling carries on signatures such as Tuna Five Ways. Chef/owners Piter and Handry Tjan keep things fresh with omakase tastings of lesser-known fish and creative yet balanced rolls like the Element—tuna tartare, potato crisps, avocado, and red onion tucked into soy paper.

 

Taberna del Alabardero location_on1776 I St., NW languageWebsite

Many Washingtonians first encountered authentic Spanish cooking at this downtown standard-bearer, where the service remains formal and attentive. Nearly 40 years on, tapas such as croquetas with serrano ham, tortilla de patatas, and gazpacho are textbook traditional and full of flavor. One paella is an umami-packed showstopper, with beautifully cooked seafood and squid-ink-black rice spooned tableside from the pan at a tufted banquette.

 

Tachibana location_on6715 Lowell Ave., McLean languageWebsite

Tachibana was among the first crop of Japanese restaurants in the area when it opened in Arlington in 1982, and it’s been a mainstay of McLean since relocating there in 1996. The affordable, family-friendly dining room hasn’t veered from tradition over the years. You won’t find crazy fusion rolls or luxe omakase offerings, but the wide-ranging menu offers a solid selection of nigiri and classic rolls, tempura, udon and soba noodles, and other chef’s specials ranging from broiled yellowtail jaw to monkfish-liver pâté.

 

Teddy’s Roti Shop location_on3019 Georgia Ave., NW languageWebsite

This low-key Caribbean institution has been one of the area’s few purveyors of Indian-influenced Trinidadian dishes such as roti, buss-up shut (a torn flatbread), and doubles (chickpea fritters) since it opened in 1994. Last year, Teddy’s moved from its distinctive rowhouse space on upper Georgia Avenue to a more central location in Park View. The oxtails, curried chickpeas, and heady Scotch-bonnet sauce remain unchanged.

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post 25 Classic Restaurants in the DC Area That Stand the Test of Time first appeared on Washingtonian.

Happy Monday, DC!

There’s plenty of cool things to do over the extended weekend. Snag a ticket to the highly-anticipated opening of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Othello, take the family to IlluminAsia Festival, or snap your fingers at Jazz in the Garden’s kick-off concert.

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend May 18–25

1. 1. Jazz in the Garden. Jazz in the Garden returns this weekend to the picturesque Sculpture Garden. Take in views of the National Gallery of Art’s outdoor works while listening to the smooth rhythms of live jazz, Latin fusion, R&B, and other genres. The kick-off concert welcomes one of DC’s favorite soul and funk bands Oh He Dead (Fridays May 22-August 14,  free but lottery registration required, National Gallery of Art).
   2. Othello at Shakespeare Theatre Company. Wendell Pierce from Baltimore-based TV show The Wire stars as Shakespeare’s troubled character struck by jealousy and obsession in the classic tale of Othello (Tues through June 28, $76+, Penn Quarter).
   3. The IlluminAsia Festival. returns to Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month. This weekend there are three main events: a Bruce Lee film screening accompanied by a live dee-jay score on Friday and a Children’s Book Fair spotlighting Asian writers followed by a BookCon Fair and Disco dance party on Saturday (Fri-Sat, free but registration encouraged, Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art).
   4. National Memorial Day Parade and Concert. Honor the sacrifice of America’s soldiers and service members at the National Memorial Day Parade. The Freedom 250 parade will march down Constitution Avenue, with spectators being able to watch live on the street or on a television broadcast. The pre-parade entertainment beginning at 9 AM on Memorial Day includes live performances and celebrity appearances. The day prior, you can attend a live concert broadcast on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol featuring Jack Everly, Blessing Offor, National Symphony Orchestra, and many others (May 26, free, virtual, Downtown).
   5. Del Fest. Cumberland’s family-friendly music festival brings bluegrass singers and musicians together for a multi-day outdoor showcase. Music fans can attend for a day or camp out on the grounds overnight. The Del McCoury Band and the Travelin’ McCourys bring together a packed lineup of talent including fiddler Alison Krauss, rock ensemble Toy Factory Project, and several others. There will also be a kids’ zone, late night concerts, food vendors, and yoga (Thurs-Sun, $29+ for kids, $195 for teens, $83+ for adult single day passes).

---

Related May Culture Guide: 51 Things to Do in the DC Area

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Want More Things to Do? Arts and culture:

• NMWA Nights features an after-hours art gathering with music, drinks, and the new “Burnished” pottery exhibit (Wed, $25, Downtown).
• Discover Tudor Place’s florals and landscapes at their Spring Garden Party (Wed, $300+, Georgetown).
• Capital Harvest on the Plaza is back for seasonal fresh food and art shopping (select Weds through October 28, free, Downtown).
• Don’t miss this cooking demo with Italian cooking teacher Giuliano Hazan (Thurs, free, Smithsonian National Museum of American History).
• Look at 150 photographs spanning two centuries of American mining history (Sat through August 23, free, National Gallery of Art).
• Compete in a game of Mahjong while enjoying dinner bites from LowBowl Supper at the Chinese American Museum (Sun, $69, Downtown).

Community and heritage:

• Celebrate DC Black Pride week at the Unity Ball, comedy shows, a pageant, a leadership summit, and more events (Thurs-Mon, prices vary, various DC locations).
• Learn about Indigenous service members on a museum tour and talk with Native veterans during Memorial Day weekend (Sat, free, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian).
• Honor America’s fallen service members at Arlington National Cemetery’s Flowers of Remembrance Day (Sun, free, Arlington).

Theater and shows:

• See The Gardener—a drama on love, loss, and self-discovery— at Miracle Theatre (Wed, $15, Eastern Market).
• It’s the last chance to see F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel The Great Gatsby live on stage at National Theatre (closes Sun, $67+, Downtown). 

Music and concerts:

• Joe Brotherton plays New Orleans-style jazz at Met Park (Thurs, free, Arlington).
• The Honest Politix and DC’s Hue perform at Go-Go Moshpit (Thurs, $20, H Street Corridor).
• Rock-and-roll icon Sting is live in concert alongside bandmates Dominic Miller and Chris Maas for three nights at Wolf Trap (Thurs-Sat, $66+, Vienna).
• Dance to cumbia melodies outdoors at Block Fest (Sat, free, Mount Pleasant).
• Move your body to tracks from ABBA, Donna Summer, The Bee Gees, and several other artists from the ‘70s and ‘80s at 9:30 Club (Sat, $32.50, Shaw). 
• Local DJs and soul artists perform at The Capital House Music Festival at Alethia Tanner Park (Sat, free with registration, NoMa).

Sports:

• DC United faces off against Montréal this holiday weekend. Root on our beloved soccer team and attend a post-game autograph session with Sean Johnson (Sat, $26+, Audi Field).

Exercise and wellness:

• Find your zen at this community yoga class with Balance Gym (Thurs, free, U Street Corridor). 
• Join an outdoor tap dance jamboree (Sat, free, Dupont Circle).
• Break a sweat at a Bollywood-inspired workout (May 25, free, Union Market).

Things to do with kids:

• Asia on the Creek is an outdoor festival where all ages can experience traditional Asian art, dance, music, cuisine, fashion, and shops (Sat, free, Frederick).

If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.

The post 27 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend first appeared on Washingtonian.

Happy Monday, DC!

There’s plenty of cool things to do over the extended weekend. Snag a ticket to the highly-anticipated opening of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Othello, take the family to IlluminAsia Festival, or snap your fingers at Jazz in the Garden’s kick-off concert.

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend May 18–25

1. 1. Jazz in the Garden. Jazz in the Garden returns this weekend to the picturesque Sculpture Garden. Take in views of the National Gallery of Art’s outdoor works while listening to the smooth rhythms of live jazz, Latin fusion, R&B, and other genres. The kick-off concert welcomes one of DC’s favorite soul and funk bands Oh He Dead (Fridays May 22-August 14,  free but lottery registration required, National Gallery of Art).
   2. Othello at Shakespeare Theatre Company. Wendell Pierce from Baltimore-based TV show The Wire stars as Shakespeare’s troubled character struck by jealousy and obsession in the classic tale of Othello (Tues through June 28, $76+, Penn Quarter).
   3. The IlluminAsia Festival. returns to Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month. This weekend there are three main events: a Bruce Lee film screening accompanied by a live dee-jay score on Friday and a Children’s Book Fair spotlighting Asian writers followed by a BookCon Fair and Disco dance party on Saturday (Fri-Sat, free but registration encouraged, Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art).
   4. National Memorial Day Parade and Concert. Honor the sacrifice of America’s soldiers and service members at the National Memorial Day Parade. The Freedom 250 parade will march down Constitution Avenue, with spectators being able to watch live on the street or on a television broadcast. The pre-parade entertainment beginning at 9 AM on Memorial Day includes live performances and celebrity appearances. The day prior, you can attend a live concert broadcast on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol featuring Jack Everly, Blessing Offor, National Symphony Orchestra, and many others (May 26, free, virtual, Downtown).
   5. Del Fest. Cumberland’s family-friendly music festival brings bluegrass singers and musicians together for a multi-day outdoor showcase. Music fans can attend for a day or camp out on the grounds overnight. The Del McCoury Band and the Travelin’ McCourys bring together a packed lineup of talent including fiddler Alison Krauss, rock ensemble Toy Factory Project, and several others. There will also be a kids’ zone, late night concerts, food vendors, and yoga (Thurs-Sun, $29+ for kids, $195 for teens, $83+ for adult single day passes).

---

Related May Culture Guide: 51 Things to Do in the DC Area

---

Want More Things to Do? Arts and culture:

• NMWA Nights features an after-hours art gathering with music, drinks, and the new “Burnished” pottery exhibit (Wed, $25, Downtown).
• Discover Tudor Place’s florals and landscapes at their Spring Garden Party (Wed, $300+, Georgetown).
• Capital Harvest on the Plaza is back for seasonal fresh food and art shopping (select Weds through October 28, free, Downtown).
• Don’t miss this cooking demo with Italian cooking teacher Giuliano Hazan (Thurs, free, Smithsonian National Museum of American History).
• Look at 150 photographs spanning two centuries of American mining history (Sat through August 23, free, National Gallery of Art).
• Compete in a game of Mahjong while enjoying dinner bites from LowBowl Supper at the Chinese American Museum (Sun, $69, Downtown).

Community and heritage:

• Celebrate DC Black Pride week at the Unity Ball, comedy shows, a pageant, a leadership summit, and more events (Thurs-Mon, prices vary, various DC locations).
• Learn about Indigenous service members on a museum tour and talk with Native veterans during Memorial Day weekend (Sat, free, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian).
• Honor America’s fallen service members at Arlington National Cemetery’s Flowers of Remembrance Day (Sun, free, Arlington).

Theater and shows:

• See The Gardener—a drama on love, loss, and self-discovery— at Miracle Theatre (Wed, $15, Eastern Market).
• It’s the last chance to see F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel The Great Gatsby live on stage at National Theatre (closes Sun, $67+, Downtown). 

Music and concerts:

• Joe Brotherton plays New Orleans-style jazz at Met Park (Thurs, free, Arlington).
• The Honest Politix and DC’s Hue perform at Go-Go Moshpit (Thurs, $20, H Street Corridor).
• Rock-and-roll icon Sting is live in concert alongside bandmates Dominic Miller and Chris Maas for three nights at Wolf Trap (Thurs-Sat, $66+, Vienna).
• Dance to cumbia melodies outdoors at Block Fest (Sat, free, Mount Pleasant).
• Move your body to tracks from ABBA, Donna Summer, The Bee Gees, and several other artists from the ‘70s and ‘80s at 9:30 Club (Sat, $32.50, Shaw). 
• Local DJs and soul artists perform at The Capital House Music Festival at Alethia Tanner Park (Sat, free with registration, NoMa).

Sports:

• DC United faces off against Montréal this holiday weekend. Root on our beloved soccer team and attend a post-game autograph session with Sean Johnson (Sat, $26+, Audi Field).

Exercise and wellness:

• Find your zen at this community yoga class with Balance Gym (Thurs, free, U Street Corridor). 
• Join an outdoor tap dance jamboree (Sat, free, Dupont Circle).
• Break a sweat at a Bollywood-inspired workout (May 25, free, Union Market).

Things to do with kids:

• Asia on the Creek is an outdoor festival where all ages can experience traditional Asian art, dance, music, cuisine, fashion, and shops (Sat, free, Frederick).

If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.

The post 27 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend first appeared on Washingtonian.

Near midnight last night, a man in a green shirt and khaki pants carried a keg to Georgetown Cupcake. He stopped right in front of the closed sweets shop—famous for always having a line—then threw the keg at the window, shattering glass everywhere. A baker in the shop at the time rushed to the back for her safety.

“It’s terrifying to hear that amount of glass shatter,” says co-owner Sophie LaMontagne, relaying the experience of her employee. “It’s a pretty robust window. It’s not like throwing a bottle at a window—not that that’s good either. But this is above and beyond. In 18 years of business, we’ve never seen anything at this scale in terms of vandalism to our store.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Georgetown Cupcake (@georgetowncupcake)

LaMontagne estimates the window costs around $10,000. “I’ll be honest, it’s extremely disruptive, but at the same time, I think the most important thing is no one was hurt, and as a business owner, that is 100-percent our main focus,”  LaMontagne says. Although the business was closed at the time of the incident, Georgetown Cupcake typically has someone on site 24 hours a day for cleaning and prep.

MPD say no arrest has yet been made, but LaMontagne says they have collected security footage from various neighbors in the hopes of identifying the man. The keg incident happened on the same day as graduations for Georgetown and George Washington Universities.

“Drunken college antics and fun and graduation celebrations are one thing, but this is beyond that. It’s dangerous behavior, and someone could have been seriously, seriously hurt,” LaMontagne says.

Meanwhile, the window has been boarded up, and Georgetown Cupcake has already resumed business today.

The post Someone Threw a Keg Through the Window at Georgetown Cupcake first appeared on Washingtonian.

Near midnight last night, a man in a green shirt and khaki pants carried a keg to Georgetown Cupcake. He stopped right in front of the closed sweets shop—famous for always having a line—then threw the keg at the window, shattering glass everywhere. A baker in the shop at the time rushed to the back for her safety.

“It’s terrifying to hear that amount of glass shatter,” says co-owner Sophie LaMontagne, relaying the experience of her employee. “It’s a pretty robust window. It’s not like throwing a bottle at a window—not that that’s good either. But this is above and beyond. In 18 years of business, we’ve never seen anything at this scale in terms of vandalism to our store.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Georgetown Cupcake (@georgetowncupcake)

LaMontagne estimates the window costs around $10,000. “I’ll be honest, it’s extremely disruptive, but at the same time, I think the most important thing is no one was hurt, and as a business owner, that is 100-percent our main focus,”  LaMontagne says. Although the business was closed at the time of the incident, Georgetown Cupcake typically has someone on site 24 hours a day for cleaning and prep.

MPD say no arrest has yet been made, but LaMontagne says they have collected security footage from various neighbors in the hopes of identifying the man. The keg incident happened on the same day as graduations for Georgetown and George Washington Universities.

“Drunken college antics and fun and graduation celebrations are one thing, but this is beyond that. It’s dangerous behavior, and someone could have been seriously, seriously hurt,” LaMontagne says.

Meanwhile, the window has been boarded up, and Georgetown Cupcake has already resumed business today.

The post Someone Threw a Keg Through the Window at Georgetown Cupcake first appeared on Washingtonian.

Thousands of people attended an event called Rededicate 250: National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving on the National Mall Sunday. The event espoused a narrative that the US was founded as a Christian nation, and many top Republicans made appearances. President Trump appeared via video (one he seems to have used before), and House Speaker Mike Johnson led a prayer to “rededicate” the US to faith, evangelical Christianity in particular. Our photographer was there.

The post PHOTOS: The Prayer Festival on the National Mall first appeared on Washingtonian.

Thousands of people attended an event called Rededicate 250: National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving on the National Mall Sunday. The event espoused a narrative that the US was founded as a Christian nation, and many top Republicans made appearances. President Trump appeared via video (one he seems to have used before), and House Speaker Mike Johnson led a prayer to “rededicate” the US to faith, evangelical Christianity in particular. Our photographer was there.

The post PHOTOS: The Prayer Festival on the National Mall first appeared on Washingtonian.

Upper Northwest residents don’t have to make their way to the ballpark to get a hot dog anymore. A new dog joint opened up in Tenleytown this week.

From the owners of Cork Wine Bar comes Marv’s Dogs, which opened on May 13. Diane Gross and Khalid Pitts decided to pay tribute to Gross’s father, Marv, who would play games and eat hot dogs with her every Saturday. This childhood memory morphed into their newest family-friendly venture.

“We’re trying to sort of bring together the nostalgia for our childhood, and our homes, and our backgrounds, and bring it into this new, hopefully fun, creative venue,” Gross says, as the menu draws inspiration from Chicago, Detroit, and New York.

For dogs, the menu includes a “Coney Island” Detroit-style hot dog with beef chili, onions and mustard, a “NY Classic” with in-house sauerkraut, spicy mustard, and onions, and “Marv’s Favorite Dog” for the classic Chicago style with a poppyseed bun with relish, mustard, tomato, onions, pickle, sport peppers, and celery salt, all for $8 to $10. There’s also be a veggie dog for $7, and gluten-free bread available for a $1 up-charge. Sides from $2 to $5 include fries, chili, and sport peppers.

If there’s room for dessert, there’s honey vanilla or malted chocolate soft serve, a Cork fudge brownie, or a sprinkle cookie dog to satisfy your sweet tooth.

The walls are decorated with photos of classic hot dog stands around America, like Wolfy’s in Chicago, Pink’s in Los Angeles, and American Coney Island in Detroit. 

Downstairs, Pitts and Gross have installed classic arcade games, including Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and a Star Wars pinball machine. The space is designed to feel like a retro basement, complete with marble blue and white cushioned booths, posters, and a TV playing music videos. 

And if you’re looking for recommendations for wine and hot dog pairings, Pitt explains that “hot dogs go great with beer, go great with soda, go great with wine.”

The post Tenleytown Welcomes a Nostalgic New Hot Dog Joint first appeared on Washingtonian.

Upper Northwest residents don’t have to make their way to the ballpark to get a hot dog anymore. A new dog joint opened up in Tenleytown this week.

From the owners of Cork Wine Bar comes Marv’s Dogs, which opened on May 13. Diane Gross and Khalid Pitts decided to pay tribute to Gross’s father, Marv, who would play games and eat hot dogs with her every Saturday. This childhood memory morphed into their newest family-friendly venture.

“Wer’e trying to sort of bring together the nostalgia for our childhood, and our homes, and our backgrounds, and bring it into this new, hopefully fun, creative venue,” Gross says, as the menu draws inspiration from Chicago, Detroit, and New York.

For dogs, the menu includes a “Coney Island” Detroit-style hot dog with beef chili, onions and mustard, a “NY Classic” with in-house sauerkraut, spicy mustard, and onions, and “Marv’s Favorite Dog” for the classic Chicago style with a poppyseed bun with relish, mustard, tomato, onions, pickle, sport peppers, and celery salt, all for $8 to $10. There’s also be a veggie dog for $7, and gluten-free bread available for a $1 up-charge. Sides from $2 to $5 include fries, chili, and sport peppers.

If there’s room for dessert, there’s honey vanilla or malted chocolate soft serve, a Cork fudge brownie, or a sprinkle cookie dog to satisfy your sweet tooth.

The walls are decorated with photos of classic hot dog stands around America, like Wolfy’s in Chicago, Pink’s in Los Angeles, and American Coney Island in Detroit. 

Downstairs, Pitts and Gross have installed classic arcade games, including Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and a Star Wars pinball machine. The space is designed to feel like a retro basement, complete with marble blue and white cushioned booths, posters, and a TV playing music videos. 

And if you’re looking for recommendations for wine and hot dog pairings, Pitt explains that “hot dogs go great with beer, go great with soda, go great with wine.”

The post Tenleytown Welcomes a Nostalgic New Hot Dog Joint first appeared on Washingtonian.

Emily, an interior designer from Maryland, and Michael, a real estate finance professional from New York, attended the University of Alabama at the same time, but didn’t meet until a mutual friend introduced them in Dallas later. It was love at first sight, and two and a half years after their first date at the restaurant Hudson House, aptly located on Lovers Lane, they got engaged on a sunset cruise while celebrating Emily’s birthday with 30 of their closest friends and family.

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Get more Washingtonian Weddings inspo Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

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Get more Washingtonian Weddings inspo Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

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For their June wedding on Gibson Island north of Annapolis, the couple chose an “elegant coastal Nantucket wedding” theme full of hydrangeas and a blue-and-white color scheme. Emily’s favorite details included the monogrammed dance floor, the sailcloth tent, and the flowers, which she said came together like a dreamy Hallmark movie. Michael’s favorite detail was the custom watercolor painting of their black lab Cam, which was featured on the cocktail napkins, welcome sign, and other areas throughout the day.

Other highlights of the design included the monogrammed cocktail stirrers and mints; the sailboat-centric specialty cocktail menu for the outdoor bar; painted Annapolis-themed oyster shells for guests to take home; a hydrangea chandelier; a surf-and-turf dinner that included Maryland jumbo lump crabcakes; a five-tier wedding cake; a groom’s cake in the shape of the Texas state flag; and a coffee and gelato bar on the patio. Following the wedding day, the newlyweds honeymooned for 10 nights at the Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa in St. Barts. See the photos of their big day below.

See the photos from the wedding below.

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.eic-frame-1781616 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781616 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; }

Wedding Details

Photographer: Vness Photography

Venue and caterer: Gibson Island Club

Planning and design: Michele Hodges Events

Florals, bar, seating chart, and calligraphy: Edge Floral Event Designers

Stationery, watercolor: Paper in the Park

Cake: Fluffy Thoughts Cakes

Hairstylist: Natalya Anderson, Alya Salon

Makeup artist: Shenoa Nicole

Bride’s attire: Sophia Tolli from Sage Bridal (dress); Martina Liana from Elegance by Roya (veil)

Groom’s attire: Culwell & Son in Dallas

Bridesmaids attire: Kennedy Blue

Music: Gentleman & Their Lady Band

Rentals: DC Rental and Select Event Group

Transportation: Blanchard Limo (buses); VintageLimos.Biz (vintage Rolls Royce) 

Videographer: SVC Films (watch the film, here)

Lighting: Digital Lightning

#vid-container1 {display: none !important;}<br />

 

The post A Nantucket-Inspired Wedding on the Water first appeared on Washingtonian.

Emily, an interior designer from Maryland, and Michael, a real estate finance professional from New York, attended the University of Alabama at the same time, but didn’t meet until a mutual friend introduced them in Dallas later. It was love at first sight, and two and a half years after their first date at the restaurant Hudson House, aptly located on Lovers Lane, they got engaged on a sunset cruise while celebrating Emily’s birthday with 30 of their closest friends and family.

---

Get more Washingtonian Weddings inspo Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

---

---

Get more Washingtonian Weddings inspo Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

---

For their June wedding on Gibson Island north of Annapolis, the couple chose an “elegant coastal Nantucket wedding” theme full of hydrangeas and a blue-and-white color scheme. Emily’s favorite details included the monogrammed dance floor, the sailcloth tent, and the flowers, which she said came together like a dreamy Hallmark movie. Michael’s favorite detail was the custom watercolor painting of their black lab Cam, which was featured on the cocktail napkins, welcome sign, and other areas throughout the day.

Other highlights of the design included the monogrammed cocktail stirrers and mints; the sailboat-centric specialty cocktail menu for the outdoor bar; painted Annapolis-themed oyster shells for guests to take home; a hydrangea chandelier; a surf-and-turf dinner that included Maryland jumbo lump crabcakes; a five-tier wedding cake; a groom’s cake in the shape of the Texas state flag; and a coffee and gelato bar on the patio. Following the wedding day, the newlyweds honeymooned for 10 nights at the Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa in St. Barts. See the photos of their big day below.

See the photos from the wedding below.

.eic-frame-1781581 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781581 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; }

.eic-frame-1781582 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781582 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781584 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781584 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781586 { width: 1247px; height:890px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781586 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781588 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781588 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; }

.eic-frame-1781606 { width: 1242px; height:919px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781606 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781607 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781607 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781608 { width: 1247px; height:890px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781608 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781609 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781609 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781610 { width: 1242px; height:605px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781610 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; }

 

.eic-frame-1781616 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781616 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; }

Wedding Details

Photographer: Vness Photography

Venue and caterer: Gibson Island Club

Planning and design: Michele Hodges Events

Florals, bar, seating chart, and calligraphy: Edge Floral Event Designers

Stationery, watercolor: Paper in the Park

Cake: Fluffy Thoughts Cakes

Hairstylist: Natalya Anderson, Alya Salon

Makeup artist: Shenoa Nicole

Bride’s attire: Sophia Tolli from Sage Bridal (dress); Martina Liana from Elegance by Roya (veil)

Groom’s attire: Culwell & Son in Dallas

Bridesmaids attire: Kennedy Blue

Music: Gentleman & Their Lady Band

Rentals: DC Rental and Select Event Group

Transportation: Blanchard Limo (buses); VintageLimos.Biz (vintage Rolls Royce) 

Videographer: SVC Films (watch the film, here)

Lighting: Digital Lightning

#vid-container1 {display: none !important;}<br />

 

The post A Nantucket-Inspired Wedding on the Water first appeared on Washingtonian.

Good morning. Sunny and hot today with a high around 95. Clear with a low around 72 overnight. The Nationals open a four-game homestand against the Mets this evening. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.

This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Between the Buried and Me, “The Blue Nowhere.” This Raleigh, North Carolina, band is typically categorized as metal, a label that barely describes their rangy, beautiful work. They play 9:30 tonight on a verbose bill with Imperial Triumphant and the World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die.

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

The war: President Trump‘s “little excursion” in Iran is now in its 80th day, and negotiations to end the conflict he started still reside in Nowheresville. The stalemate is “fueling fears that the current standoff – and its unprecedented shock to world energy supplies – could drag on indefinitely with periodic bouts of brinkmanship.” (Reuters) To wit: A drone strike caused a fire near the UAE’s only nuclear-power plant yesterday. (AP) Trump threatened Iran with more strikes if it didn’t make more concessions in negotiations. (Axios) Stocks fell in global markets and oil prices rose after Trump’s threat. (AP) The war “has already cost companies around the world at least $25 billion.” (Reuters) Trump met with national security advisers at his golf club in Virginia yesterday to explore options. (CNN)

Mall church: Many administration officials addressed a rally on the Mall yesterday that framed the US “as a country founded to be explicitly Christian.” (Washington Post) The President addressed the crowd, many of whom were Protestant evangelicals, via a video that “appeared to be the same one that Mr. Trump recorded in the Oval Office last month for a marathon reading of the full Bible organized by an activist in Texas.” (NYT) He was golfing. (Daily Beast)

The ballroom: Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough doinked spending on Trump’s planned ballroom at the White House from a GOP spending bill. Republicans said they’d tweak the bill’s language to pass muster. (Washington Post) “If the language somehow manages to survive the Senate, there’s still intense opposition in the House.” (Punchbowl News) Legislators are scrambling to pass bills before the Memorial Day recess as campaign season looms. (Politico)

Administration perambulation: US Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana lost his primary Saturday, the latest Trump foe—he voted to impeach Trump after his fans rioted at the US Capitol in 2021 to try to overturn Trump’s loss to Joe Biden—to lose his job. (NYT) US Representative Thomas Massie, a frequent burr in the President’s saddle, faces a primary in Kentucky tomorrow. (NBC News) The Virginia redistricting map is dead after the Supreme Court refused to wade into the whole mess. (NPR) Democrats still like their chances. (Washington Post) “Luck alone cannot explain those numbers”: Nine connected accounts on prediction markets—potentially connected to members of the military—”have raked in more than $2.4 million betting almost exclusively on U.S. military actions.” (CBS News) Trump wants to build a helipad on the White House’s South Lawn. (WSJ)

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• The hormonal imbalance known as PCOS is not new, but OB-GYNs say increased talk online about the condition has led to more women seeking diagnoses.

• “I want the pioneers to be remembered”: American University professor Bob Connelly remembers when gay-rights pioneer Frank Kameny spoke to his college class.

• Max Davis was looking for a way to honor his brother Beck, who died by suicide in 2023. More than 20 people, many of them strangers, joined him to run a marathon made up of hundreds of laps around the Washington Monument after he posted about it online.

• Here are some ideas for places where you can get brunch outside.

• Jayne O’Donnell remembers Talal Munasifi, a Washington-area doctor who advocated for patients’ safety during cosmetic surgery procedures.

• This “microwedding” in DC featured a wedding cake from Pineapple & Pearls—and late-night cheeseburgers.

Local news links:

• US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro announced a plan to prosecute the parents of teens who take part in mayhem-arousing “takeovers” in town. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said the District’s police don’t have the resources to pursue such an initiative. (Washington Post) A brawl broke out at a Navy Yard Chipotle Saturday. (ABC 7)

• The feds will seek the death penalty for Elias Rodriguez, who’s accused of killing Israeli embassy staffers Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky outside the Capital Jewish Museum last year. (Politico)

• Trump made it official, saying his statue garden was headed for West Potomac Park. The White House didn’t say whether it would seek approval from Congress for the project. (Washington Post)

• Gun-rights groups promised to sue after Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed a ban on so-called “assault weapons.” (AP)

• The trial of Ebony Parker, a former Virginia assistant principal who prosecutors say ignored warnings that a six-year-old brought a gun to school that they later used to shoot a teacher, begins today in Newport News. (AP)

• Police in Fredericksburg are looking for a person they say terrorized schoolchildren while wearing a bunny costume. (Fox 5)

• Authorities pulled a man they believe fell out of a boat from the Anacostia River Saturday. He later died. (WTOP)

• Amigos Mexican Grill in Laurel reopened after being shuttered following a Cinco de Mayo shooting and stabbing. (WUSA9)

• Someone threw a beer keg through Georgetown Cupcake’s window. (Georgetown Cupcake/Instagram)

• The fountains at Meridian Hill Park are flowing again after Trump made them a priority. (WTOP)

• Only one entity applied to run Alexandria’s Torpedo Factory, prompting questions from city lawmakers. (ALXnow)

• Tom Brady said he thought he would have been more likely to work at Ben’s Chili Bowl than to play in the NFL in a commencement speech at Georgetown University Saturday. (WUSA9)

• Alexandria’s Amy Decker, a former CIA officer, will compete in the Food Network’s “100 Cooks” competition, which airs next month. (Alexandria Living)

• Washington City Paper Managing Editor Mitch Ryals bids adios to old his paper. He’ll cover Prince George’s County for the Banner. (WCP)

• Firefighters in Arlington rescued a dog named Rocky from a storm drain on Saturday. (DC News Now)

The post Sure, Let’s Build a Helipad at the White House While We’re at It; Feds Pledge to Prosecute DC Parents for Teen Takeovers; Someone Threw a Beer Keg Through Georgetown Cupcake’s Window first appeared on Washingtonian.

Good morning. Sunny and hot today with a high around 95. Clear with a low around 72 overnight. The Nationals open a four-game homestand against the Mets this evening. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.

This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Between the Buried and Me, “The Blue Nowhere.” This Raleigh, North Carolina, band is typically categorized as metal, a label that barely describes their rangy, beautiful work. They play 9:30 tonight on a verbose bill with Imperial Triumphant and the World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die.

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

The war: President Trump‘s “little excursion” in Iran is now in its 80th day, and negotiations to end the conflict he started still reside in Nowheresville. The stalemate is “fueling fears that the current standoff – and its unprecedented shock to world energy supplies – could drag on indefinitely with periodic bouts of brinkmanship.” (Reuters) To wit: A drone strike caused a fire near the UAE’s only nuclear-power plant yesterday. (AP) Trump threatened Iran with more strikes if it didn’t make more concessions in negotiations. (Axios) Stocks fell in global markets and oil prices rose after Trump’s threat. (AP) The war “has already cost companies around the world at least $25 billion.” (Reuters) Trump met with national security advisers at his golf club in Virginia yesterday to explore options. (CNN)

Mall church: Many administration officials addressed a rally on the Mall yesterday that framed the US “as a country founded to be explicitly Christian.” (Washington Post) The President addressed the crowd, many of whom were Protestant evangelicals, via a video that “appeared to be the same one that Mr. Trump recorded in the Oval Office last month for a marathon reading of the full Bible organized by an activist in Texas.” (NYT) He was golfing. (Daily Beast)

The ballroom: Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough doinked spending on Trump’s planned ballroom at the White House from a GOP spending bill. Republicans said they’d tweak the bill’s language to pass muster. (Washington Post) “If the language somehow manages to survive the Senate, there’s still intense opposition in the House.” (Punchbowl News) Legislators are scrambling to pass bills before the Memorial Day recess as campaign season looms. (Politico)

Administration perambulation: US Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana lost his primary Saturday, the latest Trump foe—he voted to impeach Trump after his fans rioted at the US Capitol in 2021 to try to overturn Trump’s loss to Joe Biden—to lose his job. (NYT) US Representative Thomas Massie, a frequent burr in the President’s saddle, faces a primary in Kentucky tomorrow. (NBC News) The Virginia redistricting map is dead after the Supreme Court refused to wade into the whole mess. (NPR) Democrats still like their chances. (Washington Post) “Luck alone cannot explain those numbers”: Nine connected accounts on prediction markets—potentially connected to members of the military—”have raked in more than $2.4 million betting almost exclusively on U.S. military actions.” (CBS News) Trump wants to build a helipad on the White House’s South Lawn. (WSJ)

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• The hormonal imbalance known as PCOS is not new, but OB-GYNs say increased talk online about the condition has led to more women seeking diagnoses.

• “I want the pioneers to be remembered”: American University professor Bob Connelly remembers when gay-rights pioneer Frank Kameny spoke to his college class.

• Max Davis was looking for a way to honor his brother Beck, who died by suicide in 2023. More than 20 people, many of them strangers, joined him to run a marathon made up of hundreds of laps around the Washington Monument after he posted about it online.

• Here are some ideas for places where you can get brunch outside.

• Jayne O’Donnell remembers Talal Munasifi, a Washington-area doctor who advocated for patients’ safety during cosmetic surgery procedures.

• This “microwedding” in DC featured a wedding cake from Pineapple & Pearls—and late-night cheeseburgers.

Local news links:

• US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro announced a plan to prosecute the parents of teens who take part in mayhem-arousing “takeovers” in town. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said the District’s police don’t have the resources to pursue such an initiative. (Washington Post) A brawl broke out at a Navy Yard Chipotle Saturday. (ABC 7)

• The feds will seek the death penalty for Elias Rodriguez, who’s accused of killing Israeli embassy staffers Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky outside the Capital Jewish Museum last year. (Politico)

• Trump made it official, saying his statue garden was headed for West Potomac Park. The White House didn’t say whether it would seek approval from Congress for the project. (Washington Post)

• Gun-rights groups promised to sue after Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed a ban on so-called “assault weapons.” (AP)

• The trial of Ebony Parker, a former Virginia assistant principal who prosecutors say ignored warnings that a six-year-old brought a gun to school that they later used to shoot a teacher, begins today in Newport News. (AP)

• Police in Fredericksburg are looking for a person they say terrorized schoolchildren while wearing a bunny costume. (Fox 5)

• Authorities pulled a man they believe fell out of a boat from the Anacostia River Saturday. He later died. (WTOP)

• Amigos Mexican Grill in Laurel reopened after being shuttered following a Cinco de Mayo shooting and stabbing. (WUSA9)

• Someone threw a beer keg through Georgetown Cupcake’s window. (Georgetown Cupcake/Instagram)

• The fountains at Meridian Hill Park are flowing again after Trump made them a priority. (WTOP)

• Only one entity applied to run Alexandria’s Torpedo Factory, prompting questions from city lawmakers. (ALXnow)

• Tom Brady said he thought he would have been more likely to work at Ben’s Chili Bowl than to play in the NFL in a commencement speech at Georgetown University Saturday. (WUSA9)

• Alexandria’s Amy Decker, a former CIA officer, will compete in the Food Network’s “100 Cooks” competition, which airs next month. (Alexandria Living)

• Washington City Paper Managing Editor Mitch Ryals bids adios to old his paper. He’ll cover Prince George’s County for the Banner. (WCP)

• Firefighters in Arlington rescued a dog named Rocky from a storm drain on Saturday. (DC News Now)

The post Sure, Let’s Build a Helipad at the White House While We’re at It; Feds Pledge to Prosecute DC Parents for Teen Takeovers; Someone Threw a Beer Keg Through Georgetown Cupcake’s Window first appeared on Washingtonian.

When 29-year-old Jamie Fortin was diagnosed with the hormonal disorder polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)—recently renamed polycystic metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS)—five years ago, she wasn’t shocked. Between her chronic pain symptoms and the conversations swirling in her circles, Fortin, who owns the Alexandria romance bookstore Friends to Lovers, figured she was dealing with one of two women’s health issues: either the uterine condition endometriosis or PCOS, a hormonal imbalance that leads to an overproduction of androgens (male hormones such as testosterone) and, often, insulin resistance. Symptoms include irregular periods; increased facial hair and acne; and weight gain. It can also cause infertility.

“The public conversation has gotten a lot louder about PCOS, and I think that’s why it didn’t feel as scary or unknown,” Fortin says. “I could tell a group of five women and one of them will be like, ‘Oh, I have that symptom, this is how you solve it,’ or ‘Oh, my cousin does this for that.’ ”

It’s not just Fortin’s friend group. Women are posting about their diagnoses on Instagram and TikTok, highlighting diets, exercise regimens, and skincare routines that have helped their symptoms. On Reddit, users are building support communities and pleading for physicians to take the condition seriously—a common complaint with women’s health issues such as PCOS, which is frequently undiagnosed.

Is the disorder just the latest health obsession online, or is the growing talk a sign of increased occurrence?

The public conversation has gotten a lot louder about PCOS, and I think that’s why it didn’t feel as scary or unknown.

“It’s actually very common,” says Dr. Marsha Solomon. The Capitol Hill ob-gyn points to data from the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists that says 13 percent of women of reproductive age suffer from PCOS, making it the most common endocrine disorder among women of that age group. Despite the recent spotlight on it, Solomon emphasizes that PCOS is not new: “Medical descriptions of symptoms that we now recognize as PCOS date back to ancient history, and modern medicine has been studying it for more than 150 years.”

Solomon has seen an uptick in patients looking to discuss symptoms, and her practice has done more evaluations. “However, I think this reflects the growing awareness and clear diagnostic guidance rather than a sudden change in how common the condition is,” she says.

DC ob-gyn Tamika Auguste agrees: “We, as physicians and gynecologists, are talking about PCOS more because more women are asking about it, which is great.” The way Auguste sees it, the spike in PCOS commentary is a reflection of the growing interest in women’s health issues as a whole, from Black maternal mortality to endometriosis. “It’s the messaging of ‘Speak up and out—have your voice.’ ”

Largely, we have social media—and the support communities it helps foster—to thank for that. (Of course, online discussion can also be rife with misinformation.) “Research has shown that PCOS-related videos on TikTok averaged 1.8 million views, with tens of thousands of comments and saves,” Solomon says, “which indicates there’s a large-scale discussion going on and lots of information-sharing. People are turning to social platforms and peer groups to share their experiences and to fill some of the gaps they think exist in clinical care.”

Auguste describes a pattern of women learning about the condition on social media, doing their own research, and then bringing it up with their gynecologist: “I think there are a lot more women who think they have it but actually don’t, but it opens up a conversation around it. I love having the conversation because even if it’s not PCOS, well, let’s talk about the symptoms you are having. Then we’ll figure it out together.”

Factors beyond social media are also contributing to more questions in the doctor’s office. According to George Washington University ob-gyn Arielle Effron, while we don’t know what causes PCOS, there’s a strong connection between the condition and insulin. GLP-1s such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Zepbound are used to treat insulin resistance, and their proliferation has opened the door to discussions about PCOS and the ways semaglutides could play a role in treatment. (Currently, prescribing semaglutides for PCOS is off-label as clinical trials continue.)

Candice Anderson, a 31-year-old College Park resident, credits social media for the diagnosis she received in her mid-twenties. “I wasn’t really having many conversations about PCOS prior to TikTok,” says Anderson. “Over the past few years, I started seeing so many people post their stories and share information I had never heard before.” She started talking about her own experiences last year under @itscandicelarissa, posting videos about maneuvering the holidays with PCOS and her painful periods. This spring, she started a local walking club for women with the condition, hoping to extend to the physical world the support she found online.

“It is comforting to hear how other women navigate their symptoms through social media,” Anderson says. “I’ve gotten more comfort from the comments on a video or direct messages than I ever have from a medical professional.”

 

PCOS in Media

PCOS isn’t just being talked about online–it’s also finding a place in books, shows, and pop culture

Books

Recent romance novels feature heroines with the hormonal disorder. In One Last Thing Before You Go by Caroline Frank, protagonist Lottie Veracruz deals with a PCOS and endometriosis diagnosis that affects her budding connection. Another book, Amanda Sinatra’s Cloud Nine, follows the sparks between a photographer with PCOS and a snowboarder.

Television

The Netflix show Ginny & Georgia has a character, high-schooler Norah, who laments her irregular cycle in season three. The storyline has already generated conversation among fans about a potential PCOS or endometriosis diagnosis in the upcoming season, which just finished filming.

Celebrities

Actress Keke Palmer has discussed her symptoms–from facial hair to acne–on talk shows and Instagram. Trainer Jillian Michaels shared that she’s had multiple painful cysts burst since she was diagnosed at age 15. Other celebs divulging struggles with PCOS include former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and singer Bebe Rexha.

 

---

Top Obstetricians and Gynecologists

These physicians, named by their peers as the area’s best obstetricians and gynecologists in our November 2025 Top Doctors list, specialize in pregnancy and labor as well as diseases of the female genital tract and reproductive organs

---

M. Melody Abraham

5530 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-479-8362. Also Falls Church, Northwest DC.

---

Tara S. Abraham

3301 New Mexico Ave., NW; 202-919-6287.

---

Alf K. Adler

16830 Dumfries Rd., Dumfries; 703-574-3415.

---

Marc C. Alembik

2296 Opitz Blvd., Woodbridge; 703-878-0740. Also Stafford.

---

Margaret N. Alexander

9100 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda; 301-564-4966.

---

Israel Alter

10215 Fernwood Rd., Bethesda; 301-530-2235. Also Rockville.

---

Julie A. Ambrose

1890 Metro Center Dr., Reston; 800-777-7904.

---

Marina Arutyunyan

8316 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax; 703-698-2066.

---

Tamika Auguste

106 Irving St., NW; 202-877-9992.

---

Bandhana K. Bajaj

2120 L St., NW; 202-331-9293.

---

Darryn M. Band

15001 Shady Grove Rd., Rockville; 301-681-9101. Also Silver Spring.

---

Patricia Z. Bannon

6845 Elm St., McLean; 703-748-9880.

---

Dana C. Baras

8171 Maple Lawn Blvd., Fulton; 410-531-7557.

---

Diane P. Barrett

46179 Westlake Dr., Potomac Falls; 703-430-7770. Also Leesburg.

---

Richard J. Beckerman

5215 Loughboro Rd., NW; 202-243-3500.

---

Tobie E. Beckerman

11140 Rockville Pike, Rockville; 301-230-1488.

---

Jessica Berger-Weiss

10801 Lockwood Dr., Silver Spring; 301-681-3400. Also Germantown.

---

Jennifer M. Biggs

201 N. Washington St., Falls Church; 800-777-7904.

---

Karen L. Blackburn

10401 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda; 301-897-0945.

---

Stella Lii Blosser

5999 Burke Commons Rd., Burke; 800-777-7904.

---

Colleen M. Borelli

1635 N. George Mason Dr., Arlington; 703-525-8800.

---

Megan E. Breen

2233 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-481-1060. Also Northwest DC.

---

Kathleen E. Bren

4001 Brandywine St., NW; 202-449-9570.

---

Brendan F. Burke

4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-295-0544. Also Northwest DC.

---

Margaret Burke

2233 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-481-1060. Also Northwest DC.

---

Rebecca J. Busch

1133 21st St., NW; 202-331-1740. Also Falls Church.

---

Maria P. Canter

1860 Town Center Dr., Reston; 703-293-5239.

---

Charelle Carter-Brooks

4920 Elm St., Bethesda; 202-741-2500. Also Foggy Bottom.

---

Neha Chavali

4102 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-462-1777.

---

Mildred R. Chernofsky

5275 Loughboro Rd., NW; 202-243-5295.

---

Sarah Cigna

2300 M St., NW; 202-741-2500.

---

Debra Ann Coe

5100 Auth Way, Suitland; 800-777-7904.

---

Ariel Michael Cohen

700 Second St., NE; 800-777-7904.

---

Aryian Cooke

4470 Regency Pl., White Plains, Md.; 240-252-2140.

---

Lauren Damle

106 Irving St., NW; 202-877-9992. Also Chevy Chase.

---

Lashea Davis Roland

8455 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring; 301-747-1635.

---

Malcolm M. DeSouza

4910 Massachusetts Ave., NW; 202-237-8633.

---

Rasha Ebeid

8316 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax; 703-687-6783.

---

Maria Cecilia Eguiguren

4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-444-8531. Also Northwest DC.

---

Mohammed Elkousy

1850 Town Center Pkwy., Reston; 703-372-9862. Also Leesburg, Dulles.

---

J. Jeffrey Elliott

1635 N. George Mason Dr., Arlington; 703-525-8800.

---

Nahed Mahmoud Ezmerli

6551 Loisdale Ct., Springfield; 800-777-7904.

---

Jill A. Finkelstein

700 Second St., NE; 800-777-7904.

---

Vivian M. Fraga

5454 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-654-2182.

---

Nancy D. Gaba

2150 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-741-2500.

---

Carolyn M. Gorman

700 Second St., NE; 800-777-7904.

---

Shannon B. Green

5215 Loughboro Rd., NW; 202-243-3500.

---

Amy Gueye-Weinstein

5500 Knoll North Dr., Columbia; 240-747-7785.

---

Felicia Hamilton

1133 21st St., NW; 202-416-2000. Also Northwest DC.

---

Nadine Hammoud

3301 Woodburn Rd., Annandale; 703-844-0171.

---

Elizabeth H. Harman Crowell

700 Second St., NE; 800-777-7904.

---

Neda Hashemi

3620 Joseph Siewick Dr., Fairfax; 703-391-3180.

---

Damon Hou

6355 Walker Ln., Alexandria; 703-971-7633. Also Fairfax, Herndon, Falls Church.

---

Susan Butler Hurson

3301 New Mexico Ave., NW; 202-362-9872.

---

Cheryl B. Iglesia

106 Irving St., NW; 202-877-6526. Also Northwest DC, Silver Spring.

---

Sara N. Iqbal

106 Irving St., NW; 202-877-6093.

---

Jo’Ann Jackson

407 N. Washington St., Falls Church; 703-533-9211. Also Northwest DC.

---

Roxanne Jamshidi

2150 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-741-2500. Also Northwest DC and Bethesda.

---

Lori M. Kaler

10401 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda; 301-897-0945.

---

Jennifer Mendillo Keller

2150 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-741-2500.

---

Kanwal Khan

14631 Lee Hwy., Centreville; 703-830-1950. Also Chantilly.

---

Cindy A. Kinder

8501 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax; 703-560-1611.

---

Elizabeth D. Krinn

10215 Fernwood Rd., Bethesda; 301-530-2235. Also Rockville.

---

Dipti Kumar

2120 L St., NW; 202-331-9293.

---

Michael S. Lempel

14349 Gideon Dr., Woodbridge; 571-419-5640. Also Falls Church.

---

Chi-Tsui Vivia Liang

201 N. Washington St., Falls Church; 800-777-7904.

---

Lynne J. Lightfoote

5454 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-968-6080.

---

Joan E. Loveland

4001 Brandywine St., NW; 202-449-9570.

---

Darya B. Maanavi

8501 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax; 703-560-1611.

---

Amr Madkour

1200 Pecan St., SE; 202-741-2500. Also Northwest DC.

---

Steven S. Maggid

2301 Research Blvd., Rockville; 301-424-3444. Also Silver Spring.

---

Mokerrum Fatima Malik

8171 Maple Lawn Blvd., Fulton; 410-531-7557.

---

Kathryn Marko

4920 Elm St., Bethesda; 202-741-2500.

---

Karen R. Maser

8505 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax; 703-560-9070

---

Leslie B. Masiky

9420 Key West Ave., Rockville; 301-654-2275.

---

Melissa P. McHale

5225 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 771-210-4437.

---

Lauren Messinger

10401 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda; 301-897-0945.

---

Rachael Miller Levy

4102 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-462-1777.

---

Tuwanna Morris

700 Second St., NE; 800-777-7904.

---

Bita Motesharrei

1401 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean; 703-356-7700.

---

Shawana Mufti

3930 Pender Dr., Fairfax; 571-249-0717.

---

Scott A. Osmun

4001 Brandywine St., NW; 202-449-9570.

---

Lynsey C. Owen

950 S. George Mason Dr., Arlington; 703-717-7313.

---

Nichole A. Pardo

5215 Loughboro Rd., NW; 202-243-3500.

---

Sona Patel-Grimm

3023 Hamaker Ct., Fairfax; 703-698-8060.

---

Laura T. Pickford

13135 Rt. 50, Fairfax; 703-264-7801.

---

Susanne Lashgari Prather

1635 N. George Mason Dr., Arlington; 703-525-8800.

---

Hania Qutub

201 N. Washington St., Falls Church; 800-777-7904.

---

Gerald R. Renzi

9715 Medical Center Dr., Rockville; 301-424-1696.

---

Amanda E. Rohn

1851 N. George Mason Dr., Arlington; 703-717-4775. Also Arlington.

---

Julian E. Safran

2120 L St., NW; 202-331-9293.

---

Kari Schichor

2120 L St., NW; 202-331-9293.

---

Sheetal G. Sheth

900 23rd St., NW; 202-741-2500.

---

Shobha Sikka

5530 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-652-1231. Also Germantown.

---

Glen H. Silas

13135 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy., Fairfax; 703-698-8060. Also Salisbury.

---

Anita L. Silva

1860 Town Center Dr., Reston; 703-437-0001. Also Leesburg.

---

M. Heather Sine

10313 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring; 301-681-9101. Also Rockville.

---

Sangeeta Sinha

24430 Stone Springs Blvd., Sterling; 703-665-2430.

---

Diane J. Snyder

6301 Executive Blvd., Rockville; 301-770-4967.

---

Marsha Cindy Solomon

700 Second St., NE; 800-777-7904.

---

Divya Sridharan

3925 Blenheim Blvd., Fairfax; 703-642-7522.

---

Rami Zuhayr Tabbarah

7655 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church; 703-642-7522. Also Annandale.

---

Delara K. Tavakoli

5530 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-859-4400.

---

TraShawn N. Thornton-Davis

12201 Plum Orchard Dr., Silver Spring; 800-777-7904.

---

Mark A. Tretiak

8008 Westpark Dr., McLean; 800-777-7904.

---

Ashley Wade-Vuturo

8316 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax; 703-698-2066.

---

Andrea E. Williams

1760 Old Meadow Rd., McLean; 703-717-4264. Also Alexandria.

---

Ingrid M. Winterling

431 Park Ave., Falls Church; 703-528-6300. Also Reston.

---

Carolynn M. Young

15204 Omega Dr., Rockville; 301-330-7007.

---

Jamie L. Zaita

13135 Rt. 50, Fairfax; 703-264-7801.

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post Is Social Media Helping More Women Get a PCOS Diagnosis? first appeared on Washingtonian.

When 29-year-old Jamie Fortin was diagnosed with the hormonal disorder polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)—recently renamed polycystic metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS)—five years ago, she wasn’t shocked. Between her chronic pain symptoms and the conversations swirling in her circles, Fortin, who owns the Alexandria romance bookstore Friends to Lovers, figured she was dealing with one of two women’s health issues: either the uterine condition endometriosis or PCOS, a hormonal imbalance that leads to an overproduction of androgens (male hormones such as testosterone) and, often, insulin resistance. Symptoms include irregular periods; increased facial hair and acne; and weight gain. It can also cause infertility.

“The public conversation has gotten a lot louder about PCOS, and I think that’s why it didn’t feel as scary or unknown,” Fortin says. “I could tell a group of five women and one of them will be like, ‘Oh, I have that symptom, this is how you solve it,’ or ‘Oh, my cousin does this for that.’ ”

It’s not just Fortin’s friend group. Women are posting about their diagnoses on Instagram and TikTok, highlighting diets, exercise regimens, and skincare routines that have helped their symptoms. On Reddit, users are building support communities and pleading for physicians to take the condition seriously—a common complaint with women’s health issues such as PCOS, which is frequently undiagnosed.

Is the disorder just the latest health obsession online, or is the growing talk a sign of increased occurrence?

The public conversation has gotten a lot louder about PCOS, and I think that’s why it didn’t feel as scary or unknown.

“It’s actually very common,” says Dr. Marsha Solomon. The Capitol Hill ob-gyn points to data from the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists that says 13 percent of women of reproductive age suffer from PCOS, making it the most common endocrine disorder among women of that age group. Despite the recent spotlight on it, Solomon emphasizes that PCOS is not new: “Medical descriptions of symptoms that we now recognize as PCOS date back to ancient history, and modern medicine has been studying it for more than 150 years.”

Solomon has seen an uptick in patients looking to discuss symptoms, and her practice has done more evaluations. “However, I think this reflects the growing awareness and clear diagnostic guidance rather than a sudden change in how common the condition is,” she says.

DC ob-gyn Tamika Auguste agrees: “We, as physicians and gynecologists, are talking about PCOS more because more women are asking about it, which is great.” The way Auguste sees it, the spike in PCOS commentary is a reflection of the growing interest in women’s health issues as a whole, from Black maternal mortality to endometriosis. “It’s the messaging of ‘Speak up and out—have your voice.’ ”

Largely, we have social media—and the support communities it helps foster—to thank for that. (Of course, online discussion can also be rife with misinformation.) “Research has shown that PCOS-related videos on TikTok averaged 1.8 million views, with tens of thousands of comments and saves,” Solomon says, “which indicates there’s a large-scale discussion going on and lots of information-sharing. People are turning to social platforms and peer groups to share their experiences and to fill some of the gaps they think exist in clinical care.”

Auguste describes a pattern of women learning about the condition on social media, doing their own research, and then bringing it up with their gynecologist: “I think there are a lot more women who think they have it but actually don’t, but it opens up a conversation around it. I love having the conversation because even if it’s not PCOS, well, let’s talk about the symptoms you are having. Then we’ll figure it out together.”

Factors beyond social media are also contributing to more questions in the doctor’s office. According to George Washington University ob-gyn Arielle Effron, while we don’t know what causes PCOS, there’s a strong connection between the condition and insulin. GLP-1s such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Zepbound are used to treat insulin resistance, and their proliferation has opened the door to discussions about PCOS and the ways semaglutides could play a role in treatment. (Currently, prescribing semaglutides for PCOS is off-label as clinical trials continue.)

Candice Anderson, a 31-year-old College Park resident, credits social media for the diagnosis she received in her mid-twenties. “I wasn’t really having many conversations about PCOS prior to TikTok,” says Anderson. “Over the past few years, I started seeing so many people post their stories and share information I had never heard before.” She started talking about her own experiences last year under @itscandicelarissa, posting videos about maneuvering the holidays with PCOS and her painful periods. This spring, she started a local walking club for women with the condition, hoping to extend to the physical world the support she found online.

“It is comforting to hear how other women navigate their symptoms through social media,” Anderson says. “I’ve gotten more comfort from the comments on a video or direct messages than I ever have from a medical professional.”

 

PCOS in Media

PCOS isn’t just being talked about online–it’s also finding a place in books, shows, and pop culture

Books

Recent romance novels feature heroines with the hormonal disorder. In One Last Thing Before You Go by Caroline Frank, protagonist Lottie Veracruz deals with a PCOS and endometriosis diagnosis that affects her budding connection. Another book, Amanda Sinatra’s Cloud Nine, follows the sparks between a photographer with PCOS and a snowboarder.

Television

The Netflix show Ginny & Georgia has a character, high-schooler Norah, who laments her irregular cycle in season three. The storyline has already generated conversation among fans about a potential PCOS or endometriosis diagnosis in the upcoming season, which just finished filming.

Celebrities

Actress Keke Palmer has discussed her symptoms–from facial hair to acne–on talk shows and Instagram. Trainer Jillian Michaels shared that she’s had multiple painful cysts burst since she was diagnosed at age 15. Other celebs divulging struggles with PCOS include former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and singer Bebe Rexha.

 

---

Top Obstetricians and Gynecologists

These physicians, named by their peers as the area’s best obstetricians and gynecologists in our November 2025 Top Doctors list, specialize in pregnancy and labor as well as diseases of the female genital tract and reproductive organs

---

M. Melody Abraham

5530 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-479-8362. Also Falls Church, Northwest DC.

---

Tara S. Abraham

3301 New Mexico Ave., NW; 202-919-6287.

---

Alf K. Adler

16830 Dumfries Rd., Dumfries; 703-574-3415.

---

Marc C. Alembik

2296 Opitz Blvd., Woodbridge; 703-878-0740. Also Stafford.

---

Margaret N. Alexander

9100 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda; 301-564-4966.

---

Israel Alter

10215 Fernwood Rd., Bethesda; 301-530-2235. Also Rockville.

---

Julie A. Ambrose

1890 Metro Center Dr., Reston; 800-777-7904.

---

Marina Arutyunyan

8316 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax; 703-698-2066.

---

Tamika Auguste

106 Irving St., NW; 202-877-9992.

---

Bandhana K. Bajaj

2120 L St., NW; 202-331-9293.

---

Darryn M. Band

15001 Shady Grove Rd., Rockville; 301-681-9101. Also Silver Spring.

---

Patricia Z. Bannon

6845 Elm St., McLean; 703-748-9880.

---

Dana C. Baras

8171 Maple Lawn Blvd., Fulton; 410-531-7557.

---

Diane P. Barrett

46179 Westlake Dr., Potomac Falls; 703-430-7770. Also Leesburg.

---

Richard J. Beckerman

5215 Loughboro Rd., NW; 202-243-3500.

---

Tobie E. Beckerman

11140 Rockville Pike, Rockville; 301-230-1488.

---

Jessica Berger-Weiss

10801 Lockwood Dr., Silver Spring; 301-681-3400. Also Germantown.

---

Jennifer M. Biggs

201 N. Washington St., Falls Church; 800-777-7904.

---

Karen L. Blackburn

10401 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda; 301-897-0945.

---

Stella Lii Blosser

5999 Burke Commons Rd., Burke; 800-777-7904.

---

Colleen M. Borelli

1635 N. George Mason Dr., Arlington; 703-525-8800.

---

Megan E. Breen

2233 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-481-1060. Also Northwest DC.

---

Kathleen E. Bren

4001 Brandywine St., NW; 202-449-9570.

---

Brendan F. Burke

4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-295-0544. Also Northwest DC.

---

Margaret Burke

2233 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-481-1060. Also Northwest DC.

---

Rebecca J. Busch

1133 21st St., NW; 202-331-1740. Also Falls Church.

---

Maria P. Canter

1860 Town Center Dr., Reston; 703-293-5239.

---

Charelle Carter-Brooks

4920 Elm St., Bethesda; 202-741-2500. Also Foggy Bottom.

---

Neha Chavali

4102 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-462-1777.

---

Mildred R. Chernofsky

5275 Loughboro Rd., NW; 202-243-5295.

---

Sarah Cigna

2300 M St., NW; 202-741-2500.

---

Debra Ann Coe

5100 Auth Way, Suitland; 800-777-7904.

---

Ariel Michael Cohen

700 Second St., NE; 800-777-7904.

---

Aryian Cooke

4470 Regency Pl., White Plains, Md.; 240-252-2140.

---

Lauren Damle

106 Irving St., NW; 202-877-9992. Also Chevy Chase.

---

Lashea Davis Roland

8455 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring; 301-747-1635.

---

Malcolm M. DeSouza

4910 Massachusetts Ave., NW; 202-237-8633.

---

Rasha Ebeid

8316 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax; 703-687-6783.

---

Maria Cecilia Eguiguren

4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-444-8531. Also Northwest DC.

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Mohammed Elkousy

1850 Town Center Pkwy., Reston; 703-372-9862. Also Leesburg, Dulles.

---

J. Jeffrey Elliott

1635 N. George Mason Dr., Arlington; 703-525-8800.

---

Nahed Mahmoud Ezmerli

6551 Loisdale Ct., Springfield; 800-777-7904.

---

Jill A. Finkelstein

700 Second St., NE; 800-777-7904.

---

Vivian M. Fraga

5454 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-654-2182.

---

Nancy D. Gaba

2150 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-741-2500.

---

Carolyn M. Gorman

700 Second St., NE; 800-777-7904.

---

Shannon B. Green

5215 Loughboro Rd., NW; 202-243-3500.

---

Amy Gueye-Weinstein

5500 Knoll North Dr., Columbia; 240-747-7785.

---

Felicia Hamilton

1133 21st St., NW; 202-416-2000. Also Northwest DC.

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Nadine Hammoud

3301 Woodburn Rd., Annandale; 703-844-0171.

---

Elizabeth H. Harman Crowell

700 Second St., NE; 800-777-7904.

---

Neda Hashemi

3620 Joseph Siewick Dr., Fairfax; 703-391-3180.

---

Damon Hou

6355 Walker Ln., Alexandria; 703-971-7633. Also Fairfax, Herndon, Falls Church.

---

Susan Butler Hurson

3301 New Mexico Ave., NW; 202-362-9872.

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Cheryl B. Iglesia

106 Irving St., NW; 202-877-6526. Also Northwest DC, Silver Spring.

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Sara N. Iqbal

106 Irving St., NW; 202-877-6093.

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Jo’Ann Jackson

407 N. Washington St., Falls Church; 703-533-9211. Also Northwest DC.

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Roxanne Jamshidi

2150 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-741-2500. Also Northwest DC and Bethesda.

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Lori M. Kaler

10401 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda; 301-897-0945.

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Jennifer Mendillo Keller

2150 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-741-2500.

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Kanwal Khan

14631 Lee Hwy., Centreville; 703-830-1950. Also Chantilly.

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Cindy A. Kinder

8501 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax; 703-560-1611.

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Elizabeth D. Krinn

10215 Fernwood Rd., Bethesda; 301-530-2235. Also Rockville.

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Dipti Kumar

2120 L St., NW; 202-331-9293.

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Michael S. Lempel

14349 Gideon Dr., Woodbridge; 571-419-5640. Also Falls Church.

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Chi-Tsui Vivia Liang

201 N. Washington St., Falls Church; 800-777-7904.

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Lynne J. Lightfoote

5454 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-968-6080.

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Joan E. Loveland

4001 Brandywine St., NW; 202-449-9570.

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Darya B. Maanavi

8501 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax; 703-560-1611.

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Amr Madkour

1200 Pecan St., SE; 202-741-2500. Also Northwest DC.

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Steven S. Maggid

2301 Research Blvd., Rockville; 301-424-3444. Also Silver Spring.

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Mokerrum Fatima Malik

8171 Maple Lawn Blvd., Fulton; 410-531-7557.

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Kathryn Marko

4920 Elm St., Bethesda; 202-741-2500.

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Karen R. Maser

8505 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax; 703-560-9070

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Leslie B. Masiky

9420 Key West Ave., Rockville; 301-654-2275.

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Melissa P. McHale

5225 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 771-210-4437.

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Lauren Messinger

10401 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda; 301-897-0945.

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Rachael Miller Levy

4102 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-462-1777.

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Tuwanna Morris

700 Second St., NE; 800-777-7904.

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Bita Motesharrei

1401 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean; 703-356-7700.

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Shawana Mufti

3930 Pender Dr., Fairfax; 571-249-0717.

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Scott A. Osmun

4001 Brandywine St., NW; 202-449-9570.

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Lynsey C. Owen

950 S. George Mason Dr., Arlington; 703-717-7313.

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Nichole A. Pardo

5215 Loughboro Rd., NW; 202-243-3500.

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Sona Patel-Grimm

3023 Hamaker Ct., Fairfax; 703-698-8060.

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Laura T. Pickford

13135 Rt. 50, Fairfax; 703-264-7801.

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Susanne Lashgari Prather

1635 N. George Mason Dr., Arlington; 703-525-8800.

---

Hania Qutub

201 N. Washington St., Falls Church; 800-777-7904.

---

Gerald R. Renzi

9715 Medical Center Dr., Rockville; 301-424-1696.

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Amanda E. Rohn

1851 N. George Mason Dr., Arlington; 703-717-4775. Also Arlington.

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Julian E. Safran

2120 L St., NW; 202-331-9293.

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Kari Schichor

2120 L St., NW; 202-331-9293.

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Sheetal G. Sheth

900 23rd St., NW; 202-741-2500.

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Shobha Sikka

5530 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-652-1231. Also Germantown.

---

Glen H. Silas

13135 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy., Fairfax; 703-698-8060. Also Salisbury.

---

Anita L. Silva

1860 Town Center Dr., Reston; 703-437-0001. Also Leesburg.

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M. Heather Sine

10313 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring; 301-681-9101. Also Rockville.

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Sangeeta Sinha

24430 Stone Springs Blvd., Sterling; 703-665-2430.

---

Diane J. Snyder

6301 Executive Blvd., Rockville; 301-770-4967.

---

Marsha Cindy Solomon

700 Second St., NE; 800-777-7904.

---

Divya Sridharan

3925 Blenheim Blvd., Fairfax; 703-642-7522.

---

Rami Zuhayr Tabbarah

7655 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church; 703-642-7522. Also Annandale.

---

Delara K. Tavakoli

5530 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase; 301-859-4400.

---

TraShawn N. Thornton-Davis

12201 Plum Orchard Dr., Silver Spring; 800-777-7904.

---

Mark A. Tretiak

8008 Westpark Dr., McLean; 800-777-7904.

---

Ashley Wade-Vuturo

8316 Arlington Blvd., Fairfax; 703-698-2066.

---

Andrea E. Williams

1760 Old Meadow Rd., McLean; 703-717-4264. Also Alexandria.

---

Ingrid M. Winterling

431 Park Ave., Falls Church; 703-528-6300. Also Reston.

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Carolynn M. Young

15204 Omega Dr., Rockville; 301-330-7007.

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Jamie L. Zaita

13135 Rt. 50, Fairfax; 703-264-7801.

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post Is Social Media Helping More Women Get a PCOS Diagnosis? first appeared on Washingtonian.

Bob Connelly is an adjunct professor at American University, where he teaches LGBTQ+ media representation and history. Along the way, he got to know Frank Kameny, who in 1957 was fired from his job with the Army Map Service because of his sexuality. Kameny subsequently led the fight against the government’s homophobic employment policies and helped found the DC chapter of the Mattachine Society, a gay-rights group. He also created the slogan “Gay Is Good,” seen on picket signs back in the day. In a letter to President Kennedy, Kameny wrote, “In World War II, I willingly fought the Germans. . . . In 1961, it has, ironically, become necessary for me to fight my own government, with words, to achieve some of the very same rights, freedoms, and liberties for which I placed my life in jeopardy in 1945.” Kameny died in 2011. Here, Connelly remembers him.

---

“It was December 2008. Two days before class, I invited Frank to speak to my students. We’d been studying his activism all semester. I emailed everybody and asked that a couple students meet us to escort him to our classroom while I parked. Nobody wrote back, and I was really nervous.

“There’s a driveway where you can pull in from Nebraska Avenue, but no parking lot there. This is a man who’s 83— I’m thinking, ‘I can pull into that driveway, but I can’t leave my car and take him up, so I hope someone’s going to be there.’

“Every single student was waiting outside. It was 32 degrees, yet they were there, and they brought friends.

“They took him to the classroom, and he was magnificent. He sat there with this legal-sized pad with a list of things to talk about. He’d come to an end of one story, then check that off. Then he’d tell the next story and check it off. He had a very scientific mind, so he was ticking the boxes. [Once] I had to interview him for a documentary. I said, ‘I’ll be there at 2.’ He said, ‘Make it 2:03.’ I had no idea why, so I arrived at 2, then sat in my car and waited three minutes to go ring the bell. So he was very meticulous.

“After Frank’s talk to my students, I said, ‘Are there any questions?’ Nobody asked a question, so I asked Frank, ‘Is there anything that, above everything else, you want to be remembered for?’ He said, ‘I want to be remembered for the phrase “Gay Is Good.” ’

“I went and got the car from the parking garage. The students walked him down to the street. I drove Frank home—he lived less than a mile away, ten minutes back and forth. When I got back, I said to the students, ‘Why didn’t you ask any questions?’ They looked at me like, ‘We did not know what to say. We were so mesmerized, we couldn’t open our mouths.’

“That’s when you realize you’re being a catalyst for the stories that are really important, especially to LGBTQ+ youth. I want the pioneers to be remembered.”

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post When Gay-Rights Pioneer Frank Kameny Visited a College Class first appeared on Washingtonian.

Bob Connelly is an adjunct professor at American University, where he teaches LGBTQ+ media representation and history. Along the way, he got to know Frank Kameny, who in 1957 was fired from his job with the Army Map Service because of his sexuality. Kameny subsequently led the fight against the government’s homophobic employment policies and helped found the DC chapter of the Mattachine Society, a gay-rights group. He also created the slogan “Gay Is Good,” seen on picket signs back in the day. In a letter to President Kennedy, Kameny wrote, “In World War II, I willingly fought the Germans. . . . In 1961, it has, ironically, become necessary for me to fight my own government, with words, to achieve some of the very same rights, freedoms, and liberties for which I placed my life in jeopardy in 1945.” Kameny died in 2011. Here, Connelly remembers him.

---

“It was December 2008. Two days before class, I invited Frank to speak to my students. We’d been studying his activism all semester. I emailed everybody and asked that a couple students meet us to escort him to our classroom while I parked. Nobody wrote back, and I was really nervous.

“There’s a driveway where you can pull in from Nebraska Avenue, but no parking lot there. This is a man who’s 83— I’m thinking, ‘I can pull into that driveway, but I can’t leave my car and take him up, so I hope someone’s going to be there.’

“Every single student was waiting outside. It was 32 degrees, yet they were there, and they brought friends.

“They took him to the classroom, and he was magnificent. He sat there with this legal-sized pad with a list of things to talk about. He’d come to an end of one story, then check that off. Then he’d tell the next story and check it off. He had a very scientific mind, so he was ticking the boxes. [Once] I had to interview him for a documentary. I said, ‘I’ll be there at 2.’ He said, ‘Make it 2:03.’ I had no idea why, so I arrived at 2, then sat in my car and waited three minutes to go ring the bell. So he was very meticulous.

“After Frank’s talk to my students, I said, ‘Are there any questions?’ Nobody asked a question, so I asked Frank, ‘Is there anything that, above everything else, you want to be remembered for?’ He said, ‘I want to be remembered for the phrase “Gay Is Good.” ’

“I went and got the car from the parking garage. The students walked him down to the street. I drove Frank home—he lived less than a mile away, ten minutes back and forth. When I got back, I said to the students, ‘Why didn’t you ask any questions?’ They looked at me like, ‘We did not know what to say. We were so mesmerized, we couldn’t open our mouths.’

“That’s when you realize you’re being a catalyst for the stories that are really important, especially to LGBTQ+ youth. I want the pioneers to be remembered.”

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post When Gay-Rights Pioneer Frank Kameny Visited a College Class first appeared on Washingtonian.

Coming off the heels of a successful Broadway run in 2023 that saw the 65-year-old satire revived, Purlie Victorious arrived at Studio Theatre with fervor.

Born into a sharecropping family sometime during the early 1900’s, traveling preacher Purlie Victorious Judson returns to his Southern roots planning to buy back his ancestral church from the brutal segregationist who rules his namesake county with an iron fist, the self-proclaimed embodiment of Southern “gentility,” Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee. Purlie descends upon Cotchipee County with freedom on his mind, though what he envisions freedom to be shifts as time passes.

When Davis began to pen the play, he sought to write a scathing, somber piece of protest theatre. As he sat with these characters, the play took a different shape — one that would use humor as a tool to communicate the absurdity of bigotry, with re-purposed minstrel tropes and stereotypes of well-to-do white Southerners.

The piece, especially in director Psalmayene 24’s vision, also plays with time and history in ways that emphasize both its timeliness and timelessness. Though the play is meant to take place in Georgia in the 1950’s, the costumes suggest a late-19th century setting, and the trappings of vaudeville introduced by the set allude to the early 20th century.

Characters allude to events like the Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954, while also speaking of the Confederacy like a recent memory. Purlie himself espouses radical ideas of freedom and beauty against a humble (yet intricate) backdrop that harkens back to an earlier time. All of these points of temporal contrast, combined with the setting given by Davis in the play — “the recent past” — serve to remind us that none of these events, from the Civil War to Jim Crow to the racial inequities of today, are part of some long-forgotten bygone age.

But there is a current of hope that runs throughout the play. A hope that love and sensibility can somehow prevail and we can all discover what freedom can mean for the collective good.

Purlie Victorious is now running at Studio Theatre through June 21, 2026. Tickets are available at studiotheatre.org.

The post Ossie Davis’s PURLIE VICTORIOUS Shapes Time and Space to Deliver a Timely Message first appeared on Washingtonian.

Coming off the heels of a successful Broadway run in 2023 that saw the 65-year-old satire revived, Purlie Victorious arrived at Studio Theatre with fervor.

Born into a sharecropping family sometime during the early 1900’s, traveling preacher Purlie Victorious Judson returns to his Southern roots planning to buy back his ancestral church from the brutal segregationist who rules his namesake county with an iron fist, the self-proclaimed embodiment of Southern “gentility,” Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee. Purlie descends upon Cotchipee County with freedom on his mind, though what he envisions freedom to be shifts as time passes.

When Davis began to pen the play, he sought to write a scathing, somber piece of protest theatre. As he sat with these characters, the play took a different shape — one that would use humor as a tool to communicate the absurdity of bigotry, with re-purposed minstrel tropes and stereotypes of well-to-do white Southerners.

The piece, especially in director Psalmayene 24’s vision, also plays with time and history in ways that emphasize both its timeliness and timelessness. Though the play is meant to take place in Georgia in the 1950’s, the costumes suggest a late-19th century setting, and the trappings of vaudeville introduced by the set allude to the early 20th century.

Characters allude to events like the Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954, while also speaking of the Confederacy like a recent memory. Purlie himself espouses radical ideas of freedom and beauty against a humble (yet intricate) backdrop that harkens back to an earlier time. All of these points of temporal contrast, combined with the setting given by Davis in the play — “the recent past” — serve to remind us that none of these events, from the Civil War to Jim Crow to the racial inequities of today, are part of some long-forgotten bygone age.

But there is a current of hope that runs throughout the play. A hope that love and sensibility can somehow prevail and we can all discover what freedom can mean for the collective good.

Purlie Victorious is now running at Studio Theatre through June 21, 2026. Tickets are available at studiotheatre.org.

The post Ossie Davis’s PURLIE VICTORIOUS Shapes Time and Space to Deliver a Timely Message first appeared on Washingtonian.

“Casa Abierta” is more than a name. It is the defining spirit of this extraordinary Chevy Chase residence. Reimagined by award-winning KUBE Architecture, the home blends striking modern design with warmth, comfort, and effortless indoor-outdoor living.

Vaulted ceilings, walls of glass, and expansive sliding doors fill the open-concept interiors with natural light, while rich hardwoods and thoughtfully curated finishes create an atmosphere that feels both elevated and inviting. The dramatic living and family rooms flow seamlessly into private courtyard-style spaces and a wraparound deck designed for entertaining, relaxing, and everyday connection.

At the center of the home, the chef’s kitchen overlooks a lush backyard oasis and features a massive island, stainless steel appliances, and direct outdoor access that makes al fresco living feel second nature.

The main level includes three sunlit bedrooms, highlighted by a serene primary suite with sliding glass doors opening directly to the backyard retreat. A fully finished lower level adds flexible living space, recreation areas, storage, and garage access.

Design-forward yet deeply livable, Casa Abierta captures the way buyers want to live today.

Address: 7005 W Greenvale Pkwy, Chevy Chase, MD 20815

Contact:
Dana Rice
202-669-6908
dana.rice@compass.com
Follow on Instagram at @danaricegroup

The post “Casa Abierta”: The Art of Open Living in Chevy Chase first appeared on Washingtonian.

“Casa Abierta” is more than a name. It is the defining spirit of this extraordinary Chevy Chase residence. Reimagined by award-winning KUBE Architecture, the home blends striking modern design with warmth, comfort, and effortless indoor-outdoor living.

Vaulted ceilings, walls of glass, and expansive sliding doors fill the open-concept interiors with natural light, while rich hardwoods and thoughtfully curated finishes create an atmosphere that feels both elevated and inviting. The dramatic living and family rooms flow seamlessly into private courtyard-style spaces and a wraparound deck designed for entertaining, relaxing, and everyday connection.

At the center of the home, the chef’s kitchen overlooks a lush backyard oasis and features a massive island, stainless steel appliances, and direct outdoor access that makes al fresco living feel second nature.

The main level includes three sunlit bedrooms, highlighted by a serene primary suite with sliding glass doors opening directly to the backyard retreat. A fully finished lower level adds flexible living space, recreation areas, storage, and garage access.

Design-forward yet deeply livable, Casa Abierta captures the way buyers want to live today.

Address: 7005 W Greenvale Pkwy, Chevy Chase, MD 20815

Contact:
Dana Rice
202-669-6908
dana.rice@compass.com
Follow on Instagram at @danaricegroup

The post “Casa Abierta”: The Art of Open Living in Chevy Chase first appeared on Washingtonian.

This post has been updated from an earlier version.

Who doesn’t love mimosas with a water view? Here’s where to get outside for brunch this weekend.

The Wharf and Buzzard Point

Colada Shop Wharf 10 Pearl St., SW

The all-day Cuban cafe is a bright, casual stop at the Wharf. In addition to longtime favorites like Cuban sandwiches, guava-filled pastelitos, and mojitos, the Wharf location offers heartier plates like churro waffles, pork-and-yuca hash, breakfast sandwiches, and specialty coffee drinks.

Del Mar  791 Wharf St., SW

Fabio Trabocchi’s fancy Spanish spot is especially pretty—and offers especially good deals—during the day. On weekends, a three-course brunch is $36 per person, with choices like fried-egg-topped breakfast paella, chicken Milanese with brown butter and boquerones, and an ice cream sandwich. The a la carte menu shows off raw bar selections, hand-sliced Iberico ham, and the splurge-y seafood paella that’s so popular at night.

Fish Shop 610 Water St., SW

This stunner of a Wharf dining room has Scottish roots. That said, its brunch menu feels like a trip through a local farmers market. There are johnnycakes with Keswick Creamery ricotta, Roseda beef smashburgers, Autumn Olive pork chorizo, and of course, the place’s signature crumpets.

 

Hank’s Oyster Bar at the Wharf 701 Wharf St., SW

Chef Jamie Leeds’s classic New England-style seafood restaurant is a prime spot for outdoor brunch, which is served Friday through Sunday. Snag a seat facing the water, order up a lobster omelet or crab bennie, sip a DIY Bloody Mary, and pretend you’re on the beach.

 

Ilili 100 District Sq., SW

The Wharf’s Lebanese dining room doesn’t have a patio, but the water-facing side of the restaurant boasts fully retractable windows to create an indoor/outdoor veranda. Look for hot and cold mezze, plus Lebanese riffs on brunch classics like shakshuka with spicy tomato sauce; Swiss-chard Benedict with aleppo-pepper hollandaise; and a smoky bourbon cocktail for four. Order a la carte or go for the $39 prix fixe, which includes two mezze, an entree, and dessert.

 

Limani  670 Wharf St., SW

Celebrating something? The $95 bottomless brunch at this glassy Mediterranean dining room is a feast of seafood, with unlimited amounts of oysters, chilled lobster, crabcakes, mussels, and more. Also included: charcuterie and cheeses, salads, carved meats, and more breakfast-y fare like house-made cinnamon rolls. Add on bottomless orange and pineapple mimosas for $34 per person. 

 

Mi Vida 98 District Sq., SW

Multi-level patios with waterfront views greet diners at this stylish mod-Mex destination at the Wharf. But the restaurant is more than just a pretty place to drink (although mango margaritas are definitely a draw). In addition to the regular menu of mole enchiladas and fish tacos, look for morning specials like chorizo-filled breakfast tacos, banana French toast, and egg-stuffed burritos.

 

Officina 1120 Maine Ave., SW

Every first and third Sunday of the month, you’ll find three things at this Wharf Italian dining room: a waterfront breeze, Italian brunch plates (frittatas, carbonara), and a drag show. $25 tickets include a welcome cocktail and entry to the photo-friendly rooftop performance. Purchase food from an a la carte menu.

The Point 2100 Second St., SW

This massive, indoor/outdoor 500-seat seafood restaurant at Buzzard Point sits at the intersection of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers and flanks a large marina (so yes, water views are widely available). We like to set up by one of the patio fire pits or at the outdoor bar for weekend brunch with an Ivy City Smokehouse smoked-fish board; crab-dip-stuffed doughnuts; smoked salmon Benedict; or shrimp n’ grits.

 

Tiki TNT 1130 Maine Ave., SW

Hit Todd Thrasher’s three-story tiki bar at the Wharf for year-round summer vibes and water views—especially good from the rooftop. The brunch menu has group-friendly options like bottomless passionfruit mimosas ($25), snack-laden pupu platters, and island eats like shrimp toast or boozy rum buns.

 

Old Town Alexandria

Ada’s on the River and Barca Pier & Wine Bar
2-3 Pioneer Mill Way, Alexandria

These neighboring sister restaurants in Old Town are all about the water. At Ada’s, an airy dining room and patio overlooking the Potomac, brunch is a classic New American affair—think sticky buns, Benedicts, and omelets. Pier restaurant Barca sits right on the river, serving Spanish wines and tapas in an open-air setting. At brunch, options include bacon-and-egg croquetas with honey and an eggy Spanish tortilla with garlic labne.

 

Hummingbird 220 S. Union St., Alexandria

The Hotel Indigo’s waterfront restaurant serves weekend brunch in a coastal chic setting overlooking the Potomac River. The menu runs the gamut from a simple breakfast platter to steak and eggs with chimichurri or croissant bread pudding with lemon curd.

 

Vola’s Dockside Grill
101 N. Union St., Alexandria

This Old Town waterfront restaurant—a sibling to Ada’s on the River and Barca—specializes in casual, beachy fare like shrimp tacos, lobster rolls, and crabcake sandwiches and Benedicts. Bonus: it’s dog-friendly, and even offers a special menu for pups.

 

Navy Yard

 

Osteria Morini 301 Water St., SE

Not only does this waterfront Italian restaurant in Navy Yard have a roomy wraparound patio shaded by umbrellas, it also serves a lovely menu with brunch and lunch items. Pancake fans will be especially happy: there are seven sweet and savory versions, including carbonara- and tiramisu-inspired riffs. To drink, there’s even a pancake old fashioned.

 

The Salt Line 79 Potomac Ave., SE

Sandwiched between Nationals Park and the Anacostia River, this popular New England-inspired spot often draws a crowd (whether it’s a game day or not). Perch on the wraparound patio for seafood dishes like smoked-salmon Benedict or grilled shrimp over cheddar grits—plus a showstopper bloody Mary for two garnished with a lobster claw, shrimp, oyster, fried coddie, and more.

 

Georgetown Fiola Mare 3050 K St., NW

The star of the Georgetown waterfront is definitely a special-occasion brunch spot (though it’s still not as spendy as it is at dinner). Diners can go a la carte or splurge on the $78 “sparkling brunch” that includes a warm pastry basket, a choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert, and unlimited prosecco and brunch cocktails. The bottomless espresso martinis, $45 extra, come in four variations.

 

Gaithersburg

Charley 9811 Washingtonian Blvd., Gaithersburg

This restaurant from the owners of DC’s Bar Charley sits on the lake at Gaithersburg’s Rio complex. Its daytime menu is a mix of lightly tweaked comfort foods: a tower of doughnuts, a griddled-tomato-and-avocado Benedict, and a breakfast smashburger with maple syrup and a fried egg. Bottomless mimosas are $24, or you can refuel with an Irish coffee or an icy mudslide cappuccino. 

The post 18 Pretty Places for Brunch by the Water Around DC first appeared on Washingtonian.

This post has been updated from an earlier version.

Who doesn’t love mimosas with a water view? Here’s where to get outside for brunch this weekend.

The Wharf and Buzzard Point

Colada Shop Wharf 10 Pearl St., SW

The all-day Cuban cafe is a bright, casual stop at the Wharf. In addition to longtime favorites like Cuban sandwiches, guava-filled pastelitos, and mojitos, the Wharf location offers heartier plates like churro waffles, pork-and-yuca hash, breakfast sandwiches, and specialty coffee drinks.

Del Mar  791 Wharf St., SW

Fabio Trabocchi’s fancy Spanish spot is especially pretty—and offers especially good deals—during the day. On weekends, a three-course brunch is $36 per person, with choices like fried-egg-topped breakfast paella, chicken Milanese with brown butter and boquerones, and an ice cream sandwich. The a la carte menu shows off raw bar selections, hand-sliced Iberico ham, and the splurge-y seafood paella that’s so popular at night.

Fish Shop 610 Water St., SW

This stunner of a Wharf dining room has Scottish roots. That said, its brunch menu feels like a trip through a local farmers market. There are johnnycakes with Keswick Creamery ricotta, Roseda beef smashburgers, Autumn Olive pork chorizo, and of course, the place’s signature crumpets.

 

Hank’s Oyster Bar at the Wharf 701 Wharf St., SW

Chef Jamie Leeds’s classic New England-style seafood restaurant is a prime spot for outdoor brunch, which is served Friday through Sunday. Snag a seat facing the water, order up a lobster omelet or crab bennie, sip a DIY Bloody Mary, and pretend you’re on the beach.

 

Ilili 100 District Sq., SW

The Wharf’s Lebanese dining room doesn’t have a patio, but the water-facing side of the restaurant boasts fully retractable windows to create an indoor/outdoor veranda. Look for hot and cold mezze, plus Lebanese riffs on brunch classics like shakshuka with spicy tomato sauce; Swiss-chard Benedict with aleppo-pepper hollandaise; and a smoky bourbon cocktail for four. Order a la carte or go for the $39 prix fixe, which includes two mezze, an entree, and dessert.

 

Limani  670 Wharf St., SW

Celebrating something? The $95 bottomless brunch at this glassy Mediterranean dining room is a feast of seafood, with unlimited amounts of oysters, chilled lobster, crabcakes, mussels, and more. Also included: charcuterie and cheeses, salads, carved meats, and more breakfast-y fare like house-made cinnamon rolls. Add on bottomless orange and pineapple mimosas for $34 per person. 

 

Mi Vida 98 District Sq., SW

Multi-level patios with waterfront views greet diners at this stylish mod-Mex destination at the Wharf. But the restaurant is more than just a pretty place to drink (although mango margaritas are definitely a draw). In addition to the regular menu of mole enchiladas and fish tacos, look for morning specials like chorizo-filled breakfast tacos, banana French toast, and egg-stuffed burritos.

 

Officina 1120 Maine Ave., SW

Every first and third Sunday of the month, you’ll find three things at this Wharf Italian dining room: a waterfront breeze, Italian brunch plates (frittatas, carbonara), and a drag show. $25 tickets include a welcome cocktail and entry to the photo-friendly rooftop performance. Purchase food from an a la carte menu.

The Point 2100 Second St., SW

This massive, indoor/outdoor 500-seat seafood restaurant at Buzzard Point sits at the intersection of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers and flanks a large marina (so yes, water views are widely available). We like to set up by one of the patio fire pits or at the outdoor bar for weekend brunch with an Ivy City Smokehouse smoked-fish board; crab-dip-stuffed doughnuts; smoked salmon Benedict; or shrimp n’ grits.

 

Tiki TNT 1130 Maine Ave., SW

Hit Todd Thrasher’s three-story tiki bar at the Wharf for year-round summer vibes and water views—especially good from the rooftop. The brunch menu has group-friendly options like bottomless passionfruit mimosas ($25), snack-laden pupu platters, and island eats like shrimp toast or boozy rum buns.

 

Old Town Alexandria

Ada’s on the River and Barca Pier & Wine Bar
2-3 Pioneer Mill Way, Alexandria

These neighboring sister restaurants in Old Town are all about the water. At Ada’s, an airy dining room and patio overlooking the Potomac, brunch is a classic New American affair—think sticky buns, Benedicts, and omelets. Pier restaurant Barca sits right on the river, serving Spanish wines and tapas in an open-air setting. At brunch, options include bacon-and-egg croquetas with honey and an eggy Spanish tortilla with garlic labne.

 

Hummingbird 220 S. Union St., Alexandria

The Hotel Indigo’s waterfront restaurant serves weekend brunch in a coastal chic setting overlooking the Potomac River. The menu runs the gamut from a simple breakfast platter to steak and eggs with chimichurri or croissant bread pudding with lemon curd.

 

Vola’s Dockside Grill
101 N. Union St., Alexandria

This Old Town waterfront restaurant—a sibling to Ada’s on the River and Barca—specializes in casual, beachy fare like shrimp tacos, lobster rolls, and crabcake sandwiches and Benedicts. Bonus: it’s dog-friendly, and even offers a special menu for pups.

 

Navy Yard

 

Osteria Morini 301 Water St., SE

Not only does this waterfront Italian restaurant in Navy Yard have a roomy wraparound patio shaded by umbrellas, it also serves a lovely menu with brunch and lunch items. Pancake fans will be especially happy: there are seven sweet and savory versions, including carbonara- and tiramisu-inspired riffs. To drink, there’s even a pancake old fashioned.

 

The Salt Line 79 Potomac Ave., SE

Sandwiched between Nationals Park and the Anacostia River, this popular New England-inspired spot often draws a crowd (whether it’s a game day or not). Perch on the wraparound patio for seafood dishes like smoked-salmon Benedict or grilled shrimp over cheddar grits—plus a showstopper bloody Mary for two garnished with a lobster claw, shrimp, oyster, fried coddie, and more.

 

Georgetown Fiola Mare 3050 K St., NW

The star of the Georgetown waterfront is definitely a special-occasion brunch spot (though it’s still not as spendy as it is at dinner). Diners can go a la carte or splurge on the $78 “sparkling brunch” that includes a warm pastry basket, a choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert, and unlimited prosecco and brunch cocktails. The bottomless espresso martinis, $45 extra, come in four variations.

 

Gaithersburg

Charley 9811 Washingtonian Blvd., Gaithersburg

This restaurant from the owners of DC’s Bar Charley sits on the lake at Gaithersburg’s Rio complex. Its daytime menu is a mix of lightly tweaked comfort foods: a tower of doughnuts, a griddled-tomato-and-avocado Benedict, and a breakfast smashburger with maple syrup and a fried egg. Bottomless mimosas are $24, or you can refuel with an Irish coffee or an icy mudslide cappuccino. 

The post 18 Pretty Places for Brunch by the Water Around DC first appeared on Washingtonian.

I was 37. In 1997, at least, that was considered by most to be too young for plastic surgery.

That’s what the editors at Washingtonian and I thought. So they sent me out to visit five local plastic surgeons as a potential client with two complaints about my face: crow’s feet and the lines around my mouth known as nasolabial folds. None of the doctors knew I worked for Washingtonian.

“Does She Need a Facelift?” asked the headline.

Talal Munasifi was the only physician in the article who liked it. Even though he suggested I get the “fat pads” I didn’t know I had in my eyelids removed through surgery, I wrote it was a “soft sell.”  (Only one doctor didn’t suggest anything; others recommended creams, injections, laser treatments, and a series of implants to round out my oval face.) Munasifi even sent a funny card complimenting the article, but noting that he had told me I’d come back in two years to have him correct my “turkey neck.” I had mistakenly written “chicken neck,” forgetting that chickens don’t have the biggest wattles. (He was wrong, too: I waited 20 years.)

By the time he died in February, the conservative, Baghdad-born Munasifi had been a mentor to generations of surgeons and a staunch advocate for patients.

His patient safety advocacy extended to me and millions of readers of USA Today, where I was a reporter. It started in my early 40s when I began going to Munasifi for cosmetic injections. (All that solicited advice in ‘97 had cut rather deep.) He showed me photos of botched surgeries others had performed that he fixed, and started telling me what he said was really going on in healthcare.

As doctors’ insurance reimbursements were shrinking, everyone from OB/GYNs to oral surgeons was offering nips, tucks, and enhancements to everything from tummies to tushes. Many of them were already performing medically necessary surgeries, so what was the harm of adding a cosmetic one to boost their bills? The number of hours that the patient was under anesthesia, for one thing, Munasifi explained. Who was policing that? I asked. Not necessarily the hospitals or surgery centers whose bottom lines benefit, he told me.

When Virginia was considering legislation to require abortion clinics to meet the same safety standards as hospitals, he pointed out that other doctors—regardless of their specialties or board certifications—could legally perform surgery in their unaccredited offices in Virginia and most other states. He supported Republican Governor Robert McDonnell, who signed the law, but couldn’t abide that far riskier surgeries weren’t held to such high standards.

My Munasifi-inspired patient safety reporting began with a two-part 2011 project on risky cosmetic surgery procedures, which included an investigation of the company Lifestyle Lift, which was soon required by Florida to change its ads and went out of business in 2015. Many of the lapses in regulation and oversight allowed doctors with little training to perform cosmetic procedures in unsafe facilities and on unsuspecting patients.

Worse, to Munasifi: doctors’ dirty deeds often went unpunished. He was incensed that physicians were often permitted to continue practicing medicine despite substance abuse or high rates of surgical complications. He was especially unsympathetic to doctors’ and their lawyers’ lament during investigations that they might be out of work after years of medical school and loans.

“I don’t care if they have to sell cookies,” he told me.

By the time I got the Washingtonian assignment, I was no stranger to the idea of plastic surgery. My late mother had a great facelift in her 50s after remarrying. She loved it when I appeared as a guest on national TV shows and would say my hair or jacket looked “great.” In Mom’s immutable style, she noted more than once that, “You really need to do something about those lines around your mouth.”

So with that non-too-subtle encouragement, Munasifi, who for years was on Washingtonian’s Top Doctors list, became my go-to for the personal, too. I regularly recommended him to friends considering plastic surgery; he gave one friend a breast reduction and another an eyelift. Both liked him as much as their results. Whenever a new skin treatment, especially lasers, would start getting promoted, I’d ask what he thought of it. He discouraged me and others from treatments or surgery as often as he recommended it.

When videos started being used with every article at USA Today in the 2010s and the 20-something reporters were becoming on-camera reporters, 50-something me decided it was time for Munasifi to do something about my turkey neck—and those lines. I couldn’t imagine trusting anyone else. I got a facelift in my late 50s and a breast reduction soon after.

When the pandemic hit, I’d been doing reporting with Munasifi’s behind-the-scenes help on physicians facing sexual assault allegations in several states. I never finished the project due to Covid coverage and a 2021 buyout. My earlier investigation of a then-Cleveland Clinic colorectal surgeon accused of sexually assaulting two patients led to the physician’s departure, although he didn’t lose his medical license.

Such cases irked him so much that Munasifi, who hunted and played poker with the late conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, had a post-retirement dream job that was decidedly left-leaning. He once told me he’d love to be a healthcare investigator for Public Citizen, which Ralph Nader founded.

Alas, he never got a chance to retire.

Munasifi already needed two knee replacements and had failing kidneys when he had a bad fall in March 2025 that fractured his hip, requiring surgery. He had to take a leave from his plastic surgery practice in Arlington.

He didn’t let on how ill he was when I asked that April if one of the high school journalism students I was working with could interview him for a story, just as Youthcast Media Group students did in 2019.

In August, I texted him about a Brazilian house cleaner I know who had travelled to Florida to get a tummy tuck from a low-cost clinic she found on Facebook. It was just the kind of case we discussed 15 years earlier, prompting that first investigation. The surgery was botched, the site became infected, and she had to pay for another surgery to repair all the damage.

He spent 20 minutes on Zoom with the woman, asked for photos and offered to reach out to Governor Ron DeSantis about the doctor who performed the surgery.

Two weeks later, he started dialysis. He’d never mentioned kidney problems—or that he was also getting treated for lymphoma.

In October, he texted that he wished to talk. He wanted to write an op-ed about what should be done about impaired doctors and other healthcare hazards. In November, I texted that Leah Binder, CEO of the hospital rating organization Leapfrog Group, was willing to join me for a working visit to his house to discuss the state of patient safety. He said he had travelled to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, three weeks earlier to have one of his knees replaced because he thought he would get the best care there.

Binder, who headed health policy for Rudolph Giuliani when he was the Republican mayor of New York City, describes herself as a moderate and “staunch advocate for never making patient safety a partisan issue.”

Knowing about Binder’s organization, Munasifi told me, “She must be a democratic thinker—or fair like me.”

In January, when he wasn’t responding to my texts, I dropped by his house. Medical technician Sandra Soares answered the door and ushered me into his bedroom, where another technician was giving him dialysis. He was yellow with anemia.

I texted him again on February 5. Soares replied for him. He had gone back to the Mayo Clinic—by private jet, too weak to travel any other way—because he had consulted with a nephrologist while getting dialysis there in November. He thought the health system was best equipped to treat all of his health conditions.

“He told everyone he was not leaving until he was completely okay,” says Soares. “Unfortunately, he decided too late.”

Former Washingtonian contributing editor Jayne O’Donnell was a USA Today reporter from 1993 to 2021. She is the founder of Youthcast Media Group, which trains high school students from under-resourced communities to do multimedia journalism about health and safety.

The post The Plastic Surgeon Who Said Bad Doctors Could “Sell Cookies” first appeared on Washingtonian.

I was 37. In 1997, at least, that was considered by most to be too young for plastic surgery.

That’s what the editors at Washingtonian and I thought. So they sent me out to visit five local plastic surgeons as a potential client with two complaints about my face: crow’s feet and the lines around my mouth known as nasolabial folds. None of the doctors knew I worked for Washingtonian.

“Does She Need a Facelift?” asked the headline.

Talal Munasifi was the only physician in the article who liked it. Even though he suggested I get the “fat pads” I didn’t know I had in my eyelids removed through surgery, I wrote it was a “soft sell.”  (Only one doctor didn’t suggest anything; others recommended creams, injections, laser treatments, and a series of implants to round out my oval face.) Munasifi even sent a funny card complimenting the article, but noting that he had told me I’d come back in two years to have him correct my “turkey neck.” I had mistakenly written “chicken neck,” forgetting that chickens don’t have the biggest wattles. (He was wrong, too: I waited 20 years.)

By the time he died in February, the conservative, Baghdad-born Munasifi had been a mentor to generations of surgeons and a staunch advocate for patients.

His patient safety advocacy extended to me and millions of readers of USA Today, where I was a reporter. It started in my early 40s when I began going to Munasifi for cosmetic injections. (All that solicited advice in ‘97 had cut rather deep.) He showed me photos of botched surgeries others had performed that he fixed, and started telling me what he said was really going on in healthcare.

As doctors’ insurance reimbursements were shrinking, everyone from OB/GYNs to oral surgeons was offering nips, tucks, and enhancements to everything from tummies to tushes. Many of them were already performing medically necessary surgeries, so what was the harm of adding a cosmetic one to boost their bills? The number of hours that the patient was under anesthesia, for one thing, Munasifi explained. Who was policing that? I asked. Not necessarily the hospitals or surgery centers whose bottom lines benefit, he told me.

When Virginia was considering legislation to require abortion clinics to meet the same safety standards as hospitals, he pointed out that other doctors—regardless of their specialties or board certifications—could legally perform surgery in their unaccredited offices in Virginia and most other states. He supported Republican Governor Robert McDonnell, who signed the law, but couldn’t abide that far riskier surgeries weren’t held to such high standards.

My Munasifi-inspired patient safety reporting began with a two-part 2011 project on risky cosmetic surgery procedures, which included an investigation of the company Lifestyle Lift, which was soon required by Florida to change its ads and went out of business in 2015. Many of the lapses in regulation and oversight allowed doctors with little training to perform cosmetic procedures in unsafe facilities and on unsuspecting patients.

Worse, to Munasifi: doctors’ dirty deeds often went unpunished. He was incensed that physicians were often permitted to continue practicing medicine despite substance abuse or high rates of surgical complications. He was especially unsympathetic to doctors’ and their lawyers’ lament during investigations that they might be out of work after years of medical school and loans.

“I don’t care if they have to sell cookies,” he told me.

By the time I got the Washingtonian assignment, I was no stranger to the idea of plastic surgery. My late mother had a great facelift in her 50s after remarrying. She loved it when I appeared as a guest on national TV shows and would say my hair or jacket looked “great.” In Mom’s immutable style, she noted more than once that, “You really need to do something about those lines around your mouth.”

So with that non-too-subtle encouragement, Munasifi, who for years was on Washingtonian’s Top Doctors list, became my go-to for the personal, too. I regularly recommended him to friends considering plastic surgery; he gave one friend a breast reduction and another an eyelift. Both liked him as much as their results. Whenever a new skin treatment, especially lasers, would start getting promoted, I’d ask what he thought of it. He discouraged me and others from treatments or surgery as often as he recommended it.

When videos started being used with every article at USA Today in the 2010s and the 20-something reporters were becoming on-camera reporters, 50-something me decided it was time for Munasifi to do something about my turkey neck—and those lines. I couldn’t imagine trusting anyone else. I got a facelift in my late 50s and a breast reduction soon after.

When the pandemic hit, I’d been doing reporting with Munasifi’s behind-the-scenes help on physicians facing sexual assault allegations in several states. I never finished the project due to Covid coverage and a 2021 buyout. My earlier investigation of a then-Cleveland Clinic colorectal surgeon accused of sexually assaulting two patients led to the physician’s departure, although he didn’t lose his medical license.

Such cases irked him so much that Munasifi, who hunted and played poker with the late conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, had a post-retirement dream job that was decidedly left-leaning. He once told me he’d love to be a healthcare investigator for Public Citizen, which Ralph Nader founded.

Alas, he never got a chance to retire.

Munasifi already needed two knee replacements and had failing kidneys when he had a bad fall in March 2025 that fractured his hip, requiring surgery. He had to take a leave from his plastic surgery practice in Arlington.

He didn’t let on how ill he was when I asked that April if one of the high school journalism students I was working with could interview him for a story, just as Youthcast Media Group students did in 2019.

In August, I texted him about a Brazilian house cleaner I know who had travelled to Florida to get a tummy tuck from a low-cost clinic she found on Facebook. It was just the kind of case we discussed 15 years earlier, prompting that first investigation. The surgery was botched, the site became infected, and she had to pay for another surgery to repair all the damage.

He spent 20 minutes on Zoom with the woman, asked for photos and offered to reach out to Governor Ron DeSantis about the doctor who performed the surgery.

Two weeks later, he started dialysis. He’d never mentioned kidney problems—or that he was also getting treated for lymphoma.

In October, he texted that he wished to talk. He wanted to write an op-ed about what should be done about impaired doctors and other healthcare hazards. In November, I texted that Leah Binder, CEO of the hospital rating organization Leapfrog Group, was willing to join me for a working visit to his house to discuss the state of patient safety. He said he had travelled to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, three weeks earlier to have one of his knees replaced because he thought he would get the best care there.

Binder, who headed health policy for Rudolph Giuliani when he was the Republican mayor of New York City, describes herself as a moderate and “staunch advocate for never making patient safety a partisan issue.”

Knowing about Binder’s organization, Munasifi told me, “She must be a democratic thinker—or fair like me.”

In January, when he wasn’t responding to my texts, I dropped by his house. Medical technician Sandra Soares answered the door and ushered me into his bedroom, where another technician was giving him dialysis. He was yellow with anemia.

I texted him again on February 5. Soares replied for him. He had gone back to the Mayo Clinic—by private jet, too weak to travel any other way—because he had consulted with a nephrologist while getting dialysis there in November. He thought the health system was best equipped to treat all of his health conditions.

“He told everyone he was not leaving until he was completely okay,” says Soares. “Unfortunately, he decided too late.”

Former Washingtonian contributing editor Jayne O’Donnell was a USA Today reporter from 1993 to 2021. She is the founder of Youthcast Media Group, which trains high school students from under-resourced communities to do multimedia journalism about health and safety.

The post The Plastic Surgeon Who Said Bad Doctors Could “Sell Cookies” first appeared on Washingtonian.

On Sunday, May 10, Max Davis completed something he never expected to: the first-ever “Washington Monumentathon.” The “marathon” consisted of 327.5 laps around the Washington Monument’s outer ring—roughly 0.08 miles per lap, a route Davis mapped out on Strava just days before. 

The run was in honor of his younger brother, Beck, who died by suicide on May 10, 2023. The two not only loved running together, but, as Davis describes it, were also “extremely competitive.” Beck, he jokes, was the kind of person who “would’ve gone out and done two marathons in one day.”

Coming up on the third anniversary of Beck’s death, Davis wanted to find an unconventional way to both raise awareness around suicide loss and fundraise for the Beck Davis Survivors of Loss Foundation, which he and his mother started last November. At his mom’s encouragement, he posted an open invitation online asking strangers to join him for the “Washington Monumentathon.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Max Davis (@maxjasperdavis)

To his surprise, the video quickly took off. The only problem? Davis had moved to DC from Salt Lake City just three months earlier and barely knew anyone in the city.

So Davis wasn’t just nervous because he had barely trained for the marathon. He also assumed almost nobody would show up. “I was expecting like five to 10 people,” he says. Instead, when he arrived at the Monument at 7 AM, more than 20 strangers were waiting for him with signs, snacks, water, and encouragement.

His mother also flew in from Utah for the event and, to his surprise, his best friends boarded a 2 AM bus from New York to run alongside him.

Davis then spent the next four-and-a-half hours circling the monument with dozens of strangers who joined in to share stories about loved ones they had lost. At one point, even a park police officer on patrol stopped to run a lap with him.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by bts of amb (@theblockbalance)

By the end, 10 people had completed the entire 26.2 miles alongside Davis, while others ran smaller portions before stepping off to cheer from the sidelines. But for the final lap, everyone joined in together, surrounding Davis as they crossed the finish.

For Davis, the most surreal part of the experience was realizing that running—something he once shared with his brother—had become a way to connect with strangers and talk openly about Beck when it otherwise felt difficult to.

“This was all for my brother,” he says, pausing tearfully before adding, “but I think it was truly a healing experience for everyone that was there. It kind of showed me how lucky I am with the people that are out there. For me, it was very healing.”

Since Sunday, Davis has raised more than $3,000 for the Beck Davis Survivors of Loss Foundation, money he hopes will go toward resources for families impacted by suicide loss, including therapy, child loss retreats, financial assistance for time off work, and a future mentorship program.

Beyond the fundraising, Davis says the experience gave him something else entirely: community. In the days after the run, he created a group chat with many of the people who showed up that morning, hoping this won’t be the last time they run together.

For now, though, he admits the aftermath has mostly involved soreness. The morning after the marathon, Davis says he texted many of the runners asking how they were feeling. 

“Most of them were like, ‘I can’t walk,’ ” he says, laughing. “We’re all in the same boat.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Max Davis (@maxjasperdavis)

The post He Ran 327 Laps Around the Washington Monument for His Brother first appeared on Washingtonian.

On Sunday, May 10, Max Davis completed something he never expected to: the first-ever “Washington Monumentathon.” The “marathon” consisted of 327.5 laps around the Washington Monument’s outer ring—roughly 0.08 miles per lap, a route Davis mapped out on Strava just days before. 

The run was in honor of his younger brother, Beck, who died by suicide on May 10, 2023. The two not only loved running together, but, as Davis describes it, were also “extremely competitive.” Beck, he jokes, was the kind of person who “would’ve gone out and done two marathons in one day.”

Coming up on the third anniversary of Beck’s death, Davis wanted to find an unconventional way to both raise awareness around suicide loss and fundraise for the Beck Davis Survivors of Loss Foundation, which he and his mother started last November. At his mom’s encouragement, he posted an open invitation online asking strangers to join him for the “Washington Monumentathon.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Max Davis (@maxjasperdavis)

To his surprise, the video quickly took off. The only problem? Davis had moved to DC from Salt Lake City just three months earlier and barely knew anyone in the city.

So Davis wasn’t just nervous because he had barely trained for the marathon. He also assumed almost nobody would show up. “I was expecting like five to 10 people,” he says. Instead, when he arrived at the Monument at 7 AM, more than 20 strangers were waiting for him with signs, snacks, water, and encouragement.

His mother also flew in from Utah for the event and, to his surprise, his best friends boarded a 2 AM bus from New York to run alongside him.

Davis then spent the next four-and-a-half hours circling the monument with dozens of strangers who joined in to share stories about loved ones they had lost. At one point, even a park police officer on patrol stopped to run a lap with him.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by bts of amb (@theblockbalance)

By the end, 10 people had completed the entire 26.2 miles alongside Davis, while others ran smaller portions before stepping off to cheer from the sidelines. But for the final lap, everyone joined in together, surrounding Davis as they crossed the finish.

For Davis, the most surreal part of the experience was realizing that running—something he once shared with his brother—had become a way to connect with strangers and talk openly about Beck when it otherwise felt difficult to.

“This was all for my brother,” he says, pausing tearfully before adding, “but I think it was truly a healing experience for everyone that was there. It kind of showed me how lucky I am with the people that are out there. For me, it was very healing.”

Since Sunday, Davis has raised more than $3,000 for the Beck Davis Survivors of Loss Foundation, money he hopes will go toward resources for families impacted by suicide loss, including therapy, child loss retreats, financial assistance for time off work, and a future mentorship program.

Beyond the fundraising, Davis says the experience gave him something else entirely: community. In the days after the run, he created a group chat with many of the people who showed up that morning, hoping this won’t be the last time they run together.

For now, though, he admits the aftermath has mostly involved soreness. The morning after the marathon, Davis says he texted many of the runners asking how they were feeling. 

“Most of them were like, ‘I can’t walk,’ ” he says, laughing. “We’re all in the same boat.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Max Davis (@maxjasperdavis)

The post He Ran 327 Laps Around the Washington Monument for His Brother first appeared on Washingtonian.

First published in August 1997.

I should have been flattered.

The editor decided I looked like someone who didn’t need plastic surgery, although I had been wondering if I needed it. That meant I was well suited to find out what cosmetic surgeons are selling these days. We would let them tell us what I needed.

At 37, I thought I was a long way from the surgeon’s knife. And yet… when I look in the mirror and smile, I notice wrinkles around my eyes and creases stretching from my nose and around the corners of my mouth. I figured that, if anything, the talks with cosmetic surgeons would give me the information I’d need when things started to sag and droop in, say, five or ten years.

So I visited five plastic surgeons, gave them all the same complaints about wrinkles, and waited to see what they’d suggest.

I secretly hoped these professionals would say: You’re crazy. You don’t need a thing.

But four out of five doctors told me I wasn’t crazy. It turns out that what I thought was a mild case of crow’s-feet and some common creases around my mouth were the least of my worries.

One thing I learned from the experience: If you’re not sure you want or need plastic surgery, don’t ask surgeons to help you decide. After all, it is the rare individual in the service business who suggests you don’t need the service you’ve come to discuss. They could only assume from my visit that I was ready to be lifted and tucked.

By the time this was over I realized, too, that it isn’t only the knives of plastic surgeons that cut deep.

Stop One: Taking It on the Chin

The consultant who did my “pre-interview” at the Austin-Weston plastic surgery clinic in McLean had two black eyes, staples in her head, and a huge bandage wrapped around her midsection to help a recent liposuction heal. And these were not her first surgeries.

It made me feel horrified by the idea of plastic surgery, but I decided to go through with my appointment with Dr. Harvey Austin. This is a man who had overhauled a woman he thought looked good enough to marry, so I was sure he was going to suggest big things for me. After the well-chiseled surgeon stared intently into my wrinkles for a few minutes, he showed me that when I’m not smiling, I don’t have any real wrinkles. He declared me ineligible for a facelift. It was far too soon for me to have the fat sucked out of my eyelids or my forehead pulled back over my scalp.

His eyes, however, seemed stuck on my chin. My thin chin.

He moved his fingers along what he suggested was a large indentation between my cheeks and my chin. Aside from an old auto-crash scar, I never think of my chin as an area in need of help.

Waving his arms like a conductor, Austin began a passionate speech about my face creating my “life’s options,” as if to suggest cosmetic surgery might boost my career. He went on. “You’re pretty… like the girl next door,” he said. But thanks to science and silicone, a row of implants could give me “fullness” along the bottom of my face. It would cost $2,500, with another $1,000 for “scar revision” on my existing scar.

I told Austin that implants gave me the creeps. I related a story of a lunch I had with a natural-looking Reagan administration official in the early ’80s. After a few glasses of wine, she allowed that she had had a nose job, cheek implants, surgery to turn the corners of her lips up, and a chin implant. She grabbed my hand and put it on her chin. “See!” she said proudly as my fingers moved back and forth over what felt like a peppermint patty swimming under her skin.

Austin opened the door and shouted, “Cathy!” In came a pleasant-looking woman who had been behind the front desk. He motioned for me to feel her chin, and, indeed, the peppermint patty seemed well anchored to her chin bone. When he showed me Cathy’s “before” picture, it was clear she had barely had a chin prior to surgery. Was I in that bad shape?

Still, I was happy Austin didn’t think I needed a facelift or eye tuck. Then came the crowning blow to my ego. He said my big problem down the road was going to be eyes that are too far receded into my head. It would cause dark shadows and general signs of premature aging.

The parking lot was full at Austin’s office. I sat in my car staring in the rear-view mirror at my chin and dark circles.

Round Two: What Pigment Problem?

After the animated Harvey Austin, the soothing, schoolteacher-like Dr. Stephen Kay was a relief. It was also reassuring to meet with a doctor and staff who looked close to like what God intended. I thought, this is not a man given to frivolous face rearranging.

From his Wisconsin Avenue office near Mazza Gallerie, Kay patiently explained the relationship between the face’s skin and muscle and how as people age their muscles are less able to hold the skin taut.

He looked at me closely and declared that with me it wasn’t a matter of muscle: “The skin is the problem.” Then Kay calmly laid out my options. “You don’t want to change your expression,” he said. But I might want to get laser surgery around my eyes and have some of my fat–taken from an area where there was excess–injected into the folds on my face. I winced.

The laser surgery would be quick and relatively painless, he said, although the area around my eyes would be red for at least a week. I wouldn’t be able to wear makeup for those first seven days. After that, the area around my eyes would be pink for several weeks or months, but not so pink that makeup wouldn’t cover it.

I found myself thinking this wasn’t so bad–at least no head staples. After what I’d been hearing, surgery now seemed inevitable. Maybe lasers would, as Kay suggested, keep me ahead of my aging for several years.

Whether I had surgery or not, Kay suggested other stopgap measures. He asked what types of creams I’ve been using on my face. I told him, until lately, Estee Lauder’s Fruition. He waved his arm toward Saks Fifth Avenue across the street, looked like he had tasted something bitter, and said, “those are cosmetics.” My recent switch to MD Formulations on the advice of an esthetician seemed only slightly less distasteful. He recommended I try the prescription wrinkle cream Renova and gave me several samples.

Newly worried about my dark, sunken eyes after my visit with Dr. Austin, I asked Dr. Kay about the problem. He handed me some skin-bleaching cream. Later, at the front desk, when I went to pay the $50 consultation fee, Kay’s assistant asked me for my insurance card. I told her the visit was not covered because I was discussing elective cosmetic surgery. “But you have hyperpigmentation!” she exclaimed.

Kay’s quote for laser surgery and fat injections: $1,350. Fat injections alone would be $325. I told Kay I had a lot of expenses associated with a new house and might have to wait on surgery. He tried to comfort me: “It’s not devastatingly urgent,” he said.

Next Stop: What’s the Rush?

Dr. James French is one of the most talked-about surgeons in youngish female circles. He’s handsome, in a natural sort of way, and married–to a brain surgeon. He has a Southern sincerity that has won many a female patient over. “He’s going to tell you to get lost,” a friend and former French patient assured me.

Hardly. Though I wore more makeup than I had for my other visits, I couldn’t fool French. Following my lead to the wrinkles under my eyes and nose-to-mouth (nasolabial) creases, he slowly laid out my options–all of which involved surgery. He did say at the outset, “You don’t need a facelift.”

He suggested either laser surgery around my eyes or blepharoplasty, the technical term for an eyelift. He urged that the latter would be better, even though it would involve slicing into my lower eyelids and would cause bruising for several weeks. He thought that was better than putting up with the reddened skin that a laser would leave around my eyes for several months.

He gave me two options for my other facial folds: Injecting the creases with my own fat or fat from a cadaver. That would cost $1,250 for one session. I later learned that injected fat wears down; more visits would likely be required.

Those who work in offices where black eyes are a common sight seem unfazed by the idea of going to work looking like you’ve been beaten up. After you work for Dr. French a year, sources say, the doctor waives his fees for plastic surgery–you only pay for the operating room and the anesthesia. Similar arrangements are typical in the business, so bruises seem to be an occupational hazard.

French nearly had me convinced that I needed surgery–and that some selective slicing around my eye now could eliminate the need for more surgery for years. He said it is becoming quite common for women in their thirties to have cosmetic surgery.

I met with French in his Fairfax office–he also has offices in Annandale and Chevy Chase–and I did find him charming. After the consultation, he ushered me into the business office for my price quotes–$3,260 for blepharoplasty or $2,460 for laser eye surgery and fat injections.

French wanted to make an appointment for my surgery. He was the only doctor I talked to who assumed I’d be ready to make a decision that quickly. I declined.

Finally: Just Say No

Then I talked to Dr. Mary McGrath.

McGrath works out of governmentlike quarters in a George Washington University Hospital building. She doesn’t have any well-put-together assistants. And she’s not much of a saleswoman: She has never had plastic surgery herself and appears in no rush to urge anyone else to take the plunge.

She seemed surprised to see me. I liked her immediately.

About the only thing that caught her eye were some “expression lines” between my eyebrows that showed up when I frowned. Her solution? Try to stop frowning.

Unwittingly, she proceeded to refute what other doctors had told me. She looked closely at my face and tried to grab as much skin as she could on my cheeks. “There’s not enough skin to get,” she declared. Any kind of eye or cheek surgery, she said, was out of the question.

If she were to perform any surgery, “in three years, you’d be back where you were,” said McGrath. I didn’t have much to fix, she said, and I would continue to age.

“So where do we go when you’re in limbo?” McGrath asked. She gave me the name of a dermatologist with whom I could discuss creams or chemical peels. But she said even that was unnecessary.

Surgery for a 37-year-old? “Maybe if you had lost 100 pounds,” she said. She called promotions about the miracles of laser and other surgeries for patients without sagging skin a “lot of hype.”

The Last Word: Sticking My Neck Out

Walking into Dr. Talal Munasifi’s Arlington office is like entering a decorator’s show house. Grecian urns and statues adorn a purple and bronze-toned lobby. Munasifi says he spent months combing antique stores and designer outlets for the perfect leather chairs, modern tables, and other pieces. And he’s more than willing to take the time to talk about creating the perfect face.

As his eyes and hands moved from my eyes to my cheeks to my chin, Munasifi grabbed a fold of skin from my neck. “Does this bother you?” he asked. Not until now, I said.

He gave me my options. Instead of cutting into my lower eyelids along the lash line, he could go inside the lids and remove the “fat pads.” Then he would use a laser to “resurface” the eye area to help smooth out fine lines. Total cost: $3,550.

He didn’t want to do anything to fix my nasolabial folds. After all, he said I’d “be back in two years” to have something done about the chicken neck I never knew I had.

Though he suggested surgery, Munasifi’s was a soft sell. I could easily make do with some vitamin-C cream, he said. He even tried to be complimentary.

“You know,” Munasifi said as I was preparing to leave, “you’ve aged very well—you don’t look older than 37.”

The post Does She Need a Facelift? first appeared on Washingtonian.

First published in August 1997.

I should have been flattered.

The editor decided I looked like someone who didn’t need plastic surgery, although I had been wondering if I needed it. That meant I was well suited to find out what cosmetic surgeons are selling these days. We would let them tell us what I needed.

At 37, I thought I was a long way from the surgeon’s knife. And yet… when I look in the mirror and smile, I notice wrinkles around my eyes and creases stretching from my nose and around the corners of my mouth. I figured that, if anything, the talks with cosmetic surgeons would give me the information I’d need when things started to sag and droop in, say, five or ten years.

So I visited five plastic surgeons, gave them all the same complaints about wrinkles, and waited to see what they’d suggest.

I secretly hoped these professionals would say: You’re crazy. You don’t need a thing.

But four out of five doctors told me I wasn’t crazy. It turns out that what I thought was a mild case of crow’s-feet and some common creases around my mouth were the least of my worries.

One thing I learned from the experience: If you’re not sure you want or need plastic surgery, don’t ask surgeons to help you decide. After all, it is the rare individual in the service business who suggests you don’t need the service you’ve come to discuss. They could only assume from my visit that I was ready to be lifted and tucked.

By the time this was over I realized, too, that it isn’t only the knives of plastic surgeons that cut deep.

Stop One: Taking It on the Chin

The consultant who did my “pre-interview” at the Austin-Weston plastic surgery clinic in McLean had two black eyes, staples in her head, and a huge bandage wrapped around her midsection to help a recent liposuction heal. And these were not her first surgeries.

It made me feel horrified by the idea of plastic surgery, but I decided to go through with my appointment with Dr. Harvey Austin. This is a man who had overhauled a woman he thought looked good enough to marry, so I was sure he was going to suggest big things for me. After the well-chiseled surgeon stared intently into my wrinkles for a few minutes, he showed me that when I’m not smiling, I don’t have any real wrinkles. He declared me ineligible for a facelift. It was far too soon for me to have the fat sucked out of my eyelids or my forehead pulled back over my scalp.

His eyes, however, seemed stuck on my chin. My thin chin.

He moved his fingers along what he suggested was a large indentation between my cheeks and my chin. Aside from an old auto-crash scar, I never think of my chin as an area in need of help.

Waving his arms like a conductor, Austin began a passionate speech about my face creating my “life’s options,” as if to suggest cosmetic surgery might boost my career. He went on. “You’re pretty… like the girl next door,” he said. But thanks to science and silicone, a row of implants could give me “fullness” along the bottom of my face. It would cost $2,500, with another $1,000 for “scar revision” on my existing scar.

I told Austin that implants gave me the creeps. I related a story of a lunch I had with a natural-looking Reagan administration official in the early ’80s. After a few glasses of wine, she allowed that she had had a nose job, cheek implants, surgery to turn the corners of her lips up, and a chin implant. She grabbed my hand and put it on her chin. “See!” she said proudly as my fingers moved back and forth over what felt like a peppermint patty swimming under her skin.

Austin opened the door and shouted, “Cathy!” In came a pleasant-looking woman who had been behind the front desk. He motioned for me to feel her chin, and, indeed, the peppermint patty seemed well anchored to her chin bone. When he showed me Cathy’s “before” picture, it was clear she had barely had a chin prior to surgery. Was I in that bad shape?

Still, I was happy Austin didn’t think I needed a facelift or eye tuck. Then came the crowning blow to my ego. He said my big problem down the road was going to be eyes that are too far receded into my head. It would cause dark shadows and general signs of premature aging.

The parking lot was full at Austin’s office. I sat in my car staring in the rear-view mirror at my chin and dark circles.

Round Two: What Pigment Problem?

After the animated Harvey Austin, the soothing, schoolteacher-like Dr. Stephen Kay was a relief. It was also reassuring to meet with a doctor and staff who looked close to like what God intended. I thought, this is not a man given to frivolous face rearranging.

From his Wisconsin Avenue office near Mazza Gallerie, Kay patiently explained the relationship between the face’s skin and muscle and how as people age their muscles are less able to hold the skin taut.

He looked at me closely and declared that with me it wasn’t a matter of muscle: “The skin is the problem.” Then Kay calmly laid out my options. “You don’t want to change your expression,” he said. But I might want to get laser surgery around my eyes and have some of my fat–taken from an area where there was excess–injected into the folds on my face. I winced.

The laser surgery would be quick and relatively painless, he said, although the area around my eyes would be red for at least a week. I wouldn’t be able to wear makeup for those first seven days. After that, the area around my eyes would be pink for several weeks or months, but not so pink that makeup wouldn’t cover it.

I found myself thinking this wasn’t so bad–at least no head staples. After what I’d been hearing, surgery now seemed inevitable. Maybe lasers would, as Kay suggested, keep me ahead of my aging for several years.

Whether I had surgery or not, Kay suggested other stopgap measures. He asked what types of creams I’ve been using on my face. I told him, until lately, Estee Lauder’s Fruition. He waved his arm toward Saks Fifth Avenue across the street, looked like he had tasted something bitter, and said, “those are cosmetics.” My recent switch to MD Formulations on the advice of an esthetician seemed only slightly less distasteful. He recommended I try the prescription wrinkle cream Renova and gave me several samples.

Newly worried about my dark, sunken eyes after my visit with Dr. Austin, I asked Dr. Kay about the problem. He handed me some skin-bleaching cream. Later, at the front desk, when I went to pay the $50 consultation fee, Kay’s assistant asked me for my insurance card. I told her the visit was not covered because I was discussing elective cosmetic surgery. “But you have hyperpigmentation!” she exclaimed.

Kay’s quote for laser surgery and fat injections: $1,350. Fat injections alone would be $325. I told Kay I had a lot of expenses associated with a new house and might have to wait on surgery. He tried to comfort me: “It’s not devastatingly urgent,” he said.

Next Stop: What’s the Rush?

Dr. James French is one of the most talked-about surgeons in youngish female circles. He’s handsome, in a natural sort of way, and married–to a brain surgeon. He has a Southern sincerity that has won many a female patient over. “He’s going to tell you to get lost,” a friend and former French patient assured me.

Hardly. Though I wore more makeup than I had for my other visits, I couldn’t fool French. Following my lead to the wrinkles under my eyes and nose-to-mouth (nasolabial) creases, he slowly laid out my options–all of which involved surgery. He did say at the outset, “You don’t need a facelift.”

He suggested either laser surgery around my eyes or blepharoplasty, the technical term for an eyelift. He urged that the latter would be better, even though it would involve slicing into my lower eyelids and would cause bruising for several weeks. He thought that was better than putting up with the reddened skin that a laser would leave around my eyes for several months.

He gave me two options for my other facial folds: Injecting the creases with my own fat or fat from a cadaver. That would cost $1,250 for one session. I later learned that injected fat wears down; more visits would likely be required.

Those who work in offices where black eyes are a common sight seem unfazed by the idea of going to work looking like you’ve been beaten up. After you work for Dr. French a year, sources say, the doctor waives his fees for plastic surgery–you only pay for the operating room and the anesthesia. Similar arrangements are typical in the business, so bruises seem to be an occupational hazard.

French nearly had me convinced that I needed surgery–and that some selective slicing around my eye now could eliminate the need for more surgery for years. He said it is becoming quite common for women in their thirties to have cosmetic surgery.

I met with French in his Fairfax office–he also has offices in Annandale and Chevy Chase–and I did find him charming. After the consultation, he ushered me into the business office for my price quotes–$3,260 for blepharoplasty or $2,460 for laser eye surgery and fat injections.

French wanted to make an appointment for my surgery. He was the only doctor I talked to who assumed I’d be ready to make a decision that quickly. I declined.

Finally: Just Say No

Then I talked to Dr. Mary McGrath.

McGrath works out of governmentlike quarters in a George Washington University Hospital building. She doesn’t have any well-put-together assistants. And she’s not much of a saleswoman: She has never had plastic surgery herself and appears in no rush to urge anyone else to take the plunge.

She seemed surprised to see me. I liked her immediately.

About the only thing that caught her eye were some “expression lines” between my eyebrows that showed up when I frowned. Her solution? Try to stop frowning.

Unwittingly, she proceeded to refute what other doctors had told me. She looked closely at my face and tried to grab as much skin as she could on my cheeks. “There’s not enough skin to get,” she declared. Any kind of eye or cheek surgery, she said, was out of the question.

If she were to perform any surgery, “in three years, you’d be back where you were,” said McGrath. I didn’t have much to fix, she said, and I would continue to age.

“So where do we go when you’re in limbo?” McGrath asked. She gave me the name of a dermatologist with whom I could discuss creams or chemical peels. But she said even that was unnecessary.

Surgery for a 37-year-old? “Maybe if you had lost 100 pounds,” she said. She called promotions about the miracles of laser and other surgeries for patients without sagging skin a “lot of hype.”

The Last Word: Sticking My Neck Out

Walking into Dr. Talal Munasifi’s Arlington office is like entering a decorator’s show house. Grecian urns and statues adorn a purple and bronze-toned lobby. Munasifi says he spent months combing antique stores and designer outlets for the perfect leather chairs, modern tables, and other pieces. And he’s more than willing to take the time to talk about creating the perfect face.

As his eyes and hands moved from my eyes to my cheeks to my chin, Munasifi grabbed a fold of skin from my neck. “Does this bother you?” he asked. Not until now, I said.

He gave me my options. Instead of cutting into my lower eyelids along the lash line, he could go inside the lids and remove the “fat pads.” Then he would use a laser to “resurface” the eye area to help smooth out fine lines. Total cost: $3,550.

He didn’t want to do anything to fix my nasolabial folds. After all, he said I’d “be back in two years” to have something done about the chicken neck I never knew I had.

Though he suggested surgery, Munasifi’s was a soft sell. I could easily make do with some vitamin-C cream, he said. He even tried to be complimentary.

“You know,” Munasifi said as I was preparing to leave, “you’ve aged very well—you don’t look older than 37.”

The post Does She Need a Facelift? first appeared on Washingtonian.

Attorneys Katrina and Web met, as they say, “in true DC style—as summer associates at a law firm.” They started out as office mates—she somewhat resentful that Web was assigned the better desk next to the window, and he was struck by the clacking of her “meticulously painted” nails against her keyboard, and later her “encyclopedia knowledge of South Park.” A friendship—one that included many very serious and competitive foosball games at Player’s Club—quickly developed, and though their lives initially took different directions after that summer, they say no one was surprised except themselves when they started dating four years later. A year and a half later, Web proposed along the C&O Canal in Georgetown.

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Get more Washingtonian Weddings inspo Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

---

Before a larger wedding in Italy, the pair married in front of 16 guests last spring at the Extra Fancy Penthouse in DC. Katrina and Web say they wanted a “rich, romantic aesthetic” that also incorporated soft spring colors and flowers. The result was a “moody, springtime romance”-themed celebration, decorated in a color palette of dark red, blush, and chartreuse.

The invitation included a funny nod to how they met at work with the text “When you arrive, knock on the door and let them know you’re here for the Covington summer associate event.” The menu included a cocktail hour of passed fried chicken, sashimi, and Jell-O shots, followed by what Web called a “masterful yet unserious” seven-course dinner from Pineapple & Pearls. Other menu items included a “Thrilla in Manila” wedding cake from Pineapple & Pearls, and late-night cheeseburgers in to-go boxes for guests to take home. “The benefit of a small guest list,” they say, “was the ability to maximize our food, drinks, and decor.” In the end, they described the wedding as a Victorian springtime fever dream. Following the intimate affair, the couple mini-mooned at Keswick Hall in Charlottesville before gearing up for a much larger celebration in Puglia.

See the photos from the wedding below.

.eic-frame-1781445 { width: 1247px; height:804px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781445 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781446 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781446 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781447 { width: 1247px; height:890px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781447 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; }

.eic-frame-1781450 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781450 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781448 { width: 1247px; height:860px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781448 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781449 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781449 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781451 { width: 1247px; height:860px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781451 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781452 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781452 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781453 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781453 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781454 { width: 1242px; height:828px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781454 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781455 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781455 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781456 { width: 1237px; height:883px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781456 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; }

 

Wedding Details

Photographer: Nikki Daskalakis

Venue: Extra Fancy Penthouse

Planning and design: Sentimental Fools Events

Florals: Pomona Floral

Invitations: Every Little Something

Hair and makeup: Caitlyn Meyer

Bride’s attire: Lela Rose Bridal

Groom’s attire: SuitSupply

Rentals: BBJ La Tavola, Select Event Group

 

#vid-container1 {display: none !important;}<br />

 

The post The Decadent Menu at This Moody Springtime Microwedding Included Fried Chicken, Sashimi, Jell-O Shots, and Late-Night Cheeseburgers to Go first appeared on Washingtonian.

Attorneys Katrina and Web met, as they say, “in true DC style—as summer associates at a law firm.” They started out as office mates—she somewhat resentful that Web was assigned the better desk next to the window, and he was struck by the clacking of her “meticulously painted” nails against her keyboard, and later her “encyclopedia knowledge of South Park.” A friendship—one that included many very serious and competitive foosball games at Player’s Club—quickly developed, and though their lives initially took different directions after that summer, they say no one was surprised except themselves when they started dating four years later. A year and a half later, Web proposed along the C&O Canal in Georgetown.

---

Get more Washingtonian Weddings inspo Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

---

---

Get more Washingtonian Weddings inspo Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

---

Before a larger wedding in Italy, the pair married in front of 16 guests last spring at the Extra Fancy Penthouse in DC. Katrina and Web say they wanted a “rich, romantic aesthetic” that also incorporated soft spring colors and flowers. The result was a “moody, springtime romance”-themed celebration, decorated in a color palette of dark red, blush, and chartreuse.

The invitation included a funny nod to how they met at work with the text “When you arrive, knock on the door and let them know you’re here for the Covington summer associate event.” The menu included a cocktail hour of passed fried chicken, sashimi, and Jell-O shots, followed by what Web called a “masterful yet unserious” seven-course dinner from Pineapple and Pearls. Other menu items included a “Thrilla in Manila” wedding cake from Pineapple and Pearls, and late-night cheeseburgers in to-go boxes for guests to take home. “The benefit of a small guest list,” they say, “was the ability to maximize our food, drinks, and decor.” In the end, they described the wedding as a Victorian springtime fever dream. Following the intimate affair, the couple mini-mooned at Keswick Hall in Charlottesville before gearing up for a much larger celebration in Puglia.

See the photos from the wedding below.

.eic-frame-1781445 { width: 1247px; height:804px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781445 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781446 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781446 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781447 { width: 1247px; height:890px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781447 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; }

.eic-frame-1781450 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781450 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781448 { width: 1247px; height:860px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781448 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781449 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781449 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781451 { width: 1247px; height:860px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781451 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781452 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781452 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781453 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781453 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781454 { width: 1242px; height:828px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781454 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781455 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781455 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781456 { width: 1237px; height:883px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781456 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; }

 

Wedding Details

Photographer: Nikki Daskalakis

Venue: Extra Fancy Penthouse

Planning and design: Sentimental Fools Events

Florals: Pomona Floral

Invitations: Every Little Something

Hair and makeup: Caitlyn Meyer

Bride’s attire: Lela Rose Bridal

Groom’s attire: SuitSupply

Rentals: BBJ La Tavola, Select Event Group

 

#vid-container1 {display: none !important;}<br />

 

The post The Decadent Menu at This Moody Springtime Microwedding Included Fried Chicken, Sashimi, Jell-O Shots, and Late-Night Cheeseburgers To Go first appeared on Washingtonian.

Good morning. Sunny and breezy today with a high around 73. A low near 53 overnight.

Sports this weekend: The Nationals host the Baltimore Orioles today, tomorrow, and Sunday. The Washington Spirit visit the San Diego Wave Friday evening. D.C. United host St. Louis Saturday evening. Old Glory DC host the New England Free Jacks at George Mason Stadium Sunday.  

You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below. This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Jawbox, “Savory.” J. Hunter Bennett, a serious contender for the title of DC’s Most Punk Lawyer, discusses his new book, “More Punk Than the Public Library: The Adventures of a Little Free Punk Rock Bookstore” at Politics and Prose Saturday with Jawbox’s Kim Coletta.   

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

The war: Iran set conditions—including the US paying reparations and acknowledging Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz—before it will engage in further negotiations with the US to end the war President Trump started more than ten weeks ago. Meanwhile, attacks continued in the strait Thursday: One ship was sunk, another seized. (AP) Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads US Central Command, said that Iran retains a “very moderate, if not small, capability to ​continue strikes.” Cooper downplayed reports that US intelligence had found Iran still has much of its pre-war military capability. (Reuters)

Iran and China: While Trump was in China for a summit with Chinese President Xi ​Jinping yesterday, Iranian state media reported that “Iran has allowed some Chinese vessels to pass through” the strait, a signal that “China’s leverage in the Hormuz crisis has been growing.” (NYT)  Trump said he and Xi both agreed Iran shouldn’t have nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, China’s foreign ministry said the war “should never have happened” and “has no reason to continue.” (Reuters) Back at home, the House of Representatives defeated, by way of a 212-212 tie, a resolution to end the war. (Hill) Behind-the-scenes chaos spiced up the experience for some accompanying Trump on the trip. (New York Post) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is technically banned from entering China, but the Chinese government reportedly found a workaround: changing the spelling of his name to include “the character ‘鲁’, which means ‘reckless’, ‘stupid’ or ‘crass’.” (Times of London)

The art of the self-deal: Trump plans to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for negotiating (essentially with himself) a $1.7 billion fund that will “compensate allies,” including people who took part in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, “who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration.” (ABC News) Trump “personally bought and sold millions of dollars worth of stock in technology companies and government contractors early this year.” (Notus) GOP lawmakers hope the Senate parliamentarian can get them out of voting to direct $1 billion to Trump’s planned ballroom at the White House. (Politico)

DHS doings: New Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has “spent his first few weeks quietly reversing” policies and decisions made by his fired predecessor, Kristi Noem, including directing ICE “not to launch any large or overly aggressive immigration raids” at the moment. (WSJ) Still, DHS is moving ahead with plans to turn warehouses it purchased into detention centers. (Washington Post) Border Patrol boss Mike Banks will step down. (Politico)

Administration perambulation: Pentagon staffers and US allies in Europe were surprised by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s “last-minute decision to cancel the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland.” (Politico) The lists of voters Trump ordered compiled in his ongoing and unconstitutional attempts to assert control over US elections “are likely to be incomplete and unreliable for determining voter eligibility,” a DOJ official told a judge. (NYT) The US will drop bribery charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani after he hired a legal team that includes Robert J. Giuffra Jr., one of Trump’s personal lawyers. (NYT) VA Secretary Doug Collins “will testify before House appropriators next week after lawmakers voted to withhold funding for the agency if he didn’t.” (Politico) The Supreme Court allowed access to mifepristone without a doctor’s visit to continue, likely at least into 2027, while a lawsuit from Louisiana that seeks to overturn the FDA’s approval of the drug works its way through the courts. (AP) US Representative Thomas Kean Jr. of New Jersey hasn’t voted for two months. Staff say he’s dealing with a health condition. (NYT) Health Secretary RFK Jr. said he doesn’t plan to run for President in 2028. (CBS News)  FBI Director Kash Patel went on a “VIP snorkel” trip around the sunken USS Arizona, the resting place of hundreds of US soldiers in Pearl Harbor. (AP)

Cool Listing: An MCM gem in Chevy Chase

This five-bedroom, three-bathroom mid-century modern house in Chevy Chase features exposed ceiling beams, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a fenced-in pool. It’s listed for $1,445,000, and you can see lots more photos here.

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• A conversation with Guido Reichstadter, who camped out on the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge for five days.

• We spoke with Maryland schools chief Carey Wright about her experience turning around schools in Mississippi, why she came out of retirement, and what parents can do to best support their kids’ educations.

• Construction on Trump’s ballroom continues above-ground, despite a court order. Have a look.

• Jamie McGonnigal, a voice actor who worked on the “Pokémon” series, is running for a school board seat in Prince George’s County.

• Catahoula, which serves Louisiana fare like barbecue shrimp and corn-and-crab bisque, has opened in Navy Yard.

• The summer parties are coming. Make your plans now.

• It will feel like a “documentary you can walk through”: A VR experience based on data from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, will open next month in Penn Quarter.

• This art-inspired fall wedding at the Renwick had an emphasis on family, food, and fun.

Local news links:

• Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger vetoed legislation that would have expanded collective bargaining rights in the commonwealth. Union members protested the decision outside a Spanberger event in Merrifield Wednesday. (FFX Now)

• Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted a plan for East Potomac Golf Links on social media. The plan appears to preserve the Ohio Drive loop around the peninsula. (WTOP)

• People who live near the RFK campus are upset that Metro doesn’t plan to build a new station there as part of plans for a new Commanders stadium. (WUSA9)

• Metro said yesterday that 70 percent of bus riders aren’t paying, and that it’s lost $50 million in the last nine months as a result. (WUSA9)

• A guest at the Marriott in North Bethesda was shot in the head and killed outside the hotel yesterday. (NBC4 Washington)

• Good Samaritans including NBC News reporter Tom Costello helped rescue a teen from a burning car after a crash on the Beltway. (NBC4 Washington)

• Police in Rockville say a group of 20 people on mopeds are responsible for an assault that left a 15-year-old in the hospital. (Bethesda Magazine)

• Authorities in Stafford, Virginia, say they’ve found the mother of a baby found abandoned in a park. (NBC4 Washington)

• Parents in Fairfax are concerned about the school system’s ability to block inappropriate websites and games, like one called “Five Nights at Epstein’s.” (WTOP)

• Sunday Joseph, who drove into a child’s birthday party in Maryland last year, killing one person and hitting 14 others, got ten years. (WTOP)

• An Alexandria church has installed a memorial to people who’ve died in ICE custody since last year. (ALXnow)

• The National Mall fireworks display on July 4 could last as long as half an hour in an attempt to break a world record. (Axios D.C.) Drones, not fireworks, will light up the sky at Lake Fairfax Park on July 4. (FFX Now)

• Fairfax County high-school students will have to cross the street without the help of crossing guards starting this fall. (WTOP)

• GWU’s graduation ceremonies and a prayer festival on the Mall will occasion road closures and parking restrictions in town this weekend. Here’s a list. (MPD)

• The Nationals will introduce their new team puppy, Natty, at tonight’s game. (DC News Now)

• The Commanders’ full schedule for the next season is out. (WTOP)

• School bus driver Maurice Williams found out he’d won $5 million from a Maryland lottery ticket—then went to work. (NBC4 Washington)

• Irma Garcia, 74, will graduate from George Mason University this weekend. The grandmother of eight put off her own education for decades to support her family. (Fox 5 DC)

• A family of geese held up traffic on I-66 for more than an hour yesterday. (ARLnow)

Weekend event picks:

Friday: The Lucketts Spring Market opens today.

Saturday: It’s time for the Fiesta Asia street festival near the Capitol.

Sunday: Wesley Brown discusses his new book, “Looking for Frank Willis,” with Lisa Page at Politics & Prose.

See lots more picks for the weekend from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

The post Trump Negotiates Billion-Dollar Settlement With Himself, Kash Patel Snorkeled in Pearl Harbor, and an NBC News Reporter Helped Rescue a Teen From a Burning Car first appeared on Washingtonian.

Good morning. Sunny and breezy today with a high around 73. A low near 53 overnight.

Sports this weekend: The Nationals host the Baltimore Orioles today, tomorrow, and Sunday. The Washington Spirit visit the San Diego Wave Friday evening. D.C. United host St. Louis Saturday evening. Old Glory DC host the New England Free Jacks at George Mason Stadium Sunday.  

You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below. This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Jawbox, “Savory.” J. Hunter Bennett, a serious contender for the title of DC’s Most Punk Lawyer, discusses his new book, “More Punk Than the Public Library: The Adventures of a Little Free Punk Rock Bookstore” at Politics and Prose Saturday with Jawbox’s Kim Coletta.   

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

The war: Iran set conditions—including the US paying reparations and acknowledging Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz—before it will engage in further negotiations with the US to end the war President Trump started more than ten weeks ago. Meanwhile, attacks continued in the strait Thursday: One ship was sunk, another seized. (AP) Admiral Brad Cooper, who leads US Central Command, said that Iran retains a “very moderate, if not small, capability to ​continue strikes.” Cooper downplayed reports that US intelligence had found Iran still has much of its pre-war military capability. (Reuters)

Iran and China: While Trump was in China for a summit with Chinese President Xi ​Jinping yesterday, Iranian state media reported that “Iran has allowed some Chinese vessels to pass through” the strait, a signal that “China’s leverage in the Hormuz crisis has been growing.” (NYT)  Trump said he and Xi both agreed Iran shouldn’t have nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, China’s foreign ministry said the war “should never have happened” and “has no reason to continue.” (Reuters) Back at home, the House of Representatives defeated, by way of a 212-212 tie, a resolution to end the war. (Hill) Behind-the-scenes chaos spiced up the experience for some accompanying Trump on the trip. (New York Post) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is technically banned from entering China, but the Chinese government reportedly found a workaround: changing the spelling of his name to include “the character ‘鲁’, which means ‘reckless’, ‘stupid’ or ‘crass’.” (Times of London)

The art of the self-deal: Trump plans to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for negotiating (essentially with himself) a $1.7 billion fund that will “compensate allies,” including people who took part in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, “who claim they were wrongfully targeted by the Biden administration.” (ABC News) Trump “personally bought and sold millions of dollars worth of stock in technology companies and government contractors early this year.” (Notus) GOP lawmakers hope the Senate parliamentarian can get them out of voting to direct $1 billion to Trump’s planned ballroom at the White House. (Politico)

DHS doings: New Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has “spent his first few weeks quietly reversing” policies and decisions made by his fired predecessor, Kristi Noem, including directing ICE “not to launch any large or overly aggressive immigration raids” at the moment. (WSJ) Still, DHS is moving ahead with plans to turn warehouses it purchased into detention centers. (Washington Post) Border Patrol boss Mike Banks will step down. (Politico)

Administration perambulation: Pentagon staffers and US allies in Europe were surprised by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s “last-minute decision to cancel the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland.” (Politico) The lists of voters Trump ordered compiled in his ongoing and unconstitutional attempts to assert control over US elections “are likely to be incomplete and unreliable for determining voter eligibility,” a DOJ official told a judge. (NYT) The US will drop bribery charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani after he hired a legal team that includes Robert J. Giuffra Jr., one of Trump’s personal lawyers. (NYT) VA Secretary Doug Collins “will testify before House appropriators next week after lawmakers voted to withhold funding for the agency if he didn’t.” (Politico) The Supreme Court allowed access to mifepristone without a doctor’s visit to continue, likely at least into 2027, while a lawsuit from Louisiana that seeks to overturn the FDA’s approval of the drug works its way through the courts. (AP) US Representative Thomas Kean Jr. of New Jersey hasn’t voted for two months. Staff say he’s dealing with a health condition. (NYT) Health Secretary RFK Jr. said he doesn’t plan to run for President in 2028. (CBS News)  FBI Director Kash Patel went on a “VIP snorkel” trip around the sunken USS Arizona, the resting place of hundreds of US soldiers in Pearl Harbor. (AP)

Cool Listing: An MCM gem in Chevy Chase

This five-bedroom, three-bathroom mid-century modern house in Chevy Chase features exposed ceiling beams, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a fenced-in pool. It’s listed for $1,445,000, and you can see lots more photos here.

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• A conversation with Guido Reichstadter, who camped out on the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge for five days.

• We spoke with Maryland schools chief Carey Wright about her experience turning around schools in Mississippi, why she came out of retirement, and what parents can do to best support their kids’ educations.

• Construction on Trump’s ballroom continues above-ground, despite a court order. Have a look.

• Jamie McGonnigal, a voice actor who worked on the “Pokémon” series, is running for a school board seat in Prince George’s County.

• Catahoula, which serves Louisiana fare like barbecue shrimp and corn-and-crab bisque, has opened in Navy Yard.

• The summer parties are coming. Make your plans now.

• It will feel like a “documentary you can walk through”: A VR experience based on data from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, will open next month in Penn Quarter.

• This art-inspired fall wedding at the Renwick had an emphasis on family, food, and fun.

Local news links:

• Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger vetoed legislation that would have expanded collective bargaining rights in the commonwealth. Union members protested the decision outside a Spanberger event in Merrifield Wednesday. (FFX Now)

• Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted a plan for East Potomac Golf Links on social media. The plan appears to preserve the Ohio Drive loop around the peninsula. (WTOP)

• People who live near the RFK campus are upset that Metro doesn’t plan to build a new station there as part of plans for a new Commanders stadium. (WUSA9)

• Metro said yesterday that 70 percent of bus riders aren’t paying, and that it’s lost $50 million in the last nine months as a result. (WUSA9)

• A guest at the Marriott in North Bethesda was shot in the head and killed outside the hotel yesterday. (NBC4 Washington)

• Good Samaritans including NBC News reporter Tom Costello helped rescue a teen from a burning car after a crash on the Beltway. (NBC4 Washington)

• Police in Rockville say a group of 20 people on mopeds are responsible for an assault that left a 15-year-old in the hospital. (Bethesda Magazine)

• Authorities in Stafford, Virginia, say they’ve found the mother of a baby found abandoned in a park. (NBC4 Washington)

• Parents in Fairfax are concerned about the school system’s ability to block inappropriate websites and games, like one called “Five Nights at Epstein’s.” (WTOP)

• Sunday Joseph, who drove into a child’s birthday party in Maryland last year, killing one person and hitting 14 others, got ten years. (WTOP)

• An Alexandria church has installed a memorial to people who’ve died in ICE custody since last year. (ALXnow)

• The National Mall fireworks display on July 4 could last as long as half an hour in an attempt to break a world record. (Axios D.C.) Drones, not fireworks, will light up the sky at Lake Fairfax Park on July 4. (FFX Now)

• Fairfax County high-school students will have to cross the street without the help of crossing guards starting this fall. (WTOP)

• GWU’s graduation ceremonies and a prayer festival on the Mall will occasion road closures and parking restrictions in town this weekend. Here’s a list. (MPD)

• The Nationals will introduce their new team puppy, Natty, at tonight’s game. (DC News Now)

• The Commanders’ full schedule for the next season is out. (WTOP)

• School bus driver Maurice Williams found out he’d won $5 million from a Maryland lottery ticket—then went to work. (NBC4 Washington)

• Irma Garcia, 74, will graduate from George Mason University this weekend. The grandmother of eight put off her own education for decades to support her family. (Fox 5 DC)

• A family of geese held up traffic on I-66 for more than an hour yesterday. (ARLnow)

Weekend event picks:

Friday: The Lucketts Spring Market opens today.

Saturday: It’s time for the Fiesta Asia street festival near the Capitol.

Sunday: Wesley Brown discusses his new book, “Looking for Frank Willis,” with Lisa Page at Politics & Prose.

See lots more picks for the weekend from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

The post Trump Negotiates Billion-Dollar Settlement With Himself, Kash Patel Snorkeled in Pearl Harbor, and an NBC News Reporter Helped Rescue a Teen From a Burning Car first appeared on Washingtonian.

Students and parents at one Hyattsville elementary school are unusually familiar with the voice of their PTA president—not because he talks a lot at the school but because he’s a prominent voiceover artist who acted in the Pokémon TV series. Now Jamie McGonnigal wants to take on a new role: school-board member. He’s hoping to fill the Prince George’s County Board of Education seat for District 3, running in the nonpartisan November election against Brentwood council member Juan Arango-Millan.

McGonnigal moved to Hyattsville—the hometown of his husband, Sean—about 12 years ago. Previously, the Massachusetts native worked as an actor in New York, then transitioned to producing benefit shows and other theater events. He’s been a voice actor for more than 25 years, with credits on cartoons such as One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Winx Club.

The Pokémon series in particular makes McGonnigal popular at school career days, where he’ll often autograph Pokémon cards. Sometimes, he shows videos from cartoons he’s done, “and that’s when the kids start piecing it together,” he says. “Then I’ll do the voice live that they just heard. And they’re like, ‘Wait, what?’ ” One kid “refers to me as my character name from Pokémon. He doesn’t know my real name, I don’t think.”

In between voice-acting gigs, McGonnigal has built a career teaching people how to communicate via storytelling. A knack for bringing people together led him to his son’s PTA. “I like leading things, I like building teams,” he says. “That’s been a through line to a lot of the work I’ve done. Producing Broadway concerts and events was always about, like, how many people can we pull together to make a thing happen? Community has always been super vital and important to me, both as a queer person and a parent.”

In his two-year stint as president, McGonnigal has organized a support network to walk kids home during immigration-enforcement actions and has overseen the first Pride Festival in Prince George’s County Public Schools, among other things. McGonnigal decided to run for the school board after Maryland state senator Alonzo T. Washington suggested he might be good at it. His priorities include ensuring reliable school transportation and protecting under-resourced and immigrant students.

McGonnigal still does voice acting and recently built out a space in his home for the purpose. (Previously he’d do it in a closet.) He has a major role on part two of the series Winx Club: The Magic Is Back, due out later this year. He also does appearances at conventions: “It’s fun going over and just signing autographs, pretending I’m a celebrity for the weekend.”

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post Why a Pokémon Voice Actor Is Seeking a Board of Ed Seat in Maryland first appeared on Washingtonian.

Students and parents at one Hyattsville elementary school are unusually familiar with the voice of their PTA president—not because he talks a lot at the school but because he’s a prominent voiceover artist who acted in the Pokémon TV series. Now Jamie McGonnigal wants to take on a new role: school-board member. He’s hoping to fill the Prince George’s County Board of Education seat for District 3, running in the nonpartisan November election against Brentwood council member Juan Arango-Millan.

McGonnigal moved to Hyattsville—the hometown of his husband, Sean—about 12 years ago. Previously, the Massachusetts native worked as an actor in New York, then transitioned to producing benefit shows and other theater events. He’s been a voice actor for more than 25 years, with credits on cartoons such as One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Winx Club.

The Pokémon series in particular makes McGonnigal popular at school career days, where he’ll often autograph Pokémon cards. Sometimes, he shows videos from cartoons he’s done, “and that’s when the kids start piecing it together,” he says. “Then I’ll do the voice live that they just heard. And they’re like, ‘Wait, what?’ ” One kid “refers to me as my character name from Pokémon. He doesn’t know my real name, I don’t think.”

In between voice-acting gigs, McGonnigal has built a career teaching people how to communicate via storytelling. A knack for bringing people together led him to his son’s PTA. “I like leading things, I like building teams,” he says. “That’s been a through line to a lot of the work I’ve done. Producing Broadway concerts and events was always about, like, how many people can we pull together to make a thing happen? Community has always been super vital and important to me, both as a queer person and a parent.”

In his two-year stint as president, McGonnigal has organized a support network to walk kids home during immigration-enforcement actions and has overseen the first Pride Festival in Prince George’s County Public Schools, among other things. McGonnigal decided to run for the school board after Maryland state senator Alonzo T. Washington suggested he might be good at it. His priorities include ensuring reliable school transportation and protecting under-resourced and immigrant students.

McGonnigal still does voice acting and recently built out a space in his home for the purpose. (Previously he’d do it in a closet.) He has a major role on part two of the series Winx Club: The Magic Is Back, due out later this year. He also does appearances at conventions: “It’s fun going over and just signing autographs, pretending I’m a celebrity for the weekend.”

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post Why a Pokémon Voice Actor Is Seeking a Board of Ed Seat in Maryland first appeared on Washingtonian.

Discover this extraordinary home nestled in the desirable Stratford Landing neighborhood, just south of Old Town Alexandria in the heart of Fort Hunt. Offering more than 6,000 square feet of living space—including over 3,600 square feet on the main level—this custom-designed residence is a rare find where modern elegance meets timeless design. Thoughtfully curated throughout, the home blends sophistication and comfort from the moment you arrive. Eleven-foot ceilings and oversized windows fill the home with natural light, while its elevated setting frames serene green views, creating a peaceful, secluded feel—truly a hidden gem.

Designed for both everyday living and effortless entertaining, the stunning kitchen features two multifunctional islands and a striking combination of granite and quartz countertops. Direct access to the expansive deck extends the living space outdoors, offering the perfect setting for gatherings or quiet moments overlooking the fenced backyard.

The private primary suite serves as a tranquil retreat with a spa-inspired bath. A thoughtful split-bedroom design provides four additional main-level bedrooms—three with ensuite baths—along with a centrally located study hall ideal for work or study.  The versatile lower level offers a light-filled recreation room, media room, oversize multipurpose room and a spacious home gym. A signature feature is the indoor main-level sport court with 17′ ceilings. The home is enhanced by exceptional energy efficiency, utilizing both geothermal and solar systems.

Stratford Landing is a beloved and highly sought-after community, just minutes from the picturesque Potomac River and within easy reach of Washington, DC.

Address: 2203 Pennsylvania Blvd, Alexandria VA 22308

Contact:
Chris White Family Real Estate of Long & Foster
703-283-9028
chris.white@longandfoster.com
MLS VAFX2309992

The post A Rare Stratford Landing Showpiece first appeared on Washingtonian.

Discover this extraordinary home nestled in the desirable Stratford Landing neighborhood, just south of Old Town Alexandria in the heart of Fort Hunt. Offering more than 6,000 square feet of living space—including over 3,600 square feet on the main level—this custom-designed residence is a rare find where modern elegance meets timeless design. Thoughtfully curated throughout, the home blends sophistication and comfort from the moment you arrive. Eleven-foot ceilings and oversized windows fill the home with natural light, while its elevated setting frames serene green views, creating a peaceful, secluded feel—truly a hidden gem.

Designed for both everyday living and effortless entertaining, the stunning kitchen features two multifunctional islands and a striking combination of granite and quartz countertops. Direct access to the expansive deck extends the living space outdoors, offering the perfect setting for gatherings or quiet moments overlooking the fenced backyard.

The private primary suite serves as a tranquil retreat with a spa-inspired bath. A thoughtful split-bedroom design provides four additional main-level bedrooms—three with ensuite baths—along with a centrally located study hall ideal for work or study.  The versatile lower level offers a light-filled recreation room, media room, oversize multipurpose room and a spacious home gym. A signature feature is the indoor main-level sport court with 17′ ceilings. The home is enhanced by exceptional energy efficiency, utilizing both geothermal and solar systems.

Stratford Landing is a beloved and highly sought-after community, just minutes from the picturesque Potomac River and within easy reach of Washington, DC.

Address: 2203 Pennsylvania Blvd, Alexandria VA 22308

Contact:
Chris White Family Real Estate of Long & Foster
703-283-9028
chris.white@longandfoster.com
MLS VAFX2309992

The post A Rare Stratford Landing Showpiece first appeared on Washingtonian.

Experience good vibes and make new memories with friends at one of these high-energy dance parties around town this summer.

 

Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA May 23 location_on 9:30 Club language Website

This glitter dance party at 9:30 Club transports you to the disco era, spinning high-energy tracks from ABBA, Donna Summer, The Bee Gees, and several other artists from the ‘70s and ‘80s ($32.50). 

 

Marten Lou [Open Air] June 6 location_on Berhta language Website

If you’re looking for more of a music festival vibe, Flash’s sister club Berhta welcomes partiers to their spacious open-air venue Bananas for a 6 PM EDM party headlined by DJ Marten Lou ($35).

 

Club K-Pop June 12 location_on Union Stage language Website

Come dressed like your favorite Black Pink, BTS, or Stray Kids artist at Union Stage’s K-pop and K-EDM night. There’s crowd sing-alongs, choreo-zones, and a ton of opportunities to wave your  fandom light sticks to the beat of the music ($21).

 

Everyday People June 20 location_on The Bullpen language Website

If you’d rather party while the sun is still out, an Everyday People bash is a groovy option. This summer, the touring party stops by The Bullpen in Navy Yard for an outdoor DJ day party featuring R&B, hip-hop, and more genres ($36).

 

Fest WKND June 26-28 location_on The Bullpen language Website

Attend a multi-day block party with your besties at Fest Wknd. Each day has it’s own theme so music-lovers can enjoy live R&B hits, hip-swaying soca, ’00s throwbacks, and more from six artists and 12 dee-jays over a span of three days ($12+).

 

Moombahton Massive August 14 location_on Culture language Website

There’s a late-night reggaeton-house music takeover at Culture this summer. Fans of moombahton mixes can two-step to the Latin rhythms played live by DJs Dave Nada and Tittsworth Mathias ($28).

 

Amelie Lens September 18 location_on A.I. Warehouse language Website

Nu Androids is known for bringing some of the best techno and electronic music producers to town. This summer, Belgian producer Amelie Lens—the creator of heart-thumping songs “Feel It” and “Higher”—arrives in DC for a Nu Androids jam session at A.I. Warehouse ($50).

The post 7 Can’t-Miss Summer Parties to Attend in DC first appeared on Washingtonian.

Experience good vibes and make new memories with friends at one of these high-energy dance parties around town this summer.

 

Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA May 23 location_on 9:30 Club language Website

This glitter dance party at 9:30 Club transports you to the disco era, spinning high-energy tracks from ABBA, Donna Summer, The Bee Gees, and several other artists from the ‘70s and ‘80s ($32.50). 

 

Marten Lou [Open Air] June 6 location_on Berhta language Website

If you’re looking for more of a music festival vibe, Flash’s sister club Berhta welcomes partiers to their spacious open-air venue Bananas for a 6 PM EDM party headlined by DJ Marten Lou ($35).

 

Club K-Pop June 12 location_on Union Stage language Website

Come dressed like your favorite Black Pink, BTS, or Stray Kids artist at Union Stage’s K-pop and K-EDM night. There’s crowd sing-alongs, choreo-zones, and a ton of opportunities to wave your  fandom light sticks to the beat of the music ($21).

 

Everyday People June 20 location_on The Bullpen language Website

If you’d rather party while the sun is still out, an Everyday People bash is a groovy option. This summer, the touring party stops by The Bullpen in Navy Yard for an outdoor DJ day party featuring R&B, hip-hop, and more genres ($36).

 

Fest WKND June 26-28 location_on The Bullpen language Website

Attend a multi-day block party with your besties at Fest Wknd. Each day has it’s own theme so music-lovers can enjoy live R&B hits, hip-swaying soca, ’00s throwbacks, and more from six artists and 12 dee-jays over a span of three days ($12+).

 

Moombahton Massive August 14 location_on Culture language Website

There’s a late-night reggaeton-house music takeover at Culture this summer. Fans of moombahton mixes can two-step to the Latin rhythms played live by DJs Dave Nada and Tittsworth Mathias ($28).

 

Amelie Lens September 18 location_on A.I. Warehouse language Website

Nu Androids is known for bringing some of the best techno and electronic music producers to town. This summer, Belgian producer Amelie Lens—the creator of heart-thumping songs “Feel It” and “Higher”—arrives in DC for a Nu Androids jam session at A.I. Warehouse ($50).

The post 7 Can’t-Miss Summer Parties to Attend in DC first appeared on Washingtonian.

Construction on President Trump’s ballroom proceeds at the White House, on the site of the former East Wing. The structure is now above ground, a development that appears to have occurred despite a judge’s order last month. Our photographer Evy Mages was atop the Washington Monument Thursday to get photos of a different project: Trump’s plan to coat the bottom of the Reflecting Pool with a blue substance that’s intended to waterproof the bottom (though results on that goal have been mixed). She ascended the Washington Monument for a good view, then happened to turn northward. Here are some more photos.

Here’s how things are looking at the Reflecting Pool, by the way:

 

The post PHOTOS: White House Ballroom Construction Continues Above Ground first appeared on Washingtonian.

Construction on President Trump’s ballroom proceeds at the White House, on the site of the former East Wing. The structure is now above ground, a development that appears to have occurred despite a judge’s order last month. Our photographer Evy Mages was atop the Washington Monument Thursday to get photos of a different project: Trump’s plan to coat the bottom of the Reflecting Pool with a blue substance that’s intended to waterproof the bottom (though results on that goal have been mixed). She ascended the Washington Monument for a good view, then happened to turn northward. Here are some more photos.

Here’s how things are looking at the Reflecting Pool, by the way:

 

The post PHOTOS: White House Ballroom Construction Continues Above Ground first appeared on Washingtonian.

Guido Reichstadter never expected to find himself atop the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge again.

Earlier this month, the 45-year-old former jeweler-turned-activist from Florida spent five days suspended above South Capitol Street protesting the war in Iran and the rise of AI. Now known online simply as DC’s “Bridge Guy,” Reichstadter documented nearly every moment online, posting updates to X, giving interviews from the steel beams overhead, and quickly becoming one of the city’s most surreal viral figures in recent memory.

I will soon be leaving the bridge. I want to give heartfelt thanks for all the outpouring of support. My purpose here has been to fulfill my duty to the truth- to call on the people of this country to recognize and exercise the revolutionary power within us- the power of…

— Guido Reichstadter (@wolflovesmelon) May 4, 2026

But for Reichstadter, the protest wasn’t intended as performance art or internet spectacle. He tells Washingtonian the climb was an act of nonviolent direct action—one he hoped would draw attention to both escalating conflict abroad and what he views as the unchecked dangers of AI development.

“I just felt something in my heart moved me to get up there,” he says. “Both to warn society about the danger from AI and to uphold the fact that we don’t have to let this war continue. It only continues through passive acceptance—through complicity from all of us who sit on the sidelines and watch.”

Reichstadter argues that collective nonviolent resistance still has the power to stop both war and technological expansion. “The truth is, we have the power to end it,” he says. “The question is whether we have the courage.”

When asked where that courage comes from, Reichstadter insists he’s never been particularly afraid of heights.

This month’s protest also wasn’t his first time climbing the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. In 2022, after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v. Wade leaked, Reichstadter scaled the bridge in protest and remained there for a little over a day.

This time, he says, the climb was not premeditated but instead an emotional reaction after attending Senator Bernie Sanders’s Capitol Hill event on what Sanders described as the “existential threat” posed by artificial intelligence and the need for international cooperation with China.

Reichstadter says local community leaders eventually convinced him to come down during the 2022 protest after warning him that he had “really fucked up the traffic.” (This year’s ascent also impacted traffic—according to WTOP, authorities shut the bridge down both on the day he climbed up and the day he came down.)

“It technically wasn’t very difficult,” Reichstadter says of his recent climb. Near the top, where the bridge narrows, he says he had to “bald eagle” his feet along the steel rim while inching forward above the Anacostia. At one point, he even ditched his shoes entirely for better grip, spending the rest of the climb barefoot against the metal beams.

In addition to a wordless black banner he unfurled atop the bridge, Reichstadter brought a small tent, which he says doubled as a makeshift sleeping bag during the cold nights above the Anacostia. Sleep, however, was limited.

He survived mostly on dried cranberries, pretzels, and a limited supply of water that, according to him, ran out quickly. To manage basic necessities while suspended above the bridge, Reichstadter says he used trash bags as makeshift toilets and empty water bottles to urinate in. Still, Reichstadter says he was already accustomed to enduring physical discomfort for political protest after participating in a 30-day hunger strike outside Anthropic’s San Francisco headquarters last year.

“I was supposed to appear in court [on May 5] for the AI actions I took [in San Francisco,]” he says with a laugh. “But I was on the bridge. I didn’t quite make it.”

By the morning of Wednesday, May 6, conditions atop the bridge had deteriorated. Heavy rain and strong winds, Reichstadter says, forced him to come down earlier than planned.

“I actually was trying to hang out a little longer because I had an invitation to interview with Amy Goodman from Democracy Now!” he says. “But the weather and the wind were so strong we just couldn’t get any usable audio out of it. I decided to come down around 8 or 9 in the morning.”

After scaling back down, Reichstadter says police were immediately concerned about his physical condition and transported him to a local hospital for evaluation before he spent the following day in jail. There, after days surviving on only snacks, Reichstadter says he eagerly accepted as many bologna sandwiches from officers as he could get.

In addition to the charges he already faces in San Francisco—which he says he plans to address this week after warrants were issued related to previous AI protests—Reichstadter now faces a federal unlawful entry charge as well as a DC charge for failure to obey police orders.

Reichstadter acknowledges the legal battles ahead could pull him out of public view for some time. Still, he says he’s been overwhelmed by the support he’s received since coming down from the bridge.

“To hear people’s messages saying that this has encouraged them is really great. That’s the point,” Reichstadter says. “Obviously, the underlying problem is still there. The war is still going on. The regime is still in power. AI is still full speed ahead. So the next step is organizing actual mass action.”

Beyond his upcoming June 11 hearing in DC, Reichstadter says he plans to permanently relocate to the area to continue community organizing and activism—though likely not from atop another bridge anytime soon.

“I did get barred from within 100 yards of the bridge,” he says with a laugh. “So I can’t go climbing without getting in trouble.”

The post DC’s “Bridge Guy” Speaks! first appeared on Washingtonian.

Guido Reichstadter never expected to find himself atop the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge again.

Earlier this month, the 45-year-old former jeweler-turned-activist from Florida spent five days suspended above South Capitol Street protesting the war in Iran and the rise of AI. Now known online simply as DC’s “Bridge Guy,” Reichstadter documented nearly every moment online, posting updates to X, giving interviews from the steel beams overhead, and quickly becoming one of the city’s most surreal viral figures in recent memory.

I will soon be leaving the bridge. I want to give heartfelt thanks for all the outpouring of support. My purpose here has been to fulfill my duty to the truth- to call on the people of this country to recognize and exercise the revolutionary power within us- the power of…

— Guido Reichstadter (@wolflovesmelon) May 4, 2026

But for Reichstadter, the protest wasn’t intended as performance art or internet spectacle. He tells Washingtonian the climb was an act of nonviolent direct action—one he hoped would draw attention to both escalating conflict abroad and what he views as the unchecked dangers of AI development.

“I just felt something in my heart moved me to get up there,” he says. “Both to warn society about the danger from AI and to uphold the fact that we don’t have to let this war continue. It only continues through passive acceptance—through complicity from all of us who sit on the sidelines and watch.”

Reichstadter argues that collective nonviolent resistance still has the power to stop both war and technological expansion. “The truth is, we have the power to end it,” he says. “The question is whether we have the courage.”

When asked where that courage comes from, Reichstadter insists he’s never been particularly afraid of heights.

This month’s protest also wasn’t his first time climbing the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. In 2022, after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v. Wade leaked, Reichstadter scaled the bridge in protest and remained there for a little over a day.

This time, he says, the climb was not premeditated but instead an emotional reaction after attending Senator Bernie Sanders’s Capitol Hill event on what Sanders described as the “existential threat” posed by artificial intelligence and the need for international cooperation with China.

Reichstadter says local community leaders eventually convinced him to come down during the 2022 protest after warning him that he had “really fucked up the traffic.” (This year’s ascent also impacted traffic—according to WTOP, authorities shut the bridge down both on the day he climbed up and the day he came down.)

“It technically wasn’t very difficult,” Reichstadter says of his recent climb. Near the top, where the bridge narrows, he says he had to “bald eagle” his feet along the steel rim while inching forward above the Anacostia. At one point, he even ditched his shoes entirely for better grip, spending the rest of the climb barefoot against the metal beams.

In addition to a wordless black banner he unfurled atop the bridge, Reichstadter brought a small tent, which he says doubled as a makeshift sleeping bag during the cold nights above the Anacostia. Sleep, however, was limited.

He survived mostly on dried cranberries, pretzels, and a limited supply of water that, according to him, ran out quickly. To manage basic necessities while suspended above the bridge, Reichstadter says he used trash bags as makeshift toilets and empty water bottles to urinate in. Still, Reichstadter says he was already accustomed to enduring physical discomfort for political protest after participating in a 30-day hunger strike outside Anthropic’s San Francisco headquarters last year.

“I was supposed to appear in court [on May 5] for the AI actions I took [in San Francisco,]” he says with a laugh. “But I was on the bridge. I didn’t quite make it.”

By the morning of Wednesday, May 6, conditions atop the bridge had deteriorated. Heavy rain and strong winds, Reichstadter says, forced him to come down earlier than planned.

“I actually was trying to hang out a little longer because I had an invitation to interview with Amy Goodman from Democracy Now!” he says. “But the weather and the wind were so strong we just couldn’t get any usable audio out of it. I decided to come down around 8 or 9 in the morning.”

After scaling back down, Reichstadter says police were immediately concerned about his physical condition and transported him to a local hospital for evaluation before he spent the following day in jail. There, after days surviving on only snacks, Reichstadter says he eagerly accepted as many bologna sandwiches from officers as he could get.

In addition to the charges he already faces in San Francisco—which he says he plans to address this week after warrants were issued related to previous AI protests—Reichstadter now faces a federal unlawful entry charge as well as a DC charge for failure to obey police orders.

Reichstadter acknowledges the legal battles ahead could pull him out of public view for some time. Still, he says he’s been overwhelmed by the support he’s received since coming down from the bridge.

“To hear people’s messages saying that this has encouraged them is really great. That’s the point,” Reichstadter says. “Obviously, the underlying problem is still there. The war is still going on. The regime is still in power. AI is still full speed ahead. So the next step is organizing actual mass action.”

Beyond his upcoming June 11 hearing in DC, Reichstadter says he plans to permanently relocate to the area to continue community organizing and activism—though likely not from atop another bridge anytime soon.

“I did get barred from within 100 yards of the bridge,” he says with a laugh. “So I can’t go climbing without getting in trouble.”

The post DC’s “Bridge Guy” Speaks! first appeared on Washingtonian.

Catahoula, 79 Potomac Ave., SE

When Thomas Malz and Rachel Sergi found the space that would eventually house their new Cajun and Creole restaurant Catahoula, they noticed five bald cypress trees—the distinctive conifer of the bayou—had been planted outside. The view of the Anacostia River from the Navy Yard space also reminded Malz of the Mississippi seen from the Central Business District of New Orleans.

Those details felt like fate: the two business partners want Catahoula, which is named after a breed of Cajun hunting hound that is the state dog of Louisiana, to recreate the vibe of the Bayou State in DC. 

Catahoula opens today, May 14, in the space formerly occupied by All-Purpose Capitol Riverfront, which closed earlier this year. 

Both Sergi and Malz have family connections to Louisiana and some serious Crescent City cred. Malz, a veteran chef with French-Canadian roots, has worked in the kitchen at Cochon in New Orleans along with numerous DC restaurants. Sergi, Catahoula’s beverage director, can tell you anecdotes about hanging out in New Orleans in the ‘90s with Lydia Lunch.

In the indoor “brasserie” space, Malz focuses on seafood like broiled oysters and barbecue shrimp, and dishes from the refined New Orleans cooking tradition practiced by chefs like Paul Prudhomme, such as corn-and-crab bisque, petite prime rib à la Prudhomme, and chicken-sausage gumbo. 

Outside, there’s an 89-seat beer garden-like space where the menu is focused on po’boys and crawfish boils, and will eventually incorporate some Viet-Cajun dishes. 

“Eventually, the brasserie will continue to evolve into a Franco-North American brasserie through the lens of that kind of French, opulent, old-school thing that they capture so well when you look back at Prudhomme and Emeril,” Malz says. “The boil yard will evolve to be kind of the ‘laissez les bons temps rouler’ side.”

Sergi has worked behind the bar at Zaytinya, Jack Rose, the Duck and the Peach, and Off the Record, the bar at the Hay-Adams Hotel. Her cocktail menu at Catahoula incorporates elegant New Orleans classics like the Sazerac and the Ramos gin fizz (shaken with a green cast iron cocktail cranker behind the bar), but also the kind of frozen slushie “hand grenades” that people walk around with on Bourbon Street. 

A constantly-shifting playlist will feature New Orleans artists from The Meters and Allen Toussaint to Big Freedia. 

“We’re trying to give New Orleans some love up here because it’s a great town,” Sergi says. “We want to put the fun back in the restaurants. You come here, you’re going to hear louder music than you would in most restaurants and bars. You’re going to have a crawfish boil outside.” 

The post Catahoula Brings Crawfish Boils and Sazeracs to Navy Yard first appeared on Washingtonian.

Catahoula, 79 Potomac Ave., SE

When Thomas Malz and Rachel Sergi found the space that would eventually house their new Cajun and Creole restaurant Catahoula, they noticed five bald cypress trees—the distinctive conifer of the bayou—had been planted outside. The view of the Anacostia River from the Navy Yard space also reminded Malz of the Mississippi seen from the Central Business District of New Orleans.

Those details felt like fate: the two business partners want Catahoula, which is named after a breed of Cajun hunting hound that is the state dog of Louisiana, to recreate the vibe of the Bayou State in DC. 

Catahoula opens today, May 14, in the space formerly occupied by All-Purpose Capitol Riverfront, which closed earlier this year. 

Both Sergi and Malz have family connections to Louisiana and some serious Crescent City cred. Malz, a veteran chef with French-Canadian roots, has worked in the kitchen at Cochon in New Orleans along with numerous DC restaurants. Sergi, Catahoula’s beverage director, can tell you anecdotes about hanging out in New Orleans in the ‘90s with Lydia Lunch.

In the indoor “brasserie” space, Malz focuses on seafood like broiled oysters and barbecue shrimp, and dishes from the refined New Orleans cooking tradition practiced by chefs like Paul Prudhomme, such as corn-and-crab bisque, petite prime rib à la Prudhomme, and chicken-sausage gumbo. 

Outside, there’s an 89-seat beer garden-like space where the menu is focused on po’boys and crawfish boils, and will eventually incorporate some Viet-Cajun dishes. 

“Eventually, the brasserie will continue to evolve into a Franco-North American brasserie through the lens of that kind of French, opulent, old-school thing that they capture so well when you look back at Prudhomme and Emeril,” Malz says. “The boil yard will evolve to be kind of the ‘laissez les bons temps rouler’ side.”

Sergi has worked behind the bar at Zaytinya, Jack Rose, the Duck and the Peach, and Off the Record, the bar at the Hay-Adams Hotel. Her cocktail menu at Catahoula incorporates elegant New Orleans classics like the Sazerac and the Ramos gin fizz (shaken with a green cast iron cocktail cranker behind the bar), but also the kind of frozen slushie “hand grenades” that people walk around with on Bourbon Street. 

A constantly-shifting playlist will feature New Orleans artists from The Meters and Allen Toussaint to Big Freedia. 

“We’re trying to give New Orleans some love up here because it’s a great town,” Sergi says. “We want to put the fun back in the restaurants. You come here, you’re going to hear louder music than you would in most restaurants and bars. You’re going to have a crawfish boil outside.” 

The post Catahoula Brings Crawfish Boils and Sazeracs to Navy Yard first appeared on Washingtonian.

Designed and built in 1958 by a mechanical engineer as his own home—and on the market for only the second time in its history—this mid-century modern gem at 9116 Levelle Drive in Chevy Chase, Maryland, is being touted for its craftsmanship, detail, and materials. 

The five-bedroom, three-bathroom, 3,375 square-foot home sits on .89 acres, and while its floor-to-ceiling windows allow for an abundance of natural light, the lot’s mature trees provide privacy. Exposed ceiling beams and a soaring wood fireplace (one of the home’s three) are focal points of the main floor, which also houses an eat-in kitchen, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms—including one with a salmon-pink tile wall and another with an aqua-blue palette. Downstairs, a walk-out lower level is home to two more bedrooms, another full bathroom, a family room, a laundry room, and an office space. Other highlights include a fenced-in pool and a two-car carport.

The home is listed for $1,445,000 by Mandy Mills of Compass. See the photos of the home below. 

 

The post Cool Listing: This Mid-Century Modern Gem Offers Exposed Beams, Salmon-Pink and Aqua-Blue Bathrooms, and a Lots of Natural Light first appeared on Washingtonian.

Designed and built in 1958 by a mechanical engineer as his own home—and on the market for only the second time in its history—this mid-century modern gem at 9116 Levelle Drive in Chevy Chase, Maryland, is being touted for its craftsmanship, detail, and materials. 

The five-bedroom, three-bathroom, 3,375 square-foot home sits on .89 acres, and while its floor-to-ceiling windows allow for an abundance of natural light, the lot’s mature trees provide privacy. Exposed ceiling beams and a soaring wood fireplace (one of the home’s three) are focal points of the main floor, which also houses an eat-in kitchen, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms—including one with a salmon-pink tile wall and another with an aqua-blue palette. Downstairs, a walk-out lower level is home to two more bedrooms, another full bathroom, a family room, a laundry room, and an office space. Other highlights include a fenced-in pool and a two-car carport.

The home is listed for $1,445,000 by Mandy Mills of Compass. See the photos of the home below. 

 

The post Cool Listing: This Mid-Century Modern Gem Offers Exposed Beams, Salmon-Pink and Aqua-Blue Bathrooms, and a Lots of Natural Light first appeared on Washingtonian.

If the recent Artemis II mission inspired an obsession with space, you’ll soon be able embark on your own virtual voyage across the cosmos. Opening in Penn Quarter on June 12, Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience uses virtual reality headsets to explore distant exoplanets, black holes, and the Hubble Space Telescope itself. The exhibit is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and event group Fever, grounded in real astronomical data and research from SAO. 

“It’s really a documentary you can walk through,” says Elliott Mizroch, a producer and director on Fever’s New Ventures team. 

The exhibit is the culmination of a two-year partnership between Fever and Smithsonian scientists. A group of around 50 creatives—animators, game developers, 3D modelers, composers, and traditional writers—worked with Smithsonian astrophysicists and museum producers to map out the cosmic phenomena in each scene before animation. 

“We’ve built everything by hand,” says Mizroch. “We did use some AI tools just in cleanup processes and things like creating storyboards, but we built all of this by scratch from hand.”

Smithsonian Starstruck will take place inside Fever’s roughly 5,000-square-foot venue in Penn Quarter (926 F St., NW). Groups of five to six visitors will enter the 40-minute VR experience every three minutes. The exhibit will remain in DC for the next nine to 12 months before potentially traveling to cities around the world. 

Smithsonian Enterprises is overseeing the partnership, and acting president Denise M. Elliott believes the dedication to science is what sets this VR experience apart. She hopes the exhibit will inspire interest in STEM education, especially for younger visitors.

Mizroch agrees. “I just hope people walk away from this feeling like they’ve actually just been to space, and that they’ve learned something about space.”

The experience will be available in both English and Spanish for guests ages 10 and up. Tickets, which start at $29, can be purchased here.

The post This Exhibit Turns Smithsonian Telescope Data Into a Virtual Space Walk first appeared on Washingtonian.

If the recent Artemis II mission inspired an obsession with space, you’ll soon be able embark on your own virtual voyage across the cosmos. Opening in Penn Quarter on June 12, Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience uses virtual reality headsets to explore distant exoplanets, black holes, and the Hubble Space Telescope itself. The exhibit is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and event group Fever, grounded in real astronomical data and research from SAO. 

“It’s really a documentary you can walk through,” says Elliott Mizroch, a producer and director on Fever’s New Ventures team. 

The exhibit is the culmination of a two-year partnership between Fever and Smithsonian scientists. A group of around 50 creatives—animators, game developers, 3D modelers, composers, and traditional writers—worked with Smithsonian astrophysicists and museum producers to map out the cosmic phenomena in each scene before animation. 

“We’ve built everything by hand,” says Mizroch. “We did use some AI tools just in cleanup processes and things like creating storyboards, but we built all of this by scratch from hand.”

Smithsonian Starstruck will take place inside Fever’s roughly 5,000-square-foot venue in Penn Quarter (926 F St., NW). Groups of five to six visitors will enter the 40-minute VR experience every three minutes. The exhibit will remain in DC for the next nine to 12 months before potentially traveling to cities around the world. 

Smithsonian Enterprises is overseeing the partnership, and acting president Denise M. Elliott believes the dedication to science is what sets this VR experience apart. She hopes the exhibit will inspire interest in STEM education, especially for younger visitors.

Mizroch agrees. “I just hope people walk away from this feeling like they’ve actually just been to space, and that they’ve learned something about space.”

The experience will be available in both English and Spanish for guests ages 10 and up. Tickets, which start at $29, can be purchased here.

The post This Exhibit Turns Smithsonian Telescope Data Into a Virtual Space Walk first appeared on Washingtonian.

In 2023, the educator Carey Wright came out of retirement to run Maryland’s public schools. This was seen as a coup for the state. Wright had been in charge of the Mississippi schools from 2013 to 2022, during a period some now call the “Mississippi miracle.” Under Wright’s watch, one of the worst-ranked systems in the nation became, by some metrics, among the best—a particularly startling result since Mississippi has the most entrenched child poverty of any state. Now that Wright is superintendent of Maryland’s schools, the hope is that scores will rise there, too.

Wright herself is a product of Maryland’s public-education system. She moved to Prince George’s County when she was 11—first to New Carrollton and then to Lanham—and began her career there as a fifth-grade teacher in 1972. Quickly, she became an assistant principal, then a principal, then a district-level administrator in Howard and Montgomery counties. For a time, she was the chief academic officer of DC public schools under Michelle Rhee. Now that she’s back in Maryland, Wright’s goal is to revive the state’s schools from a decade-long slump, to “restore Maryland as an education destination that is top ten in the nation.” We talked to her to find out how she’ll do it.

You came out of retirement in order to run the Maryland schools. Why?

My daughters have told me that I failed at retirement. I initially decided to retire and move back [to Maryland] because I’ve got a grandson here. So I did that, but I really wasn’t done working, so I started a consulting firm. I was mentoring new state chiefs, working with school districts and legislatures, and I was really loving it. But I also knew things were going south in the state. Maryland was looking at a decade of decline in student achievement, which was just heartbreaking because I was a principal for many years here in Maryland, and in any given year we were bumping heads with Massachusetts as to who was going to be number one. The state has been so good to me, and when I was offered this job, I thought, “We’ve got to do something to turn this trajectory around.” That’s why I did it.

What do you think went wrong during that decade?

Well, I’m not sure that people were really attending to the data. Maryland takes great pride in itself and its schools and its workforce. And I think sometimes that can kind of pull the wool over your eyes and make you believe things are a little better than they are.

But as state chief, you’ve got to be honest and transparent about your data. In 2013, Maryland was second in the nation in fourth-grade reading. By 2022, it had fallen to 40th. In 2024, we rebounded back up to 20th, but we’re still not where we need to be.

What are you doing now to turn those numbers around?

We’ve been expanding the number of children who are taking advantage of high-quality early child-hood [education], but the most important thing, for me, is there’s a lot more attention being paid now to reading. Teachers need to know how to teach reading better. And we need to see our math rates come up. It goes back to looking at your data and then making sure schools are addressing the needs they have. Over the past two years, our data have definitely been inching up, so we’re feeling good about that.

What made you want to spend your life as an educator?

I was one of those students who just loved being a student. And I was blessed all my life to have an outstanding education in public schools. Neither of my parents had gone to college, but education was the number-one priority for them, so that was, I think, part of it.

Why was education a priority?

My mom was a traditional mom. She grew up on a farm and had never wanted to do anything other than be a mom. That was her dream, and she was excellent at it. But school always terrified her, and she said, “I want you kids to have a good education.” My dad didn’t have the funds to go to college. He was one of those self-made people—like, he wanted to be an electrical engineer, so he bought all of the books that taught you how to become an electrical engineer and then took the test and passed. By the time my dad retired, he was the director of manned flight for Goddard Space Flight Center. So education was everything to him, and he wanted to make sure that his kids had every opportunity in life.

You started in 1972 as a fifth-grade teacher. Can you tell me about that?

That was a really impactful year for me. It was the year that busing took place in Prince George’s County. So in mid-January of my first year, half of our school went to another school and half of another school came to our school. Those who came to our school were African American children who had never been to school with white children, ever. I remember the difficulty the children had acclimating. And there was no professional development done for teachers across the district, no plan to make [the students] feel welcome.

I’ll never forget getting to know those kids and how many of them couldn’t read. It made such a lasting impression on me, and it really did follow me throughout my career. I always had a tendency to lean toward kids that needed help the most, whether that was with behavior or academics. When I was a classroom teacher, I would sometimes start the year out with 24 [kids], and by the time the year ended, I had, like, 38 because the principal would say, “Can I just put this child in your class?” I believe that all kids can learn and excel given the right kind of teaching, the right kinds of interventions.

Why did you decide to take on a school system as troubled as Mississippi’s?

By any given data point, Mississippi was either 49th or 50th, and had been for years. I had never thought about being a state superintendent, but when I got the call from the headhunters, I thought, “Well, you know what excellence looks like, because you worked in two of the most outstanding counties in the United States—Montgomery County and Howard County—and you’ve also seen what it takes to get a district back on track,” because I was in DC at the time, and it was all about educational reform. I thought, “Let me give this a try.” People said, “You’re moving where?” They said, “Have you ever been there?” I said no. But I thought, “These kids deserve the same opportunity for success that everybody else does.”

Some people believe that you can’t improve academic outcomes without improving a child’s life in a more holistic way. You didn’t fix poverty, but you did improve school outcomes. What’s the lesson there?

Once, I was meeting with a large group of superintendents, and one of them stood up and said, “I want to know how you expect us to teach all these poor kids.” That was the way he said it. And I was so taken aback. I stood there for a hot minute and then said, “Yeah, you can’t control what happens before they get to school, and you can’t control what happens when they get home. But they’re at school every single day, so from the time they walk in the door until the time they leave, you’ve got to make it the best that it can be.”

I would tell superintendents, “When you’re out walking through schools, the first question I want you to ask a principal is ‘Have you identified the bottom 25 percent?’ And if they say yes, then you say, ‘Show me the list.’ You take your finger and point at some random kid’s name and say, ‘What are you doing for that kid, right there?’ ” Because that’s the level of detail that principals have to get to in order to start making those improvements.

One controversial aspect of Mississippi’s success is the accountability portion–specifically, the rule that third-graders have to pass a literacy test or be held back. How would you defend that to a standardized-test skeptic?

The most important thing any superintendent can do is make sure your kids are learning. And the only way you’re going to do that is by monitoring achievement and then adjusting as you need to. The state was already testing when I got there, but the test they were administering was really not measuring proficiency. It stunned me to discover that. So we dumped that test and revised all of our standards, and then we put out a new statewide assessment that was aligned to our standards. It wasn’t just a random, off-the-shelf standardized test. This was a true measure of what our kids should know and be able to do at the end of each grade, the most rigorous standards that Mississippi has ever put in play.

For me, it was a dipstick in time each year to get a sense of “Are our kids growing in proficiency? What districts need more help? What are the content areas that are showing strengths or weaknesses?” Having those data points at the end of each year gave me an opportunity to deploy resources according to need.

What’s your advice for how parents can best support their children’s education?

Number one, talk to them each and every day. Don’t ask yes-no questions. Instead of saying, “Did you have a good day today?” try, “Tell me about the best part of your day today” or “What was the part that you liked the most, or even the least?” Having a place at home for them to come and get their homework done is important.

If there’s one thing I say to any parent, whether with an infant or a 15-year-old, it’s take the time to read every single day—to them or with them—and make it something fun. And set time limits on electronics, because there’s so much research now that electronics are rewiring the brain. Set time limits on it so that they understand that there’s other parts of the world other than just that screen that’s in front of them.

If you could wave a wand and implement changes to American public education, what would they be?

I would ensure that all kids are reading proficiently by the end of grade three. We should also make sure that kids’ emotional and mental-health needs are attended to, that all children are feeling seen and heard and cared for and safe in school. I just firmly believe that parents have entrusted the people they love the most to us, and that is a huge responsibility that I don’t take lightly. I would hope that every school would look at it that way—that this is a very sacred thing that we do.

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post Maryland School Chief Carey Wright Has Advice for Parents first appeared on Washingtonian.

In 2023, the educator Carey Wright came out of retirement to run Maryland’s public schools. This was seen as a coup for the state. Wright had been in charge of the Mississippi schools from 2013 to 2022, during a period some now call the “Mississippi miracle.” Under Wright’s watch, one of the worst-ranked systems in the nation became, by some metrics, among the best—a particularly startling result since Mississippi has the most entrenched child poverty of any state. Now that Wright is superintendent of Maryland’s schools, the hope is that scores will rise there, too.

Wright herself is a product of Maryland’s public-education system. She moved to Prince George’s County when she was 11—first to New Carrollton and then to Lanham—and began her career there as a fifth-grade teacher in 1972. Quickly, she became an assistant principal, then a principal, then a district-level administrator in Howard and Montgomery counties. For a time, she was the chief academic officer of DC public schools under Michelle Rhee. Now that she’s back in Maryland, Wright’s goal is to revive the state’s schools from a decade-long slump, to “restore Maryland as an education destination that is top ten in the nation.” We talked to her to find out how she’ll do it.

You came out of retirement in order to run the Maryland schools. Why?

My daughters have told me that I failed at retirement. I initially decided to retire and move back [to Maryland] because I’ve got a grandson here. So I did that, but I really wasn’t done working, so I started a consulting firm. I was mentoring new state chiefs, working with school districts and legislatures, and I was really loving it. But I also knew things were going south in the state. Maryland was looking at a decade of decline in student achievement, which was just heartbreaking because I was a principal for many years here in Maryland, and in any given year we were bumping heads with Massachusetts as to who was going to be number one. The state has been so good to me, and when I was offered this job, I thought, “We’ve got to do something to turn this trajectory around.” That’s why I did it.

What do you think went wrong during that decade?

Well, I’m not sure that people were really attending to the data. Maryland takes great pride in itself and its schools and its workforce. And I think sometimes that can kind of pull the wool over your eyes and make you believe things are a little better than they are.

But as state chief, you’ve got to be honest and transparent about your data. In 2013, Maryland was second in the nation in fourth-grade reading. By 2022, it had fallen to 40th. In 2024, we rebounded back up to 20th, but we’re still not where we need to be.

What are you doing now to turn those numbers around?

We’ve been expanding the number of children who are taking advantage of high-quality early child-hood [education], but the most important thing, for me, is there’s a lot more attention being paid now to reading. Teachers need to know how to teach reading better. And we need to see our math rates come up. It goes back to looking at your data and then making sure schools are addressing the needs they have. Over the past two years, our data have definitely been inching up, so we’re feeling good about that.

What made you want to spend your life as an educator?

I was one of those students who just loved being a student. And I was blessed all my life to have an outstanding education in public schools. Neither of my parents had gone to college, but education was the number-one priority for them, so that was, I think, part of it.

Why was education a priority?

My mom was a traditional mom. She grew up on a farm and had never wanted to do anything other than be a mom. That was her dream, and she was excellent at it. But school always terrified her, and she said, “I want you kids to have a good education.” My dad didn’t have the funds to go to college. He was one of those self-made people—like, he wanted to be an electrical engineer, so he bought all of the books that taught you how to become an electrical engineer and then took the test and passed. By the time my dad retired, he was the director of manned flight for Goddard Space Flight Center. So education was everything to him, and he wanted to make sure that his kids had every opportunity in life.

You started in 1972 as a fifth-grade teacher. Can you tell me about that?

That was a really impactful year for me. It was the year that busing took place in Prince George’s County. So in mid-January of my first year, half of our school went to another school and half of another school came to our school. Those who came to our school were African American children who had never been to school with white children, ever. I remember the difficulty the children had acclimating. And there was no professional development done for teachers across the district, no plan to make [the students] feel welcome.

I’ll never forget getting to know those kids and how many of them couldn’t read. It made such a lasting impression on me, and it really did follow me throughout my career. I always had a tendency to lean toward kids that needed help the most, whether that was with behavior or academics. When I was a classroom teacher, I would sometimes start the year out with 24 [kids], and by the time the year ended, I had, like, 38 because the principal would say, “Can I just put this child in your class?” I believe that all kids can learn and excel given the right kind of teaching, the right kinds of interventions.

Why did you decide to take on a school system as troubled as Mississippi’s?

By any given data point, Mississippi was either 49th or 50th, and had been for years. I had never thought about being a state superintendent, but when I got the call from the headhunters, I thought, “Well, you know what excellence looks like, because you worked in two of the most outstanding counties in the United States—Montgomery County and Howard County—and you’ve also seen what it takes to get a district back on track,” because I was in DC at the time, and it was all about educational reform. I thought, “Let me give this a try.” People said, “You’re moving where?” They said, “Have you ever been there?” I said no. But I thought, “These kids deserve the same opportunity for success that everybody else does.”

Some people believe that you can’t improve academic outcomes without improving a child’s life in a more holistic way. You didn’t fix poverty, but you did improve school outcomes. What’s the lesson there?

Once, I was meeting with a large group of superintendents, and one of them stood up and said, “I want to know how you expect us to teach all these poor kids.” That was the way he said it. And I was so taken aback. I stood there for a hot minute and then said, “Yeah, you can’t control what happens before they get to school, and you can’t control what happens when they get home. But they’re at school every single day, so from the time they walk in the door until the time they leave, you’ve got to make it the best that it can be.”

I would tell superintendents, “When you’re out walking through schools, the first question I want you to ask a principal is ‘Have you identified the bottom 25 percent?’ And if they say yes, then you say, ‘Show me the list.’ You take your finger and point at some random kid’s name and say, ‘What are you doing for that kid, right there?’ ” Because that’s the level of detail that principals have to get to in order to start making those improvements.

One controversial aspect of Mississippi’s success is the accountability portion–specifically, the rule that third-graders have to pass a literacy test or be held back. How would you defend that to a standardized-test skeptic?

The most important thing any superintendent can do is make sure your kids are learning. And the only way you’re going to do that is by monitoring achievement and then adjusting as you need to. The state was already testing when I got there, but the test they were administering was really not measuring proficiency. It stunned me to discover that. So we dumped that test and revised all of our standards, and then we put out a new statewide assessment that was aligned to our standards. It wasn’t just a random, off-the-shelf standardized test. This was a true measure of what our kids should know and be able to do at the end of each grade, the most rigorous standards that Mississippi has ever put in play.

For me, it was a dipstick in time each year to get a sense of “Are our kids growing in proficiency? What districts need more help? What are the content areas that are showing strengths or weaknesses?” Having those data points at the end of each year gave me an opportunity to deploy resources according to need.

What’s your advice for how parents can best support their children’s education?

Number one, talk to them each and every day. Don’t ask yes-no questions. Instead of saying, “Did you have a good day today?” try, “Tell me about the best part of your day today” or “What was the part that you liked the most, or even the least?” Having a place at home for them to come and get their homework done is important.

If there’s one thing I say to any parent, whether with an infant or a 15-year-old, it’s take the time to read every single day—to them or with them—and make it something fun. And set time limits on electronics, because there’s so much research now that electronics are rewiring the brain. Set time limits on it so that they understand that there’s other parts of the world other than just that screen that’s in front of them.

If you could wave a wand and implement changes to American public education, what would they be?

I would ensure that all kids are reading proficiently by the end of grade three. We should also make sure that kids’ emotional and mental-health needs are attended to, that all children are feeling seen and heard and cared for and safe in school. I just firmly believe that parents have entrusted the people they love the most to us, and that is a huge responsibility that I don’t take lightly. I would hope that every school would look at it that way—that this is a very sacred thing that we do.

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post Maryland School Chief Carey Wright Has Advice for Parents first appeared on Washingtonian.

Courtney, a lawyer from California, and James, a chef from Stafford, Virginia, met at Tropicalia nightclub in DC. Sparks flew immediately, and seven years after their first date at Bar Pilar, James proposed on a walk to dinner while on vacation in Pebble Beach.

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Get more Washingtonian Weddings inspo Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

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Get more Washingtonian Weddings inspo Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

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For their art-inspired November wedding, the San Francisco couple chose a vibrant, fall color palette that included pops of gold and teal, and designed the occasion to have an emphasis on family, food, and fun. Among Courtney’s favorite parts of the day was the first look with the couple’s son on the rooftop of the getting-ready hotel before the ceremony. James especially loved the band and the menu, which included passed lobster rolls and other appetizers to start, a first course of mushroom soup and a wedge salad with pears and toasted pumpkin seeds, peppercorn-seared chicken, and an assortment of desserts. Late night, guests were surprised with tater tots and chocolate milkshakes to keep the energy high. Signature cocktails included espresso martinis and harvest margaritas with mulled-spice simple syrup. Another highlight: the escort display and table names were inspired by museums that Courtney and James have visited together. See the details from their wedding day below.

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Wedding Details

Photographer: Hana Gonzalez

Venue: The Renwick 

Planning and design: Dantus & Co. Events

Florals: Darling & Daughters

Invitations: Pratto Paper Shop

Caterer: Susan Gate Caterers

Hairstylist: Georgetown Bride

Makeup artist: Makeup by Shirin

Bride’s attire: Anthropologie (wedding gown); Lapointe (blue party dress)

Groom’s attire: J Hilburn

Music: The Band Method

Rentals: Select Event Group

Lighting, staging, draping: Event Lights USA

Transportation: All Pro Charter

Videographer: Cookie Jar Productions

Content creation: Content by Liz

#vid-container1 {display: none !important;}<br />

 

The post A Fall, Art-Inspired Wedding at the Renwick first appeared on Washingtonian.

Courtney, a lawyer from California, and James, a chef from Stafford, Virginia, met at Tropicalia nightclub in DC. Sparks flew immediately, and seven years after their first date at Bar Pilar, James proposed on a walk to dinner while on vacation in Pebble Beach.

---

Get more Washingtonian Weddings inspo Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

---

---

Get more Washingtonian Weddings inspo Newsletter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

---

For their art-inspired November wedding, the San Francisco couple chose a vibrant, fall color palette that included pops of gold and teal, and designed the occasion to have an emphasis on family, food, and fun. Among Courtney’s favorite parts of the day was the first look with the couple’s son on the rooftop of the getting-ready hotel before the ceremony. James especially loved the band and the menu, which included passed lobster rolls and other appetizers to start, a first course of mushroom soup and a wedge salad with pears and toasted pumpkin seeds, peppercorn-seared chicken, and an assortment of desserts. Late night, guests were surprised with tater tots and chocolate milkshakes to keep the energy high. Signature cocktails included espresso martinis and harvest margaritas with mulled-spice simple syrup. Another highlight: the escort display and table names were inspired by museums that Courtney and James have visited together. See the details from their wedding day below.

.eic-frame-1781390 { width: 1242px; height:591px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781390 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781391 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781391 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781392 { width: 1242px; height:856px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781392 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781394 { width: 1242px; height:828px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781394 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781395 { width: 1251px; height:658px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781395 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781396 { width: 1247px; height:923px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781396 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781397 { width: 1242px; height:856px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781397 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781398 { width: 1242px; height:856px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781398 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781399 { width: 1242px; height:801px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781399 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781400 { width: 1242px; height:856px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781400 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781401 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781401 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781402 { width: 1242px; height:856px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781402 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781403 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781403 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; } .eic-frame-1781404 { width: 1242px; height:887px; background-color: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #ffffff; }.eic-frame-1781404 .eic-image { border: 2px solid #ffffff; }

 

Wedding Details

Photographer: Hana Gonzalez

Venue: The Renwick 

Planning and design: Dantus & Co. Events

Florals: Darling & Daughters

Invitations: Pratto Paper Shop

Caterer: Susan Gate Caterers

Hairstylist: Georgetown Bride

Makeup artist: Makeup by Shirin

Bride’s attire: Anthropologie (wedding gown); Lapointe (blue party dress)

Groom’s attire: J Hilburn

Music: The Band Method

Rentals: Select Event Group

Lighting, staging, draping: Event Lights USA

Transportation: All Pro Charter

Videographer: Cookie Jar Productions

Content creation: Content by Liz

#vid-container1 {display: none !important;}<br />

 

The post A Fall, Art-Inspired Wedding at the Renwick first appeared on Washingtonian.

Good morning. Cloudy with a high around 65 today. A low near 50 overnight. The Nationals wrap up a visit to Cincinnati this afternoon. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.

This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Iron & Wine, “In Your Ocean.” I’m digging the Laurel Canyon vibes of Iron & Wine’s recent LP, “Hen’s Teeth,” which was actually recorded in Laurel Canyon, so maybe there’s something to terroir! Iron & Wine plays 9:30 tonight with Improvement Movement.  

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

The war: A ship near Fujairah, a port in the UAE, has reportedly been seized and seen heading toward Iranian waters. (AP) Negotiations to end the war are at a stalemate. President Trump is in Beijing today. He told reporters, “We have Iran very much under control.” (NYT) Nevertheless, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday that the US planned to press China “to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away ​from what they’re doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf.” (Reuters) Beijing has called the war Trump started ten weeks ago “illegal.” A new US intelligence analysis found that “China is exploiting the war in Iran to maximize its advantage over the United States across military, economic, diplomatic and other fields.” (Washington Post)

Meanwhile, at home: The national average price for a gallon of gas rose to $4.534. (AAA) Trump’s recent remark that he doesn’t “think about Americans’ financial situation” as the war raises prices at home highlights his quandary: He “currently has no clear way to square his desire to end the war on his terms with the need to rein in inflation and keep the stock market humming in an election year.” (Axios) Senate Democrats’ seventh attempt to assert congressional control over the war failed, though Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska crossed the aisle to vote with Dems, joining two other Republicans. Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted with Republicans. (NYT)

Blue state blues: Vice President JD Vance said the US would withhold $1.3 billion in Medicaid reimbursements to California over concerns about fraud. CMS administrator Mehmet Oz said the feds would also impose a “six-month moratorium on new Medicare enrollment for hospices and home health agencies.” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the Golden State was  being “targeted solely for political reasons.” (LAT) Vance’s gambit is “similar to the one the administration took in February suspending Medicaid payments to Minnesota.” (NBC News) The money is “a small portion of California’s total federal Medicaid funding.” (Politico) Meanwhile: An FBI agent visited a Wisconsin election official’s home as Trump’s probe of the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden continues. (NBC News) Bonus read: A very SoCal scandal. The trailer where LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt claims to live “is sitting lonely” while Pratt, citing security concerns, stays at the swanky Hotel Bel-Air. (TMZ)

Administration perambulation: The Department of Justice filed a suit last night against the DC Bar, which recommended the disbarment of Jeffrey Clark, who aided Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election. (Washington Post) Trump may issue 250 pardons as part of a celebration of the US’s 250th birthday this summer. (WSJ) The administration’s decision to allow tobacco companies to sell flavored vapes followed intense lobbying by the tobacco industry. (NYT) Rich Danker, Health Secretary RFK Jr.‘s spokesperson, resigned over the policy. (Notus) USDA employees sued over an agency-wide Easter message from Secretary Brooke Rollins that celebrated her Christian faith. A USDA spokesperson said the agency would “keep the plaintiffs in our prayers during this process.” (Politico) William Paul, son of US Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, “drunkenly hurled antisemitic insults at Republican Rep. Mike Lawler at a Capitol Hill bar and restaurant on Tuesday evening.” William Paul later said he would seek help for a “drinking problem.” (Notus) Some Miami residents have sued Trump and Florida officials over the President’s planned library/skyscraper/hotel. (Washington Post) Multiple sources say FBI Director Kash Patel is manipulating statistics to support his claims of increased arrests, including of people on the “Ten Most Wanted” list. (MS Now) US Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland posted the results of an alcohol-abuse test he took after a confrontation with Patel on the Hill and challenged Patel to do the same. (Notus)

Hidden Eats, by Ike Allen:

Haitian restaurants in the DC area have always been few and far between, so I was excited to hear about two new openings this year. On the high end, Itiyah is set to start serving a Haitian tasting menu in Shaw this summer. But there’s also Chez Aviole, a more traditional place that’s been chugging along just over the Silver Spring border since January. Whether you try the crispy pork griot, poached red snapper, or legim (vegetable stew), make sure to swap out the regular rice for diri djon djon, Haiti’s signature rice and peas made with an earthy dried mushroom powder. As for the two other sides—addictive Haitian-style fried plantains and fiery cabbage pikliz—you don’t have a choice. They come with every dish, thankfully. (7912 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring)

Take Hidden Eats with you! Our new map will show you which out-of-the-way mom-and-pop eateries Ike has highlighted near you. It’s a technological marvel, I tell you.

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

First in Washingtonian: The installation of “SHELTER,” a new commissioned work by the Brooklyn artist KAWS, is under way at the Hirshhorn Museum’s Sculpture Garden.

• “Shear Madness” will close when the Kennedy Center shuts down this summer. Will the zany comedy return?

• Vietnamese food fans are aflutter now that Phở Thìn, a Hanoi-based chain with its own signature style of northern-style phở, has opened in Falls Church.

• Employees of the Cleveland Park paint-your-own-pottery studio All Fired Up have voted to unionize.

• When Mary Todd Lincoln came to Washington: An excerpt from Lois Romano‘s new book about the first lady.

• If you’re a Jewish Washingtonian with some history in the area and a storage unit full of memories, the Capital Jewish Museum’s collections curator wants to hear from you.

• The history of DC’s space-age Intelsat building.

Local news links:

• The administration planned to use a contract for work at Lafayette Square to get work moving quickly on Trump’s planned Triumphal Arch, which is miles away from the White House. (Washington Post)

• A DC judge ordered Kenneth Brewer Sr., the former head of the H Street Community Development Corporation, to repay $1.225 million authorities say he diverted for his own benefit. (WTOP)

• A 15-year-old DC boy appeared in court yesterday. He’s accused of killing Kenzell Locust, another DC teen, in a parking lot shootout last month. (WUSA9)

• Police arrested a teenager at Bethesda’s Walt Whitman High School after, they say, he brought a loaded handgun to school. (NBC4 Washington)

• Police in Lorton say someone “stole a delivery vehicle and crashed it into several cars” yesterday. (DC News Now)

• A car rolled off the George Washington Parkway and down an embankment last night. (ARLnow)

• The region’s real estate market trended upward last month. (Axios D.C.)

• A Virginia woman found a kidney donor after posting about her need on Facebook. (NBC4 Washington)

• Maryland gubernatorial candidate Ed Hale Sr. has floated a plan to rent out the governor’s mansion for events and overnight stays. (Maryland Matters)

• The Commanders will play Indianapolis in London this October. (DC News Now)

• “Yesterday, while waiting for a court at Banneker, I overheard a group shaming pickleball players.” (PoPville)

Thursday’s event picks:

• The Washington National Opera’s production of “West Side Story” opens at Strathmore.

• The new exhibition “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness” opens at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

• Spring Night Market is back at Union Market.

See lots more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

The post DOJ Sues DC Bar, KAWS Sculpture Comes to Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, Spencer Pratt Makes First and Likely Only Appearance in Our Morning Roundup first appeared on Washingtonian.

Good morning. Cloudy with a high around 65 today. A low near 50 overnight. The Nationals wrap up a visit to Cincinnati this afternoon. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.

This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Iron & Wine, “In Your Ocean.” I’m digging the Laurel Canyon vibes of Iron & Wine’s recent LP, “Hen’s Teeth,” which was actually recorded in Laurel Canyon, so maybe there’s something to terroir! Iron & Wine plays 9:30 tonight with Improvement Movement.  

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

The war: A ship near Fujairah, a port in the UAE, has reportedly been seized and seen heading toward Iranian waters. (AP) Negotiations to end the war are at a stalemate. President Trump is in Beijing today. He told reporters, “We have Iran very much under control.” (NYT) Nevertheless, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday that the US planned to press China “to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away ​from what they’re doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf.” (Reuters) Beijing has called the war Trump started ten weeks ago “illegal.” A new US intelligence analysis found that “China is exploiting the war in Iran to maximize its advantage over the United States across military, economic, diplomatic and other fields.” (Washington Post)

Meanwhile, at home: The national average price for a gallon of gas rose to $4.534. (AAA) Trump’s recent remark that he doesn’t “think about Americans’ financial situation” as the war raises prices at home highlights his quandary: He “currently has no clear way to square his desire to end the war on his terms with the need to rein in inflation and keep the stock market humming in an election year.” (Axios) Senate Democrats’ seventh attempt to assert congressional control over the war failed, though Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska crossed the aisle to vote with Dems, joining two other Republicans. Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted with Republicans. (NYT)

Blue state blues: Vice President JD Vance said the US would withhold $1.3 billion in Medicaid reimbursements to California over concerns about fraud. CMS administrator Mehmet Oz said the feds would also impose a “six-month moratorium on new Medicare enrollment for hospices and home health agencies.” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the Golden State was  being “targeted solely for political reasons.” (LAT) Vance’s gambit is “similar to the one the administration took in February suspending Medicaid payments to Minnesota.” (NBC News) The money is “a small portion of California’s total federal Medicaid funding.” (Politico) Meanwhile: An FBI agent visited a Wisconsin election official’s home as Trump’s probe of the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden continues. (NBC News) Bonus read: A very SoCal scandal. The trailer where LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt claims to live “is sitting lonely” while Pratt, citing security concerns, stays at the swanky Hotel Bel-Air. (TMZ)

Administration perambulation: The Department of Justice filed a suit last night against the DC Bar, which recommended the disbarment of Jeffrey Clark, who aided Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election. (Washington Post) Trump may issue 250 pardons as part of a celebration of the US’s 250th birthday this summer. (WSJ) The administration’s decision to allow tobacco companies to sell flavored vapes followed intense lobbying by the tobacco industry. (NYT) Rich Danker, Health Secretary RFK Jr.‘s spokesperson, resigned over the policy. (Notus) USDA employees sued over an agency-wide Easter message from Secretary Brooke Rollins that celebrated her Christian faith. A USDA spokesperson said the agency would “keep the plaintiffs in our prayers during this process.” (Politico) William Paul, son of US Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, “drunkenly hurled antisemitic insults at Republican Rep. Mike Lawler at a Capitol Hill bar and restaurant on Tuesday evening.” William Paul later said he would seek help for a “drinking problem.” (Notus) Some Miami residents have sued Trump and Florida officials over the President’s planned library/skyscraper/hotel. (Washington Post) Multiple sources say FBI Director Kash Patel is manipulating statistics to support his claims of increased arrests, including of people on the “Ten Most Wanted” list. (MS Now) US Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland posted the results of an alcohol-abuse test he took after a confrontation with Patel on the Hill and challenged Patel to do the same. (Notus)

Hidden Eats, by Ike Allen:

Haitian restaurants in the DC area have always been few and far between, so I was excited to hear about two new openings this year. On the high end, Itiyah is set to start serving a Haitian tasting menu in Shaw this summer. But there’s also Chez Aviole, a more traditional place that’s been chugging along just over the Silver Spring border since January. Whether you try the crispy pork griot, poached red snapper, or legim (vegetable stew), make sure to swap out the regular rice for diri djon djon, Haiti’s signature rice and peas made with an earthy dried mushroom powder. As for the two other sides—addictive Haitian-style fried plantains and fiery cabbage pikliz—you don’t have a choice. They come with every dish, thankfully. (7912 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring)

Take Hidden Eats with you! Our new map will show you which out-of-the-way mom-and-pop eateries Ike has highlighted near you. It’s a technological marvel, I tell you.

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

First in Washingtonian: The installation of “SHELTER,” a new commissioned work by the Brooklyn artist KAWS, is under way at the Hirshhorn Museum’s Sculpture Garden.

• “Shear Madness” will close when the Kennedy Center shuts down this summer. Will the zany comedy return?

• Vietnamese food fans are aflutter now that Phở Thìn, a Hanoi-based chain with its own signature style of northern-style phở, has opened in Falls Church.

• Employees of the Cleveland Park paint-your-own-pottery studio All Fired Up have voted to unionize.

• When Mary Todd Lincoln came to Washington: An excerpt from Lois Romano‘s new book about the first lady.

• If you’re a Jewish Washingtonian with some history in the area and a storage unit full of memories, the Capital Jewish Museum’s collections curator wants to hear from you.

• The history of DC’s space-age Intelsat building.

Local news links:

• The administration planned to use a contract for work at Lafayette Square to get work moving quickly on Trump’s planned Triumphal Arch, which is miles away from the White House. (Washington Post)

• A DC judge ordered Kenneth Brewer Sr., the former head of the H Street Community Development Corporation, to repay $1.225 million authorities say he diverted for his own benefit. (WTOP)

• A 15-year-old DC boy appeared in court yesterday. He’s accused of killing Kenzell Locust, another DC teen, in a parking lot shootout last month. (WUSA9)

• Police arrested a teenager at Bethesda’s Walt Whitman High School after, they say, he brought a loaded handgun to school. (NBC4 Washington)

• Police in Lorton say someone “stole a delivery vehicle and crashed it into several cars” yesterday. (DC News Now)

• A car rolled off the George Washington Parkway and down an embankment last night. (ARLnow)

• The region’s real estate market trended upward last month. (Axios D.C.)

• A Virginia woman found a kidney donor after posting about her need on Facebook. (NBC4 Washington)

• Maryland gubernatorial candidate Ed Hale Sr. has floated a plan to rent out the governor’s mansion for events and overnight stays. (Maryland Matters)

• The Commanders will play Indianapolis in London this October. (DC News Now)

• “Yesterday, while waiting for a court at Banneker, I overheard a group shaming pickleball players.” (PoPville)

Thursday’s event picks:

• The Washington National Opera’s production of “West Side Story” opens at Strathmore.

• The new exhibition “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness” opens at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

• Spring Night Market is back at Union Market.

See lots more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

The post DOJ Sues DC Bar, KAWS Sculpture Comes to Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, Spencer Pratt Makes First and Likely Only Appearance in Our Morning Roundup first appeared on Washingtonian.

Washingtonians have yet another reason to look forward to the reopening of the Hirshhorn Museum’s Sculpture Garden later this year: The installation of “SHELTER,” a new work by Brooklyn artist KAWS, is underway.

The 14-foot-tall bronze “SHELTER,” which was made and cast for the Hirshhorn as a commission this year, sits on the northwest corner of the West Overlook, across from the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building. Passersby will be able to get a good look at it, and that increased visibility has been a goal of the museum’s Sculpture Garden renovation, led by artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto. The Hirshhorn plans to place several other works across both its West and East overlooks as part of the project. Look for the grounds to reopen in late October after more than three years of construction.

“It’s an honor to have my work installed in the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden alongside so many artists I respect and admire,” KAWS said in a press release. “Being in such a prominent location on our capital’s National Mall is a true privilege. I hope the work encourages people to reflect on our relationships, how we treat one another and what that means for future generations.”

KAWS, who started his career as an animator for Disney, incorporates original characters dubbed “Companions” into many of his designs. These figures are reminiscent of Mickey Mouse with their gloved hands, but get a little spookier upon closer inspection: The signature ears are replaced with crossbone-like appendages that protrude from the skulls, and “X”s are drawn in place of eyes. “SHELTER” depicts two of these characters—a parent with a child on its lap, which helped inspire its placement facing the recently reopened National Mall carousel.

The post Sculpture by KAWS Installed in Hirshhorn’s Sculpture Garden first appeared on Washingtonian.

Washingtonians have yet another reason to look forward to the reopening of the Hirshhorn Museum’s Sculpture Garden later this year: The installation of “SHELTER,” a new work by Brooklyn artist KAWS, is underway.

The 14-foot-tall bronze “SHELTER,” which was made and cast for the Hirshhorn as a commission this year, sits on the northwest corner of the West Overlook, across from the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building. Passersby will be able to get a good look at it, and that increased visibility has been a goal of the museum’s Sculpture Garden renovation, led by artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto. The Hirshhorn plans to place several other works across both its West and East overlooks as part of the project. Look for the grounds to reopen in late October after more than three years of construction.

“It’s an honor to have my work installed in the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden alongside so many artists I respect and admire,” KAWS said in a press release. “Being in such a prominent location on our capital’s National Mall is a true privilege. I hope the work encourages people to reflect on our relationships, how we treat one another and what that means for future generations.”

KAWS, who started his career as an animator for Disney, incorporates original characters dubbed “Companions” into many of his designs. These figures are reminiscent of Mickey Mouse with their gloved hands, but get a little spookier upon closer inspection: The signature ears are replaced with crossbone-like appendages that protrude from the skulls, and “X”s are drawn in place of eyes. “SHELTER” depicts two of these characters—a parent with a child on its lap, which helped inspire its placement facing the recently reopened National Mall carousel.

The post Sculpture by KAWS Installed in Hirshhorn’s Sculpture Garden first appeared on Washingtonian.

Inauguration Day, March 4, 1861. On a brilliantly sunny day in Washington, arguably the biggest moment of Mary Todd Lincoln’s life, dreams and reality collided.

As the President-elect’s coach clattered down Pennsylvania Avenue just ahead of hers, Mary could hear the crowd’s cheers and feel their warm embrace. But she also could see the ominous show of security forces and sense the unrest. General Winfield Scott had turned Washington into a fortress after rumors swept the city that Southern rebels would try to kidnap or assassinate Lincoln before he could be sworn in. Infantrymen lined the streets. Sharpshooters stood on rooftops and in the windows of the Capitol. Marshals and mounted soldiers surrounded the open carriage that carried Lincoln and President Buchanan, with orders to shoot anyone crowding it. Having heard that rebels would attempt to blow up the platform where Lincoln would speak, Scott stationed armed militiamen beneath and around the podium. Mary sat behind her husband on the inaugural stage, with their three sons and a legion of Todd family members. Her cousin Elizabeth Todd Grimsley keenly felt the tension, later describing the “sea of upturned faces, representing every shade of feeling; hatred, discontent, anxiety, and admiration.”

This emotional kaleidoscope would become Mary’s reality. She had long believed becoming First Lady was her destiny, the role she had aspired to her whole life. She envisioned herself as mistress of the land, a social queen, a fashion doyenne, and a supportive spouse who commanded respect and admiration. Her only previous foray into the Washington power vortex had been a disaster: As the wife of a lowly freshman congressman, she and her toddlers were forced to live in a cramped rooming house with all men while her husband worked long hours. But now she was moving into the city’s most prestigious address. She would bring to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue the impressive assets that had made her popular in Springfield, Illinois—an exuberant personality, a gift for cultured and educated conversation, a disarming outspokenness, and a love of politics. Still, this move was beyond anything she could have anticipated, and she had neither the experience nor the temperament to manage everything thrown at her. Before unpacking, before taking any official action, she was faced with the hard truth that half the nation despised her husband—and, by extension, her.

This would have been challenging for even the most secure and equanimous personality. Mary’s self-doubt, anxiety, and emotional immaturity made it crushing. Her roots in the divided slave state of Kentucky—which was still clinging to the hope of a compromise that would restore the Union to the status quo—put her in everyone’s cross hairs. Defiant Southerners saw her as a traitor to her birthplace, while some Northern abolitionists believed her to be a spy for the Confederacy and blamed her for Lincoln’s caution on emancipation. Complicating these impressions, nine of Mary’s brothers and brothers-in-law would align with the Rebel states, and three would die fighting for them.

Lincoln’s conciliatory message on that tense Inauguration Day did little to assuage the South’s hatred toward him. “We must not be enemies,” he implored, calling forth “the better angels of our nature” to keep the Union intact. Seeking to stem the tide of secession, he vowed not to interfere with slavery in the states where it already existed. His opponents were not appeased. All they heard was that he was adamant about not extending slavery to new states. While Northern newspapers praised his speech, Southerners slammed or ignored it. In Washington, there was mostly relief that violence had been averted. Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, was sitting behind Lincoln during the event and said he was “expecting to hear . . . the crack of a rifle aimed at his heart” at any moment.

Grateful to make it to the White House unharmed, Mary focused on what was immediately ahead: her debut. Harriet Lane had arranged an elegant dinner for the Lincolns and their houseguests. Just before 10:30 pm, the party gathered for a caravan to the inaugural ball, taking place in a temporary building that could hold 2,500. Intent on making her first fashion splash, Mary had chosen a pale-blue silk gown with a lace overlay. She finished off her look with the seeded-pearl necklace and bracelet that Lincoln had purchased for her at Tiffany’s.

Guests lined the pathway as Mary paraded the length of the hall on the arm of her old beau, Senator Stephen Douglas. To outsiders, he might have seemed an odd choice for an escort. The Democrat had been Lincoln’s rival for years and, until the 1860 election, had bested Lincoln at nearly every turn. But Mary had never harbored the resentment toward the Little Giant that she held toward other foes. In defeat, Douglas had made clear he would support Lincoln in this perilous moment. As was the practice at the time, the First Lady and President entered events on the arms of others, a custom Mary hated, because it meant her husband was to escort another woman. She eventually abolished the practice.

She envisioned herself as mistress of the land, a social queen, a fashion doyenne, and a supportive spouse who commanded respect and administration.

On this evening, though, Lincoln led the procession with the Vice President. Mary danced the quadrille with Douglas and stayed past 1 am, outlasting the President. After years of detached or unorthodox First Ladies, she was an anomaly and a curiosity. Observers seemed perplexed by her “ease and grace” and that she had quickly adapted “to the exalted station to which she has been so strangely advanced.” For better or worse, she was an overnight celebrity—a dangerous elixir for an insecure woman who thrived on attention. Not since Dolley Madison, 50 years earlier, would a President’s wife make such a concerted effort to position the White House at the center of Washington’s social life. But never had a First Lady experienced the resistance and condemnation that Mary would endure.

Mary had spent her 42 years in two small towns, protected by family and friends. Considered an accomplished hostess in Springfield society, she was not known outside its insular community. That was changing, faster than she could comprehend. “Now, if she but drive down Pennsylvania Avenue, the electric wire thrills the news to every hamlet in the Union which has a newspaper,” a British journalist wrote in his diary. The eyes of the nation were upon Mary. Many were judgmental strangers, not inclined to forgive her shortcomings. She was needy and nervous, afloat in turbulent waters with no anchors—not even her husband, who was consumed by a looming war.

Old House, New Hostess

Mary’s first order of business was a tour of the White House. She was shocked to find peeling paint, ripped wallpaper, broken furniture, and threadbare rugs. The grand East Room, despite its sparkling chandeliers and frescoed walls, looked tired and neglected. An Ohio congressman said he was struck by “the bare, worn, soiled aspect” of Lincoln’s office. The “people’s house” did not even have a full set of matching china for formal entertaining. Mary was disappointed but not disheartened. Within a few months, she would have a $20,000 congressional appropriation to refurbish the 31-room mansion and accomplish her goal of making it a national showcase.

As always, Mary kept a vigilant eye on the men around her husband and was particularly vexed by William Seward, the new Secretary of State. She despised him, instinctively understanding that Lincoln’s chief rival for the Republican nomination thought himself smarter than her husband and was telegraphing that he had no intention of playing second fiddle. She wasn’t wrong—Seward believed he had a better grasp of the presidency than the man elected to the job—but her antagonism was so personal that she would order her coachman to avoid passing Seward’s home when she was out riding. “He twine[s] you around his finger like a skein of thread,” she warned Lincoln. Always immersed in political gossip, and a prodigious newspaper reader, Mary would not have missed that Seward was relentlessly trying to usurp Lincoln’s authority, going around him to subordinates and leaking news to the press.

The two men would eventually become allies and friends. But Lincoln skillfully stayed one step ahead in these early weeks, telling private secretary John George Nicolay, “I cannot afford to let Seward take the first trick.” When Seward threatened to withdraw from his cabinet appointment because Lincoln had ignored his demands on other picks, the President called his bluff. Seward relented, then attempted an ill-conceived power play. In a memo, he brazenly admonished Lincoln for not yet having put forth a domestic- or foreign-policy agenda; in offering a list of remedies, he volunteered to take over the administration’s decision-making and day-to-day operations. Seward thought Lincoln would agree to be a figurehead. Instead, the President dismissed the proposals and told Seward he would remain in charge.

Bolstering Mary’s qualms, Seward also made a bid to host the administration’s first major reception. Mary aggressively objected. Entertaining was her domain. On March 8, she threw open the doors to the White House for a massive party. She again wowed her guests, this time in a magenta water-silk dress, with bright red and white camellias adorning her hair. The event was unpleasantly packed. An entry line meandered down Pennsylvania Avenue, leading some impatient guests to climb in through the windows. “A motley crowd and terrible squeeze,” attorney general Edward Bates noted in his diary. Seward was absent, with press reporting he was “detained by illness.” More likely, he had been detained by pique. The Washington Evening Star later described the end of the party as a “tragic” scene, with guests caught in a crunch trying to find their coats and hats. It was one of the last times for many years that North and South would socialize together in the White House.

Mary’s arrival jolted the wealthy, insular Southern ladies of Virginia and Maryland who had dominated for decades.

Just as the election of the first Republican President had triggered a rapid reshaping of Washington’s power structure, so too was there a conspicuous shift in the city’s social order. Mary’s arrival jolted the wealthy, insular Southern ladies of Virginia and Maryland who had dominated for decades. “Women were a power here, as much, almost, as were its statesmen,” presidential aide William Stoddard observed, “and those of them who remain are slow to yield their old supremacy.” Rather than try to curry favor with the new First Lady, they snubbed her, with British journalist William Howard Russell noting, “The Washington ladies have not yet made up their minds that Mrs. Lincoln is the fashion. . . . They miss their Southern friends, and constantly draw comparisons between them and the vulgar Yankee women and men who are now in power.” Realizing that becoming mistress of the land was harder than she had anticipated, Mary begged her cousin Elizabeth Grimsley not to leave Washington. She ended up staying six months.

Throughout that time, fear gripped the White House. Hate-filled mail became so upsetting for Mary that she demanded that all incoming correspondence be screened. “I do not wish to open a letter, nor even a parcel,” she instructed Stoddard, “until after you have examined it.” General Scott kept the building surrounded by troops, which Lincoln found maddening. He didn’t want to feel confined to an armed fortress. When the entire family and houseguests fell ill soon after the inauguration, fears of a plot to poison the President caused panic. Doctors were called in. The culprit turned out to be food poisoning—“an over-indulgence in Potomac Shad,” as Mary’s cousin put it.

Power and Patronage

Determined not to let fear slow her down, Mary pushed forward. But after six weeks, she was drowning. She struggled to manage the complex household and its Byzantine budget. Her exhausted husband was unavailable to calm her nerves. Frustrated that there was no entertainment stipend, Mary sought to redirect money to her priorities, causing tension with White House aides. She tangled constantly with Nicolay, 29, who also operated as chief of staff, and 22-year-old John Hay, Lincoln’s other private secretary. They found it exasperating to constantly try to fend off Mary’s schemes to generate money while putting out the fires she was igniting. Their nicknames for her included “La Reine,” “Her Majesty,” “The Hellcat,” and “The Enemy.”

Frustrated that there was a no entertainment stipend, Mary sought to redirect money to her priorities, causing tension with White House aides.

Lincoln had earned $1,500 to $3,000 annually as a lawyer, and his $25,000 salary as President must have seemed like a fortune to Mary, an opportunity to save for the future. When she realized her husband was personally paying for some household expenses, she became upset. Money had been an obsession for her since her early married years, when her wealthy father was no longer supporting her. Financially naive, Mary tried all manner of dubious and unethical schemes to produce cash. Observing her “growing irrationality” about money, Stoddard was mystified by her ricochets between overspending and stinginess. She was so overwhelmed by the “horror of poverty to come,” he wrote later, that “during a few hours of extreme depression,” she wanted to sell the “very manure in the Executive stables, and to cut off the necessary expenses of the household.” But her fears would ebb and flow. Stoddard was perplexed at how she “could be one day so kindly, so considerate, so generous, so thoughtful and so hopeful,” then the next, “so unreasonable, so irritable, so despondent.”

Mary’s mood swings didn’t alter the financial reality: She couldn’t afford her ambitions for the White House. To her detriment, she confided in anyone who would listen, including staff. The mansion’s unprincipled groundskeeper, John Watt, showed Mary how to manipulate the ledger and pad bills, something he already had been doing by submitting vouchers for planting items that never appeared. She was all too happy to take his advice, but the extra cash generated for the household still wasn’t enough. Rather than scale back her aspirations and renovation plans, Mary ruffled feathers by abandoning state dinners in favor of less costly receptions—a move her husband initially opposed—and dismissing experienced employees so she could hire cheaper labor. (One journalist noted that the new staff was more befitting a restaurant than the White House.) Mary then asked Hay if she could personally receive the steward’s $100 monthly salary for taking on much of that work. Shocked by the inappropriate request, Hay rejected it. “I told her to kiss mine. Was I right?” he jokingly wrote to Nicolay. “There is no steward.” He added a few days later, “The Hellcat is getting more hellcattical day by day.”

It wasn’t long before Washington was abuzz with Mary’s behavior. As she struggled to pay for her ambitions, she realized how little she knew about the nuances of East Coast society. Who were the best caterers? Which were the elite stores? Who should be invited to her salons? Anxious to demonstrate that she and her husband were not rubes, Mary latched onto a man she liked but barely knew: William Wood, who had ingratiated himself with Mary during the Lincolns’ journey to Washington. By the time they arrived in the capital, she had decided he should be the commissioner of public buildings, a complex job with significant financial responsibilities for a man with no government experience. Wood played to her needs so effectively that she was blind to what others saw: a sycophant with questionable judgment.

A former hotel manager, Wood was among a collection of opportunists and rogues who, seeking to gain influence and pad their pockets, took advantage of Mary’s naiveté and desperation. The White House became an almost comical revolving door of odd characters, including Oliver “Pet” Halsted, a lobbyist for weapons dealers whom Mary had met on a vacation, and Henry Wikoff, a globetrotting dandy who had served prison time in Italy for kidnapping his heiress fiancée, part of a plan to seize her money. Mary assured Elizabeth Keckly, her seamstress, that her aims with this “unprincipled set” were strategic. She hoped to use their influence to boost her husband’s reelection chances and then “drop” them once a second term was secured. But political observers were aghast, with one journalist describing them as “common” men whose “flattery easily gained controlling influence over her.” In the coming years, spiritualists preying on Mary’s sadness would join this bizarre ensemble.

Lincoln named Wood the interim commissioner of public buildings on July 12. Mary sent flowers to Illinois senator Orville Browning, a longstanding Lincoln ally, telling him he would find a “true friend” in her if he supported Wood’s confirmation. However, an uneasy Senate let his nomination languish. It wasn’t the first or last time Mary would meddle in government business. Her efforts to get appointments for family, friends, and supporters did not go unnoticed, with gossip flying that she was being bribed with cash and gifts to influence her husband. While she definitely tried to bestow favors, there is no proof that she took money for it. Like any political operator, Mary mostly sought low-to-midlevel jobs for people she knew. She also weighed in on some senior appointments, with mixed results. Lincoln had the authority to turn over nearly the entire executive branch—it would be another 20 years before Congress would create the civil service, removing many federal jobs from presidential control—and he was very much in command of patronage, understanding its usefulness. He was under enormous pressure, too, juggling demands from clamoring Republican factions as well as Illinois friends, whom he was reluctant to appoint because of appearances of favoritism. “Do you know that you have not as yet appointed a single man from Illinois that was originally your friend?” Springfield friend Jesse Dubois curtly scolded him. Cabinet members, elected officials, and even newspaper editors who had supported Lincoln were seeking positions for their own supporters and friends.

Mary saw it as both her right and her duty to ensure that loyalists received appointments. Still, she was more of a string-puller than a powerbroker. But seeing the President’s wife wading into the patronage arena, and knowing she had his ear, was maddening to entitled, powerful men. She was only doing what they were doing—trying to take care of allies—but in 1861, it was unseemly for the First Lady to be involved in the patriarchy of politics. It brought her scrutiny and enemies. One newspaper editor huffed in letters to a friend that Mary was a “fool” and that some of Lincoln’s “most unfortunate appointments have been made to please his wife who is anxious to be thought the power behind the throne.” A correspondent for another newspaper, known for its stalwart support of the Republican Party, opined derisively that Mary had “made and unmade the political fortunes of men.” Not quite. But when influential men didn’t get what they wanted, it was far easier for them to crucify Mary than to take on the President.

Mary was perfectly comfortable appealing directly to cabinet members, who were equally comfortable rebuffing her. She leaned on Seward to appoint a Lincoln supporter from Ohio as US consul in Honolulu, who did not get the job. When she sent one young man with a note of introduction to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, the cabinet member found the applicant unqualified and paid Mary a visit the next day. He cautioned her that appointments of people unfit for the job “strike at the very root of all confidence in the government, in your husband, you, and me.” Mary retreated and promised never to ask him for a patronage favor again.

She had better success in her efforts on behalf of family members, helping land a position in the Army’s rapidly growing administrative ranks for her sister Frances’s husband, William Wallace, who had been pressing Lincoln for an appointment. She claimed that her effort for Wallace was a “hard battle” and resented that her sister did not thank the Lincolns. One family member Lincoln was eager to give a job to was a promising Todd relative from Kentucky: Benjamin Hardin Helm, a West Point graduate and husband to Mary’s favorite half sister, Emily. Lincoln was fond of Helm, and when he learned that he had come to Washington seeking a military appointment, the President offered the young man a commission as a Union Army paymaster. As Lincoln’s request sat on the Secretary of War’s desk, Helm had second thoughts. Two weeks later, he turned down the offer and joined the Confederate Army, greatly disappointing the Lincolns.

A First Lady at War

In the weeks following the inauguration, Mary fretted over her husband’s health. He was grappling with what to do about Fort Sumter, manned by a small Union garrison on an island off the coast of the seceded state of South Carolina. Sumter was running out of supplies, but Lincoln feared that an attempt to fortify the base would trigger an escalation in tensions. The state’s Confederate leaders were demanding that the fort be evacuated. Lincoln was reluctant. His cabinet was divided. Adding to the pressure, Lincoln was being undermined by Seward, who was working a back channel with Confederate leaders, assuring them Sumter would be evacuated. During this period, Mary said Lincoln had “keeled over” with a migraine headache.

General Scott pushed Mary and her family to head north for safety. But Lincoln wanted her to stay, and she refused to abandon the White House.

Any hope of a peaceful resolution evaporated on April 12, 1861, when South Carolina’s militia bombarded the fort. Thus began the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in US history, a four-year ordeal that would claim upward of 750,000 lives. With limited supplies and ammunition, Major Robert Anderson, Sumter’s commander, surrendered the next day. He saved the American flag on his way out and returned to Washington a hero. Three days after the attack, Lincoln called for states to send 75,000 troops. Mary was terrified Lincoln would be assassinated; Hay employed “some very dexterous lying” to calm her down.” As word spread that Washington might be attacked, General Scott pushed Mary and her family to head north for safety. But Lincoln wanted her to stay, and she refused to abandon the White House.

Producing 75,000 men was no simple task. The states had modest militias and small arsenals. Some governors refused the request. In neighboring Maryland, a slave state, officials blocked Union soldiers from passing through. Lincoln was under siege from all sides—the South, the North, and the press, where the loudest voices were faulting him for seeming weak. When he clarified that the troops were needed to protect the capital, some trickled in. By April 18, about 50 armed volunteers from Kansas had taken up residence in the East Room, setting up camp on top of the fine Brussels carpet under crystal chandeliers. They were soon joined by a Massachusetts regiment that had fended off a mob in Baltimore. But it was the Seventh New York Regiment, stomping up Pennsylvania Avenue on April 25 with bands playing, that lifted the town’s spirits. Mary and her friends watched from the White House’s windows. By May, thousands of soldiers were making their camps in and around the government’s buildings. She wrote to a friend in Springfield that “if there is safety in numbers, we have every reason to feel secure.”

Meanwhile, Southern sympathizers were horrified. A friend of an Alabama’s senator’s wife described “[o]ur beautiful capital, with all its artistic wealth, desecrated, disgraced with Lincoln’s low soldiery.” Feeling somewhat relieved, however, the Lincolns hosted a reception on May 9 for military officers and the cabinet, with Anderson singled out to be honored. Mary impressed a New York Times reporter in attendance by listening intently as he described the soldiers’ needs. He was also fixated on her appearance. “The beauty of her arms and shoulders,” the correspondent wrote in a manner not unusual for the period. “They were very white and polished as marble.”

The next day, Mary embarked on her first official travel as First Lady, an extended trip north on an unprecedented mission. Accompanied by her cousin Lizzie and William Wood—as well as newly promoted Brigadier General Robert Anderson for part of the journey—she would be representing her husband’s administration at Union rallies and visits to military encampments. There was intense public interest in Anderson, who had acquired a celebrity stature after Fort Sumter. For Mary to accompany him by train to Philadelphia, and be part of his entourage as a welcoming committee escorted them from the depot to their hotel, put her front and center in a way that went far beyond serving as chief White House hostess. She was breaking new ground, politically and personally, helping reshape the First Lady’s role. Unlike her predecessors, who had stayed mostly out of the public eye, Mary had a strikingly different ambition. She intended to be seen.

---

From the forthcoming book An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln, copyright © 2026 by Lois Romano, to be published by Simon & Schuster. Printed by permission.

From the forthcoming book An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln, copyright © 2026 by Lois Romano, to be published by Simon & Schuster. Printed by permission.

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post When Polarizing First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln Came to Washington first appeared on Washingtonian.

Inauguration Day, March 4, 1861. On a brilliantly sunny day in Washington, arguably the biggest moment of Mary Todd Lincoln’s life, dreams and reality collided.

As the President-elect’s coach clattered down Pennsylvania Avenue just ahead of hers, Mary could hear the crowd’s cheers and feel their warm embrace. But she also could see the ominous show of security forces and sense the unrest. General Winfield Scott had turned Washington into a fortress after rumors swept the city that Southern rebels would try to kidnap or assassinate Lincoln before he could be sworn in. Infantrymen lined the streets. Sharpshooters stood on rooftops and in the windows of the Capitol. Marshals and mounted soldiers surrounded the open carriage that carried Lincoln and President Buchanan, with orders to shoot anyone crowding it. Having heard that rebels would attempt to blow up the platform where Lincoln would speak, Scott stationed armed militiamen beneath and around the podium. Mary sat behind her husband on the inaugural stage, with their three sons and a legion of Todd family members. Her cousin Elizabeth Todd Grimsley keenly felt the tension, later describing the “sea of upturned faces, representing every shade of feeling; hatred, discontent, anxiety, and admiration.”

This emotional kaleidoscope would become Mary’s reality. She had long believed becoming First Lady was her destiny, the role she had aspired to her whole life. She envisioned herself as mistress of the land, a social queen, a fashion doyenne, and a supportive spouse who commanded respect and admiration. Her only previous foray into the Washington power vortex had been a disaster: As the wife of a lowly freshman congressman, she and her toddlers were forced to live in a cramped rooming house with all men while her husband worked long hours. But now she was moving into the city’s most prestigious address. She would bring to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue the impressive assets that had made her popular in Springfield, Illinois—an exuberant personality, a gift for cultured and educated conversation, a disarming outspokenness, and a love of politics. Still, this move was beyond anything she could have anticipated, and she had neither the experience nor the temperament to manage everything thrown at her. Before unpacking, before taking any official action, she was faced with the hard truth that half the nation despised her husband—and, by extension, her.

This would have been challenging for even the most secure and equanimous personality. Mary’s self-doubt, anxiety, and emotional immaturity made it crushing. Her roots in the divided slave state of Kentucky—which was still clinging to the hope of a compromise that would restore the Union to the status quo—put her in everyone’s cross hairs. Defiant Southerners saw her as a traitor to her birthplace, while some Northern abolitionists believed her to be a spy for the Confederacy and blamed her for Lincoln’s caution on emancipation. Complicating these impressions, nine of Mary’s brothers and brothers-in-law would align with the Rebel states, and three would die fighting for them.

Lincoln’s conciliatory message on that tense Inauguration Day did little to assuage the South’s hatred toward him. “We must not be enemies,” he implored, calling forth “the better angels of our nature” to keep the Union intact. Seeking to stem the tide of secession, he vowed not to interfere with slavery in the states where it already existed. His opponents were not appeased. All they heard was that he was adamant about not extending slavery to new states. While Northern newspapers praised his speech, Southerners slammed or ignored it. In Washington, there was mostly relief that violence had been averted. Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, was sitting behind Lincoln during the event and said he was “expecting to hear . . . the crack of a rifle aimed at his heart” at any moment.

Grateful to make it to the White House unharmed, Mary focused on what was immediately ahead: her debut. Harriet Lane had arranged an elegant dinner for the Lincolns and their houseguests. Just before 10:30 pm, the party gathered for a caravan to the inaugural ball, taking place in a temporary building that could hold 2,500. Intent on making her first fashion splash, Mary had chosen a pale-blue silk gown with a lace overlay. She finished off her look with the seeded-pearl necklace and bracelet that Lincoln had purchased for her at Tiffany’s.

Guests lined the pathway as Mary paraded the length of the hall on the arm of her old beau, Senator Stephen Douglas. To outsiders, he might have seemed an odd choice for an escort. The Democrat had been Lincoln’s rival for years and, until the 1860 election, had bested Lincoln at nearly every turn. But Mary had never harbored the resentment toward the Little Giant that she held toward other foes. In defeat, Douglas had made clear he would support Lincoln in this perilous moment. As was the practice at the time, the First Lady and President entered events on the arms of others, a custom Mary hated, because it meant her husband was to escort another woman. She eventually abolished the practice.

She envisioned herself as mistress of the land, a social queen, a fashion doyenne, and a supportive spouse who commanded respect and administration.

On this evening, though, Lincoln led the procession with the Vice President. Mary danced the quadrille with Douglas and stayed past 1 am, outlasting the President. After years of detached or unorthodox First Ladies, she was an anomaly and a curiosity. Observers seemed perplexed by her “ease and grace” and that she had quickly adapted “to the exalted station to which she has been so strangely advanced.” For better or worse, she was an overnight celebrity—a dangerous elixir for an insecure woman who thrived on attention. Not since Dolley Madison, 50 years earlier, would a President’s wife make such a concerted effort to position the White House at the center of Washington’s social life. But never had a First Lady experienced the resistance and condemnation that Mary would endure.

Mary had spent her 42 years in two small towns, protected by family and friends. Considered an accomplished hostess in Springfield society, she was not known outside its insular community. That was changing, faster than she could comprehend. “Now, if she but drive down Pennsylvania Avenue, the electric wire thrills the news to every hamlet in the Union which has a newspaper,” a British journalist wrote in his diary. The eyes of the nation were upon Mary. Many were judgmental strangers, not inclined to forgive her shortcomings. She was needy and nervous, afloat in turbulent waters with no anchors—not even her husband, who was consumed by a looming war.

Old House, New Hostess

Mary’s first order of business was a tour of the White House. She was shocked to find peeling paint, ripped wallpaper, broken furniture, and threadbare rugs. The grand East Room, despite its sparkling chandeliers and frescoed walls, looked tired and neglected. An Ohio congressman said he was struck by “the bare, worn, soiled aspect” of Lincoln’s office. The “people’s house” did not even have a full set of matching china for formal entertaining. Mary was disappointed but not disheartened. Within a few months, she would have a $20,000 congressional appropriation to refurbish the 31-room mansion and accomplish her goal of making it a national showcase.

As always, Mary kept a vigilant eye on the men around her husband and was particularly vexed by William Seward, the new Secretary of State. She despised him, instinctively understanding that Lincoln’s chief rival for the Republican nomination thought himself smarter than her husband and was telegraphing that he had no intention of playing second fiddle. She wasn’t wrong—Seward believed he had a better grasp of the presidency than the man elected to the job—but her antagonism was so personal that she would order her coachman to avoid passing Seward’s home when she was out riding. “He twine[s] you around his finger like a skein of thread,” she warned Lincoln. Always immersed in political gossip, and a prodigious newspaper reader, Mary would not have missed that Seward was relentlessly trying to usurp Lincoln’s authority, going around him to subordinates and leaking news to the press.

The two men would eventually become allies and friends. But Lincoln skillfully stayed one step ahead in these early weeks, telling private secretary John George Nicolay, “I cannot afford to let Seward take the first trick.” When Seward threatened to withdraw from his cabinet appointment because Lincoln had ignored his demands on other picks, the President called his bluff. Seward relented, then attempted an ill-conceived power play. In a memo, he brazenly admonished Lincoln for not yet having put forth a domestic- or foreign-policy agenda; in offering a list of remedies, he volunteered to take over the administration’s decision-making and day-to-day operations. Seward thought Lincoln would agree to be a figurehead. Instead, the President dismissed the proposals and told Seward he would remain in charge.

Bolstering Mary’s qualms, Seward also made a bid to host the administration’s first major reception. Mary aggressively objected. Entertaining was her domain. On March 8, she threw open the doors to the White House for a massive party. She again wowed her guests, this time in a magenta water-silk dress, with bright red and white camellias adorning her hair. The event was unpleasantly packed. An entry line meandered down Pennsylvania Avenue, leading some impatient guests to climb in through the windows. “A motley crowd and terrible squeeze,” attorney general Edward Bates noted in his diary. Seward was absent, with press reporting he was “detained by illness.” More likely, he had been detained by pique. The Washington Evening Star later described the end of the party as a “tragic” scene, with guests caught in a crunch trying to find their coats and hats. It was one of the last times for many years that North and South would socialize together in the White House.

Mary’s arrival jolted the wealthy, insular Southern ladies of Virginia and Maryland who had dominated for decades.

Just as the election of the first Republican President had triggered a rapid reshaping of Washington’s power structure, so too was there a conspicuous shift in the city’s social order. Mary’s arrival jolted the wealthy, insular Southern ladies of Virginia and Maryland who had dominated for decades. “Women were a power here, as much, almost, as were its statesmen,” presidential aide William Stoddard observed, “and those of them who remain are slow to yield their old supremacy.” Rather than try to curry favor with the new First Lady, they snubbed her, with British journalist William Howard Russell noting, “The Washington ladies have not yet made up their minds that Mrs. Lincoln is the fashion. . . . They miss their Southern friends, and constantly draw comparisons between them and the vulgar Yankee women and men who are now in power.” Realizing that becoming mistress of the land was harder than she had anticipated, Mary begged her cousin Elizabeth Grimsley not to leave Washington. She ended up staying six months.

Throughout that time, fear gripped the White House. Hate-filled mail became so upsetting for Mary that she demanded that all incoming correspondence be screened. “I do not wish to open a letter, nor even a parcel,” she instructed Stoddard, “until after you have examined it.” General Scott kept the building surrounded by troops, which Lincoln found maddening. He didn’t want to feel confined to an armed fortress. When the entire family and houseguests fell ill soon after the inauguration, fears of a plot to poison the President caused panic. Doctors were called in. The culprit turned out to be food poisoning—“an over-indulgence in Potomac Shad,” as Mary’s cousin put it.

Power and Patronage

Determined not to let fear slow her down, Mary pushed forward. But after six weeks, she was drowning. She struggled to manage the complex household and its Byzantine budget. Her exhausted husband was unavailable to calm her nerves. Frustrated that there was no entertainment stipend, Mary sought to redirect money to her priorities, causing tension with White House aides. She tangled constantly with Nicolay, 29, who also operated as chief of staff, and 22-year-old John Hay, Lincoln’s other private secretary. They found it exasperating to constantly try to fend off Mary’s schemes to generate money while putting out the fires she was igniting. Their nicknames for her included “La Reine,” “Her Majesty,” “The Hellcat,” and “The Enemy.”

Frustrated that there was a no entertainment stipend, Mary sought to redirect money to her priorities, causing tension with White House aides.

Lincoln had earned $1,500 to $3,000 annually as a lawyer, and his $25,000 salary as President must have seemed like a fortune to Mary, an opportunity to save for the future. When she realized her husband was personally paying for some household expenses, she became upset. Money had been an obsession for her since her early married years, when her wealthy father was no longer supporting her. Financially naive, Mary tried all manner of dubious and unethical schemes to produce cash. Observing her “growing irrationality” about money, Stoddard was mystified by her ricochets between overspending and stinginess. She was so overwhelmed by the “horror of poverty to come,” he wrote later, that “during a few hours of extreme depression,” she wanted to sell the “very manure in the Executive stables, and to cut off the necessary expenses of the household.” But her fears would ebb and flow. Stoddard was perplexed at how she “could be one day so kindly, so considerate, so generous, so thoughtful and so hopeful,” then the next, “so unreasonable, so irritable, so despondent.”

Mary’s mood swings didn’t alter the financial reality: She couldn’t afford her ambitions for the White House. To her detriment, she confided in anyone who would listen, including staff. The mansion’s unprincipled groundskeeper, John Watt, showed Mary how to manipulate the ledger and pad bills, something he already had been doing by submitting vouchers for planting items that never appeared. She was all too happy to take his advice, but the extra cash generated for the household still wasn’t enough. Rather than scale back her aspirations and renovation plans, Mary ruffled feathers by abandoning state dinners in favor of less costly receptions—a move her husband initially opposed—and dismissing experienced employees so she could hire cheaper labor. (One journalist noted that the new staff was more befitting a restaurant than the White House.) Mary then asked Hay if she could personally receive the steward’s $100 monthly salary for taking on much of that work. Shocked by the inappropriate request, Hay rejected it. “I told her to kiss mine. Was I right?” he jokingly wrote to Nicolay. “There is no steward.” He added a few days later, “The Hellcat is getting more hellcattical day by day.”

It wasn’t long before Washington was abuzz with Mary’s behavior. As she struggled to pay for her ambitions, she realized how little she knew about the nuances of East Coast society. Who were the best caterers? Which were the elite stores? Who should be invited to her salons? Anxious to demonstrate that she and her husband were not rubes, Mary latched onto a man she liked but barely knew: William Wood, who had ingratiated himself with Mary during the Lincolns’ journey to Washington. By the time they arrived in the capital, she had decided he should be the commissioner of public buildings, a complex job with significant financial responsibilities for a man with no government experience. Wood played to her needs so effectively that she was blind to what others saw: a sycophant with questionable judgment.

A former hotel manager, Wood was among a collection of opportunists and rogues who, seeking to gain influence and pad their pockets, took advantage of Mary’s naiveté and desperation. The White House became an almost comical revolving door of odd characters, including Oliver “Pet” Halsted, a lobbyist for weapons dealers whom Mary had met on a vacation, and Henry Wikoff, a globetrotting dandy who had served prison time in Italy for kidnapping his heiress fiancée, part of a plan to seize her money. Mary assured Elizabeth Keckly, her seamstress, that her aims with this “unprincipled set” were strategic. She hoped to use their influence to boost her husband’s reelection chances and then “drop” them once a second term was secured. But political observers were aghast, with one journalist describing them as “common” men whose “flattery easily gained controlling influence over her.” In the coming years, spiritualists preying on Mary’s sadness would join this bizarre ensemble.

Lincoln named Wood the interim commissioner of public buildings on July 12. Mary sent flowers to Illinois senator Orville Browning, a longstanding Lincoln ally, telling him he would find a “true friend” in her if he supported Wood’s confirmation. However, an uneasy Senate let his nomination languish. It wasn’t the first or last time Mary would meddle in government business. Her efforts to get appointments for family, friends, and supporters did not go unnoticed, with gossip flying that she was being bribed with cash and gifts to influence her husband. While she definitely tried to bestow favors, there is no proof that she took money for it. Like any political operator, Mary mostly sought low-to-midlevel jobs for people she knew. She also weighed in on some senior appointments, with mixed results. Lincoln had the authority to turn over nearly the entire executive branch—it would be another 20 years before Congress would create the civil service, removing many federal jobs from presidential control—and he was very much in command of patronage, understanding its usefulness. He was under enormous pressure, too, juggling demands from clamoring Republican factions as well as Illinois friends, whom he was reluctant to appoint because of appearances of favoritism. “Do you know that you have not as yet appointed a single man from Illinois that was originally your friend?” Springfield friend Jesse Dubois curtly scolded him. Cabinet members, elected officials, and even newspaper editors who had supported Lincoln were seeking positions for their own supporters and friends.

Mary saw it as both her right and her duty to ensure that loyalists received appointments. Still, she was more of a string-puller than a powerbroker. But seeing the President’s wife wading into the patronage arena, and knowing she had his ear, was maddening to entitled, powerful men. She was only doing what they were doing—trying to take care of allies—but in 1861, it was unseemly for the First Lady to be involved in the patriarchy of politics. It brought her scrutiny and enemies. One newspaper editor huffed in letters to a friend that Mary was a “fool” and that some of Lincoln’s “most unfortunate appointments have been made to please his wife who is anxious to be thought the power behind the throne.” A correspondent for another newspaper, known for its stalwart support of the Republican Party, opined derisively that Mary had “made and unmade the political fortunes of men.” Not quite. But when influential men didn’t get what they wanted, it was far easier for them to crucify Mary than to take on the President.

Mary was perfectly comfortable appealing directly to cabinet members, who were equally comfortable rebuffing her. She leaned on Seward to appoint a Lincoln supporter from Ohio as US consul in Honolulu, who did not get the job. When she sent one young man with a note of introduction to Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, the cabinet member found the applicant unqualified and paid Mary a visit the next day. He cautioned her that appointments of people unfit for the job “strike at the very root of all confidence in the government, in your husband, you, and me.” Mary retreated and promised never to ask him for a patronage favor again.

She had better success in her efforts on behalf of family members, helping land a position in the Army’s rapidly growing administrative ranks for her sister Frances’s husband, William Wallace, who had been pressing Lincoln for an appointment. She claimed that her effort for Wallace was a “hard battle” and resented that her sister did not thank the Lincolns. One family member Lincoln was eager to give a job to was a promising Todd relative from Kentucky: Benjamin Hardin Helm, a West Point graduate and husband to Mary’s favorite half sister, Emily. Lincoln was fond of Helm, and when he learned that he had come to Washington seeking a military appointment, the President offered the young man a commission as a Union Army paymaster. As Lincoln’s request sat on the Secretary of War’s desk, Helm had second thoughts. Two weeks later, he turned down the offer and joined the Confederate Army, greatly disappointing the Lincolns.

A First Lady at War

In the weeks following the inauguration, Mary fretted over her husband’s health. He was grappling with what to do about Fort Sumter, manned by a small Union garrison on an island off the coast of the seceded state of South Carolina. Sumter was running out of supplies, but Lincoln feared that an attempt to fortify the base would trigger an escalation in tensions. The state’s Confederate leaders were demanding that the fort be evacuated. Lincoln was reluctant. His cabinet was divided. Adding to the pressure, Lincoln was being undermined by Seward, who was working a back channel with Confederate leaders, assuring them Sumter would be evacuated. During this period, Mary said Lincoln had “keeled over” with a migraine headache.

General Scott pushed Mary and her family to head north for safety. But Lincoln wanted her to stay, and she refused to abandon the White House.

Any hope of a peaceful resolution evaporated on April 12, 1861, when South Carolina’s militia bombarded the fort. Thus began the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in US history, a four-year ordeal that would claim upward of 750,000 lives. With limited supplies and ammunition, Major Robert Anderson, Sumter’s commander, surrendered the next day. He saved the American flag on his way out and returned to Washington a hero. Three days after the attack, Lincoln called for states to send 75,000 troops. Mary was terrified Lincoln would be assassinated; Hay employed “some very dexterous lying” to calm her down.” As word spread that Washington might be attacked, General Scott pushed Mary and her family to head north for safety. But Lincoln wanted her to stay, and she refused to abandon the White House.

Producing 75,000 men was no simple task. The states had modest militias and small arsenals. Some governors refused the request. In neighboring Maryland, a slave state, officials blocked Union soldiers from passing through. Lincoln was under siege from all sides—the South, the North, and the press, where the loudest voices were faulting him for seeming weak. When he clarified that the troops were needed to protect the capital, some trickled in. By April 18, about 50 armed volunteers from Kansas had taken up residence in the East Room, setting up camp on top of the fine Brussels carpet under crystal chandeliers. They were soon joined by a Massachusetts regiment that had fended off a mob in Baltimore. But it was the Seventh New York Regiment, stomping up Pennsylvania Avenue on April 25 with bands playing, that lifted the town’s spirits. Mary and her friends watched from the White House’s windows. By May, thousands of soldiers were making their camps in and around the government’s buildings. She wrote to a friend in Springfield that “if there is safety in numbers, we have every reason to feel secure.”

Meanwhile, Southern sympathizers were horrified. A friend of an Alabama’s senator’s wife described “[o]ur beautiful capital, with all its artistic wealth, desecrated, disgraced with Lincoln’s low soldiery.” Feeling somewhat relieved, however, the Lincolns hosted a reception on May 9 for military officers and the cabinet, with Anderson singled out to be honored. Mary impressed a New York Times reporter in attendance by listening intently as he described the soldiers’ needs. He was also fixated on her appearance. “The beauty of her arms and shoulders,” the correspondent wrote in a manner not unusual for the period. “They were very white and polished as marble.”

The next day, Mary embarked on her first official travel as First Lady, an extended trip north on an unprecedented mission. Accompanied by her cousin Lizzie and William Wood—as well as newly promoted Brigadier General Robert Anderson for part of the journey—she would be representing her husband’s administration at Union rallies and visits to military encampments. There was intense public interest in Anderson, who had acquired a celebrity stature after Fort Sumter. For Mary to accompany him by train to Philadelphia, and be part of his entourage as a welcoming committee escorted them from the depot to their hotel, put her front and center in a way that went far beyond serving as chief White House hostess. She was breaking new ground, politically and personally, helping reshape the First Lady’s role. Unlike her predecessors, who had stayed mostly out of the public eye, Mary had a strikingly different ambition. She intended to be seen.

---

From the forthcoming book An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln, copyright © 2026 by Lois Romano, to be published by Simon & Schuster. Printed by permission.

From the forthcoming book An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln, copyright © 2026 by Lois Romano, to be published by Simon & Schuster. Printed by permission.

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post When Polarizing First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln Came to Washington first appeared on Washingtonian.

You probably don’t have a Rothko stashed in your basement, but there still might be museum-worthy treasure hidden in those bins. That’s why Jonathan Edelman, the Capital Jewish Museum’s collections curator, recently hosted an event called “We Want Your Stuff,” in which locals were invited to share their family histories and show him photos of artifacts that could be right for the museum.

Edelman is always on the hunt for notable items—he salvaged the sign from Bethesda Bagels when it shuttered its Dupont location, for example. But he’s also eager to acquire less flashy things: photos, documents, and smaller artifacts, whether they’re historically significant or (as is mostly the case) just kind of interesting. If you’re a Jewish Washingtonian with some history in the area and a closet full of memories, Edelman wants to hear from you. “People think their ordinary stuff doesn’t matter to a museum,” he said during the event. “I tell people, ‘Show me everything!’ ”

At the museum, Edelman did 15-minute sessions with a series of potential donors. One woman brought in a sheaf of handwritten Yiddish letters from relatives in Poland (probably better for the Holocaust museum, he told her). A couple presented him with a scrapbook and a flash drive containing info going back to the 19th century (“one of the most well-organized family histories,” he said). Edelman was curious about another woman’s items from the Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington—and her Jewish Motorcyclists Alliance T-shirt, which she acquired during a 2005 ride with a Miami rabbi who was delivering a historic Torah to the Holocaust museum.

Brett Kaplowitz and his wife, Debra Kay, brought Edelman a rich story and an unusual object. Kaplowitz’s DC roots stretch back four generations, with plenty of intriguing avenues to explore. The couple had primarily come to tell Edelman about Kaplowitz’s grandmother, Sylvia Klavans Kaplowitz, a local accordionist who came to prominence in the 1930s and led an all-female accordion troupe. Kaplowitz and Kay lugged in a real treasure: Sylvia’s lovely old Excelsior accordion, which Edelman eagerly accepted for the museum. “It’s definitely the first accordion in our collection,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know that we’ll get another.”

Several days later, Edelman met up with Kaplowitz and Kay at their Alexandria condo, where he pulled up a chair and combed through the extensive family research Kay has been compiling. “My favorite part of my job is to sit at someone’s dining table with them and they tell me their story,” Edelman said, pulling on a pair of white archival gloves to handle the materials. There was a framed invite to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1937 inauguration, a 1936 issue of the magazine Accordion News featuring Sylvia on the cover, and a 1934 Washington Herald write-up of Sylvia’s performance in front of FDR at the National Press Club. Kaplowitz was excited for some of these items to go to the museum. “I want people to know about my family,” he said. “I’m proud of their heritage, proud that they’re Washingtonians. I think it’s neat for people to share. I wish everybody shared their stuff.”

So does Edelman, who’s constantly trying to explain that what people see as junk could have value to him. “It’s hard to convey that, like, we’re not looking for a Fabergé egg,” he said. “We want the stories of everyday Washingtonians. Sylvia Kaplowitz the accordion player—that’s a really rich part of the Washington Jewish experience, and I want her story to be part of our archive just as much as a Supreme Court justice.” Of course, not every pile of old papers is going to be right for the museum, but call him anyway, Edelman says: “I’m always willing to look.”

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post Does Your Old Stuff Belong in a DC Museum? first appeared on Washingtonian.

You probably don’t have a Rothko stashed in your basement, but there still might be museum-worthy treasure hidden in those bins. That’s why Jonathan Edelman, the Capital Jewish Museum’s collections curator, recently hosted an event called “We Want Your Stuff,” in which locals were invited to share their family histories and show him photos of artifacts that could be right for the museum.

Edelman is always on the hunt for notable items—he salvaged the sign from Bethesda Bagels when it shuttered its Dupont location, for example. But he’s also eager to acquire less flashy things: photos, documents, and smaller artifacts, whether they’re historically significant or (as is mostly the case) just kind of interesting. If you’re a Jewish Washingtonian with some history in the area and a closet full of memories, Edelman wants to hear from you. “People think their ordinary stuff doesn’t matter to a museum,” he said during the event. “I tell people, ‘Show me everything!’ ”

At the museum, Edelman did 15-minute sessions with a series of potential donors. One woman brought in a sheaf of handwritten Yiddish letters from relatives in Poland (probably better for the Holocaust museum, he told her). A couple presented him with a scrapbook and a flash drive containing info going back to the 19th century (“one of the most well-organized family histories,” he said). Edelman was curious about another woman’s items from the Jewish Genealogy Society of Greater Washington—and her Jewish Motorcyclists Alliance T-shirt, which she acquired during a 2005 ride with a Miami rabbi who was delivering a historic Torah to the Holocaust museum.

Brett Kaplowitz and his wife, Debra Kay, brought Edelman a rich story and an unusual object. Kaplowitz’s DC roots stretch back four generations, with plenty of intriguing avenues to explore. The couple had primarily come to tell Edelman about Kaplowitz’s grandmother, Sylvia Klavans Kaplowitz, a local accordionist who came to prominence in the 1930s and led an all-female accordion troupe. Kaplowitz and Kay lugged in a real treasure: Sylvia’s lovely old Excelsior accordion, which Edelman eagerly accepted for the museum. “It’s definitely the first accordion in our collection,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know that we’ll get another.”

Several days later, Edelman met up with Kaplowitz and Kay at their Alexandria condo, where he pulled up a chair and combed through the extensive family research Kay has been compiling. “My favorite part of my job is to sit at someone’s dining table with them and they tell me their story,” Edelman said, pulling on a pair of white archival gloves to handle the materials. There was a framed invite to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1937 inauguration, a 1936 issue of the magazine Accordion News featuring Sylvia on the cover, and a 1934 Washington Herald write-up of Sylvia’s performance in front of FDR at the National Press Club. Kaplowitz was excited for some of these items to go to the museum. “I want people to know about my family,” he said. “I’m proud of their heritage, proud that they’re Washingtonians. I think it’s neat for people to share. I wish everybody shared their stuff.”

So does Edelman, who’s constantly trying to explain that what people see as junk could have value to him. “It’s hard to convey that, like, we’re not looking for a Fabergé egg,” he said. “We want the stories of everyday Washingtonians. Sylvia Kaplowitz the accordion player—that’s a really rich part of the Washington Jewish experience, and I want her story to be part of our archive just as much as a Supreme Court justice.” Of course, not every pile of old papers is going to be right for the museum, but call him anyway, Edelman says: “I’m always willing to look.”

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post Does Your Old Stuff Belong in a DC Museum? first appeared on Washingtonian.

Over the past 40 years, the space-age Intelsat building has been an object of local fascination, housing a satellite company, a television station, an embassy, and a school, among other things. Now the massive Connecticut Avenue landmark’s next phase is uncertain. Here’s a look at its unusual history.

 

• 1964

  Eleven countries sign a treaty to form a consortium now known as the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, or Intelsat. It will grow to include more than 100 member countries and become the world’s largest commercial satellite-services provider, owning and operating more than 50 satellites.

• 1980

  Intelsat announces the firm of Australian architect John Andrews as the winner of a juried competition to design an energy-efficient headquarters with significant views and natural light.

• 1984

  The organization moves into the partially completed Intelsat headquarters, located on land owned by the State Department near the Van Ness Metro. The wow-inducing 660,000-square-foot structure is composed of 13 octagonal office pods covered in glass and aluminum, connected by six atria.

• 1988

  Local television station WJLA moves into 73,000 square feet of the building, remaining there for 14 years.

• 2001

  Intelsat privatizes and becomes the largest tech company in the DC area, with 900 employees.

• 2012

  Intelsat sells its building to the 601W Companies, a real-estate firm, then relocates to McLean two years later. The 601W Companies prepares the space for commercial leasing while the underlying 12-acre site remains owned by the State Department. Notable later tenants include the Embassy of Cameroon and the Broadcasters’ Child Development Center.

• 2019

  Whittle School & Studios, a controversial for-profit private school, opens in the Intelsat building, with interior renovations overseen by starchitect Renzo Piano. The much-hyped concept doesn’t fly, and the school closes in 2022.

• 2019

  The building is designated a historic landmark in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites because of its unique architecture and pioneering, energy-efficient design. But finding tenants for such a quirky space proves difficult, and it mostly sits empty for years.

• 2026

  A foreclosure auction had been set for the building in April–but was canceled at the last minute. What will come next? That’s unclear: Finding a viable use for the building remains a challenge.

 

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post What’s the Deal With the Intelsat Building in DC? first appeared on Washingtonian.

Over the past 40 years, the space-age Intelsat building has been an object of local fascination, housing a satellite company, a television station, an embassy, and a school, among other things. Now the massive Connecticut Avenue landmark’s next phase is uncertain. Here’s a look at its unusual history.

 

• 1964

  Eleven countries sign a treaty to form a consortium now known as the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, or Intelsat. It will grow to include more than 100 member countries and become the world’s largest commercial satellite-services provider, owning and operating more than 50 satellites.

• 1980

  Intelsat announces the firm of Australian architect John Andrews as the winner of a juried competition to design an energy-efficient headquarters with significant views and natural light.

• 1984

  The organization moves into the partially completed Intelsat headquarters, located on land owned by the State Department near the Van Ness Metro. The wow-inducing 660,000-square-foot structure is composed of 13 octagonal office pods covered in glass and aluminum, connected by six atria.

• 1988

  Local television station WJLA moves into 73,000 square feet of the building, remaining there for 14 years.

• 2001

  Intelsat privatizes and becomes the largest tech company in the DC area, with 900 employees.

• 2012

  Intelsat sells its building to the 601W Companies, a real-estate firm, then relocates to McLean two years later. The 601W Companies prepares the space for commercial leasing while the underlying 12-acre site remains owned by the State Department. Notable later tenants include the Embassy of Cameroon and the Broadcasters’ Child Development Center.

• 2019

  Whittle School & Studios, a controversial for-profit private school, opens in the Intelsat building, with interior renovations overseen by starchitect Renzo Piano. The much-hyped concept doesn’t fly, and the school closes in 2022.

• 2019

  The building is designated a historic landmark in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites because of its unique architecture and pioneering, energy-efficient design. But finding tenants for such a quirky space proves difficult, and it mostly sits empty for years.

• 2026

  A foreclosure auction had been set for the building in April–but was canceled at the last minute. What will come next? That’s unclear: Finding a viable use for the building remains a challenge.

 

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post What’s the Deal With the Intelsat Building in DC? first appeared on Washingtonian.

The annual Lucketts Spring Market is happening this weekend. Embark on a shopping expedition at the fairgrounds and then swing by a nearby market or restaurant for provisions from surrounding farms.

Berryville, Virginia

Drive time from DC: One hour and 15 minutes. 

If you enjoy rummaging through local shops (or scouring Facebook Marketplace) for distinctive, pre-loved decor, Lucketts, a favorite for vintage and antiques, is hosting its annual spring market from Friday, May 15, to Sunday, May 17. More than 200 vendors are headed to the Clarke County Fairgrounds in Berryville, bringing an eclectic collection of furniture and homewares. Tickets are $23 a person and cover access for the entire weekend. Bring your own cart or rent a wagon for $5, and furniture-movers can help haul your finds for a $10 fee.

Once you get your fill of treasure hunting, make a stop at Nall’s Farm Market, a roadside shop with pickled goods from nearby farms and fragrant fruit pies. (Seriously, they should put this smell into a candle.) Or, if you want to sit down for a meal, drive to farm-to-table restaurant Homespun. It’s a five-minute trip from the fairgrounds to the eatery on Berryville’s main street serving a casual menu of paninis and grass-fed burgers with fun toppings such as kimchi, pesto aioli, and bacon jam.

Looking for more day trip ideas? Check out our Perfect Saturdays series. 

The post Scope Out a Big Home Decor Market on This Day Trip an Easy Drive From DC first appeared on Washingtonian.

The annual Lucketts Spring Market is happening this weekend. Embark on a shopping expedition at the fairgrounds and then swing by a nearby market or restaurant for provisions from surrounding farms.

Berryville, Virginia

Drive time from DC: One hour and 15 minutes. 

If you enjoy rummaging through local shops (or scouring Facebook Marketplace) for distinctive, pre-loved decor, Lucketts, a favorite for vintage and antiques, is hosting its annual spring market from Friday, May 15, to Sunday, May 17. More than 200 vendors are headed to the Clarke County Fairgrounds in Berryville, bringing an eclectic collection of furniture and homewares. Tickets are $23 a person and cover access for the entire weekend. Bring your own cart or rent a wagon for $5, and furniture-movers can help haul your finds for a $10 fee.

Once you get your fill of treasure hunting, make a stop at Nall’s Farm Market, a roadside shop with pickled goods from nearby farms and fragrant fruit pies. (Seriously, they should put this smell into a candle.) Or, if you want to sit down for a meal, drive to farm-to-table restaurant Homespun. It’s a five-minute trip from the fairgrounds to the eatery on Berryville’s main street serving a casual menu of paninis and grass-fed burgers with fun toppings such as kimchi, pesto aioli, and bacon jam.

Looking for more day trip ideas? Check out our Perfect Saturdays series. 

The post Scope Out a Big Home Decor Market on This Day Trip an Easy Drive From DC first appeared on Washingtonian.

Of all the changes Donald Trump has visited on the DC area since his second term began, one may be the most improbable: This summer, the proudly campy comedy Shear Madness, which has run at the Kennedy Center since 1987, will close when the arts complex shuts for renovations the President has ordered. Producer Bruce Jordan confirms to Washingtonian that the local institution will end—at least for a couple of years—in July. Efforts to find an alternate venue didn’t pan out, which means its long streak of performances will finally be broken.

So will it return? “We just don’t know at this point,” says Jordan. “I’m sure they’d like to have us back,” he adds. “We’ve made a lot of money for them over the years.” Indeed, former Kennedy Center president Michael Kaiser once said, “The profits from Shear Madness provide the Kennedy Center with more resources and allows us to offer more adventuresome theater.” Roma Daravi, the center’s current spokesperson, tells Washingtonian in an email: “We look forward to welcoming Shear Madness back upon reopening!”

Jordan says he and the show’s other producer, Marilyn Abrams, found out about the Kennedy Center’s closure “the same way you did”—via a news report. They heard from the center’s management about a month later. “They were sorry they had forgotten to call us,” says Abrams. That’s perhaps a testament to how smoothly Shear Madness has run over the past four decades. Tens of thousands of students have seen the play in the last year, Jordan notes.

Jordan and Abrams have steered the franchise over the last 39 years. Each production—there are around 20 worldwide—is torqued to local standards. The Washington version is set in a Georgetown hair salon, and every night there are new jokes drawn from current events. The formula works: Shear Madness‘s Boston production was the longest running non-musical play in American theater history. It lasted three weeks short of 40 years, snuffed out by the pandemic;  the DC production, which plays mostly to audiences of tourists and kids on school trips to DC, is a close second.

The show proved to be critic-proof during its run. Arch Campbell, who reported on local entertainment for local TV for a similar number of years, famously gave “Shear Madness” perhaps its best review, saying it was “the most fun I’ve ever had at the Kennedy Center.” Others compared it to a “pie-eating contest on the White House lawn” or “an extended vaudeville routine,” but Abrams says “we could fill a tour bus with the letters” they receive from tourists who’ve had a blast at the show.

Abrams and Jordan credit Shear Madness‘s longevity in part to it staying topical, incorporating references to current events and local landmarks. (When I saw it last year, even a joke about the deadly plane crash over the Potomac got laughs.) “It takes place today in Washington,” Abrams says. “It’s never dated.” Still, Trump’s controversial takeover of the Kennedy Center, on which he slapped his name, and the planned closure are never part of the proceedings. “That’s a no-no,” Jordan says. “Everybody wants to put in ten Trump jokes, and you just can’t. We’re very even-handed about it.”

The pair are unaware of any needs the Theater Lab may have in the upcoming renovations. (“It’s a perfect 400-seat theater,” Jordan says.) The play’s set is so solid it has running water. The biggest physical problem the producers encounter, Abrams says, is finding replacement barber chairs when the old ones wear out: “That’s a relic, but a lot of our laughs depend on it.”

Local actors, too, have come to depend on the show’s financial stability. It’s one of the best-paying theater gigs in town. “It gets them year-round health insurance, which is a big thing to actors today,” Jordan says. “One of the actresses that I talked to a month ago said, ‘Don’t forget that Shear Madness got me my house.'”

Jordan and Abrams split the show’s profits and losses with the center, so they won’t make any money while the Kennedy Center is dark. Efforts to find a local theater that would host Shear Madness in the interim went nowhere, Jordan says. But they’re not in financial peril. Shear Madness‘s Paris production is in its 15th year; its South Korean production is in its 13th. They’ve had performances in China. The show plays in regional theaters around the US and has had long runs in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Chicago. “I mean, we have a production in Russia and a production in Ukraine,” Jordan says.

So what will Shear Madness be like if it returns to DC? That will depend on what happens between now and then. “If we come back, we’re just going to have to come back as fresh as a daisy,” says Jordan, “[do] a bunch of rewrites and see what’s funny two years from now, if anything.”

The post “Shear Madness” Confirms It’s Closing This Summer. Will It Return? first appeared on Washingtonian.

Of all the changes Donald Trump has visited on the DC area since his second term began, one may be the most improbable: This summer, the proudly campy comedy Shear Madness, which has run at the Kennedy Center since 1987, will close when the arts complex shuts for renovations the President has ordered. Producer Bruce Jordan confirms to Washingtonian that the local institution will end—at least for a couple of years—in July. Efforts to find an alternate venue didn’t pan out, which means its long streak of performances will finally be broken.

So will it return? “We just don’t know at this point,” says Jordan. “I’m sure they’d like to have us back,” he adds. “We’ve made a lot of money for them over the years.” Indeed, former Kennedy Center president Michael Kaiser once said, “The profits from Shear Madness provide the Kennedy Center with more resources and allows us to offer more adventuresome theater.” Roma Daravi, the center’s current spokesperson, tells Washingtonian in an email: “We look forward to welcoming Shear Madness back upon reopening!”

Jordan says he and the show’s other producer, Marilyn Abrams, found out about the Kennedy Center’s closure “the same way you did”—via a news report. They heard from the center’s management about a month later. “They were sorry they had forgotten to call us,” says Abrams. That’s perhaps a testament to how smoothly Shear Madness has run over the past four decades. Tens of thousands of students have seen the play in the last year, Jordan notes.

Jordan and Abrams have steered the franchise over the last 39 years. Each production—there are around 20 worldwide—is torqued to local standards. The Washington version is set in a Georgetown hair salon, and every night there are new jokes drawn from current events. The formula works: Shear Madness‘s Boston production was the longest running non-musical play in American theater history. It lasted three weeks short of 40 years, snuffed out by the pandemic;  the DC production, which plays mostly to audiences of tourists and kids on school trips to DC, is a close second.

The show proved to be critic-proof during its run. Arch Campbell, who reported on local entertainment for local TV for a similar number of years, famously gave “Shear Madness” perhaps its best review, saying it was “the most fun I’ve ever had at the Kennedy Center.” Others compared it to a “pie-eating contest on the White House lawn” or “an extended vaudeville routine,” but Abrams says “we could fill a tour bus with the letters” they receive from tourists who’ve had a blast at the show.

Abrams and Jordan credit Shear Madness‘s longevity in part to it staying topical, incorporating references to current events and local landmarks. (When I saw it last year, even a joke about the deadly plane crash over the Potomac got laughs.) “It takes place today in Washington,” Abrams says. “It’s never dated.” Still, Trump’s controversial takeover of the Kennedy Center, on which he slapped his name, and the planned closure are never part of the proceedings. “That’s a no-no,” Jordan says. “Everybody wants to put in ten Trump jokes, and you just can’t. We’re very even-handed about it.”

The pair are unaware of any needs the Theater Lab may have in the upcoming renovations. (“It’s a perfect 400-seat theater,” Jordan says.) The play’s set is so solid it has running water. The biggest physical problem the producers encounter, Abrams says, is finding replacement barber chairs when the old ones wear out: “That’s a relic, but a lot of our laughs depend on it.”

Local actors, too, have come to depend on the show’s financial stability. It’s one of the best-paying theater gigs in town. “It gets them year-round health insurance, which is a big thing to actors today,” Jordan says. “One of the actresses that I talked to a month ago said, ‘Don’t forget that Shear Madness got me my house.'”

Jordan and Abrams split the show’s profits and losses with the center, so they won’t make any money while the Kennedy Center is dark. Efforts to find a local theater that would host Shear Madness in the interim went nowhere, Jordan says. But they’re not in financial peril. Shear Madness‘s Paris production is in its 15th year; its South Korean production is in its 13th. They’ve had performances in China. The show plays in regional theaters around the US and has had long runs in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Chicago. “I mean, we have a production in Russia and a production in Ukraine,” Jordan says.

So what will Shear Madness be like if it returns to DC? That will depend on what happens between now and then. “If we come back, we’re just going to have to come back as fresh as a daisy,” says Jordan, “[do] a bunch of rewrites and see what’s funny two years from now, if anything.”

The post “Shear Madness” Confirms It’s Closing This Summer. Will It Return? first appeared on Washingtonian.

The employees of the Cleveland Park paint-your-own pottery studio All Fired Up have voted to unionize. The staffers began a campaign to formally unionize in early April, and they voted to do so during a National Labor Relations Board election Monday. The decision was unanimous, staffer Toni Lewis tells Washingtonian.

“Unionization gives us a formal role in shaping policy and process,” the employees’ organizing committee’s members—who said staffers were inspired by similar efforts at Crumbs and Whiskers cat cafe in Georgetown and Aslin Beer Company—wrote in a statement. “As a small business without HR, we need a way to advocate for our needs.”

Liz Winchell, who owns All Fired Up, tells Washingtonian that while she opposed the unionization effort, she felt that a vote on formally unionizing was the “most appropriate and fair way to determine” what employees wanted. The workers say they’re looking for higher base pay, paid sick leave, and options for health care coverage among other demands. At the moment, full-time employees in non-leadership positions make minimum wage and receive zero benefits, committee members say.

Lewis says at least two people have been laid off since unionization efforts kicked off. Another employee was told they would not be guaranteed any hours after returning from their time-off request. One of them was part-time employee Abigail Gaudinier, who says she was laid off shortly after she shared a post on her public social media account in support of the union.

“With respect to the recent staffing decisions, those decisions were based on legitimate business considerations and were unrelated to any employee’s protected activity or views regarding unionization,” Winchell tells Washingtonian. “Because these involve individual personnel matters, we are limited in what we can publicly discuss, but we reject any suggestion that employment decisions were made in retaliation for lawful union activity.”

Still, staff say the drive got touchy at times as unionization gained momentum. During her nearly three years of employment there, Gaudinier described “waves” of tension and friendliness between staff and management. During Monday’s vote, staffers went inside the building one by one to cast their ballots. Lewis says that while she was entering, Winchell’s mother was “outside the shop telling workers they should feel ‘disgusting’ for ‘destroying a business and a family.’”

Unionizing was “the only option to get a conversation at this point,” Gaudinier says. “We’re not looking to take her down, or revenge or bleed the business dry.”

Winchell declined to comment on any individual conversations, but added: “Our priority throughout this process has been to maintain professionalism and respect for all involved, even where emotions may run high on both sides.”

The new union hopes customers will encourage the shop’s management to swiftly bargain a contract. “We need the community to know we can’t do this without them,” employee Jasmine Taylor says.

Moving forward, Winchell said that the company intends to comply with “all applicable legal obligations” and, when the results are certified by the NLRB, will act in “good faith,” as required by law.

“We respect the outcome of the election and the right of our employees to make their own decisions regarding union representation,” Winchell says. “Our focus remains on continuing to operate All Fired Up responsibly, supporting our employees, and maintaining a productive and respectful workplace for everyone.”

The post Employees of DC Paint-Your-Own Pottery Studio Vote to Unionize first appeared on Washingtonian.

The employees of the Cleveland Park paint-your-own pottery studio All Fired Up have voted to unionize. The staffers began a campaign to formally unionize in early April, and they voted to do so during a National Labor Relations Board election Monday. The decision was unanimous, staffer Toni Lewis tells Washingtonian.

“Unionization gives us a formal role in shaping policy and process,” the employees’ organizing committee’s members—who said staffers were inspired by similar efforts at Crumbs and Whiskers cat cafe in Georgetown and Aslin Beer Company—wrote in a statement. “As a small business without HR, we need a way to advocate for our needs.”

Liz Winchell, who owns All Fired Up, tells Washingtonian that while she opposed the unionization effort, she felt that a vote on formally unionizing was the “most appropriate and fair way to determine” what employees wanted. The workers say they’re looking for higher base pay, paid sick leave, and options for health care coverage among other demands. At the moment, full-time employees in non-leadership positions make minimum wage and receive zero benefits, committee members say.

Lewis says at least two people have been laid off since unionization efforts kicked off. Another employee was told they would not be guaranteed any hours after returning from their time-off request. One of them was part-time employee Abigail Gaudinier, who says she was laid off shortly after she shared a post on her public social media account in support of the union.

“With respect to the recent staffing decisions, those decisions were based on legitimate business considerations and were unrelated to any employee’s protected activity or views regarding unionization,” Winchell tells Washingtonian. “Because these involve individual personnel matters, we are limited in what we can publicly discuss, but we reject any suggestion that employment decisions were made in retaliation for lawful union activity.”

Still, staff say the drive got touchy at times as unionization gained momentum. During her nearly three years of employment there, Gaudinier described “waves” of tension and friendliness between staff and management. During Monday’s vote, staffers went inside the building one by one to cast their ballots. Lewis says that while she was entering, Winchell’s mother was “outside the shop telling workers they should feel ‘disgusting’ for ‘destroying a business and a family.’”

Winchell declined to comment on any individual conversations, but added: “Our priority throughout this process has been to maintain professionalism and respect for all involved, even where emotions may run high on both sides.”Unionizing was “the only option to get a conversation at this point,” Gaudinier says. “We’re not looking to take her down, or revenge or bleed the business dry.”

The new union hopes customers will encourage the shop’s management to swiftly bargain a contract. “We need the community to know we can’t do this without them,” Taylor says.

Moving forward, Winchell said that the company intends to comply with “all applicable legal obligations” and, when the results are certified by the NLRB, will act in “good faith,” as required by law.

“We respect the outcome of the election and the right of our employees to make their own decisions regarding union representation,” Winchell says. “Our focus remains on continuing to operate All Fired Up responsibly, supporting our employees, and maintaining a productive and respectful workplace for everyone.”

The post Employees of DC Paint-Your-Own Pottery Studio Vote to Unionize first appeared on Washingtonian.

For many Washingtonians, luxury is beginning to look a little different. Beyond beautiful finishes and generous square footage, there’s a growing desire for homes that offer something harder to find: privacy, calm, and a genuine sense of escape from the pace of everyday life.

In Davidsonville, this nearly five-acre woodland retreat offers exactly that balance. Less than an hour from Washington and minutes from Annapolis, the property feels entirely removed from the pace of daily life. Gardens unfold into preserved woods. A butterfly boardwalk winds toward a heated saltwater pool. Chickens roam quietly beside professionally designed landscaping by Homestead Gardens. Trails lead to Flat Creek beneath a canopy of trees.

The experience is less traditional estate living and more refined modern farmette: luxurious, grounded, and enchanting.

Inside, the over 7000 square-foot home pairs warmth with sophistication through expansive entertaining spaces, a wood-paneled office, en suite bedrooms, and a spa-inspired primary suite centered around a Japanese hot/cold soaking tub.

But what makes the property memorable is harder to quantify. It’s the feeling of stepping outside with coffee in the morning and hearing nothing but the birds and breeze in the trees.

Video by Jackson Steppe

Address: 801 Antietam Drive, Davidsonville, MD 21035

Contact: Rachel Holmes (Coldwell Banker) Chesapeake REALTOR® | Producer (202) 258-3055 rachel.holmes@cbrealty.com racheldreamholmes.com

The post A Modern Farmette Estate Near Annapolis first appeared on Washingtonian.

For many Washingtonians, luxury is beginning to look a little different. Beyond beautiful finishes and generous square footage, there’s a growing desire for homes that offer something harder to find: privacy, calm, and a genuine sense of escape from the pace of everyday life.

In Davidsonville, this nearly five-acre woodland retreat offers exactly that balance. Less than an hour from Washington and minutes from Annapolis, the property feels entirely removed from the pace of daily life. Gardens unfold into preserved woods. A butterfly boardwalk winds toward a heated saltwater pool. Chickens roam quietly beside professionally designed landscaping by Homestead Gardens. Trails lead to Flat Creek beneath a canopy of trees.

The experience is less traditional estate living and more refined modern farmette: luxurious, grounded, and enchanting.

Inside, the over 7000 square-foot home pairs warmth with sophistication through expansive entertaining spaces, a wood-paneled office, en suite bedrooms, and a spa-inspired primary suite centered around a Japanese hot/cold soaking tub.

But what makes the property memorable is harder to quantify. It’s the feeling of stepping outside with coffee in the morning and hearing nothing but the birds and breeze in the trees.

Video by Jackson Steppe

Address: 801 Antietam Drive, Davidsonville, MD 21035

Contact: Rachel Holmes (Coldwell Banker) Chesapeake REALTOR® | Producer (202) 258-3055 rachel.holmes@cbrealty.com racheldreamholmes.com

The post A Modern Farmette Estate Near Annapolis first appeared on Washingtonian.

Phở Thìn. 7263 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church

Northern Virginians know their phở. Vietnamese immigrants have been ladling it out in Arlington and Falls Church since shortly after the fall of Saigon, so if you live anywhere within a 25-mile radius of the Eden Center, you probably know the drill: pick from beefy toppings like rare eye-of-round, brisket, and tripe; dump in some herbs; don’t overdo it with the hoisin sauce. There isn’t usually much variation. 

That’s why the opening of Phở Thìn 13 Lò Đúc—Phở Thìn for short—in April has generated quite a bit of excitement. 

An outpost of a famous Hanoi chain founded in 1979, the Falls Church newcomer its own signature style of northern-style phở. It’s topped with thin-sliced ribeye that has been stir-fried with garlic.

Phở Thìn has been slowly expanding. After locations opened in Japan and Australia, a Californian named Vicky Nguyen opened the chain’s first US location in Orange County’s Little Saigon in 2023. 

“This is definitely a new category,” says Pimmie Juntranggur, one of the partners managing the new Falls Church location. “Unless you travel to Orange County, or you actually fly to Vietnam to try this, there’s nothing like it.”

Juntranggur and a group of her friends helped Nguyen open the franchise here. She said Phở Thìn’s founder, Nguyễn Trọng Thìn, was particularly excited about opening in northern Virginia because of the area’s large Vietnamese population and proximity to the nation’s capital.

Northern phở is generally more austere than southern-style (which is much more common in the US), with a cleaner, more delicately spiced broth, wider flat rice noodles, and a simple garnish of green onions. Chili or garlic vinegar, rather than hoisin sauce, often comes on the side.

The garlicky, wok-seared beef topping is unique to Phở Thìn, which still draws long lines at its original Hanoi location. The 5,000-square-foot Virginia location, which takes over two strip mall spaces formerly occupied by Pho Tu Ech plus the Verizon store next door, has been extremely busy too. On one recent weeknight, the shop sold out of broth well before closing time. 

Juntranggur advises anyone who’s never had this style of phở to skip the usual sauces and try dipping the beef and noodles into the restaurant’s house made pickled garlic, which comes complimentary on every table, instead.

“I don’t even reach for Hoisin and sriracha at all anymore,” she says.

The post A New Style of Wok-Seared Garlic Beef Pho Arrives in Falls Church first appeared on Washingtonian.

Phở Thìn. 7263 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church

Northern Virginians know their phở. Vietnamese immigrants have been ladling it out in Arlington and Falls Church since shortly after the fall of Saigon, so if you live anywhere within a 25-mile radius of the Eden Center, you probably know the drill: pick from beefy toppings like rare eye-of-round, brisket, and tripe; dump in some herbs; don’t overdo it with the hoisin sauce. There isn’t usually much variation. 

That’s why the opening of Phở Thìn 13 Lò Đúc—Phở Thìn for short—in April has generated quite a bit of excitement. 

An outpost of a famous Hanoi chain founded in 1979, the Falls Church newcomer its own signature style of northern-style phở. It’s topped with thin-sliced ribeye that has been stir-fried with garlic.

Phở Thìn has been slowly expanding. After locations opened in Japan and Australia, a Californian named Vicky Nguyen opened the chain’s first US location in Orange County’s Little Saigon in 2023. 

“This is definitely a new category,” says Pimmie Juntranggur, one of the partners managing the new Falls Church location. “Unless you travel to Orange County, or you actually fly to Vietnam to try this, there’s nothing like it.”

Juntranggur and a group of her friends helped Nguyen open the franchise here. She said Phở Thìn’s founder, Nguyễn Trọng Thìn, was particularly excited about opening in northern Virginia because of the area’s large Vietnamese population and proximity to the nation’s capital.

Northern phở is generally more austere than southern-style (which is much more common in the US), with a cleaner, more delicately spiced broth, wider flat rice noodles, and a simple garnish of green onions. Chili or garlic vinegar, rather than hoisin sauce, often comes on the side.

The garlicky, wok-seared beef topping is unique to Phở Thìn, which still draws long lines at its original Hanoi location. The 5,000-square-foot Virginia location, which takes over two strip mall spaces formerly occupied by Pho Tu Ech plus the Verizon store next door, has been extremely busy too. On one recent weeknight, the shop sold out of broth well before closing time. 

Juntranggur advises anyone who’s never had this style of phở to skip the usual sauces and try dipping the beef and noodles into the restaurant’s house made pickled garlic, which comes complimentary on every table, instead.

“I don’t even reach for Hoisin and sriracha at all anymore,” she says.

The post A New Style of Wok-Seared Garlic Beef Pho Arrives in Falls Church first appeared on Washingtonian.

Good morning. Mostly sunny with a high around 77 until this afternoon, when showers are possible. Rain and thunderstorms overnight, with a low near 54. D.C. United host the Chicago Fire at Audi Field this evening. The Nationals are at Cincinnati again tonight.  You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.

This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Flea feat. Thom Yorke, “Traffic Lights.” I swear I’m not pulling your leg: The Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist’s recent jazz-trumpet album “Honora” is really not too bad! Flea performs at the Black Cat tonight. 

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

The war: According to US intelligence estimates, Iran “has restored operational access to 30 of the 33 missile sites it maintains along the Strait of Hormuz” and “has retained roughly 70 percent of its prewar missile stockpile.” That’s a stark contrast to the rosy scenarios President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have offered, and it also underscores the danger of the US’s dwindling stock of munitions if hostilities resume in the ten-week-old war that Trump started. (NYT) The war is widening—like the UAE, Saudi Arabia has “launched numerous, unpublicized strikes on Iran in retaliation for attacks carried out in the kingdom during” the conflict. (Reuters)  Nine small earthquakes struck near Tehran last night. (Reuters) Should combat resume, the Pentagon may rename the war “Operation Sledgehammer,” apparently part of the administration’s insistence that the war has ended and thus doesn’t need approval from Congress. (NBC News)

The war’s costs: The war has cost the US $29 billion so far. (Politico) With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed by Iran, shipping companies have deployed thousands of trucks to move goods across the Persian Gulf region. (WSJ) As you may have noticed, consumer prices shot up in April. Energy and food prices drove the gains in inflation. (CNBC) Asked about the economic pain many Americans are experiencing, Trump said, “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.” The only thing that matters to him, he said, is whether Iran gets nuclear weapons. He then flew off to China. (NYT) Hegseth took a similar line when questioned by lawmakers yesterday. (AP) This isn’t an ideal situation for GOP lawmakers, especially when viewed in concert with the White House’s request for $1 billion for Trump’s ballroom. (Politico)

The Marty’s over: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned yesterday, ending a days-long limbo in which multiple outlets reported Trump planned to fire him, but Makary somehow remained in office. (NYT) I realize I’m getting obsessed with this fact, but a photo of a beaming Makary still greets visitors to the FDA website. (FDA.gov) Makary had infuriated “advocates for vaping and rare-disease patients, antiabortion groups, and some drug-industry leaders,” as well as others in the administration. (WSJ) Kyle Diamantas will become FDA’s acting leader. (Politico)

Administration perambulation: “[B]ubbles and small holes” have begun to appear in the blue coating Trump ordered for the Reflecting Pool. The unintentional metaphor suggests the project may not be complete in the time the administration hoped. (NYT) The administration plans a daylong prayer festival on the National Mall Sunday. (Washington Post) The Department of Justice is mulling a settlement with Trump over his $10 billion lawsuit against the agency. Such a transfer of public funds to the President could scuttle a judge’s plans to untangle the conflicts of interest involved. (NYT) The Congressional Budget Office estimated that Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense plan could cost $1.2 trillion over the next two decades. He had pegged the cost at $175 billion. (AP) David Venturella, a former leader of a private prison company, will become the acting director of ICE. (Politico) FBI Director Kash Patel “said he would commit to taking a test about his alcohol use after a testy exchange” with US Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. (Hill)

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• Uchi, a swanky new Japanese restaurant with roots in Austin, has opened downtown.

Local news links:

• Crashes on the Beltway have snarled traffic this morning. (WUSA9)

• A jet fuel spill into the Potomac from Joint Base Andrews has compounded concerns about water quality after a massive sewage spill earlier this year. In related news, I’d love your recommendations for kayak spots in other waterways. (Washington Post)

• A search of currently sidelined DC police official Andre Wright‘s cell phone during an investigation into crime statistics has turned up numerous inappropriate text messages, many about now former police chief Pamela Smith. (City Cast DC)

• The owners of the Dali, the ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, have settled with Maryland to the tune of $2.25 billion. The feds unveiled criminal charges against the Dali’s owners and operators, too. (Maryland Matters)

• WMATA doesn’t plan to build a new Metrorail station at the Commanders’ planned stadium at RFK. Instead, it envisions a “Gold Line” bus service from Union Station and improvements to the Stadium-Armory stop. (NBC4 Washington)

• Authorities in Stafford County, Virginia, found a baby in a park yesterday. (WUSA9)

• The Preakness Stakes may soon take place three weeks after the Kentucky Derby. The close proximity of the races has led to derby winners increasingly skipping the Maryland contest. (WTOP)

• Public restrooms in Virginia will be required to host diaper-changing stations thanks to a proposal by Alexandria state Senator Elizabeth Bennett-Parker. (Virginia Mercury)

• Baltimore named a street for Tupac Shakur. (WTOP)

• A truck advertising plans for the new Star publication was spotted outside the Washington Post’s building. (Marc Fisher/X)

• DC’s Noyes Elementary School is dealing with a raccoon infestation. Teachers say they can hear the critters “scratching in ceiling tiles and running back and forth above classrooms.” (DC News Now)

Wednesday’s event pick:

• “1776” will close Saturday at Ford’s Theatre—get down there soon if you’ve been meaning to catch the American Revolution musical.

See more picks for this week and weekend from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

The post Trump Says He Doesn’t Think About Affordability, Reflecting Pool Project Plagued by Problems, Commanders Won’t Get a New Metro Station first appeared on Washingtonian.

Good morning. Mostly sunny with a high around 77 until this afternoon, when showers are possible. Rain and thunderstorms overnight, with a low near 54. D.C. United host the Chicago Fire at Audi Field this evening. The Nationals are at Cincinnati again tonight.  You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.

This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Flea feat. Thom Yorke, “Traffic Lights.” I swear I’m not pulling your leg: The Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist’s recent jazz-trumpet album “Honora” is really not too bad! Flea performs at the Black Cat tonight. 

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

The war: According to US intelligence estimates, Iran “has restored operational access to 30 of the 33 missile sites it maintains along the Strait of Hormuz” and “has retained roughly 70 percent of its prewar missile stockpile.” That’s a stark contrast to the rosy scenarios President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have offered, and it also underscores the danger of the US’s dwindling stock of munitions if hostilities resume in the ten-week-old war that Trump started. (NYT) The war is widening—like the UAE, Saudi Arabia has “launched numerous, unpublicized strikes on Iran in retaliation for attacks carried out in the kingdom during” the conflict. (Reuters)  Nine small earthquakes struck near Tehran last night. (Reuters) Should combat resume, the Pentagon may rename the war “Operation Sledgehammer,” apparently part of the administration’s insistence that the war has ended and thus doesn’t need approval from Congress. (NBC News)

The war’s costs: The war has cost the US $29 billion so far. (Politico) With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed by Iran, shipping companies have deployed thousands of trucks to move goods across the Persian Gulf region. (WSJ) As you may have noticed, consumer prices shot up in April. Energy and food prices drove the gains in inflation. (CNBC) Asked about the economic pain many Americans are experiencing, Trump said, “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.” The only thing that matters to him, he said, is whether Iran gets nuclear weapons. He then flew off to China. (NYT) Hegseth took a similar line when questioned by lawmakers yesterday. (AP) This isn’t an ideal situation for GOP lawmakers, especially when viewed in concert with the White House’s request for $1 billion for Trump’s ballroom. (Politico)

The Marty’s over: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned yesterday, ending a days-long limbo in which multiple outlets reported Trump planned to fire him, but Makary somehow remained in office. (NYT) I realize I’m getting obsessed with this fact, but a photo of a beaming Makary still greets visitors to the FDA website. (FDA.gov) Makary had infuriated “advocates for vaping and rare-disease patients, antiabortion groups, and some drug-industry leaders,” as well as others in the administration. (WSJ) Kyle Diamantas will become FDA’s acting leader. (Politico)

Administration perambulation: “[B]ubbles and small holes” have begun to appear in the blue coating Trump ordered for the Reflecting Pool. The unintentional metaphor suggests the project may not be complete in the time the administration hoped. (NYT) The administration plans a daylong prayer festival on the National Mall Sunday. (Washington Post) The Department of Justice is mulling a settlement with Trump over his $10 billion lawsuit against the agency. Such a transfer of public funds to the President could scuttle a judge’s plans to untangle the conflicts of interest involved. (NYT) The Congressional Budget Office estimated that Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense plan could cost $1.2 trillion over the next two decades. He had pegged the cost at $175 billion. (AP) David Venturella, a former leader of a private prison company, will become the acting director of ICE. (Politico) FBI Director Kash Patel “said he would commit to taking a test about his alcohol use after a testy exchange” with US Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. (Hill)

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• Uchi, a swanky new Japanese restaurant with roots in Austin, has opened downtown.

Local news links:

• Crashes on the Beltway have snarled traffic this morning. (WUSA9)

• A jet fuel spill into the Potomac from Joint Base Andrews has compounded concerns about water quality after a massive sewage spill earlier this year. In related news, I’d love your recommendations for kayak spots in other waterways. (Washington Post)

• A search of currently sidelined DC police official Andre Wright‘s cell phone during an investigation into crime statistics has turned up numerous inappropriate text messages, many about now former police chief Pamela Smith. (City Cast DC)

• The owners of the Dali, the ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, have settled with Maryland to the tune of $2.25 billion. The feds unveiled criminal charges against the Dali’s owners and operators, too. (Maryland Matters)

• WMATA doesn’t plan to build a new Metrorail station at the Commanders’ planned stadium at RFK. Instead, it envisions a “Gold Line” bus service from Union Station and improvements to the Stadium-Armory stop. (NBC4 Washington)

• Authorities in Stafford County, Virginia, found a baby in a park yesterday. (WUSA9)

• The Preakness Stakes may soon take place three weeks after the Kentucky Derby. The close proximity of the races has led to derby winners increasingly skipping the Maryland contest. (WTOP)

• Public restrooms in Virginia will be required to host diaper-changing stations thanks to a proposal by Alexandria state Senator Elizabeth Bennett-Parker. (Virginia Mercury)

• Baltimore named a street for Tupac Shakur. (WTOP)

• A truck advertising plans for the new Star publication was spotted outside the Washington Post’s building. (Marc Fisher/X)

• DC’s Noyes Elementary School is dealing with a raccoon infestation. Teachers say they can hear the critters “scratching in ceiling tiles and running back and forth above classrooms.” (DC News Now)

Wednesday’s event pick:

• “1776” will close Saturday at Ford’s Theatre—get down there soon if you’ve been meaning to catch the American Revolution musical.

See more picks for this week and weekend from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

The post Trump Says He Doesn’t Think About Affordability, Reflecting Pool Project Plagued by Problems, Commanders Won’t Get a New Metro Station first appeared on Washingtonian.

Uchi. 1700 M St., NW.

A swanky new Japanese restaurant with locations spanning from West Hollywood to Miami has landed in DC. Uchi was founded in Austin more than two decades ago by James Beard award-winning chef Tyson Cole and will begin serving its popular yellowtail crudo and sweet chili-glazed Brussels sprouts downtown today.

Leading the kitchen locally is chef de cuisine Rob Drennan, who worked for Uchi’s sister restaurant Uchiko in Austin about 15 years ago. Drennan’s culinary career has taken him from Norway to Hong Kong, but more recently, he was senior culinary manager for the group behind Rose’s Luxury and Pineapple & Pearls.

“It definitely feels kind of full circle. It almost feels like a homecoming in certain ways,” Drennan says.

Some staples have stuck around since Drennan’s early days with the company, including those crispy fried Brussels sprouts glazed in a fish caramel chili sauce and the hama chili, a yellowtail crudo with ponzu sauce, orange segments, and Thai chilies. The latter has been on the menu since the first Uchi opened in 2003.

The menu features plenty of other raw dishes, from a scallop-and- passionfruit crudo to a wagyu tartare with fried jalapeno. A full sushi list includes the latest imports from Toyosu seafood market in Japan as well as some dry-aged fish options. The menu also includes a variety of grilled skewers, tempura, and classics like karaage, along with a wide range of vegetarian plates.

Drennan has also added his own touches to the menu, including chawanmushi, a silky egg custard dressed with Maryland crab, a bit of bacon, seasonal vegetables, and a dusting of dehydrated crab roe. He’s also introduced a plancha-grilled pork belly served with fermented black bean puree, lychee, and coconut.

Diners can sample all the menu classics with a seven-course “signature tasting” for $120. A more elaborate “chef’s tasting” for $300 to $350 will offer a more personalized, custom experience.

The bar at Uchi. Photograph by Sophie Macaluso.

And for those who are looking for something a little more affordable, Uchi has a daily happy hour from 4 to 6 PM with $10 cocktails, $9 wines and sakes, and discounted food. The full cocktail menu ($16 to $21) includes a sake-infused martini and classic Suntory Toki high ball, but also a margarita.

The modern, wood-toned space will have two private dining rooms plus an 18-seat bar and 14-seat sushi counter. The restaurant group’s own design firm, Hai Design Studio, drew inspiration from Edward Durrell Stone, who designed the nearby National Geographic Society in the ’60s and the “era of martinis and espionage.”

DC is the latest in Uchi’s nationwide expansion push. The restaurant now has 10 locations nationwide, with more coming to Nashville, Salt Lake City, and Newport Beach.

The post A Splashy Japanese Restaurant With Texas Roots Opens in DC first appeared on Washingtonian.

Uchi. 1700 M St., NW.

A swanky new Japanese restaurant with locations spanning from West Hollywood to Miami has landed in DC. Uchi was founded in Austin more than two decades ago by James Beard award-winning chef Tyson Cole and will begin serving its popular yellowtail crudo and sweet chili-glazed Brussels sprouts downtown today.

Leading the kitchen locally is chef de cuisine Rob Drennan, who worked for Uchi’s sister restaurant Uchiko in Austin about 15 years ago. Drennan’s culinary career has taken him from Norway to Hong Kong, but more recently, he was senior culinary manager for the group behind Rose’s Luxury and Pineapple & Pearls.

“It definitely feels kind of full circle. It almost feels like a homecoming in certain ways,” Drennan says.

Some staples have stuck around since Drennan’s early days with the company, including those crispy fried Brussels sprouts glazed in a fish caramel chili sauce and the hama chili, a yellowtail crudo with ponzu sauce, orange segments, and Thai chilies. The latter has been on the menu since the first Uchi opened in 2003.

The menu features plenty of other raw dishes, from a scallop-and- passionfruit crudo to a wagyu tartare with fried jalapeno. A full sushi list includes the latest imports from Toyosu seafood market in Japan as well as some dry-aged fish options. The menu also includes a variety of grilled skewers, tempura, and classics like karaage, along with a wide range of vegetarian plates.

Drennan has also added his own touches to the menu, including chawanmushi, a silky egg custard dressed with Maryland crab, a bit of bacon, seasonal vegetables, and a dusting of dehydrated crab roe. He’s also introduced a plancha-grilled pork belly served with fermented black bean puree, lychee, and coconut.

Diners can sample all the menu classics with a seven-course “signature tasting” for $120. A more elaborate “chef’s tasting” for $300 to $350 will offer a more personalized, custom experience.

The bar at Uchi. Photograph by Sophie Macaluso.

And for those who are looking for something a little more affordable, Uchi has a daily happy hour from 4 to 6 PM with $10 cocktails, $9 wines and sakes, and discounted food. The full cocktail menu ($16 to $21) includes a sake-infused martini and classic Suntory Toki high ball, but also a margarita.

The modern, wood-toned space will have two private dining rooms plus an 18-seat bar and 14-seat sushi counter. The restaurant group’s own design firm, Hai Design Studio, drew inspiration from Edward Durrell Stone, who designed the nearby National Geographic Society in the ’60s and the “era of martinis and espionage.”

DC is the latest in Uchi’s nationwide expansion push. The restaurant now has 10 locations nationwide, with more coming to Nashville, Salt Lake City, and Newport Beach.

The post A Splashy Japanese Restaurant With Texas Roots Opens in DC first appeared on Washingtonian.

Good morning. Sunny with a high of 72 today. A low near 55 overnight. The Nationals visit Cincinnati this evening. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.

This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Puuluup, “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi.” These Estonian non-conformists–if you are a true sicko like me you might remember the version of this song they performed with 5miinust at a recent Eurovision Song Contest—are a lot of fun. They play Songbyrd tonight with Light Beams.

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. (And I just updated them with the last couple weeks’ worth of tunes.) Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

The war: President Trump described the US’s ceasefire with Iran as being on “massive life support” and called Iran’s counteroffer for a peace deal a “piece of garbage.” (Washington Post) He claimed Iran had asked the US to remove what he calls its nuclear “dust” but then reversed course. Iran has not publicly acknowledged any such offer. (AP) Trump also said he would temporarily lift the federal tax on gasoline as the price of a gallon of gas now averages $4.50 nationally due to the war he started more than two months ago. (CBS News) Doing so actually requires an act of Congress, and while two Republicans duly filed legislation to enshrine Trump’s idea, other GOP lawmakers expressed caution—one bipartisan group estimates suspending the tax for five months “would increase federal deficits by about $12 billion.” (Politico)

Sure, that’ll fix it: After Trump handed him a stack of news reports festooned with a sticky note reading “treason,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche ordered investigations into how reporters got leaked info about the war and issued subpoenas to the Wall Street Journal. (WSJ) The Pentagon posted a photo and location of a nuclear-armed Ohio-class submarine, perhaps in an attempt to intimidate Iran. Such information is typically considered a secret. (New York Post) The UAE attacked targets in Iran near the time when Trump announced a ceasefire. (WSJ) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will appear before Congress again today. (Punchbowl News)

The redistrict line: Virginia Democrats filed an emergency appeal to the US Supreme Court to retain the political map that voters approved and which the commonwealth’s supreme court overturned Friday. (AP) The move is probably a “long shot because federal courts typically defer to state courts on interpretations of state law.” (Politico) Meanwhile, the high court handed a win to Alabama Republicans, a boost to GOP lawmakers looking to redraw majority-Black districts in the South to prevent Democrats from winning back the House this fall. (Washington Post) “Republicans still have some room to maneuver and eke out a few more seats in the months before the midterms, while Democrats appear to have run out of time.” (NYT) US Representative Jen Kiggans, a Republican from Virginia, agreed with a radio host who said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is Black, should keep his “cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.” Dems called on her to resign; in a reply that misspelled Jeffries’ name, Kiggans said she didn’t agree with the language. (Axios)

Administration perambulation: Americans are dropping off ACA plans in huge numbers after Republicans declined to renew Covid-era subsidies. (Notus) The White House made a U-turn on a plan to lower tariffs on imported beef after ranchers and some Republicans complained. (WSJ) Trump named Kari Lake as ambassador to Jamaica. Lake unsuccessfully attempted to close Voice of America. (NYT) He also nominated Cameron Hamilton to lead FEMA. Trump fired Hamilton last year. (Politico) The US Navy plans to buy 15 “Trump-class” battleships by 2055. That could change. (Notus) Despite clamming up about vaccines at the White House’s request, Health Secretary and vaccine skeptic RFK Jr. has continued to push to investigate them. (NYT) FDA Commissioner Marty Makary is still in his job, days after Trump reportedly signed off on a plan to fire him. (Politico) A photo of him smiling still greets visitors to the FDA’s website. (FDA.gov) Trump’s plan to paint the Reflecting Pool blue will cost at least $13 million, a bit north of the $1.8 million he’d promised. (NYT)

Shop for vintage goods this weekend, by Daniella Byck:

The only reason I still have a Facebook is for Facebook Marketplace. At midnight on any given day, I’m bathing in that good blue light, scouring listings for distinctive pre-loved décor. But as much as I enjoy a good scroll and shop, there is something more satisfying about a well-curated, in-person (and in daylight) marketplace. If you have a similar inclination, Lucketts, a favorite for vintage and antiques, will host its annual spring market from Friday, May 15, to Sunday, May 17. More than 200 vendors are headed to the Clarke County Fairgrounds in Berryville, Virginia, bringing an eclectic collection of furniture and homewares. Tickets are $23 per person and cover access for the entire weekend. Bring your own cart or rent a wagon for $5, and furniture-movers can help haul your finds for a $10 fee. Once you get your fill of treasure hunting, make a stop at Nall’s Farm Market, a roadside shop with pickled goods and fragrant fruit pies. (Seriously, they should put this smell into a candle.) The Berryville store is a ten-minute drive from the fairgrounds.

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• What is that unfamiliar feeling, Washington Wizards fans wonder. Could it be…hope?

• The local nonprofit Cultural Landscape Foundation sued to stop Trump from painting the Reflecting Pool blue, arguing that the President’s chosen hue is “more appropriate to a resort or theme park.”

• Martin’s Tavern got featured in an “SNL” skit this past weekend. FBI Director Kash Patel has in fact visited the bar, owner Billy Martin says.

• Adjoa Andoh, Joey Wiemer, and others we’d like to have over for dinner this month.

Local news links:

• Survey and testing work began yesterday at the site near Arlington Memorial Cemetery where Trump hopes to build a massive triumphal arch. (AP)

• Two Republican Maryland state lawmakers made a video in which they accused a Chinese-born Democratic colleague of being a spy and mocked the way he speaks. (Maryland Matters)

• Accused WHCD shooter Cole Allen pleaded not guilty in a court appearance yesterday. (WTOP)

• A raid on a Norfolk CBD shop may offer clues to what may have prompted the FBI’s raid on powerful Virginia state Senator Louise Lucas‘s office and cannabis businesses. (Virginian-Pilot)

• As it clears homeless encampments at Trump’s direction, the District has “run out of housing vouchers.” (WCP)

• Police in Arlington say a Maryland man got out of his SUV and punched someone who crossed in front of him in a crosswalk where drivers are instructed to yield to pedestrians. (ARLnow)

• Police in DC say a suspect in a theft tried to evade arrest by running into the Mexican Cultural Institute on 16th Street, Northwest. Mexico’s ambassador to the US, Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, posted about the suspect’s eventual capture. (WUSA9)

• Laurel officials temporarily shut down a Mexican restaurant after a triple shooting and double stabbing nearby during a Cinco de Mayo celebration. (WTOP)

• Amazon will use some e-bikes to deliver packages in DC. It’s a pilot program. (WUSA9)

• The group behind those golden statues of Trump on the Mall unveiled its latest stunt: arcade games at the District of Columbia War Memorial that lampoon Trump’s war in Iran. You can play the games online. (Huffpost)

• A cat named Greedy is missing after workers from a junk removal company picked up a sofa in DC. Her owner says she’s an emotional support cat who has helped him during cancer treatments. (WUSA9)

Tuesday’s event picks:

• “Pippin” opens at Signature Theatre.

• “The Great Gatsby” opens at National Theatre.

• Austin Graff discusses his book “111 Places for Kids in Washington, DC That You Must Not Miss” at Solid State Books.

See more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

The post Virginia Dems Make a Long-Shot Supreme Court Argument to Preserve Map, Trump’s Reflecting Pool Paint Job Draws a Lawsuit, and a Cat Named Greedy Is Missing first appeared on Washingtonian.

Good morning. Sunny with a high of 72 today. A low near 55 overnight. The Nationals visit Cincinnati this evening. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.

This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Puuluup, “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi.” These Estonian non-conformists–if you are a true sicko like me you might remember the version of this song they performed with 5miinust at a recent Eurovision Song Contest—are a lot of fun. They play Songbyrd tonight with Light Beams.

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. (And I just updated them with the last couple weeks’ worth of tunes.) Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

The war: President Trump described the US’s ceasefire with Iran as being on “massive life support” and called Iran’s counteroffer for a peace deal a “piece of garbage.” (Washington Post) He claimed Iran had asked the US to remove what he calls its nuclear “dust” but then reversed course. Iran has not publicly acknowledged any such offer. (AP) Trump also said he would temporarily lift the federal tax on gasoline as the price of a gallon of gas now averages $4.50 nationally due to the war he started more than two months ago. (CBS News) Doing so actually requires an act of Congress, and while two Republicans duly filed legislation to enshrine Trump’s idea, other GOP lawmakers expressed caution—one bipartisan group estimates suspending the tax for five months “would increase federal deficits by about $12 billion.” (Politico)

Sure, that’ll fix it: After Trump handed him a stack of news reports festooned with a sticky note reading “treason,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche ordered investigations into how reporters got leaked info about the war and issued subpoenas to the Wall Street Journal. (WSJ) The Pentagon posted a photo and location of a nuclear-armed Ohio-class submarine, perhaps in an attempt to intimidate Iran. Such information is typically considered a secret. (New York Post) The UAE attacked targets in Iran near the time when Trump announced a ceasefire. (WSJ) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will appear before Congress again today. (Punchbowl News)

The redistrict line: Virginia Democrats filed an emergency appeal to the US Supreme Court to retain the political map that voters approved and which the commonwealth’s supreme court overturned Friday. (AP) The move is probably a “long shot because federal courts typically defer to state courts on interpretations of state law.” (Politico) Meanwhile, the high court handed a win to Alabama Republicans, a boost to GOP lawmakers looking to redraw majority-Black districts in the South to prevent Democrats from winning back the House this fall. (Washington Post) “Republicans still have some room to maneuver and eke out a few more seats in the months before the midterms, while Democrats appear to have run out of time.” (NYT) US Representative Jen Kiggans, a Republican from Virginia, agreed with a radio host who said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is Black, should keep his “cotton-picking hands off of Virginia.” Dems called on her to resign; in a reply that misspelled Jeffries’ name, Kiggans said she didn’t agree with the language. (Axios)

Administration perambulation: Americans are dropping off ACA plans in huge numbers after Republicans declined to renew Covid-era subsidies. (Notus) The White House made a U-turn on a plan to lower tariffs on imported beef after ranchers and some Republicans complained. (WSJ) Trump named Kari Lake as ambassador to Jamaica. Lake unsuccessfully attempted to close Voice of America. (NYT) He also nominated Cameron Hamilton to lead FEMA. Trump fired Hamilton last year. (Politico) The US Navy plans to buy 15 “Trump-class” battleships by 2055. That could change. (Notus) Despite clamming up about vaccines at the White House’s request, Health Secretary and vaccine skeptic RFK Jr. has continued to push to investigate them. (NYT) FDA Commissioner Marty Makary is still in his job, days after Trump reportedly signed off on a plan to fire him. (Politico) A photo of him smiling still greets visitors to the FDA’s website. (FDA.gov) Trump’s plan to paint the Reflecting Pool blue will cost at least $13 million, a bit north of the $1.8 million he’d promised. (NYT)

Shop for vintage goods this weekend, by Daniella Byck:

The only reason I still have a Facebook is for Facebook Marketplace. At midnight on any given day, I’m bathing in that good blue light, scouring listings for distinctive pre-loved décor. But as much as I enjoy a good scroll and shop, there is something more satisfying about a well-curated, in-person (and in daylight) marketplace. If you have a similar inclination, Lucketts, a favorite for vintage and antiques, will host its annual spring market from Friday, May 15, to Sunday, May 17. More than 200 vendors are headed to the Clarke County Fairgrounds in Berryville, Virginia, bringing an eclectic collection of furniture and homewares. Tickets are $23 per person and cover access for the entire weekend. Bring your own cart or rent a wagon for $5, and furniture-movers can help haul your finds for a $10 fee. Once you get your fill of treasure hunting, make a stop at Nall’s Farm Market, a roadside shop with pickled goods and fragrant fruit pies. (Seriously, they should put this smell into a candle.) The Berryville store is a ten-minute drive from the fairgrounds.

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• What is that unfamiliar feeling, Washington Wizards fans wonder. Could it be…hope?

• The local nonprofit Cultural Landscape Foundation sued to stop Trump from painting the Reflecting Pool blue, arguing that the President’s chosen hue is “more appropriate to a resort or theme park.”

• Martin’s Tavern got featured in an “SNL” skit this past weekend. FBI Director Kash Patel has in fact visited the bar, owner Billy Martin says.

• Adjoa Andoh, Joey Wiemer, and others we’d like to have over for dinner this month.

Local news links:

• Survey and testing work began yesterday at the site near Arlington Memorial Cemetery where Trump hopes to build a massive triumphal arch. (AP)

• Two Republican Maryland state lawmakers made a video in which they accused a Chinese-born Democratic colleague of being a spy and mocked the way he speaks. (Maryland Matters)

• Accused WHCD shooter Cole Allen pleaded not guilty in a court appearance yesterday. (WTOP)

• A raid on a Norfolk CBD shop may offer clues to what may have prompted the FBI’s raid on powerful Virginia state Senator Louise Lucas‘s office and cannabis businesses. (Virginian-Pilot)

• As it clears homeless encampments at Trump’s direction, the District has “run out of housing vouchers.” (WCP)

• Police in Arlington say a Maryland man got out of his SUV and punched someone who crossed in front of him in a crosswalk where drivers are instructed to yield to pedestrians. (ARLnow)

• Police in DC say a suspect in a theft tried to evade arrest by running into the Mexican Cultural Institute on 16th Street, Northwest. Mexico’s ambassador to the US, Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, posted about the suspect’s eventual capture. (WUSA9)

• Laurel officials temporarily shut down a Mexican restaurant after a triple shooting and double stabbing nearby during a Cinco de Mayo celebration. (WTOP)

• Amazon will use some e-bikes to deliver packages in DC. It’s a pilot program. (WUSA9)

• The group behind those golden statues of Trump on the Mall unveiled its latest stunt: arcade games at the District of Columbia War Memorial that lampoon Trump’s war in Iran. You can play the games online. (Huffpost)

• A cat named Greedy is missing after workers from a junk removal company picked up a sofa in DC. Her owner says she’s an emotional support cat who has helped him during cancer treatments. (WUSA9)

Tuesday’s event picks:

• “Pippin” opens at Signature Theatre.

• “The Great Gatsby” opens at National Theatre.

• Austin Graff discusses his book “111 Places for Kids in Washington, DC That You Must Not Miss” at Solid State Books.

See more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

The post Virginia Dems Make a Long-Shot Supreme Court Argument to Preserve Map, Trump’s Reflecting Pool Paint Job Draws a Lawsuit, and a Cat Named Greedy Is Missing first appeared on Washingtonian.

Shay Taylor-Allen

The Howard med student went viral for getting hired as an MD at the hospital where she was once a janitor.

Joey Wiemer

The outfielder reached base ten times in his first ten at-bats with the Nats, tying the record.

Adjoa Andoh

The Bridgerton star served as the first director’s resident at the Folger.

Chitra Sharma

How do we get that job? The National Children’s Museum named her its “tinkerer-in-residence.”

Jonathan Greenberger

He’s the new top editor at Politico, taking over from John Harris.

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This May first appeared on Washingtonian.

Shay Taylor-Allen

The Howard med student went viral for getting hired as an MD at the hospital where she was once a janitor.

Joey Wiemer

The outfielder reached base ten times in his first ten at-bats with the Nats, tying the record.

Adjoa Andoh

The Bridgerton star served as the first director’s resident at the Folger.

Chitra Sharma

How do we get that job? The National Children’s Museum named her its “tinkerer-in-residence.”

Jonathan Greenberger

He’s the new top editor at Politico, taking over from John Harris.

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This May first appeared on Washingtonian.

For most fanbases, winning the NBA Draft Lottery is ridiculously exciting. For Washington Wizards fans, what happened on Sunday afternoon—the team was awarded the first selection in this summer’s draft, and with the opportunity to select a franchise-changing talent—it also felt genuinely confusing.

Not in a bad way. More in a wait, are we sure this is real? kind of way.

Because good things don’t happen to the Wizards. This is an organization that has spent so long wandering through basketball irrelevance that even its moments of competence now feel half-remembered, like old stories people tell each other at bars.

In this century alone, the list of truly joyful Washington moments is alarmingly short. There were the Gilbert Arenas years, when every fourth-quarter heat check felt like a citywide event. There were the John Wall playoff teams, highlighted by a dramatic, last-minute, jump-on-the-scorer’s-table postseason victory over the Boston Celtics … in Game 6 of a second-round series that the Wizards lost in seven. There was the Russell Westbrook experience, a season of furious and chaotic triple-doubles, culminating in a play-in game win and a first-round playoff exit. And also, there was that one time 40-year-old Michael Jordan pinned Ron Mercer’s shot against the backboard with two hands.

And that’s it. That’s basically the list. Which is why Monday night hit differently. Represented by their last #1 pick John Wall at the lottery, the basketball gods looked in Washington’s direction and shrugged, sure, why not?

So now, for the first time in years, Wizards fans get to do something unfamiliar: argue about a future worth caring about. The two players considered the best in this draft class, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, are both seen as potential franchise saviors, the sort of players worth tanking away an entire season for—which Washington unabashedly just did. Add either of them to a roster that includes Alex Sarr, some other promising young players, and recently-acquired All-Star talents in Anthony Davis and Trae Young, and that just might be a playoff team. Immediately.

Of course, there are reasons to be skeptical. Neither Dybantasa nor Peterson are believed to be quite as can’t-miss as Cooper Flagg and Victor Wembanyama, two already-thriving recent No. 1 picks whom the Wizards missed out getting a chance to take after coming up exactly one (!) lottery ping-pong ball short. Moreover, the No. 1 pick is no guarantee of getting a star—remember Kwame Brown? And yes, the lottery is a reward for being absolutely terrible. The Wizards had the best odds of snagging this year’s top pick because they were the league’s worst team; it’s hard to imagine them becoming actually good just a few months from now. Hope can die quickly, and a fanbase that suffered through draft picks like Jan Veseley and Johnny Davis knows that better than anyone.

But that’s loser talk! On Sunday, the cursed Washington Wizards finally had a bounce go their way. And for one night, at least, the team’s fans got to taste what it feels like to win something. 

The post The Wizards Won the No. 1 Pick in the NBA Draft. Seriously. first appeared on Washingtonian.

For most fanbases, winning the NBA Draft Lottery is ridiculously exciting. For Washington Wizards fans, what happened on Sunday afternoon—the team was awarded the first selection in this summer’s draft, and with the opportunity to select a franchise-changing talent—it also felt genuinely confusing.

Not in a bad way. More in a wait, are we sure this is real? kind of way.

Because good things don’t happen to the Wizards. This is an organization that has spent so long wandering through basketball irrelevance that even its moments of competence now feel half-remembered, like old stories people tell each other at bars.

In this century alone, the list of truly joyful Washington moments is alarmingly short. There were the Gilbert Arenas years, when every fourth-quarter heat check felt like a citywide event. There were the John Wall playoff teams, highlighted by a dramatic, last-minute, jump-on-the-scorer’s-table postseason victory over the Boston Celtics … in Game 6 of a second-round series that the Wizards lost in seven. There was the Russell Westbrook experience, a season of furious and chaotic triple-doubles, culminating in a play-in game win and a first-round playoff exit. And also, there was that one time 40-year-old Michael Jordan pinned Ron Mercer’s shot against the backboard with two hands.

And that’s it. That’s basically the list. Which is why Monday night hit differently. Represented by their last #1 pick John Wall at the lottery, the basketball gods looked in Washington’s direction and shrugged, sure, why not?

So now, for the first time in years, Wizards fans get to do something unfamiliar: argue about a future worth caring about. The two players considered the best in this draft class, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, are both seen as potential franchise saviors, the sort of players worth tanking away an entire season for—which Washington unabashedly just did. Add either of them to a roster that includes Alex Sarr, some other promising young players, and recently-acquired All-Star talents in Anthony Davis and Trae Young, and that just might be a playoff team. Immediately.

Of course, there are reasons to be skeptical. Neither Dybantasa nor Peterson are believed to be quite as can’t-miss as Cooper Flagg and Victor Wembanyama, two already-thriving recent No. 1 picks whom the Wizards missed out getting a chance to take after coming up exactly one (!) lottery ping-pong ball short. Moreover, the No. 1 pick is no guarantee of getting a star—remember Kwame Brown? And yes, the lottery is a reward for being absolutely terrible. The Wizards had the best odds of snagging this year’s top pick because they were the league’s worst team; it’s hard to imagine them becoming actually good just a few months from now. Hope can die quickly, and a fanbase that suffered through draft picks like Jan Veseley and Johnny Davis knows that better than anyone.

But that’s loser talk! On Sunday, the cursed Washington Wizards finally had a bounce go their way. And for one night, at least, the team’s fans got to taste what it feels like to win something. 

The post The Wizards Won the No. 1 Pick in the NBA Draft. Seriously. first appeared on Washingtonian.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a DC nonprofit that focuses on landscape advocacy and education, filed a lawsuit against the Department of Interior today regarding the repainting of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The organization is hoping for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction to halt ongoing work to coat the pool’s surface “American Flag Blue” ahead of the nation’s Semiquincentennial on July 4—a deadline that already seems a little tight for such an intensive project.

“The design intent, to create a reflective surface that is subordinate, is fundamental to the solemn and hallowed visual and spatial connection between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial,” Charles A. Birnbaum, the president and CEO of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, said in a press release announcing the suit. “A blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park.”

In its complaint, The Cultural Landscape Foundation argues that the original color of the pool’s tiling is a fundamental element of its historic character. “The dark grey, achromatic basin was not incidental to the design,” the group, which is represented in this case by the Washington Litigation Group, writes. “It was the design.” The complaint cites the 1999 National Park Service Cultural Landscape Report for the Lincoln Memorial Grounds, which notes that “the dark color of the tile created the illusion of greater depth and a more profound reflection.”

Because the Reflecting Pool is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the suit argues, President Trump’s administration unlawfully bypassed Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966—which would have required the National Park Service to consult with “various interested parties” (such as nonprofits and expert organizations) for feedback before moving ahead with any redesign. The Cultural Landscape Foundation also notes that, up until this point, the US Commission of Fine Arts has reviewed all proposed changes to the Reflecting Pool since its construction. But the agency was not involved in plans for the basin repainting.

“No consulting parties have been notified, engaged, or given an opportunity to participate,” the complaint continues, adding that the “latest desecration of the reflecting pool is part of a pattern … in which this Administration willfully disregards legal limits established by Congress.” The Cultural Landscape Foundation references the demolition of the White House’s East Wing as the most egregious example of such behavior.

This latest suit joins a growing list of legal actions targeting various Trump-backed DC construction projects. A group of Vietnam War veterans are suing the administration over the president’s proposed triumphal arch, arguing that a 250-foot structure would obscure historic sightlines between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. The DC Preservation League and two local residents filed suit in February over Trump’s planned championship-level redesign of East Potomac Park and its public golf course, on the grounds that such a makeover would jack up maintenance costs and make the course inaccessible for less experienced players.

The New York Times reported today that the cost of the Reflecting Pool remodel has skyrocketed since Trump initially proposed it, with estimated costs ballooning from $1.8 million to more than $13 million after a recent contract update with Atlantic Industrial Coatings—the Virginia firm that is completing the renovations.

When asked for comment on the lawsuit, an Interior Department spokesperson defended the administration’s repainting of the Reflecting Pool. “The choice of American Flag Blue will enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument,” a statement emailed to Washingtonian read. “NPS is also investing in a state-of-the-art ozone nanobubbler filtration system and will now have a dedicated crew who will maintain the grounds from wildlife.”

 

 

The post Trump Administration Sued Over Reflecting Pool Paint Job first appeared on Washingtonian.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a DC nonprofit that focuses on landscape advocacy and education, filed a lawsuit against the Department of Interior today regarding the repainting of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The organization is hoping for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction to halt ongoing work to coat the pool’s surface “American Flag Blue” ahead of the nation’s Semiquincentennial on July 4—a deadline that already seems a little tight for such an intensive project.

“The design intent, to create a reflective surface that is subordinate, is fundamental to the solemn and hallowed visual and spatial connection between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial,” Charles A. Birnbaum, the president and CEO of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, said in a press release announcing the suit. “A blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park.”

In its complaint, The Cultural Landscape Foundation argues that the original color of the pool’s tiling is a fundamental element of its historic character. “The dark grey, achromatic basin was not incidental to the design,” the group, which is represented in this case by the Washington Litigation Group, writes. “It was the design.” The complaint cites the 1999 National Park Service Cultural Landscape Report for the Lincoln Memorial Grounds, which notes that “the dark color of the tile created the illusion of greater depth and a more profound reflection.”

Because the Reflecting Pool is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the suit argues, President Trump’s administration unlawfully bypassed Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966—which would have required the National Park Service to consult with “various interested parties” (such as nonprofits and expert organizations) for feedback before moving ahead with any redesign. The Cultural Landscape Foundation also notes that, up until this point, the US Commission of Fine Arts has reviewed all proposed changes to the Reflecting Pool since its construction. But the agency was not involved in plans for the basin repainting.

“No consulting parties have been notified, engaged, or given an opportunity to participate,” the complaint continues, adding that the “latest desecration of the reflecting pool is part of a pattern … in which this Administration willfully disregards legal limits established by Congress.” The Cultural Landscape Foundation references the demolition of the White House’s East Wing as the most egregious example of such behavior.

This latest suit joins a growing list of legal actions targeting various Trump-backed DC construction projects. A group of Vietnam War veterans are suing the administration over the president’s proposed triumphal arch, arguing that a 250-foot structure would obscure historic sightlines between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. The DC Preservation League and two local residents filed suit in February over Trump’s planned championship-level redesign of East Potomac Park and its public golf course, on the grounds that such a makeover would jack up maintenance costs and make the course inaccessible for less experienced players.

The New York Times reported today that the cost of the Reflecting Pool remodel has skyrocketed since Trump initially proposed it, with estimated costs ballooning from $1.8 million to more than $13 million after a recent contract update with Atlantic Industrial Coatings—the Virginia firm that is completing the renovations.

When asked for comment on the lawsuit, an Interior Department spokesperson defended the administration’s repainting of the Reflecting Pool. “The choice of American Flag Blue will enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument,” a statement emailed to Washingtonian read. “NPS is also investing in a state-of-the-art ozone nanobubbler filtration system and will now have a dedicated crew who will maintain the grounds from wildlife.”

 

 

The post Trump Administration Sued Over Reflecting Pool Paint Job first appeared on Washingtonian.

A Secretary of War, Supreme Court Justice, and FBI Director walk into a bar… and if you watched Saturday Night Live this weekend, that bar is none other than Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown.

In the cold open, Pete Hegseth (played by Colin Jost) orders his usual shot of beer with a pint of whiskey—a “reverse Irish car bomb”—at the 93-year-old tavern. He tells the bartender: “It’s nice to have my sneaky bar here where I’m not going to run into anyone at work, because none of Trump’s people like drinking as much as I do.”

He’s immediately joined by Matt Damon as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Aziz Ansari as FBI Director Kash Patel. Kavanaugh orders six Bud Lights and three shots of Jameson (“a six-three decision”), while Patel brings his own personalized FBI-branded bourbon bottle (“I bring my own alcohol to bars, because sometimes they think I am a kid with a fake ID”).

A Secretary of War, a Supreme Court Justice, and an FBI Director walk into a bar pic.twitter.com/yGACw2vf4e

— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) May 10, 2026

“I thought it was funny as can be,” says Martin’s Tavern owner Billy Martin. He had no idea his restaurant would be featured on the late-night show and woke up Sunday morning to an avalanche of text messages.

Martin says he was impressed with how SNL‘s set designers replicated Martin’s style of windows and the type of art on its walls, right down to a portrait of John F. Kennedy, who famously proposed to Jackie at the restaurant. The real Martin’s Tavern, however, does not have a jukebox. He sent an email to the show to see if he could get them to send the Martin’s plaque they had hanging on the set wall. He’s hoping the cast could sign it.

Many years ago, when Damon began starring in the Jason Bourne series, Martin says he had a friend who knew the actor and his manager, and so he’d tried to get Damon to visit the restaurant when he was in DC. But it never happened.

“I guess we can say Matt’s been to Martin’s now,” Martin says.

Patel, however, has actually been to the real Martin’s Tavern. But Martin says he’s never witnessed the kind of heavy drinking that was played up on SNL. “I’ve never seen any of that with any of those guys. They’re all business, at least at Martin’s,” he says.

In real life, other Trump cabinet secretaries including Scott Bessent, Pam Bondi, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have also frequented the restaurant.

As for the establishment being portrayed as a hangout for top MAGA brass?

“We are the most bipartisan place ever,” Martin says. “When my great grandfather and my grandfather opened Martin’s in the ’30s, they were friends with everybody on Capitol Hill, with the Kennedys, Sam Rayburn, Lyndon Johnson on…  Martin’s is like the modern day Cheers. Everybody’s welcome.”

The post Martin’s Tavern Makes a Cameo on SNL as Hangout for Trump’s Top Brass first appeared on Washingtonian.

A Secretary of War, Supreme Court Justice, and FBI Director walk into a bar… and if you watched Saturday Night Live this weekend, that bar is none other than Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown.

In the cold open, Pete Hegseth (played by Colin Jost) orders his usual shot of beer with a pint of whiskey—a “reverse Irish car bomb”—at the 93-year-old tavern. He tells the bartender: “It’s nice to have my sneaky bar here where I’m not going to run into anyone at work, because none of Trump’s people like drinking as much as I do.”

He’s immediately joined by Matt Damon as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Aziz Ansari as FBI Director Kash Patel. Kavanaugh orders six Bud Lights and three shots of Jameson (“a six-three decision”), while Patel brings his own personalized FBI-branded bourbon bottle (“I bring my own alcohol to bars, because sometimes they think I am a kid with a fake ID”).

A Secretary of War, a Supreme Court Justice, and an FBI Director walk into a bar pic.twitter.com/yGACw2vf4e

— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) May 10, 2026

“I thought it was funny as can be,” says Martin’s Tavern owner Billy Martin. He had no idea his restaurant would be featured on the late-night show and woke up Sunday morning to an avalanche of text messages.

Martin says he was impressed with how SNL‘s set designers replicated Martin’s style of windows and the type of art on its walls, right down to a portrait of John F. Kennedy, who famously proposed to Jackie at the restaurant. The real Martin’s Tavern, however, does not have a jukebox. He sent an email to the show to see if he could get them to send the Martin’s plaque they had hanging on the set wall. He’s hoping the cast could sign it.

Many years ago, when Damon began starring in the Jason Bourne series, Martin says he had a friend who knew the actor and his manager, and so he’d tried to get Damon to visit the restaurant when he was in DC. But it never happened.

“I guess we can say Matt’s been to Martin’s now,” Martin says.

Patel, however, has actually been to the real Martin’s Tavern. But Martin says he’s never witnessed the kind of heavy drinking that was played up on SNL. “I’ve never seen any of that with any of those guys. They’re all business, at least at Martin’s,” he says.

In real life, other Trump cabinet secretaries including Scott Bessent, Pam Bondi, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have also frequented the restaurant.

As for the establishment being portrayed as a hangout for top MAGA brass?

“We are the most bipartisan place ever,” Martin says. “When my great grandfather and my grandfather opened Martin’s in the ’30s, they were friends with everybody on Capitol Hill, with the Kennedys, Sam Rayburn, Lyndon Johnson on…  Martin’s is like the modern day Cheers. Everybody’s welcome.”

The post Martin’s Tavern Makes a Cameo on SNL as Hangout for Trump’s Top Brass first appeared on Washingtonian.

Happy Monday, DC!

Passport DC’s Fiesta Asia returns for a massive cultural festival and parade. Plus, Washington National Opera performs the classic romance West Side Story.

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend May 11–May 17

1. 1. Fiesta Asia. The Passport DC festivities continue with Fiesta Asia. This celebration of pan-Asian heritage will include over 1,000 performers, food vendors, and artisans, plus kid-friendly activities, karaoke contests, a sushi cook-off, street dancing, and a colorful parade. The fair has been a popular tribute to Asian culture since 2006 (Sat, free, Downtown).
   2. West Side Story at Strathmore. Washington National Opera artistic director Francesca Zambello brings the classic love epic West Side Story to Strathmore. Broadway actors Ryan McCartan and Shereen Pimentel are the main characters in this version of the Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim musical (Thurs-Fri, $45+, Bethesda).
   3. “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness” exhibit. The Smithsonian continues America 250 commemorations with a new exhibit “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness.” Check out historic artifacts from the country’s founding era such as Thomas Jefferson’s desk and the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner” (Thurs through December 31, free, Smithsonian National Museum of American History).
   4.  Spring Night Market. Spring Night Market is back for another evening of cheer, eats, and lion and dragon dancing. Foodies will be transported to an Asian-inspired market on the Hi-Lawn rooftop with fare and sweets from eateries such as Tiger Fork, Love, Makoto, Chai Pani, and several others (Thurs, $5, Union Market).
   5. Lucketts Spring Vintage Market. Go on a shopping spree at Northern Virginia’s Lucketts Spring Market. Browse chic garden gems, painted furniture, architectural salvage, rustic antiques, and other vintage finds at this outdoor three-day market. Shoppers can expect live music, a beer garden, and food trucks. For a less crowded visit, the Friday early-buyer option is a morning pass to shop before general admission ticket holders (Fri-Sun, $20 general admission, $50 for early-buyer weekend pass, Berryville).

---

Related May Culture Guide: 51 Things to Do in the DC Area

---

Want More Things to Do? Arts and culture:

• Watch parts of Ken Burns’ film The American Revolution and join a post-screening talk (Thurs, free, Petworth).
• See more than 50 Native works as part of “Stretching the Canvas: Ten Decades of Native Painting” (opens Fri, free, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian).
• DC musician and critic J. Hunter Bennett discusses his new book More Punk Than the Public Library at Politics and Prose (Sat, free, Northwest DC).
• Participate in a cosplay contest and karaoke and grab bites from more than 60 food stands at Asian Festival on Main (Sun, free, Fairfax).
• Former Black Panther and novelist Wesley Brown tells the story of Washington in the ’70s in his new book Looking for Frank Willis (Sun, free, virtual, Northwest DC).

Sports:

• It’s Preakness weekend! The 151st race brings food trucks, race-day fashion, elevated suite experiences, and exciting horse racing to Laurel Park (Fri-Sat, contact for seat pricing, Baltimore).

Theater and shows:

• See the glitzy and provocative coming-of-age production Pippin at Signature Theatre (Tues through July 26, $47+, Arlington).
• F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel The Great Gatsby comes to life on stage at National Theatre (Tues through May 24, $67+, Downtown).
• It’s the last call to see 1776 the Musical, a comedic reimagining of America’s founding at Ford’s Theatre (closes Sat, $38+, Penn Quarter).

Music and concerts:

• Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi conducts the world premiere of his Concerto for Orchestra (Thurs-Sat, $136+, Kennedy Center).
• Flavio Silva and Bruce Williams 4tet play live jazz at The Kreeger (Sat, $35, Berkley).

Exercise and wellness:

• Enjoy a Sunday reset at Wunder Garten with yoga, wellness sessions, and music (Sun, $17, NoMa).

Plan ahead:

• Tickets are going fast to catch rock-and-roll icon Sting in concert alongside bandmates Dominic Miller and Chris Maas for three nights at Wolf Trap (May 21-23, $66+, Vienna).
• Jazz in the Garden returns next week to the Sculpture Garden (May 22,  free, required lottery registration open Mon-Fri, National Gallery of Art).

Bites and beverages:

• Raise a glass to Apéro’s fifth anniversary party featuring Parisian delights such as canapés and caviar (Tues, $195, Georgetown).
• Sample an array of local brews at Atlas Brew Works’ Craft Beer Fest (Sat, $33, Alexandria).

Things to do with kids:

• The SpongeBob Musical brings the Nickelodeon show to life on stage at Workhouse Arts Center (through June 14, $39, Lorton).
• Discover 111 Places for Kids in Washington, DC That You Must Not Miss with
  writer Austin Graff (Tues, free, $28 for drink and book, H Street Corridor).
• Kiddos can pick strawberries, and take a tractor ride at Lincoln Strawberry Festival (Fri-Sun, $16, Hamilton).
• Go on a family bike ride through one of Capitol Hill’s tiny streets; there’s free ice cream, too (Sun, free, Capitol Hill).

If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.

The post 25 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend first appeared on Washingtonian.

Happy Monday, DC!

Passport DC’s Fiesta Asia returns for a massive cultural festival and parade. Plus, Washington National Opera performs the classic romance West Side Story.

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend May 11–May 17

1. 1. Fiesta Asia. The Passport DC festivities continue with Fiesta Asia. This celebration of pan-Asian heritage will include over 1,000 performers, food vendors, and artisans, plus kid-friendly activities, karaoke contests, a sushi cook-off, street dancing, and a colorful parade. The fair has been a popular tribute to Asian culture since 2006 (Sat, free, Downtown).
   2. West Side Story at Strathmore. Washington National Opera artistic director Francesca Zambello brings the classic love epic West Side Story to Strathmore. Broadway actors Ryan McCartan and Shereen Pimentel are the main characters in this version of the Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim musical (Thurs-Fri, $45+, Bethesda).
   3. “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness” exhibit. The Smithsonian continues America 250 commemorations with a new exhibit “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness.” Check out historic artifacts from the country’s founding era such as Thomas Jefferson’s desk and the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner” (Thurs through December 31, free, Smithsonian National Museum of American History).
   4.  Spring Night Market. Spring Night Market is back for another evening of cheer, eats, and lion and dragon dancing. Foodies will be transported to an Asian-inspired market on the Hi-Lawn rooftop with fare and sweets from eateries such as Tiger Fork, Love, Makoto, Chai Pani, and several others (Thurs, $5, Union Market).
   5. Lucketts Spring Vintage Market. Go on a shopping spree at Northern Virginia’s Lucketts Spring Market. Browse chic garden gems, painted furniture, architectural salvage, rustic antiques, and other vintage finds at this outdoor three-day market. Shoppers can expect live music, a beer garden, and food trucks. For a less crowded visit, the Friday early-buyer option is a morning pass to shop before general admission ticket holders (Fri-Sun, $20 general admission, $50 for early-buyer weekend pass, Berryville).

---

Related May Culture Guide: 51 Things to Do in the DC Area

---

Want More Things to Do? Arts and culture:

• Watch parts of Ken Burns’ film The American Revolution and join a post-screening talk (Thurs, free, Petworth).
• See more than 50 Native works as part of “Stretching the Canvas: Ten Decades of Native Painting” (opens Fri, free, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian).
• DC musician and critic J. Hunter Bennett discusses his new book More Punk Than the Public Library at Politics and Prose (Sat, free, Northwest DC).
• Participate in a cosplay contest and karaoke and grab bites from more than 60 food stands at Asian Festival on Main (Sun, free, Fairfax).
• Former Black Panther and novelist Wesley Brown tells the story of Washington in the ’70s in his new book Looking for Frank Willis (Sun, free, virtual, Northwest DC).

Sports:

• It’s Preakness weekend! The 151st race brings food trucks, race-day fashion, elevated suite experiences, and exciting horse racing to Laurel Park (Fri-Sat, contact for seat pricing, Baltimore).

Theater and shows:

• See the glitzy and provocative coming-of-age production Pippin at Signature Theatre (Tues through July 26, $47+, Arlington).
• F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel The Great Gatsby comes to life on stage at National Theatre (Tues through May 24, $67+, Downtown).
• It’s the last call to see 1776 the Musical, a comedic reimagining of America’s founding at Ford’s Theatre (closes Sat, $38+, Penn Quarter).

Music and concerts:

• Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi conducts the world premiere of his Concerto for Orchestra (Thurs-Sat, $136+, Kennedy Center).
• Flavio Silva and Bruce Williams 4tet play live jazz at The Kreeger (Sat, $35, Berkley).

Exercise and wellness:

• Enjoy a Sunday reset at Wunder Garten with yoga, wellness sessions, and music (Sun, $17, NoMa).

Plan ahead:

• Tickets are going fast to catch rock-and-roll icon Sting in concert alongside bandmates Dominic Miller and Chris Maas for three nights at Wolf Trap (May 21-23, $66+, Vienna).
• Jazz in the Garden returns next week to the Sculpture Garden (May 22,  free, required lottery registration open Mon-Fri, National Gallery of Art).

Bites and beverages:

• Raise a glass to Apéro’s fifth anniversary party featuring Parisian delights such as canapés and caviar (Tues, $195, Georgetown).
• Sample an array of local brews at Atlas Brew Works’ Craft Beer Fest (Sat, $33, Alexandria).

Things to do with kids:

• The SpongeBob Musical brings the Nickelodeon show to life on stage at Workhouse Arts Center (through June 14, $39, Lorton).
• Discover 111 Places for Kids in Washington, DC That You Must Not Miss with
  writer Austin Graff (Tues, free, $28 for drink and book, H Street Corridor).
• Kiddos can pick strawberries, and take a tractor ride at Lincoln Strawberry Festival (Fri-Sun, $16, Hamilton).
• Go on a family bike ride through one of Capitol Hill’s tiny streets; there’s free ice cream, too (Sun, free, Capitol Hill).

If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.

The post 25 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend first appeared on Washingtonian.

Good morning. Showers this morning, then gradually sunnier with a high around 63. Clear overnight with a low near 47. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.

This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Gene Pitney, “Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa.” Every once in a while I find a new Burt Bacharach–written song to marvel about; this is my current obsession. Tonight at the Library of Congress, Andy Einhorn will direct a program called “Close to You: A Celebration of Burt Bacharach” that will feature Broadway stars including Liz Callaway and Damon Daunno performing the great man’s work.

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

War news: Iran presented a a counteroffer to the US’s latest proposal to end the two-month-old war President Trump started. It offered to gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz as the US naval blockade ended but didn’t commit in advance to dismantling its nuclear program, offering instead to discuss the issue over the next month. (WSJ) Trump rejected the proposal by way of social media, saying he had “just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives'”—one of his running bits is that the people really in charge of Iran aren’t negotiating, despite frequent proclamations that the Iranians want to do a deal with him—and found Iran’s offer “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.” (NYT) The continuing absence of Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has fueled the confusion. (WSJ)

Sitting here in limbo: Both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war wasn’t over in interviews—the administration has argued that the war ended with the current shaky ceasefire, a “declaration that came as missiles continued to fly across the Gulf region and as the Strait of Hormuz remained choked.” (NYT) More drone attacks occurred, including one that set fire to a ship near Qatar. The UAE said it shot down two Iranian drones. (AP) The US “seemed to turn a blind eye” to other Iranian attacks during the ceasefire, rattling allies with whom the US’s relationships are already strained because of the war. (Reuters) For allies in the Gulf, the US’s apparent reluctance to address Iran’s provocations “represented another humbling moment.” (WSJ)

Back home: The price of oil rose after Trump’s social media post. (AP) The average price of a gallon of gas in the US is now over $4.50. (AAA) “I don’t know the future of gas prices,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. (Politico) Meanwhile: “US military intelligence-gathering flights are surging off the coast of Cuba,” a sign Trump may be preparing for military action there, too. (CNN)

Out of vape: Trump plans to fire FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, whom some in the administration view “as a rogue agent on vaping and other issues,” the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. (WSJ) Makary’s mug is still prominently featured on the FDA’s homepage this morning. (FDA.gov) The agency “issued a new policy Friday that could allow major tobacco and vape companies to begin selling flavored e-cigarettes.” (NYT)

Administration perambulation: Interior Department official Karen Budd-Falen said she’s “been involved in changes to grazing policies that benefit ranching businesses like her family’s,” prompting a complaint from a watchdog group. (Washington Post) Trump claimed that Congo “released inmates from its prisons and sent them to the U.S. border with Mexico,” a statement the White House appears unable to back up. (Politico) Trump steered a no-bid contract to paint the Reflecting Pool blue to the Virginia company Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which may have worked on pools at his Virginia golf club. (NYT) Trump’s “gold card visa” appears to be a dud because attorneys for the super-wealthy are concerned that it hasn’t been enshrined in law. (Washington Post) Trump approved a visa for Zbigniew Ziobro, the former Polish justice minister who’s been on the run from his own country. (Politico) Members of Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission have discussed their wish lists, including “a federal hotline with this automated recording: ‘There is no separation of church and state.'” (AP) A 22-foot-high statue of Trump wrapped in gold appeared at his golf club in Doral, Florida. (Letters From Leo) Trump shared a clip over the weekend showing a pastor who claimed the President “has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about the role of government than the pope has.” (HuffPost)

The Best Thing I Ate Last Week, by Ann Limpert:

When I was a college student in Connecticut, the best part of my seven-hour drive from DC to New London was a mandatory stop at the famed New Haven pizzeria Frank Pepe. There was always a line for the coal oven pies—back then it didn’t matter how long I’d have to wait. So it was a little surreal yesterday to see a single occupied booth at the Pepe spinoff at Westfield Montgomery Mall, as the Cheesecake Factory across the hall overflowed with Mother’s Day celebrants. My nine-year-old daughter and I refueled with a pepperoni pie, and it was as thin, crunchy, and bright with tomato sauce as I remember (next time, I’ll get the white clam version, too). She got her first restaurant Coke, I got an Anton Ego moment, and we both had excellent pizza. A Mother’s Day win-win. (7101 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda.)

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• Need an escape? Here’s our package about relaxing getaways an easy drive from DC, which also includes:

Quiet “hushpitality” experiences nearby.

 Stargazing destinations.

• We chatted with Jasmine Kennedie, the fan favorite who will represent the DC area on the new season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.”

• You may know the chef Darren Norris from his Japanese restaurants. But his experience with Italian cuisine made him a natural choice to revive Hank’s Pasta Bar in Old Town.

Local news links:

• Democrats in Virginia have limited—and probably long-shot—options to unravel Friday’s devastating ruling by the commonwealth’s supreme court, which invalidated a voter-approved redistricting plan. (NYT)

• The Washington Wizards will get the top pick in the NBA draft this June. (ESPN)

• The Washington Post got a copy of the internal DC police report on its spiraling crime-stats scandal. (Washington Post) House Republicans still don’t have the copy they subpoenaed for. (Axios D.C.)

• DC’s public golf courses will remain open under a deal the Trump administration announced Friday. The National Links Trust will continue to run the East Potomac Golf Links while the Park Service performs renovations. (Washington Post)

• A standoff at an Arlington 7-Eleven Friday ended when police shot and killed a suspect who they say barricaded himself inside. (NBC4 Washington)

• Brady Flowers Jr., a senior at DC’s Jackson‑Reed High School, died after a shooting in Tenleytown last week. (WTOP)

• Police say an argument preceded a shooting in Navy Yard this weekend. One man was shot, and windows at Osteria Morini were damaged. (WUSA9)

• The US Army announced the recovery of the remains of First Lieutenant Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. of Richmond. Key and another soldier went missing in Morocco after training exercises last week. (DC News Now)

• The future of the Combined Federal Campaign is in doubt. OPM won’t say whether it will continue the long-running donation program. (Maryland Matters)

The post Virginia Dems Search for Answers After Devastating Court Ruling, Ceasefire Standoff Continues, DC Golf Courses Will Stay Open first appeared on Washingtonian.

Good morning. Showers this morning, then gradually sunnier with a high around 63. Clear overnight with a low near 47. You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below.

This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Gene Pitney, “Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa.” Every once in a while I find a new Burt Bacharach–written song to marvel about; this is my current obsession. Tonight at the Library of Congress, Andy Einhorn will direct a program called “Close to You: A Celebration of Burt Bacharach” that will feature Broadway stars including Liz Callaway and Damon Daunno performing the great man’s work.

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

War news: Iran presented a a counteroffer to the US’s latest proposal to end the two-month-old war President Trump started. It offered to gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz as the US naval blockade ended but didn’t commit in advance to dismantling its nuclear program, offering instead to discuss the issue over the next month. (WSJ) Trump rejected the proposal by way of social media, saying he had “just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives'”—one of his running bits is that the people really in charge of Iran aren’t negotiating, despite frequent proclamations that the Iranians want to do a deal with him—and found Iran’s offer “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.” (NYT) The continuing absence of Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has fueled the confusion. (WSJ)

Sitting here in limbo: Both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war wasn’t over in interviews—the administration has argued that the war ended with the current shaky ceasefire, a “declaration that came as missiles continued to fly across the Gulf region and as the Strait of Hormuz remained choked.” (NYT) More drone attacks occurred, including one that set fire to a ship near Qatar. The UAE said it shot down two Iranian drones. (AP) The US “seemed to turn a blind eye” to other Iranian attacks during the ceasefire, rattling allies with whom the US’s relationships are already strained because of the war. (Reuters) For allies in the Gulf, the US’s apparent reluctance to address Iran’s provocations “represented another humbling moment.” (WSJ)

Back home: The price of oil rose after Trump’s social media post. (AP) The average price of a gallon of gas in the US is now over $4.50. (AAA) “I don’t know the future of gas prices,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. (Politico) Meanwhile: “US military intelligence-gathering flights are surging off the coast of Cuba,” a sign Trump may be preparing for military action there, too. (CNN)

Out of vape: Trump plans to fire FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, whom some in the administration view “as a rogue agent on vaping and other issues,” the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. (WSJ) Makary’s mug is still prominently featured on the FDA’s homepage this morning. (FDA.gov) The agency “issued a new policy Friday that could allow major tobacco and vape companies to begin selling flavored e-cigarettes.” (NYT)

Administration perambulation: Interior Department official Karen Budd-Falen said she’s “been involved in changes to grazing policies that benefit ranching businesses like her family’s,” prompting a complaint from a watchdog group. (Washington Post) Trump claimed that Congo “released inmates from its prisons and sent them to the U.S. border with Mexico,” a statement the White House appears unable to back up. (Politico) Trump steered a no-bid contract to paint the Reflecting Pool blue to the Virginia company Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which may have worked on pools at his Virginia golf club. (NYT) Trump’s “gold card visa” appears to be a dud because attorneys for the super-wealthy are concerned that it hasn’t been enshrined in law. (Washington Post) Trump approved a visa for Zbigniew Ziobro, the former Polish justice minister who’s been on the run from his own country. (Politico) Members of Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission have discussed their wish lists, including “a federal hotline with this automated recording: ‘There is no separation of church and state.'” (AP) A 22-foot-high statue of Trump wrapped in gold appeared at his golf club in Doral, Florida. (Letters From Leo) Trump shared a clip over the weekend showing a pastor who claimed the President “has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about the role of government than the pope has.” (HuffPost)

The Best Thing I Ate Last Week, by Ann Limpert:

When I was a college student in Connecticut, the best part of my seven-hour drive from DC to New London was a mandatory stop at the famed New Haven pizzeria Frank Pepe. There was always a line for the coal oven pies—back then it didn’t matter how long I’d have to wait. So it was a little surreal yesterday to see a single occupied booth at the Pepe spinoff at Westfield Montgomery Mall, as the Cheesecake Factory across the hall overflowed with Mother’s Day celebrants. My nine-year-old daughter and I refueled with a pepperoni pie, and it was as thin, crunchy, and bright with tomato sauce as I remember (next time, I’ll get the white clam version, too). She got her first restaurant Coke, I got an Anton Ego moment, and we both had excellent pizza. A Mother’s Day win-win. (7101 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda.)

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• Need an escape? Here’s our package about relaxing getaways an easy drive from DC, which also includes:

Quiet “hushpitality” experiences nearby.

 Stargazing destinations.

• We chatted with Jasmine Kennedie, the fan favorite who will represent the DC area on the new season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.”

• You may know the chef Darren Norris from his Japanese restaurants. But his experience with Italian cuisine made him a natural choice to revive Hank’s Pasta Bar in Old Town.

Local news links:

• Democrats in Virginia have limited—and probably long-shot—options to unravel Friday’s devastating ruling by the commonwealth’s supreme court, which invalidated a voter-approved redistricting plan. (NYT)

• The Washington Wizards will get the top pick in the NBA draft this June. (ESPN)

• The Washington Post got a copy of the internal DC police report on its spiraling crime-stats scandal. (Washington Post) House Republicans still don’t have the copy they subpoenaed for. (Axios D.C.)

• DC’s public golf courses will remain open under a deal the Trump administration announced Friday. The National Links Trust will continue to run the East Potomac Golf Links while the Park Service performs renovations. (Washington Post)

• A standoff at an Arlington 7-Eleven Friday ended when police shot and killed a suspect who they say barricaded himself inside. (NBC4 Washington)

• Brady Flowers Jr., a senior at DC’s Jackson‑Reed High School, died after a shooting in Tenleytown last week. (WTOP)

• Police say an argument preceded a shooting in Navy Yard this weekend. One man was shot, and windows at Osteria Morini were damaged. (WUSA9)

• The US Army announced the recovery of the remains of First Lieutenant Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. of Richmond. Key and another soldier went missing in Morocco after training exercises last week. (DC News Now)

• The future of the Combined Federal Campaign is in doubt. OPM won’t say whether it will continue the long-running donation program. (Maryland Matters)

The post Virginia Dems Search for Answers After Devastating Court Ruling, Ceasefire Standoff Continues, DC Golf Courses Will Stay Open first appeared on Washingtonian.

What makes somewhere a great place to stay?

That varies by traveler, of course. For some people, it’s all about proximity to nature, whether lake or beach, mountain or forest, or even dark skies. Perhaps amenities matter most—standout dining, a robust set of activities, a lovely spa, or fun for dogs. Some may want a spot that appeals to kids and grownups alike. Others might prefer a quiet, adults-only refuge.

The following are 25 terrific destinations, most within a four-hour drive of DC, that offer a variety of experiences. We’ve chosen some of our favorite resorts, hotels, inns, and glamping sites—and surveyed readers for their recommendations, too. Consider these can’t-miss choices for the next time you want an easy and special getaway.

 

Great Access to Nature Postcard Cabins location_onStanardsville and Basye, Va. languageWebsite

Tucked in the woods at two locations near Shenandoah National Park, these tiny homes deliver the romance of camping without sacrificing comfort. Glamping cabins are set far enough apart to feel peaceful and private, and each modern structure comes with rustic amenities such as a fire pit and picnic table. But step inside and it’s another story: a plush queen bed; a well-appointed kitchenette; a bathroom with a hot-water shower and flushing toilet; air conditioning; and a picture window framing the trees await. If the forest backdrop isn’t enough of a hint, there’s even a small box inviting you to lock your phone away for the duration of your stay.

Drive time from DC: Two hours

 

Best Waterfront Hotel The Tides Inn location_onIrvington, Va. languageWebsite

Located on the end of a small peninsula off the Rappahannock River, the boutique hotel exudes chill Chesapeake vibes. There’s a tidy marina dotted with boats—many guests arrive by water rather than by land—and a slender beach alongside a pool with shoreline views. Get out on the water by signing up for optional experiences, including an informative (and delicious) oyster-farm excursion, sailing cruise, lesson on catching and cooking crabs, or kayak outing. Finish the day at Salt & Meadow restaurant to savor Northern Neck–inspired cuisine such as crispy fried soft-shell crab on saffron-fennel purée and steamed local clams swimming in a garlicky white-wine sauce.

Drive time from DC: Two hours and 45 minutes

 

Great for a Wellness Retreat The Blackburn Inn location_onStaunton, Va. languageWebsite

Just outside downtown Staunton, this sprawling 80-acre property is a haven for health. The world-class spa offers a soothing array of treatments and therapies to help relax even the tensest type-A Washingtonian. A lengthy massage menu includes a version targeting stress, anxiety, and inflammation with CBD oil and an arnica massage to relieve muscle pain and migraines. By opening pores and flushing out toxins, Ayurvedic herbal steam therapy is helpful for deep detoxification. Stack multiple treatments in the white-brick spa, creating a sunrise-to-sunset relaxation regimen that’ll have you reassessing whether you ever need to go home.

Drive time from DC: Two and a half hours

 

Best Vineyard Escape Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards location_onBristol, Va. languageWebsite

Virginia wine country has many options for an overnight stay, though none quite like an immersive vineyard vacation at this Appalachian Mountain retreat. Thoughtfully appointed rooms offer charm and comfort, but for a truly one-of-a-kind stay, book one of the luxurious woodland yurts. Savor the terroir by visiting the 13-acre vineyard, where you can sample vintages in the modernist barn. Adventures continue on terra firma, with golf next door at the Virginian’s 18-hole course or a guided fly-fishing expedition on a local river. Then unwind at the spa or in the infinity pool, taking in the verdant landscape.

Drive time from DC: Five and a half hours

 

Great for a Foodie Stay Visitation Hotel location_onFrederick, Md. languageWebsite

The former monastery in downtown Frederick is now a boutique hotel boasting drive-worthy eats with Top Chef cred, thanks to Bryan and Michael Voltaggio. The brothers have returned to their hometown to showcase modernist Chesapeake-inspired fare at Wye Oak Tavern, which occupies the former chapel with soaring ceilings and shimmering stained glass windows. Look for playful dishes such as cold fried-chicken-liver pâté with a sourdough waffle and fried salted-cod “popsicles.” After a night’s rest in one of the sleek guest rooms, pop by Acorn Provisions for artfully poured lattes, cheffy sandos, and freshly baked pastries, including caramelized-apple Danishes and hefty chocolate-chip cookies.

Drive time from DC: One hour

 

Best Luxury Stay Keswick Hall location_onKeswick, Va. languageWebsite

Built in 1912 as a residence, the posh resort outside Charlottesville underwent a massive upgrade five years ago. The Edenic setting is best appreciated with a glass of wine on the terrace, watching the sun dip over the infinity pool and 18-hole Pete Dye–designed golf course. You could spend an entire weekend at the resort, with its spa, European red-clay tennis courts, polished rooms, and candlelit Marigold by Jean-Georges restaurant. But for those who do want to stray from the 600-acre estate, a fleet of BMWs await for chauffeured jaunts to the surrounding wineries.

Drive time from DC: Two hours and 15 minutes

 

Best Small-Town Inn Red Fox Inn location_onMiddleburg languageWebsite

Take a page out of the Kennedys’ travel itinerary: This historic gem, beloved by JFK and Jackie, features Colonial Revival architecture, traditional decor, and a wainscoted tavern with an extensive wine list. (Special attention is paid to the state’s abundant vineyards.) Despite being part of one of the oldest continually operating inns in the country, the 22 guest rooms have modern comforts such as Egyptian-cotton linens, Apple TVs, and breakfast delivered daily. But perhaps the best amenity is the location, with direct access to Washington Street, the main drag where independent eateries and boutiques line the brick sidewalks.

Drive time from DC: One hour

 

Best Destination Spa The Lodge at Woodloch location_onHawley, Pa. languageWebsite

Considered one of the top spas in the country, this adults-only, all-inclusive sanctuary in the Pocono Mountains is worth the trip (and splurge). The remote spa goes beyond the typical offerings, with a flurry-packed Snow Room—the only one in the US—a spacious Himalayan-salt sauna, and a coed soaking area with massaging waterfalls. The extensive treatment menu features options for couples and moms-to-be. Round out your relaxing retreat with night yoga under the stars and wildflower walks, or simply enjoy the tranquil setting in an Adirondack chair overlooking the private lake. Rooms offer views of the garden or water.

Drive time from DC: Five hours

 

Favorite Dog-Friendly Hotel Wylder Hotel Tilghman Island location_onTilghman, Md. languageWebsite

Even pups need a vacation during the dog days of summer. While many destinations allow them, this bayfront hotel on the tip of Talbot County welcomes them with free treats. Human guests will appreciate rooms with private porches and waterfront views, while dogs can enjoy access to pretty much the entire property, minus the indoor restaurant and pool. They can indulge in summer fare such as hot dogs and burgers from the pet-friendly menu at Tickler’s Crab Shack, roll around in the sand at the private beach, and climb onto paddleboards and kayaks for a maritime adventure.

Drive time from DC: An hour and 45 minutes

 

Great for Aquatic Fun The Omni Homestead Resort location_onHot Springs, Va. languageWebsite

The historic property finished a major refresh three years ago, zhuzhing up all 483 guest rooms and the Warm Spring Pools, perhaps the resort’s most famous feature. Austere bathhouses with open skylights hold the pools, where spring water flows at a toasty 98 degrees. The natural springs also fuel the adults-only Serenity Garden pool, part of the spa complex, as well as slides and a lazy river at the onsite water park. Take a break from the water with a round on the golf course or catch a movie in the theater lounge.

Drive time from DC: Three and a half hours

 

Best for Activities Salamander Middleburg location_onMiddleburg languageWebsite

If there was any question about whether you’re in equestrian country, the greeting committee puts that to rest: It’s not unusual to find the mini ponies Cupcake and Peppermint trotting into the lobby to welcome guests. Set across 340 pastoral acres, Salamander pairs classic Southern hospitality with posh country pursuits. (Think falconry, horseback riding, clay shooting, and fishing in the stocked pond.) How you spend your stay is up to you, with sporty options such as pickleball and golf; hiking and rafting in nature; culinary crusades, from mixology classes to cooking demos; or simply anchoring yourself at the resort’s renowned spa. The pool complex, which is opening this spring, includes a dramatic 40-foot infinity-edge waterfall and a new outdoor dining spot with poolside service.

Drive time from DC: An hour and 15 minutes

 

Best Country Inn Goodstone Inn location_onMiddleburg languageWebsite

If you’re hopping onto this year’s “farm charm” travel trend, add this bucolic resort right outside historic Middleburg to your list. With just 18 guest rooms and suites across six buildings and 265 acres, it’s an intimate escape. Balance country pursuits—greeting Greyson the llama and tubing on the creek—with luxury amenities such as farm-to-table fine dining and massages. (Michelle Obama’s massage therapist offers his signature Riders Relief Massage, designed for equestrians but enjoyed by all visitors.) The farm bona fides are legit: Meals are fueled by the property’s produce gardens, free-roaming hens, and beehives.

Drive time from DC: An hour and 15 minutes

 

Great for an Extravagant Stay The Inn at Little Washington location_onWashington, Va. languageWebsite

The Rappahannock County inn has a fairy-tale origin story: Once a humble rural gas station, it’s now a well-known destination with a Michelin-starred restaurant. Many guests come for the multi-course dinner (which concludes with a pun-wielding fromager pushing the cheese trolley), but there’s decadence to be found all weekend long. The 24 guest rooms are outfitted with classic wallpaper, and some have soaking tubs and seating areas. Explore the area by horse-drawn carriage, walk the lovely grounds, or decompress at the new swimming pool, opening this spring. Breakfast is in the conservatory, a space that’s part greenhouse and full fantasy.

Drive time from DC: An hour and 20 minutes

 

Great for Design-Minded Travelers Polymath Park location_onAcme, Pa. languageWebsite

It’s one thing to see the structures designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, but what if you could spend a night in them? That’s the intention of Polymath Park, a resort with four Usonian homes sketched by Wright and his protégé Peter Berndtson. The three-to-four-bedroom houses feature the style’s signature natural light, organic materials, midcentury-modern features, and flat roofs. The onsite TreeTops Restaurant has a few options, including a meal in your own private treehouse. Located 30 minutes from Wright’s masterpiece, Fallingwater, it’s an experiential base camp for an architecture-focused getaway.

Drive time from DC: Three hours and 15 minutes

 

Best for Families Kingsmill Resort location_onWilliamsburg, Va. languageWebsite

A variety of accommodations are available at the Williamsburg resort, depending on the needs of your crew—spacious suites, condos, riverfront cottages, and the 7,000-square-foot Estate, a four-bedroom re-treat with its own pool. Guests can play two 18-hole golf courses, including an Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay creation, and young golfers can learn how to swing at three-day summer camps. The lazy river is a fun water-park-style pool, and adults will appreciate the full-service spa. Five restaurants mean options for all tastes, with breakfast buffets, country-club-inspired plates, and kids’ menus. Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens are both within a 15-minute drive.

Drive time from DC: Two and a half hours

 

Great Value The Schoolhouse Hotel location_onWhite Sulphur Springs, W. Va. languageWebsite

The former school (go, Green Devils!) was developed into a boutique hotel by the Disability Opportunity Fund, and all 30 rooms are ADA-compliant. It’s an affordable option for a weekend of recreation in the New River–Greenbrier Valley. Starting rates peak at $210 a night during the popular summer season, though they typically hover around $150 to $170. Rooms have double, queen, or king beds, and you can opt for accommodations with a more spacious bathroom. In this schoolhouse, the cafeteria is a restaurant with Southern flair, and recess is whenever you desire on the rooftop bar with mountain views.

Drive time from DC: Four hours

 

Best Eastern Shore Hotel Inn at Perry Cabin location_onSt. Michaels, Md. languageWebsite

A weekend in one of the Eastern Shore’s most charming towns calls for nautical lodging. This Colonial mansion on the banks of the Miles River has 78 bright rooms with sumptuous bedding and botanical bath products—a hint to stop into the tranquil spa. Lest you forget the nautical setting, the pretty inn has its own fleet, offering private charters, sunset cruises, and sailing lessons along the tributary and Chesapeake Bay. You can also enjoy the bay breeze at the pool and the 18-hole golf course. Complete the shore getaway with crabcakes in view of the very river from which they’re sourced.

Drive time from DC: An hour and a half

 

Best Lake Getaway Lake Pointe Inn location_onMcHenry, Md. languageWebsite

The Arts and Crafts–style bed-and-breakfast on the shore of Deep Creek Lake is home to 12 cozy rooms with gas fireplaces. You can enjoy proximity to the water in a number of ways: curled up with a book in the hammocks, paddling one of the inn’s kayaks and canoes, or booking a room with reservoir views. Bring your morning coffee out to a rocking chair on the wraparound porch overlooking the lake for a peaceful start to the day, then enjoy a breakfast of baked goods, fruit, and dishes such as sourdough waffles topped with jammy berries or a savory bacon-egg-and-cheese frittata.

Drive time from DC: Three hours and 15 minutes

 

Favorite Staycation Hotel Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC location_onGeorgetown languageWebsite

Looking for some respite without going far? This luxury hotel in Georgetown offers an easy escape. You don’t need to leave the property for a meal at Bourbon Steak or cocktails in the moody lounge, but you could also hole up in your room the entire weekend, thanks to an extensive 24-hour room-service menu. The main draw is the sumptuous spa, where treatments range from classic massages and facials to trendy contrast and vibroacoustic therapies. Complete your staycation with a restorative night’s sleep in a plush suite.

Drive time from DC: None (that’s the point!)

 

Best Resort Worth the Drive The Lodge at Primland, Auberge Collection location_onMeadows of Dan, Va. languageWebsite

If you’re trekking to Southern Virginia, you’ll want a destination that feels like a true departure from everyday life. This Blue Ridge Mountain resort delivers. Book a breezy room in the lodge—also home to the spa—or, for additional privacy, opt for cottages by the golf course and treehouses on the edge of the gorge. Three bars and restaurants celebrate the Appalachian setting with Southern fare and bourbon drinks. Fill days with birding hikes, foraging, and RTV picnics across 20 miles of wooded trail, but don’t tire out before nightfall: The off-the-grid resort has its own observatory with high-powered telescopes and in-house astronomers.

Drive time from DC: Five and a half hours

 

Great for Glamping Sandy River Outdoor Adventures location_onRice, Va. languageWebsite

Channel summer-camp fun without sacrificing creature comforts in the 650-square-foot luxury glamping tipis, complete with heated floors, air conditioning, full baths, and memory-foam beds. Cozy log cabins and a three-bedroom cottage offer additional options. Adventure is built in: Tackle the 60-obstacle treetop course with ziplines or rent kayaks and standup paddleboards to explore the Sandy River Reservoir. A heated pool, a sauna, a hot tub, and yoga classes provide quieter leisure. Dining is relaxed, with wood-fired pizzas, fresh salads, and handcrafted spirits. For those who opt to leave the property, the High Bridge Trail is ten minutes away, and the former rail bed is a solid path for rental bikes.

Drive time from DC: 2 hours and 45 minutes

 

Best Boutique Hotel The Wildset location_onSt. Michaels, Md. languageWebsite

A Scandinavian-chic standout in the heart of St. Michaels, the hotel—spread across four restored 19th-century buildings—delivers a hip alternative to the town’s more traditional inns. Thirty-four bright, minimalist rooms feature Parachute linens, and some also have soaking tubs, balconies, and fireplaces. Pedal around the charming hamlet on one of the cruiser bikes, then spend cool Eastern Shore evenings huddled around the outdoor fire pits with complimentary s’mores. The coastal restaurant and raw bar Ruse is a destination in its own right, piloted by James Beard–nominated chef Michael Correll.

Drive time from DC: An hour and 45 minutes

 

Best Beach Hotel Historic Cavalier Hotel & Beach Club location_onVirginia Beach, Va. languageWebsite

Guests at this 85-room hotel in Virginia Beach become members of the exclusive beach club for the duration of their stay. Perks include an infinity pool with ocean views, cabanas, and a summery menu of frozen crushes, mojitos, and sandwiches brought to your lounger. Ready for the sand? The club offers direct access to a semiprivate beach, and no need to pack a towel or chair: Both are available by request. Beyond the beach, the hotel has a spa, three restaurants, a distillery, and an indoor pool—a great option for keeping the vacation energy going on rainy days.

Drive time from DC: Three hours and 15 minutes

 

Best Mountain Inn Iris Inn location_onWaynesboro, Va. languageWebsite

Hole up in one of six treehouse-inspired cabins reserved for couples on a romantic mountain escape. These modern glass-and-timber structures sit on the hillside with floor-to-ceiling windows, screened decks, private hot tubs, and in-room fireplaces. The main inn has six guest rooms and three spacious cottages, many offering Shenandoah Valley vistas. Mornings bring a breakfast spread of housemade pastries and savories, while evenings feature seasonal dishes such as steamed mussels and spring-vegetable risotto. Make time for self-care at the onsite spa, which offers facials, massages, manicures, and body treatments. Skyline Drive is minutes away, and Shenandoah National Park’s Rockfish Gap entrance is less than five miles by car, making scenic drives and hikes nearly effortless.

Drive time from DC: Two and a half hours

 

Best Historic Hotel Williamsburg Inn location_onWilliamsburg, Va. languageWebsite

For slumber steeped in history, this lodge places you in the middle of a Colonial village, though the inn itself opened in 1937. Built by John D. Rockefeller Jr., the landmark has welcomed royalty, world leaders, and a parade of US Presidents. You’re a ten-minute walk from the Governor’s Palace, where a fife-and-drum corps marches along Duke of Gloucester Street and costumed interpreters bring the Revolutionary era to life. Sixty-two rooms and four suites artfully blend old-fashioned elegance with modern comfort. Think marble bathrooms, rainfall showers, Bose sound systems, and nightly turn-down service. Mornings begin in the Terrace Room with avocado toast and crispy prosciutto or banana-nut flapjacks.

Drive time from DC: Two and a half hours

What makes somewhere a great place to stay?

That varies by traveler, of course. For some people, it’s all about proximity to nature, whether lake or beach, mountain or forest, or even dark skies. Perhaps amenities matter most—standout dining, a robust set of activities, a lovely spa, or fun for dogs. Some may want a spot that appeals to kids and grownups alike. Others might prefer a quiet, adults-only refuge.

The following are 25 terrific destinations, most within a four-hour drive of DC, that offer a variety of experiences. We’ve chosen some of our favorite resorts, hotels, inns, and glamping sites—and surveyed readers for their recommendations, too. Consider these can’t-miss choices for the next time you want an easy and special getaway.

 

Great Access to Nature Postcard Cabins location_onStanardsville and Basye, Va. languageWebsite

Tucked in the woods at two locations near Shenandoah National Park, these tiny homes deliver the romance of camping without sacrificing comfort. Glamping cabins are set far enough apart to feel peaceful and private, and each modern structure comes with rustic amenities such as a fire pit and picnic table. But step inside and it’s another story: a plush queen bed; a well-appointed kitchenette; a bathroom with a hot-water shower and flushing toilet; air conditioning; and a picture window framing the trees await. If the forest backdrop isn’t enough of a hint, there’s even a small box inviting you to lock your phone away for the duration of your stay.

Drive time from DC: Two hours

 

Best Waterfront Hotel The Tides Inn location_onIrvington, Va. languageWebsite

Located on the end of a small peninsula off the Rappahannock River, the boutique hotel exudes chill Chesapeake vibes. There’s a tidy marina dotted with boats—many guests arrive by water rather than by land—and a slender beach alongside a pool with shoreline views. Get out on the water by signing up for optional experiences, including an informative (and delicious) oyster-farm excursion, sailing cruise, lesson on catching and cooking crabs, or kayak outing. Finish the day at Salt & Meadow restaurant to savor Northern Neck–inspired cuisine such as crispy fried soft-shell crab on saffron-fennel purée and steamed local clams swimming in a garlicky white-wine sauce.

Drive time from DC: Two hours and 45 minutes

 

Great for a Wellness Retreat The Blackburn Inn location_onStaunton, Va. languageWebsite

Just outside downtown Staunton, this sprawling 80-acre property is a haven for health. The world-class spa offers a soothing array of treatments and therapies to help relax even the tensest type-A Washingtonian. A lengthy massage menu includes a version targeting stress, anxiety, and inflammation with CBD oil and an arnica massage to relieve muscle pain and migraines. By opening pores and flushing out toxins, Ayurvedic herbal steam therapy is helpful for deep detoxification. Stack multiple treatments in the white-brick spa, creating a sunrise-to-sunset relaxation regimen that’ll have you reassessing whether you ever need to go home.

Drive time from DC: Two and a half hours

 

Best Vineyard Escape Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards location_onBristol, Va. languageWebsite

Virginia wine country has many options for an overnight stay, though none quite like an immersive vineyard vacation at this Appalachian Mountain retreat. Thoughtfully appointed rooms offer charm and comfort, but for a truly one-of-a-kind stay, book one of the luxurious woodland yurts. Savor the terroir by visiting the 13-acre vineyard, where you can sample vintages in the modernist barn. Adventures continue on terra firma, with golf next door at the Virginian’s 18-hole course or a guided fly-fishing expedition on a local river. Then unwind at the spa or in the infinity pool, taking in the verdant landscape.

Drive time from DC: Five and a half hours

 

Great for a Foodie Stay Visitation Hotel location_onFrederick, Md. languageWebsite

The former monastery in downtown Frederick is now a boutique hotel boasting drive-worthy eats with Top Chef cred, thanks to Bryan and Michael Voltaggio. The brothers have returned to their hometown to showcase modernist Chesapeake-inspired fare at Wye Oak Tavern, which occupies the former chapel with soaring ceilings and shimmering stained glass windows. Look for playful dishes such as cold fried-chicken-liver pâté with a sourdough waffle and fried salted-cod “popsicles.” After a night’s rest in one of the sleek guest rooms, pop by Acorn Provisions for artfully poured lattes, cheffy sandos, and freshly baked pastries, including caramelized-apple Danishes and hefty chocolate-chip cookies.

Drive time from DC: One hour

 

Best Luxury Stay Keswick Hall location_onKeswick, Va. languageWebsite

Built in 1912 as a residence, the posh resort outside Charlottesville underwent a massive upgrade five years ago. The Edenic setting is best appreciated with a glass of wine on the terrace, watching the sun dip over the infinity pool and 18-hole Pete Dye–designed golf course. You could spend an entire weekend at the resort, with its spa, European red-clay tennis courts, polished rooms, and candlelit Marigold by Jean-Georges restaurant. But for those who do want to stray from the 600-acre estate, a fleet of BMWs await for chauffeured jaunts to the surrounding wineries.

Drive time from DC: Two hours and 15 minutes

 

Best Small-Town Inn Red Fox Inn location_onMiddleburg languageWebsite

Take a page out of the Kennedys’ travel itinerary: This historic gem, beloved by JFK and Jackie, features Colonial Revival architecture, traditional decor, and a wainscoted tavern with an extensive wine list. (Special attention is paid to the state’s abundant vineyards.) Despite being part of one of the oldest continually operating inns in the country, the 22 guest rooms have modern comforts such as Egyptian-cotton linens, Apple TVs, and breakfast delivered daily. But perhaps the best amenity is the location, with direct access to Washington Street, the main drag where independent eateries and boutiques line the brick sidewalks.

Drive time from DC: One hour

 

Best Destination Spa The Lodge at Woodloch location_onHawley, Pa. languageWebsite

Considered one of the top spas in the country, this adults-only, all-inclusive sanctuary in the Pocono Mountains is worth the trip (and splurge). The remote spa goes beyond the typical offerings, with a flurry-packed Snow Room—the only one in the US—a spacious Himalayan-salt sauna, and a coed soaking area with massaging waterfalls. The extensive treatment menu features options for couples and moms-to-be. Round out your relaxing retreat with night yoga under the stars and wildflower walks, or simply enjoy the tranquil setting in an Adirondack chair overlooking the private lake. Rooms offer views of the garden or water.

Drive time from DC: Five hours

 

Favorite Dog-Friendly Hotel Wylder Hotel Tilghman Island location_onTilghman, Md. languageWebsite

Even pups need a vacation during the dog days of summer. While many destinations allow them, this bayfront hotel on the tip of Talbot County welcomes them with free treats. Human guests will appreciate rooms with private porches and waterfront views, while dogs can enjoy access to pretty much the entire property, minus the indoor restaurant and pool. They can indulge in summer fare such as hot dogs and burgers from the pet-friendly menu at Tickler’s Crab Shack, roll around in the sand at the private beach, and climb onto paddleboards and kayaks for a maritime adventure.

Drive time from DC: An hour and 45 minutes

 

Great for Aquatic Fun The Omni Homestead Resort location_onHot Springs, Va. languageWebsite

The historic property finished a major refresh three years ago, zhuzhing up all 483 guest rooms and the Warm Spring Pools, perhaps the resort’s most famous feature. Austere bathhouses with open skylights hold the pools, where spring water flows at a toasty 98 degrees. The natural springs also fuel the adults-only Serenity Garden pool, part of the spa complex, as well as slides and a lazy river at the onsite water park. Take a break from the water with a round on the golf course or catch a movie in the theater lounge.

Drive time from DC: Three and a half hours

 

Best for Activities Salamander Middleburg location_onMiddleburg languageWebsite

If there was any question about whether you’re in equestrian country, the greeting committee puts that to rest: It’s not unusual to find the mini ponies Cupcake and Peppermint trotting into the lobby to welcome guests. Set across 340 pastoral acres, Salamander pairs classic Southern hospitality with posh country pursuits. (Think falconry, horseback riding, clay shooting, and fishing in the stocked pond.) How you spend your stay is up to you, with sporty options such as pickleball and golf; hiking and rafting in nature; culinary crusades, from mixology classes to cooking demos; or simply anchoring yourself at the resort’s renowned spa. The pool complex, which is opening this spring, includes a dramatic 40-foot infinity-edge waterfall and a new outdoor dining spot with poolside service.

Drive time from DC: An hour and 15 minutes

 

Best Country Inn Goodstone Inn location_onMiddleburg languageWebsite

If you’re hopping onto this year’s “farm charm” travel trend, add this bucolic resort right outside historic Middleburg to your list. With just 18 guest rooms and suites across six buildings and 265 acres, it’s an intimate escape. Balance country pursuits—greeting Greyson the llama and tubing on the creek—with luxury amenities such as farm-to-table fine dining and massages. (Michelle Obama’s massage therapist offers his signature Riders Relief Massage, designed for equestrians but enjoyed by all visitors.) The farm bona fides are legit: Meals are fueled by the property’s produce gardens, free-roaming hens, and beehives.

Drive time from DC: An hour and 15 minutes

 

Great for an Extravagant Stay The Inn at Little Washington location_onWashington, Va. languageWebsite

The Rappahannock County inn has a fairy-tale origin story: Once a humble rural gas station, it’s now a well-known destination with a Michelin-starred restaurant. Many guests come for the multi-course dinner (which concludes with a pun-wielding fromager pushing the cheese trolley), but there’s decadence to be found all weekend long. The 24 guest rooms are outfitted with classic wallpaper, and some have soaking tubs and seating areas. Explore the area by horse-drawn carriage, walk the lovely grounds, or decompress at the new swimming pool, opening this spring. Breakfast is in the conservatory, a space that’s part greenhouse and full fantasy.

Drive time from DC: An hour and 20 minutes

 

Great for Design-Minded Travelers Polymath Park location_onAcme, Pa. languageWebsite

It’s one thing to see the structures designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, but what if you could spend a night in them? That’s the intention of Polymath Park, a resort with four Usonian homes sketched by Wright and his protégé Peter Berndtson. The three-to-four-bedroom houses feature the style’s signature natural light, organic materials, midcentury-modern features, and flat roofs. The onsite TreeTops Restaurant has a few options, including a meal in your own private treehouse. Located 30 minutes from Wright’s masterpiece, Fallingwater, it’s an experiential base camp for an architecture-focused getaway.

Drive time from DC: Three hours and 15 minutes

 

Best for Families Kingsmill Resort location_onWilliamsburg, Va. languageWebsite

A variety of accommodations are available at the Williamsburg resort, depending on the needs of your crew—spacious suites, condos, riverfront cottages, and the 7,000-square-foot Estate, a four-bedroom re-treat with its own pool. Guests can play two 18-hole golf courses, including an Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay creation, and young golfers can learn how to swing at three-day summer camps. The lazy river is a fun water-park-style pool, and adults will appreciate the full-service spa. Five restaurants mean options for all tastes, with breakfast buffets, country-club-inspired plates, and kids’ menus. Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens are both within a 15-minute drive.

Drive time from DC: Two and a half hours

 

Great Value The Schoolhouse Hotel location_onWhite Sulphur Springs, W. Va. languageWebsite

The former school (go, Green Devils!) was developed into a boutique hotel by the Disability Opportunity Fund, and all 30 rooms are ADA-compliant. It’s an affordable option for a weekend of recreation in the New River–Greenbrier Valley. Starting rates peak at $210 a night during the popular summer season, though they typically hover around $150 to $170. Rooms have double, queen, or king beds, and you can opt for accommodations with a more spacious bathroom. In this schoolhouse, the cafeteria is a restaurant with Southern flair, and recess is whenever you desire on the rooftop bar with mountain views.

Drive time from DC: Four hours

 

Best Eastern Shore Hotel Inn at Perry Cabin location_onSt. Michaels, Md. languageWebsite

A weekend in one of the Eastern Shore’s most charming towns calls for nautical lodging. This Colonial mansion on the banks of the Miles River has 78 bright rooms with sumptuous bedding and botanical bath products—a hint to stop into the tranquil spa. Lest you forget the nautical setting, the pretty inn has its own fleet, offering private charters, sunset cruises, and sailing lessons along the tributary and Chesapeake Bay. You can also enjoy the bay breeze at the pool and the 18-hole golf course. Complete the shore getaway with crabcakes in view of the very river from which they’re sourced.

Drive time from DC: An hour and a half

 

Best Lake Getaway Lake Pointe Inn location_onMcHenry, Md. languageWebsite

The Arts and Crafts–style bed-and-breakfast on the shore of Deep Creek Lake is home to 12 cozy rooms with gas fireplaces. You can enjoy proximity to the water in a number of ways: curled up with a book in the hammocks, paddling one of the inn’s kayaks and canoes, or booking a room with reservoir views. Bring your morning coffee out to a rocking chair on the wraparound porch overlooking the lake for a peaceful start to the day, then enjoy a breakfast of baked goods, fruit, and dishes such as sourdough waffles topped with jammy berries or a savory bacon-egg-and-cheese frittata.

Drive time from DC: Three hours and 15 minutes

 

Favorite Staycation Hotel Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC location_onGeorgetown languageWebsite

Looking for some respite without going far? This luxury hotel in Georgetown offers an easy escape. You don’t need to leave the property for a meal at Bourbon Steak or cocktails in the moody lounge, but you could also hole up in your room the entire weekend, thanks to an extensive 24-hour room-service menu. The main draw is the sumptuous spa, where treatments range from classic massages and facials to trendy contrast and vibroacoustic therapies. Complete your staycation with a restorative night’s sleep in a plush suite.

Drive time from DC: None (that’s the point!)

 

Best Resort Worth the Drive The Lodge at Primland, Auberge Collection location_onMeadows of Dan, Va. languageWebsite

If you’re trekking to Southern Virginia, you’ll want a destination that feels like a true departure from everyday life. This Blue Ridge Mountain resort delivers. Book a breezy room in the lodge—also home to the spa—or, for additional privacy, opt for cottages by the golf course and treehouses on the edge of the gorge. Three bars and restaurants celebrate the Appalachian setting with Southern fare and bourbon drinks. Fill days with birding hikes, foraging, and RTV picnics across 20 miles of wooded trail, but don’t tire out before nightfall: The off-the-grid resort has its own observatory with high-powered telescopes and in-house astronomers.

Drive time from DC: Five and a half hours

 

Great for Glamping Sandy River Outdoor Adventures location_onRice, Va. languageWebsite

Channel summer-camp fun without sacrificing creature comforts in the 650-square-foot luxury glamping tipis, complete with heated floors, air conditioning, full baths, and memory-foam beds. Cozy log cabins and a three-bedroom cottage offer additional options. Adventure is built in: Tackle the 60-obstacle treetop course with ziplines or rent kayaks and standup paddleboards to explore the Sandy River Reservoir. A heated pool, a sauna, a hot tub, and yoga classes provide quieter leisure. Dining is relaxed, with wood-fired pizzas, fresh salads, and handcrafted spirits. For those who opt to leave the property, the High Bridge Trail is ten minutes away, and the former rail bed is a solid path for rental bikes.

Drive time from DC: 2 hours and 45 minutes

 

Best Boutique Hotel The Wildset location_onSt. Michaels, Md. languageWebsite

A Scandinavian-chic standout in the heart of St. Michaels, the hotel—spread across four restored 19th-century buildings—delivers a hip alternative to the town’s more traditional inns. Thirty-four bright, minimalist rooms feature Parachute linens, and some also have soaking tubs, balconies, and fireplaces. Pedal around the charming hamlet on one of the cruiser bikes, then spend cool Eastern Shore evenings huddled around the outdoor fire pits with complimentary s’mores. The coastal restaurant and raw bar Ruse is a destination in its own right, piloted by James Beard–nominated chef Michael Correll.

Drive time from DC: An hour and 45 minutes

 

Best Beach Hotel Historic Cavalier Hotel & Beach Club location_onVirginia Beach, Va. languageWebsite

Guests at this 85-room hotel in Virginia Beach become members of the exclusive beach club for the duration of their stay. Perks include an infinity pool with ocean views, cabanas, and a summery menu of frozen crushes, mojitos, and sandwiches brought to your lounger. Ready for the sand? The club offers direct access to a semiprivate beach, and no need to pack a towel or chair: Both are available by request. Beyond the beach, the hotel has a spa, three restaurants, a distillery, and an indoor pool—a great option for keeping the vacation energy going on rainy days.

Drive time from DC: Three hours and 15 minutes

 

Best Mountain Inn Iris Inn location_onWaynesboro, Va. languageWebsite

Hole up in one of six treehouse-inspired cabins reserved for couples on a romantic mountain escape. These modern glass-and-timber structures sit on the hillside with floor-to-ceiling windows, screened decks, private hot tubs, and in-room fireplaces. The main inn has six guest rooms and three spacious cottages, many offering Shenandoah Valley vistas. Mornings bring a breakfast spread of housemade pastries and savories, while evenings feature seasonal dishes such as steamed mussels and spring-vegetable risotto. Make time for self-care at the onsite spa, which offers facials, massages, manicures, and body treatments. Skyline Drive is minutes away, and Shenandoah National Park’s Rockfish Gap entrance is less than five miles by car, making scenic drives and hikes nearly effortless.

Drive time from DC: Two and a half hours

 

Best Historic Hotel Williamsburg Inn location_onWilliamsburg, Va. languageWebsite

For slumber steeped in history, this lodge places you in the middle of a Colonial village, though the inn itself opened in 1937. Built by John D. Rockefeller Jr., the landmark has welcomed royalty, world leaders, and a parade of US Presidents. You’re a ten-minute walk from the Governor’s Palace, where a fife-and-drum corps marches along Duke of Gloucester Street and costumed interpreters bring the Revolutionary era to life. Sixty-two rooms and four suites artfully blend old-fashioned elegance with modern comfort. Think marble bathrooms, rainfall showers, Bose sound systems, and nightly turn-down service. Mornings begin in the Terrace Room with avocado toast and crispy prosciutto or banana-nut flapjacks.

Drive time from DC: Two and a half hours

This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post The Best Getaways Within an Easy Drive of DC first appeared on Washingtonian.