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Brightest Young Things

I Heart DC

101 Reasons To Love DC-Part 2

By Svetlana February 14, 2012 | 9:00 am
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HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY WEEK! To top off our week of Valentine's day mood setting we decided to round-things up with the ultimate love letter: the one to Washington, DC. And since the city has been so good to us, not just any letter would do. So-we asked for some pro-DC-lovin' help:

  • We rounded up: artists, bloggers, innovators, theatre folk, DC united players, festival runners, chefs, brewers and drink makers, all of whom make DC, in their own way, a city we're pretty jazzed about right now.
  • We asked them to submit a list of 5 things/people/places/food plates/drinks/anything really that they LOVE (all caps) about Washington

and hey-they kindly obliged.

Yesterday, we ran the FIRST BATCH. TODAY, here is the second half, courtesy of 11 very hard working men and women. Read, feel the butterflies in your stomach, and don't forget to comment with your lists.

THEO ADAMSTEIN - FOUNDER, FOTOWEEK DC

Theo is the founder and director of FOTOWEEK DC AND FOTODC, showcasing from from photographers across Maryland, Virginia, the D.C. area as well as the world.

  • Drinks at Quill - Jefferson Hotel
  • Hanging out with friends at the Local 16 roof deck
  • Bike rides along the river and Crescent Trail
  • Happy hour oysters at BlackSalt
  • Summer picnics in Montrose Park - Georgetown
  • CONNECT: About Theo Adamstein // FOTOWEEK DC Twitter

ASHOK BAJAJ - OWNER, RASIKA, ARDEO/BARDEO, BIBIANA, OVAL ROOM

Ashok is an amazing culinary icon for introducing D.C. to a plethora of great restaurants such as Rasika, Ardeo Bardeo, Bibiana, and The Oval Room.

  • I moved to Washington in 1988. I decided to open my first restaurant, The Bombay Club, that same year after finding a great location just steps from The White House. I absolutely love this city and its energy. There are so many great neighborhoods, each with its own character from the Penn Quarter to 14th Street, Cleveland Park to Georgetown. Washington is also such a beautiful city of green spaces and important monuments, not to mention all the world class museums and Capitol Hill, the seat of power for our country. In recent years, we have experienced a surge in the culinary scene and I'm happy to be part of it. I love the fact that there is now great dining diversity for both Washingtonians and visitors alike to enjoy!
  • CONNECT: Facebook // Rasika // Ardeo Bardeo // Bibiana // The Oval Room // The Oval Room Facebook

JEFF DUFOUR - EDITOR, URBANDADDY DC

Jeff is the editor of Urban Daddy DC, a daily-updated online guide to happenings around the city.

  • The 9:30 Club. Best club in the country, and it's across the street from me.
  • Pete's Apizza. Sure, it costs $30 to get one delivered. But it also covers your dining room table. And I'm a Connecticut native.
  • Westminster Park. This tiny, remarkably well maintained (by the parents) park in Shaw that nearly every young parent brings their kids to.
  • Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center. Guitar nirvana, and one of the first places to stock Paul Reed Smith's remarkable guitars (himself a Washington area native).
  • American Ice Co. Again, proximity to my house helps. But it's also a fantastic place to drink.
  • CONNECT: Twitter // Facebook // LinkedIn // Urbandaddy DC // Urbandaddy Twitter

LEIGH CONNER - OWNER, CONTEMPORARY GALLERY, CO-FOUNDER, (E)MERGE ART FAIR

Leigh is the founder of Conner Contemporary Gallery, which specializes in displaying contemporary art. She also help co-found the (E)merge Art Fair which will take place in October later this year.

SEPTIME WEBRE - CREATIVE DIRECTOR, WASHINGTON BALLET

Septime has been the artistic director at The Washington Ballet since 1999. Before that, he was the American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey for six years.

MICK COOGAN - SINGER, THE DANCE PARTY

Mick is the vocalist of The Dance Party, a local band who specializes in party rock.

  2. the heights
  3. the evens
  4. my friend Wogg
  5. shit dc girls say
  6. bloomingdales

ERIC HILTON - OWNER, ESL MUSIC, 1/2 OF THIEVERY CORPORATION, CO-OWNER OF MARVIN, BLACKBYRD, AMERICAN ICE CO, PATTY BOOM BOOM

Eric has been more than generous to the District by sharing great music and yummy eats through his many assets such as ESL Music, Thievery Corporation, Marvin, Blackbyrd, American Ice Co, and Patty Boom Boom.

  • The Blend - When we opened Eighteenth Street Lounge, the magnificently diverse nature of DC played out before our eyes. My partners were Afghani and the staff was comprised of Greeks, Romanians, Bulgarians, Phillipinos, African Americans, Jamaicans, Ethiopians, Koreans, French, Columbians, and Brazilians. Of course, this is typical of DC. The fact is, everybody belongs in this city, and that's what I love most about DC.
  • The Spokes - As a former bike courier, I can tell you that pedal power is gaining faster than ever. No, we're not quite Amsterdam or Copenhagen, but some of us dream of such two-wheeled civility. It's so nice to see bars with their bike racks overflowing.
  • The Green - Did you know you can walk from Woodley Park to Georgetown through a forest? Between the parks and the beautiful tree-lined streets, DC is certainly the greenest city in the US. Most of us merely take it for granted until we move.
  • The Ians - In addition to my brother, DC is home to the two coolest guys named Ian: Svenonius & MacKaye. Both uncompromising, uber-talented and co-conspirators in the creation of DC's much-heralded punk scene. I just saw Chain & The Gang deliver a crushing set at Comet Ping Pong. Of course, Ian MacKaye was in the audience.
  • Chuck Brown - The most badass person I've ever met. A true living legend in DC. I once spent an afternoon with him east of the river and everyone, from 3 year-olds to 80 year-olds, knew Chuck. Faces lit up. Hardworking, humble and true to his roots. Everyone loves Chuck.
  • CONNECT: ESL Music // ESL Music Twitter // Thievery Corporation // Thievery Corporation Twitter
    Marvin // Marvin Twitter // Marvin Facebook // Blackbyrd Twitter // Blackbyrd Facebook // American Ice Co. // Patty Boom Boom // Patty Boom Boom Twitter // Patty Boom Boom Facebook

PHILIPPA HUGHES - FOUNDER, PINKLINE PROJECT

Philippa founded and is the Chief Creative Contrarian of the Pinkline Project.

  • Temporiums, pop-up shops and restaurants, and every other kind of DIY endeavor in which people take matters into their hands and make creative and interesting things happen in this city.
  • The quiet, no-strings-attached generosity of the many local business owners that support DC's creative community with with donations of food, beverage, space, time. and money.
  • The amazing number of theater and dance companies, and music groups, and art spaces that are started by passionate people who keep at it despite living in a town dominated by politics and bureaucracy.
  • CONNECT: Website // Twitter // Pink Line Project

AMANDA MCCLEMENTS - EDITOR/PUBLISHER, METROCUREAN

Amanda is the editor and publisher of Metrocurean, an online guide to "all things food" in the D.C. metro area. She has also previously written for Food & Wine magazine, The Washington Post, Time Out and Capitol File.

  • One of things I love most about DC and my Logan Circle neighborhood in particular is that some of the best restaurants are only a short stroll away. For the purposes of this list, I'm turning DC into a tongue and divulging what sates the five main tastebud flavors:
  • Salty: Rappahannock River Oyster Co.'s Olde Salt oysters at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace.
  • Sour: Johnny Monis' Thai tasting menu at Little Serow.
  • Sweet: Toffee bacon doughnuts at Birch and Barley.
  • Bitter: Sautéed kale at Cork Wine Bar.
  • Umami: Foie gras and smoked duck montadito at Estadio.
  • CONNECT: Website // Twitter // Metrocurean

DANA ELLYN + MATT SESOW - ARTISTS, COUPLE

Dana and Matt are an extremely talented couple and are both full-time artists residing in the District.

JOHN DAVIS - TITLE TRACKS

John fronts for the punk/power pop band, Title Tracks. His previous musical endeavors were Q AND NOT U and GEORGIE JAMES.

  • The National Arboretum: Located at 3501 New York Avenue in NE D.C., I feel like I see the Arboretum listed often on places that people love in D.C. Yet, it's often pretty sparsely attended when I go, even on weekends. I try to go by about 5-6 times a year and just walk or drive around the incredible grounds. So much beauty and solitude. It's definitely one of those places where you marvel that you're actually in a city due to how remote it feels within the Arboretum. The place is a little rough around the edges, but it's a treasure and everyone should spend some time there, no matter the season.
  • Vace Italian Deli - I first went to this Cleveland Park mainstay in 1994 when I was a teenager and I was meeting Ian Svenonius to interview him for my fanzine. We grabbed a slice of pizza and sat across the street in front of the library and talked for a while. He later told me he didn't like what he'd had to say and he asked me to nix the interview and just publish one of his fantastic essays, which I did, of course. Anyway, Vace! That place is great. Still cheap and still great. Great, distinctive pizza (thinnish, crunchy crust, with minimal cheese and a great sauce), excellent pastas and sauces and good sandwiches.
  • Library Of Congress Rare Book Room - I went here for the first time last summer and it's amazing place. They kind of put on a show for my group, since we were all part of a graduate class in Library Science (which I'm working on now over at Catholic University), but I think they still will let people see most items in the collection. They have a great attitude about letting people see the collection and not being too fussy about it. I got to see some incredible texts: Copernicus, Walt Whitman, a page from the Gutenberg Bible, etc. It's a great place and the employees were very nice (and had great book recommendations, too).
  • Amazonia Exhibit at the National Zoo - This is tucked away back in the depths of the Zoo. Lots of people know about it, of course, but I also find that too many people are unaware of its wonders. The exhibit is one of the most immersive exhibits in the Zoo, for sure. Nearly sweltering humidity, animals loose in the trees above you, tropical birds just chilling on the railing next to you. Once you're done with walking through the zoo, it's time to move on to....
  • Zoo Bar - Right across the street from the zoo is the aptly named Zoo Bar. I used to live right near there and had plenty of good hangs at the Zoo Bar. No pretensions, decent drinks, the occasional live band playing Isley Brothers tunes, usually pretty sparsely-attended. That description didn't sound all that flattering, but few people that I know who spend time at Zoo Bar would resist going back for more.
  • CONNECT: Blog // Facebook // Myspace

WILL SHARP - OWNER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR, DURKL

Will runs stuff at DURKL.

  2. the Capitol of the world

  3. The Fojol Bros

  4. Chinatown Coffee Co

  5. DURKL

  6. Maryland

Previously in I Heart DC:

God loves a cheerful giver.

COMMENTS (2)

  • So Sweet
  • Report
3 months ago Bradley said

The Westminster park is the best!

3 months ago bella_Noir said

i was hoping for a more diverse group of contributors. One that represented the diverse cultural landscape of the Washington dc metropolitan area.

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God loves a cheerful giver.-- 2 Corinthians 9:7

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