Washington, D.C.

For one year, StoryCorps, an acclaimed oral-history project, will be making its way around the country with two mobile recording booths in Airstream trailers. From May 19 to 28, they will be stationed in Washington, D.C., outside the Library of Congress.

May 10, 2005 - Eugenia E. Gratto

If you’d asked me a year ago if we’d ever get baseball back in Washington, I would have said no way, no day. Baseball? In Washington? It still seemed like a total pipe dream. But baseball did, in fact, return to the nation’s capitol on April 14, the night of the Washington Nationals’ home opener at RFK Stadium.

Apr 23, 2005 - Eugenia E. Gratto

The second annual Six Points Music Festival, which will take place this year from April 7 to 11, will feature more than 40 acts at 13 different venues in Virginia, D.C. and Maryland.

Mar 31, 2005 - Eugenia E. Gratto

There’s plenty of funny stuff happening in Washington D.C., and it’s not all happening on Capitol Hill. Some of the nation’s funniest comedians and comediennes take their funny business to the stage at the D.C. Improv, part of the comedy club chain that stretches from Hollywood to Miami. From Margaret Cho to Dave Attell, plenty of nationally ranked comedians make a stop at this small but popular club in downtown D.C.

Feb 21, 2005 - Eugenia E. Gratto

One event that has brightened away the post-holiday doldrums in Washington D.C. has been Restaurant Week, which kicks off again today and runs through January 16. For seven days, nearly 100 of the city’s top restaurants offer prix fixe lunch and dinner menus featuring some of their signature dishes. It’s a great way to eat well and try some of the city’s best cooking at bargain prices.

Jan 10, 2005 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Whitewater on the Potomac River is in a whole different category than, say, whitewater out west. The rivers here are pretty tame. But that also means there are opportunities for one of the most relaxing, laid-back ways to enjoy the river, and even to ride a teeny rapid or two.

Jul 31, 2004 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Holidays are like your children. You’re not really supposed to have a favorite--you should love them all equally. But I’m not afraid to admit that I do, in fact, play favorites. The holiday I love best is the Fourth of July, and Washington D.C. is one of the best places I know to celebrate.

Jun 30, 2004 - Eugenia E. Gratto

First it was donkeys and elephants, and now pandas are taking to the streets of D.C. The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) has let loose PandaMania, a citywide exhibition of 150 panda sculptures decorated by local, national and international artists.

May 28, 2004 - Eugenia E. Gratto

The latest buzz in Washington D.C. has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with bugs. Sometime in the next few weeks, Brood X will burst forth from the ground, covering the metropolitan area and making the city even louder than it usually is.

Apr 30, 2004 - Eugenia E. Gratto

As National Poetry Month kicks off in April, Washington D.C. will feature a block party dedicated to the spoken and written word. On Saturday, April 3, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library will block off the street outside for “Taking Poetry to the Street,” an all-day street festival featuring local poets, musicians and spoken word artists.

Mar 31, 2004 - Eugenia E. Gratto

At the top of a hill overlooking Royal Street in Front Royal, Virginia, is a bed and breakfast that is the perfect location for a quick and relaxing getaway from Washington D.C. Killahevlin, a restored Edwardian mansion and separate Civil War-era Tower House, is a relaxed and un-fussy bed and breakfast that features a taste of Ireland in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

Feb 29, 2004 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Are you looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day activity? For the third year in a row, the Levine School of Music in Washington DC is offering Valentines a chance to have their sweetie serenaded, while raising money for the school’s various programs.

Jan 31, 2004 - Eugenia E. Gratto

There are dozens of movie theaters around the Washington area, but none of them offer quite the same combination of features as Visions Cinema/Bistro/Lounge, which is in the Dupont Circle area of the city. From the long, narrow bar area to the red-carpet scarlet of the lobby to the two theaters that run an eclectic collection of art, indie, foreign and classic films, it’s a gem for area film lovers.

Dec 31, 2003 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Washington, D.C. is home to the most-visted natural history museum in the world, and now the museum boasts a brand new mammal hall, which opened November 15. The hall restores the Beaux Arts look of this section of the museum and brings it back to its original architectural intent.

Nov 30, 2003 - Eugenia E. Gratto

This Saturday, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden will celebrate the dedication of a new work by Roy Lichtenstein and will highlight Gyroscope, the museum’s current exhibition featuring works from its permanent collection.

Oct 22, 2003 - Eugenia E. Gratto

This month, the National Archives Rotunda reopened after a two-year renovation process. The new National Archives Experience is an interactive exhibit that not only features the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, but additional exhibitions and installations that will allow visitors to feel like they’re wandering through the archive’s vaults and exploring exhibits from across the country.

Sep 30, 2003 - Eugenia E. Gratto

One way to catch a last-minute dose of summer is to head to Jazz in the Garden at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden and Pavilion Café. This activity, which has been running on Friday evenings all summer long, has been extended through September 26.

Aug 31, 2003 - Eugenia E. Gratto

It was my first visit to the FreshFarm Farmer’s Market in Penn Quarter. Located at the north end of 8th Street, NW between D and E Streets NW, the Penn Quarter market will be open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays through October 30, 2003.

Jul 31, 2003 - Eugenia E. Gratto

This is the 37th year of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, an annual event that brings a taste of a variety of cultures to the National Mall in Washington D.C. This year, the festival examines Appalachia, Mali and Scotland.

Jun 27, 2003 - Eugenia E. Gratto

As I've mentioned in a previous column, I'm the lead singer of a D.C.-area band called Stranger Things. Well, in June, my band will be taking part in the third annual Battle of the Bands at Jaxx. Call this shameless marketing, but I have inside information that tells me this will be the place to be on Thursday, June 5, when Stranger Things takes the stage. So, to that end, I present to you a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the performance.

May 31, 2003 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Cheap eats with a side of indigestion. But it's so good, it's worth it. Don't leave D.C. without stopping for a chili half-smoke at Ben's Chili Bowl.

Apr 30, 2003 - Eugenia E. Gratto

No matter what the current risks may appear to be, Washington is still a great place to live and visit.

Mar 31, 2003 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has some of the best views of Washington...and also happens to be one of the most pleasant airports to spend a little time in.

Feb 28, 2003 - Eugenia E. Gratto

This April, it will mark two years since Maria "Pete" Durgan, bass player and oft-lead singer of the local rock/blues/country act Soulbender, started running the Luna Park Band Jam. The event, held on the last Thursday of every month, kicks off with a Soulbender set, and then features two more up-and-coming local bands.

Jan 31, 2003 - Eugenia E. Gratto

It’s going to be a year for something different in my D.C. experience. There are some critical holes in my to-do list, so instead of making resolutions, I’m going to make a list and check it…twelve times. I’ll report back to you as I go, maybe not every month, but at least once every couple of months. Not only will I provide a progress report on whether I’ve been getting all this done, but I’ll also tell you all about my adventures.

Dec 31, 2002 - Eugenia E. Gratto

It became clear last night that D.C. is in Hip Nightspot Starvation Mode. A friend of mine and I got quiet little emails yesterday afternoon advertising a last-minute soft opening party for Home (http://www.homenightclub.net/), a club in the newly-fashionable Gallery Place/MCI Center neighborhood, and RSVP’d, expecting to be able to slip right in for free and dance the night away with the very few other people who got on the ball and responded. After all, it was Friday of Thanksgiving weekend, and people were out of town.

Nov 29, 2002 - Eugenia E. Gratto

In theory, I’m all for fair trade over free trade. I’m all for social justice, and human rights, and saving the environment, and any number of liberal, bleeding heart causes. I believe strongly in the right to free speech and the right to assemble. But I also have to get to work tomorrow.

Sep 26, 2002 - Eugenia E. Gratto

You hear it all the time—Washington D.C. is a town of transients. People move in from somewhere else, then move out when their Congressional employer doesn't get re-elected or their company sends them overseas or they head off to graduate school. All this motion keeps the town interesting, but it's no consolation when it's time to say goodbye to a good friend.

Aug 30, 2002 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Chinatown has been invaded by chain restaurants. Fight the trend: try something new and support something local.

Jul 31, 2002 - Eugenia E. Gratto

This summer, Chinatown is the place to be on Saturday nights. That’s when DC Sessions rocks the house outside the Smithsonian American Art Museum at the corner of 8th & G Streets NW, next to the MCI Center.

Jun 30, 2002 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Washington D.C. has been invaded...by the Party Animals

May 28, 2002 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Surface Transit, a Woolly Mammoth Theater production running at the Kennedy Center through April 21, is a must-see.

Apr 10, 2002 - Eugenia E. Gratto

I was in the Orioles store on Farragut Square on Friday, and I heard a man complaining because his Opening Day tickets are too high. Too high. The man is going to be in the stadium, not at work, just enjoying a baseball game, possibly a beer, and he’s complaining because he’s going to be too far from the grass?

Mar 31, 2002 - Eugenia E. Gratto

There are just a few more weeks left before area outdoor rinks will close for spring. But in the meantime, after an unusually warm month, winter is back with a vengeance. Take to the ice while you still can.

Feb 28, 2002 - Eugenia E. Gratto

After five weeks in northern Vermont and upstate New York, it was amazing how quickly I went from my relaxed attitude fostered up north to a complete resurgence of D.C. anger.

Dec 30, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

This year, I’m going to miss the holiday season in D.C. I’ve left the city and headed for points north—Johnson, Vermont, to be exact—for a four-week fiction residency at the Vermont Studio Center. That means no juggling of invitations, no cookie baking this year, no overdosing on the general holiday spirit.

Nov 25, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Since September 11, however, things in Washington D.C. have most certainly changed. This is still a fun city. There is no doubt that there are wonderful things to do here, beautiful monuments and museums to visit, amazing cultural experiences that aren’t available anywhere else. But it has also become a city pulsing with sirens and the thwock-thwock-thwock of helicopter blades. The Metro police is much more visible these days, standing on the upper levels of stations scanning the people waiting on the train platforms below.

Oct 26, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

One of my colleagues muttered this afternoon that he might need some therapy to deal with all this. He said this as we stood in another colleague's office, gathered around CNN, watching the numbers of exposed staffers in Senator Tom Daschle's office climb along the bottom of the screen.

Oct 17, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

No matter how much normalcy we try to foster, it is going to be a long time before the retort of a vehicle’s muffler, a wayward Metro announcement, or the silhouette against the rising sun of a man crouched on a building will not make our hearts skip the slightest of beats.

Sep 18, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

One of the most discordant things about this week has been the weather. After one last blast of hot, Washington summer humidity, this week brought sparkling-clear days, high clouds, warm sun, breezes carrying a kiss of Fall. But today, it seemed, the weather fell in step with the mood of the city as we came together to pray.

Sep 14, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

One of the things I love most about my apartment is my view of the Pentagon, the Potomac, and Washington D.C. behind them. But that view was the first thing to catch my heart in my throat this morning.

Sep 12, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Out my apartment windows, smoke hangs over the Pentagon. It’s still billowing, tinged an eerie yellow from the sodium lights along I-395, which curves around the huge building on its way into D.C., and from the white of the emergency lights shining on the yet-burning rubble left where a hijacked plane sliced through the building.

Sep 11, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

The other day, I was walking across Capitol Hill at lunch hour, and it suddenly hit me that it was summer. Now, I’m sure those of you reading this are saying, hmm, well, duh…and arguably I’ve been enjoying summer activities, well, all summer long. But there was something different about this walk.

Aug 21, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

My mother is from Baltimore, Maryland, and there’s no food more Maryland than hard shell crabs. When I was growing up, it wasn’t summer without at least one—if not more than one—stop at a crab restaurant for a crustacean feast.

Aug 7, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Panhandlers beware—I'm not giving you my money. But D.C.'s street musicians? Absolutely.

Jul 24, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Screen on the Green, an annual outdoor film festival sponsored by HBO and America Online, will continue every Monday evening through August 6, and features classic films in a beautiful setting.

Jul 21, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Summer outdoor theater is a staple of Washington D.C. summers. My friend Susan and I stumbled across one production in Alexandria just this weekend.

Jul 8, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

When Washington’s summertime heat gets to be too much, one of the best ways to cool down is with some sangria at Jaleo, a tapas restaurant located near the MCI Center in downtown Washington D.C.

Jun 19, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Washington D.C.'s Metro system is world-renowned for its cleanliness, accessibility and safety. This made it all the more shocking this past week when Metro Transit police officer Marlon Morales was shot in the face on Sunday, June 10, by someone trying to duck paying their Metro fare.

Jun 16, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

I hope I’m never too old to appreciate a bargain. And I really hope I’m never to old to appreciate a bargain that involves beer.

May 30, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

I had noticed the Russian flag and the small Russia House sign outside the gracious mansion north of Dupont Circle a few years ago, and had read that there was a restaurant tucked inside it, but it was not until a few weeks ago that two friends and I finally got to see what hides behind the doors.

May 29, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

The Willem de Kooning exhibit that has recently opened at the Corcoran Museum of Art offers a unique glimpse into the inner work of the abstract artist.

Apr 17, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

The Greatest Show on Earth has landed in the D.C. area. Catch it at the D.C. Armory until April 16.

Apr 8, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

There’s a privilege granted to those who organize open mike nights—they get to start the show.

Apr 5, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Signal 66 is one of the art galleries flourishing in D.C.'s NoMa neighborhood. Tucked into a warehouse, the space offers interesting modern art and opening night parties with cheap beer and wine. Want to mingle with the artsy crowd? This is a good place to start.

Mar 10, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

In a city swamped by Starbucks and other coffeehouse chains, you’d think another place that serves coffee beverages with fancy names would not be particularly welcome. But XandO, a chain with several D.C. area locations, is a bright spot on the local coffee horizon.

Feb 20, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

It was just twilight when we walked through the door, and the city was bathed in purple light, the lights twinkling and winking, the car headlights a steady stream across the 14th Street Bridge.

Feb 6, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

There is much to be said for loving the place that you live. After all, at the end of the day, your home is where you curl up, retreat from the world, and regroup for the next round.

Feb 4, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

If you’re hanging around Washington D.C. this Wednesday, the place to be will be the National Zoo. January 10 is the official public debut of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, the new Giant Pandas that recently arrived from China for a 10-year stay in Washington.

Jan 9, 2001 - Eugenia E. Gratto

If you’re looking to get your groove on in Washington, DC on New Year’s Eve, it’s not too late to make plans. As of today, there are still tickets available to several great parties that offer everything from fabulous bands to complimentary champagne toasts at midnight.

Dec 24, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

The first snow of the season is always special, but it so rarely happens before Christmas in the Washington area. This year, the snow fell just in time to make the season a little more magical.

Dec 20, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

There's been no way to escape the election news, so I'm attempting to escape by getting out of town.

Nov 28, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

For those of us who are election junkies, it’s been a tough week. See, we’re in limbo here in our Nation’s capitol.

Nov 14, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

It's all about office spirit for Halloween this year. My fellow employees are not just going to be buttoned-up DC non-profit workers today—instead, we're going to be dressed for Halloween from the top down.

Oct 31, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

It’s no secret that I love to shop. And even more than I love to shop, I love to find a bargain. Luckily, I can seek—and find—both pleasures at Secondi in Dupont Circle.

Oct 17, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

No matter how many times I head down P Street NW off Dupont Circle in search of a meal, it seems like nine times out of ten I end up at Sakana, which is my hands-down favorite sushi restaurant in the city.

Oct 3, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

From swimming to gymnastics to track and field, the eyes of the United States are focused on the sports of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. But the eyes of Washington, DC are focused not only on the Games, but also on our local athletes. This article outlines the sports—and the athletes—to which DC-area residents are paying the closest attention.

Sep 19, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Gravelly Point, just off the northbound George Washington Parkway, is the best place in town from which to watch planes take off and land. This favorite spot for plane buffs is just 250 feet from the end of National Airport's main runway.

Sep 5, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

The Uptown is the best movie theater in the city. Read this article to find out why.

Aug 29, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

August slows Washington DC down to a slow crawl. It’s the season when Congress—and everyone else—pack up and get out of town, leaving the city for the tourists and the few souls who either don’t have vacation to take or who want to take advantage of Washington at a different pace.

Aug 8, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

From first flight to futuristic space technologies, the National Air and Space Museum is the place to go in Washington DC to get your flight fix.

Jul 25, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

This article wraps up my list of Metriquette rules.

Jul 11, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Here are a few rules for riding the Metro. If everyone followed them, imagine how civil the system would be!

Jun 27, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

It's finally happened. I've been driven away from Washington's Metro system. But why, exactly, have I given up on public transportation? Read Part One to find out.

Jun 13, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

There are plenty of places to fish...or to just enjoy the swimming critters...in the Washington, D.C. area. This article will help you find the resources you need to land "the big one" in the vicinity of the Nation's Capitol.

May 30, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Bill Clinton was the most popular of the celebrities listed in the Washington DC celebrity poll that ended April 28, 2000. He took 46.67% of the vote, which wouldn't be a bad showing in a national election. What keeps people coming back to Bill, even after he's been so bad?

May 16, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

One of the highlights of the D.C.-area festival season is the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival. From beautiful handmade jewelry to oil paintings, this is the place to celebrate art.

May 2, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

The Washington Bach Consort is one of the D.C.-area's premiere professional baroque music ensembles. Read more about their upcoming tour to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Bach's death and other concert activities.

Apr 18, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

Washington's cherry blossoms don't hang around for long, and they'll be gone before you know it. Here's a guide to seeing...and celebrating...Washington D.C.'s treasured trees.

Apr 4, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto

A fan's-eye view of Michael Jordan's first night in the Wizards' owners box.

Feb 3, 2000 - Eugenia E. Gratto