A LIFESTYLE + ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE • MARCH // APRIL 2022
urban
Virginia Arrisueño of Steadfast Supply + Kelly Towles of D.C. Walls Festival
Adulting behind the scenes with 12 d.c. couples LIVING SPACES FINANCES RELATIONSHIPS PARENTHOOD FITNESS PET OWNERSHIP
Charlie Visconage's
POSITIVESoloFURY Exhibition
Opening May 6, 7-9 P.M. cavisconage
By appointment May 7-22
www.visconage.com Original score by Shining Seconds
52 O St NW 20001
FEATURES
42
KELLY TOWLES + VIRGINIA ARRISUEÑO
49
11 D.C. POWER COUPLES
83 OWNING YOUR FINANCES
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TABLE OF CONTENTS ROBERT KINSLER Publisher robert@unitedfray.com MONICA ALFORD Editor-in-Chief + Director of Media monica@unitedfray.com
A FRESH PARENTING PERSPECTIVE
78
DOG-FRIENDLY D.C.
RADAR
6 Blu Murphy 12 Calendar
EAT
22 Seylou Bakery
DRINK 24 Astro Lab Brewing
MUSIC 28 Wammie Awards
CULTURE
31 D.C.’s Badass Women
34 DC Tattoo Expo Returns 38 Billie Krishawn 94 Reginald L. Douglas
LIFE
61 Home Ownership 63 Design Tips 66 Plant Parenting 68 Modern Dating 71 A Sourdough Story 76 Family Guide to Breweries 81 Responsible Pet Ownership
PLAY
86 Staying Fit with Kids 90 Sports Betting 101
FUN
89 “Being An Adult” Illustration
ANDREW J. WILLIAMS III Managing Editor andrew@unitedfray.com NICOLE SCHALLER Editorial Assistant nicole@unitedfray.com JAMIE MCCRARY Senior Editor jamie@unitedfray.com JULIA GOLDBERG Editorial Designer julia@unitedfray.com CLAIRE SMALLEY Production Designer claire@unitedfray.com TOM ROTH Key Account Manager tomroth@unitedfray.com MARTIN ESPINOZA Senior Director of Events martin@unitedfray.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Caroline Cliona Boyle, Kaitlin Calogera, Chad Kinsman, Colleen Kennedy, James Liska, Joe Marshall, Nevin Martell, Abi Newhouse, Casey Pazzalia, Whitney Pipkin, Rina Rapuano, Bryan Rodrigues Oliveira, Courtney Sexton, Claire Smalley, Alex Thompson, Amanda Weisbrod, Brandon Wetherbee, Jade Womack
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS + PHOTOGRAPHERS
92 Adulting Crossword
Shaughn Cooper, Eric Dolgas, Larry Lewis, Scott Suchman
SEEN
Shaughn Cooper
4 Behind the Scenes 21 Adulting in the Wild
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER ON THE COVER
Kelly Towles + Virginia Arrisueño with their son Atticus + dog Sinchi
COVER LOCATION
Towles + Arrisueño’s home in Adams Morgan
Kelly Towles + Sinchi. Photo by Shaughn Cooper.
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SEEN
MARCH //APRIL 2022 COVER SHOOT. Enjoy some curated behind-the-scenes captures from our photo shoot with cover subjects Virginia Arrisueño of Steadfast Supply and Kelly Towles of D.C. Walls Festival, guest starring their son, huggable husky pup and some dope artwork. Photos by Andrew J. Williams III.
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| MARCH // APRIL 2022
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
URBAN ADULTING. A few weeks ago, I was sitting with my production designer and dear friend Claire Smalley completing a brainstorming exercise. A former art director, she was coaching me to communicate all of the feelings I wanted our March // April cover to evoke. What did adulting mean to me? Why did I choose artist Kelly Towles and entrepreneur Virginia Arrisueño as my cover subjects? How did I want to reach my readers this month? First of all, it was really fun to be interviewed by a collaborator and think through my creative decisions through a new lens (thanks, Claire!) and secondly, when I shared all my thoughts with her, she responded with, “Got it! We’re funkifying the white picket fence.” And while I couldn’t quite justify that as the main teaser for the cover, I loved the sentiment behind it. That’s exactly what I want for this issue: to highlight the urban adult, someone who is equal parts invested in their career and creative outlets as they are in their family and domestic life. My team took a deep dive into every aspect of modern adulting we could think of: parenthood (this includes pets and plants, for those not ready to procreate), designing your space, home ownership, financial planning, dating, relationships and everything in-between. I had the great privilege of sitting down with Towles and Arrisueño in their stunning Adams Morgan brownstone to pick their brains about the balance they strike between their careers in creative industries and their fierce commitment to a thriving family life with their son Atticus and pup Sinchi. My managing editor Andrew J. Williams III rounded up 11 local couples redefining the modern relationship and interviewed a pair of dating experts. Editorial assistant Nicole Schaller chatted with financial analysts about making money moves; Rina Rapuano wrote about navigating home ownership; Nevin Martell shared a fresh perspective on the city as a parent; Brandon Wetherbee gave pro tips for enjoying the best kid-friendly breweries; Jade Womack rounded up pet-friendly locales; Courtney Sexton delved into responsible pet ownership; Alex Thompson shared her experience staying fit and connected to her husband post-
baby; Abi Newhouse interviewed a design expert to get the scoop on beautifying your surroundings; Whitney Pipkin opened up about facing a fear of baking with her kids thanks to a sourdough starter kit; and my girl Claire nerded out over her green thumb. Plus, we interviewed artist and educator Blu Murphy; Chef Jonathan Bethony of Seylou Bakery; Astro Lab’s Emma Whelan; Helen Hayes Award-winning actress Billie Krishawn; and Mosaic Theater Company’s new artistic director, Reginald L. Douglas. And last but not least, we provide an inside look at the DC Tattoo Expo, the Wammies, badass women business owners to support during Women’s History Month and much more. Let us know what you think of our first adulting issue, and thanks for reading! MONICA ALFORD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Photographer Shaughn Cooper + Monica Alford behind the scenes at the March // April cover shoot. Photo by Andrew J. Williams III.
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With that simple but powerful phrase “I am art,” educator and artist Blu Murphy empowers and emboldens the art and lives of her students at Perry Street Preparatory Public Charter School in Brookland where she has taught for the last four years. Recruited by Principal Rachel Crouch with whom she previously worked with at Cesar Chavez Public Charter School, Murphy knew she would feel supported with Crouch at the helm. “She’s an excellent art teacher,” Crouch states. “She teaches advanced techniques to students so the artwork of kindergarteners looks like an adult created it.” At a time when many schools defund the arts in favor of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), Crouch saw the arts helped engage parents and students — so she also invested in the performing arts by hiring a drama teacher and music teacher. At Perry Prep, arts teachers have a regular, full-time schedule and earn the same salary as other teachers.
You Are A Masterpiece As she gives me a tour of her classroom during a planning period, Murphy wears a Basquiat-designed sweatshirt while a student works quietly on a one-point perspective drawing. “A perspective drawing is a basic form of architectural drawing; it directly connects with math,” she states, with such scaled sketches behind her on the whiteboard. “My students just finished a project not too long ago connected to Basquiat — and art history is also American history. We do writing prompts, study biography and documentary videos. With the arts, you can connect it all.” When students enter the classroom, they pass a mirror stating “I am art.” On another wall, several black arrows stating “art” point to white space. A student standing there can find themselves transformed. “I would have students with low selfesteem [who] didn’t value themselves the way I felt like they should. I would ask them to stand beneath the arrows and sometimes to hold up their artwork. It just became this thing: ‘You are art. You are a masterpiece.’” “Art is therapeutic,” Murphy explains. “Not everyone is going to be a graphic designer or an architect, but art provides a real coping mechanism to deal with
IAM ART Visual artist and educator Blu Murphy talks about teaching philosophy, the inspiration behind her new exhibit and the transformative power of art.
WORDS BY COLLEEN KENNEDY + PHOTOS BY LARRY LEWIS
trauma for my students. How do you deal with trauma? How do you deal with loss? How do you deal with anger? Not everyone has the money or resources for therapy, but everyone has a piece of paper and a pencil.” Seeing her students’ transformation into confident, valued, empowered artists and young people, Murphy began photographing them, overlapping photos with her graffiti tag and posting on social media. “That’s just a teacher’s rite of passage to post your students and their art on social media,” she laughs. The 34-by-46 inch, black and white mixed-media portrait entitled “Black Boy Potential” portrays one of Murphy’s students Carter impishly squinting his eyes and sticking out his tongue. All around the large photo, Murphy collaged icons of Black manhood, including Presidents Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela; a Jackson Five-era Michael Jackson; Muhammed Ali; Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X; Kobe Bryant; and comic book favorites Franklin of “Peanuts” and Huey from “Boondocks.” Overhead, Michael Jordan floats midair like a guardian angel, while the bottom row shows protestors of the sanitation worker strike in Memphis. Carter, now a fourth grader, is among and at home with these heroes. (The piece was sold to an art collector in 2021.) This is not just a singular expression of Black boy joy and potential. “I have 350 students and it’s beyond any particular student,” Murphy shares. “It’s the fact they see [themselves represented]. What I’m trying to deliver in the whole ‘I am art’ concept becomes more tangible when they can see themselves and each other.”
Please, Do Not Touch The Art Murphy’s classroom doubles as her art studio and her subjects are her students. Photos are taken in her class, during recess and in the hallways during breaks. It’s all DIY-aesthetic. She captures their portraits on an iPhone and prints out large scale black and white prints of the photos. The photo frames are all purchased at thrift stores and she refinishes the frames on the cheap. She even upcycles some of the previous art in the frames by adhering the photos to the canvas paintings. “It looks good, but it’s very shabbychic over here,” she jokes. DISTRICT FRAY |
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Her graffiti tag signature is a series of organic bubbles, but they are the B-L-U of her name. “The letters are all jumbled up and abstract because I’m dyslexic. I’m very transparent about it to show [my students] they can still do anything.” Murphy’s first solo exhibit “LE DRIP: The Uncontainable Sauce of Black Essence” opens at Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria in April. As Murphy approached her 40th birthday, she realized while building and supporting her students’ dreams she neglected her own dream of working as an artist. She earned her BFA at Morgan State University with a concentration in painting before finding her vocation as an arts educator, a career she’s built for over fourteen years working in group homes for adults with disabilities, to public and charter schools throughout Baltimore and D.C. She decided to submit an entry for an exhibit in an art show at Torpedo Factory. Crouch — a renowned artist known for her solo work and collaborative Black portraiture work with twin sister Rebecca — shared Murphy’s work on social media, garnering many views and interest. Sales and commissions quickly followed. Most importantly for Murphy, there will be a private exhibition at the gallery for her students to participate in an artist talk with one of their favorite teachers. “I applied for my first solo show and I got it. [Now] I can take my kids on a field trip to see themselves on the wall. It feels like a dream.” She hopes to expand “LE DRIP,” which runs April 23 to July 17, to vulnerable peoples and overlooked populations — from children in foster care to essential workers to people without home. “The big dream is to take it outside of the classroom and reach the many people who don’t see themselves [in art]. You’re valuable, you’re not forgotten, you’re not unseen. You are a work of art, too.” “LE DRIP: The Uncontainable Sauce of Black Essence” opens April 23 and runs until July 17 with an exhibition reception on May 13 at Torpedo Factory Art Center. Learn more about Blu Murphy on Instagram @blu_murphy or visit her website blumurphyart.com. Torpedo Factory Art Center: 105 N Union St. Alexandria, VA; torpedofactory.org // @torpedofactory 10 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
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The bloom of the cherry blossoms is imminent — and so too are the exhibit openings and theatre performances that await you this month in the District. From the psych-rock sounds of The Besnard Lakes to Cautious Clay’s experimental indie, an eclectic mix of artists will pay a visit to the nation’s capital. Tap into alignment with yoga and soothe your ears with D.C.’s renowned poetry slams. To top it off, a curated selection of discussions with local creatives and femme-led music collectives celebrate the importance of Women’s History Month. COMPILED BY CAROLINE CLIONA BOYLE + BRYAN OLIVEIRA
ONGOING BACHATERA FRIDAYS
There’s nothing more poetic than the art of dance. And with a couple bachata moves under your belt, you might as well have a PhD in literature. The Salsa Room at Tysons is hosting a beginner’s dance night taught by bachata expert Marcelo Troncoso. Along with dance lessons, you also have the chance to try amazing drinks and sit in the exquisite lounging space that this stellar Virginia business has to offer. Push yourself to cut loose on your Friday nights and get a taste for some rhythmic flavor. 8 p.m. $0-$100. The Salsa Room Tysons: 8453 Tyco Rd. McLean, VA; the-salsa-room.business.site // @tysonstsr
THE BEST COMEDY SHOW IN THE WORLD
Unlike every other comedy show you’ve ever been to, the Comedy Shuffle never has bad jokes. And if you happen to be baffled at such a huge claim, keep in mind this comedy night is unlike any other. Through May 22, the Comedy Shuffle is all about one of D.C.’s comedy newcomers being paired with a veteran in the scene. If the comic happens to make a joke that doesn’t land with the crowd, the more seasoned jokester will receive the alley-oop and slam dunk the joke with a new spin. It’s like a workshopping session, but everyone ends up laughing. 8-9:30 p.m. Free. Town Tavern DC: 2323 18th St. NW, DC; towntaverndc.com // @towntaverndc
GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT: ANNABEL DAOU
In an installation of two video works at Arlington Arts Center, artist Annabel Daou blurs the boundaries between the mundane experiences of day-to-day life and the dramatic events that mark moments of political and historical cataclysm, capturing the disorientation that results as individuals are swept up in the narratives of history. Now through March 19. 12-5 p.m. Free. Arlington Arts Center: 3550 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA; arlingtonartscenter.org // @arlingtonartscenter
LITTY AFTER DARK: THE FUN AFTER THE SUN
Great Energy Group is proud to host Litty After Dark, a latenight experience spun off Lost Society’s wildly popular Litty in the City brunch and day party. This eventful night includes rooftop and lounge-based hookah, bottle service and an energetic mentality designed to kickstart your weekend on a Friday night. The party goes on until three a.m. but be sure to get there at nine so you can spend the night making memories and setting the course for a crazy end of the week. Now through March 25. 9 p.m. Free. Lost Society: 2001 14th St. NW, DC; lostsociety-dc.com // @lostsocietydc 12 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
TRIVIA MONDAYS AT WUNDER GARTEN
Are you the type of person who would love to one-up your friends with a trivia night? Don’t lie. We all would and there’s no shame in doing a little deserved gloating and teasing. Every Monday until April 18 is Trivia Night at Wunder Garten with host Mark Lloyd. Bring your whole crew and test your knowledge to win prizes, glory and the chance to be a schmuck to your oldest pals. If you are looking for fun and originality, then Wunder Garten’s Trivia Night is for you. 7 p.m. Free. Wunder Garten: 1101 First St. NE, DC; wundergartendc.com // @wundergartendc
3.2 DUA LIPA FUTURE NOSTALGIA TOUR AT CAPITAL ONE ARENA
You want a timeless song? She wants to give you a timeless show. She’s the British “it girl” who brought back the disco sound, but more importantly she is the charismatic and everso-sweet Dua Lipa. After having released one of the most popular albums of the 2020 pandemic, Dua is now ready to support her chart-topping LP with a tour that’s bound to be mad and ravishing. Supported by the magnetic Caroline Polachek and spellbinding Lolo Zouaï, this show is ready to get you moving to some new yet classic beats and rhythms. 7:30 p.m. $89-$129. Capital One Arena: 601 F St. NW, DC; capitalonearena.com // @CapitalOneArena
3.3 WORDS, WORDS, WORDS: “THE KING AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD”
Arthur Phillips returns with a unique novel that’ll leave readers questioning the nature of truth at every turn. “The King at the Edge of the World” explores events within Shakespeare’s lifetime in order to weave a fascinating story of espionage, philosophy and politics. Take the chance to look at history’s greatest writer in a different light by joining the Folger Shakespeare Library’s online book club. All are welcome at this thought-provoking and inclusive meeting to discuss new takes on a writer who has revolutionized the English language. 6:30 p.m. Free. Virtual. Folger Shakespeare Library: 201 E Capitol St. SE, DC; folger.edu // @folgerlibrary
CALENDAR | RADAR
3.3-3.5
RELEASE THE BEAT: A FUNDRAVE FOR LIFE AFTER RELEASE
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS: “TALES – A FOLKLORE SYMPHONY”
The National Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to announce one of their most anticipated performances of 2022. Under the direction of Gianandrea Noseda, the National Symphony Orchestra presents “Tales – A Folklore Symphony” by composer-in-residence Carlos Simon. Also on the program is two-time Grammy Award-winning violinist James Ehnes who will play Beethoven’s famous violin concerto. This performance is a great chance to see the height of D.C. classical music and an exciting, culture-filled departure from a quiet night at home. 7 p.m. $15-$89. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: 2700 F St. NW, DC; kennedy-center.org // @kennedycenter
3.5 THE BESNARD LAKES AT DC9
The Besnard Lakes have passed through death and they’re here to tell the tale. Nearly five years after their last lightning-tinted volley with mortality, the magisterial Montreal psych-rock band have sworn off compromise, split with their long-standing label and completed a searing 72-minute suite about the darkness of dying and the light on the other side. For many bands, such a rollercoaster history would end things right then and there. But it’s safe to say that the Besnard Lakes aren’t like many bands. 8 p.m. $12-$14. DC9: 1940 9th St. NW, DC; dc9.club // @dc9club
Life After Release has always been a positive force in helping incarcerated people adjust to life outside the prison system. But alongside their quest for justice, they are also an organization that believes in enjoying yourself and having fun. The Release the Beat event is an over-the-top fundraiser that’s going to bring together all your favorite things: the sickest DJs, poppin’ art vendors, fire spinners, UV body painting, massages, the nicest people you could ever meet and of course raising money for recently incarcerated individuals getting back to their homes and families. 9 p.m. $15-$20. The Townhouse Uptown: 903 U St. NW, DC; @the_townhouse_uptown
SATURDAY BRUNCH AT KITSUEN
Japanese fusion is one of the most trailblazing cuisines to make its mark throughout the country. For all the lucky people who live in the DMV, you have the chance to eat a brunch unlike any other. Brunch weekends at the District’s Kitsuen is a great way to try food that remains true to classic American breakfast but adds in some Asian influence. Whether you’re interested in a quality plate of omurice or a classic B.E.C. sandwich, Kitsuen is prepared to give you a plethora of diverse options. 12 p.m. Free+. Kitsuen: 1362 H St. NE, DC; kitsuenbar.com // @kitsuenbar
ADVERTISE WITH US
Promote your business in District Fray Magazine’s Vintage Issue
SCAN ABOVE TO CONTACT DISTRICT FRAY TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION. NOTE: All descriptions courtesy of event hosts and edited for clarity.
Tiara Perry. Photo by Andrew J. Williams III.
From vinyl to fashion, we’re highlighting all things vintage in D.C. for our April issue. Explore advertising packages that elevate your business and/or brand, and tap into our local network of retro-inspired everything in the District. The Vintage Issue will mark our second issue available in 20+ Whole Foods in the D.C. area.
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RADAR | CALENDAR
3.5-3.25 “WRITTEN IN STONE” AT THE KENNEDY CENTER
What stories do our monuments tell? What legacies do they embody? What memories do they cement? This is a night that focuses on four iconic places, four creative teams and four intimate stories. Some of America’s most exciting artists, musicians, composers and librettists assemble to create four unmissable world premieres as a jewel in the crown of the Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary season. $75-$189. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: 2700 F St. NW, DC; kennedy-center.org // @kennedycenter
3.6 CHARLOTTE DAY WILSON AT SONGBYRD
Toronto native Charlotte Day Wilson is a Juno-nominated vocalist, producer and multi-instrumentalist. A sound steeped in moody soulfulness, her R&B roots mingle intricately with her powerful vocals. Working previously with heavy hitters like Daniel Caesar, D’Mile and Babyface — just to name a few — has highlighted her prowess in production and makes her worthy and capable of entertaining a huge crowd at D.C.’s beloved Songbyrd Music House. 7 p.m. $25-$30. Songbyrd Music House: 540 Penn St. NE, DC; songbyrddc.com // @songbyrddc
DOPE POETRY JAM AT TRIBE HIVE (ROYAL PALACE)
The early 2000s were a peak time in culture thanks to the advent of def jam poetry. All in one show, you had rappers
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like Ye testing out iconic bars, comedians like Maria Bamford cracking up the crowd and the most in-tuned activists reflecting the turmoil of the times. Join in on the spoken word event that’s helping DMV creatives skyrocket to the top of culture. 4:30 p.m. $15-$25. Tribe Hive (Royal Palace): 7525 Landover Rd. Hyattsville, MD; dopepoetryjam.eventbrite.com // @puffnpoetry
SHADOW DRAWING WORKSHOP WITH EMILY FUSSNER
Designed for ages seven to 10, join Arlington Arts Center resident artist and arts educator Emily Fussner at the National Museum of Women in the Arts as she inspires students to see the world through light and shadow. In this workshop, participants will learn about Fussner’s practice and create a work of their own using materials they have at home. Participants will learn about negative space and create compositions through layering and color. The result: a drawing that is both observational and abstract. Be sure to follow @womeninthearts on Instagram to see Arlington Arts Center’s #5WomenArtists takeover in early March. 4 p.m. Free. Virtual. nmwa.org // @WomenInTheArts
3.9 QUEER TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE DEW DROP INN
One of the terrific things about being queer is you have an immense and beautiful culture that precedes you. From entertainment to global politics to even Twitter blurbs, queer people have made it clear they are not only part of the world, but also a big part of it. At The Dew Drop Inn, join in on a trivia night that’ll test your LGBTQIAP knowledge and possibly teach you a fun fact that will expand your love of the community. Queerness is a wonderful thing and if you’re interested in diving deeper into this loving abyss, be sure to make an appearance at one of Dew Drop’s most popular gatherings. 7 p.m. Free. The Dew Drop Inn: 2801 8th St. NE, DC; dewdropinndc.com // @thedewdropinndc
3.10 CONTACT: JEREMY OLANDER AT FLASH
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Premiere District club Flash welcomes back the leading force in Stockholm’s electronic music scene — Jeremy Olander. With releases on Anjunadeep, Bedrock, Last Night On Earth and more, Jeremy Olander has been producing music since he was a teenager and just keeps getting better. Having released the singles “Sagan” and “Depot” in the past year, Jeremy is ready to hit the stage and show what he’s been cooking up for EDM fans everywhere. 10 p.m. $0-$10. Flash: 645 Florida Ave. NW, Washington; flashdc.com // @flashclubdc
STREET FOOD: SAMOSAS & PAKORA
When traveling the world, sometimes the best meals are found in the streets from food trucks, carts and stalls. In this workshop at Hill Center, you’ll be making and tasting savory samosas and pakoras that are ubiquitous throughout India. Pakoras are a type of vegetable fritter often served with chutneys, yogurt and other dipping sauces. Try your hand at crafting this delectable street food alongside Chef Mark Haskell. 6-7:30 p.m. $69. Hill Center DC: 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, DC; hillcenterdc.org // @hillcenterdc
CALENDAR | RADAR
3.11 PHOTOWALK WITH PHOTOGRAPHER ANGELA B. PAN
Consider yourself an aspiring shutterbug? Join WalkArlington for a photowalk in Rosslyn with Photographer Angela B. Pan. Voted “Best Visual Artist in Washington, D.C.” by Washington City Paper two years in a row, Angela has had her images of D.C. featured in a multitude of respected publications. With her guidance, there’s no telling what you can capture. Dive into the beautiful art of photography while taking a stroll through Rosslyn and learning from the best. 5 p.m. Free. Rosslyn: 1800 North Lynn St. Arlington, VA; walkarlington.com // @walkarlington
3.14 YOGA + BEER AT FAIR WINDS BREWING
Roll out your mat in the spacious production area of Fair Winds Brewing in Lorton, Virginia for a fun flow. Join this beloved brewhouse for an all-levels yoga practice to release stress, invite playfulness and feel stretched and refreshed. Following practice, enjoy a cold, crisp craft beer and some great beerenthusiast company. Yoga is taught with by Erin Sonn, ERYT and owner of eat.YOGA.drink., an organization specializing in unique yoga and mindfulness experiences in nontraditional spaces. Join Fair Winds for a fun and healthy Monday night that’s sure to leave you feeling refreshed. 6:30 p.m. $25. Fair Winds Brewing Company: 7000 Newington Rd. Suites K & L Lorton, VA; eatyogadrink.com // @eatyogadrink
3.15 DAVONÉ TINES AND LESTER GREEN
Davóne Tines is a singer celebrated internationally for a pathbreaking approach that combines a diverse repertoire with exploration of current social issues. In this recital with piano maestro Lester Green, Tines draws on the traditions of art song, spirituals and gospel music while exuding his well-practiced and superb grasp on singing. It’s not every day you see an artist who not only has clear talents, but also takes the effort to hone those talents and provide a sense of timelessness with his work. And with an optimal pianist like Lester in accompaniment, this event is sure to be poised and beautiful. 8 p.m. $40. Sixth & I: 600 I St. NW, DC; sixthandi.org // @sixthandi
3.16 GENTLE YOGA
If you’re going to start anything new in 2022, be sure it’s a wonderful resource like yoga. In this class taught by Beth Lawrence, you’ll practice a set of poses (seated and standing with a chair) that will exponentially promote physical strength, flexibility and balance while encouraging relaxation and meditation mentally. With so much going on in the world, take the chance to relax and promote a sense of healthy living. Best part is that it’s all done from the comfort of your home. 10:30 a.m. Free. Virtual. Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library: 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW, DC; dclibrary.org // @dcpubliclibrary
3.17 CAUTIOUS CLAY AT THE 9:30 CLUB
The debut album of Cautious Clay will reverberate in the hall of the 9:30 club on this St. Patrick’s Day show (although there’s no connection between the two). The singer-songwriter explores themes of the internet in an age where music, love and digital experience have an undeniable connection. 7 p.m. $30. 9:30 Club: 815 V St. NW, DC; 930.com // @930club
3.18 TOUCHÉ AMORÉ AT BLACK CAT
Arguably the most important band responsible for catapulting classic emo back into the alternative world, Touché Amoré has been burrowing through angst, alienation, cancer and death throughout four adored studio albums. And after over a decade of working through darkness, the band’s gorgeously gruff fifth album “Lament” finds the light at the end of the tunnel. Join the band as they challenge the preconceived notions of our minds and look toward a music scene that is deep and nuanced in emotional stakes. 7 p.m. $22+. Black Cat: 1811 14th St. NW, DC; blackcatdc.com // @blackcatdc
3.19 MIMOSA FEST AT THE BULLPEN
With March comes warmer weather, and with warmer weather comes the opportunity for some outdoor fun. At The Bullpen in D.C.’s Half Street Fairgrounds, outdoor fun is no fantasy with their highly-anticipated Mimosa Fest. An opportunity to do some eating and shopping over some amazing drinks, Mimosa Fest is your chance to say hello to spring. Bring your friends. Bring your family. But most importantly, bring some sunshine bright positivity. 11 a.m. $15-$49. The Bullpen at Half Street Fairgrounds: 1201 Half St. SE, DC; thebullpendc.com // @bullpendc
3.20 DAMON WAYANS: JUST SAYIN’ TOUR
One of the all-time greats comes to the Comedy Loft for the first time. Damon Wayans is known throughout the world for his comedic genius and is most fondly remembered for the Emmy Award- winning series “In Living Color” where he created sketch characters like Homey the Clown, Handiman, and fabulous Blaine from “Men on Film.” Make your way over to this D.C. hotspot and watch one of the kings of ’90s comedy show off his stellar chops and mad skills. 7 p.m. $55-$65. The Comedy Loft Of DC: 1523 22nd St. NW, DC; dccomedyloft.com // @dccomedyloft
HORSE GIRL AT DC9
Horse Girl is a noisy rock trio from Chicago composed of Penelope Lowenstein (she/her), Nora Cheng (she/her) and Gigi Reece (they/them), all 17-18 years old. Horse Girl draws inspiration from shoegaze and post-punk in the realm of ’90s American and U.K. indie underground. Together for just over a year, they have played contemporary art museums, all ages venues, open mic and house parties. 8 p.m. $16-$18. DC9: 1940 9th St. NW, DC; dc9.club // @dc9club DISTRICT FRAY | 15
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3.23 LOST CITY BOOKS PRESENTS: “ALLIES AND RIVALS” BY EMILY J. LEVINE
Join Lost City Books in-person as author and professor Emily J. Levine discusses her novel “Allies and Rivals” with American University professor Cynthia Miller-Idriss and Catholic University professor Michael Kimmage. Emily is a respected intellectual at Stanford University and has published “Allies and Rivals” to discuss the history of higher education relations between the U.S. and the German state. It’s a riveting topic that provides a lot of nuance on German-U.S. dynamics and the rise of the modern research university. Live streaming is also available on YouTube. 7 p.m. $0-$39. Lost City Books: 2467 18th St. NW, DC; lostcitybookstore.com // @lostcitybooks
3.25 FLOBOTS AT BLACK CAT
“Handlebars” by Flobots was one of the most iconic songs to hit the radio airwaves. If it wasn’t the trumpet solo that got you, it was the magnetic lyrics. And if it wasn’t the lyrics, it was the way that the song was perfect to scream along to on a road trip. Arguably one of the most memorable acts to blend multiple varied genres, this band holds nothing back in their high energy and sporadic live shows. 8 p.m. $20. Black Cat: 1811 14th St. NW, DC; blackcatdc.com // @blackcatdc
FOOD, FILM & FASHION
Join the stylish Indira Gumarova, wife of the Czech Republic ambassador and founder of the Diplomacy & Fashion Project, as she dives into the Diplomacy & Fashion award presented to Madeleine Albright and demonstrates ways to make diplomatic style accessible to your daily lives. Of course, nothing would be complete without cocktails and food provided by The Ven at Embassy Row and Fred & Stilla restaurant. 5:30-8 p.m. $50. The Ven at Embassy Row: 2015 Massachusetts Ave. NW, DC; thevenembassyrow.com // @thevenembassyrow
MEMPHIS JOOKIN: THE SHOW WITH LIL BUCK
One of Dance magazine’s “25 to Watch,” street-dance sensation Charles “Lil Buck” Riley has collaborated with a staggering range of renowned artists, including Yo-Yo Ma (in a video directed by Spike Jonze), Spike Lee, JR, Damian Woetzel, the New York City Ballet and Madonna. In this new, eveninglength production, he brings his innovative choreography and gravity-defying dancing to a celebration of the dance and music scenes of his home city of Memphis, TN, and of the namesake Memphis Jookin’ style that launched his brilliant career. 8 p.m. $30-$60. Lincoln Theatre: 1215 U St. NW, DC; thelincolndc.com // @thelincolndc
3.26 “CLASS: THE CARLA PERLO STORY” AT DANCE PLACE “Class: The Carla Perlo Story” is a performance and documentary film about the impact on Carla Perlo’s teaching of Modern Dance over the course of 41 years at Dance Place. The documentary will serve as the backdrop for a new choreographic work where students past and present will 16 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
be invited to create and perform the work with movement derived from Saturday mornings classes as well as their own improvisations. 7 p.m. $0-$100. Dance Place: 3225 8th St. NW, DC; danceplace.org // @danceplacedc
3.26-3.27 LOCAL ARTISTS’ SPRING CLEANING AT THE REACH
The DMV is home to many amazing artists. For many of these talented creatives, personal inventory is getting crowded and they’d love to offload some of their stellar pieces to art fans and local business supporters alike. Hosted by local artist and community figure Emon Surakitkoson, this spring cleaning event at The REACH is the perfect opportunity to support the D.C. art scene and take home a masterpiece. Get a sense for District originality while supporting the geniuses who make our home so beautiful and cultured. 1 p.m. Free. THE REACH: 2700 F St. NW, DC; kennedy-center.org/reach // @kennedycenter
3.30 ANDY SHAUF AT BLACK CAT
Few artists are storytellers as deft and disarmingly observational as Andy Shauf. The Toronto-based, Saskatchewan-raised musician’s songs unfold like short fiction: They’re densely layered with colorful characters and a rich emotional depth. While its overarching narrative is riveting, the real thrill of the album comes from how Shauf finds the humanity and humor in a typical night out and the ashes of a past relationship. 7 p.m. $25+. Black Cat: 1811 14th St. NW, DC; blackcatdc.com // @blackcatdc
3.31 KANAN GILL: IS THIS IT?
Thank God for YouTube. Because without it, we would’ve never realized how funny the ever-so-talented Kanan Gill really is. Known as one of the minds behind Pretentious Movie Reviews and the “How Insensitive” sketch series, this Indian comedian has made his way over to the DMV to showcase his stupendous comedy and start a laugh riot at Capital One Hall. As a standalone comic, he’s been featured by Amazon Prime and Netflix and has given a new, hilarious face to the world of South Asian comedy. 7 p.m. $42.50. Capital One Hall: 7750 Capital One Tower Rd. Tysons, VA; capitalonehall.com // @capitalonehall
4.3 NOSTALGIA - A SALUTE TO D.C. NIGHTLIFE
D.C. has one of the most iconic club cultures in the States. Whether known for having the biggest parties or the greatest DJs, our home has never been one to shy away from a fun night. And at the legendary Mayflower Club, you can show your respect for the original District club scene by attending the nostalgia dance night and reliving the height of Washingtonian dance culture. Featuring local big-hitters like DJs Analyze and Gemini, this night is sure to rehash the past in the best way possible. 6 p.m. $0-$10. The Mayflower Club: 1223 Connecticut Ave. NW, DC; mayflowerclubdc.com // @mayflowerclubdc
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4.7
4.9
THE D.C. PANCAKES & BOOZE ART SHOW
Supporting the local art scene has never been this tasty before. For 10 years, the Pancake & Booze Art Show has been providing artists across the nation with delicious opportunities to highlight their amazing work and get acquainted with the local arts patrons. Pancakes & Booze is excited to host a night of free pancakes, live body painting and contributions from over 100 local artists. Come through and have a night that’ll leave your friends asking how the hell you heard about such a cool social gathering. 7 p.m. $15-$20. Hook Hall: 3400 Georgia Ave. NW, DC; hookhall.com // @hookhall_dc
4.8
D.C.’S FIRST-EVER TABLE TENNIS BENEFIT SHOWDOWN
Bring your concentration, hand-eye coordination and lucky paddles as you work to take home 1st place at Union Market District’s all-day Table Tennis Showdown. Grab your partner and reach for the top. Put your skills and reflexes to the test in this one-day event to benefit the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project. Players of all ages and skill levels are invited to purchase tickets as a two-person team. Ping pong tables will be accessible on Neal Place the week leading up to the event for practice sessions and free-form play. 2 p.m. $0-$19.50. Union Market: 1309 5th St. NE, DC; unionmarketdc.com // @unionmarketdc
TRANS/QUEER BRUNCH AT FREDDIE’S BEACH BAR
LOVE THY BEER IN SILVER SPRING
The Brewers Association of Maryland is returning to the Silver Spring Civic Building for the extravagant 2022 Love Thy Beer tasting. Join more than two-dozen local breweries for this fantastic, suds-friendly event and enjoy the company of other friendly beer enthusiasts. All who attend Love Thy Beer are invited to sample the best of Maryland-made beers, enjoy lite fare from the wonderful people at McGinty’s Public House, dance to live music from the Noah Pierre Band and celebrate local craft beer. 6 p.m. $50-$75. Silver Spring Civic Building: 1 Veterans Place Silver Spring, MD; marylandbeer.org // @MDBrewers
Looking to brunch in a gender-affirming space? Well look no further than the CAKE Society’s Trans/Queer Brunch at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington. With an unlimited dining experience that includes an omelette bar, desserts and a glass of champagne, this event will not only unite you with a loving group of friends and chosen family but feed you a love-stuffed, family-sized meal as well. Come forge some new bonds and enjoy brunch with a community of people who have got your back in the best and worst of times. 10 a.m. Various Prices. Freddie’s Beach Bar: 555 23rd St. S Arlington, VA; freddiesbeachbar.com // @freddiesbeachbar
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WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH EVENTS “I am too intelligent, too demanding and too resourceful for anyone to be able to take charge of me entirely.” - Simone de Beauvoir When a woman speaks, she should be heard. And for this Women’s History Month, District Fray demands the DMV listen not only to the exceptional women around you but to the exceptional women who make our nation’s past. Whether they were artists who crafted our monuments or leaders who shaped our nation, D.C. women have proven countless times their expertise, intelligence and devotion to their community. Make March the month where women are not only heard but we are all reminded of how intelligent and resourceful they are.
3.3-3.5 RIOT! AT THE KENNEDY CENTER
This special three-night comedy event will feature nine hilarious comics in celebration of Women’s History Month. Leading performers from the worlds of music and comedy come together to celebrate women in the arts through song and laughter. 7.30 p.m. $29. The Club at Studio K: 2700 F St. NW, DC; kennedy-center.org // @kennedycenter
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3.4 FLOR DE TOLOACHE AT THE KENNEDY CENTER
Having performed at Coachella and a NPR Tiny Desk Concert, this Latin Grammy-winning ensemble is one of the finest allfemale mariachi groups on the planet. Named for the deliriuminducing Mexican flower used as a love potion for generations, this band has grown rapidly in notoriety and has expanded to as many as ten members, forming a truly global ensemble with musicians hailing from places like Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. 7:30 p.m. $25-$35. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: 2700 F St. NW, DC; kennedy-center.org // @kennedycenter
3.5 HER RIGHTS! MONEY, POWER, AUTONOMY
When women increasingly access education and enter the labor market, things move and develop in new directions. Women’s economic empowerment is necessary for global sustainable development. This exhibition aims to open for dialogue about how economic equality and women’s economic autonomy are connected to, dependent on and a prerequisite for all other aspects of gender equality. 12 p.m. Free. House of Sweden: 2900 K St. NW, DC; houseofsweden.com
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3.8 ART CHAT
Join NMWA director of education and interpretation Deborah Gaston for an informal 45-minute art chat about selected artworks from the museum’s collection related to the theme “Hanging Around.” Together, we’ll explore three suspended sculptures including two newer acquisitions that have never been on view at the museum. NMWA is a community and through great art, the community always triumphs. 11 a.m. Free. Virtual. nmwa.org // @womeninthearts
IN CONVERSATION: REHAB ELDALIL + TABITHA SOREN
NMWA assistant curator Orin Zahra speaks with photographers Rehab Eldalil and Tabitha Soren and strikes a conversation that will explore the ways in which the two artists turn an acute eye toward society to reveal complexities of the human condition and psyche. Through their visual storytelling, which often includes the layering of other mediums with photography, they examine personal and collective loss, issues of social justice and ways to connect across divides. 1 p.m. Free. Virtual. nmwa.org // @womeninthearts
WELCOME TO INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Join Susan Fisher Sterling, NMWA’s Alice West director, to kick off the museum’s virtual International Women’s Day celebration. Get an insider’s look at this wonderful museum’s ongoing renovation project as well as exciting plans for the years ahead. Women hold up half the sky so show your respect for women everywhere by celebrating such a monumental occasion. 10 a.m. Free. Virtual. nmwa.org // @womeninthearts
3.15 KIM GORDON AT 9:30 CLUB
By all measures she is the queen of the alternative scene, but Kim Gordon is more than just a prominent indie gem. With a career that’s spanned multiple decades and generated multiple hit songs and albums, artists from countless genres have reached out for guidance from the best of contemporary DIY — Charli XCX, Angel Olsen and countless others. At 9:30 Club, Kim Gordon is prepared to play some in-your-face rock n’ roll. 7 p.m. $30. 9:30 Club: 815 V St. NW, DC; 930.com // @930Club
3.16 BUILD(HER) AT HALCYON
First launched in 2020, Build(Her) 2022 is set to be an energizing, day-long gathering of women leaders from both the public and private sectors. Attendees will share ideas, network and hear from inspiring speakers such as Marla Blow and Shelly Kapoor Collins. Attendance is open to all and programming will focus on how best to support and empower women across sectors. Virtual attendance is an option. 10 a.m. Free. Halcyon: 3400 Prospect St. NW, DC; halcyonhouse.org // @halcyoninspires
3.18 FUNNIER THAN FICTION: REAL HOT GIRL SH*T
Story District returns to Studio K with “Funnier Than Mardi Gras celebration. Photo from wharfdc.com.
Fiction: Real Hot Girl Sh*t” – a showcase of true stories by extraordinary women (in honor of Women’s History Month). 7:30 p.m. $25. The Club at Studio K: 2700 F St. NW, DC; kennedy-center.org // @kennedycenter
3.19 ROSIE THE RIVETER’S FAMILY TREE: PINK COLLAR JOBS
Many Americans’ first instinct when asked how long women have held jobs in the USA is to reply “since World War Two.” Yet a little thought will often make that answer obviously incorrect. From teachers to nurses, we all know women have been in the American workforce since this country’s earliest days. On this tour at the Navy Memorial, audiences will explore how women’s roles in the workforce before WWII shined a bright light on women’s versatility and examine how those stereotypes have affected the modern workforce, especially pink-collar jobs. 10 a.m. $0-$111. Navy Memorial: 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC; atourofherown.com // @atourofherown
3.24 VIRTUAL TOUR: SCULPTING HERSTORY
There are hundreds of statues in D.C. and although way too few of them are statues of women, many of these statues were sculpted by women. On this tour hosted by A Tour of Her Own, guests will find out which statues in D.C. were made by women and explore how many of these women broke barriers within the art community. 12 p.m. $0-$35. Virtual. A Tour of Her Own: atourofherown.com // @atourofherown
3.26 TRUST YOUR TRANSITION “HER-STORY” AWARDS
In honor of Women’s History Month, nine phenomenal women who have prevailed through life in the midst of uncertainty will be celebrated. These women fought with the will to win even in the darkest moments and should be noted for their bravery. Singer/actress extraordinaire Traci Braxton will receive the Community Lifetime Achievement Award. Adding onto our star-studded list of guests, actress/director Patrice Fisher of Saints & Sinners will be the keynote speaker, along with radio star Asia Chandler and musician Lundon Knighten. 4 p.m. $75. Noelle’s: 567 Ritchie Rd. Capitol Heights, MD; noelleseventspace. com // @noellesevents
4.2 LIVE TOUR: WOMEN WHO CLIMBED CAPITOL HILL
Whether women were making changes in the Supreme Court, the House or through grassroots activism, their presence in this nation is undeniable. That said, a women’s history tour of the Hill should most certainly include the first woman to earn the title of Librarian of Congress. Join A Tour Of Their Own on this walking tour to develop a broader perspective about Capitol Hill that will leave you questioning why women have been left out of the traditional history narrative despite their significant contributions to the United States. 10 a.m. $0-$111. Peace Monument: 1st Street + Pennsylvania Avenue in NW, DC; atourofherown.com // @atourofherown DISTRICT FRAY | 19
SEEN
ADULTING IN THE WILD. Check out curated images from several March // April issue editorial photo shoots including Caroline Winkler, Alex and Scott Thompson, Jade Womack and Luna, and Roquois. All photos by Andrew J. Williams III.
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EAT | FOOD FOR THOUGHT Walking into Seylou Bakery in Shaw, the first thing you’ll notice — aside from the alluring pastry case and loaves of bread on shelves behind it — are the giant bags of locally-sourced whole grains stacked right in front of the entrance. Owner and baker Jonathan Bethony confirms these sacks are not there by accident. “The whole idea is to make this as interactive and visceral an exposure to grains as we can in one visit,” says Bethony, who co-owns the entirely whole-grain bakery with his wife, Jessica Azeez. That’s a pretty unique perspective for a baker and it’s a perspective that Bethony hopes catches on. Like most bakers, he wants to make delicious breads and pastries that nourish and delight his customers. His distinctive approach isn’t just whole grain, however — it’s more like holistic grain. “All the grain we use is regional and that’s part of the ethos: the philosophy that will hopefully come to light by the end of the tour because it’s all tied together,” Bethony says on a recent Sunday afternoon at the shop where Azeez alternately chases their speedy toddler and balances her on a hip. “It’s all based on the same principles, which are integrity and respect for the land and for the greater impact of our actions. That begins with supporting regenerative agriculture and taking care of the land we’re taking from. For us, it wouldn’t be commensurate to sell really nice bread. It [might] be healthy and flavorful bread, but then it’s just stripping the earth.” Those sacks of grain are milled right there in the bakery before Bethony transforms them into breads that aren’t often seen in these parts, such as the einkorn (made from an ancient grain), pennol (made from whole wheat), Mischbrot (a German rye bread) and horse bread, a loaf made with legumes, millet and sorghum that was allegedly created in Medieval Europe to feed horses. “It’s basically a loaf of everything but the refined wheat that was found throughout the world,” Bethony says. “I wanted to use that to tell the story of a whole-farm bakery with a whole-farm philosophy, with land management baked right into it.” Open since 2017, Bethony estimates Seylou — the word for “eagle” in Senegal, a place Bethony has a strong connection to after spending much time there — now uses about a ton of local grain and sells about a thousand loaves of bread per week. He employs old-world techniques like long fermentations, soaking, sprouting, malting and nixtamalization to tease out the best flavors while maximizing the health benefits of the grains. In addition to Senegal, Bethony was also heavily influenced by his time as a research baker at Washington State University Bread Lab. Get him talking and before long, he’s ponying out words like “diploid,” “hexaploid,” “crop diversity” and “DNA structure.” Again, not words commonly associated with baking, but they reveal what might be his true passion: doing what’s best not just for his bakery and the earth — but for supporting farmers the best way he knows how. “This is the part of the story that is not ever really told,” he says. “The baker usually gets the credit but I don’t feel I’m in the position for that because I’m just carrying the 22 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
Against the Grain Seylou Bakery’s owner dreams of a bread-making revolution focused on sustainability. BY RINA RAPUANO | PHOTO BY SCOTT SUCHMAN torch from what’s already been done.” I’m trying to keep it intact, trying to keep that same level of integrity going in my processes.” And if supporting small local farmers means making things a bit tougher on himself, so be it. Bethony says he regularly buys less desirable crops from these farmers and figures out a tasty way to incorporate them into his bakes without sacrificing quality. “When you work closely with the natural world, you’re going to get all kinds of variations that would drive most bakers completely insane,” he says. “So we’re constantly on our toes here. It’s not just do this and you get that, which is usually what baking is like. Every day we have to approach it brand new. We’ve literally built our menu off a regenerative land practice.” He sees other benefits, both large and small, to buying local and supporting sustainable purveyors. “We want to keep the money in the region, circulating and strengthening the community and also lowering the carbon footprint from trucking grain or eggs or butter across the country just because it’s cheaper,” he says. “That’s part of a whole broken system. It’s royally going to screw us over one day, unless we change the way we’re doing things.” Let the revolution begin. Bethony says the most common question he gets is whether they have any sourdough bread. “It’s thought of as a type of bread,” he says, “but ‘pain levain’ is basically ‘sourdough’ in French.” In other words, sourdough and pain levain are basically any breads that rely on a fermented starter rather than commercial yeast to rise. The wild yeast found in a starter also adds to the complex, sour flavor. So while people are probably conjuring an image of the white sourdough bread that became a popular pandemic project, the dark, nutrient-rich pain au levain sold at Seylou is also a form of sourdough. Bethony’s loaves go through 24 hours of various fermentation stages before hitting the bakery’s massive wood-fired oven. “What a baker is trying to do is break down the bread as much as possible for maximum flavor and nutrition, but stop before the structure and flavor becomes undesirable,” he says of the fermentation process. “If you over-ferment bread, it starts to turn into something like a sourdough starter and all the gluten, all the structure is just totally broken down so it won’t inflate. It’ll be dense and kind of gnarly — but probably pretty good for you still.” “I’m trying to keep it intact [and] keep that same level of integrity going in my processes.” Seylou Bakery: 926 N St. Ste. A, NW, DC; seylou.com // @seyloubakery Seylou Bakery loaves.
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The Future of Beer Is Female How women brewers have reshaped the beer industry — and how Astro Lab’s Emma Whelan is leading the way. WORDS BY JAMES LISKA
In 1961, the United States Brewing Association ran a series of ads aimed at “normalizing” the consumption of beer for women. The ad, reminiscent of something you’d see Don Draper propose in Mad Men over an extra-dry martini, featured two stereotypical mid-century homemakers enjoying what appears to be a tall glass of sparkling pilsner with the headline “Who says beer is a man’s beverage?” The text follows with “Men do, ourselves included” and goes on to affirm beer’s suitedness for the apparently-delicate constitutions of the women of yesteryear. Such an idea may seem absurd today, but it was pervasive for centuries. Despite women taking active roles in brewing since time immemorial — the archaic term “alewife” comes to mind — beer was often considered as something masculine, only to be consumed by men in billiards halls, bars, bowling alleys or out on the dock fishing. A boy’s first sip of beer was considered a coming-of-age ritual. Women may have made the beer, but it was the men who drank it. Fortunately, times have changed and one look at a brewery taproom, restaurant or beer festival shows a diverse group of beer drinkers. Beer is everyone’s drink and this is in part due to the overwhelming options available. At the time the June Cleaver-esque ad series was published, the brewing industry was stagnant with fewer than 90 breweries operating in the U.S., mostly mass-producing tepid, malty and thin substances. The craft brewing boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s catapulted alternative styles onto the scene, the most famous being Russian River Brewing Co.’s groundbreaking Pliny the Elder triple IPA. Now there are more than 8,700 breweries in the United States and that number is growing every day. With this, it’s no surprise beer attracts all kinds of people. With the craft beer boom came home brewing groups, meetups, clubs, information and materials available for all consumers to understand the styles and science behind beer. The internet has allowed for techniques, ideas and best practices to be shared instantly across the globe. And increasingly, entrepreneurs with a vision and the grit to create something new find themselves able to realize a dream to open their own spaces.
Breaking Into Brewing One such dreamer is Emma Whelan, a longtime resident of Silver Spring, Maryland. English by birth and a lifelong, selfdescribed foodie, Emma spent her career in marketing and business development, serving in senior roles at major grocery chains, restaurant groups and community theatre groups in the United Kingdom. She also served at the British Embassy here in Washington as a trade officer, focusing on the American market. Over a pint of beer one rainy evening, she and Matt Cronin — a New Zealander now on this side of the world, home brewing and seeking to break into the brewing industry — hatched a plan to create their own brewing space which became Astro Lab Brewing. Aside from the usual systemic challenges female entrepreneurs face, there is a skewed perception about women in brewing as a profession. The Brewer’s Association, a trade association that represents brewers and operators, estimates roughly 25% of brewery owners are women while only 2% of brewers themselves identify as female. Along with the traditional bias regarding women and beer evident in the early advertisements, there have also been some major scandals in the last decade regarding sexism and discrimination in the industry. The Cicerone program, beer’s vaunted analogy to the Court of Master Sommeliers, suffered Emma Whelan. Photo courtesy of Astro Lab.
an especially humiliating scandal of this sort. But this isn’t the whole story. While the craft beer industry is collegial — and I’d like to think such discriminatory attitudes are the exception, not the rule — there are groups that exist explicitly to support women in the brewing industry. For example, Whelan is part of the Pink Boots Society, a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 to empower female brewers and operators by providing a community to collaborate, train and share best practices. Named for trademark bright pink boots worn when brewing, the organization has almost 2,000 members nationwide and continues to grow each month.
A Space United By Beer Emma’s vision for Astro Lab can be found in the nature of the name: a reference to the astrolabe, a complex astronomical instrument intricately crafted (like beer can be). It’s also a nod to the Astrolabe Reef, a coral reef not far from the Bay of Plenty in the North Island of Cronin’s native New Zealand. The space itself is nestled on Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring, not far from the Silver Spring metro stop and on the doorstep of D.C. A former record store, Cronin and Whelan renovated the space completely and connected an adjacent warehouse to become the brewing area. The public-facing areas facing Georgia Avenue are clean and chic with smooth concrete and exposed piping. The pair envisioned a community space united by beer — and designed purposefully to that end. The space is wide and open with communal tables, high tops and a limited bar area. They even decided not to install televisions in the bar, instead hoping the austere interior would draw patrons to the liquid poetry in their glasses without distraction. The sweeping windows provide lots of natural light in which to admire the brews. Astro Lab’s focus is mainly IPAs, although Cronin has been exploring new styles recently. Their IPA lineup, long focused on East Coast IPAs, has some variance now. When most consumers say a beer is hoppy, they usually mean bitter — the piney, resinous flavor. That’s a classic flavor note of a West Coast-style IPA, whereas Astro Lab is better known for New England-style or East Coast: hazy, juicy, citrusy and soft with a dash of sweetness. Whelan affirms Astro Lab is a hop-focused brewery and that’s reflected in a small but important detail on the menu — for each beer, they list the hop strains on the menu.
All About That Hops Why is this important? Hops are one of the most important ingredients for beer and beer lovers will know various hop strains will heavily influence the flavor profile of the beverage. Educated consumers can use this information to deduce what the beer might taste like and to help narrow down their preferences. For example, Citra hops are known to impart a juicy, soft texture, whereas Galaxy hops remind one of guava and pineapple. Nugget hops are more tangy and bitter. Other common varieties you’ll find in beer are Falconer’s Flight, Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennial, Azacca and Golding. Don’t worry if you can’t memorize all of them — there’s over 100 varieties of hops in use today, with plenty more in development. All have their own flavors and textures. In my past life as a beverage director for a specialty bottle shop, I’d run into people who would make broad proclamations. DISTRICT FRAY | 25
DRINK | 202 PROOF For example: “I don’t like Chardonnay” or “Merlot is terrible” or “I can’t stand IPAs,” despite having one bad experience somewhere and assuming it’ll happen again. With alcohol, you can never judge the whole on one experience. For IPAs, there’s such a wide catalog of styles, flavors and textures that one bad experience isn’t indicative of the genre as a whole. So having the hop bill listed is a great way to explore the IPA genre and perhaps find something that an avowed “IPA hater” might like. I’m a pretty seasoned beer drinker but it’s important to investigate fully, so I visited the brewery in primetime on a Friday night. Tasha and Jerrod took good care of me at the bar and I sampled some of what they had on draft. Some favorites from my visit: Battle of Nantes, a 5.20% ABV schwarzbier that is malty and clean; their delicious and crushable Rock Creek pilsner, with bready notes of honey and malts; and their Gorgeous As, a 7.40% ABV collaboration IPA that’s super hazy, fruity and buttery smooth. Honestly, everything on draft is worth trying. Outside of IPAs, Astro Lab has a sour, a pale ale and an under-the-radar stout. They don’t do super sweet stouts, though, so fans of drier dark beers will be pleased. They’ve
got wine, a limited food menu (with a super tasty savory meat pie, which I highly recommend) and plenty of merch and beer to go. In the back, Cronin’s got a few new things on deck for the coming months: an export helles lager, a German festbier, an Irish stout coming out next month — followed by lighter European fare like a spring kolsch — a saison and their first witbier.
Beyond The Beer Whelan hopes Astro Lab will continue to serve as “Silver Spring’s living room,” drawing neighbors and beer enthusiasts to make use of the open floor plan and abundant free space. In a way, breweries like Astro Lab are the new neighborhood coffee shop: a place for friends and family to gather, enjoy a beverage and spend time with each other. Brewpubs are great places for first dates, business meetings, company happy hours or even a place to do a few hours’ work. This can only be done with close connections to the community and Astro Lab was designed purposefully to integrate with the city: the taproom and tables open up right to Georgia Avenue by way of roll-up doors, with street-facing tables perfect to peoplewatch and enjoy the hustle and bustle of downtown Silver Spring. The space is both baby- and dogfriendly and the bar staff know their stuff. Astro Lab has a long, bright future ahead. As for women in the brewing industry, Whelan’s seeing great growth potential for young women who are ready to move forward and break into the industry. The DMV has a good number of women in the industry and Whelan believes positive steps can be taken here at the local level to enhance the role of women in the industry. This doesn’t just mean access to capital or collaborations, or even being hired at a brewery. We need strong female role models willing to mentor and lead by example so aspiring women in brewing can say, “I can do that, too.”
Astro Lab Brewing: 8216 Georgia Ave. Silver Spring, MD; 301-273-9684; astrolabbrewing.com // @astrolabbrewing
26 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
Photo courtesy of Astro Lab.
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MUSIC
MUSIC In the District, local artists are the pulse of the city’s many musical subcultures — from genre-bending R&B to indie-pop to punk rock. For residents raised in the DMV, recognition for the artistic expression that thrives among the politics and commerce of the nation’s capital legitimizes the music that’s created here. To celebrate the depth of artistry produced in the DMV is The MusicianShip’s annual Wammie Awards, an occasion that applauds the talent of local musicians who contribute to the region’s rich arts and entertainment scene. The Wammies dedicate one evening a year to recognize local musicians’ recent releases and their abundant artistic contributions to the DMV. In conversation with District Fray, The Musicianship’s senior director of community engagement Jessica Teachey relays the primary ambition of the Wammies: to create a safe and neutral space for DMV-based musicians to present their work to the community. As a key organizer of the Wammies, Teachey helps facilitate the nomination process, supervises the finalist selection and generates awareness for the musicians who have become pivotal to the District’s contemporary music industry. “We want to level the playing field,” Teachey explains. Ensuring equitable processes at every level of the award shows people “if you have a love for and you support music, you can have a home and a place to contribute to the Wammies.”
has been nominated as a finalist for Best Pop Song at the Wammies. “I’m so grateful to have been nominated and be a finalist alongside so many other amazing and talented musicians,” Roquois says. Roquois’ eclectic indie-pop style developed out of the years she spent in Florida working as a vocalist at a studio in Orlando. Writing and singing a variety of music styles — from pop to hip-hop to rock — led her to fuse elements from multiple genres into her tracks. In terms of gaining recognition for this unique mix of style, Roquois is grateful “more indie artists are getting a platform and making a place for themselves. I’m excited to be part of it in any capacity because I just love music.” Performance-wear and experimentation with style are also essential forms of self-expression for the artist, especially when she’s on stage. In mainstream media, “people can get so wrapped up that you have to look a certain way to be in a particular genre of music,” Roquois says. Roquois doesn’t care about what’s “palatable for others” because ultimately she affirms, “I’m just trying to be myself.” The relatability of a counter-culture anthem such as “Worst Behavior” only validates the messages Roquois incorporates into her music — letting go of other’s expectations, not having to ask for permission and feeling unconstrained to experience life.
WAMMIE AWARDS APPLAUD
ARTISTIC PULSE OF D.C. WORDS BY CAROLINE CLIONA BOYLE
It’s worth noting the 1,000 nominations the Wammies received ahead of selecting this year’s award cohort. “Look at all of the amazing artists and icons who come from this area and look at all the ones who are living here right now — influencing art, influencing music,” she says. What’s incredibly important about the Wammies, Teachey adds, is it’s the only centralized platform that organizes talent recognition in the DMV at the capacity that it does. Across 21 genres, the ceremony distributes 55 individual awards that range from Best Funk Album to Best Hip-Hop Artist. The first pass of public voting has now closed and 345 artists advanced to the final round. Of this year’s Wammie finalists, District Fray caught up with indie-pop artist Roquois, who’s nominated for Best Pop Song and alternative hip-hop artist Brooklyn the Kid, who’s nominated for Best Rap Song.
The verse “I’m all paid up / I got my weight up / I guess you didn’t know you had a bad bitch” is a token of personal empowerment and the freedom to express who you are. Even beyond this sentiment it’s about “kicking back, raising a glass and toasting to all the moments you felt alive.” Despite the challenges of the pandemic and everything that’s happened in the past two years, “I feel myself coming back into that creative light,” Roquois says. Between a new single release, a music video for “Worst Behavior” and a soon-to-be scheduled calendar of live performances, Roquois is uninhibited to explore the depths of genre-hopping music as a leading voice in the DMV’s indie-pop scene.
UNAPOLOGETICALLY ROQUOIS
“A good time” is how Brooklyn Junco, a.k.a. Brooklyn the Kid, describes her energy as a performer. A self-proclaimed sucker for live shows, Brooklyn mixes rap and soul to produce a distinctive indie hip-hop sound that pays homage to her Latina roots. Inspired by her own life experiences and the things she’s seen, Brooklyn’s artistry is intrinsically personal. From boom bap to a more free-form approach to rapping, 2021 marked a fundamental shift in Brooklyn’s style as a musician.
Contemporary pop creative Roquois is an artist who apportions her craft across the three big S’s — singer, songwriter and superhero. Roquois is unapologetically herself: She’s a self-made artist and lyricist with a dual passion for performance-wear and cosplay. Revered for her debut pop album “Metaphors,” Roquois’ new 2021 track “Worst Behavior”
IN COMMUNITY WITH BROOKLYN
FIRST PAGE. Roquois. Photo by Andrew J. Williams III. THIRD PAGE. Brooklyn The Kid. Photo by NoLa the Boy // @nolatheboy.
DISTRICT FRAY | 29
MUSIC Her track “Open Your Eyes” received notable reception for her newfound experimental blending of sound and is now a finalist for Best Rap Song at the Wammies. From a young age, Brooklyn was exposed to a wide range of music, from bachata and salsa to ‘90s house and East Coast boom bap. However, expression through music happened by accident. “There’s nothing like a live performance from an artist you really enjoy,” she explains. As her desire to perform grew, Brooklyn started freestyling beats at open mics back in 2017 and 2018. In terms of recording music, having support from her producer NoLa, who is also Brooklyn’s brother, has made all the difference in navigating the DMV’s intimate music scene. Connecting with long-standing creatives in the D.C. hip-hop scene was also extremely valuable for Brooklyn to learn what it means to be an artist in the D.C. area. As Brooklyn’s foothold in the DMV’s hip-hop and rap scenes grew from 2018 to the tail end of 2019, opportunities snowballed into an array of gigs, new singles and an East Coast tour that wrapped up just before the pandemic began. In early 2021, Brooklyn’s “I Need Therapy” project marked a turning point in her rapping — the singles produced during this time are foreseeably the last tracks she’ll record in ‘90s boom bap style. For Brooklyn the Kid, “Open Your Eyes” has come to symbolize a new era or experimental artistry she was so craving during the pandemic. “It’s a time for new growth,” Brooklyn contends. What motivates Brooklyn to lean into her artistic expression is the desire to share her pen in a room full of people. “I really enjoy performing, and just want people to have a good time,” she says, in reference to live shows. “If you come out of my performance a little lighter and with a little more sense of community,” Brooklyn says she’s done her job. The 2022 Wammie Awards will be held on March 26 at Capital Turnaround at 6 p.m. Tickets range from $25-$45. Learn more at wammiesdc.org or on Instagram @wammiesdc. Brooklyn the Kid: @thatkidbrooklyn Capital Turnaround: 770 M St. SE, DC; capitalturnaround.com // @capturnaround Roquois: roquois.com // @roquois The Wammie Awards: wammiesdc.org // @wammiesdc 30 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
CULTURE
At the Intersection of
FEMINISM,
HISTORY +
TOURISM
Places to Celebrate D.C.’s Badass Women WORDS BY KAITLIN CALOGERA | PHOTOS BY CYNTHIA SCHIAVETTO Women’s History Month is a conflicting time for historians. The challenge is to celebrate women’s accomplishments while simultaneously reminding the public that the female experience is mostly overlooked and marginalized in mainstream narratives. Fortunately, here in the nation’s capital modern day feminists are centering women’s history and weaving stories from the past into everyday life and culture. The following 15 local sites highlight the city’s most badass women leaders at the intersection of feminism, history and tourism. These trailblazing women are managing the government, winning championships and presiding over universities. Each spot is included in A Tour of Her Own’s (TOHO) newest city guidebook “111 Places in Women’s History That You Must Not Miss,” which offers a full slate of women’s history in D.C. The Female Union Band Society Cemetery is the final resting place of mostly Black and Indigenous women who provided mutual aid to one another in sickness and death. Executive Director Lisa Fager not only shares the history of this Georgetown graveyard, but fiercely advocates to protect and preserve the endangered grounds. 2501 Mill Rd. NW, DC; mtzion-fubs.org // W@blackgeorgetown Most locals have admired the U Street mural featuring Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but few know about the woman who commissioned this piece. Lisa Wise is a champion of social justice for her community and CEO of Flock DC, a property management company whose headquarters serves as the foundation for Rose Jaffe’s artwork. Take a look at RBG’s hands and you’ll see the theme of the company; birds are symbolic of Wise’s grandmother who used to paint them. She reminds visitors of their importance: “The birds invite us all to soar. To follow our dreams. To break barriers.” 1508 U St. NW, DC; flock-dc.com // @flock_dc 32 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
From server to restaurant owner, Aschara Vigsittaboot’s immigration journey from southern Thailand to the United States is one to be celebrated. Honor her family history by visiting Beau Thai and ordering Udom’s Curry, named for her mother. Vigsittaboot advocates for the community by making considerable donations in support of local organizations like My Sister’s Place and New Endeavors by Women. 3162 Mt. Pleasant St. NW, DC; beauthaidc.com // @beauthai Interpreting a historic home to appeal to modern day visitors is a major responsibility that Mary Lesher tackles with ease and professionalism. As programs manager at Dumbarton House, she organizes community events that support local businesses and independent creators in a historic Georgetown space that honors diversity of both past and present. 2715 Q St. NW, DC; dumbartonhouse.org // @dumbartonhouse Anabella Arcay is a master chocolatier whose shop at La Cosecha
is definitely worth a visit. Not only are Arcay Chocolates absolutely delicious, but every bite highlights her story and perseverance as a Venezuelan immigrant. 1280 4th St. NE, DC; arcaychocolates.com; lacosechadc.com // @arcaychocolates; @lacosechadc Roberta “Bobbi” Cordano is the first woman and first member of the LGBTQ+ community to serve as president of Gallaudet University. The campus is one of the few places in the city that features a female memorial. The statue honors Alice Cogswell, a young girl who inspired Thomas Gallaudet to pursue deaf education. 800 Florida Ave. NE, DC; gallaudet.edu // @gallaudetu; @bobbicordano Reverend H.H. Leonards was a pallbearer at the funeral of Rosa Parks. The two became best friends at The Mansion on O Street, the Dupont museum founded by Leonards. She welcomed Parks during the 1990s to live out her final years in a safe and healing environment. The civil rights icon gave her the nickname “Lady H.” 2020 O St. NW, DC; omuseum.org // @omansion
CULTURE Olympic gold medalists Ariel Atkins and Elena Delle Donne were selected to train for the 2022 USA Basketball Women’s National Team. These athletes are local favorites and will step onto the court with the Washington Mystics during the 2022 season played at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast D.C. 1100 Oak Dr. SE, DC; mystics.wnba.com // @iamarielatkins; @de11edonne; @washmystics When the Washington Spirit captured their first franchise championship in 2021, accolades went to Trinity Rodman who was named the league’s Rookie of the Year. She’s been resigned to join the team at their home stadium, Audi Field. 100 Potomac Ave. SW, DC; washingtonspirit.com // @washingtonspirit; Jennifer Porter is the executive director of the Mayor’s Office on Women’s Policy and Initiatives (MOWPI), whose leadership helps enhance the quality of life for women in D.C., particularly in maternal healthcare. Her accomplishments as a Howard University alumna embody the vision of female artist Elizabeth Catlett, whose sculpture “Students Aspire” on Howard’s campus encourages the student body to work toward equality. 2400 6th St. NW, DC; communityaffairs.dc.gov/mowpi // @dcmowpi When the cherry blossoms hit peak bloom, there are two women we can thank. Local artist Lea Craigie-Marshall created the official artwork for the 2022 festival. Her commitment echoes that of Eliza Skidmore, the first woman to sit on the board of the National Geographic Society who led the campaign to bring these Japanese trees to the Tidal Basin. nationalcherryblossomfestival.org // @cherryblossfest @bluehuestudio
Ann Friedman retired as a first-grade teacher and went on to create one of D.C.’s newest museums: Planet Word, which provides immersive learning experiences in the language arts. As CEO, Friedman is on a mission to spark excitement about language and reading. 925 13th St. NW, DC; planetwordmuseum. org // @planetworddc Toyin Alli serves up divine comfort food at New Orleans-inspired Puddin’ located inside Union Market. The recipes are developed and tested in teamwork with her mother — and the Brown Butter Bourbon Bread Puddin’ is one of the best desserts in the city. 1309 5th St. NE, DC; dcpuddin.com // @dcpuddin Teaism founders Michelle Brown and Linda Neumann have created one of D.C.’s most hospitable cafes. It is now largely managed by Michelle’s daughter, Lela Singh, who grew up learning the business since it opened in 1996. 2009 R St. NW, DC; teaism.com // @teaism_dc Lauren Martin smashed the glass ceiling at one of Georgetown’s most traditional restaurants. As a 20s-something, she is the first woman in the family to lead Martin’s Tavern, making her a fifth-generation owner since her great-great grandfather established it in 1933. 1264 Wisconsin Ave. NW, DC; martinstavern.com // @martinstavern
In February 2022, Cynthia Chavez Lamar was announced as the first native woman to lead a Smithsonian museum (National Museum of the American Indian). Her initiatives will amplify the Indigenous experience, much like the work of Zitkala-Sa whose image as “Red Bird” is depicted in the “Legacy of Resilience” mural in Anacostia. 2027 Martin Luther King Ave. SE, DC; americanindian.si.edu // @smithsoniannmai
Editor’s Note: District Fray Magazine is excited to announce our official partnership with A Tour Of Her Own. TOHO is the first tourism company in D.C. to focus exclusively on women’s history. We proudly support their programming The LINEUP that includes live and virtual tours, salons and book talks. Their 2022 schedule is open for registration at atourofherown.com/partners2022. For a 35% discount on programs in The LINEUP as well as annual memberships, use FRAY2022 at checkout.
FIRST PAGE. Kaitlin Calogera, founder of A Tour of Her Own. THIRD PAGE. Aschara Vigsittaboot, founder of Beau Thai.
DISTRICT FRAY | 33
Get Inked CULTURE
The DC Tattoo Expo returns March 25-27 with more than 200 of the city’s best tattoo artists.
WORDS BY NICOLE SCHALLER
Spring is synonymous with renewal and in 2022, the sentiment could not be truer as an influx of events return from a two-year pandemic hibernation. For tattoo artists and enthusiasts in the DMV, the DC Tattoo Expo March 25-27 is a long-awaited return. “This will actually be my second time going,” Maryland-based tattoo artist Nina Sun from Damascus Tattoo Company says. “I’ve been tattooing for around three years and when I went to DC Expo last time, I was just getting started. It will be interesting for me to see how I’ve grown as an artist.” Starting her tattoo apprenticeship in March 2019 before Covid-19 hit, Sun’s detailed realist and surrealist work earned her a spot at the Expo — and being completely booked every day of the event. Similarly, local tattoo artist Chelsea Darling from Mister Finster’s Tattoo Studio — who specializes in high contrast black and grey line work — is excited to use the Expo to learn and reflect on her journey as an artist since the last one. “I attended the DC Tattoo Expo a couple times as an apprentice in 2018 and 2019,” Darling says. “They are always a good time. This will be my first time tattooing [at the Expo], which I’m actually a bit nervous about. I’m looking forward to being able to check out all the 34 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
other artists now that I have a different perspective and understanding on tattooing.” Located at the Sheraton Pentagon Hotel in Arlington, the Expo will host more than 200 artists and is expected to have 15,000 people attend. When selecting which artists to invite like Sun and Darling, organizer and owner of Northern Virginia’s Exposed Tattoo Greg Piper curated a group based on established and up-and-coming talent. “Being a tattooer for 34 years now, I still keep up with the best artists in the business,” Piper says. “And as our business and the art continues to evolve, I continue to seek out the best new artists and of course the best old-time artists for the show.” Piper also made a point to emphasize, “I always want to showcase the best artists in the D.C. area. After all, it is our show.” Along with scheduled onsite tattoos, the Expo will host a myriad of contests for people to enter prior to the show, like Best Sleeve, Neo-Traditional and Overall, as well as Tattoo of the Day for attendees who receive tattoos at the convention. There is a category dedicated just for artists to enter and the Miss DC Pinup Contest where the winner will receive a $300 cash prize, trophy and a photoshoot with Capitol Bombshell Photography.
CULTURE
Chelsea Darling. Photo courtesy of subject.
DISTRICT FRAY | 35
CULTURE Each day there will also be a performance from the vaudeville duo Captain & Maybelle who are best known for their appearance on “America’s Got Talent” and a burlesque show from Cervena Fox. Both performances will take place on the main stage and will provide a chance for attendees to collectively gather and mingle, which is a large point of the Expo. Unanimously, all three tattoo artists cited they were eager to reconnect with friends and meet new acquaintances while there. “I’m significantly more connected and secure,” Sun says, reflecting on where she is now compared to her first Expo. “I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends again and networking with more people in the DMV area.” Piper adds, “I have so many friends that make up the artists who will be attending, so it will be amazing to see all of them again after two years.” And whether a first-time visitor or a veteran, the DC Tattoo Expo promises to meet its high expectations of previous years with the set schedule. “[Visitors] can expect to see amazing art and entertainment,” Piper says. “Clothing, supplies and everything tattoo will be featured and brought together for the fine residents of the D.C. area, all while watching the best artists in the world lay down some killer ink.”
The DC Tattoo Expo will start on Friday, March 25 and end on Sunday, March 27. To see each day’s hours and event schedule, visit dctattooexpo.com/eventschedule.php Damascus Tattoo Company: 26138 Ridge Rd. Damascus, MD; dmastattoo.com // @damascustattoocompany; @thejaydetyger DC Tattoo Expo at Sheraton Pentagon Hotel: 900 S Orme St. Arlington, VA; dctattooexpo.com // @dctattooexpo Exposed Temptations Tattoo: 8696 Liberia Ave. Manassas, VA; exposedtattoo.com // @xposedtattoo; @tattoosbypiper Mister Finster’s Tattoo Studio: 412 W Broad St. Falls Church, VA; misterfinsterstattoo.com // @fin_tattoo; @ohmydarlingtattoos 2019 DC Tattoo Expo contest. Photo by Brian Delhagen.
36 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
Tattoo Pro Tips Post-tattoo care Chelsea Darling: Really pay attention to the tattoo the first couple days after getting the tattoo. Keep it clean and listen to your body. Don’t overdo it with the ointment. Nina Sun: Every artist recommends something slightly different. I tell my clients don’t be lazy but keep it simple. There’s a million aftercare products out there but I love the old antibacterial hand soap, and then Aquaphor because that’s the most gentle. And then just don’t f—k with it and keep it moisturized.
Biggest current tattoo trend Sun: Micro realism tattoos, but I use that term loosely because it’s no longer small. The micro realism aesthetic is a fine, single needle, super detailed design that used to only be an inch in size. Now, it can be any size. It’s really popular because celebrities get them.
Advice for people choosing their next tattoo Darling: I think it’s really important to find an artist who matches the style you are looking for and allow them to have some creative freedom with your idea. When clients ask for too many specifics in one tattoo, I think they tend to end up with something that might not necessarily work as a tattoo. Trust your artist. If you’re unsure about what you want, I think the Expo is a great place for inspiration. There are a ton of different artists with different styles.
WORDS BY JOE MARSHALL
An artist is defined by their voice — a unique point of view that governs the art they create. Actor, activist, writer and photographer Billie Krishawn has dedicated her life to honing her voice and translating it through multiple mediums with the same end goal: to heal her community. “As a woman of color, I am overflowing with stories of my own and all those who came before me,” Krishawn says, reflecting on the meaning of her work. “Both as an artist and as a person, I’m a healer. As a storyteller, I want to tell the stories of as many people as possible, weaving the line and filling the gaps that connect us all.” Although she prefers to pursue purpose over accolades, Krishawn, a Duke Ellington alumna, is certainly no stranger to awards. She’s performed on some of the city’s biggest stages, including Arena Stage and the Kennedy Center, and in 2019 she was nominated for a Helen Hayes and a BroadwayWorld Washington, DC Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for her work in “Melancholy Play” and “Treasure Island.” In 2020, she won her first Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Performer for her work in “Blood at the Root,” a play that examines racial double standards and injustice as it explores the story of the Jena Six. From Krishawn’s work in “A Raisin in the Sun” to the Smithsonian’s “Greensboro Lunch Counter,” her credits speak directly to her artistic mission: healing generational divide and injustice by giving voice to characters who are often rendered voiceless in society. On stage, Krishawn delivers electric performances filled with authentic vulnerability, which create new pathways to empathy for viewers who may be unfamiliar with the struggles of the underrepresented communities she brings to life. “I feel, as Black folk, it is our responsibility to participate in the fight against racial injustice in some way,” Krishawn says on the importance of increasing the visibility of Black voices both on and off the stage. “It’s not my responsibility to educate the uniformed, but when we simply tell them to educate themselves we leave room for miseducation. This allows other 38 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
Each month, local comedian and actor, Joe Marshall sits down with a local artist to pick their brain about all things creative and their role in the D.C. performing arts scene.
people to put their voices in our stories.” It was that same desire to narrate the stories of her people which led Krishawn to the front lines of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, sparked by the murder of George Floyd. Her photos, which have been published by DC Theatre Scene, document the stories and resilience of the unarmed protestors surviving nights of tear gas, mace and rubber bullets. “Our ancestors didn’t have a pause button,” Krishawn says in response to why she risked her personal safety to document protests during a global pandemic. “I had to fight so hard just to figure out who my ancestors were because their stories were erased, so I feel like it’s my responsibility to keep these stories alive for generations to come.” As a published writer, Krishawn has a voice that’s equal parts grit and grace. Her fierce intentionality with words, giftwrapped in the warmth of her personality, can penetrate even the most biased defenses. She’s the “spoon-full-of-sugar” that helps the medicine go down, as Mary Poppins would describe it. However, finding her voice wasn’t an easy journey. She recalls a moment in 2016, after speaking out about the murder of Mike Brown where her concerned father warned her she might be risking work opportunities. But Krishawn says the workplace is exactly where her voice is needed. In 2020, after a collection of Black, Indigenous and people of color theatre workers wrote an open letter to White American Theater challenging discriminatory practicies, Krishawn launched the SoSu Series — a collection of filmed interviews of Black indigenous women (cis and trans) and nonbinary people of color working in the D.C. theatre scene. SoSu Series highlights their work and engages in conversations around the untold struggles of being a woman or nonbinary, “in an industry that often neglects, mishandles and silences them,” Krishawn says.
CUE THE LIGHTS | CULTURE
Krishawn has even suggested creating a new theatre position titled Culture Consultant, who would be an advocate for artists of color throughout the process of a play. Acknowledging the value of her voice, Krishawn is well aware of the impact it has on herself and others. “As a Black person, I carry the weight of all those who came before me. As a Black woman, I carry the silence of those who never got to speak their truth. As a Black woman in America, I carry the strength required to push past the barriers intricately stacked against me.” You can stay connected with Krishawn by visiting billiekrishawn.com where you can find information on her upcoming performances. Follow her on Instagram @absolutereality. Photo courtesy of subject.
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Whether you’re decorating like a grown-up, carving out time to sweat it out, rearing your progeny, dating in the digital age, nurturing your relationships, navigating pet ownership or getting your finances in order, can we all acknowledge “adulting” is challenging? We feel your pain. With that in mind, this issue is our gift to you: a loose playbook of tips, hacks and real-life stories to help you navigate all the nuances of urban adulting. Steadfast Supply’s Virginia Arrisueño. Photo by Shaughn Cooper.
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LIFE
And You May Ask Yourself,
“Well, How Did I Get Here?” D.C. couple Kelly Towles and Virginia Arrisueño open up about the challenges and joys of entrepreneurship, parenthood and equal partnership.
WORDS BY MONICA ALFORD | PHOTOS BY SHAUGHN COOPER
“I am humbled and honored to wake up every day and say, ‘I get to live this life.’” Kelly Towles and his wife Virginia Arrisueño are sitting together at their massive wooden kitchen table, the anchor of their charming brownstone’s lower level. He speaks with conviction, one hand petting their Siberian Husky pup Sinchi and the other gesticulating with the enthusiasm of someone who has no trouble expressing themselves across different mediums. “It can be hard to wake up and be positive and go forward, but I am very, very content with my life. I have a beautiful wife. I have an amazing son. I have an okay dog.” Sinchi’s unfazed, patiently waiting for more pets, and Arrisueño giggles at her husband’s faux slight. Towles, an artist known for his iconic pop art and graffitiinspired murals around the District, is the mastermind behind D.C. Walls (formerly the Pow! Wow! DC mural festival). He’s built a sterling reputation for himself locally, not only for championing up-and-coming muralists but also as a staple of D.C.’s creative scene. As the city has shifted into a thriving creative hub and upped its hip factor, Towles has been here to see it happen and help propel its forward momentum. Arrisueño is every bit the entrepreneur her husband is, transitioning from owning knitwear line De*Nada to opening brick and mortar Steadfast Supply in 2016. The Navy Yard boutique is one of the city’s most popular locations for supporting local makers and a D.C. go-to for unique gifts and home goods. “To look at what I have lined up this year and what she’s working on — I’m just excited,” Towles adds, noting their robust business plans for the upcoming year. “I’m very, very stoked.” Towles’ statements feel like the inverse of David Byrne’s famous verse: “And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife // And you may ask yourself, ‘Well, how did I get here?’” Unlike the “Once in a Lifetime” lyrics, Towles knows Kelly Towles + Virginia Arrisueño with their son Atticus + dog Sinchi.
exactly how he and Arrisueño got here. They worked their asses off, and every bit of their happiness is the direct result of what they’ve built at home and in business for two decades.
Setting The Scene It’s a cold Sunday in late January, the only day of the week Towles and Arrisueño unplug from their careers to enjoy their weekend ritual with 10-year-old son Atticus. They’re spending the first part of their day off together in their open-air, exposed brick home in Adams Morgan, speaking candidly about the delicate balance they’ve had to strike to make their partnership and life together work. The pair has been together for 21 years and married for almost 12, and the longevity of their relationship is apparent from even a brief interaction with them. Towles speaks with frenetic energy at a rapid pace, while Arrisueño is demure and soft spoken. They both converse with intentionality, in one accord on every piece of information they share. Their aesthetic is similar too, and it seems by design and not forced. Arrisueño is striking in all black, a simple and chic look, and Towles exudes a monochromatic vibe with a gray-and-black checkered button down and black jeans. Atticus is also in all black, a perfect combination of his mom and dad, with pieces of their individual personalities popping up as he opines about his “Star Wars” Legos and politely asks to enjoy a snack in his room on the third story of their home. There’s a quiet peace to the couple, a calm resolve. Every goal is shared; every moment to look forward to holds equal weight with each of them. They embody the juxtaposition of urban, career-driven living and familyoriented values, a reminder there is no such thing as one size fits all in this life — not for partnerships, parenting, home ownership or any other aspect of navigating adulthood. DISTRICT FRAY | 43
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LIFE Arrisueño met Towles at the University of Maryland; Towles was her TA in sculpture class and the two formed a friendship several years before they began dating. She moved into his studio apartment in the city not too far into their relationship, and while the tight quarters were less than ideal, it was a no-brainer they’d build their careers in D.C. Her family is local and a big part of her support network, and they’ve both watched with pride as the city changed for the better over the past decade. She says they graduated from a studio to a one-bedroom apartment to a loft — and now to their current home, which they’ve lived in for four years. The wall behind Arrisueño is lined with dozens of photos of the family: avid travelers on their many adventures. Across the room above a leather sofa is a family portrait featuring depictions of some of Towles’ signature abstracted figures. The expansive canvas is filled with pops of turquoise, purple and gold, and at its center is a tatted up Towles, Arrisueño sporting an asymmetrical pixie cut with her hand on a young Atticus’s head, and their then two pups rounding out the pack. A quick glance at the work of art would conjure up a feeling of déjà vu for any D.C. native familiar with his murals around the city. Stacks of books line the brick wall and Towles’ hydroponic garden climbs high near the kitchen. Nestled on the second story is Arrisueño’s modern office space, a sanctuary for the Type A planner. Their home is warm and inviting, an extension of the atmosphere they’ve crafted after years of patiently waiting for more space for their family in one of the country’s most expensive markets.
The Barter System After a quick vegetarian lunch with Atticus, Towles and Arrisueño reflect on the unconventional career paths they took together. While their professions do not intersect — with the exception of supporting one another tangentially — they both made conscious decisions to be self-made: Towles by becoming a full-time artist and Arrisueño by building her own businesses. And with that, a level of discipline was needed that does not come naturally to everyone. DISTRICT FRAY | 45
LIFE “We knew we could support each other to create a lifestyle that works for us,” Arrisueño says. “It wasn’t easy, but we leaned on each other so much. We just communicated and were very open and transparent and worked together to say, ‘This is going to be a fair situation.’ Sometimes, one of us will have to step up to the plate more so the other person can… Further their career,” Towles finishes. “But then, we’ll make sure that… Gets reciprocated,” he adds. “And we still do it,” she notes. While the couple seems to have mastered the balancing act of an equal partnership, they note the strict schedule they kept themselves on when Atticus was born. “We literally had a barter system,” Towles says, noting domestic responsibilities like looking after their son and walking their dogs. “We would barter shifts if someone had something they had to do, like an event. If [one of us] accrued a certain amount of things, the other person would have to pay it back in that way. It was very militant. We had to do that.” Towles has an especially interesting challenge: being pigeonholed as a free-spirited artist with an “easy” gig. “My job is so abstract to most people. They don’t understand how an artist lives or survives, and they just think I draw silly pictures for a living.” He’s quick to lay out the things he and Arrisueño have had to learn about running a business, and all the behind-the-scenes work and countless, aroundthe-clock hours spent making it happen. “Our support system was through each other. We have friends who are artistic, but not people who worked as much as we did. We just had the conviction and knowledge of being like, ‘Nothing is going to make itself happen unless we do it.’ I love what I do. I love killing myself for this because if I didn’t do this, I would go insane. It’s not work. We have an amazing life. You just have to sacrifice a lot.”
Life with Atticus Arrisueño is no stranger to the formidable foe that plagues women everywhere: mom guilt. She whittles down her mindset when Atticus was young to one word: hustle. Daily life was a game of Tetris to allow her to continue running De*Nada — which, infuriatingly but not surprisingly, people assumed she would shut down or hand off when her son was born — while prioritizing her family. It wasn’t unusual for her to fire up the laptop at 4 a.m. on most days, squeezing in as much work as she could before anyone else in the house stirred. While some women might worry about sacrificing their identity as they enter motherhood, Arrisueño says being a mom has added to her identity. “It is a blessing to be a mom,” she says. “But if someone wants to be a mom and then also start or continue having a career, is it possible? Yes. Is it hard? Yes. Is it going to require sacrifice? Yes.” 46 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
Nothing matters more to her than incorporating Atticus in nearly everything she and Towles do, from traveling for work and/or pleasure to shared family activities. In fact, she never spends more than two days away from her son. “Kelly and I really lean on each other because I don’t want to be away from my son. I’ve traveled without him one time, and that was a special trip with my dad. Other than that, I travel everywhere with him. I’ve traveled to Peru, I’ve traveled to Japan, I’ve traveled to Austin — with him. I don’t want to be separated from him.” She says Towles has made this possible for her, finding ways to join her on trade show trips to NYC or Vegas for Steadfast Supply so they can all be together. He’s particularly proud of one Vegas trip where he successfully picked up Chipotle for the family, knocked out a CVS trip and sped through the casino with a then much younger Atticus — who wanted to touch everything — narrowly avoiding a meltdown. The way he describes it sounds like crushing the final level in Super Mario Bros, and that is 100% what succeeding at the little things as a parent feels like sometimes. On the flipside, Towles has the flexibility to create work opportunities most anywhere they want to travel. “I can just randomly make up things. I’m going to go paint a wall in this country and find a way to do it. And if it works and I can actually make a monetary situation out of it, then what better way?” The couple is working to instill their shared work ethic in Atticus, something they both feel strongly about. For example, their son doesn’t get an allowance. “He gets paid hourly for doing his chores. He gets paid $15 an hour, just like anybody else would. But he’s got to work. If he doesn’t work, he doesn’t get money.” Towles adds: “He can’t come to us and be like, ‘Daddy, I want Legos.’ ‘Cool, how much money is in your bank account?’ ‘$20.’ ‘Okay, you can only afford something that’s $20.’ ‘No Daddy, I want this one. It’s $60.’ ‘You don’t have the money.’” And that’s just it, he says. He refuses to be fake about money — or life lessons. “We’re going to teach him how to pay credit cards and rent. My parents never did. If I had that knowledge when I came up, I would think it was the dumbest thing I’d ever been taught. But after I’d learned and had that experience, I’d be like, ‘Ohhh.’ Teach them young — everything.” Whether they’re seeking adventures in Japan or Costa Rica or back home in the daily grind, Arrisueño says how they show up for Atticus is the top priority. When he was younger, her schedule wasn’t something he could really process. But now, he’s old enough to understand what sacrifices she makes to be present as much as possible in his life.
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LIFE “When I go to work, I want to be a really good example for Atticus. I want to be a good role model and example as a strong mother. ‘Mommy has to go to work, but Mommy is coming back home for dinner.’ That’s important to me.” Towles recalls the diaper-changing days, where lack of sleep and constant breastfeeding were among the schedule changes they — like all parents — had to adjust to for a few years. “If you train your body, you can do anything,” he says. “Look at Navy SEALs. They train their bodies to not breathe underwater. It’s possible.” Arrisueño laughs, clearly pleased with her husband’s comparison of a mom to a Navy SEAL. “We just have to constantly pivot and work together to make sure we create a lifestyle that’s good for Atticus, because he’s the number one priority in our lives,” she says. “And then also our businesses, because if we’re unable to make money, we can’t eat.”
On Equal Footing Towles, who fondly refers to his wife as his boss, points out there’s no one telling them to do their jobs. “There’s no boss telling me, ‘Get up, go make X, Y and Z, and do your job.’” “Well, I do,” Arrisueño quips. “Yeah, that’s why I call you my boss. But you don’t specifically tell me, ‘You have to get up, do this mural, write this proposal, do X, contact Bill and tell him to pay you.’ There’s no one who does that. It’s really, really amazing we get to do that. But if I don’t do it? Broke. If she doesn’t go to work and kill herself doing what she needs to do? Broke. And once you have that mentality of, ‘I’m going to hustle [for] everything,’ it changes.” Their relationship runs like a well-oiled machine, where supporting one another comes as second nature. But like anything in life, it’s taken a considerable amount of time to get to a place where the couple trusts each other completely. “If you want to have a good relationship, you really have to communicate,” Arrisueño says. “You have to work together. You have to really sit down and talk to each other.” Towles stresses the importance of being an open book, sharing that his own tumultuous upbringing further solidified his resolve to be faithful and show up for his family — always. “She can enter my emails, my Instagram — I have nothing to hide from her,” he says of Arrisueño. “That’s how open you need to be in a relationship. That would take some people aback. Why? It’s freeing. It’s honestly the best thing ever because I have nothing to worry about. I have nothing to hide from her, she has nothing to hide from me. We don’t even need to go into each other’s phones because we just talk to each other and clearly communicate what we need, want or have to do.” Arrisueño adds, “It wasn’t like that at the start, obviously. We just grew together. Our relationship grew. Our bond grew. We put insecurities aside and said, ‘Let’s work together. We’re on the same team.’” Towles perks up, saying, “It’s really hard to build up that trust. But that’s what I’m saying. I’m so excited to be in this relationship, but also to be secure in knowing she has my back 1,000% and I have hers. I could order dinner and have the entire night planned without even making a phone call. I’d just figure every single thing out. I know what she hates, what she doesn’t 48 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
hate. Some people don’t even know how to flush a toilet and wash their hands. It’s complicated for them. Having faith in someone else is really freeing and great, and I wish more people could have that. That would be awesome.” He cheekily adds, “I will give advice for $25.” They might be a stellar husband-and-wife team, but they know their limits, too. When asked if they’d ever start a business together, they both pause and wait for the other to answer. “I’m waiting for you,” Towles says. “You can put your foot in your mouth.” Arrisueño elaborates: “We’re so strongminded and both like to take charge at our own workplace — that, in a work environment together, may be complicated.” Towles adds, “We’re both stubborn. We want to do our stuff and get our way and that’s how we operate every day, all our lives. It’s better to be truthful and honest with each other. Don’t force something.” The ability to recognize who your person is and love and accept them completely, no matter what, is what makes a relationship work year after year. And it’s these little moments of normalcy, sitting at the kitchen table on a Sunday afternoon teasing one another about your quirks, that bind us all — no matter what our hustle or motivation is at the end of the day.
Arrisueño plans to bring in new brands constantly this year, creating more opportunities for locals to support small businesses across the globe. From April to September, Steadfast Supply will offer monthly pop-up and kids’ series, as well as pet-friendly events. Towles has a snowboard coming out in Japan soon, as well as several local mural projects in the queue with D.C. United and metrobar DC. He’s also got a collaboration with local chefs in the works, with more details coming soon, and a tiki mug making its debut at U Street bar Archipelago. In late March or early April, D.C. Walls will host a smaller spring festival at RFK Stadium in partnership with Events DC and in September, the full mural festival will return in NOMA. When Arrisueño and Towles aren’t hustling, they’re planning epic trips with Atticus including an upcoming five-day hike in Japan or exploring D.C.’s burgeoning cultural scene. Among their favorite outings are Smithsonian’s National Zoo, the National Arboretum, The REACH at the Kennedy Center, Rock Creek Park and a myriad of Smithsonian museums downtown. Towles spends free time cultivating his green thumb with his hydroponic garden and Arrisueño is always looking for new hikes for them to go on with Sinchi. On Sundays, they grab lemonade or hot chocolate (depending on the weather) with Atticus and go on a three-mile hike that ends at their favorite farmers market. If they have any downtime left over, the couple can be found fawning over their little pocket of Adams Morgan for its diversity, family-friendliness and sense of community. Follow Arrisueño at @virginia_arrisueno and Towles at @kellytowles on Instagram. D.C. Walls: dc-walls.com // @dcwallsfestival Steadfast Supply: 301 Tingey St. #120, SE, DC; steadfastsupply.com // @steadfastsupplydc
Relationships Remixed
11 D.C. Couples with Serious Swagger COMPILED BY ANDREW J. WILLIAMS III This month, we’re bowing to 11 badass local couples making moves (with righteous intent) and leaving their mark on the District. Among several questions, we ask how they’d remix the concept of power couple. What emerged is a collective belief that the energy you bring, the responsibility you share (to each other and your community), and the joy of the journey all greatly matter. We also learned love and humor coexist well. Thank you for the laughs and inspiration.
Jennifer Jean-Pierre + Jermaine Maull. Photo courtesy of subjects.
LIFE
ANDRA “AJ” JOHNSON PARTNER + BEVERAGE DIRECTOR OF SERENATA + FOUNDER OF WHITE PLATES, BLACK FACES + SARAH MCCREARY DIRECTOR OF BRAND MARKETING OF COLADA SHOP
Power Couple, Redefined When you think of a power couple most people gravitate toward this idea of influence and affluence. We don’t see ourselves that way and don’t want to be seen that way. If anything, we want to empower each other to be the best people we can be to ourselves and to others. And if that inspires others to do the same then we are here for it. Strike A Balance A healthy mix of yoga, good wine and Taco Bell. We don’t get to spend a lot of our nights hanging out together so when we do, we always try to incorporate things we love.
Couple Mantra We don’t have one [but] we should probably get one. Lessons Learned We both helped each other to build confidence in our talents and turn the things that get us excited into creative careers. Plus, AJ taught me (Sarah) how to make my first Negroni for her first stint behind the bar and I remind AJ to take a break every once in a while. Conflict Resolution Tips Constructive communication and active listening. We have been together for over five years and what we know for sure is that disagreements will occur but choosing to have the hard conversations and talk through it with an open mind works better than sweeping things under the rug. We always try to speak each other’s love languages. Caffeine Dependency Sarah most definitely. The day does not start without three shots of espresso. Daily Hustle We both understand you’ve got to just go for it. We’ve both been each other’s biggest cheerleaders, no matter what. We support each other’s individual dreams, even when it means that we don’t get to spend as much time together or even live in the same city. The Meet Cute Sarah was hired at the restaurant that I (AJ) was the assistant general manager of at the time. The general manager told me we weren’t hiring any new people and we needed to focus on our current staff. I went on vacation for a week and when I came back there was this new person there that “We just had to hire.” He was right. D.C. Date Spot AMC Theatres Georgetown. We are the queens of the double feature. Celebrity Hall Pass Johnson: Megan Thee Stallion McCreary: Kate McKinnon Our Song “Beyond” by Leon Bridges is our song but Kehlani is an artist we always groove to. Follow Johnson and McCreary on their personal IGs @whiteplatesblackfaces and @smc_cheer_y. Follow their businesses here: @serenatadc and serenatadc.com and @coladashop and coladashop.com, respectively.
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LIFE
DR. KIMBERLY KONG CO-FOUNDER OF NOM DIGITAL MARKETING + DEKE DUNNE BAR DIRECTOR + BARTENDER OF ALLEGORY Power Couple, Redefined We’re not trying to redefine any genre. We’re just focused on having the most fun and loving relationship possible. Strike A Balance What’s balance? Ha. We spend as much time together as possible but we’re both very career driven so it’s more about being flexible and understanding of each other’s goals. Couple Mantra Not really, but if we had to choose it’d probably be, “Don’t be shitty.” Lessons Learned We inspire each other all the time — Deke is a much cleaner person now. Conflict Resolution Tips If tensions ever do arise, communication is key. Always listen and be respectful because your partner’s feelings are always valid. Caffeine Dependency Kim’s more of a morning person and Deke’s a night owl, but our caffeine consumption is comparable; substantial. Daily Hustle Unwavering understanding and support. There’s so much less tension when you both have an intimate understanding of what the other person’s going through. The Meet Cute We met at Chance for Life and then saw each other again at a Mardi Gras event a few days later. It didn’t take long until we slid into each other’s DMs. D.C. Date Spot We like to keep things fresh so our favorite spot is a spot we’ve never been to before. Celebrity Hall Pass Deke’s is Ryan Reynolds and Kim’s is Devon Aoki. Our Song We have polar opposite musical tastes but we find common ground while headbanging to Bring Me The Horizon.
Follow Dunne and Kong on their personal IGs @deke_dc and @bykimberlykong.
Follow their businesses here: @allegory_dc and allegorydc.com and @nom_digital and nomdigital.net, respectively.
LEFT. AJ Johnson + Sarah McCreary. Photo by Mariana Pierce. RIGHT. Deke Dunne + Dr. Kimberly Kong. Photo by Jan Glavan.
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STEVE “DJ LEMZ” LEMMERMAN DJ + EVENT PRODUCER + STUART PARLIER COMMUNICATIONS + MARKETING MANAGER Power Couple, Redefined It’s about understanding you won’t always be after the same thing but you share an energy across all you do, together or apart. Strike A Balance Work/life balance is huge and sometimes that means clocking each other when those boundaries start to slip. Our work schedules diverge more often than align — you’ll find Stuart on the dance floor when Steve’s work really begins — so finding time when we’re both off the clock is important. Couple Mantra Don’t take yourself too seriously. We try to imbue humor or irreverence in most of what we do and are generally hesitant to work with people who don’t.
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Lessons Learned Steve taught Stuart how important kindness and compassion is to everything in life. Stuart taught Steve that you have to be a dick sometimes. Conflict Resolution Tips Talk. Don’t let issues or emotions stew because that only makes it worse. Steve is great with this, Stuart not so much. Also, kiss your cat. Caffeine Dependency Stuart needs more [caffeine] on [the] basis of having to wake up early during the week and also having so many cute mugs to [use]. Daily Hustle Patience. The understanding that as much as we love working together, we also have our own things going on that have their own needs. And being aware not everything will work out as planned; it’s great to succeed with your partner but it’s equally (if not more) important to be there for them when it doesn’t. The Meet Cute Friends introduced us at Asylum (RIP) almost 13 years ago. Within a month or two, we were living together, which in general is a terrible idea and wow,
what were we honestly thinking? But somehow, it worked out for us. Fun fact: After Asylum closed, it became Smoke & Barrel. Ten years later, we had our wedding rehearsal dinner at Smoke & Barrel as a commemoration. D.C. Date Spot Kura Sushi. Is it the best restaurant in D.C.? No. Is it the best sushi in D.C.? No. Is it on a conveyor belt? Hell yes. Celebrity Hall Pass Hall passes are easy. Try finding someone who the other partner wouldn’t want. The only thing that would break us is finding out the other hooked up with sweet baby Sufjan Stevens without them. Our Song Music has always been a huge part of our relationship — it was basically the genesis of it — and we share a lot of the same tastes. So long answer? Too much for this article. But the short answer? Kylie Minogue. Follow Lemz and Parlier on their personal IGs @djlemz and @stuartsaysstop. Follow Lemz’s businesses here: djlemz.com and sleazeparty.com.
LEFT. Steve Lemmerman + Stuart Parlier. RIGHT. Donald Calloway Jr. + Dionna Dorsey Calloway. Photos courtesy of subjects.
LIFE Power Couple, Redefined Any couple who intentionally operates in their purpose, knows what works best for them and does so on their own terms. Strike A Balance We’re newlyweds. So between that and the pandemic, we’re constantly working to find a healthy balance with our family, work and all of the changes in the world.
DIONNA DORSEY CALLOWAY OWNER OF DISTRICT OF CLOTHING + DONALD CALLOWAY JR. CEO OF PINE STREET STRATEGIES + FOUNDER OF THE NATIONAL VOTER PROTECTION ACTION FUND
Couple Mantra Dionna has one: “Love yourself and give generously.” Lessons Learned We both lead with purpose in our careers, but we [also] strategize frequently and remind each other to take risks. This creates a sort of sharpening of each other that strengthens our partnership and is rather priceless. Conflict Resolution Tips The big 3: prayer, communication and therapy. Caffeine Dependency Definitely Dionna. Coffee and green juice. Daily Hustle You never have to apologize for working and the commitment it takes to keep things moving forward. The Meet Cute Don contacted Dionna for creative services in 2017. D.C. Date Spot Primrose Celebrity Hall Pass Nope. We are each other’s celebrity [hall pass]. Our Song “You and I” [by] Stevie Wonder Follow the Calloways on their personal IGs @dionnadorsey and @dcalloway. Follow their businesses here: @districtofclothing and districtofclothing.com and @pinestreetdc and pinestreetdc.com, respectively. DISTRICT FRAY | 53
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CASSIE UX/UI DESIGNER + ALEXA PROJECT MANAGER, TWOFEMMEGEMS Power Couple, Redefined We’re all about the idea of the healthy (mind, body, spirit connection) power couple. Just by nature of being two women, we’ve been able to really carve out our own roles in our relationship
that aren’t based on gender stereotypes but instead [are] based on interest/ skillset. To me, the modern power couple (whether it’s a same-sex couple or not) is one that throws gender roles out the window and operates from a basis of respect, love, kindness and desire to see each person be their highest self. The power comes from within and once you harness it, there is no stopping you. Strike A Balance A lot of laughter, mindfulness and joy. We keep each other on our toes and are constantly laughing. We practice
mindfulness and keep ourselves grounded by not taking ourselves too seriously. And we fill our life with all the things that bring us joy. And cats. Couple Mantra No dream is too crazy. We’re both big dreamers and have often found that others have a hard time seeing the vision. In our family we live by the mantra “No dream is too crazy.” Just because someone might not be able to visualize it doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. Lessons Learned Alexa: Cassie has 100% taught me how to creatively approach problems. As a scientist, I think pretty linearly and Cassie has taught me how to access more abstract parts of my brain. Cassie: I tend to like working solo on projects and Alexa has really taught me how to collaborate in positive ways and in a way [that] is positive for me. Conflict Resolution Tips Communication. Good communication is the key to any great relationship. Take time to learn how your partner likes to communicate and develop your own communication as a couple. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ultimately any tension point can be smoothed over with good communication. Caffeine Dependency Cassie usually needs more caffeine but Alexa is the one who regularly drinks it (green tea for us with the occasional coffee). Daily Hustle Honestly, just having someone who can see your vision even if it’s not quite in focus yet and helps you achieve success. The Meet Cute We met on Bumble. D.C. Date Spot We’re big foodies so you can most likely find us at any number of D.C.’s amazing restaurants. Kinship has been our favorite so far. Celebrity Hall Pass Alexa: Lisa Ling Cassie: Elizabeth Mitchell Our Song Our taste in music could not be more different but we both love Mac Miller and Doja Cat. Follow Alexa and Cassie’s blog @twofemmegems and twofemmegems.com.
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ZSUDAYKA NZINGA ARTIST, CURATOR + ART EDUCATOR + JAMES TERRELL // THE COLOR OF SOUND PAINTER, SINGER, SONGWRITER + GUITARIST Power Couple, Redefined Experiencing a relationship where both people are able to be powerful and accepting how that might fluctuate from one moment to the next — including times where the woman is successful and that’s not intimidating [to] the man. Strike A Balance Our connection to God and spirit is very important in our lives. Making sure we pray consistently and keep focus on our goals is key. [Also] lots of plants.
Couple Mantra We always say, “The family that paints together, stays together.”
friends and painting buddies who fell in love over a shared love for art, calamari and good bourbon.
Lessons Learned Recognizing success looks different for everybody and not to compare, even to each other.
D.C. Date Spot Filomena’s. No matter where else we have gone, they still have our favorite calamari in the District.
Conflict Resolution Tips You have to choose to be married every day. Every day you wake up and say yes and when you encounter rough moments remember, you said yes today.
Celebrity Hall Pass We asked each other this question and ended up in a laughter-filled rabbit hole that really didn’t end in any good names. We will be discussing [it] further (lol).
Caffeine Dependency We are caffeine-free but love a good tea and super greens smoothie to start the day.
Our Song I’ve (Zsudayka) definitely forced my husband to see Eric Roberson like five times. I’m sure he’s grown on him now.
Daily Hustle Having support with the family while sometimes working very long hours is important.
Follow Nzinga and Terrell on their personal IGs @zsudayka and @jtcolorofsound. Follow their businesses here: @blackartistsofdc2021 and ourbadc.org.com and @terrellartseducation and terrellartsdc.com, respectively.
The Meet Cute James came to one of my (Zsudayka) first art exhibitions and we became good
LEFT. Cassie + Alexa. Photo by Abigail of Abidoodle Productions. RIGHT. James Terrell + Zsudayka Nzinga. Photo by Akem Photography.
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RACH PIKE + JO MCDANIEL CO-FOUNDERS OF AS YOU ARE BAR
important that we still date each other. It matters to us that we stay curious and connected because this work changes and challenges us daily and we want to enjoy it.
Power Couple, Redefined To quote Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.” To us, that means being a power couple includes responsibility to the community you are representing and serving, as well as the flexibility that comes with being held accountable in case we misstep. In our case, that means we are running a space that makes safe the most marginalized of our already marginalized queer community.
Couple Mantra We remind ourselves it is an honor to take on this labor of love and a lot of work goes into something like as you are [bar]. We remind ourselves we do “everything from love,” always (our engagement rings are actually inscribed with that quote).
Strike A Balance Taking time just for us is a big deal. It’s
Lessons Learned Of course. Jo has taught me (Rach) how important it is to take time for the small things and pull off the gas pedal to connect and enjoy what’s going on around us. Rach does an incredible job of
coming back to the “why,” keeping our communication impeccable and allowing the love we have for our community to guide us. Conflict Resolution Tips We work to stay curious and remember that [a] partner is a whole human separate from you, with real and valid needs. It’s okay to take a moment, step away, leave space for frustration and have a plan to come back together with a common goal. Caffeine Dependency Oh, we drink it. Jo “needs” it more but mostly because she is obsessed with our new Cadillac of an espresso machine. Daily Hustle We both understand the magnitude of our project and the responsibility we agreed to take on to make it happen. We went into this together with the same goal in mind. We also know the hours, creativity, accountability and exhaustion it all entails, so we’re kind to each other because we both know it can be a lot. The Meet Cute At an interview, actually. Jo interviewed me (Rach) for a security role at our last establishment and she always says it best, “We fell into step from the moment we met.” We went from co-workers to best friends to partners in life and now business. D.C. Date Spot Late night at the Lincoln Memorial with a good book and something to sip on. We also love dirty martinis and a great bottle of red when the weather is great and the place has a patio. Celebrity Hall Pass We communicate really well and respect each other massively so a “hall pass” isn’t really necessary for us. Also, celebrities are just people; there is really no need for special rules. Our Song Dermot Kennedy is a love of ours, though we have many songs we consider written for/about us. We have always connected over sappy love songs and magical lyrics. Jo has a playlist called “Sap Is Cool.” Follow McDaniel and Pike on their personal IGs @thejomcdaniel and @theycallmecoach25. Follow their business here: @asyouarebar and asyouarebar.com.
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so we try not to add to that for one another and instead pick up the slack when we know the other needs a hand; it always comes full circle and builds on the gratitude we have as partners. Couple Mantra Not a mantra but a centering move. One of us will cup their hands to the sides of the other’s eyes and lean in so that we are face-to-face, eye-to-eye and everything else is closed out, hold our gaze, whisper loving words and breathe. [It’s] a simple move that has a big impact in stabilizing us and bringing to the surface what’s most important.
MARCELLE AFRAM + JOYCE MILLER OWNERS OF SHABABI CHICKEN Power Couple, Redefined Today’s concept of a power couple can best be served as a reminder to give each other the power to grow. We are different versions of ourselves than we were when we met, when we were married [and] at the beginning of the pandemic. Welcoming and loving each other through our individual evolutions has allowed each of us to grow without the fear our partner would only love and accept one version of who we are or were. This carries us into the world with the confidence that no matter what’s ahead, you are loved and supported and together we’ll get through it all. Strike A Balance We play into each other’s strengths and never nag. We’re both uber self-critical
Lessons Learned So many. The biggest being we’re only human and we all deserve grace. We accept each other as we are and everything it’s taken to get us to this version of ourselves and love each other through each iteration of who we are, individually and together. Conflict Resolution Tips We respect each other’s space and know when to step back and when to dial in but never give up. Early on it was clear neither of us were abandoning the other and though we’ve put it to the test, we’ve really held tight to that assurance. Taking away the fear or threat of abandonment can center the tension to what’s at hand without adding generational or individual trauma to the list of stressors to work through at any given time.
LEFT. Rach Pike + Jo McDaniel. RIGHT. Marcelle Afram + Joyce Miller. Photos courtesy of subjects.
Caffeine Dependency Joyce will sip on coffee until the sun goes down but we rarely make more than one pot a day. Daily Hustle It’s validating to have a partner who understands how hard you’re working, the “why” behind it — someone in your corner who sees the big picture and can share in your experience, giving you both the opportunity to grow from it. It’s also great to have someone knowledgeable in the same arena to bounce ideas off of. The challenge is to balance our “shop talk” and be careful not to let every conversation be about a job or a project, which can often happen. The Meet Cute We worked for the same company for a few years before being placed in the same department. Our working synergy first drew us to one another and quickly led to the realization that we didn’t want to tackle any of life’s challenges without the other by our side. D.C. Date Spot Our first date was at Zaytinya; it will always hold a place close to our hearts. We were married at the D.C. War Memorial and try to stop by and sit on the steps whenever we can. [It serves as] a great grounding point to celebrate how far we’ve come or to remind ourselves where we’ve been and what’s most important. Celebrity Hall Pass Not really. We’ve gotten to a place in our partnership where we can appreciate what one another finds intriguing about a certain character or celebrity and accept that for what it is, but overall we’ve outgrown the concept of a “hall pass.” Our Song We really enjoy listening to music together. On a day out, we like to pick a year and play the top hits from that year and spend the day talking through memories of our lives at that time, remarking on how great (or terrible) a particular band or artist was, using the playlist as a guide for the day’s conversations. It’s a lot of fun. Follow Afram and Miller on their personal IGs @marcelle_g and @jrmiller0321. Follow their business here: @shababichicken and shababichicken.com.
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JENNIFER JEAN-PIERRE FASHION + LIFESTYLE BLOGGER + JERMAINE MAULL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE
Power Couple, Redefined In the past, power couples were always celebrities or those in the public eye. Now with the rise of social media and access to seeing everyone’s daily life, power couple could mean an everyday couple who embodies the characteristics you think are powerful or worth emulating. Strike A Balance Ha. We haven’t figured that out yet and every day is different. Open to more suggestions, though. Couple Mantra L’Union fait la force [unity makes strength], which is also Haiti’s motto. We believe together we are unstoppable and our strength comes from being together. Lessons Learned Maull: Money doesn’t make itself and you have to get out there and hustle. Jean-Pierre: Jermaine has taught me the importance of rest since I am a natural “hustler” and don’t know how to turn off sometimes. He knows how to chill and refresh well. Conflict Resolution Tips Definitely listen to each other. Not just listening for time to speak but really hearing each other. You both may have different viewpoints that may be valid. Also, there is power in apologies and vulnerability. Caffeine Dependency Neither of us “needs” it but we love it. Jermaine definitely drinks more. We both are into Black House, which is Black-owned and local. Daily Hustle All aspects of our life never get stale because we are always working hard or willing to put in the work. There is no animosity or judgment. The Meet Cute Flag football in D.C. D.C. Date Spot [It] used to be FrontPage but that closed. Now it’s North Italia. Celebrity Hall Pass We have never talked about that. There isn’t anyone who we are that goo-goo ga-ga over. Our Song Hell no. We have completely different musical tastes. But if we had to choose then it would be “Watch the Duck” or “Lew Sid.” Or maybe oldschool hip-hop but I (Jennifer) was west side till I die and he’s a Bad Boy come out to play type, (lol). Follow Jean-Pierre and Maull on their personal IGs @jennijeanpierre and @jmkmaull. Follow Jean-Pierre’s business @10thlettervisuals and 10thlettervisuals.com.
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LAUREL BRAY + MASON ANDERSONSWEET CO-FOUNDERS OF DUNN LEWIS + OH HEY FCK YOU Power Couple, Redefined We reject the idea of a specific definition. Instead, let us be vaguely specific: any pairing of humans that achieve something amazing is powerful. Everything is made up. Strike A Balance Habits are bad. We’re constantly evaluating how we approach our projects and if we’re approaching them in the right way. However, in a literal sense: coffee, weed, sleep and commitment to sparkle motion. Couple Mantra We’re not entirely sure what we mean when we say this but, “Move fast, clear those murder holes” [opening scene, “Saving Private Ryan”]. It [captures] the feeling of entrepreneurship. There’s really only one path to success and it’s not guaranteed but you have to keep moving forward or it dies. Lessons Learned Every day and all the time. Absolutely too many to list. You’ve got to work to be understood and also put in the work to understand. Conflict Resolution Tips Always finish the conversation. If you work to understand where the other is coming from you can align your goals and really achieve some next-level shit together. Respect and understanding are key. Caffeine Dependency 2:2 every day. Daily Hustle The mutual history [we have together]. We know each other’s successes and
failures, strengths and weaknesses, fears and motivations. That helps us both support and call each other out as needed. The Meet Cute In-person. D.C. Date Spot Our house, Tuesday afternoons.
Celebrity Hall Pass No hall passes. Our Song Radiohead. Follow Anderson-Sweet and Bray on their personal IGs @laurelbray and @john_mason. Follow their businesses here: @dunnlewismc and dunnlewismc.com and @ohheyfckyou and ohheyfckyou.com.
LEFT. Jennifer Jean-Pierre + Jermaine Maull. RIGHT. Laurel Bray + Mason Anderson-Sweet. Photos courtesy of subjects.
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JAMES BEACH CO-FOUNDER OF PLNTR + CAITLIN O’KEEFFE TUTTLE FOUNDER OF OKTUTTLE CREATIVE AGENCY + CREATIVE DIRECTOR + CO-FOUNDER OF PLNTR Power Couple, Redefined I think a powerful partnership means setting your own standards and working together to cultivate the life that you want for yourselves. You are on your own timeline and no one else’s. Strike A Balance For us, we try to maintain a life-work balance, prioritizing easing into each day and making time for things we enjoy, like working out (crucial stress buster), taking the dogs to the park and having a beer around the corner, usually also with the dogs. Couple Mantra In the past few years, we have started living by, “Everything is chaos.” You honestly just have to step back and laugh at how crazy life is or you’re done for. Lessons Learned (James): Caitlin gets on me about “planning backwards” for time 60 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
management. (Caitlin): Still not perfect, but I try. Take risks and give yourself some credit.
The Meet Cute Ah, a tale as old as time. We swiped right.
Conflict Resolution Tips We have little habits we practice as a couple/team that force us to smile even when someone is annoyed, angry, whatever — bringing you to a place where it’s easier to have some perspective and dive into the issues from a non-defensive, non-judgmental place.
D.C. Date Spot Living in Columbia Heights, we love being able to walk to our favorite spots. Queen’s English is always our go-to for a fancier night out (daikon fritters + whatever Chef Henji is recommending).
Caffeine Dependency We both are deeply addicted to caffeine. James usually makes the coffee, bless him. Daily Hustle (Caitlin): James doesn’t judge me for acting out when I’m totally overwhelmed. (James): Sharing the highs and having someone there through the lows.
Celebrity Hall Pass Who knows? There are a lot of attractive celebs out there. We’ll let you know the next time we’re in Hollywood. Our Song Caitlin walked down the aisle to “Simply the Best” from “Schitt’s Creek,” played by a local guitarist in Rose Park in 2020. But also, speaking of caffeine please just put on “Morning Brown” by Auntie Donna. Follow Beach and Tuttle on their personal IGs @oktuttle and @2_jamesss. Follow their business here: @plntrdc and plntr.co.
Caitlin O’Keeffe Tuttle + James Beach. Photo by Nick Moreland Photography.
From House Broken to House Beautiful WORDS BY RINA RAPUANO
Buying a home in the DMV can leave you feeling battered and bruised — even when you emerge victorious.
Rina Rapuano. Photo by her daughter Iris Russell.
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LIFE It was March 2021 when we began to seriously consider selling our Columbia Heights rowhouse — our home of 16 years — in search of a place that felt more chill and offered a bigger yard. We loved our neighborhood, community and memories there so much that it was incredibly hard to say goodbye. But being stuck inside during the pandemic gave us the final nudge we needed and we were ready to try something new. Here’s a brief history of how it all went down. Hopefully our story will help others navigate the maddening process of homebuying in the DMV right now.
THE DREADED HOUSING LIMBO According to my buyer’s agent, Shannon O’Farrell of Compass’ Mandy and David team, homebuyers generally fall into two categories: those who have a downpayment available either from savings or a pricey loan and those who are offered a rent-back from the buyer, giving sellers a month or two to find their new home. We fell into an unfortunate third category: We didn’t have a downpayment and our buyer wasn’t able to offer a rent-back. Because we couldn’t buy until we had money in the bank from selling our house, we entered a sort of housing limbo, needing to move out of our old home months before we had a new home nailed down. “That specific part of your situation was more unique,” O’Farrell recalls. Some kind friends and family were going out of town during the summer and let us stay at their places, but in this super competitive area where things go on and off the market on the same day — and with the beginning of the school year closing in on us — we knew we needed a place where we could hunker down ‘til the right home came along. We found a short-term, furnished rental in Cleveland Park through a company called Zeus — in perhaps the weedsmoking-est building on earth — and settled in as best we could while we worried about where and when we would find a home (and dabbed the occasional tears of my kids who were equally tired of moving, Covid and the lady singing karaoke upstairs). About that competitive market? It was crazy last year and O’Farrell says it’s even tougher this year thanks to a record low inventory of homes for sale. “I’m trying to guide people more and more about how competitive it is,” O’Farrell says. “They might need to do a few inspections and they might not get the first house they bid on.
And they need to be ready to move fast if they want the house. I find a lot of it is managing expectations and adjusting the neighborhood or the type of house you want.”
LANDING OUR DREAM HOUSE After missing out over and over on houses we wanted in our preferred neighborhoods, we decided to follow her advice and cast the net wider to see if something in Northeast could work for us. We did finally find the perfect home in mid-September and then it was like the Indie 500 — it went from the slowest process imaginable to the fastest. We saw our dream house on Zillow on a Tuesday, scheduled a showing for Wednesday, got it inspected on Thursday and put in an offer on Friday. We gave the sellers 24 hours to decide so we could nail it down before the open house scheduled for Sunday. It was the first time we felt like we had some sort of control over this insane process. We felt great we were able to take all the tough lessons we learned during all the losses and use them to secure a win. In hindsight, I was pretty naive about how hard the whole process would be, from getting our house ready to sell to putting it on the market and finding the right place for our family while living in a series of temporary spaces — without most of our stuff and the comfort of being settled. If you told me in April 2021 by the end of the year our family of four (plus pooch) would have lived for two months in an apartment that smelled like weed 24/7, moved five times before that for various summer house-sitting gigs, and landed in a neighborhood we were barely considering, would I have gone through with any of it? I really don’t know. But I’m so glad we did. It was exhausting, painful, exciting, adventurous and scary — but, as our agent assured us every step of the way, it turned out to be worth it in the end. We found the perfect spot for us in Brookland on a sleepy street with a massive yard but still close to all the things we love about living in the city. And, finally, we are home. Mandy and David Team // Compass: mandyanddavid.com // @mandyanddavid Zeus: zeusliving.com // @zeuslivinginc Zillow: zillow.com // @zillow
Three important home-buying lessons: CONSIDER OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS
TAKE MEASUREMENTS + PHOTOS
MAKE A TIGHT OFFER
If you can’t be top dog in your preferred neighborhood, look at a less pricey neighborhood where you have a better shot of winning a bidding war. You might think you’re settling, but expanding your criteria can put you on a fast track toward something you didn’t know you would love.
Measure and photograph bulkier items before they go into storage. That way you’ll be able to figure out where the piano and sofa will fit before the movers arrive at your new home with your old stuff.
If you feel strongly about a particular house, go in with a very tight offer before the open house and force the buyer to accept or reject within 24 hours. It’s one of the few ways to shift the power dynamic in favor of the buyer in this market.
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DESIGN TIPS FOR RENTERS
LIFE
WORDS BY ABI NEWHOUSE PHOTOS BY ANDREW J. WILLIAMS III
A CONVERSATION WITH INTERIOR DESIGNER CAROLINE WINKLER
On a break from work earlier this year, I sat in my apartment looking around at how nothing seemed to make sense in my design choices. I’d worked from home for years at that point — even before the pandemic started — and was increasingly annoyed at the space around me. It didn’t feel conducive to working from home; it wasn’t something I liked looking at. And it’s not just me: More and more, people are dissatisfied with their home design as we
shift to permanent or hybrid work-from-home scenarios. Though it seems superficial, our atmosphere affects our well-being. I spoke with Caroline Winkler, an interior designer, to get her tips and tricks for anyone who struggles with creating the perfect space, especially in a rental. Winkler started out as an actor specializing in improv and comedy, and after working with a designer in Ohio she started building her own design portfolio. With her combination of acting, comedy and design, it’s no surprise a few YouTube videos later she passed 200,000 viewers. And now, back in D.C. she’s decorating her new space and giving us all the decorating tips, too.
District Fray: What should people consider before starting a new design? Caroline Winkler: The first thing to decide in any room is how much money you’re willing to spend on things you’ll take with you. Then decide how much you’re willing to spend on sunk costs, like paint or DIY builds. That will be different for everyone. Let’s go through the apartment room by room. What tips do you have for decorating and designing the bathroom? In general, for a bathroom, hardware is an easy change — you can’t imagine how big of a difference it makes. New knobs, new shower curtain rings — instant upgrade. Getting a cute, functional bathmat helps add texture to the space. I’ve actually done a wool runner that absorbs water and dries really easily. Invest in double shower curtains for some nice symmetry and in some nice containers for countertops.
What about the kitchen? This is a revolution I want to start: having a chair, especially if you have a kitchen where you can’t see into the living room so someone can come hang out and sit with you while you’re cooking. Bringing in artwork and a cute kitchen mat makes the space feel homey.
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LIFE In a rental, you’re not able to change the countertops and cabinets most of the time, so I like to invest in countertop accessories like a beautiful cutting board. Whether you use it a lot or not, it can really warm up a space just propped against the wall. Design with what you use: a beautiful bowl of fruit, cute cereal containers, nice flatware and antique glasses. And the living room? Try to create zones in your space. A conversational area, a walkway, a reading nook — even if it’s one space, breaking it up will make a difference. Unless you’re in college and have no money, start investing in pieces that feel beautiful to you. You don’t need to wait until you own a house or apartment. You’ll take the pieces with you later and investing in pieces you love now will really elevate the space. You can get quality couches and tables on Facebook marketplace or Craigslist. IKEA is great, but not for every item. In general, a good mix of quality furniture with cheaper furniture makes the cheaper furniture look more expensive. Same with the art: One beautiful, expensive piece elevates the others around it. You need lamps, too. Overhead lighting is gross. Lamps only after 6 p.m. And the bedroom? First thing to consider is how you want the space to feel. Is it a boho escape? Clean and crisp like a hotel room? Figuring this out at the beginning will help guide your decisions. Design with functionality in mind and add accent furniture accordingly. If you’re afraid of boxing yourself into one design choice, get neutral bedding and add personality with colorful pillows, textured throws, plug-in wall sconces, beautiful curtains Caroline Winkler.
and wall decor. Get rid of rental blinds, if possible. It’ll change your life. What is some rentalfriendly hacks we should know about? Stick-on tile for kitchen or bathroom backsplashes, stick-on vinyl flooring and stick-on wallpaper. In my experience, these are easy to install and easy to remove. For wallpaper, try RoomMates Decor. It’s the highest quality peel-andstick wallpaper I’ve tried. As for floor tiles, my favorite brand comes from Etsy, a seller called Quadrostyle. Also, you can’t imagine how a fresh coat of white paint changes the whole space. If you can paint, do it.
Why is it important to have a beautiful space? Your environment affects your mood, behavior and mindset. We all know the feeling of walking into a well-designed restaurant or club and you take note of it because it fills you with joy; if you can make that your homebase, what an elevated way to start and end your day. I feel very averse to the idea of thinking I’ll enjoy my space later, in a few years. I’m living now. There’s no reason to delay having a space that feels like a home. It’s not a small thing. Any other tips? I love to make an anti-inspo Pinterest board where I find a design I like, but something in it is not quite working.
I try to find the missing piece. It’s helpful to make myself articulate what’s going on and what could be better. Also, lean into quirks instead of covering them up. There’s always weird nooks and crannies in historical D.C. apartments but try to see that as an opportunity: use it for a piece of artwork, a pedestal, a plant. Revealing an answer or opportunity in a temporary space is very rewarding. For more design tips and DIY ideas (plus some great comedy bits), follow along as Winkler redecorates her new D.C. apartment and takes on new clients. Check her out on YouTube at Caroline Winkler and follow on Instagram at @thegoodsitter.
Nurturing Tips for New
Plant Parents WORDS + PHOTO BY CLAIRE SMALLEY
LIFE Until five years ago, every plant I ever owned died. When I learned most house plants can live forever, I was determined to cultivate a green thumb. Now, after years of more than 40 plants and zero casualties, I want to share the most basic and helpful things I’ve learned about being a plant parent.
With Water, Less Is More You will kill a plant much faster by overwatering than underwatering. Consistently watering a plant more frequently than needed will cause root rot, a disease that contaminates the soil and pot. Alternatively, if you consistently underwater most plants will show signs of distress before they are doomed. Your plant’s watering needs depend on a variety of factors, so rather than following a schedule use a wood chopstick to determine how quickly your plant dries out. Push the entire chopstick into your plant’s soil. After about 20 minutes, pull out the chopstick and feel how wet it is, how far down. Some plants (like succulents and other desert plants) like to dry out completely between waterings while others prefer to stay slightly damp (like tradescantias). When you water your plant — no matter the type — soak it thoroughly. Avoid giving plants small amounts of water at a time, as this will create unevenly wet soil which makes it difficult to judge when the plant needs more. Root rot doesn’t occur from a single watering in a well-draining pot, so drench the plant until water flows out of the bottom. The signs of over and underwatering can be similar, so I always err on the side of underwatering until I get to know a new plant.
Check Your Windows The amount of natural light in your home depends largely on the orientation of your windows. Windows that face south provide the most direct light for the longest period of the day. If you have an unobstructed south-facing window, only desert plants like succulents and snake plants may thrive in the windowsill. That said, many plants would be happy below the window (out of direct light) or a few feet away. East-facing windows offer direct morning light and west-facing windows provide intense afternoon light. North-facing
windows provide indirect light throughout the day and are best for low-light and shade plants. To determine if you get direct sunlight, hold a piece of paper in front of a window and place your hand between the window and the paper so it casts a shadow on the paper. The sharper and darker the shadow, the more direct the light. Note how the shadow changes if you take a step away or to the side of the window. If your plant becomes “leggy,” meaning the stems begin to stretch without growing leaves, your plant is not getting enough light. A plant receiving too much light might drop its leaves, appear dry and crisp or even develop sunburns that look like discolored patches. Finally, plants will often grow toward the conditions they want. If you notice a plant growing toward the sun, it might need more light. Try moving your plants to different windows in your home until you find the right spot for each plant.
Prioritize Proper Pots When choosing a container for your plants be sure to select one with a drainage hole. Without proper drainage your plant could sit in a puddle that can quickly lead to root rot. If you use a container that doesn’t have drainage (a cachepot) you can keep the plant in its plastic growing container and place the whole thing directly in the cachepot. That way you can easily remove the plant to dump excess water. Eventually, all potted plants need to be repotted either because they have outgrown their containers or because they have used all the nutrients in their soil. If you notice roots coming out of the drainage hole in the bottom of a pot, your plant might be root-bound. You can also check the roots by gently removing the plant from the pot. Plants can become root-bound when the roots run out of space to grow and begin to circle around inside the pot. When you repot a root-bound plant, use clean pruning shears or a knife to make a few vertical cuts in the root ball to help break it up and repot with fresh potting soil. Use a pot that is an inch or two larger in diameter than the old one. Be careful not to put plants in pots that are too big as this can lead to uneven watering. Being a good plant parent takes practice. You will likely kill a few while you’re learning but don’t give up on a plant that looks stressed. Many popular houseplants grow like weeds in their native environments and can recover from stress if given the right care.
3 Houseplants for Beginners SNAKE PLANTS (Dracaena trifasciata) are notorious for tolerating low-light conditions but if given full, direct light can quickly grow to several feet tall. They are drought tolerant and love to be ignored. If you underwater a snake plant the leaves will look shriveled and you can easily course-correct by watering more frequently. ZZ PLANTS (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) are perfect for a bright, north-facing window. They are drought tolerant so be careful not to overwater. NERVE PLANTS (Fittonia albivenis) do well in most light conditions except direct light, so avoid south-facing windows. Nerve plants come in a few colors and need a decent amount of water. They are great for beginners because they show early signs of distress: When they need water, the leaves become soft and wilted. If they get too much sun, they drop leaves.
For more tips and resources, check out my fave plant parenting podcast “Bloom and Grow Radio” at bloomandgrowradio.com or on @bloomandgrowradio on Instagram. Episode 46: “Understanding Natural Light” was an especially big game changer for me. If you’re ready to become a plant parent, check out Grounded Plants, an online plant shop owned by D.C. locals Mignon Hemsley and Danuelle Doswell, at grounded-plants.com. You can also follow them on Instagram @ground.ed.
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Modern
Romance Has dating evolved or is it the art of dating that’s evolved? It’s a fair but loaded inquiry. On a practical level, the traditional places we find love — bars, house parties, the workplace, weddings, blind dates, even sheer chance — remain. But the age of technology has given rise to dating apps, while changing perspectives on marriage, polyamorous dating, fluid sexuality and women prioritizing their careers is changing the game. It’s a different world now. The civil rights movement, women rights and gay rights movements and the exploration of other nonconforming gender identities have influenced our culture. “Free love” was the battle cry of the hippies of the sixties and it’s endured in some fashion. For generations, adults were so hyper-focused on coupling up, buying a home and having children in the most heteronormative sense possible that they lost any real connection to who they were as individuals, including sexual (or nonsexual) identity and how couples change over time and share power in relationships. Then came the emergence of greater individual expression that’s murkied (or cleared, depending on who you ask) the waters. Today, daters are of many mindsets: some align with traditional patterns, others are in a constant state of exploration, delaying their foray into serious dating well into adulthood or choosing to bypass it all together. At the same time, many (especially young adults) are suffering from dating ADD fueled by the ability to vet countless potential suitors with the swipe of a finger. The result: Dating is messier than ever.
Download MY HEART Still, some things remain the same. “Modern romance has a lot of the same similarities as a nonmodern romance,” says Naza Shelley, co-founder and CEO of CarpeDM, a dating app that connects high-powered Black women in D.C. with prospective partners. “People our age are dating in different ways but with the same desired outcome, which is to find someone for a long-term, committed relationship.” Two competing considerations — who we are at our core and who we are in a relationship — are forcing us to truly investigate the relationships we build. This includes not just romantic ones, but platonic and blurred ones, too. It’s a dizzying and delicate dance. As millennials, we’ve been flying courtship airlines while building (and learning to fly) the plane. 68 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
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LIFE As a 2008 college graduate, I entered the workforce four years after the inception of OkCupid (where I found my first post-college girlfriend), two years before Instagram and four years prior to the launch of Coffee Meets Bagel, Hinge and Tinder in 2012, the unofficial year dating went deep into the digital rabbit hole. Years later, Bumble came on the scene, empowering women to take control of their virtual romantic rendezvous with a focus on integrity, kindness and equality. It’s a brave new world where it’s never been easier to date — if by easier we mean more opportunities to try and fail. What’s slipped away is the ability to hold each other’s attention. Living in a major metropolis like D.C., it’s too easy to normalize quantity over quality. However, Shelley offers a compass point: clearly and authentically signaling your intentions, both internally and externally. Modern romance, a byproduct of modern adulting, brings an understanding that dating on our terms means our time and who we spend it with is precious. In this sense, delayed gratification is a great way to improve relationship success. It is our generation’s collective rebellion against the chaos.
Dating for ADULTS
D.C. The joys + pitfalls of love in the digital age
WORDS + PHOTO BY ANDREW J. WILLIAMS III
For many, our late 30s or 40s are ripe years for finding love. With age comes wisdom about who we are and who we don’t want to be (or be with). Dating in high school and college felt like an impossible assignment, with our common sense undermined by hormones and typical adolescent displacement. What I’ve learned in stride is not all love is built the same. As an adult, the stakes are higher but the reward is greater: more meaningful and resilient relationships. “When you’re younger, you can take more risks — you date more people [and] have different types,” Shelley explains. “The older you get, the more you understand who you are as a person, what type of relationship you’re looking for and what type of person is actually compatible with you. You don’t want to waste a year with someone who you’re actually incompatible with.” Sali Hama, co-founder and CMO of CarpeDM, agrees. “We’re also seeing people getting married older,” Hama says. “And what’s great about that is people are really finding themselves, they’re understanding who they are and who they want to be individually and [as] a couple. And that actually results in better marriages and longer-term marriages.” The bulltsh** tolerance lessens as we gray. And it isn’t some belief that youth is wasted on the young. As a Lyft driver once told me, “Be young, make mistakes. There’s nothing you can’t fix unless it’s fatal.” Definitely words to live by in moderation. DISTRICT FRAY | 69
LIFE In college, the worst — in theory — that could happen is a broken heart and an awkward social interaction. I never searched for any deeper meaning in a failed relationship as an undergraduate. The collegiate habitat promotes promiscuity, though of course real love is there. The age of digital dating, however, translated the undergraduate experience into the post-college world while missing the point of it all. Dating is more than a networking opportunity. It’s a valuation, on multiple levels, of compatibility with our lives: Our values, dreams, goals and the odd and silly behaviors we are prone to when it’s just us and our partner. As an example, Shelley believes there are certain questions that don’t need to be a part of your “arsenal” on a first date. It’s more important to go deeper and ratchet up the intensity along the way. “You may delay some questions for a third or fourth date so you can really get to know the person as a person versus as a resume.” Translation: Maybe you don’t ask too soon how many kids someone wants or the number of sexual partners they’ve had in their lifetime right away and then expect them to swap spit with you. And for men, it’s important to slow down and recognize for women dating is a much more complex undertaking.
The Dark Side of DIGITAL I’ve learned by listening that dating is infinitely harder (and more treacherous) for women — especially women of color. Beyond evaluating a potential life partner, you have to wade through unwanted, sometimes disturbing behavior. “It’s crazy when you dig into the numbers [of] what’s actually going on in online dating,” Shelley says. “Professional Black women and Black women in general face so [much] more bias from algorithms, as well as hyper-sexualized advances; one in four Black women report receiving hyper-sexualized messages on dating apps.” Race, no doubt, is an unfortunate part of the equation. It’s no secret Black men are viewed as more predatory and Black women are not respected in the ways they deserve, all while up against the false perception they’re less desirable. Over the years, I’ve heard my fair share of horror stories from male and female friends alike. I’ve come to the conclusion there’s no shortage of virtual dating vermin with no interest in serious dating. This is not to shame them, but instead to note they make it harder to find love by shaking someone’s confidence in their capacity to ever find the right match. CarpeDM arms Black women to overcome this reality through creating a safe environment that sets stringent ground rules, coupled with meticulous vetting (everyone who joins gets a face-to-face virtual evaluation), high standards and dedicated matchmakers. And making the “exclusive matchingenhanced app” a paid service only helps further weed out frivolous daters who conceal their true intentions. “Singles are so conditioned to free dating apps that they are actually the product,” Shelley says. “You’re being served ads just like on social media. Those apps and services don’t have any motivation to really help you find love.” Hama agrees. “We try to explain to people that we want to shift the way 70 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
[we] think about trying to find love; we want you to invest [in] the same way you would invest in anything else in your life,” she says. CarpeDM is a beacon for modern Black women who want to steady the current of the dating waters they’re swimming in each day. “One thing we see a lot with successful women is the ability, in a modern context, to find love anywhere,” Hama asserts. “They don’t have to resolve themselves to [people in] their neighborhood or who friends introduce them to. [Women are] traveling the world. They are really experiencing and living their fullest lives and hoping to meet someone on that journey that complements them.” It is a model for how we can date better when looking for life partners, whether you have the means to pay for a service or not. And broaching these topics with friends is a good start if we want to shift the prevailing dynamics. “It’s really important women are not only having this conversation with themselves, but [that] men are having the conversation with other men — and other men and women across the table,” Hama says.
You’ve Got a FRIEND IN ME Of course, this conversation is incomplete without acknowledging that in the realm of relationships not everyone is looking for love. I’ve learned as an adult how critical it is to date our friends in similar ways we’d date a potential lover. In truth, we look for many of the same qualities in friends and lovers, including commitment, loyalty, honesty, a forgiving spirit and the openness to growing together. It’s the same reason Hama, a first-generation Syrian immigrant, chose to partner with her close friend and fellow Howard University School of Law alumna Shelley, an African-American woman, to build an app that isn’t meant for her. Inspired by Shelley’s own experiences and their shared experiences as women dating in the District, they set out to do something disruptive in the dating space. Shelley describes her dear friend’s choice to co-found CarpeDM as a “selfless” act. “[Adults are] starting to elevate and put a focus on different types of relationships and what they mean for us as long-term partners,” Shelley says. Often, romantic relationships come and go in our lives and it’s our friendships that endure through it all. I have friends who’ve moved thousands of miles, even oceans away and we don’t skip a beat when we’re reunited. It’s because there’s a shared investment and responsibility in the survival of our relationship. Friends are often the ones we travel, cry, laugh, celebrate and even mourn with. So maybe looking at our friendships and better understanding how they’ve lasted so long is the secret to modern romance. And maybe it’s resisting the conditioned urge to serial date if it’s not in our nature — or if we’ve decided to level up our adulting and navigate love with more intentionality. CarpeDM: carpedmdating.com // @carpedmdating
FIRST PAGE. Sali Hama + Naza Shelley.
WORDS + PHOTOS BY WHITNEY PIPKIN
I was not thinking of my children when I drove to a District chef’s house to grab a sourdough starter from her front porch cooler in the peak-pandemic spring of 2020. Rather, the drive sounded like a great excuse to escape what had become a Groundhog Day of togetherness. It was all I could manage to keep my husband, two kids and dog fed while seven months pregnant with baby number three. Why not add sourdough to the mix? Chef Johanna Hellrigl had convinced us all it was feasible with her Instagram feeds full of thick pancakes and golden loaves. Hellrigl, chef at D.C.’s “sorta South American” spot Mercy Me, fed, grew and shared with hundreds of people a starter she’d made from an Italian apple. It was a together-apart thing we could do. “I think what honestly impacted me the most is the family aspect of it — teaching the next generation,” said Hellrigl, who now has a one-year-old. “It’s this moment where you can do something together.” DISTRICT FRAY | 71
LIFE Even with that cloud of witnesses at my back, my kids reminded me how ill-equipped I was for the task. “Daddy’s the one who bakes,” they said, as though this were an irreversible fact of the universe. “Well,” I said, grunting to pull the Kitchen Aid mixer from a dusty pantry corner, “not anymore!” I overcame the initial setbacks — preheating my oven with the starter in it once, cutting my thumb on the dough lame, cutting it again — and soon I was a well-oiled baking machine. I made rosemary crackers with Maldon sea salt, garlic-flecked naan and olive-studded focaccia, along with a better-withpractice weekly boule. I added a chocolate chip-studded banana loaf to the weekly lineup and started sharing our surplus with neighbors. Initially skeptical their recipe-allergic mom could actually bake, my kids became my most ardent taste testers. They pretended they were Paul and Prue à la “The Great British Baking Show,” poking the center of a loaf to tell me “It’s underproved” or my three-year-old son’s favorite comment: “It needs more flavor.” Occasionally, they gave me handshakes. And then came the question I’d forgotten to dread in the midst of my baking frenzy: “Can we help?” I had come to accept the band of flour almost permanently dusting the roundest part of my pregnant belly, but I was not
ready to accept the next-level kitchen chaos that could come with a pair of under-five helpers. “Maybe later,” I demurred. “Next time.” They called my bluffs. So, I started letting them watch the mixer and tell me when the chocolate chips were equally distributed, teaching them the dangers of getting fingers too close. Then I let them pour the dry ingredients, knowing I could often scoop out any extra with the help of the scale. I always perched the mixer paddle and spatula on the edge of the sink so they’d be ready for the kids’ favorite job: licking them clean. I soon realized what they wanted most was to be included in this hobby rooting me to the center of our kitchen and rooting us all to a weekly rhythm of feeding, baking and enjoying new things together. The added bonus? My kids got to see their mom try something scary and new and rise, quite literally, to the occasion. Learn more about Pipkin at whitneypipkin.com and follow her on Twitter @WhitneyPipkin.
FIRST PAGE. Sourdough boule with dried cherries + chocolate chips. SECOND PAGE FROM LEFT. Stuffing-inspired sourdough focaccia. Sourdough naan to share with the neighbors.
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Fresh Perspectiv WORDS BY NEVIN MARTELL | PHOTOS BY MARIAH MIRANDA
How parenthood helped one dad discover D.C. in a whole new way.
LIFE My adult life has two distinct phases: Before Zephyr (BZ) and After Zephyr (AZ). Our son arrived on a cloudy, crisp Friday at the start of 2013. One minute I was a husband, a son, a brother, a friend — just a guy, really. The next I was a dad, a role that immediately felt like it superseded all others. The only thing I knew for sure about this next stage was that life was about to change in countless ways, some predictable, others a complete surprise. One shift I didn’t count on was the way Zephyr helped me rediscover the D.C. region, revealing new sides, hidden corners and novel experiences. Like many, I’m a transplant, arriving in the sweltering summer of 2006 to complete a master’s program. When it finished, I stayed and convinced my then-girlfriend, now wife Indira — a George Washington University Law School alumna — to move back down. In those breezy BZ years, Washington was a place we explored and enjoyed mostly after work and on the weekends. Concerts at the now-shuttered Rock & Roll Hotel until the wee hours; frequent date nights at 2 Amys; waking up whenever on Saturdays to have a haze-clearing brunch before spending a leisurely afternoon traipsing through the Hirshhorn. Those days, there was never much of a rush. We felt like we had bottomless buckets of time. Everything was endless. We were so naïve. From the start, the AZ years could not have been more different. The changes were immediate, the shocks intense. Zephyr slept an enviable amount every day while we survived on whatever time we could grab in between feedings, changings, stroller trips around the neighborhood and snuggle sessions — not to mention our jobs. We attempted to carry on with our former social lives but it was untenable. Late-night concerts, romantic dinners for two and meandering museum visits faded from the calendar. We found other routines, fresh rituals, previously unmapped spaces. First came the playgrounds. As soon as Zephyr could walk, they couldn’t get enough time on them. Their energy and enthusiasm was boundless. Up the ladder, down the slide, across the rope bridge, through the tunnel, onto the swings, into the sandbox. Again and again until I trundled them away. It felt like we visited them all — from the farmers market themed play area at Turkey Thicket in Brookland and Beauvoir’s whimsical adventureland, to the woodsy playground in Bethesda’s Cabin John Regional Park and Arlington’s colorfully climbable Rocky Run. I found a new concert circuit, one populated with acts like Harambee!, Squeals On Wheels and the Great Zucchini. For me, none of them compared to seeing the Flaming Lips at the 9:30 Club or Muse at the Patriot Center, but Zephyr went wild. (To be fair, when we began taking them to “real shows” — like Sigur Rós, Of Monsters And Men and M83 — they were just as excited.). Dining out took on new dimensions. We vowed 74 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
to hold the line and keep eating like adults, but accommodations were made. If a restaurant had great French fries — shout outs to Unconventional Diner, Bourbon Steak and Et Voila! — or great noodles, it was infinitely more appealing. Ditto for spots with great desserts. After all, if Zephyr was happy us parents’ chances of being happy were exponentially higher. Zephyr had just turned seven when the pandemic hit. It was a complete upending and reconfiguration of everything. No facet was untouched. As the lockdown took hold and we hunkered down, our explorations stopped. No more dining out; no more concerts; no more playgrounds. There was a lot of cooking and baking, TV shows and movies, board games and puzzles. There still is. But as spring 2020 unfolded and we began feeling comfortable leaving the house, Zephyr and I started spending hours roaming Rock Creek Park together. It was our way of trying to forget how the world was collapsing around us. There we felt completely cut off, like we were teleported to some remote island. It was eerie. Sometimes we didn’t see a single person. There was no sound of traffic in the distance. The skies were empty except for clouds and even they looked lonely. We surveyed nearly every inch of Rock Creek — from its southern tip bottoming out on the Potomac to its northern reaches hugging the Maryland state line. We clambered over the majestic, mystic Capitol stones, the moss-covered jumble of slabs and columns that look like a lost set from an “Indiana Jones” movie. Zephyr play-fished and tossed countless pebbles into the creek’s gurgling tumble. We investigated the teepee-style stick structures dotting the woodlands, pretending they were vanished colonies and we were intrepid pioneers looking for lost friends. The park was magical, but it was finite. Our forays began going farther afield, moving away from the epicenter of D.C. There were trips to the Patuxent Nature Preserve where we spotted beavers gently cutting V-shaped ripples into the reservoir at dusk; mushrooms of all colors and shapes popping up at every angle; mounds of gleaming gold frogs locked in orgiastic mating rituals. On the other side of the District, we investigated Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, a living library of birdlife, its waters teeming with prehistoric looking snapping turtles and darting fish. To discover these patches of wildness all around us was illuminating, invigorating, inspiring. These discoveries might not have happened if it wasn’t for Zephyr. Every day, they push me to go farther, look deeper, think differently, consider another perspective. I now realize before I was a father, I only knew slender bits of D.C.: mostly the parts that stayed up late and got up late. Now I see the city and its surroundings in a fuller, more fulfilling way. Despite all we lost — and are still losing — in the pandemic, every time Zephyr and I go out to explore somewhere new, try something new, I gain new understanding and appreciation for this place we call home. The best part is I know there is still so much left for us to discover together. Photos of the Martell family.
Get Outside
Cabin John Regional Park: 7400 Tuckerman Ln. Bethesda, MD; montgomeryparks.org // @montgomeryparks Huntley Meadows Park: 3701 Lockheed Blvd. Alexandria, VA; fairfaxcounty.gov // @fairfaxcounty Patuxent Nature Preserve: 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop Laurel, MD; fws.gov/refuge/patuxent // @usfws Rock Creek Park: 5200 Glover Rd. NW, DC; nps.gov/rocr // @nationalparkservice Rocky Run Stream Valley Trail: 12826 Mt. Royal Ln. Fairfax, VA; fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/trails // @fairfaxcounty Turkey Thicket Recreation Center: 1100 Michigan Ave. NE, DC; dpr.dc.gov/ page/turkey-thicket-recreation-center // @dcdpr
Snag Some Fries
Bourbon Steak: 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC; fourseasons.com/washington/ dining // @bourbonsteakdc Et Voila!: 5120 MacArthur Blvd. NW, DC; etvoiladc.com // @etvoiladc Unconventional Diner: 1207 9th St. NW, DC; unconventionaldiner.com // @unconventionaldiner
Tried-and-True Date Spots
EagleBank Arena: 4500 Patriot Circle Fairfax, VA; eaglebankarena.com // @eaglebankarena Hirshhorn Museum: Independence Ave. SW + 7th St. NW, DC; hirshhorn.si.edu // @hirshhorn 9:30 Club: 815 V St. NW, DC; 930.com // @930club 2 Amys: 3715 Macomb St. NW, DC; 2amyspizza.com // @2amysneapolitanpizzeria
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WORDS BY BRANDON WETHERBEE
THE
Before I was a parent, I frequented bars and I rarely saw families there. After becoming a parent, I rarely frequent bars. Instead, I regularly visit breweries. More often than not, there are more families present than people of legal drinking age. Do breweries want this? Did brewers envision their workplaces as modern, way better versions of Chuck E. Cheese? Sort of.
An “All Are Welcome” Mentality
If they didn’t want us there, they wouldn’t offer Goldfish crackers. 76 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
Before the pandemic, when I was a new parent, places like Atlas Brew Works were a great place to meet up with other parents and kids. The adults could drink, the kids could sleep on us or eat their snacks or drink their milk. According to Atlas Founder and CEO Justin Cox, I was not alone. “Pretty much from the get-go we started hosting lots of one and two-yearold’s birthday parties and it worked out great,” Cox says. “The parents can sip on a beer or two while the kids play.” Since the pandemic, meeting up with other parents at breweries has become even more useful. Nearly every brewery in D.C. has a kid-friendly atmosphere. The city’s newest brewery City-State may have the best set up for parents. In addition to offering Goldfish crackers and apple juice, there are items specifically for kids. Regional sales manager Eugene Barnett told us, “I have kids, James (Warner) the owner of the brewery just had his first kid — we wanted to make a space welcoming to kids, too. We have games, books, toys, sidewalk chalk, coloring books, crayons and more so when parents come out they can relax and kids have something to do.” Something the brewery didn’t exactly provide — but is definitely worth mentioning — is its location. Somewhat hidden in Edgewood, their location is right off the Metropolitan Branch Trail and faces the Red Line. Kids can use City-State’s toys and sidewalk chalk while watching bikers, runners and trains. Parents don’t have to worry about safety since there’s a very tall fence making sure little ones can’t access the tracks. It’s difficult to find a better atmosphere for a toddler. Across the train tracks, Right Proper is just as friendly to all ages. According to co-founder Thor Cheston, the brewery definitely appreciates the patronage from all ages.
GROWN-UP THINGS | LIFE “We love kids — I have two,” Cheston says. “We are located in a great neighborhood with a ton of families and we love it. Kids are welcome here all the time. It’s a super small space inside and because of Covid-19 we have been keeping the toys outside.” If you have a toddler who loves big dump trucks, they’ll happily spend hours scooping and dumping the pebbles that make up the patio. But toys aren’t enough to make the brewery a good place for families — it’s the amenities that make them enticing. Atlas’ Justin Cox says, “We have always had an ‘all are welcome’ mentality. Shortly after opening the new Tap Room in 2016, my wife and I were expecting our first child. That changes your perspective on a lot of things. Looking at our taproom with my new parent eyes, we made some modifications to make it more friendly for those with kids, like installing changing tables in the bathrooms.” I can attest to the usefulness of a brewery’s changing table. I changed my first diaper outside the house at 3 Stars.
A Communal Covid Workaround Getting out of your house is important. Getting your kid out of your house is extremely important. The deadly airborne virus has made every decision a bit more difficult. All of the aforementioned breweries have outdoor seating. While most everyone over the age of five can receive the Covid vaccine, those under five still cannot. Frequenting breweries with other families with kids under the age of five has been a godsend over the last two years. Even meeting up with childless folks has been great to-do at breweries. Everyone’s comfort level is different, but an outdoor setting remains best for everyone, regardless of their vaccination status. Breweries are popular with families for obvious reasons (Yes, parents enjoy beer and breweries have beer). But it’s all the non-beer reasons that make a weekend afternoon visit to a brewery a fine option for most families. Regardless of when kids can get the shot, it’s unlikely my family will cease our brewery patronage.
For the Family Who... 1. Loves Toys
4. Will Drive for Outdoor Space
City-State Brewing Co.: 705 Edgewood St. NE, DC; citystatebrewing.com // @citystatebrewing
Manor Hill Brewing: 4411 Manor Ln. Ellicott City, MD; manorhillbrewing.com // @manorhillbrew
Right Proper Brewing Co.’s Brookland Production House + Tasting Room: 920 Girard St. NE, DC; rightproperbrewing.com // @rightproperbeer
2. Loves Garbage Trucks Note: Tenleytown Trash’s headquarters are next door. 3 Stars Brewing Company: 6400 Chillum Pl. NW, DC; 3starsbrewing.com // @3starsbrewing
3. Doesn’t Mind Fire Pits Hellbender Brewing Company: 5788 2nd St. NE, DC; hellbenderbeer.com // @hellbenderbeer
5. Wants a Brewery Crawl Astro Lab Co.: 8216 Georgia Ave. Silver Spring, MD; astrolabbrewing.com // @astrolabbrewing Atlas Brew Works’ Ivy City Brewery & Tap Room: 2052 West Virginia Ave. NE, DC; atlasbrewworks.com // @atlasbrewworks Denizens Brewing Co.: 1115 East-West Hwy. Silver Spring, MD; denizensbrewingco.com // @denizensbrewing Other Half Brewing: 1401 Okie St. NE, DC; otherhalfbrewing.com // @otherhalfdc Silver Branch Brewing Co.: 8401 Colesville Rd. #150, Silver Spring, MD; silverbranchbrewing.com // @silverbranchus
Family Brewery Etiquette Every brewery is different and every family is different. That being said, there are some obvious, and some unspoken, rules of etiquette families should abide by when bringing the kids to an establishment meant for adults. LEAVE BEFORE THE BREWERY TURNS INTO A BAR. Unlike bars, most
breweries do not serve brunch, which means earlier is better. Atlas told us to get there as early as possible, before their tap room gets busy. City-State advised leaving between 5 and 7 p.m. In other words, leave before the place feels like a bar. CLOSE YOUR TAB. You may or may not know your kid’s limit. Close your tab whenever ordering. It may be a slight annoyance for the staff but it’s way better than running off with an open tab because your kid ran away. BRING ENOUGH TOYS FOR A FRIEND.
Some breweries have toys. Most kids want what other kids have. So even if the brewery has toys, you still want to bring some so your kid can make a new friend.
BRING SNACKS. Most breweries offer kid-friendly food. Most food requires a wait. Better to have something you know they typically eat. ORDER FRIES OR WHATEVER FOOD YOU KNOW YOUR KID EATS, TOO.
It takes way longer to eat an order of fries, grilled cheese, chicken tacos or whatever kid-friendly option is available than the kid-friendly snack you brought. Also, your kid isn’t drinking so consider this their donation to the brewery or local food truck. DON’T LET THEM CLIMB ON TABLES.
I didn’t think I needed to mention this until Other Half’s chief operating officer Andrew Burman pointed out what should be obvious: “Parents need to pay attention to their children while they are enjoying the spaces and offerings. Please, no climbing on tables!” They will try to climb tables. Do your best to keep kids off tables. We’re all just trying to do our best.
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Your Guide to Dog-Friendly D.C. WORDS BY JADE WOMACK | PHOTO BY ANDREW J. WILLIAMS III
LIFE On the ninth week of working from home during spring 2020, I decided to adopt a dog. And on May 15, 2020, I became the proud owner of a DobbyBaby Yoda-Meerkat creature (technically an Australian Shepherd American Staffordshire Terrier four-month-old puppy) named Luna. In the past two years we have extensively explored what the D.C. area has to offer. Here are some of our favorite local hangouts and unexpected dog-friendly spots.
Wake up + go on an adventure with my best girl Dumbarton Oaks Park: Made to create an illusion of country life in the city, this park is one of my favorite places to escape. There is tall grass, benches to catch up on favorite reads and a small little stream winding through. Luna loves the various flora and chasing the waterways on our way to Georgetown. R St. NW between 31st St. NW + Avon Pl. DC; nps.gov/ places/dumbarton-oaks-park.htm // @nationalparkservice Soapstone Valley Trail: Not as well-known as Rock Creek or Theodore Roosevelt Island, this trail winds west toward Van Ness. It can get very muddy after it rains which is a dog’s dream, but also a red flag because of the sewage pipes running along the trail. I like it because it’s a hidden trail not welltraversed and great for practicing recall with a long leash. 2900 Audubon Terr. NW, DC; hikingproject.com/ trail/7014271/soapstone-valley-foot-trail Western Ridge Trail: One of the most popular trails in D.C., it’s a great way to spend a weekend day. Make sure to bring a water bottle because once you’re out there — you’re out there. Ridge Rd. NW + Western Ridge Trail in Rock Creek Park; nps.gov/ thingstodo/hike-the-western-ridge-trail.htm // @nationalparkservice
Let’s go shopping (since Luna is the least judgmental shopping buddy) Bookstores galore: Luna aspires to read one day, so naturally she accompanies me to the plethora of bookstores in the area such as Barnes & Noble, Kramer’s, Lost City Books, Amazon Books, Solid State Books and Politics and Prose. Various locations Hardware stores: As a general rule, stores that sell dog items are dog-friendly including the various Ace Hardware stores in the area. Luna drags me to the store for the free treats behind the counter. Various locations Most stores in Georgetown: During these spring months, I love going on a long walk with Luna through Dumbarton Oaks to Georgetown and perusing the dog-friendly stores like Apple, Free People, Lush, Paper Source, CB2, Sephora, JCrew, Outdoor Voices, Lululemon and Anthropologie. Various locations in Georgetown. georgetowndc.com // @officialgeorgeorgetowndc
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LIFE Nordstrom Rack: Located both at Metro Center and Penn Quarter, Nordstrom Rack is a great time suck and “cooling” spot on hot summer days. When walking home from the National Mall to Adams Morgan, we sometimes take a break for the air conditioning and look around the store, grab some water and impulse buy some dog toys and candles. Various locations; nordstromrack.com // @nordstromrack
Luna is an aspiring D.C. foodie Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream: Tucked away in the charming Mount Pleasant neighborhood is a creative ice cream shop housing innovative flavors such as girl scouts gone wild or brigadeiro. The menu also includes a dog sundae which a small scoop of sweet cream or peanut butter ice cream topped with two homemade dog treats in a cup. 3110 Mt. Pleasant St. NW, DC; mdiic.com // @mdiicecreamdc Sprinkles: To my dog, the only cupcake store that matters in D.C. is Sprinkles and their pupcake. The pupcakes come sealed in plastic (so no mess if you need to grab a few to go) and are made with vanilla, buttermilk and yogurt. 3015 M St. NW, DC; sprinkles.com // @sprinklescupcakes South Block: Everyone loves smoothies. On longer days, Luna and I will walk from our home in Adams Morgan to Union Market for prime people watching. South Block (which is located in many places) offers puppy smoothies which are peanut butter and banana smoothies for dogs. Various locations; southblockjuice.com // @southblock
Where we battle the Sunday scaries Emissary: If you can find a spot, I love these popular neighborhood coffee shops located in Dupont Circle. Dogs are allowed inside, but do note it can be tight quarters between you and other guests. 2032 P St. NW + 1726 20th St. NW, DC ; emissarydc.com // @emissary_dc No Goodbyes: The all-day restaurant located in Adams Morgan’s The Line DC hotel is a great coworking spot on early weekend mornings (there’s Wi-Fi). Grab a cup of coffee and a breakfast bite 80 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
from the restaurant’s coffee bar and head inside with your dog. It’s a great place to hunker down if you have a few hours of work to do. 1770 Euclid St. NW, DC; thelinehotel.com // @nogoodbyes_dc Yours Truly: The hotel’s lobby hosts Mercy Me which boasts great cocktails for dog-friendly work meetups. Note, sometimes there isn’t public Wi-Fi available on the weekends, but the hotel does have water bowls. 1143 New Hampshire Ave. NW, DC; yourstruly.com // @yourstrulyhotel
Luna loves a dog-friendly beer garden Dacha Beer: Not only can you get beer at this classic German beer garden, but your dog can too. The Shaw and Navy Yard locations offer doggie beers on their menu. 1600 7th St. NW + 79 Potomac Ave. SE, DC; dachadc.com // @dachashaw Midlands: One of my favorites, this Park View beer garden is welcoming and dog-friendly. The beer garden provides beds and blankets for dog guests to get cozy. Additionally, the beer garden will soon offer doggie ice cream. It’s a fantastic location for dogs that might be easily frazzled since the beer garden is a bit more spread out. 3333 Georgia Ave. NW, DC; midlandsdc.com // @midlands_dc Wunder Garten: This beer garden boasts “yappy” hours regularly with doggie treat flights and puppacinos. In the wintertime you can find them hosting Santa meet-and-greets in partnership with dog rescue organizations in D.C. 1101 First St. NE, DC; wundergartendc.com // @wundergartendc
Luna’s favorite local pet stores Big Bad Wolf: When I was a child, I would beg my mom to bring me to this pet store in Takoma Park just to look around. Even today, Luna and I are mesmerized by the variety of specialty food brand options, fine leather collars and chews. 6960 Maple St. NW, DC; thebigbadwoof.com // @woofdelivers The Dog Park: Luna’s collar is from this small, unassuming but knowledgeable shop in Old Town Alexandria. They have many baked goods, toys and preppyprinted collars. It’s a great stop to add when shopping in Old Town. While in the area, also check out Old Towne
School for Dogs. 705 King St. Alexandria, VA; thedogparkva.biz // @thedogparkva Doggy Style: Hidden in Dupont Circle is a pet supply store stocking all your dog-friendly needs. For Luna’s birthday, I stocked up on specialty treats, a new antler, duck-stuffed animal and cookies. 1642 R St. NW, DC; doggystylebakery.com // @doggystyledc Howl to the Chief: This unsuspecting pet boutique in Barracks Row has the largest selections of doggie baked goods and treats in D.C. If you’re looking for peak-D.C. toys (think Biden plushies and political party bandanas), you’re in luck. 719 8th St. SE, DC; howltothechief.com // @howltothechief Loyal Companion: There are many Loyal Companions in the DMV, but my favorite location is the one near Clarendon beside Sweet Science Coffee. When Luna and I are in the neighborhood, we stock up on unique treats and chews like duck feet. Various locations; loyalcompanion.com // @loyalcompanionpets
Other escapades Luna loves Barkhaus: Known as a dog bar, this bar has many dog-friendly events such as paint your pets, puppy bowls and mutt mixers. 529 E Howell Ave. Alexandria, VA; brewskisbarkhaus.com // @barkhaus_ Capitals Canine Club: Offered by the Washington Capitals, this exclusive canine membership program provides a swag-filled membership kit, invites to Caps’ canine events and exclusive ticket offers. nhl.com/capitals/fans/caps-canines // @capitals HRA Agility Classes: Mainly known as D.C.’s major rescue organization and clinic, the Humane Rescue Alliance also has a variety of recreational courses for dogs including agility, scent training and reactive dog training classes. 71 Oglethorpe St. NW, DC; humanerescuealliance.org // @humanerescue Pups in the Park: During the National’s season, you can bring your dog to a few events by purchasing a “dog ticket.” The park has dog watchers who will look after your dog if you need to use the restroom, and even has grass patches for your pet to relieve themselves. 1500 S Capitol St. SE, DC; mlb.com // @nationalspark FIRST PAGE. Jade Womack + Luna at The LINE DC.
DOGS
ARE PEOPLE, TOO WORDS BY COURTNEY SEXTON
My late dog, Remy, had balls. I mean literally. And it was not uncommon for perfect strangers to stop us on the street, point to his groin and exclaim in horror (or at the very least complete confusion): “He isn’t neutered!” (Oh really? I didn’t notice…). When I engaged in these interactions people would always ask why Remy was still intact, without truly caring what my answer was and usually give me unsolicited advice that he really should be snipped. So far, I’ve gotten fewer stops with the new pup in my life, Sonder — though admittedly his nether regions are a bit less…shall we say “apparent” to passersby. Strangers feeling comfortable not only commenting but advising without expertise on the choices I make for the animals in my care is part of much bigger, more complicated cultural history of gonadectomy and ownership in the U.S. If asked (I wasn’t), I could go on a diatribe about this for days — but if you’re truly interested, Katie Herzog sums up a lot of it really nicely in her four-part blog series “Moose Nuggets.” To bookmark for now the chapter on Rem’s testicles, the choice I made for him was based on: one, recognizing what it means to control what happens to another’s body; and two, considering what was best for him as a dog in his situation. At the time, I researched the health pros and cons of both neutering and not, thought about his lifestyle (e.g., primarily supervised as opposed to free-roaming) and made a decision. Today, I study animal behavior and communication and work closely with many veterinary and animal welfare professionals. It’s literally my business to know how physiology, biology and environment shape a dog’s “umwelt,” or experience of the world. In terms of desexing dogs, we still have a lot to learn about how the procedure impacts shortand long-term health and well-being.
The WEIRD Canine Bond This particular dilemma is also highly culturally relevant. Roughly 75-80% of domesticated dogs do not live as pets in the way many Americans consider. They are not being pushed down the sidewalks of Brooklyn in strollers, nor are they sipping brews beside their humans at the beer garden.
While generations of people and dogs have formed many different kinds of close bonds (that’s what makes our interspecies coevolution so unique), some of these emerging aspects of human-canine companionship can be linked to shifting lifestyle trends related to employment, relationship status and childbearing in WEIRD (western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic) societies. I am admittedly WEIRD — and probably also weird. A running joke for anyone who knows my family is when we die, we want to come back as a dog in the Sexton household. My daily patterns revolve around my dog: I love him dearly as I do human family members — and yes, “Your Dog Has Seen Me Naked,” per Ryan Pfeffer’s New York Times Modern Love editorial — but, I am not his parent and he is not my child, furbaby or whatever other psychoanalyst’s descriptor you want to assign him. I resist such language because simply put, this kind of terminology denies dogs their dog-ness which can have serious implications for dogs and people alike. If we are going to assume the role as caretakers or guardians of animals who are denied autonomy, personhood and largely legal protection except as property, we must do so responsibly. A big part of being a responsible canine companion is understanding your environment and how the dog fits into it — and recognizing this environment may or may not be what the dog would choose if afforded self-governance.
Develop Your Canine Caritas In essence, because we love them and because we are the ones calling the shots, it’s our job to make sure dogs we cohabitate with have the opportunity to thrive within the given set of constraints of human society. Even with the best intentions, as Anna Heyward so vulnerably expressed in her New Yorker article “Bad Dog,” this can be really hard. Now don’t get me wrong, the idea of someone making all of my decisions for me/having all of my basic needs taken care of sounds lux right about now — but in a dog’s reality that also comes at a price. We know it’s in their DNA to be highly sociable and even to seek out human company and communication. But dogs are also capable of decision making and, like humans, have preferences for food they eat, playthings and activities, and people and dogs with whom they keep company. For many, these preferences are even scripted in their genes. When we force them into certain situations and routines incongruent with the preferred “natural” state, their quality of life is threatened and their reactions can be volatile. Imagine, for example, you were a city dweller who desperately wanted a border collie. Regardless of how many treats you give, keeping a border collie in a studio apartment all day would be irresponsible at best, teetering on neglect. You’d be actively preventing the dog from engaging in the very behaviors they were bred for — running, herding, working — and could ultimately cause major stress for the animal that gets channeled into “destructive” or “aggressive” behavior.
And Then Who Gets Blamed? Look at it this way: If you were a life-long trained athlete from a family of Olympic medalists, would you be content spending your day scanning books returned to the library? Likely not. Might you tear up a few books in frustration? Possibly. Another important thing to consider is when we bring dogs into our homes is we are responsible not just for their wellbeing but for anyone who may meet or encounter them. DISTRICT FRAY | 81
Not everyone likes dogs. Not everyone should have to interact with them. Forcing this issue can be an especially unsavory form of exercising privilege. So how, after recognizing our role and our environment, do we begin to display real caritas for our crossspecies partners in evolution? Take a class. Listen. Learn something about canine communication and behavior. Don’t assume all tail wags mean the same thing. If I were planning to adopt a five-year-old child who spoke a language I didn’t know, sure as s**t the first thing I’d do is learn the language or at the very least take an introductory course. I’d read up on their culture, their background. Why? To set them up for success. In my life and my work, this is a constant process. I made plenty of mistakes with Remy that prompted me to do things differently with Sonder, but I’m never going to be the perfect pup partner. The key thing to recognize is — and the science is telling us this, too — dogs are individuals. While certain breeds may carry a high likelihood of certain traits being heritable, at the end of the day, just as with people individual experiences matter in terms of shaping a dog’s personality. And as far as we’re concerned, the way we interact with dogs is not irrelevant to how we interact with and treat others. Be kind. Be gentle. Be ready to learn. Do that and life with a dog can offer the greatest of rewards. Courtney Sexton is a writer and researcher currently at work on a doctoral dissertation exploring the evolution of canine communication, genetics and social behavior. She is a PhD candidate in the George Washington University Department of Anthropology’s Center for Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology and is co-founder and director of The Inner Loop, a nonprofit organization for writers. ooking for general resources for living L with pets? Check out the PetMinded Community at petminded.co or on Instagram @petminded for virtual workshops, talks and courses. For local training classes, check out Capital Dog Training Club at cdtc.org.
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Courtney Sexton + her pup Sonder. Photo courtesy of subject.
D.C.-based certified financial planners Anna N’Jie-Konte and Kevin Mahoney share financial advice for the budding money manager.
Money Moves WORDS BY NICOLE SCHALLER
LIFE
To Itemize or Not to Itemize
Throughout my pre-college education, I learned about the Revolutionary War four separate times. How to organize my finances, balance a checkbook and invest? Zero. Although a fundamental part of becoming an independent stable adult, our education system fails to teach fiscal planning as part of the core curriculum. Once I graduated college and began to venture into the adult wilderness, I realized just how lost I was when it came to managing money. I’m not alone in the quest for financial literacy. Luckily, there are experts and people who dedicate their careers to catching people up to speed with this common adult blind spot. Certified financial planners Kevin Mahoney and Anna N’Jie-Konte found the way to their current positions after departing from previous economic advisory positions at large companies. When Mahoney and his wife were expecting their first child and preparing financially, he noticed many young adults had trouble accessing financial advice. Even as a fiduciary expert, he found the process draining. “I was spending a lot of time researching decisions and questions related to our finances for our child that I hadn’t had to do before and it was time consuming,” Mahoney recalls. As a result, Mahoney created his company Illumint to help millennials with financial planning and advising as they take their first steps into financial responsibility — whether it be a first child, marriage or starting a business venture. N’Jie-Konte also noticed a discrepancy in the financial sphere for women — especially BIPOC women — who are often overlooked in economic sectors. As a Puerto Rican Gambian-American woman who has worked with ultra-rich families in wealth management for eight years, N’Jie-Konte pivoted to create her company Dare to Dream Financial Planning, which helps those she saw missing from the equation. “There’s totally a barrier in the personal finance space,” N’Jie-Konte says. “Financial services overwhelmingly cater to straight white people who have a cookie-cutter trajectory. Everyone else who doesn’t [fit into] that oftentimes feels a lot of shame for not being on the same timeline.” I had a chance to speak with both
Mahoney and N’Jie-Konte about pressing financial questions for people just starting to think about money management, from saving to spending to investing.
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FIRST PAGE. Anna N’Jie Konte. THIRD PAGE. Kevin Mahoney with his kids at Rock Creek Park. Photos courtesy of subjects.
Setting Up the Groundwork As with most disciplines, there needs to be a financial foundation before building toward larger goals. N’JieKonte recommends putting in place a sustainable spending plan, an emergency fund and saving money for retirement. Above all, do not get ahead of yourself. “I find a lot of times people who make the decision to do better with their finances get really overwhelmed,” N’Jie-Konte warns. “There’s so much information out there. They try to do level 150 stuff when they’re at level 10. I recommend doing a lot of research but having an understanding of what you need to worry about and when.”
The Earlier, the Better One thing became abundantly clear after talking with Mahoney and N’Jie Konte: The old adage “Time is money, money is time,” holds up. The sooner you think about your financial future, the better. “Ideally, my candidature would be a teenager or young adult,” Mahoney says. “I don’t think formal financial planning necessarily but there are plenty of lower cost coaching options or video series that provide a very good start for younger people.” If you are not a teenager, don’t panic. Most of Mahoney’s clients are in their late twenties or early thirties, which is also a great time to start. Mahoney emphasizes the importance of saving and investing as soon as possible. “The sooner people can [gain] a basic working knowledge of different accounts or investment options, the sooner they can do something. It doesn’t have to be large amounts of money, but there’s so much value in starting early and allowing smaller contributions or smaller savings amounts grow. The technical term is compound over time. Getting in the habit of setting aside a certain amount of dollars each month or investing a certain amount of money each month — those habits and time for growth makes such a difference when you become 40, 60 or older.”
When visiting my friend and her husband in Boston, I went grocery shopping with them and noticed they took photos of receipts — even when we went out for ice cream. They diligently kept an up-to-date, itemized list of all their spending in an Excel spreadsheet with a strict budget for different types of spending. I immediately became concerned about my lack of budgeting. Both N’Jie-Konte and Mahoney assured me a manual budget itemization is not necessary. They advise taking a more holistic approach. “I think 90% of people can’t create an Excel spreadsheet and stick to it,” N’Jie-Konte says. “I’m a financial advisor and I don’t do that because I can’t be bothered with it. What people really need is some rough guidelines for their budget to make sure they have some sort of sustainable plan in place.” Specifically, N’Jie-Konte recommends the 50-30-20 budget rule where 50% of the budget goes toward mandatory expenses like rent or mortgage, utilities and groceries; 30% goes toward fun; and 20% goes toward future savings and investing. She also advocates for automating savings with your employer and bank for expenses like retirement and children’s 529 college savings plan, if you are in a position to do so. “I know there’s a good amount of privilege [required] to automate savings, but I think you can start small with picking some mandatory expenses and increasing your ability to do so over time.”
Demystifying Investing Investing tends to be the most intimidating aspect of financial planning. The options are endless, an element of risk is inevitable and I feel woefully uneducated on the common terms used in the stock market. “Part of my goal when working with clients is to get them to a level of understanding, confidence and empowerment so they don’t feel afraid or uncertain because we’ve talked through the why and the how of doing things,” Mahoney says. “Hopefully they see it doesn’t have to be as daunting as people make it out to be.” Mahoney advises to start investing
LIFE small with a 401(k) through work or an individual retirement account (IRA) which you can open independently. Both options are low-risk and if you start early, will be beneficial in the long run. “I always show clients the opportunity cost of not investing: showing someone what their financial picture looks like if they keep their money in cash for 30 years and don’t invest it versus investing,” N’Jie-Konte adds. “That usually gets them to see how important it is — and that’s where financial planning software can come in handy.” If wondering about crypto, NFTs and all-in investing in a single stock, Mahoney advises against. “When you’re reading about crypto
and this person making millions off one company, that’s not how most people should invest based on how the stock market historically has worked for the average investor.” Whether novice investor or beginning budgeter, Mahoney and N’Jie-Konte’s advice provides a strong starting point for financial success. I myself am excited to (finally) make some money moves. Dare to Dream Financial Planning: daretodreamplanning.com // @anjiekonte Illumint: 641 S St. NW, DC; illumintfc.com // @illumint; @bykevinmahoney
SMART FINANCIAL RESOURCES While N’Jie-Konte and Mahoney couldn’t educate me on all the ins and outs of planning and investing, each shared favorite resource that help pave the way to fiscal responsibility. Mahoney’s Book Picks “I Will Teach You to Be Rich” by Ramit Sethi “The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated” by Helaine Olen “Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel NerdWallet “It’s really accessible and easy to understand,” N’Jie-Konte says about this app and website, which provides information and insight on multiple aspects of financial planning. Best of all, it’s 100% free. nerdwallet.com // @nerdwallet N’Jie-Konte’s Favorite Podcasts “Yo Quiero Dinero” yoquierodineropodcast.com // @yoquierodineropodcast “Her Dinero Matters” enhemphill.com/her-dinero-matters-podcast // @jenhemphill “Minority Money” minoritymoneypodcast.com // @minoritymoneypodcast You Need a Budget (YNAB) “This software offers people the ability to do a lot of different things and drill down in different ways,” Mahoney says. “I think the biggest value is it tracks your spending. For people comfortable syncing accounts, whether credit card or bank account, transactions flow into the software [giving] you the ability to run reports on spending.” The app is $98.99 annually or $14.99 monthly. Free 34-day trials are available. youneedabudget.com // @youneedabudget Want to hear more from Kevin Mahoney and Anna N’Jai-Konte? Check out Mahoney’s podcast “Financially Well: the Finance Podcast for Millennials” and his financial advice blog at bykevinmahoney.com. N’Jai-Konte hosts “The Financial Powerhouse Podcast” and writes a financial advice blog at annanjiekonte.com. DISTRICT FRAY | 85
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“Just make it to at least a minute,” I tell myself as I hold a plank. And then from my periphery I can see my 15-month-old daughter Lily army crawling her way through the obstacle course of dumbbells and resistance bands scattered across the carpeted basement floor. She takes mere seconds to position her little body under my face and presses her giggling smile up against mine. My husband is in the midst of a chest press on our workout bench when our rambunctious black lab puppy George bolts down the stairs and jumps on top of him. Welcome to the chaos of working out in the Thompson home, where personal time is rare but pandemonium is abundant. Working out has certainly taken on a whole new look and meaning compared to two years ago. Granted, along with a global health pandemic we decided to add two living beings to the mix. I still remember the look on my parents’ face when we told them via Facetime a few weeks before our daughter was born, “Guess what we did? We got a puppy!” Insert looks of shock and awe, followed by “Are you serious?” And then add in a few expletives to the mix. When gyms shut down and wrangling any semblance of free Alex + Scott Thompson in Georgetown.
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weights or gym equipment was bleak, we had to get creative. (This is not where I say go get pregnant and/or buy a dog. Rather, the lesson here is to adapt — and adapt we did.) My once grueling hill workouts on a StairMaster became sprinting, squatting and lunge-jumping up the four flights of stairs behind our housing complex. Dive weights were cleverly used by my husband as added resistance for circuits of body weight exercises. We both began to take advantage of the outdoor fitness equipment — bars and platforms — that stretched along Four Mile Run Trail near our Shirlington neighborhood. A guy who I used to see at my gym lugging massive dumbbells in a farmer’s walk was now doing the same along the trail with massive slabs of rock under his arms. And then finally, after what seemed like endless searches for dumbbells not priced in the $300 and up range, we actually started to buy gym equipment. The first purchase was a solid set of resistance bands that turned out to be one of my smartest pandemic purchases to date — unlike the 10-pound bag of flour, one pound bag of yeast or 20 pack of yarn in a variety of colors, all of which are still in their packaging. Clearly, when it came to some things, I was a bit overly ambitious, you could say. DISTRICT FRAY | 87
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From there, we started to build up a small but solid range of dumbbell sets ranging from 15 to 70 pounds, along with a weight bench that conveniently folds when not in use. But then, the greatest resistance training of all arrived within a mere few weeks of each other: our daughter Lily and our puppy George. Remember when I said workouts look a lot different now? Well, that’s because outside of the now-evolving home workouts were the hundreds of mini-workouts. The daily morning sumo squat while holding a growing baby to turn off the noise machine. The tens of hundreds of squats to follow to pick up a bottle, a toy, a spoon — all again while holding a growing baby. The craziest thing of it all: It’s the miniworkouts and the steadily growing baby and puppy that got me back into fighting shape. Pushing a weighted sled across a gym floor was now pushing a lively baby in a jogging stroller up a steep incline. Lugging a weighted medicine ball up a gym wall was replaced by the many times a day I squatted, pressed and carefully threw Lily up into the air. Granted, the medicine ball was not nearly as cute or squealing in delight when thrown. Before I could blink, Lily was 15 months old and George was no longer the tiny little puppy we took home in a sloth blanket. My family had survived the craziness of work/ exercise/eat/live from home. But something else also happened. My husband and I realized we didn’t need to go back to a gym. We didn’t need the squat bar we once missed dearly (I realize how that sounds but it’s a great piece of workout equipment if you 88 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
have one), or the massive variety of free weights or the cable and resistance machines the gym offered. And another thing we realized: We enjoyed family runs much more than the solo ones we used to take. Yes, it was easier not to push a jogging stroller or lug a dog who still has to figure out how to run and not jump in between, but it’s all a heck of a lot more entertaining. And in the end, it’s all about adapting, right?
Follow E$ on Instagram @theedollarsign.
ILLUSTRATION BY E$
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THE MARVELOUS
MAYHEM OF
MARCH MADNESS How D.C.’s bettors can get their heads in the game WORDS BY CASEY PAZZALIA | ILLUSTRATION BY JAMES COREAS
There may not be much local flavor in this year’s NCAA Tournament, but that’s not going to stop throngs of college basketball fans from getting out in D.C. to experience the action. In fact, there could be more people playing hooky this year as legal sports gambling has taken on a larger role within the city. March Madness is a huge deal everywhere, from office pools to local pubs and on campuses across the country, but among gamblers? It’s a legit holiday. Along with the Super Bowl, the first week of March Madness is head and shoulders above all other sports events in terms of handle (or amount wagered by bettors). “Super Bowl and March Madness are the two biggest,” owner of Grand Central Restaurant, Bar & Sportsbook Brian Vasile says. “During March Madness, there’s so much action, so many games going on at one time.”
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BEGINNER’S GUIDE | PLAY
2022 LINEUP: THE FAVES + THE FALLEN As always, 68 college basketball teams will vie for the ultimate prize across roughly 2 1/2 weeks. That said, this year’s Big Dance is shaping up to be the most normal since 2019 when local favorite University of Virginia took home their first ever men’s basketball championship. There wasn’t a tournament in 2020 due to the pandemic and last year’s attendance was only a fraction of previous tournaments. By comparison, over 70,000 fans watched Virginia beat Texas Tech in 2019 while capacity was limited to 17,500 for last year’s Baylor-Gonzaga final. This year, however, Virginia has an uphill climb to even reach the tournament — and the same can be said for Maryland and Georgetown. All three have fallen significantly in the KenPom rankings since preseason and short of a wild string of wins down the stretch they’ll be on the outside looking in. Georgetown, to their credit, was in a similar position last season before a completely unexpected Big East Tournament victory and NCAA Tournament berth. While local teams are longshots, the heavyweights of the college basketball world are having solid seasons. At press time, Gonzaga is the favorite to win the tournament, according to GambetDC’s future odds and blue bloods Arizona, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Villanova and UCLA are right there in the top ten. Last year’s champion, Baylor, as well as Auburn and Purdue round out the top ten list of most likely champions. Some less trendy picks to consider are LSU and Houston. Both teams have proven they can rip off a ton of victories in a row and have elite defensive units. According to KenPom, the tigers and cougars are among the top 15 in defensive efficiency and both have won at least 10 games in a row this season. If you believe in the defense wins championships cliché, these might be the teams for you.
THE SECRET’S IN THE STRATEGY Placing future bets on winning the whole shabang is a lot of fun, especially when the official bracket comes out. All 68 teams have a fair shake, but generally it’s the big dogs (see previously mentioned) who find themselves
under the confetti. Since 2000, only one team — the No. 7 seed UConn Huskies in 2007 — has won the national championship as something other than a No. 1, 2 or 3 seed. That said, it’s the underdogs and Cinderella stories that make the event so classic, oftentimes transcending the sport itself. In anywhere other than the DMV area, George Mason and UMBC are known specifically for their unexpected successes in the NCAA Tournament. It put the schools on the map, so to speak, all while busting millions of brackets and causing mayhem at sports bars and books. There are several ways for bettors — both novice and seasoned — to wet their beaks come tournament time. Retail sports betting locations keep popping up in D.C. (with more to come) and mobile options have never been more convenient. “Our retail network includes close to 40 GambetDC kiosks now,” says D.C. Office of Lottery and Gaming Director of Marketing and Communications Nicole Jordan. “We are continuously growing. People like options. If you want to bet on our mobile app from the comfort of your house, you can do that. Or if you want to go to a social setting and bet from a bar or restaurant, we have that, too. Now we’ve also introduced another phase if you want to just go to a convenience store, lottery store or liquor store.” Bars that have GambetDC sports betting kiosks include The Ugly Mug, Ben’s Next Door, Lou’s City Bar, Takoma Station Tavern, Cleveland Park Bar & Grill, Dirty Water and several others. “We’re bringing on about two to three a week,” she adds. “And you can go to one place and purchase the ticket, another place to cash it. You don’t have to be wedded to one location. We are also increasing the limits to $1,000 per transaction.”
SPORTS FOR BETS + BEER In Adams Morgan, the Grand Central Sportsbook is also busy expanding. “By March Madness, we’ll have more points of sale open,” Vasile says. “Right now we have two kiosks and one ticket window. Very soon we’ll have four kiosks and two ticket windows.” Complete with wall-to-wall flat screens, a full food and drink menu and growing sportsbook, Grand Central is an ideal spot to hang out during those
first few crucial days of the Big Dance. BetMGM Sportsbook, located next to Nats Park and Caesars Sportsbook at Capital One Arena also have food, drink and sports betting, so there are options no matter where you are in the city. If you can’t get out of work for the games or just don’t feel comfortable being around so many people, the GambetDC app has also made plenty of enhancements to make this tournament one to remember. “We have been looking at our odds to make sure we’re comparable to those in the area, while staying true to who we are,” Jordan says. “We also made the deposit and withdrawal much easier by integrating PayPal. For March Madness, we’ll do fun promotions where players can win additional money and prizes outside of their regular bets.” “We have a lot of casual bettors,” Jordan says cheerfully. “I love it. It’s becoming so mainstream.”
THREE PRO TIPS GOING INTO THE TOURNAMENT 1. Don’t always listen to the public. If everyone at the bar loves Illinois, try going the opposite way. The public is wrong more often than they’re right. 2. Set a budget for yourself. With so many games, those $25 bets can add up. And you may think they can’t all lose, but they can. Been there. 3. Bet what you know. There are a lot of teams, but don’t be afraid to brush up on injuries, trends, etc. before all the action gets going. It will help in the long run.
There are 16 games slated for each of the first two days of March Madness (Thursday, March 17 and Friday, March 18), followed by eight games each day on Saturday and Sunday. The Sweet 16 and Elite 8 will follow March 24 through March 27, then the tournament culminates with the Final Four (April 2) and National Championship (April 4) from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Tune into CBS’s annual Selection Show on March 13 for the first opportunity to see the bracket. For more information, visit cbssports.com and follow @cbssports on Instagram.
DISTRICT FRAY | 91
THE ART OF ADULTING CROSSWORD COMPILED BY AMANDA WEISBROD One morning, upon waking up with back pain and a pounding headache from caffeine withdrawal, it hits you: You’ve officially reached adulthood. Bygone are the days of carefree McDonald’s runs and all-nighters. High school has been replaced with a nine to five and you don’t vibe with the Top 40 anymore. But you do have your own apartment and no curfew. Being grown up means finally having the freedom you yearned for as a teen, but with hidden responsibilities no one warned you about. Solve the crossword below to have a laugh at the nostalgia and relatable irritants that come with the territory of adulting.
DOWN 1. Wash them at least every two weeks
31. Get at least eight hours
2. Your first game system, probably
35. “Nothing is certain except death and __.”
3. Culture of sitting in a Zoom meeting while wearing dirty sweatpants: abbr.
34. IOU 38. Make a pass online 39. “Air one’s dirty __.” 41. All grown up
5. Once every 3,000 miles
43. A secret cleaning agent for hardwood floors
8. First thing in the morning
44. Impossible to fold
13. Exploitive safety net
47. Do it once a week and you’ll never argue about what’s for dinner again
14. You find yourself falling asleep while watching this sport (congrats, you’re now your father)
48. Nine to five escape 49. Fad diet
17. Opening line of an elder’s tale
50. Another word for “adulting”
19. The ’90s to Gen Z
58. Buy now, pay later
20. Not-your-grandfather’s cash
59. Attire for your sister-inlaw’s cousin’s wedding you’re begrudgingly attending
23. First month’s rent 26. Career chase 30. Busy month for the IRS
56. Reason for a 401(k)
61. You’ll be a member before you know it: abbr.
92 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
CROSSWORD | FUN
ACROSS 4. Adult jitter juice
28. Helps save for 56 down
51. Car dealership option
6. Please cancel them
29. Precursor to 32 across
52. Bad habit
7. Record of professional experience
31. Take a __ day
53. Granny’s favorite game
9. You start feeling it in your 30s
32. Educational move for the adult who doesn’t know what to do with their life
54. Perhaps the most “adulting” of all duties
11. Home owner’s bane
55. Expensive wrinkle remover
33. Offers a sweet reprieve for caretakers
12. Socializing
56. Due on the first of the month
36. Are you even a millennial if you aren’t in __?
15. Feeling forever alone
57. Common New Year’s resolution for adults
37. “With great power comes great __.”
18. You dread them every holiday season
60. Monthly limit
40. Children substitute
21. Arguing pettily
62. Furbabies
42. Elusive fountain’s promise
22. Three digit number that rules your life
63. __ mater
45. They pile up fast
25. Money management
64. Impossible to do when people are watching
46. Keep up with them
27. Being an adult means making the tough one
48. Constitutional right and responsibility 1 2
3 4
5
6
7
8
9
11
12
13
17
19
20
14
18
22
21 15
23
26
25
27
29 31
30
28
32
33 35
34 36
37
38
39
40
42
41
43
44 45
46
47 48 49
50 52
51
53
54
55 56
57
58
59 60
61 63
62
NOTE: Check districtfray.com for the answer key.
64
Virginia Arrisueño. Photo by Shaughn Cooper.
IN OTHER WORDS
REGINALD DOUGLAS
BACK HOME AND ON THE MOVE
94 | MARCH // APRIL 2022
WORDS BY CHAD KINSMAN
District Fray: You once said D.C. moved at a “speed I love.” What speed is that? Reginald Douglas: I’m a native New Yorker, so it’s in my blood to move fast and be onthe-go. What I love about D.C. is that urgency exists, but the city is small enough it feels balanced. There’s breathing room here. We can work really hard and also with a smile and laughter, I feel. I also love that D.C. is an inherently political city. There are people who care about the country and the world we live in here. There’s no better city in which to do the kind of work I want than a city where the personal is political no matter how you slice it. What excites you most about D.C. theatre right now? I see a city full of amazing leaders deepening the visions of their organizations who are committed to collaboration, not competition: Karen Ann Daniels at Folger; Matt Gardiner at Signature; Maria Manuela Goyanes at Woolly; Raymond O. Caldwell at Theater Alliance; Ryan Rilette at Round House; Adam Immerwahr at Theater J; the list goes on. These are leaders who think about leadership as an act of service, who think about the arts as an act of service, not to ourselves but to our communities. We are interested in building a culture that represents D.C., an internationally diverse city with a complicated history. I also love that so many of our leaders are committed to new work. D.C. can be a home for bold new plays about the American experience. What’s local here has national impact.
What are the opportunities you see for D.C. theatre to meet this moment? For a theatre producer who wants to bring people of different backgrounds into the same room to experience a truth about our lives, there’s an odd opportunity. People are hungry for conversation because they have felt displaced, under-recognized, disrespected, undervalued and unheard. We’re able to use theatre to be the container of those conversations and ideally a brave space for those conversations to get activated. There are days when I wish the conversations didn’t have to happen with the backdrop of such rampant pain and fear and rage, but I remain committed to finding an urgent, joyful, hope-filled response through art. How does an arts organization do that? The commitment is to transcending transactions. The opportunity to engage with all of our community, meaning all races, backgrounds, classes, wards and neighborhoods is bigger than a group sale, bigger than eight shows a week. That mission does not have a price tag on it. We are the people who believe theatre can ignite social change. We are the shapers of culture and we have the opportunity to create culture that represents all of us as valuable and valid. That’s what the arts do. We write into existence who we are and who we imagine ourselves to be now and for the future. Our job is to deepen people’s understanding about their neighbors. That has very little to do with Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
Favorite D.C. place? Georgetown Waterfront. During the pandemic, I would walk down there almost every other day to get some fresh air and take in the gorgeous view of the Kennedy Center lit up at night. Favorite post-show spot? I haven’t found my perfect post-show place yet, but my go-to hang is Annie’s on 17th. Favorite D.C. team? The Georgetown Hoyas. We still count and we’re coming back. Early to bed or late to rise? I’m a real theatre person, so I’m a night owl. Coffee or tea? During rehearsal, a red eye with three Splendas. Outside of that, coffee with half and half and Splenda. Or a peppermint mocha. Or iced coffee, sweetened. What play changed your life? Lorraine Hansberry’s “To Be Young, Gifted and Black.” Period. Ideal vacation? Somewhere with some water, sunshine and a good bartender. Mosaic Theater: 1333 H St. NE, DC; 202-738-9491; mosaictheater.org // @mosaictheaterdc Reginald L. Douglas. Photo by Chris Banks.
“WE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THEATRE CAN IGNITE SOCIAL CHANGE.”
“In a new house, in a new place, if you change / Keep moving, keep moving,” goes a single by the band Jungle. Reginald Douglas has kept the song, “Keep Moving,” on repeat during early 2022 and seeing what draws the 34-year-old theatremaker to it is easy. Since graduating from Georgetown in 2009, he has directed or produced over 70 productions from Arkansas to Connecticut and back. In the last five months alone he’s directed two shows and produced a third, left one job and started another. “It’s been a busy fall and winter, to say the least,” Douglas shares. “It’s been exhausting and exhilarating at the same time.” Now, as Mosaic Theater’s second-ever artistic director and after posts at Pittsburgh’s City Theatre and D.C.’s Studio Theatre, Douglas is ready to keep the District’s culture moving toward greater access, engagement and representation for everyone who calls the DMV home.