The Georgetowner: March 8, 2023 Issue

The Evolution of Dining Rooms

· 10 - 11

STEAMy Women

BUSINESS · 12

Ins and Outs

COVER · 13 - 20

Annual Real Estate Review

Evolution of America’s DIning Room

New Developments in Georgetown

Top Brokers Discuss Trends

Georgetown 2022 Sales Review

Auction Block

FOOD & WINE · 21

Cocktail of the Month

Latest Dish

ARTS · 22 - 25

Guston at the National Gallery

Spring Galas

CLASSIFIEDS · 24

KITTY KELLEY BOOK

CLUB · 26

SOCIAL SCENE · 27

ON THE COVER

The dining room at Monticello, Virginia. Courtesy Monticello/ Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc.

From Monticello: “In the Dining Room, Jefferson, his family, and many guests took meals twice a day. Common to the time, Jefferson used folding tables so that, after meals were finished, the room could be used to entertain. Enslaved workers waited on Jefferson’s family and guests, but Jefferson used gadgets built into the architecture to minimize the number of slaves present, among them a dumbwaiter for wine and a revolving food service door (concealed in a niche along the wall).”

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NANCY LENSEN-TOMASSON PHOTO EXHIBIT AT BALFOUR PALISADES

BY THE GEORGETOWNER

Lensen-Tomasson’s photography will be on display March 8 to 22, noon to 6 p.m., at the Balfour Palisades Leasing Center.

CRIME: RASH OF PRICEY PARKA THEFTS IN GEORGETOWN

BY CHRISTOPHER JONES

A string of broad daylight and violent thefts has menaced Georgetown and surrounding campuses.

HELEN HAYES AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

BY CHRISTOPHER JONES

Helen Hayes Awards will be returning live for a 37th Awards gala at the Anthem May 22.

90-YEAR-OLD MARTIN’S TAVERN CELEBRATES ITS EMPLOYEES

BY PEGGY SANDS

This night was Martin’s annual celebration of its employees, along with invited loyal customers.

PUBLISHER

Sonya Bernhardt

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

Peggy Sands

FEATURE EDITOR

Ari Post

FASHION & BEAUTY DIRECTOR

Allyson Burkhardt

Lauretta McCoy

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Troy Riemer

Laura Argentieri

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Philip Bermingham

Jeff Malet

Bill Starrels

DIRECTOR OF CONTENT & ADVERTISING

Kate Oczypok

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Robert Devaney

MANAGING EDITOR

Christopher Jones

CONTRIBUTORS

Mary Bird

Susan Bodiker

Allyson Burkhardt

Didi Cutler

Donna Evers

Michelle Galler

Amos Gelb

Wally Greeves

Kitty Kelley

Rebekah Kelley

Jody Kurash

Shelia Moses

Kate Oczypok

Linda Roth

Alison Schafer

Celia Sharpe

Mary Ann Treger

1050 30th Street, NW Washington, DC 20007

Phone: (202) 338-4833

Fax: (202) 338-4834

www.georgetowner.com

“The Newspaper Whose Influence Far

Exceeds Its Size” — Pierre Cardin

The GeorGeTowner is published in print monthly with an online newsletter supplement posted twice per week — On Mondays we highlight news and on Thursdays goings on about town. The opinions of our writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect the editorial and corporate opinions of The GeorGeTowner newspaper. The GeorGeTowner accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. The GeorGeTowner reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse material and is not responsible for errors or omissions. Copyright 2023.

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G EO RG ET OW N

Celebrating its 90 th year, this annual event graciously opens historic 18 th and 19 th century homes in Georgetown to Tour attendees.

Tickets are $55 per person online in advance, or $60 per person on the day of the Tour. Ticket includes a Parish Tea at St. John’s from 1:30-4:30 pm. Group prices are available. For more information and to purchase tickets online, please visit www . georgetownhousetour . com .

We appreciate the generous support of our sponsors.

Platinum

silver

bronze

P resented by s t . J ohn ’ s e P isco P al c hurch , G eor G etown

ANC 2E REPORT Crime, Traffic, Trolley Trestle

BY PEGGY SANDS

Issues ranging from crime to restoring an historic trestle bridge caught the attention and some official resolutions of the GeorgetownBurleith-Hillandale Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC 2E) on Feb. 27 in a meeting that lasted from 6:30 p.m. to past 10 p.m., with all elected officials present and engaged – a good example of community democracy at work.

CRIME

Some local topics reflected national issues – such as increasing gun violence (on Tuesday D.C. homicides were reported to be up 40 percent compared to last year, and car thefts up, but car jackings slightly fewer than in 2021). Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto, who is the chair of the city’s Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, reported one of the most consistent complaints she hears from Georgetowners is vehicular noise. Pinto also favors raising punishments for fentanyl possession -- deaths by overdose are a rising (and heart-breaking) crime concern in the District and throughout the nation.

But Pinto does not favor Congressional moves to repeal a new overhaul bill passed by the D.C. Council last year. On Feb. 9, the

Congress disapproved in a strong bipartisan vote (250-173) a new seemingly over-generous crime punishment overhaul bill passed by the D.C. Council last year over Mayor Bowser’s veto. Congress also disapproved (260-162) a new D.C. law allowing anyone who resides in the District for more than 30 days to vote in local elections. Permitted voters would include all eligible college students living on campuses, non-citizens -- from green-card holders to those here without authorization (i.e., illegally) and diplomats with full immunity from U.S. laws. The Senate will take up the disapproval resolutions in March that could find both bills being repealed unless President Biden vetoes the Congressional votes. How can Congress be so involved? It’s allowed in the U.S. Constitution since D.C. is a federal district, not a state. Mayor Bowser and Pinto are requesting that Congress let the Council fix the controversial laws without congressional interference and fear it diminishes the District’s initiatives for statehood.

GEORGETOWN PROJECTS

At the ANC meeting, consideration of new projects impacting Georgetown included new

grant programs out of the mayor’s office from a one-year $75,000 allotment; A Georgetown Transportation Access and Circulation study on future street and sidewalk improvements -- now being staffed -- will hold a series of public workshops possibly in the spring; and representatives from D.C.’s new Department of Buildings (DOB) who fielded many questions from the public and commissioners on controversial residential short-term rental licensing, infractions, and enforcement.

To present a local business’s perspective, Commissioner Topher Matthews introduced one of his constituents, Wisconsin Avenue’s Gallery Article 15 founder and owner, Elizabeth Jaffee. She shared a lengthy story and Powerpoint odyssey about the almost two-year onerous and expensive process she had to undertake to obtain permitting from a head-spinning number of D.C. agencies. A straightforward change of her gallery’s exterior signage required seemingly endless letter writing to the Old Georgetown Board. Her simple interior décor and gallery conversion plans required she obtain new architectural and building design plans for the entire building, beyond her simple gallery. Chair Elizabeth Miller asked Jaffee to forward her presentation to commissioners to spread the word about cumbersome red tape businesses must face.

Burleith Commissioner Kishan Putta gave

a shout-out for the 100th anniversary of his community on Friday, March 10. He also advocated for additional inputs into the D.C. budget for Hardy Middle School renovations and upkeep well-known to be necessary as its student population rises. He called for funding and solutions to the lack of transit plans to get students to and from the new McArthur High School (yet to be renamed) undergoing a $45-million remodel by DC Public Schools and scheduled to open September 2023.

Georgetown University student representatives similarly requested District and neighborhood help to clean up and repair the dangerously deteriorating C&O Canal tunnel and pathway leading from campus that is used by students and staff. Commissioner Joe Massaua announced a new initiative to repair and restore the historic Foundry Branch Trolley Trestle in Glover-Archbold Park. It is dangerous to walk nearby or under the 120-year-old trestle. Commissioner John DiPierri announced a new student/business “Georgetown Ambassadors’ program,” being developed with G.U. outreach and Georgetown Main Street.

Friends of Rose Park announced that the popular, 20-year-old outdoor farmer’s market will open for the season at the north end of the park on May 3, Wednesdays, 3 to 7 p.m. Friends of Volta Park announced a walk-through of the $700,000 baseball diamond restoration project expected to see construction begin in the spring.

Georgetown Budget Proposals Might Not Fly

BY PEGGY SANDS

A month or two can make a big difference in transitional times like these, and impact even supposedly long-negotiated, thought-out, professionally analyzed budget maneuverings -- even in a monolithic one-party, highly bureaucratic, and professionally run city like Washington, D.C.

In other words, in March 2023 it seems that the District’s revenue (from taxes and businesses) estimated in February 2023 to cover a broad list of new allocations in 20234 may not materialize. In other words, some promised D.C.-paid-for goodies such as free busses everywhere in the city, may not have enough money to be funded. Rosey promises of government handouts may be cut.

Just six weeks ago on February 14, Valentine’s day 2023, Ward 2 Councilwoman Brooke Pinto presented to D.C. Mayor Bowser a valentine budget analysis that highlighted potential benefits particularly for Georgetown. Pinto had worked hard on them with many town meetings and such and the list was inclusive of many voices and desires. Those included the acquisition of the former Key Bridge Exxon site -- Pinto added $500,000 to the city’s already budgeted $14 million to purchase this property for possible electric vehicle charging stations, bus turn-arounds, and a gondola terminal.

Pinto’s request list also included $1.5 million for critical repairs to Mt. Zion Church in east Georgetown; and $750,000 for a visitors center for Georgetown Heritage, the non-profit that coordinates repairs of the canal through Georgetown and runs the canal boat. Pinto also requested $200,000 to improve Book

Hill Park including irrigation, mending and painting the fence, building out the garden, and providing tables and chairs. Other items included funding the E-BIKE Act of 2023 to purchase more electric bikes to make biking accessible to more residents and designing and installing artistic lighting under the Whitehurst Freeway along K (Water) Street.

But in a March 2 letter to District leaders, D.C.’s Chief Financial Officer Glen Lee -- appointed to the post last May -substantially downgraded revenue estimates and expenditure expectations for FY 2023 and 2024 by almost $500 million, out of a projected $10 billion in projected revenue. The main cause – after all is said and done according to the CFO -- is the impact of remote work and almost empty, unused major office buildings throughout the downtown district that significantly affects revenue in the form of taxes and indirect spending by commuters and workers in shops and services near major office buildings.

One of the most visible changes in the budget is likely to be the cutting of the much ballyhooed free bus and Metro services into D.C.’s downtown – a favorite project particularly of City Council Chair Phil Mendelson. “DC’s economy is still strong,” Mayor Bowser maintained in a press conference on Wed. March 2. “The reserves are full,” CFO spokespeople maintained. “Conservative estimates are intentional so that approved budgeted items do not have to be cut.”

But Mendelson said: “Once again the CFO’s projections are far off the mark.”

Donate for Turkey/Syria Earthquake and Ukrainian War Relief

BY ISABEL POVEY

CAFE GEORGETOWN

3141 N St. NW

Partnering with Turkish Embassy

Created community GoFundMe for medical aid, shelter, and food supplies. To donate, keyword search “Café Georgetown” at gofundme.com. Also donating a portion of all proceeds from every Rose Latte purchased.

TURKISH EMBASSY

2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW

Collecting blankets, tents, sleeping bags, pocket warmers, winter clothing, over-thecounter painkillers, and cold and flu medicine. Drop off 9 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.

VIOLET SALON

1513 Wisconsin Ave. NW

Collecting donations for Turkey and Syria. Asking clients to bring blankets, sweaters, socks, etc. to appointments.

SHOP MADE IN DC: GEORGETOWN

1304 Wisconsin Ave NW

Portion of all sales donated to World Central Kitchen to aid Ukraine. Sending 15 percent of sales on Ukrainian brands directly to Ukraine aid organizations.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON GEORGETOWNER.COM.

CRIME

Bowser and Pinto Move to Stem D.C. Car Thefts and Gun Violence

BY CHRISTOPHER JONES

The District’s crime problems are once again in the national spotlight.

President Biden announced he won’t veto a Republican-sponsored measure making its way through Congress to block the D.C. Council’s controversial Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022, passed over Mayor Bowser’s veto in January 2023. Conservative Members of Congress are asking whether the District is being “too soft on crime” by lowering maximum penalties for burglaries, carjackings and robberies, and allowing violent youth offenders to petition sentencing.

High crime in “Democratic areas” is often used as a wedge issue by Republicans, as politicians eyeing the 2024 elections are keenly aware. Even Democratic senatorial candidates pressured President Biden not to look wobbly on crime.

While Mayor Bowser (D) and Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto (D) are opposed to such federal “interference with D.C.’s home rule” and would like to see the D.C. Council reconcile its own jurisdiction’s updated criminal code, each elected leader says she agrees with approximately 95 percent of the revised code designed to update and rationalize sentencing and other guidelines according to contemporary practice both in the nation’s capital and around the country.

D.C.’s criminal code was originally constructed in 1901 and has not been systematically revised since. Painstaking revisions to the code have taken more than a decade to hash out. For the mayor and D.C. Council members, the issue is therefore a matter of sunk costs as well as politically fraught.

It should be no surprise, therefore, that both Bowser and Pinto have taken well-publicized recent steps to address crime-related issues in the District.

To stem the epidemic of car thefts, Mayor Bowser joined with MPD on Feb. 23 to offer free steering wheel locks to District residents. Starting on Feb. 24, residents who own a 20112021 Kia or Hyundai vehicle became eligible to receive a carlock from a nearby MPD District station, as part of a partnership agreement with Kia and Hyundai. The move followed a social media challenge that encouraged car thieves to use a USB cable to steal these types of cars, leading to a significant upswing in such thefts.

“Car theft is a serious problem – it’s incredibly stressful and often costly and timeconsuming for the victims, and it’s dangerous to have these stolen cars on the road,” said Mayor Bowser. “I encourage all D.C. residents who own a 2011-2021 Kia or Hyundai to pick up their free steering wheel locks as soon as possible from a District station to prevent theft. As MPD and our public safety partners work together to prevent car theft and hold accountable those who are stealing cars in our city, this is one way we can work together to proactively prevent crime.”

Qualifying residents can pick up their car locks on a first come, first serve basis at 3320 Idaho Avenue NW, at MPD’s Second District station.

Council member Pinto, now serving on the D.C. Council as the Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety – with primary responsibility for re-examining revisions to D.C.’s criminal code – has also taken proactive steps to address gun violence

in the District by hosting a three-day public roundtable on gun violence prevention on March 3, 4, and 6. The roundtables allowed public testimony and were designed to “bring together community, government agencies, and experts to discuss gun violence in the District and develop actionable solutions to this epidemic,” Pinto said.

“Gun violence is the greatest crisis facing the District. We cannot accept the level of violence and trauma that residents in D.C. are facing every day,” said Council member Pinto in a press release. “That is why I am holding an emergency three-day public roundtable on

gun violence prevention. The goal of this event is to hear directly from residents about how gun violence is impacting their lives, to hear ideas for more effective interventions, and to bring our government partners and experts to the table to focus on immediate solutions.” Unless the D.C. Council moves more proactively as well to address the District’s crime problems, more federal intervention into the city’s legislation appears likely.

Sign up for the free Georgetowner newsletter for the latest updates on Crime in your area at www.georgetowner.com.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

PHOTOGRAPHER NANCY LENSENTOMASSON PHOTO EXHIBITION

March 8-22, Noon-6 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

Balfour Palisades Leasing Center 4418 MacArthur Blvd. NW.

TUDOR NIGHTS, THE FEMININE TOUCH

March 9, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Celebrating Women’s Works of Art, Tudor Place, 1644 31 St. NW.

BURLEITH CENTENNIAL GALA

March 10, 6-10:00 p.m. Copley Formal Lounge on GU campus. For info go to Burleith.org.

PHOTOGRAPHER NANCY LENSEN-TOMASSON AT A MEET THE AUTHOR BOOK SIGNING

March 11, 12:30-2 p.m. Books available for purchase. Balfour Palisades Leasing Center, 4418 MacArthur Blvd. NW

COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS

March 16, 10:00 a.m. 401 F. Street NW, Suite 312. Filing deadline: March. 2.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY AT PINSTRIPES

March 17, 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. 1064 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

GEORGETOWN WALKING TOUR: PUBLIC ART AND MURALS

March 18, 12-2:00 p.m.

Dumbarton House, 2715 Q St. NW. After seeing the most Instagramable spots in the neighborhood, end your tour with a sweet treat from Georgetown Cupcake.

ANNUAL MEETING: GEORGETOWN MAIN STREET

March 22, 6-7:30 p.m. Fathom Gallery, 1351 Wisconsin Ave. NW. For info see georgetownmainstreet.com.

PEAK CHERRY BLOSSOM DAYS

March 22 – 25

Per National Park Service.

CULTURAL POWER BREAKFAST

March 23, 8:30-9:30 a.m. Four Seasons Hotel. Tickets $35. For info see Georgetowner.com.

TAVERN NIGHT AT THE CITY TAVERN PRESERVATION FOUNDATION

March 24, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. City Tavern Club, 3206 St. NW. For an historically reenacted tavern evening.

CARPE LIBRUM GEORGETOWN

April 3, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Georgetown Main Street. Books, CDs and more, all for under $6.

VIRTUAL ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION ANC 2E

April 3, 6:30 p.m.

For agenda go to anc2e.com. Benefitting Turning the Page DC.

OLD GEORGETOWN TOWN MEETING

April 6, 9:00 a.m. 401 F. Street NW, Suite 312. Filing deadline: March 16.

Meet the Breast Medical Oncology Team at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

Every patient is unique, and so is their cancer. Our nationally recognized breast cancer specialists are here to diagnose and treat your cancer, offering a variety of treatment options that address your specific cancer.

Through our research partnership with Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center—the area’s only comprehensive cancer center designated by the National Cancer Institute—we are offering tomorrow’s treatments, today. Our multidisciplinary team prioritizes compassion, respect, and empathy through every interaction because that’s the kind of care we’d want for our family members.

Meet our team.

Seated: Elaine Walsh, MD; Beth Strand, NP. Standing from left: Theresa Harrington Stukus, NP; Candace Mainor, MD; Miriam Jacobs, MD; Joyce Slingerland, MD; Nadia Ashai, MD; Claudine Isaacs, MD

If you would like to schedule an appointment or consultation with a member of our breast medical oncology team, part of the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute, please call 202-444-2223.

For Women’s History Month We Celebrate Georgetown’s STEAMy Women

COMPILED BY KATE OCZYPOK

Doing the Safety Dance

THE CRIMINAL CODE BROUHAHA IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO BETTER

The District’s new criminal code bill is in limbo, after D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson pulled the legislation out of consideration, hoping to tone down Congressional criticism of it.

Still, he said: “We have to revise the criminal code. Our criminal code is one of the worst in the country. … And our options are better by pulling it.”

We agree — and also concur with Mayor Muriel Bowser’s and Police Chief Robert Contee’s criticisms of the proposed code. Bowser vetoed the bill.

And still, Bowser and Contee gathered — yet again — on a city street corner to condemn the rampant criminality pervasively degrading the lives of all Washingtonians. The mayor said the obvious: “We know that this neighborhood has been particularly hard hit with burglaries and other crimes in the recent days and weeks. While we know that violent crime is down

since last year, the amount of violent crime remains very unsettling to neighbors.”

It’s all about public safety. Crime and the perception of crime trump everything — inflation, education, environment, etc. What could be a more basic civil right than to pursue our liberties free from fear?

The proposed D.C. code provisions got President Biden’s attention and he said he would not veto a Congressional disapproval of it. Handwringing and self-serving opinions predictably followed.

But it’s time to get real — and get to work. Let’s fix those few provisions in the code that are the sticking points — and fix it together.

Let’s drop the attitude and hush the ideology. It’s time to be problem-solvers for all the people. We just might wind up with a safer — and better — nation’s capital.

Honoring the Women of Georgetown

Today, March 8, we honor International Women’s Day.

By presidential proclamation, the month of March is also designated every year as Women’s History Month. This time is set aside to honor women’s contributions to American history. Of course, boundless offerings flow from women in history, the sciences, literature, the arts, pop culture and more. But we wish to celebrate the many contributions women are providing in our community right now and the hurdles women have had to leap to take on such roles.

Hurdles? Our publisher, Sonya Bernhardt, quizzed our news team about which year we thought women in the United States were guaranteed by law to be allowed to hold their own checking accounts. The answer: 1974.

Today Georgetown is blessed to have women in leadership from the grassroots all the way to Mayor Bowser’s office. Mayor Bowser is the first woman elected to more than two terms in the highest political office in the city. On the D.C. Council, Ward 2 is admirably represented by Council member Brooke Pinto, who was sworn in on June 27, 2020 becoming the youngest member ever elected to the body and the first woman ever to represent our ward. Our local Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC2E) is also now chaired dynamically by Elizabeth Miller (2E07).

Over at the Citizens Association of Georgetown, Board President Tara Sakraida Parker and recently appointed Executive Director Brittany Sawyer serve to honor and recognize Georgetown’s unique role as an

historic village where true community still exists. At Georgetown Heritage, Jennifer Romm serves as president, presiding last year over the launch of Georgetown’s new canal boat. Helping our business corridors thrive, Georgetown Main Street has two energetic women leaders in Board Chair Melanie Hayes and Executive Director Rachel Shank. Lisa Fager, executive director of the Mount Zion-Female Union Band Society Historic Park Foundation, also known as the Black Georgetown Foundation, works tirelessly to oversee the mission of the foundation to preserve, re-imagine and maintain care of the sacred space. Lynn Golub-Rofrano, founding executive director of Georgetown Village embraces the concept of Neighbors Helping Neighbors and has presided over the expansion of this volunteer-based haven for Georgetown seniors. Kelly Andreae, executive director of Georgetown Ministry Center presides over the community’s most extensive inter-denominational efforts to serve those experiencing homelessness in our area.

And we don’t have room enough here to mention all the women leading small businesses, galleries, restaurants, studios, and other vital areas of our Georgetown community.

In this month’s edition, we feature interviews with Georgetown women who work in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) fields.

All these intrepid women in our community help preserve, protect and enrich our neighborhoods and keep Georgetown so wonderful – all while shattering the glass ceiling.

We spoke with Georgetown women who work in the STEAM fields (science, technology, engineering, art and math) about their careers and accomplishments and were inspired by their ambitious journeys, words of advice and “self-care secrets.”

decade we have developed new programs that help college graduates explore careers in the humanities and culture. With a museum, library, publications, a concert series, a historic garden and so much more, Dumbarton Oaks is a microcosm of the humanities and arts. Our collections and activities offer so many opportunities to mentor and inspire young people. While the path to finance or consulting is relatively clear, pathways to exciting careers in the humanities and arts are harder to find. Growing this experimental program has been so gratifying because it nurtures future leaders in the humanities whose energy and talent we need.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Not reacting in the moment — there are always situations requiring swift response — but maintaining calm and cultivating some distance allows you to weigh different perspectives and distill them into action.

YOTA BATSAKI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DUMBARTON

What sparked your career path?

OAKS:

I fell in love with literature at a young age and that led me to the study of the humanities without a clear idea of what my professional path would be. Along the way, I have had wonderful experiences learning from great scholars and teaching in exceptional places. At the same time, I was always interested in exploring areas outside the traditional academic track. When I was in graduate school, I worked with a group of friends to start the longest-running Harvard study abroad program in Greece. It was a highly experimental project fueled by idealism and camaraderie and we still work together after more than two decades. Years later, when I moved to my current role at Dumbarton Oaks, those experiences gave me the confidence to trust in my management skills and pursue innovation and collaboration. I admire young people who are focused on forging a career path, but I encourage them to allow room for calculated risks and to pursue their passions. We spend so much of our life working, and our work must also sustain us spiritually and intellectually.

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment so far?

I’ll give an example of the work we have been doing at Dumbarton Oaks to broaden our mission that I am proud of. We are a Harvard institute of advanced research dedicated to supporting scholars. In addition, over the past

DR. NANETTE BISHOPRIC, PROFESSOR OF ONCOLOGY, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

What sparked your career path?

My father was a physician who helped give me the inclination to pursue the sciences. I really enjoyed science in high school and had great teachers who made the field fun, interesting and exciting. I had a wonderful physics teacher who taught electronics and radiation.

When I went to medical school, I was inspired to do biomedical research and, in the process, landed for a year at MIT. That year was an exciting year — sequencing RNA was figured out, and we learned how to culture

Yota Batsaki is executive director of Dumbarton Oaks. Photo courtesy of Dumbarton Oaks.

Dr. Nanette Bishopric is a professor of oncology at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. Photo courtesy of Medstarhealth.org.

mammalian cells. It was an interesting and exciting time! I was totally infatuated, there was so much to discover.

What has been your most memorable experience as a woman leader?

I can tell bad stories and good ones. It hasn’t always been easy. It hasn’t always been the case that I felt welcomed with open arms. I have had great experiences with trainees and stayed close, loyal, and supportive to them. It’s great to help other people come along in the world.

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment so far?

My three kids. Professionally, I am proud of serving as a physician scientist throughout my career. I balance clinical practice with basic science research. I’m also very proud of being with the University of Miami for over 20 years, having retired there as a professor emerita. I am also proud of my new professorship at Georgetown University and being a member of the University of Cardiologists.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Never quit!

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment so far?

I’m most proud of the teams I’ve led, watching the brilliant, strong women colleagues I’ve worked with go on to do great things. I believe wholeheartedly it’s our duty and honor as women to bring others up the ladder with us, and my greatest pride has been in mentoring and coaching women who go on to far exceed what I could ever do and learning from them along the way.

What is your hidden superpower?

My superpower stems from what I consider to be one of the most important values of humanity: connectedness! I find great value in connecting people for mutual benefit, forging connections that make one-plus-one equal more than two. Using technology to create meaningful relationships — among mentors and mentees, students and role models, etc. — that drive impactful change has been the leading theme in my career, my life, and this is the power of DreamWakers, as well!

Who inspires you?

Every day, I’m inspired by the teachers with whom DreamWakers works. Passionate educators who want nothing but to see their students succeed, feel valued, and find purpose, who are working in resource-constrained environments, and sacrificing so much to do so. They remind me of the enormous potential of today’s youth -- tomorrow’s leaders! -- and how important it is for all of us to invest in an equitable future.

DÉSIRÉE BAYONET, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AT GEORGETOWN VISITATION PREPARATORY SCHOOL

What sparked your career path?

JILLIAN SCOTT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DREAMWAKERS

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

This is one of the most common questions we hear students ask career role models. What’s stuck with me is one of the simplest concepts: always be open to new opportunities the world presents you! My work has shown me that most people have a circuitous journey to uncover their passions; if you establish your non-negotiables but are open to unique possibilities, you’ll be able to untap interests and pathways you never dreamed possible. For example, my studies focused on biological sciences. Little did I know I’d discover a passion for education technology leading me to where I am today.

I’ve always been interested in making things and being creative in general. When I was in high school and college that took the form of creating digital media, like short videos and graphics to share among friends. This ultimately led me to declare a major in electronic media and more specifically creating educational media. As I went further down this path, I realized I was more interested in what I was documenting with my camera. I was thrilled to see students using innovative tools in spaces like the library and museums. With a growing trend toward incorporating these tools into schools, I decided to try my hand at digital fabrication. This has led to a career in working and teaching in makerspaces, which I find to be an exciting intersection of technology, education and creativity.

What has been your most memorable experience as a woman leader?

In my time at Georgetown Visitation, I’ve had the opportunity to develop the Sister Mary de Sales McNabb Innovation Lab, a space where students can access 3D printers, laser cutters, robotic platforms, and the software

that helps to run these tools. I really enjoy sharing what I’ve learned regarding these tools with the young women at our school. My most memorable experiences managing the Innovation Lab have been watching those students who have really taken to using the tools in this space. These are the students who come in outside of class hours. They use the equipment to work on class assignments, but also find time to work on personal projects. I watch them tinker with the software and create several examples before they arrive at a version that meets their high standards. The persistence, dedication, and passion that I see them display daily is what pushes me to research and learn how to use new tools to bring into the Innovation Lab.

KELSEY BOGDAN, HUMANITIES FELLOW, DUMBARTON OAKS AND THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY MUSEUM AND THE TEXTILE MUSEUM, 2019 HARVARD COLLEGE GRADUATE

What sparked your career path?

At Harvard I began studying psychology and neuroscience, with a minor in women, gender, and sexuality. My favorite classes were the ones that integrated both science and the humanities, situating scientific intuitions within a wider social framework. I became interested in healing not only on a cellular level, but also a more existential healing of the mind and soul. My senior year, I took my first studio art class after basketball season was ending. That class changed my life, and set me on the path to pursue an MFA in studio art. However, as I poured more of myself into art, I really began to crave a career where I could more deeply engage my scientific interests as well. Next year, I am heading to medical school at Brown University where I will focus in medical humanities, and one day hope to teach interdisciplinary courses that integrate art, science, empathy, and healing.

Who inspires you?

My mother has worked full time as a pharmacist my entire life. She first instilled in me my passion for learning, and I cannot thank her enough for her unwavering love and support through every step of my winding career.

What has been your most memorable experience as a woman leader?

All my years spent playing basketball have been so rewarding. Not just on the court, but being someone whom my younger teammates can confide in and look up to has meant the most. Most of my best friends to this day are from basketball, and it has been amazing watching them bloom and grow into the fierce ladies they are today!

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment so far?

I would say getting into my dream medical school, but on my own terms. I spent years trying to be the perfect medical school applicant — doing research, volunteering, getting As. However, my senior year I fell in love with art, and the whole trajectory of my life got shaken up. It was so difficult to even consider my career going any other way, after all the years of effort I put into being pre-med. However scary it was, I am so glad I stepped off the well-trodden path to get my MFA. It was extremely challenging both personally and professionally, but I learned so much about myself. In this process I came back to medicine, and I am now looking at a career path that, though quite untraditional, is exactly where I am supposed to be.

What is your hidden superpower?

Probably that I am an artist especially in scientific spaces, nobody expects that!

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

The only thing you really have control over in this world is your attitude. Crazy things happen every day, but your power is in how you meet them.

What is your self-care secret?

Yoga! I began teaching yoga in Chicago four years ago, and it really is the best stress reliever for me. It was hard to adjust what my exercise outlet would be after playing basketball for 15 years, but I am so lucky to have found a space where I can get all my stress out and leave feeling so renewed.

Desiree Bayonet is Director of Educational Technology at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. Photo courtesy of Georgetown Visitation.

Jillian Scott, executive director of non-profit DreamWakers. Photo courtesy of Jillian Scott.

Kelsey Bogdan, Humanities Fellow, Dumbarton Oaks and The George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum.

INS & OUTS

BY ROBERT DEVANEY

As previously reported, eateries such as Shouk, Dig and Villa Yara will be opening very soon. Check Georgetowner.com for updates.

IN: CASEY & CO., ‘MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY SPACE’

Casey & Company, founded in 2014 by Georgetown resident and certified Chesapeake Bay landscape professional Casey Forbes, is ready for spring, having opened quietly last year at 1052 Potomac St. NW. The business’s tagline — “More than just a pretty space” — is evident at its office and secret garden, just a few doors from Blue Bottle Café. The property once belonged to the first mayor of Georgetown, Robert Peter, elected in 1789 before Georgetown become part of Washington, D.C. Peter operated a general store at this location and was recognized as one of the “Original Proprietors of the City of Washington.” It is also next to a townhouse, where The Georgetowner maintained an office 20 years ago. Casey & Company offers “native and non-native plants, interior plants, garden material, an eclectic collection of unique accessories, found objects and furnishings.”

IN: TIACHI BUBBLE TEA

Next to the recently opened Maman, Tiachi Bubble Tea at 1357 Wisconsin Ave. NW had a soft opening on Feb. 10. The fast casual eatery says it offers “the best bubble tea, healthy poke bowl, and tasty ramen.” It’s part of a chain, headquartered in Rochester.

IN: KIN’S SUSHI

Another sushi place opened last week in Georgetown. In the former Bandoola Bowl

space, Kin’s Sushi is at 1069 Wisconsin Ave. NW — next to Muncheez. Just look for the cyan, magenta and red storefront.

IN: FANGYAN

Fangyan stores imports a wide selection of China’s independent designers. Co-founders Juno Zhang and Simin Zhu started as an online business then expanded to brick-and-mortar stores in Gaithersburg and Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. After a pop-up in Georgetown, they are set to open their latest Fangyan store at 1057 Wisconsin Ave. NW in the shuttered AT&T store, next to the C&O Canal. Look for Chinese fashion brands like Mukzin, ZI IICI IEN, Molifusu, Rimless and Kitayama Studio among others.

IN: KYOJIN SUSHI TO DEBUT IN APRIL

The group behind Arlington’s Yume Sushi is set to open Kyojin Sushi in April at 3315 Cady’s Alley NW in the former L2 space, next to Kafe Leopold. “Kyojin represents a dream of all of ours: expanding our vision and bringing chef Kannasute’s world-class Japanese cooking to new audiences,” said Jeff King, co-owner at Yume Hospitality Group, in a statement. The zen-cool place will have 130 seats, 15 bar stools and 14 chefs.

IN: CAFE CON BAGEL

Cafe con Bagel — coffee with a bagel — plans to open this month 1332 Wisconsin Ave. NW in the former Petite Soeur space — and, before that, the Cookie Dough Jar and, before that, Beard Papa, a cream puff shop.

COMING: FILOMENA EXPANDS AT STREET LEVEL

With the departure of Ching Ching Cha Tea Room at 1063 Wisconsin Ave. NW, next door Filomena Ristorante is taking over that

space with its new Filomena’s Georgetown Emporium, offering pick-up and catering and pastas and sauces for sale as well as an elevator — “ finally” — which will descend to the dining room at the lower level. Expect a spring opening.

owner Suzy Nabil has found a new place for serving her grilled cheese sandwiches, salads and soups — at 3210 Grace St. NW, in the same food space that holds Green Almond Pantry and Georgetown Butcher. Say Cheese! plans to relocate on May 1.

OUT: TRUIST BANK BY MARCH 28

The Truist Bank at 1365 Wisconsin Ave. NW — once a BB&T Bank — will close at noon, Tuesday, March 28. The other Georgetown branch of Truist Bank remains open at 2929 M St. NW and has a parking lot.

OUT: EAGLE BANK ON N ST. TO CLOSE MAY 5

COMING: TWO NINE SUSHI AT CONGRESS COURT

But, wait, there’s more sushi to come — as in the Hawaiian-influenced sushi and chirashi restaurant Two Nine — being shoehorned and built in place of a former parking area on Congress Court. That’s the alley the runs east-west between 31st Street and Wisconsin Avenue. Zach Ramos and Amy Phan of Ama Ami and, before that, Sushi Taro plan to open the two-story, 1,500-square-foot restaurant sometime this year. Expect artful chirashi bowls as well as an omakase counter. The address is 1218 31st St. NW, same as the Ultra Violet flower shop.

MOVING: SAY CHEESE! TO GRACE ST.

The 2900 M development forced the neighborhood favorite Say Cheese! at 1132 29th St. NW to move. Not to worry. Business

Eagle Bank sent a Feb. 2 letter from Conchita Lumpkins, 1st SVP, Director of Community Banking, to its Georgetown branch customers. It read, in part: “…We are closing our Georgetown Branch located at 3143 N Street, NW, Washington, DC and consolidating it into our K Street Branch effective Friday, May 5, 2023 at 2:00 PM. Your account(s) will be transferred to and serviced by our team of Bankers at the K Street Branch located at 2001 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006.”

50 YEARS

Sundays 8 - 4

Kyojin plans to open in April in Cady’s Alley. Rendering courtesy Francois Frossard Design.

Two Nine will offer colorful chirashi bowls. Courtesy Amy Phan.

Filomena at 1063 Wisconsin Ave NW is expanding.

The Evolution of America’s

Dining Room

BY MICHELLE GALLER

The dining room is completely dispensable. There’s really no need for a specific room in which to dine since we can just as easily eat in the kitchen or the living room on trays perched on our laps. In fact, prior to the 18th century in America, few rooms had assigned functions. So, the dining room had yet to become a fixture of middle-class homes. There was the “hall,” dominated by the fireplace, where meals were cooked and eaten. The 17th-century hall in early America was typically lit by a couple of candles and was cramped, smoky and filled with the noise and odors of daily living. In addition to the fact that specific dining rooms were not yet a thing, many 17th-century American farms were sparsely furnished, so it was difficult for families to dine together regularly, in part because there were no dining tables. During the late 1700s, families consumed most of their food from either a shared trencher — an oblong wooden dish carved out like a trench, or they ate from a long board, or pair of boards nailed together (to sit “at the board” was to eat). Many times, there were not enough chairs for all members of the family, in which cases the men would sit, and the women and children might stand. (Let’s save the fact that there were few utensils and no napkins for another column.)

As families prospered in the American colonies and gathered more possessions, the “the keeping room,” or kitchen where cooking and the heat and mess that went with it moved to a separate building, the hall became “the best room,” where guests could be entertained. Increasingly important in evolving middleclass culture, the modern dining room became a place for show and display, as well as for communal dining.

In 1772, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, was one of the first American homes to have a room specifically meant for dining, with the dining table at its center. It became the example of the “dining room” that began to be incorporated into wealthy homes across

the country. As increased commerce brought more comforts, the middle class appropriated this changed notion of home and “dining chambers” began appearing in architectural plans.

As in many of the early Georgetown houses, builders had to dig down into the earth and erect subterranean retaining walls to support the densely packed, mostly-brick houses. In the 18th century, dining rooms were typically located at the rear of the house either as a separate room or in conjunction with the front parlor. Only in 1821, did the dining room move to the front of the house in a prominent position equal to the main parlor. In many of the larger early homes in Georgetown, it was common for basements — then called cellars or caverns — to house the kitchens while allowing the front door to open directly to a dining room, library, or drawing room.

By the Victorian era, the desire to display one’s wealth was reflected in the complex rituals of dining. Giving dinner parties became an art form where the most minute details of serving and dining were observed. The social interactions in this one room could mean all the difference in one’s social position, so the dining room was appointed accordingly with all the accoutrements of wealth— a massive dining table, fine art, a fancy sideboard, walls covered in elaborate wallpaper and every surface held porcelain, silver and glass.

Finally, due to changing world dynamics, the Victorians found that work got in the way of proper dining, and they adapted their lives and meal-taking to the ringing of the factory bell, Concurrently, many of the huge and elaborate Italianate, Queen Anne Revival, Rococo Revival and Second Empire housing styles of the Victorians were seen as too contrived and less practical to manage and were followed by somewhat smaller “cottages.” And, although it was certainly a time of revivals, the three styles which are unique and original to the early twentieth century — Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco each had its own interpretation of dining room design.

Although each of these styes had different aesthetics and backgrounds and arose out of different beliefs, they shared many of the same elements — good, clean lines, modern, and sleekly functional and devoid of the overornamentation of the prior period.

After the ravages of the Second World War, the dining room emphasized importance of a happy nuclear family. Laid upon the dining

table was the idealistic expectation that all family members would be agreeable, pious and united. That romanticized notion of the dining room continued to be pressed upon Americans a la Thanksgiving by Norman Rockwell through the rest of that century.

During the 1990s, the “great room” became popular, and the open-plan concept purported to make cooking, entertaining and even parenting easier. Formal dining rooms became obsolete repositories of unread mail – the least used room in the house. But the pandemic changed that idea and the dining room – having morphed into a home office, or classroom during lockdown, got another look. We reappraised how our homes function. The pandemic gave families the experience and the freedom to use the dining room as a multipurpose space — be it a game room, library or a traditional dining room.

The dining room has always been an evolving concept, endlessly in flux, a source of socialization. The beauty of the current dining room is whether it is used as a traditional, formal dining room or a multi-use dining room, where people actually live. It is not a stodgy museum.

Michelle Galler is a realtor with Chatel Real Estate, and represents buyers and sellers in both Rappahannock County, Virginia and Washington D.C. She is also an antiques dealer and columnist.

Snaidero frame kitchen. Photo courtesy of Snaidero.

Example of an 18th century dining room at Mount Vernon. Photo courtesy of www.mountvernon.org.

Eleven New Real Estate Developments in Georgetown

BY

ROBERT

DEVANEY AND KATE OCZYPOK

Georgetown is abuzz with real estate projects. Here’s an overview of all the projects currently underway around town. Keep an eye on The Georgetowner this year as these developments continue to evolve.

2715 M ST. NW

There are plans to transform this office and retail building into 28 new apartments that will add to eight already existing residential units. Units are said to be primarily onebedrooms.

2715

PENNSYLVANIA AVE. NW

EastBanc is developing this six-story building, which will include seven apartment units, one level of below grade for storage and a commercial kitchen. The new building is designed by Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, a Pritzker Prize-winner. This project will also reimagine Reservation 691 -- the National Park Service park -- adjacent to the building.

GEORGETOWN WEST HEATING PLANT, 1051-55 29TH ST. NW

A 10-story condo with about 70 units is planned for the site of the former West Heating Plant. Thirty percent of the structure will be preserved, including the western facade entrance. The residences will be managed by The Four Seasons, which lies directly north of the plant. The project will include a one-acre public park and bridge connecting Rock Creek Park with the Georgetown Waterfront.

2900 M ST. NW

An historic city block will be reimagined with plans for nearly 10,000 square feet of renovated office space with high ceilings, natural light and exposed brick walls.

LATHAM HOTEL, 3000 M ST. NW

Among the design features of this development are 97 hotel rooms, 9,600 feet of retail along M Street NW, a restaurant and more. A motion offered by Commissioner Palmer to approve the project’s current design as approved by OGB passed unanimously on the stipulation that the “public benefits package” be handled by the appropriate D.C. agencies or non-profits. Planners are expected to break ground the fall of this year.

3601 M ST. NW

The Exxon gas station site on the western edge of Georgetown has gone through many development plans over the last decade (and then some!) Over the years, a variety of ideas for the site have been entertained, including condos, a gondola station, EV charging station and graduate student housing. As of October 2022, the plan was still for student housing. With the many changes over the years, we’re sure there’s more to come involving this property.

GEORGETOWN PARK CONDOS

Built in 1981, Georgetown Park condominiums — at 1080 Wisconsin Ave.

NW — comprise five stories with 154 units. Owner Jamestown plans to add 166 residential units from the shopping complex’s space.

WISCONSIN & PROSPECT

The buildings at 1234-1238 Wisconsin Ave. NW are opening retail — Wolford, Ever/Body, Blank Street Coffee and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream — and also have 15,000 square feet of office space and five residential units above the ground-floor retail. Developer EastBanc plans to relocate its office to the prominent corner. McInturff Architects is the designer. The 30,000-square-foot Georgetown landmark property previously boasted a Zara store and, before that, Billy Martin’s Carriage House and Tramps Discotheque.

WEAVER’S ROW, 3220 PROSPECT ST. NW

Across from Cafe Milano and Peacock Cafe, the project at 3220 Prospect St. NW calls for a fivestory building with some setbacks, containing 115 units, along with a parking garage. Owned

by the Weaver family, which runs its hardware business nearby, the property is being developed by Landmark Construction Development. The architect is Eric Colbert & Associates. 1805 WISCONSIN

AVE.

1805 Wisconsin Ave.

At the corner of S Street, a parking lot and paint store will yield to a four-story building with 43,000 square feet of residential units and 8,500 square feet of ground floor retail, according to Fortis Companies. Beyer Blinder Belle is the architect.

CITITZENM ON WATER STREET

The Georgetown waterfront property at 3401-3403 K (Water) St. NW, owned by CitizenM Hotels, earned approval from the Old Georgetown Board to begin work on the 100-year-old waterfront property. The OGB gave approval to expand, renovate and convert the building into a 230-room hotel. The hotel will be the third CitizenM (a Netherlandsbased chain) in the city.

Modern Luxury In The Heart of Georgetown

BOUTIQUE CONDOMINIUM COMBINES UNPARALLELED

THOUGHTFUL

3220 Prospect St. NW

Top Brokers Discuss Georgetown Real Estate Market Trends

COMPILED BY KATE OCZYPOK

We asked top Georgetown real estate brokers their thoughts on the market and 2023 predictions.

How would you describe housing market predictions in D.C. for 2023?

I expect the 2023 Market in D.C. to be similar to the 2019 market [in relation to] the number of sales. I’m not seeing a decrease in prices either, especially in the upper bracket price range. We don’t have much inventory and those buyers are less interest rate sensitive.

-

current levels or slightly higher.

- Tom Anderson and Dana Landry, Washington Fine Properties. Anderson is co-founder of Washington Fine Properties and has served as president of the firm since 1999. Landry has been Washington Fine Properties’ principal broker since 1999.

Optimistic. After a challenging fall market, we are seeing a real pick up in showings. Open houses are flooded with potential buyers looking and preparing to purchase as they

What’s one piece of advice you’d give people thinking about buying or selling a home this year?

If you’re selling, do your best to make sure your house presents the best it can. Update baths, your kitchen and lighten your footprint so others can see themselves in your house.

-Michael Rankin

Sellers: Now more than ever, it’s important to place your property in the hands of an experienced real estate agent. Even though the market is still tipped in the sellers’ favor,

live in Georgetown.

-Tom Anderson and Dana Landry

Georgetown continues to be D.C.’s most premier neighborhood, attracting discerning buyers from across the U.S. and internationally. Businesses seek Georgetown for its flagship presence because of its prestige.

-Carla Labat

Given inflation and other factors, what sort of price changes might you anticipate in the neighborhood in 2023?

Michael Rankin,

TTRSIR, principal and managing partner of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in Washington, D.C.

Our prediction for the Georgetown market is that we will continue to see a strong buyer demand that will exceed the supply of houses available in our neighborhood. While the market has somewhat balanced, we predict that we’ll continue to experience a “seller’s market” and that houses that are well located, in good condition, presented properly and priced appropriately will sell very quickly. There will be fewer transactions as there are fewer homes available to sell, which will hold prices at their

become more accepting of the reality of higher interest rates and a fluctuating stock market.

-Carla Labat, managing broker for Long & Foster Real Estate, Georgetown.

preparing your property to present at its best is critical, and pricing the property correctly remains paramount. Overpriced listings often end up selling for less later. Having an agent with a solid strategy on how to maximize your selling price while achieving the best terms and conditions is in your best interest.

Buyers: Bring your “A-Game” to the plate and keep in mind it’s still a “seller’s market.” Do your homework by getting pre-approved, pre-inspected and be prepared to write a clean offer without contingencies. Again, having a real estate agent that can develop a strategy and position you for success is critical.

-Tom

Anderson and Dana Landry

Buyers tend to take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to prices. I’d advise buyers to be aggressive and make an offer, even if it’s not full price. You never know the motivation of the seller. For sellers, take the extra step to make sure your property is show-ready — staging or accessorizing the home is a must. After a day of touring, you want your home to deliver the “wow” that incentivizes buyers to make a full-price offer immediately!

-Carla Labat

What are the best parts of Georgetown’s real estate market right now? What are the most challenging aspects?

Buying in Georgetown continues to be a great investment and a great quality of living with a real sense of community.

-Michael

Rankin

The best part of the Georgetown market is its strong popularity: homes sell quickly at high prices. The most challenging aspect is the limited number of homes available for sale which is frustrating for buyers who want to

All reports indicate that prices will normalize to pre-covid levels. Growth rates are expected to be between two and four percent. Real estate has always been and will continue to be a solid investment, often outperforming the stock market.

-Tom Anderson and Dana Landry

As one of the best markets in the country, we anticipate a strong spring selling season.

-Carla Labat

How long do listings typically remain on the market in Georgetown? (In terms of days, weeks, etc.)

While the average days on the market in Georgetown is 30, properties in good condition and priced appropriately typically sell in the first week, often with multiple offers and over asking price.

-Tom Anderson and Dana Landry

How do you think advances in technology such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality tours, etc., are changing the real estate landscape? While technology is great to improve agent efficiency, the reality is that good agents know about what houses are coming on to the market and what buyers are in the market long before any of this information makes its way to a technology platform. Strong relationships and networking allow our agents to be ahead of the market, which benefits our buyers and sellers alike.

-Tom Anderson and Dana Landry

If you could describe Georgetown’s real estate market in three words, what would they be?

Desirable, exciting and competitive.

-Michael Rankin

Popular, strong and fast-paced.

-Tom Anderson and Dana Landry

Strong, desirable and valuable.

-Carla Labat

Businesses seek Georgetown for its flagship presence because of its prestige.”

– Carla Labat, Long & Foster

2022 REAL ESTATE SALES IN GEORGETOWN

PROVIDED BY WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES

See the full list at georgetowner.com. Listed from highest to lowest sold.

H I C KO R Y T R E E FA

R M

The Plains, Virginia • $8,750,000 304 acres | Main house, stunning guest house w/ garage, 2 tenant houses, manager’s house, apartment complex, pool, 5 barns, approx 60 stalls, 3/4 mile all weather sand track, pond & extensive paddocks, fencing & sheds | Panoramic views of Bull Run Mountains & the Blue Ridge Mountains | Original home site still surrounded by towering trees, garden & stone walls

Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

C AT E S B Y V I N E YA R D

Upperville, Virginia • $1,300,000

44.55 acres of which 15 acres are producing grapes | 8.5 acres of Chambourcin, Traminette on 4.3 acres and Vidal Blanc on 2.1 acres. | Vineyard infrastructure includes fencing, irrigation system and computerized well | Perc site for 4 bedroom home. Property is in conservation easement | Property can be converted to Residential use.

Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

Brian MacMahon (703) 609-1868

info@sheridanmacmahon.com www.sheridanmacmahon.com

W I N D F I E L D S Middleburg, Virginia • $5,511,060 324.18 acres in prime Middleburg location | Frontage on Snickersville Turnpike |Rolling acreage with Blue Ridge views, creeks, ponds, mature woods and Goose Creek frontage | Lime Kiln cottage with remains of original mill | Property is in Conservation Easement, may be subdivided 3 times

Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905 Brian MacMahon (703) 609-1868

R E C T O R T O W N R O A D Marshall, Virginia • $1,250,000

Lovely country home on private lot in the village of Rectortown | FIBER INTERNET | Open floor plan with main level suite and home office | Upper level overlooks large family room with two story vaulted ceiling and stone fireplace and two large bedrooms and second family room | Multiple porches and decks with extensive plantings - easy maintenance.

Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

O U T W E S T

Warrenton, Virginia • $3,000,000

Gracious home w/ /renovated kitchen |Hardwood floors, substantial millwork & fine finishes & 4 FP| Perfectly sited to enjoy the views | 5 BR, home office, large family room, newly resurfaced tennis court, pool w/ cabana and 4 BR guest house w/workshop/3 stall stable | Large field for turn out, 1 paddock & hay field | 32 acres in 2 recorded parcels

Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930

3418 Q ST NW

1 0 4 & 1 0 6 P E N D L E T O N S T

The Plains, Virginia • $1,250,000

Rare opportunity | 2 recorded lots with C-3 zoning in the town of Middleburg | 2 separate buildings with 8 offices, 5 storage bays and ample parking | All buildings are in excellent condition

Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

Brian MacMahon (703) 609-1868

99.33 acres in prime Loudoun Hunt country location, easy access to Leesburg, Purcellville & Lincoln | Property is in conservation easement | Mountain and valley views | Rolling acreage | Approximately 65 acres of pasture, 35 acres of woods, major creek frontage | | Very protected location.

Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

Brian MacMahon (703) 609-1868

J O H N M A R S H A L L H I G H W AY

Markham, Virginia • $300,000

49.16 acres in 2 recorded parcels | Frontage on Goose Creek, land rises to great views, mountain meadows on upper portion | Access over Railroad and creek | Excellent hunting land, surrounded by large tracts

Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

Brian MacMahon (703) 609-1868

110 East Washington Street Middleburg, Virginia 20117 (540) 687-5588

‘The Eclectic Motif’ for Collectors and Home Stagers

BY KATE OCZYPOK

The Ecletic Motif – a uniquely appealing furniture and home décor boutique at 16537 Louisville Place, Burke, Virginia - - has both a deep family history and a manifest love of luxury antiques. It shows in their vast array of options from the casual collector to the serious luxury buyer. For home stagers, antique collectors or dedicated home furnishing browsers, their eclectic offerings yield sundry delights.

Co-owner Damon Kelly’s parents were antique collectors since their early 20s. Kelly’s own love of antiques and furniture began in his early childhood. “Our home was filled with aesthetics of various styles, mostly eclectic and interesting,” he said. “My father and mother took my sister and me with them everywhere, on trips to auctions, antique shops and flea markets.” According to Kelly, people used to call shopping for antiques “junking” at the time.

The family suffered an unthinkable tragedy when Kelly was just six when his mother died in an automobile accident. Due to his father being in the military, they moved often and

were later stationed in the Northern Virginia area. Kelly’s father continued his life and his passion for antiques, even opening a store within an antique mall outside of Fort Belvoir.

Kelly worked with his dad on weekends and by the time he was just 10 years-old, he was occasionally buying and selling pieces of his own. He even did his own refinishing! Three decades later, he started buying and selling part-time and soon found great success. “People loved my unique pieces and customers constantly told me I had a great eye for beautiful and eclectic finds,” he said. When he decided to make a go of the business full-time, the name “The Eclectic Motif” was born.

“I can’t forget how my parents’ love for uncommon furnishings influenced me, which is why I am so blessed to have my father as my business partner,” he added. “We have a fantastic time together, meeting great people and searching for design treasures to view and purchase at our Burke, Virginia warehouse or online at TheEclecticMotif.com or Chairish.com/shop/TheEclecticMotif.”

The Eclectic Motif’s inventory consists of previously owned high-end and luxury items. When searching for finds, Kelly is always on the lookout for top-quality, investment-worthy and unique pieces that someone who loves high-end aesthetics might buy.

His pieces range from 18th to 20th century antiques to midcentury modern and European classical styles to modern-day retail contemporary items.

Some of Kelly’s favorite pieces include a pair of Edward Pashayan vintage fretwork chairs, a find he describes as “extremely rare.” He bought the chairs from a woman in Washington, D.C. who shared that the chairs belonged to her late mother.

Some additional exceptional finds from Kelly’s inventory include a handmade Italian inlaid marquetry demilune sideboard from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan. A second

find he noted was a vintage Maitland Smith chinoiserie secretary’s desk he called “truly unique.” A third find was a pair of vintage 1990s Ralph Lauren leather metropolitan chairs currently for sale and available for viewing at the Burke warehouse.

1990s Ralph Lauren Leather Metropolitan Chairs. Photo courtesy of Ralph Lauren.

FOREST HILLS 3301 Fessenden Street NW Washington, DC

$10,500,000

Michael Rankin +1 202 271 3344

Mark C. Lowham +1 703 966 6949

KALORAMA 2446 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC

$2,499,000

Jonathan Taylor +1 202 276 3344

GEORGETOWN 1236 27th Street NW Washington, DC

$2,850,000

Michael Rankin +1 202 271 3344

DUPONT CIRCLE 1745 N Street NW #309 Washington, DC

$1,095,000

Peter Fortner +1 202 497 5703

LOGAN CIRCLE 1324 Q Street NW #A Washington, DC

$1,600,000

Jennifer Jo +1 703 489 0935

McLEAN Iconic Riverfront Estate McLean, VA

$39,000,000

Mark C. Lowham +1 703 966 6949

WOODLEY PARK 2660 Connecticut Avenue NW #6A Washington, DC

$3,475,000

WATERGATE EAST 2500 Virginia Avenue NW #1209-S Washington, DC

$2,925,000

Daniel Heider +1 202 938 3685

GEORGETOWN 3030 K Street NW #PH101 Washington, DC

$1,690,000

Nickie Jordan +1 202 374 4277

DUPONT 2019 Hillyer Place NW Washington, DC

$2,650,000

Michael Rankin +1 202 271 3344

Jonathan Taylor +1 202 276 3344 MT VERNON SQUARE 460 New York Avenue NW #706 Washington, DC

$515,000

Larry Calvert +1 202 510 7040

THE WATERVIEW 1111 19th Street N #2901 Arlington, VA

$7,400,000

Jonathan Taylor +1 202 276 3344

Auction Block

BY KATE OCZYPOK

This month’s auctions brought luxe jewelry to the fore as well as paintings from Matisse and Maik.

BONHAMS

An 18K White Gold and Diamond Ring

Sold for: $239,775, inc. premium

This marquise-shaped diamond weighing 6.09 carats is accented by two rows of round diamonds with additional round diamonds along the shanks of the ring, all weighing about 4.3 carats. The ring was part of the “California Jewels” auction, and was held in philanthropist Peggy Cravens’ collection. Cravens was a stylish arts maven who donated much of her time and money to arts organizations. Her collection boasts the likes of Tiffany, Gucci, Cartier and Chanel.

CHRISTIE’S

Henri Matisse Autoportrait

Estimate : $80,000-$120,000

Sold for : $138,600

This Henri Matisse (1869-1954) self-portrait drawn in 1927 with pen and India ink on paper is stamped with Matisse’s initials in the upper left corner.

THE POTOMACK COMPANY

A Panoramic View of Pilgrims Visiting Holy Sites at the Shivalik Hills Near Sirmaur

Estimate: $50,000-$70,000

Sold For: $114,000

This opaque watercolor on paper is heightened with gold and silver. Verso dated by inscription to 1824 and the Verso gallery label reads: “Doris Wiener Gallery; verso dated: 1881 (Vikrama Samvat Era) in Devanagari.

DOYLE

Pair of Antique Silver, Gold and Diamond Earrings

Estimate: $8,000-$12,000

Sold for: $20,160

A pair of antique silver, gold and diamond earrings sold for almost twice the estimate. They were from the estate of Laura Osinoff, executive director for the National Institute for the Psychotherapies.

We are accepting consignments of single items and entire collections. Bonhams’ Fine Art specialists are regularly in your area offering in-person complimentary auction estimates.

Cocktail of the Month

‘MIDNIGHT AT THE PERA PALACE’

BY JODY KURASH

President Biden awed the world last month with his top-secret surprise trip to Kyiv. “Amtrak Joe” and his entourage traveled overnight from Poland on Ukraine’s stateowned rail service in a luxury compartment.

Since the war began, global leaders Boris Johnson, Emmanuel Macron, Mario Draghi, Ursula von der Leyen and Justin Trudeau have traveled the same route, declared the safest and most secure way to visit the conflictravaged nation.

Long before “Train Force One,” a different “Train of Kings” existed in Europe. The Orient Express, a moving palace on the rails, opened in 1883 and traversed over 1700 miles from Paris to Istanbul. Along with kings, czars, spies and Europe’s elite class, fictional characters such as Hercule Poirot and James Bond cemented this train’s place in history.

While Turkey was as far into the Orient as this rail line would ever go, travelers capped off their journey with a stay at Istanbul’s glittering and glamorous Pera Palace hotel, an opulent inn, built to host passengers from the lavish train.

Famous guests have included Agatha

LATEST DISH

BY LINDA ROTH

DINING 360: RETRO REVOLVING REPAST

No question what the best seat in the house is: all of them. Dine with a panoramic view –without having to move – giving new meaning to dining and cocktails with a view. Skydome has reopened atop the DoubleTree by Hilton Crystal City Hotel, with its unique 360-degree panoramic vantages of the D.C. skyline. The view is complemented by a new American fare through a Mediterranean lens menu, from newly-appointed Executive Chef Klaus Happel. The center of the restaurant is under a glass dome, with a space station feel. It’s the optimal spot to watch planets align.

Vera, a new Mexican / Lebanese restaurant (think blended cuisines) is slated to open in Q2 2023 in Ivy City at 2002 Fenwick St. NE where Big Chief used to be. Owners Nayef Issa and Nour Chaaban also own Residents Café & Bar in Dupont Circle. The first level is a bar and lounge plus private dining while the main restaurant will be on the second floor and will feature a retractable roof. Highlights: Colorful murals, carajillo (espresso martini with Licor 43) and late-night entertainment as Nayef also owns DJ-music-centric Nü Androids music production company. Vera is named after Veracruz, Mexico which historically has welcomed Lebanese immigrants.

CH-CH-Changes: Thompson Hospitality plans to open Maker’s Union instead of its

Christie, whose former room carries her name, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Greta Garbo, Sarah Bernhardt, Alfred Hitchcock, Mata Hari and Jacqueline Kennedy. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey, resided in Suite 101, which is now a museum devoted to his legacy.

Ernest Hemingway was a resident after the First World War, when he was a reporter. He was, of course, a regular at the hotel’s Orient Bar. It has been said he spent many an hour nursing a whiskey there.

Visits to the Pera Palace and the Orient Bar are a must do when visiting the former Constantinople. The hotel and bar underwent an extensive renovation and reopened in 2010 fully restored to their old-world glory.

Last October, I found myself wandering Istanbul’s Taksim Square with a dear D.C. friend who had moved back to her home country. It was chilly moonlit night and the crowds surged through the bustling thoroughfare. We had spent our evening at the quaint tavernas, but as late night set in, we felt a longing for a place more refined and subdued from the growing crowds.

My friend, Sefika, knew just the place. We ventured a few blocks off the beaten path and

‘Midnight at the Pera Palace’ cocktail. Photo by Jody Kurash. came upon a gorgeous art-nouveau building that oozed old-world charm. As we neared the Belle-Époque façade, a vintage-looking sign glimmered “Orient Bar” from an ornate window.

As soon as we entered, I started daydreaming about the East-meets-West grandeur of the hotel. I tried to imagine how impressive these lofty surroundings were back in the day when it was the only hotel in the Ottoman empire with electricity and an elevator.

The Orient Bar is a den of crimson with rich carpeting and velvet chairs that laze under the mystic glow from the chandeliers above. It was

like instantly stepping into a Christie murdermystery movie set.

As you’d imagine, service was impeccable and the cocktail list impressive. Classic tipples filled out the menu festooned with original creations.

I opted for the “Midnight at the Pera Palace” an inventive offering which shares the same name as a 2022 Netflix series filmed at the hotel about a cub reporter researching the Pera’s storied history who’s thrust into the past and must stop a plot that could change the fate of modern Turkey.

I was fascinated by the drink’s inclusion of both blended and single malt Scotch. A mixture of Caol Ila single malt, Johnny Walker black, lemon and smoked honey sounded like the perfect mix of sophistication and warmth I was seeking.

The cocktail arrived garnished with a candied fig speared through a sprig of thyme. The star was the smoky flavor of the single malt which was complimented by the honey which elevated rather than sweetened the cocktail. The JW smoothed out the peaty smack while the natural elements gave it a savory flair. The flavor was pure finesse.

Like Biden’s Ukraine visit, the exact details of this cocktail are classified. However, whether you arrive by rail, air or ship, the Pera Palace is ready to whisk you back in history whether it’s at midnight or any time you like.

fast-casual Slice of Matchbox, at 664 Maine Ave. SW at The Wharf (Phase 2). This sports bar / coffee shop features local distillers and beers, with its own Makers IPA brewed in D.C. A Q3 opening is targeted.

Just Opened: Los Angeles-based Dave’s Hot Chicken Nashville-style hot chicken chain opened at 3301 14th Street NW in Columbia Heights, its anointed flagship location in D.C. It will be the first of many for this fast-growing, fast-casual chain known for its celebrity investors (Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Strahan).

Trouble Bird, a late-night creative cocktail bar with elevated late-night carbs, has opened where Maxwell Park used to be in Navy Yard. Brought to you by Brent Kroll and his partners in creative cocktails (Columbia Room, Silver Lyan): Andrew Hurn and Justin Cara-Donna.

Bethany Beach-based Coastline Oyster Co. opens at 319 Pennsylvania Ave SE where Zoca (and before that, Stanton & Greene) used to be. Chef/owner Danio Somoza offers live music on Wednesdays and weekend bands at his modern Mexican restaurant and tequila bar.

Jesiree’s Chop House & Lounge is slated to open in Adams Morgan by the end of Q1 2023 at 2434 18th St NW, where Copacabana used to be.

Linda Roth is Founder & CEO of Linda Roth Associates (LRA), a D.C.-based public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the foodservice and hospitality industries. Follow her at: @LindaRothPR, #LindaRothPR, or www.lindarothpr.com.

Don’t forget to treat yourself to an amazing blend of Earl Grey Tea Extract, Osmanthus, Vodka, Dry Gin and Lime Juice. CourtesySkyDome. Skydome Restaurant. Photo courtesy of Skydome.

Co-produced with Round House Theatre

‘Philip Guston Now’ at the National Gallery of Art

BY ARI POST

Philip Guston Now is one of those rare and remarkable exhibitions that manages to be all things at once. It’s a focused retrospective, a beautifully told story of a singular artist -- a window into our own history and a mirror onto our present moment. And it avoids ponderous didactics and cheap comparisons. A survey of Western art history in microcosm -from the Renaissance through postmodernism (and newspaper comics), it’s a love letter to the presence of art, to paint, to museums, and to preposterously huge canvases on even huger walls. Surprising, revealing, funny, sad, mesmerizing and relatable -- It’s awesome.

Maybe I should confess my bias. Philip Guston is one of my favorite painters, and I’ve been anticipating this exhibition for about a decade, and throughout the yearslong delays due to the pandemic and Black Lives Matter Revolution with its attendant challenges to exhibitions reserved exclusively for dead White men. Thankfully, however, the exhibition has arrived — in no small part because Guston’s own biography subsumes perfectly into the combustible sociopolitical ether our country now occupies.

Born in 1913 in Montreal to Jewish parents who had fled persecution in Ukraine, Guston was a self-taught artist and intellectual with a high school diploma. When his family moved to Los Angeles in 1922, he was surrounded by racism and antisemitism. Los Angeles was politically dominated by the Ku Klux Klan in the twenties and thirties — John Clinton Porter, the city’s Mayor from 1929-1933, was even a local Klan leader (seriously).

In 1935 — like many American Jews with ambition and aspiration (including my own grandfather) — he changed his name.

“Goldstein” became Guston.

Guston was politically radical, making socially conscious murals and antiwar paintings in a kaleidoscopic style that fused influences from Hellenism and the Venetian Renaissance to Cubism and great modern muralists like Thomas Hart Benton and Diego Rivera.

Interestingly, despite being intrinsic to Abstract Expressionism in retrospect, Guston wasn’t actually there during its genesis in 1940s New York City. While his high school classmate Jackson Pollock and all the other AbEx legends were inventing abstraction in Greenwich Village, Guston was teaching art in Iowa to support his family and making politically charged representational paintings. Only when he moved to New York in the late forties did he discover abstraction. But when he found it, he leaned in. His abstractions became a relief, a place where he was able to keep out the violence of the world.

Guston’s abstractions are pretty marvelous, happy, almost childlike — big, square canvases that bulge with color in the center and dissipate toward the edges. During this time, he found his color palette — pastel pinks, reds and blues, punctuated by acid green and soda-pop orange — which he held onto for the rest of his life.

But eventually the outside world crept back in.

From the 1950s until the mid-sixties his palette gradually darkened and he was increasingly plagued by the urgency to deal in his work with the stuff of the world: wars, assassinations, protests, human rights, history. He clearly felt guilty bearing witness to the torment of the world and then going back to his studio to play with colors.

During this period, Guston visibly oscillates

A co-production of ArtsCentric, Everyman Theatre, and Olney Theatre Center

Philip Guston, Painting, Smoking, Eating, 1973. Oil on canvas. Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. From the Estate of Philip Guston.

between abstraction and representation. His work looks physically conflicted. Black lines struggling for clarity and form, scratched across sheets of paper like messages from a purgatoried ghost.

Ultimately, figuration won out, but the thing that was birthed was bizarre, crude, challenging and almost universally condemned by critics. And it’s not hard to see why.

His paintings became a kind of

phantasmagorical comic strip series, featuring two central characters: a hooded Klansman and a disembodied, bloodshot eyeball with a five o’clock shadow. They smoke cigarettes, paint stupid paintings, suffer from insomnia and generally loaf about in a kind of Looney Tunes ghetto. Sometimes God makes an appearance, a giant hand descending from of the sky, just to screw around.

These paintings, among other weird things,

are nihilistic allusions to the staggering atrocities of the 20th century. Guston also seems to reject the slick cool of postmodernism in exchange for a proletariat visual language, siphoning influence from comic artists like George Herriman and Robert Crumb more than anything else. (There is also an entire separate exhibition in an adjacent set of galleries devoted, essentially, to Guston’s obsessive hatred of Richard Nixon.)

Together these paintings create a uniquely American fever dream. They are not pleasant. You would not want them hanging in your home. But they also might be the most relevant, engaged, empathetic, important and human paintings of their time.

Philip Guston Now is at the National Gallery of Art through Aug. 27, 2023.

Philip Guston, Painter’s Table, 1973, oil on canvas.

Philip Guston, The Ladder, 1978, oil on canvas, Gift of Edward R. Broida. © The Estate of Philip Guston.

SPRING GALAS

BY KATE OCZYPOK

Spring is fast approaching! Prepare for Washington’s blooming social season with this gala guide featuring all the parties, celebrations and events from March through June.

MARCH

SATURDAY MARCH 11

IMAGINATION STAGE

ANNUAL GALA

6 p.m., Planet Word Museum, 925 13th St. NW Imagination Stage’s Annual Gala is the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year and all funds raised support the professional theatre and arts education programs.

THE WORLD IN OUR CITY: THE WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS GALA

6 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW Enjoy an evening of food, dancing and fun.

TUESDAY MARCH 14

THE KUNO AWARD FOR APPLIED SCIENCE FOR THE SOCIAL GOOD

6:30 p.m., Evermay, 1623 28th St. NW

A cocktail hour and ceremony to honor the most recent recipient, Dr. Eleanor Stokes.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 15

THE IRELAND FUNDS

NATIONAL GALA

6:30 p.m., The National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW

Celebrating the ties, heritage and friendship between Ireland and the U.S.

SUNDAY MARCH 19

THE KENNEDY CENTER MARK TWAIN PRIZE FOR AMERICAN HUMOR GALA

8 p.m., The Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW This year’s awardee is comedian Adam Sandler.

SMALL FARM 7AC. FARM FOR SALE

ANTIETAM AREA, MD. Historic Brick Home c.1875. Civil War Barn. Hilltop view of waterfalls. $1,275,000! Call (301) 305-8999. Syd Machat, broker.

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CATS, KITTENS UP FOR RE-HOMING

All litter-trained, friendly, socialized and affectionate. Cats spayed/neutered, vaccinated. Email dmvcatrescue@ gmail.com or call 202-706-8138.

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APRIL

SATURDAY APRIL 1

2023 CATHOLIC CHARITIES GALA

6 p.m., Marriott Marquis, 901 Massachusetts Ave. NW

Catholic Charities Gala 2023 will honor Msgr. John J. Enzler’s 50th anniversary as a priest in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and his retirement as president and CEO.

THURSDAY APRIL 13

CITIZENS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGETOWN FUNDRAISING EVENT AT EVERMAY

Evermay, 1623 28th St. NW

Help support CAG’s programs, education and historic preservation efforts to make Georgetown safer, more beautiful and more connected.

FRIDAY APRIL 14

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS SPRING GALA

6:30 p.m., Embassy of Italy, 3000 Whitehaven St. NW

The event will honor Cecilia Alemani, artistic director, 59th Venice Biennale.

SATURDAY APRIL 15

2023 CHILDREN’S BALL

6 p.m.-midnight, District Pier and The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW

The organization is seeking to raise $500 million to transform children’s health.

2023 ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION BRAIN BALL

The National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW

This year’s lifetime achievement honoree is Former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 19

THE GEORGETOWN HOUSE TOUR’S 2023 PATRONS PARTY

6-8 p.m., The Hawkins Residence, 3123 Dumbarton St. NW

The Patrons’ Party is held at one of Georgetown’s preeminent homes. The proceeds from the party benefit St. John’s ministries to homeless adults and children, unemployed, senior citizens and young children in area schools.

THE LATINO STUDENT FUND GALA

Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW

The Latino Student Fund was founded in 1994 to address disparities in education access for underrepresented students in the D.C. area.

FRIDAY APRIL 21

THE WASHINGTON BALLET GALA

The National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW Enjoy the National Building Museum transformed into an enchanted forest as you delight in cocktails, dinner and dancing.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 26

CALVARY WOMEN’S SERVICES HOPE GALA

6-9 p.m., The Ritz-Carlton, 1150 22nd St. NW Celebrate women achieving their goals and making lasting changes in their lives.

SATURDAY APRIL 29

LOMBARDI GALA

The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW

Since 1986, the Lombardi Gala has provided direct funding to Georgetown Lombardi as it seeks to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer.

CHILDREN’S INN AT NIH: AN EVENING FOR HOPE 2023

Ritz Carlton Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Boulevard

The evening will include a cocktail reception, silent auction, gourmet dinner, live auction and an afterparty.

MAY

WEDNESDAY MAY 3

THE SMITHSONIAN CRAFT SHOW PREVIEW NIGHT BENEFIT

5-9 p.m., The National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW

Check out what’s at this year’s craft show a little early.

THURSDAY MAY 4

THE SPRING SOIREE CELEBRATING THE 2023 C&O CANAL IN GEORGETOWN

6:30-8:30 p.m., Under the big tent in the Mule Yard

Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and live music.

FRIDAY MAY 5

THREADS OF CONNECTION: THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION GALA

6:30 p.m., The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW

Join The Phillips Collection for their annual affair.

SATURDAY MAY 6

THIS MAMMOTH MOMENT: WOOLLY MAMMOTH’S 2023 SPRING GALA

National Museum of African American History and Culture, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW

Celebrate Woolly Mammoth’s storytelling at their annual gala.

WEDNESDAY MAY 10

MARCH OF DIMES GOURMET GALA

6 p.m., National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW

Over 50 members of Congress will compete as celebrity chefs at the 41st annual affair.

SATURDAY MAY 13

THE WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA GALA

5 p.m., Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW

Experience the opening night of “La Boheme” with exclusive Embassy dinners the night before.

WEDNESDAY MAY 17

HEART’S DELIGHT WINE TASTING AND AUCTION

Four days of fun including a Congress Has Heart Celebration, intimate wine dinners and an exclusive Vintner’s Dinner.

MONDAY MAY 22

2023 HELEN HAYES AWARDS

The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW

The Helen Hayes Awards recognize outstanding achievement from professionals in D.C. theater.

WEDNESDAY MAY 24

TUDOR PLACE’S 31ST ANNUAL SPRING GARDEN PARTY

6 p.m., Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW

Proceeds support conservation of thousands of objects in the Tudor Place Collection & Archive, preservation of the 5 ½ acre estate and dynamic educational programming for all ages.

JUNE

THURSDAY JUNE 1

THE ANNUAL GREAT LADIES LUNCHEON & FASHION SHOW

10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., The Ritz Carlton, 1150 22nd St. NW

Proceeds benefit the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.

TUESDAY JUNE 6

2023 LIGHT UP THE NIGHT GALA

6:30 p.m., Lunar Lawn, Hillwood Estate Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW The black-tie gala supports Hillwood’s mission to share the cultural treasures bequeathed by Marjorie Merriweather Post.

Meridian Welcomes Newly Arrived Chiefs of Mission

BY MARY BIRD

Meridian Center for Diplomatic Engagement hosted a “Welcome to Washington” reception for newly arrived diplomats at its headquarters on Feb. 15 in the historic Meridian House and White-Meyer House. As they enjoyed cocktails and an elegant buffet by Well Dunn Catering, the reception afforded newly arrived Chiefs of Mission an opportunity to meet and engage with a cross section of Washington leaders from the government,

business and policy communities. Meridian CEO Stuart Holliday, welcomed 14 newly arrived ambassadors and acknowledged other special guests. He noted that since 1960 Meridian has been a “home away from home” for the diplomatic community as diplomats must be necessarily well-versed in economic, cultural and other fields. He told the honorees that we are “looking forward to working with you on issues that are the fabric of diplomacy.”

Gershwin for Joni Mitchell

“You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” Joni Mitchell famously once wrote. On March 1 at Constitution Hall, Mitchell showed that she’s definitely still got it. The 79-year-old Mitchell, who has performed sparingly since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015, closed a concert staged in her honor in dramatic fashion, delivering a slow and sultry rendition of the Gershwin standard

“Summertime” — the highlight of an evening filled with them. The Library of Congress bestowed its Gershwin Prize for Popular Song on Mitchell, the singer-songwriter best known for such 1970s classics as “Both Sides Now,” “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Help Me.” The cast of admiring musicians on hand to celebrate the Mitchell legacy spanned generations and genres.

Percival Leonard Rosseau Setters in a Cooling Stream, Fayetteville, NC. Sold for $210,000

Joni Mitchell accepts the 2023 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song from Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden during a tribute concert at DAR Constitution Hall. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Margaret Brennan of CBS News, Ambassador Rufus Gifford, Chief of Protocol for the United States, and Moldovan Ambassador Viorel Ursu.

Photo by Stephen Bobb.

‘Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom’

AN AUDACIOUS, TRUE TALE OF FLEEING THE SOUTH.

REVIEWED BY KITTY KELLEY

The morning after Martin Luther King Day 2023 marked the release of Ilyon Woo’s extraordinary “Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom.” Reviewers received advance proofs from the publisher with a note from Bob Bender, executive editor of Simon & Schuster, extolling the book and wondering why the story of Ellen and William Craft was not yet a staple of American history.

Soon, Mr. Bender. Soon.

The Crafts’ story is no ordinary slave narrative, although “ordinary” hardly describes the harrowing attempts that desperate human beings made in 18th- and 19th-century America to flee slavery’s choke-hold. Hordes of bounty hunters laid in wait to capture fugitives and drag them back to their owners in chains. Few made it to freedom, which is why the Crafts are so extraordinary: They took white supremacy and turned it upside down and sideways in order to escape in plain sight, executing one of

the boldest feats of self-emancipation in U.S. history.

Ellen Craft was born to a white father, James Smith, who also enslaved Ellen’s 18-year-old mother. Smith’s wife gave Ellen — a living, daily reminder of her husband’s infidelity — as a wedding present to their daughter, Eliza, when she married Robert Collins of Macon, Georgia. Being half-sisters, the girls had grown up together, and Ellen, looking as white as Eliza, was trusted as a “house slave” to sew and cook and take care of the children. While in Macon, Ellen fell in love with William Craft, an enslaved man who lived nearby. Together, they schemed to run away at the end of 1848, more than a decade before the Civil War.

They plot every detail of their escape with strategic precision. Ellen, an expert seamstress, begins sewing the costume she will wear to disguise herself as a white man in failing health traveling to Philadelphia for medical treatment, accompanied by “his” slave. She makes baggy

plus-fours — the stylish men’s trousers of the day — a white silk shirt, a black cravat, and a custom-designed jacket that only a gentleman of means could afford. Traveling as “Mr. Johnson,” she wears dark green glasses and a “double-story” black silk hat “befitting how high it rises, and the fiction it covers.”

She applies poultices to her face and wraps her right hand in bandages and a sling to explain why she can’t sign travel documents at several stops. (Being enslaved, Ellen was not allowed to learn how to read or write.) The darkskinned William, acting like an obsequious slave, helps Ellen on and off trains and buses and boats, attending to “his” every need during their journey. At each stop, William ushers his infirm “master” to “his” first-class cabin before retiring to the colored quarters, where he eats from a slop bowl and sleeps standing up.

From Macon, the train rolls into Savannah, “City of Shade and Silence,” and site of the largest slave market in America, known as “the Weeping Time.” With staggering audaciousness, master and slave continue by steamship to Charleston, South Carolina, where, Woo writes:

“All along the harbor were tall ships and steamers, weighing the waves with their cargo; golden crops of rice, bales of cotton, chinoiserie — and chained below decks, the enslaved, a major commodity in this international port. There were slave sales near the docks, in shops, closer inland, and by the Custom House, which hosted the city’s largest open-air slave market on its north side, as Ellen knew. The sight was so disturbing to foreigners (and therefore bad for business) that, in a few years, the city would pass laws to hustle the trade indoors.”

Days later, the Crafts arrive in Richmond, Virginia, a veritable police state since Nat Turner’s Rebellion in 1831, still considered the most significant slave uprising in American history. “Mr. Johnson” and “his” slave rumble over Aquia Creek to Washington, D.C., and through a dark channel to Fort McHenry in Baltimore, where Francis Scott Key, himself an enslaver, wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Three more stops, and the couple finally cross the Mason-Dixon Line and reach Philadelphia, the so-called City of Brotherly Love, where even the Quakers drew lines to separate the “colored” benches in their meetinghouses.

“Master Slave Husband Wife” hits all the marks of a masterpiece: unforgettable characters, stirring conflicts, breathtaking courage, and a pulsating plot wrapped around an unforgivable sin. Author Woo is a rare breed of writer — a scholar with a Ph.D. who’s nevertheless mastered the art of narrative nonfiction. She tells

this story with incomparable skill, following the Crafts from Philadelphia to Boston, where they become icons of the abolitionist movement, traveling the antislavery lecture circuit. But the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 forces them to keep on the run. By law, they’re still enslaved and deeply in danger, especially once Robert Collins, Ellen’s owner back in Georgia, hires bounty hunters to track them down.

No longer safe in the U.S., the Crafts move to England for several years, where they bring up six children and publish an account of their escape, “Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom.” When Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the Crafts feel safe enough to return home, first to South Carolina and then to Georgia, where they start a school and live out the remainder of their days.

Ellen and William Craft embody the human drive to relentlessly pursue freedom. Ilyon Woo, in “Master Slave Husband Wife,” honors their story with grace and humanity, and presents her publisher with a phenomenon.

Stand by, Mr. Bender. Stand by.

Georgetown resident Kitty Kelley has written several number-one New York Times best-sellers, including “The Family: The Real Story Behind the Bush Dynasty.” Her most recent books include “Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the Kennedys” and “Let Freedom Ring: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the March on Washington.” She serves on the board of BIO (Biographers International Organization) and Washington Independent Review of Books, where this review originally appeared.