3300 block of P St.

The mercury’s rising and pretty soon we’ll have a couple places to cool off in style: the DC public pools open Memorial Day weekend (i.e. next weekend).

Georgetown is blessed with two fantastic public pools: Volta Park and Jelleff. Both will be open Memorial Day weekend noon to 6:00. They’ll remain open only on the weekends (with those same hours) until June 24th.

After that point they’ll both be open during the week from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The Volta pool will be closed Mondays, and the Jelleff pool Wednesdays.

So get ready to suit up!

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Georgetown’s Jeff Miller, bee man.
• DC United defender quits soccer and is heading to GU to study medicine.

3300 block of P St.

What will Georgetown look like in 2028? More importantly, what do you want it to look like? Wider sidewalks? Easier parking? More restaurants? Better transit? You may soon have the opportunity to answer those questions, and actually have an impact.

Yesterday the Georgetown BID announced an ambitious new effort dubbed “Georgetown 2028″. The project is designed to take a deep look at what the neighborhood needs to do over the next fifteen years to face the challenges of a city growing and changing at an incredibly fast pace.

From the project’s website:

Future Georgetown must compete against new and “coming soon” commercial areas in the District and nearby areas so it remains home to fine dining, distinct retail opportunities, great hotels, and major businesses. Future Georgetown must have the transportation strategies and system to efficiently move people in, out and around. Future Georgetown, as a riverfront neighborhood, must have the forethought to protect itself from the impacts of a changing climate, including rising water levels. It must understand its future infrastructure needs and decide how it wants its public infrastructure to be designed, used, and managed. And finally, future Georgetown will need to manage all these issues as efficiently and effectively as possible.

The effort is a breathtakingly broad look at all the changes that need to be made to the physical and business environment in Georgetown. The project is organized around a task force of business, educational, governmental, and residential representatives (full disclosure: GM is on the task force representing the Citizens Association of Georgetown). Supporting the task force are three working groups addressing, respectively, transportation challenges, economic development, and the public space. Those topics give you a good sense for what sort of broad-based topics the project will consider.

And the project is also very wide-open in terms of solutions. And consistent with that, the project is seeking input from the public. There will be a community engagement meeting on June 13th at 1055 Thomas Jefferson St. at 5:30 to 8:00. There will be a second community engagement meeting in September.

But the input isn’t limited to community meetings. The project has already set up a community engagement website, which allows you to log in and offers your thoughts on what you want to see change about Georgetown over the next 15 years. There’s even a rewards program! Build up 150 points by logging in, referring a friend, and contributing enough ideas and you win a lunch with the BID CEO Joe Sternlieb, during which you can share your thoughts on Georgetown and what ideas you have to make it better.

Basically this is exactly the sort of comprehensive and ambitious planning effort that GM has been calling for for years. GM is absolutely thrilled that it is finally happening, and he’s honored to be taking part.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• What’s M and Wisconsin’s dysfunction? (Do make sure to read the comments on that one. Some very cliche Georgetown-hate, but we have some defenders!)
• Want to support Volta Park and get some booze too? Come out to the June 6th cocktail fundraiser.

1600 block of 34th St.

This Friday is Bike to Work Day here in DC. And for the first time, Georgetown is participating in the festivities.

Bike to Work Day was started way back in 1956 by the League of American Cyclists. Recently it has grown in popularity, particularly in cities like DC that are putting serious efforts into encouraging those that can to consider riding around town on a bike.

How it works is that you register here and select a pit stop to stop at during your trip on Friday. These locations will have on hand “bike ambassadors” to answer any questions you have about biking and how to incorporate it more into your routine. Also, you’ll be entered to win prizes, such as a free bike. Plus there’s free food and drinks to help power your ride into work.

As mentioned above, this year will be the first year that Georgetown will host a pit stop of its own. The stop will be at the waterfront park and will be run by the BID. It will be open from 7:30 to 9:30.

According to the last American Community Survey estimate from the Census, 7.61% of Georgetowners use “other” transportation to get to work. Since “other” only includes stuff that’s not walking, driving or using mass transit, it’s safe to assume that most of those people are bikers.

That would mean that about 76 Georgetowners bike to work. So whoever you are (and GM knows some of you) register and come on down!

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Several of Georgetown’s higher calorie meals makes a list of those worth consuming.
• Dumbarton Oaks Park wins $50,000 from Partners in Preservation contest.

3400 block of Volta Place