So I've been kicking around an idea for a new feature. I haven't completely decided on a title yet, but "the real deal" is the general idea. It goes something like this:
I take something that draws a lot of "hate" in DC. Maybe it's a restaurant, a bar, a political official, it's all fair game. I boil down the reason why it's hated, and then I have a discussion with the owner, manager, or person themselves. I talk about the topics that are fueling the hate, ask them a few questions, and write up a bit of "analysis." I'll throw together some sort of rating system, and try to piece together how much of that hate is warranted, and how much might be unfair. I'll try to be as objective as possible, so that when the establishment or person does end up scoring high on the "hate scale" (to be renamed, I'm sure) it's all the more "for reals."
I've been trying to come up with ideas, and so far the leaders are the H Street Country Club and the Dangerously Delicious Pie shop. Other possibilities could be the Cork Wine Bar, and possibly Marvin (if they want to talk to me, I did refer to them as a Waffle House). I'm looking for your ideas, though, of things that would make a good "Why We Hate DC" piece. Come to think of it, that's a good title. Maybe I'll go with that.
What do you all think?
How about that group called "Late Night Shots" that the City Paper did a feature on a while back? Or is it too easy?
ReplyDeleteHow about the fact that cabs here are cash only? Super annoying
ReplyDeleteIt will probably be a waste of time if you're just going to focus on places that are hated solely because they're hipster magnets. Going in to look at them in-depth isn't going to make them any less hipster infested.
ReplyDeleteWIHDC already profiled Late Night Shots. It's called "archived posts, 2006-2007".
ReplyDeleteThe ultimate would of course be John Catoe. Let him either verbally dig his own grave or clear his name.
In the absence of that, interview someone who is actually homeless. They are simultaneously loved (when the PR cameras are on) and hated (when they ask you for change) and DC's response to the plight of homelessness is just cruel.
If you can actually get someone to talk to you I think it could be great.
ReplyDeleteI f*cking hate Marvin, not because it's popular, but because most of the bartenders are arrogant a-holes who act like you should be honored to be served a drink by them. And they short pour or water down the liquor.
On the other hand, I already know the upshot of any such discussion, which is, as long as we're making bank, we don't give a rat's ass what you think, and yes, it is a privilege for you to be allowed at our bar, now get off my porch before I call the police.
H street is good. That pie shop is good (general-over-priced-yuppie food in the ghetto as a whole might be a good topic...I certainly want to gouge my eyes out every time I see one). shitty drivers. shitty sports teams. Marion Barry. Arlington (not IN dc per se). people who use the term 'per se'. lack of good asian food. lack of good mexican food. lack of good food (other than $9 cupcakes that is). the stifling mediocre/banal built environment of the entire city. bloggers. crappy radio stations. the desire to reinvent blighted areas as "dc's Arlington". tourists.
ReplyDeletehowever, my number one most hated thing in dc is nats stadium. it is such a horrible, ill-conceived, sack of shit. if it wasnt so out of the way and contained such an unappealing sports franchise I think more people would hate it.
ReplyDelete@Alex - while there is much to hate about the Nationals (they suck), their management, and the process by which the stadium was rammed down our throats, how can you hate the stadium itself?
ReplyDeleteOut of the way??? Ummm... dude. It's got a metro station. It's in downtown DC. You can even walk there from Chinatown and downtown.
Where would have been a less "out of the way" place to build a giant stadium for you? Maybe they could have knocked down all of Petworth or Shaw or something so it's a couple metro stops closer to wherever you live?
Of all the criticism of the Nationals and the stadium "out of the way" is one I've never heard before...
jamie,
ReplyDeleteI dont hate on it BECAUSE its out of the way. just saying that since its not in "most-people's-DC" (columbia heights, dupont, gtown, similarly-over-priced-areas-along-red-line) its shittiness might not be on the radar of most people just walking around enjoying thier day to day business... unless of course they're explicitly making a trip to a game.
try reading (more importantly comprehending) the whole post before you attack
and I live in eastern market so I fail to see how a pentworth location would help it be "closer to wherever you live"
ReplyDeleteHow bout the fact small businesses can't do a damn thing in this city, and the original culture that was DC is now in the shitter
ReplyDeleteMost of everyone who was originally from DC left DC a long time ago anyway, transplants for days
ReplyDeletemassive cupcake proliferation. kickball leagues. wonderland. people who don't offer the pregnant/infirm their seat on the metro. adams morgan bars. black cat. washington sports club. unregistered cab drivers. the high cost of oreos. cork. trendy foods: charcuterie, wine, cocktails, foam, "fusion tapas".
ReplyDeleteAlright, this is a little fucking weird, but hear me out.
ReplyDeleteI work in an office building next to Arena Stage, near the SW Waterfront. As you might know, it was once a horribly trashy, brutalist/garden shed of a building, but someone decided to pour an ungodly amount of money into redesigning and remodeling it. Fair enough.
Except when they actually got around to redesigning it, they had the mind-blowing, unspeakable, design-by-committee gall to build this giant glass, wood, and steel structure AROUND THE EXISTING SHITTY ARENA STAGE. I have to stare out my window every day and look at this monstrosity. For reference, here is what the original Arena Stage looked like:
http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/8/2/4/2/ar122175366724283.JPG
And this is the completely fucking baffling rendering of what it will soon look like, once construction is over:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/2529227611_013b2af168.jpg
Now, if you look closely, you can see that these retards have actually build this entire new structure around the old, hideous one. Can someone explain this to me? Am I the only one who thinks this is the worse idea in the history of the bad ideas that have plagued the SW Waterfront? I actually accosted a construction worker just to give him a big WTF. He was confused as I was.
Please look into this. For all of us.
being an architect, I sympathize 100% with the above sentiment. this city deserves better design.
ReplyDeleteI love the Arena Stage idea. Off the beaten path and has the potential to be an actual interesting post.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely going to be investigating the Arena Stage idea.
ReplyDeleteIsn't George Costanza an architect, too?
ReplyDeleteCan we include people as well as businesses? If so, I vote for Kathy Henderson.
ReplyDeleteSee: http://bit.ly/1ISxDw
@Dave, re: the Arena Stage
ReplyDeleteYou definitely should look into this. And if you need daily onsite updates about the progress, I literally spend about 4 hours a day, sitting at my desk and shaking my head as I look out the window at this thing. It seems to me like too weird a design decision NOT to have a hilarious backstory [my guess: weird, old, rich donor with weird stipulations about how the money can't be spent on knocking an old perfectly good theater down to build some monstrosity, etc. etc.].
But nonetheless: someone has to fucking pay for this. I've built lego spacestations that make more practical sense.
Arena Stage it is. I'll get cracking on this one.
ReplyDeletei got an idea...and im from DC...move the fuck out...hell thats what i did. ya spend long enough time anywhere its gonna fuckin suck. PS..dont go to atlanta
ReplyDeleteIrony: moving out of DC because you think it sucks, yet still reading and bitching about it online.
ReplyDeleteI'll second that "don't go to Atlanta" thing, anyone who thinks the public transit sucks here will get a huge kick out of MARTA's 30-something stations and basically 2 lines.