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City Cast DC

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

We’re on a mission to get out there and remember why we 

 living in D.C. again. We think this bingo card will help.

How many can you check off before spring?

 if you get bingo and we’ll give you a shoutout!

While people today consider Adams Morgan — belovedly nicknamed AdMo — a Northwest neighborhood stalwart, it actually didn’t get its full name all that long ago.

The area, which evolved from an upper-middle class neighborhood in the 18th and 19th centuries, 

 its cross streets, 18th and Columbia Street NW.

It wasn’t until the 1950s — in the wake of the Brown v. Board of education ruling — that people began using Adams Morgan to describe the area adjacent to the much older Dupont and Kalorama neighborhoods. This is because the area had two segregated elementary schools; the all-white John Quincy Adams School, and all-Black Thomas P. Morgan School.

In preparation for the school integration, Florence Cornell, the principal of Adams, and Bernice Brown, the principal of Morgan, partnered to create the Adams-Morgan Better Neighborhood Conference. The conference's work was crucial to making the schools’ desegregation quick and peaceful.

Other organizing groups in the area started using Adams-Morgan to describe their neighborhood groups and the name stuck. The hyphen was eventually dropped around 2000, making it the Adams Morgan we know and love today.

How community members gave Adams Morgan and a uniting cause.

How Adams Morgan Got Its Name

What Washingtonians have been wondering. We break down why things in DC are the way they are and how they work.

DC, Explained

The Holocaust Museum has been quietly changing its content since President Trump returned to office to avoid drawing the administration’s ire. 

 — to break down what happened and what it means for D.C.’s cultural institutions.

The museum preemptively pulled a web page on “Teaching Materials on Nazism and Jim Crow,” and cancelled a one-day civic education workshop called "Fragility of Democracy and the Rise of the Nazis,” citing funding pressures and concerns about the current political climate.

The Holocaust Museum is a federal museum whose board is mostly appointed by the president. At the beginning of his second term, President Trump removed about a dozen of President Biden's appointees just months into their five-year terms and replaced them with loyalists.

“That's never happened before. A president has never fired from the board a former president's appointees before their terms were up,” Sentner told us.

It’s unclear if the directive came from the board itself, but Sentner confirmed it came from ongoing conversations by "museum leadership.”

The Holocaust Museum's response represents a broader pattern at D.C. cultural institutions.

While Holocaust museum staff was pulling divisive programing, the Kennedy Center was undergoing a 

 by the Trump administration. In that instance, Trump was able to use his newly-appointed board of loyalists to push his priorities, ultimately announcing the institution would be shut down for two years starting in July for reconstruction.

Additionally, last August the White House ordered 

an extensive review of eight of D.C.’s Smithsonian museums

, in which they identified areas that needed revising to “

” with the administration’s view of American history ahead of the country’s 250th birthday.

Sentner explained that staff at the Holocaust Museum saw their programming changes as necessary to avoid similar public confrontation and board upheaval What makes the Holocaust Museum's situation significant is that this all happened under the rug, without the Trump administration having to order the changes.

"There's a lot of self-preservation happening,” said Sentner. “Looking at what has happened at the other peer institutions…it's a realist choice to make."

Listen to the full conversation 🎧

Why the Holocaust Museum Self-Censored Before Trump Even Asked

What's being decided in DC City Hall and why it matters. We monitor local elections, political news, and DC City Council.

DC Election and City Hall News

Local Civics

The food critic at the Washington Post has long been seen as an all-powerful — and totally anonymous — figure in the local restaurant industry. But the paper’s new critic, Elazar Sontag, is rejecting that anonymity for a more transparent approach. The first thing he did after replacing long-timer 

 was bring back the star review system and introduce himself 

”The work of being anonymous has largely become kind of a theater act,” explained Sontag. “ Sometimes I do get [special] treatment, but I want to be able to talk about it openly and transparently because critics have gotten that treatment for a very long time.”

Since November, Sontag has been eating out seven nights a week to get a sense of he DMV’s food scene. “ I am not trying to pretend that I understand D.C. as well as even [locals] might,” he explained. “I am just offering people a way to see the city and the region anew through my eyes.”

 about D.C.’s changing dining scene, the role of a critic, and the best spots he’s been so far. Below, a list of some superlatives we threw his way.

Best place to go on a third date with someone you want to impress?

“When I really want to impress my partner, who I've been with for closer to five years, I take him to 

…It’s very special and very romantic without feeling too stuffy.”

Best place to take your enemy, someone you can't trust.

. It's a little pasta bar that's standing room only. And I would position myself close to the door, so if they pulled out the butter knife, I could just run.”

] in Vienna serves a dish of century eggs, which are these long-cured eggs in Chinese cuisine that turn black….They're served with crushed chilies, fermented bean curd, and eggplant.”

“It's rare in this line of work that I eat something that feels totally novel and exciting to me. And when that happens, it's like that moment in Ratatouille.”

"The awful thing about a martini is you so rarely remember that you drank it. I had a nice one at 

. It's a great little modern bistro, by the Popal group…Chef Matt Conroy's very talented and it's a very romantic little place for just you and your mother-in-law. If you can get in!”

…there is a Basque cheesecake, which is a pretty wild dish. The center is barely baked. So it's just this lovely layer of cheesecake on the outside. And then at the center, it's this runny, sweet, funky, intense cheese.”

DC's Top Food Critic’s Favorite Spots

The latest on the best and newest restaurants and bars in DC. We'll help you find where to eat, drink, and socialize.

DC Food & Drink

Food & Drink

Picture this: you’re a new grad spending $600 a month on a makeshift room in a Columbia Heights group home. You’re basking in the sun with friends on the Wonderland patio sharing a plate of tots just a 

hungover. Life is full of possibilities. That’s the beauty of the 11th Street strip.

While I’ve since moved (my tolerance for Craigslist roomies hit its limit) the area is still my favorite hangout spot in the District. You can garden, snack on crispy pig ears, and grab frozen margs — all within a few blocks.

, but you won’t catch me complaining. They may not have the most dialed-in espresso but the seasonal flavors (pistachio dragée latte?!) and complimentary side of animal crackers put my coffee snobbery to rest. A little farther out, you have 

 pulling shots from small-batched beans which are well worth the extra four blocks.

Check out one of the community events at the 

, a community run urban garden that hosts open mics and volunteer opportunities in the warm seasons. If that’s not your thing, head to the bougie bodega 

 to peruse expensive spices and kombucha before settling on a freshly made onigiri. On Thursday evenings you can find trivia at The Coupe 

(tip: the music played between rounds always includes a hint).

 is one of my all time faves. It’s an upscale Hong Kong-style restaurant with a rotating seasonal menu and impeccable interior design. But it's not an everyday affair. For that you’ll want to head to 

 for their dependable neapolitan pies with a neighborhood vibe.

Now that Makan has closed (RIP) I’ll also throw an honorable mention to the 

 rooftop for days when you really just need some al pastor and a frozen marg with Tajín on the rim.

 — it is a D.C. rite of passage. But in my old age (30 😉) I’ve come to prefer soaking up sun and mimosas on its patio instead. Plus, I’ll never say no to their greasy brunch (except the mac n’ cheese pancakes; they’re not made for human stomachs).

. I don’t follow sports, but luckily, Buddy’s is more of a good bar where sports just happen to be playing. The roomy outdoor bar is equipped with TVs, lanterns, and lots of seating — perfect for a lazy afternoon.

More DC Neighborhood Guides

11th Street in Columbia Heights is one of my favorite hangout spot in the District. You can garden, snack on crispy pig ears, and grab frozen margs — all within a few blocks.

Get to Know 11th Street NW in Columbia Heights

Everything to know about DC neighborhoods: Where to go, eat, shop, drink, and more.

DC Neighborhood Guides

Neighborhood Guides

Remember the days before Elon Musk's DOGE, when the major discussion in D.C. was his fantastical hyperloop? No? Hardly surprising as it’s considered one of the biggest transport flops in D.C. history. We talked with 

What’s the Hyperloop and Why Did DC Want It?

The hyperloop concept dates back to 2013, when Elon Musk and a team of SpaceX engineers proposed what they called the "fifth mode of transportation" — a vacuum-sealed tunnel between D.C. and Baltimore, eventually adding Philadelphia and New York — that would eliminate drag and propel passengers in pods at roughly 700 miles per hour.

In 2017, Musk suddenly took to Twitter to announce he had "verbal government approval" to build a hyperloop connecting D.C. and New York, a trip that would take 29 minutes. He claimed it would be 100% privately funded and would be done in two years.

 what he was talking about. Reporters reached out to state agencies, governors' offices, and mayors' offices along the proposed route — and found…nothing. “Eventually you actually get this trail of breadcrumbs that leads back to none other than real estate heir Jared Kushner, who seems to be the driving force behind this project,” 

It quickly became clear that The Boring Company — Musk's Hyperloop venture — struggled to answer even fundamental questions when meeting with transit officials. Had they accounted for D.C.'s notoriously wet, unstable soil? What if it ruptured? What about seismic activity? The answers were consistently no. “ Those [meetings] were described to me as an unmitigated disaster,” 

Additionally, the technology itself was non-existent with prototypes struggling to make it work safely at even 200 mph, nevermind 700 mph. By 2018, the goalposts shifted dramatically. The new vision became essentially 16-person buses in a tunnel. Then 

 became Tesla sedans, which they showed off at a press demo.

By the time a draft environmental assessment was released in 2019, the project — now just called “The Loop” — was essentially an alarmingly unsafe lithium-powered underground shuttle with a daily capacity of less than a single Metro car. Nobody was on board. Eventually, the Boring Company stopped communicating at all, and by 2021 

In short, nothing. The project quietly died in 2021, and Ribel unearthed its history for his 

. “ Nobody wants to revisit this chapter,” 

, “People are embarrassed by this, as they should be.” The proposed Hyperloop terminal in NoMa was sold to a developer for luxury apartments, its web domain was taken over, and it effectively disappeared from the DMV zeitgeist.

In the meantime, the transit improvements that would actually move the needle — light rail, expanded bus service, increased Metro investment — are the unglamorous options that keep getting passed over. For this reason and others, many were 

. But if you close your eyes really hard on the red line, you can almost pretend you’re on a 700 mph hyperloop, right?

Listen To The Full Disaster 

Before Elon Musk's DOGE there was his fantastical hyperloop. But, it went down as one of the biggest transport flops in D.C. history. We talked with Matt Ribel for the full story. 

Inside the Story of Elon Musk’s Failed DC Hyperloop

Ashe Durban

Mosh Madness, D.C.’s premier music festival slash basketball tournament is back for its second iteration this spring. On April 11 in the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church’s gym, the DMV’s best and brightest bands will rock out — while teams, made up of D.C. musicians, showdown in a 3v3 basketball tournament below for the title of 

“The Best Band in the DMV (Who Decided to Sign Up For This Particular Basketball Tournament).”

And D.C.’s music scene is behind Mosh’s out of bounds concert: last year it was a smash hit. This year promises to be even bigger, doubling capacity and pulling sponsorships from 9:30 Club, Chuck Levin’s, and more.

On the surface, the festival breaks age-old jock-artist rivalry stereotypes. But according to organizers — Reid Williams and Ian Donaldson, both of the band 

 — the inspiration for the festival was way more utilitarian.

“We’re working musicians who play basketball a lot during the weekdays. And the only people we know that are also available are other musicians, basically. So we have a whole ‘musicians who ball’ community. And the soundtrack is often just our friends' music,” says Donaldson. 

It wasn’t just a love of music and basketball that spawned Mosh Madness. It was a desire to move past the scenes and social groups segmenting D.C.’s music scene.

“I love the fucking diversity here. But with genre, it’s easy for people to silo themselves,” Williams said. The Mosh Madness lineup this year reflects that diversity. In contrast to last year's festival, which leaned heavily on the city’s indie rock scene, this year features a tasting menu of D.C.’s musical palate. D.C. indie’s finest 

, an award winning Jazz-Go-Go band, rapper-sculptor 

But is it a basketball tournament? Or a music festival?

“It’s performance art, it's a bit campy. I would urge people to come for high quality music, not high quality basketball.” said Donaldson. Williams describes it as an IRL version of those brainrot videos where audio content is paired with subway surfer compilations, for the severely attention-impaired.

In that way, it’s an occasion born from the Gen-Z zeitgeist. But in other ways, it fits neatly into D.C.’s music history. All the proceeds will be donated to the 

, placing Mosh Madness in the long line of D.C.’s benefit festivals dating 

back to the 80s with music collectives like Positive Force

. They’re also not the first Washingtonians to use a basketball tournament as a vessel for change. Metroball famously promoted youth mentorship and community intervention in their annual 

At the heart of it, Williams and Donaldson just want to bring different parts of D.C. together for a good cause. “ I hope that they come away with the more philosophical take of ‘We're not so different you or I, music and basketball, they're all just fun things people like to do.’”

Mosh Madness tips off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 11 at Takoma Park Presbyterian Church. 

 (but add a donation on top!) and moving fast.

 | April 11 | $20 | Takoma Park Presbyterian Church

 (Techno) | April 17 | $9-25 | Transmission

Consumer Culture, XK Scenario, Miracle Blood

 and local underground legend Oddisee on this bright new single from their upcoming collab project “From Takoma With Love” out April 29.

, featuring the Mosh Madness lineup and other picks.

Let's Rock

Mosh Madness, D.C.’s premier music festival slash basketball tournament is back for its second iteration this spring. On April 11 the DMV’s best and brightest bands will rock out — while teams showdown in a 3v3 basketball tournament below.

DC’s Next Big Music Festival Is Also a Basketball Tournament

Mosh Madness: DC’s Next Big Music Festival Is Also a Basketball Tournament

McKenna Harford

Between the new White House ballroom, the proposed Arc de Trump, and whatever’s going to happen to the Kennedy Center, President Trump is trying to reimagine the city in his image.

Paul Goldberger, a longtime architecture critic at the New York Times and New Yorker, wrote a blistering essay about the Trump effect on D.C. — even 

 the Italian Prime Minister Mussolini. And like Mussolini, Trump totally gets the city wrong. Goldberger came on the pod to talk about his essay and the historical parallels he sees.

“[Trump] envisions it as a place of imperial grandeur because he envisions himself more as an emperor than as a democratic president, and he's trying to reshape it to be the seat of an empire,” Goldberger said.

Goldberger said the best cities have a mix of “wonderful accidents and wonderful intention,” both order and chaos, but argues that because Trump’s focus is on himself, his proposed projects will overwhelm the city with little regard for its history or layout.

“ He's missing the importance of history. The idea that the White House is some kind of piece of personal property that he can tinker with during his period of residency…” Goldberger said. “The process we're seeing right now is a joke.”

The most infamous example is Trump’s proposed 90,000 square-foot ballroom (

) at the East Wing of the White House. Goldberger said the building will overshadow the White House in size and block the vista between the president’s residence and the Capitol — a key element in Pierre L’Enfant’s original designs for Washington.

“ The symbolism is pretty bad there,” Goldberger said. “It's completely saying that imperial grandeur — no pun intended — trumps the people's view.”

Even the original White House structure could be tampered with if Trump 

 from the staid ionic style to the more ornate Corinthian style favored by Roman emperors.

 — a 250-foot arch at Memorial Circle — shows the president often “confuses size with quality,” Goldberger said. If built, the Arc de Trump would be the main view from the Lincoln Memorial, blocking the line of sight to Arlington Cemetery.

“I worry it would make even the Lincoln Memorial seem trivial,” Goldberger said.

Trump’s plans are not all set — or built — in stone yet. Delays from the permitting processes and lawsuits aiming to completely prevent construction have slowed progress. But this year will still bring massive changes to D.C.’s architectural landscape.

How Trump is “destroying” DC

Between the East Wing of the White House, the proposed Arc de Trump, and whatever’s going to happen to the Kennedy Center, how will President Trump's projects change the city's look?

Is Trump Destroying DC’s Architecture? 

We attended one of D.C.’s few professional wrestling leagues recently (

!) and it got us wondering what wrestling used to look like in the District.

At the height of the Great Depression in 1935, a small-time D.C. wrestler named 

 what would become the city’s most successful wrestling arena.

Turner was a wrestler and boxing promoter who used to bring events to large D.C. stadiums. When the depression hit, bigger venues were no longer able to host his events, so he looked elsewhere.

He found a rundown garage on 14th & W Streets NW and converted it into an 1,880-seat wrestling ring, which he called Turner’s Arena. Despite a depression-ravaged downtown, the arena was immediately successful.

Its inaugural match between then-world champion Danno O’Mahoney against newcomer Jack Donovon brought in 2,500 people. The arena went on to bring in global wrestling stars like Chief Thunderbird, Swift Eagle, and Lefty Lou. Turner even branched out to host concerts, sports games, and community events.

The arena was one of the few mixed-use facilities in D.C. and was also integrated, which was unusual for public spaces at that time. It later became the home of the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, which became the WWE we know today.

Turner died in 1947, but the arena remained a beloved institution, passing through several hands before it was demolished in 1965. Today, the site of the arena is an apartment building called 14W.

D.C. still has a few professional wrestling leagues, but the venues look a little different. 

We went to one by Fight Club Pro Wrestling

 inside a suburban VFW hall in Cheverly, Maryland. The ring might not have been as grand but the crowd was fervent and the flips went crazy!

At the height of the Great Depression in 1935, a small-time D.C. wrestler named Joe Turner opened what would become the city’s most successful wrestling arena.

The Rise & Fall of DC’s Iconic Wrestling Institution 

People, places, and scenes from DC's past.

DC History

Not to be dramatic, but this might just be the longest winter of our lives. We’re on a mission to get out there and remember why we love living in D.C. again. We think this bingo card will help.

Best Ways to Beat DC’s Winter Blues

Tips and tricks by Washington, D.C., locals, for locals.

Tips and tricks for living your best DC life, by locals, for locals.

DC Life Hacks

Margaret Kingsbury

Gas prices around the nation are soaring because of the U.S. and Israel’s joint attacks on Iran. According to AAA, 

 are $4.2 a gallon on average, up from $3.125 just one month ago. Here are some tips for saving on gas in D.C.

 gives you points for every dollar you spend on groceries to be spent at BP and Amoco stations. They also frequently offer 4x bonus fuel points days. If you’re a frequent Harris Teeter shopper, buy some gift cards on those days to rack up more fuel points. 

 also have fuel savings programs for members, although there aren’t any in D.C. proper. If you tend to go to the same gas station, check whether it has 

 keeping tires properly inflated, and making sure to drive the speed limit. As speeds exceed 50 mph on the highway, aerodynamic drag reduces fuel economy. While limiting air conditioner use helps save on gas, that’s often impossible in D.C. summer. Use a windshield shade to lessen heat buildup inside the car, and remove bulky items — it takes more fuel to accelerate in a heavier car.

🚌 Take Advantage of DC’s First Class Public Transit

If you’re willing to walk a few blocks, 

WMATA will get you most places in the DMV

. Take advantage of your local bus and train stops. Oftentimes, using a bikeshare can be faster than driving especially when you consider trying to find parking (Plus, you’ll get jacked 💪). It’s not always possible, but even just replacing a few car trips can make a big difference.

 is free and tracks gas prices in your area. Enter your address or route, and it will show you the current gas prices at stations along the way. It’s crowdsourced, and you can enter your receipts to earn points toward rewards, including discounts on gas. You can also play games to earn points.

Gas prices around the nation are soaring. Here how to save on gas in D.C.

Hacks To Save Money on Gas in DC

you told us cherry blossoms aren’t worth the crowds

. But what if you could see them without braving the Tidal Basin hordes? Here’s everything you need to know about the time-honored D.C. tradition, including where to get your blossom fix sans tourists.

Why Is DC So Obsessed With Cherry Blossoms Anyway?

Everything you need to know about the D.C. cherry blossoms, including where to see them without fighting the crowds.

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Best Ways to Beat DC’s Winter Blues

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

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