Since 1992, DC residents have been wrapping their boats in lights and sailing them through the Washington Channel.听

Only about five boats were present at the first parade after residents of Gangplank Marina decided to have a contest to see whose boat had the best decorations.听

Now, over 60 boats and hundreds of thousands of people come to The Wharf to start the holiday season every year, according to Patrick Revord of The Wharf Community Association.听

Parents and children gathered on the pier to take pictures with Santa, skate at the ice rink, and vote for their favorite boats.听

Other guests gathered on the main dock while listening to live music from a local band, The Royals.听听

Hannah Sprinkle and Olivia Shoener, who attended the boat festival for the first time this year, had different opinions of the parade from rooftop bars around the area.听

Sprinkle, 22, said, 鈥淲e were talking about how this was the event where I was like, 鈥業鈥檓 not in the Christmas mood yet. I need to be kickstarted into it. It was perfect.鈥�

Sprinkle and Shoener said they enjoyed debating which boat was the best.听

鈥淲e were really intensely judging the boats,鈥� she said. 鈥淟ike, if they weren鈥檛 good we were like, 鈥榃hy are you here?鈥欌��

Jason Kopp, 42, has lived on a houseboat in the marina since 2007. He says the hidden community of houseboats residents is always excited to show off their decorations every year.听

鈥淭he parade has always been something that I’ve been part of one way or another,鈥� Kopp said. 鈥淢y first boat that I owned out here I didn’t take out very often, so I used to host watch parties and bring neighbors down or colleagues or just people that might not otherwise have known about the event down here.鈥澨�

There are currently about 94 residents in the houseboat community. Still,听 at one point, Kopp said there were over 120 residential boats in the area, making it the largest 鈥渓iveaboard鈥� community on the East Coast.

Boaters spend months preparing for the parade and building their displays. Kopp said each boater has their own approach to how they decorate and how much they spend.听

鈥淥ne thing that I try to do to save money is to buy light sets that I can configure in different ways,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 try to just reuse those throughout the year and change what I’m doing with them.鈥澨�

Kopp also said friends can also be a part of your display,听 with crewmates in costumes like he had featured on his mermaid-themed boat this year.听

听鈥淚t鈥檚 different for everyone,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you’re building exhibits from scratch, you need lots of materials and time to build custom things. That’s going to take a lot more time and cost a lot more money.鈥澨�

Kopp said the average boater spends around $500 on lights and decorations every year to participate in the parade.听

However, he says the cost is a small price to pay for his and his neighbors鈥� big impact on their community.听

鈥淚 think it is part of what makes the boating community unique,鈥� Kopp said. 鈥淚t’s fun for us. And then we feel like once we’re done, we’re like, 鈥榦kay, we did our part and now we can go to all the other cool holiday stuff that exists in the city.鈥欌��

Guests could vote for their favorite boat on The Wharf鈥檚 website. Best in Show went to Brian and Tonia Dollinger鈥檚 National Lampoon-inspired boat, while Community Choice went to Daniel Ricks鈥櫶� multicolored boat 鈥楥oexist鈥� boat.听

Bob Rose, who Kopp says is a central figure in the boating community, won first place for his boat that celebrated 30 years of the Christmas Boat Parade.听

Rose鈥檚 boat featured different businesses and cultural aspects that have come and gone throughout the years on the Wharf.听

According to Revord, cash prizes for winners ranged from $100 to $1000.听

The celebration ended with fireworks on District Pier, a mainstay of Wharf events, and a night-long party with live music, karaoke, and holiday fun.

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At approximately 6:21 p.m., the unidentified shooting victim reportedly grabbed the off-duty agent near the 11th and G St. entrances and pushed them against a side wall near the Glenmont platform on the upper Redline.听

Both people fell eight feet down to the Blue, Orange and Silver line platform, where the agent shot and killed the suspect, according to D.C. Executive Assistant Chief Ashan Benedict.听

Metro service was temporarily suspended on the Red line but reopened after clearing the scene. However, Red line service continues to experience delays.

Benedict said the off-duty agent was a veteran special agent assigned to FBI headquarters. The agent is now receiving treatment for minor injuries at a nearby hospital听

Witnesses took to Twitter to describe what they saw, including some people on the train arriving at the Glenmont track.听

@megan_gamble posted that the conductor did not stop at the track once the shots were fired and chose to continue straight to the Gallery Place stop. She said that everyone on the train took cover on the ground as they thought the shots were coming from inside the car.听

I was on the red line train when it pulled into metro center. We heard shots fired and everyone on the train hit the ground and the train didn鈥檛 stop, went on through. Everyone on our car was ok. What happened??

鈥� Megan Gamble (@megan_gamble)

Another person commented that they were almost pushed into the oncoming train as people ran to safety.听

19-year-old Olivia Graban was near the shooting scene when she and a friend were returning from the downtown holiday market.听

She said she didn鈥檛 witness the shooting, but as she approached the station, she saw police around all the exits.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really scary, honestly,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot more police than I鈥檝e ever seen.鈥澨�

In 2020, another off-duty FBI agent, Eduardo Valdivia, shot and killed a man who threatened him on a Metro train headed for Bethesda Medical Center.听

Earlier this month, Valdivia was acquitted of attempted second-degree murder when the jury found the shooting was self-defense.听

As D.C. Police continue investigating the attack at Metro Center, representatives from WMATA say that delays may continue on the Red line throughout the night.

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But a new home for Don and Mera Rubell’s contemporary art collection centers the culture and energy of artists and the city in a repurposed space.听

The Rubells have been collecting contemporary art pieces since 1965, according to Rubell Museum DC director Caitlin Berry, and they already have an existing museum in Miami.听

But in October, the D.C. location opened at Randall Junior High School. Previously known as Cardozo Elementary School, it was a historically Black public school that opened in 1906 and closed in 1982, spending decades as a homeless shelter at the heart of the Southwest community.听

In 2010, the Rubells purchased the building, which was then used as an artists’ studio, to preserve the historic building and house their art collection in partnership with Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Deputy Mayor’s Office for Planning and Development.听

Berry said the Rubells had loved the city since it became the center of the Civil Rights Movement.听

According to Berry, Mera Rubell, one of the founders of the museum and art collection, took a “Freedom Riders” bus with famous singer Harry Belafonte to the March on Washington in 1963 to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak.听

“I think it became very evident then,” Berry said, “that there were these dialogues taking place here in the nexus of political power that was not necessarily happening in this way anywhere else in the country.”听

She said that the Rubells were inspired by the epicenter of cultural changes and the rich history of the community in D.C., which is front and center in their inaugural exhibit “What’s Going On?”听

The exhibit is named after the 1971 hit song from Motown singer and D.C. native Marvin Gaye, who graduated from Randall Junior High in 1954.听

Fifty artists worldwide contributed to the exhibit, but the spotlight belongs to Keith Haring’s 20 pieces titled “Against All Odds.”听

Berry said the paintings in the Haring collection were made in memory of Steve Rubell, Don Rubell’s brother and co-owner of the famous New York City nightclub Studio 54, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1989, the same year that Haring created his works.

听Haring died a year later, in 1990, of the same illness.听

When walking into the exhibit, Gaye’s song “What’s Going On” plays in the background. Haring’s notes about his art as he made it are on display, which comment on various social issues artists and creatives were fighting for at the time, as well as the song’s inspiration on his piece.听

On October 3, 1989, Haring wrote, “Sometimes music is a ‘background’ for drawing, but sometimes it becomes an essential part of the creation of the work.”听

“He’s contemplating the future of our planet, and he said the dismal task of trying to save it against all odds,” Berry said. “He’s thinking about climate change and racial justice and all of these critical topical issues that we’re still grappling with today. And so that work really serves as the fulcrum around which the rest of the exhibition moves.”

For Berry, her favorite part of the new museum is their second exhibit by local artist and Howard University alumna Sylvia Snowden.听

Snowden’s art is well known for themes of motherhood and the lives of her Northwest DC neighbors in Shaw.听

In 2000, her collection of works about the murder of her son in 1993 was displayed in the Corcoran Gallery of Art at George Washington University.听

However, the current Sylvia Snowden exhibit shows a different side of motherhood by depicting Snowden’s relationship with her daughter.听

Berry said she could relate to the themes of these works since she is currently pregnant with her first child.听

It defies logic, the sort of emotional connections one can form with art,” she said. “And I think that that was really the entire goal behind the opening of this museum: Every kind of person is represented in D.C. To give those folks an opportunity to form emotional connections with contemporary art is everything to the Rubells and to me.”听

While the Rubell Museum has some fierce competition from other existing museums, Berry said they are the only ones currently focused solely on contemporary art.听

Rob Berger, 58, is a self-proclaimed “museum addict.” He said he moved to D.C. for the abundance of museums and appreciated the use of the old school as a “canvas” for the art.听

“The museums here are world-class,” he said. “I’m from the Midwest, and we have great museums there but not as many unbelievable masterpieces lined up.”听

Berry said the Southwest community, including some former Randall alumni, has come to visit the new space.听

Adriana Diaz, 22, grew up in D.C. but recently moved to Harrisburg, Penn., with her boyfriend, Mark Ray.听

They said they’ve gone to many museums together but instantly became “big fans” of the Rubell because of the diversity represented in the art.听

“I think it’s cool because it seems that there’s a lot of Black artists and you don’t see that in a lot of museums, so that’s one of the coolest things that I’ve noticed,” said Ray.听

Diaz said her favorite part of the Rubell is the unique array of pieces and the inclusion of different mediums.听

“I think the art here is very abstract compared to a ‘normal museum,'” she said. “I think it fits a lot of sculpture and paintings and photographs, not just so much focused on a specific theme.”听

Installation pieces, sculpture and canvas are all represented in the Rubell DC.听

The Rubell family is known for investing in new artists, which they have done since the small beginnings of their art collection.听

Berry said she hoped the museum could showcase new talent in the space for years to come.听

“What’s Going On?” and “Sylvia Snowden” will be available for viewing long term into the new year.

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One issue that is bringing many voters to the polls is the future of abortion rights in the city.听

Abortion access was not directly on the ballot for D.C. voters today, as it was for many voters across the country. However, abortion access is at risk following the Supreme Court鈥檚 decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women鈥檚 Health Organization in June.

D.C. is in a unique place when it comes to federal versus state laws. Without statehood, the city鈥檚 laws are controlled by Congress.听

So when the Supreme Court decided to give power back to the states to decide abortion laws and access with the Dobbs decision, D.C.鈥檚 existing laws became a congressional decision.听

Many D.C residents are dismayed and disappointed about the decision to overturn the 1973 landmark case Roe. V Wade which officially legalized abortions and argued that women have a right to privacy regarding medical decisions.听

Diane Levy, 59, said she was speechless after the decision was announced this summer.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 unbelievable to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 even know what to say. And the thing is, I don鈥檛 believe that all the political leaders who have been pushing for that, I don鈥檛 even think they all believe it should have been overturned. I think it鈥檚 just being used as a political tool.鈥�

She said she is not only concerned about the future of abortion rights, but for other important laws D.C. upholds.听

Levy said, 鈥淎nything here is at risk because we鈥檙e not a state. Because ultimately, we don鈥檛 have complete control. Especially if today doesn鈥檛 turn out well, all sorts of things could be at risk here in D.C.鈥澨�

However, some residents still feel confident in the city鈥檚 ability to preserve the right to an abortion.听

Brian Anderson, 57, said he sometimes feels helpless as a D.C. resident in affecting national policies like abortion and the economy.听

He was 鈥渄evastated鈥� by the court鈥檚 decision, but he鈥檚 not too concerned yet about how it will affect residents in the city.听

鈥淚 think that鈥檚 a legal issue that will take a long time to work through,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淎nd I hope by that time we can self-correct and fix what happened by the time it affects us here.鈥�

Kyle Smith, 32, said he is hopeful that abortion rights will remain law in the city.听

鈥淯nfortunately, D.C. is not in a position where we can do anything at the federal level, of course, but I鈥檓 confident with the elected representatives that we have now,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l do everything they can for women who may be in need to live the life they did before the Dobbs decision.鈥�

However, some residents like 36-year-old Leslie Akinola are conflicted on their feelings about the decision.听

鈥淚 agree with both sides,鈥� Akinola said. 鈥淚 agree that you should not be able to get one and I agree that you should be able to get one.鈥澨�

Her dilemma, like many other Americans, is the circumstance in which pregnancy is forced, rather than chosen.听

鈥淚n cases that are forced, you know, maybe rape or something, then yes, I can see. But besides that, I can鈥檛 really get with the program.鈥�

She said that she believes in less severe cases, people should be able to deal with the consequences of their actions.听

Before the Dobbs decision was released in June, reporters at Politico leaked a draft decision that put many Americans on edge.听

In May, Mayor Muriel Bowser pledged that she would do everything she could to preserve abortion rights in D.C.听

But she and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton D-D.C., who are both up for re-election this year, urged Congress to help by codifying abortion rights into law.听

Rep. Norton said the Republicans in Congress would most likely try to use the decision as a way to ban abortion in D.C.听

听鈥淭his decision, if this is the decision, poses a unique risk to the District of Columbia,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t poses a risk to women across the country. But when it comes to the District we are at special peril.鈥�

In a predominately Democratic city, the future of abortion access may not be immediately decided in D.C. this election.听

But the possibility of a Republican majority House or Senate may bring the city one step closer to losing those rights.

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On Thursday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the Southwest waterfront will become the first Mobility Innovation District, an area dedicated to equitable access to transportation.

Mayor Bowser, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Development and the Southwest Business Innovation District are working to transform how residents get around the city.听

Along with new developments bridging The Wharf and Buzzard鈥檚 Point near the Jefferson Memorial, a new all-electric bus system will connect the area with the National Mall.听

At her announcement, Mayor Bowser said, 鈥淭hrough the activation of our beautiful waterfront, we have brought more jobs, opportunities, retail, restaurants, and entertainment to Southwest DC. In turn, that means more people coming to and through the community.鈥澨�

Southwest BID received a $3 million grant from DMPED to fund the new Circuit transit system and support a call for innovation that seeks to invite tech innovators to create new solutions for sustainable and equitable transportation throughout the capital.听

was the first winner of the calls for innovation and the buses are expected to start running early next year.听

The company runs all-electric shuttles in major cities across the country like San Diego and Palm Beach.

DMPED said the bus route will run northbound on Independence Avenue and southbound on Q Street SW, with service to 15th Street SW and South Capitol Street from east to west.听

Lexie Albe is the managing director of the Southwest BID. She said that Southwest is in a unique position to solve transportation issues as new job and recreational opportunities come to the Capital Waterfront.

To Albe, equitable access to mobility means that all residents can enjoy everything the area has to offer, regardless of status or ability.听

鈥淵ou have one of the largest concentrations of public housing in the entire city, here in Southwest,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd so there are folks with different types of needs down here and accessibility challenges, both for economic accessibility of jobs, accessing health care, accessing grocery stores, and you know, fresh fruits and vegetables, things like that.鈥�

D.C. was ranked the fourth most walkable city in a 2018 study from the George Washington University School of Business, but residents still struggle with slow Metro rail and bus commutes.听

Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio said that one in four adults across the country do not have access to reliable transportation.听

鈥�The solutions we uncover will help create a more equitable city and create models that can be replicated nationally, so every Washingtonian and American can access opportunities and make the most of their fair shot,鈥� he said in a press release on Thursday.

The multi-year project also seeks to create a new payment method for D.C. public transit through a .听

Albe said that rather than having several apps for buses and trains, the mobility wallet will let D.C. residents access all forms of public transportation through one app or one card.听

The MID hopes to bring more and charging stations to the neighborhood through their calls for innovation and change the way people experience the capital city.听

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Tens of thousands of people came to The Wharf to look at the nearly completed phase 2 with excitement and celebration.听

After 10 years of construction, it鈥檚 almost done.听

The Wharf Community Association hosted a fifth anniversary celebration of completion of its phase one construction on Oct. 12,听 which revitalized the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood into a bustling city center.听

The Wharf is anticipating the completion of phase two of construction by the end of 2022.听

The Wharf鈥檚 website states that 1.15 million sq. ft. of mixed-use space is almost complete at the east side of the development, towards Buzzards Point.听

Patrick Revord works with The Wharf Community Association. He said the $3.6 billion completed project is estimated to generate over $90 million in annual tax revenue for D.C.听

鈥淭he Wharf is, I’m sure, going to be regarded as one of the great waterfronts and urban developments in the world,鈥� he said. 鈥淎lready, people study and travel to this area and it’s just a tremendous honor to be part of the team that brought this to life.鈥澨�

Construction workers have been pushing to get new restaurants like Gordon Ramsey鈥檚 Hell鈥檚 Kitchen and Bartaco built on schedule for the end of the year.听

Other restaurants and stores scheduled to open are a new Matchbox pizza location and a Kilwins Chocolates and Ice Cream.

Shannon Batson, 31, has been a sales associate at Diament Jewelry, one of the few retail stores in the area, for three months.听

She said she thinks the new construction will help attract customers to her store.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 gonna definitely help. Because whenever there鈥檚 events, it makes all the businesses thrive a little bit more that day,鈥� Batson said.听

Batson鈥檚 favorite part of working at The Wharf is meeting new people who may come in from out of town.听

She said Diament gets 鈥渢he best customers who are always excited to visit.鈥澨�

Along with 20 exciting new businesses, The Wharf鈥檚 phase 2 will introduce over 250 apartments, a fourth hotel, and 547,000 sq. ft. of office space.听

Even The Atlantic magazine will be a new Southwest neighbor. The company hosted its Atlantic Festival in September and announced it would move its headquarters to The Wharf in the coming months.听

Tamika Jacobs, 47, is the manager at Praline Bakery, which has been at The Wharf since 2019.听

A Starbucks opened next to the store last month, which created some tension for the bakery.听

But despite feeling nervous about losing customers to competing restaurants, Jacobs said she feels the development will be positive for her business and will help bring new jobs to the district.听

鈥淪ometimes when things are new, people kind of tend to gravitate towards them,鈥� Jacobs said. 鈥淏ut at the end of the day, things will balance out.鈥澨�

After years of notoriety as one of the only active fish markets in the United States, Hoffman-Madison Waterfront began a $2 billion project to transform the waterfront into the hottest district destination.听

In 2017, it was the biggest private development project in the city鈥檚 history.听

Phase 1 construction introduced a revamped marina for boaters, three hotels, and a mile stretch of restaurants and new condominiums.听

Concert venues like Union Stage and The Anthem have hosted iconic musicians like Lil Nas X, Blondie and Lorde, making The Wharf a music lover鈥檚 dream destination.听

Revord said he is proud of his community and the work that has been done to improve it.听

鈥淎s a resident of Southwest and Ward 6 I鈥檓 really looking forward to all the new businesses that are coming,鈥� Revord said. 鈥淭here’s gonna be something for everyone.鈥�

His favorite part of the new construction is the introduction of 17 acres of new public parks, which will change the way D.C residents access the waterfront.听

The Wharf welcomed 7 million visitors last year and anticipates even higher rates of tourism after the new locations are fully operational.听

*CORRECTION. A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the development would include a D.C. branch of celebrity chef Jose Andres鈥� World Central Kitchen.听

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Events DC is in charge of the renewed development of the area. They own many of the district鈥檚 prominent event spaces like the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Nationals Park.听

The demolition of RFK Stadium was initially scheduled for 2019, but according to Events DC, it was postponed first because of the COVID-19 pandemic and then because of a lack of funding to hire proper contractors for the job.

However, when contacted by 最新蜜桃影像, a spokesperson declined to provide a clear timeline for demolition. The spokesperson said 鈥淓vents DC is not the owner of the stadium or the land it sits on. This is a DC Council issue.鈥�

To tourists and residents alike, it continues to be an unpleasant eyesore in the Southeast. Some say they would prefer it gone, but others say they don鈥檛 mind the landmark, as long as it doesn鈥檛 cause them any harm.听

Deja Williams, 22, is from Hagerstown, Maryland and visits the district to spend time with her boyfriend. She says she doesn鈥檛 love the view and she worries about the threats the aging stadium poses to the area鈥檚 residents.听

听鈥淚 don鈥檛 really care for it too much. I think that they’re probably gonna eventually pull it down because if they don鈥檛 it鈥檚 gonna end up falling apart anyways and create a hazard,鈥� she said.听

However, her biggest issue with the surviving stadium is that it takes away from the beauty of the new parks built in 2019.听

The Fields at RFK are just the first part in Events DC鈥檚 five-part plan to rehabilitate the surrounding area. The park includes three turf fields for sports like soccer, baseball and kickball, a pavilion for public events and a playground.

On any given day, anyone can hear children playing and dogs strolling听through the brand-new Fields park.听

But there鈥檚 a stark contrast just across the street with unsavory views of weeds growing in abandoned parking lots and paint chipping in the distance.听

The asbestos-riddled behemoth of unused metal that represents a former vibrant D.C. casts a shadow over new development, preventing a neighborhood stuck in the past from moving forward.听

Nick Sanchez, 45, moved to the Southeast area six years ago. He said he wishes they would build a new stadium so he could see the Commanders play so close to home, but he also likes how the Fields have transformed the neighborhood.听

鈥淭his has been great here. The Fields are in use every day. The playground is always busy, there鈥檚 always people working out and there鈥檚 games,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really livened up the area here so I really dig the Fields.鈥澨�

But residents are conflicted about what should replace the old home of Washington football. Some like Williams say they want to see stores and restaurants to replace a distinct lack of businesses in the mostly residential neighborhood, but others like Sanchez say they would like to see football return to the district.听

In March, Mayor Muriel Bowser said part of the area would be turned into an indoor recreational facility according to , but she wants to leave options open for a potential new stadium.听

The issue of land ownership is another hurdle Events DC faces in the demolition process. A representative from the organization said that technically, the federal government owns the land that houses the structure. Events DC is only in charge of the demolition.听

Mayor Bowser and Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton to give the DC Council ownership of the 190 acres so they can get work done faster, but the process involves legislation that has not yet passed. Efforts to line up interviews with Rep. Norton didn’t come to fruition before publishing this article.听

Currently, the District pays $3.5 million in maintenance costs every year to keep the 60-year-old stadium standing, but the home of feral raccoons and cats will soon be a distant memory.听

Earlier this year, two fires broke out in the stadium鈥檚 basement level, caused by flammable 鈥渢rash,鈥� according to D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services.听

After news of the fire, Events D.C. said preliminary removal of hazardous materials has begun. They posted a saying demolition of major structural components will be completed by the end of 2023.鈥澨�

The stadium will not have a controlled implosion, according to the Demolition Services Agreement obtained by . Instead, Smoot Construction has begun slowly removing hazardous materials like asbestos, which they expect will be finished in the coming months.听

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