Chubby Lee Washington relies on a walker to get around Washington D.C. ever since breaking his neck in an accident several years ago.

The District of Columbia is not easy to navigate for people like Washington, who are constantly forced to maneuver around cracked and broken sidewalks neglected by the D.C. government.聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 everywhere you go in some parts of D.C. The streets are like that,鈥� Washington said. 鈥淎nd we really have to get where we can have these spots fixed. It鈥檚 not safe.鈥�

It takes Washington a tremendous amount of time and effort to walk down the street in his neighborhood of Dupont Circle. He can often be found on his daily walks stopping to chat with neighbors. However, Washington has lost his balance and fallen over broken sidewalks throughout the District, and each fall has reminded him to stay cautious.

鈥淭he sidewalks need to be fixed,鈥� Washington said. 鈥淏ecause you never know when you鈥檙e going to be on them and walking around and missing your steps. They鈥檙e all cracked and broken. It doesn鈥檛 look good.鈥�

From the southeast quadrant to the northwest quadrant, cracked and broken sidewalks can be found in every neighborhood throughout Washington D.C. Some sidewalk cracks are small enough that one might not see their potential danger until it鈥檚 too late. While others are more obvious, such as giant tree roots protruding from sidewalks, resulting in a messy mound of brick.

Through an open records request with the Freedom of Information Act, 最新蜜桃影像 discovered that the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) received nearly 8,000 requests for sidewalk repairs over the last year and a half.

Last聽 year, DDOT completed 45 miles worth of sidewalk repairs; but so far this year, they have fallen behind and only repaired 31 miles. With a few weeks remaining in 2021, it seems unlikely that DDOT will meet its 2020 standard.

Logan Circle resident Brian Romanowski is a member of the Neighborhood Advisory Commission, a group of locally elected officials who work with the city to address residential concerns. Romanowski has been passionate about infrastructure issues since falling and breaking his arm while driving his bike into a pothole in the Petworth neighborhood.

鈥淎fter that, I would notice every little pothole and sidewalk issue,鈥� Romanowski said.聽

In June, Romanowski participated in a Sidewalk Palooza event where he and other Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners gathered their residents to call attention to the broken sidewalks in their wards. The residents used chalk to draw designs around broken sidewalks while they called 311 to make repair requests with DDOT.

Romanowski said many of the requests made at the event were never addressed.

鈥淭hey do respond, but it really varies, and generally, you just get a service request number and you鈥檙e told to wait,鈥� Romanowski said.聽

According to the DDOT, the city has up to ten days to investigate a sidewalk complaint, and 270 days to complete a sidewalk repair. But not all sidewalks are repaired within that time frame, if they are repaired at all.

聽Romanowski said he waited over three years for DDOT聽 to finally address a sidewalk repair request he made for a dangerous sidewalk on 15th Street NW.聽

鈥淣ow it鈥檚 great, but it took over three years to get that one section of sidewalk fixed. Which is why I try to enter any sidewalks that I notice are having issues into their system, immediately,鈥� Romanowski said.

Sometimes Romanowski will take matters into his own hands while he waits for DDOT to make its repairs. There is a large hole in a brick sidewalk along Riggs Street NW that someone could easily fit their entire foot in. Romanowski has since placed a construction cone over the hole to warn pedestrians of its danger.

鈥淵ou know, you鈥檇 think if it was a hole, they鈥檇 come out and put a plate over it, or do something to secure that section of the sidewalk,鈥� Romanowski said. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 even usually see that.鈥�

But while cracked and broken sidewalks are a nuisance to all D.C. residents, they are particularly troublesome for the mobility impaired.

Ian Watlington is a Disability Rights Advocate who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair.聽

He said there had been times when a sidewalk was so mangled that he was forced to venture into street traffic to avoid it.聽

鈥淚 am especially fearful of going into the street and using that as an option,鈥� Watlington said. 鈥淚鈥檝e done that a couple of times, but I avoid it at all costs.鈥�

Watlington switches between a manual wheelchair and an electric wheelchair. Still,聽 the manual option poses its own concerns because sometimes he will not have the physical strength to propel himself over extreme cases of broken sidewalks.聽

For Watlington, action from DDOT is lethargic, if anything at all. He wants to know why the city is capable of adding bike lanes and extending outdoor patios but is unable to make the sidewalks passable.聽

鈥淚n comparison to the disability population as a whole, the wheelchair users are a large chunk of it, and we are tax-paying citizens. We consume goods, we pay taxes, and to not take our safety as a priority is a significant problem,鈥� Watlington said.

For D.C. residents concerned about sidewalks in their neighborhood, there are three options for filing a repair request: call 311, enter a request through the DDOT , or post a request on Twitter.

However, with nearly 8,000 requests for repairs coming in, a 270d day wait period for repairs and data showing slower fixes this year, those kinds of figures aren鈥檛 a great sign for getting anything done soon.

The post D.C. falls behind in sidewalk repairs, frustrating residents first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Georgetown resident Paris Keena said she鈥檚 terrified by the noise outside her home that sits kitty-corner from George鈥檚.聽

George鈥檚 is the only late-night restaurant in Georgetown and is open until 4 a.m. on the weekends and 3 a.m. during the week. Keena said the noisy guests, endless traffic and litter should not be allowed to disrupt her life.聽

鈥淚鈥檓 afraid to leave my home at night, and I don鈥檛 get much sleep,鈥� Keena said. 鈥淚 started calling the police non-emergency number on a regular basis.鈥澛犅�

Keena is one of several residents who claim that George鈥檚 late-night customers are often drunk, relentlessly raucous and have littered their block with trash. However, George鈥檚 does not have a liquor license, so any customers who come to the restaurant inebriated have done so on their own accord.聽

鈥淚 have a right to a peaceful environment on my block, but because it鈥檚 mixed-use, and George鈥檚 is open all night, I do not,鈥� Keena said.聽

In October, a occurred outside George鈥檚 between two armed robbers and an undercover police officer. The incident rattled residents and did not help George鈥檚 already wavering reputation, even though the criminals held no association with the restaurant.

John Wiebenson, the operations manager for the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID), which works as a liaison between businesses and local communities, said the BID is considering hiring an overtime police officer to patrol the area in light of the recent shooting, despite George鈥檚 having hired private security.

鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a lot of benefit to hiring an overtime police officer versus private security because the rules and the roles a police officer can play versus private security are very different,鈥� Wiebenson said.

Executive Assistant Chief Ashan Benedict provides an update to an off-duty MPD officer involved shooting that occurred 10/20/21 in the 1200 block of 28th St NW.

鈥� DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept)

Earlier this month, a group of locally elected representatives in Georgetown, otherwise known as the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC), held a meeting to address the resident鈥檚 concerns. The ANC proposed a resolution to the District Department of Consumer Affairs asking that they enforce reduced hours of operation at George鈥檚 until 鈥渜uality of life鈥� was restored to the residents of 28th Street NW.

The resolution came as a surprise to leadership at George鈥檚, who felt that they had done everything to placate their neighbor鈥檚 concerns: They hired private security, placed no-littering signs outside the restaurant and asked their staff to circle the block at the end of their shifts to ensure neighborhood cleanliness. George鈥檚 even allowed their outdoor streatry to be taken away at the ANC鈥檚 request to help alleviate traffic congestion and gathering crowds.

Healthier Albarazi, the marketing manager for George鈥檚, said they tried to meet the resident’s demands with solutions.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 understand the persistent noise complaints,鈥� Albarazi said. 鈥淚f聽 our security guard heard people being loud around the block, he would go figure out what that was and address it.鈥�

Noise and littering complaints from residents started rolling in around June. That鈥檚 when George鈥檚 placed signs throughout the neighborhood reminding guests to remain quiet and throw away their trash.

Two years ago, George鈥檚 fought the city to have their own trash receptacles stationed outside the restaurant to help their guests keep the neighborhood clean. But just last week, the Department of Health arrived and told them that the receptacles were no longer allowed.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got to be realistic here and assume it鈥檚 not a coincidence that the Department聽 of聽 Health showed up last week and asked us to remove them,鈥� Albarazi said.聽

Albarazi said the shooting in October frightened everyone, but she does not see how anyone could equate George鈥檚 business hours with luring crime to the neighborhood.

鈥淲e really understood the need at that moment to address this and put our customers and our neighbors at ease and hire security,鈥� Albarazi said. 鈥淪o there鈥檚 something that鈥檚 really important to us and that we鈥檝e happily done.鈥�

But Albarazi is concerned that the ANC鈥檚 resolution could result in a change of operational hours at George鈥檚 and dramatically affect the many communities which they serve.

According to Albarazi, George鈥檚 late-night hours cater to various groups of DC residents, such as front-line workers, who often look for a warm meal at the end of their evening shifts. The restaurant is also entirely halal, which is especially helpful during Ramadan when Muslim people are fasting throughout the day.聽

鈥淚n the Arab community, we鈥檙e really known as the meeting place,鈥� Albarazi said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 how we see ourselves in the community. We bring people together.鈥�

If George鈥檚 hours of operation are forced to change, Albarazi fears it will be the end of a 40-year halal tradition.聽

鈥淲e care about our neighbors, don鈥檛 get me wrong. We absolutely want things to be livable for them in their neighborhood, but we are serving a community that truly needs us,鈥� Albarazi said.

Despite doing everything to meet the demands of residents and the ANC, Albarazi said she feels their efforts have not been recognized.

鈥淪ometimes it feels like no matter what we do, this will never go away. And then I start thinking, what is this really about?鈥� Albarazi said.

George鈥檚 King of Falafel and Cheesesteak has since retained a lawyer in an attempt to arrive at a resolution of their own.

鈥淎t least we鈥檒l have a seat at the table now,鈥� Albarazi said. 鈥淥therwise, I don鈥檛 think we would have ever gotten that.鈥�

The post An iconic late-night restaurant in Georgetown faces pressure to close early amid mounting neighborhood mischief and crime first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

鈥淲e thought our house was going to go on fire and we had to get out,鈥� Elliott said.

Elliott had been in his living room shortly after 1 p.m. on Friday when he noticed smoke emanating through the walls of his house. He quickly dialed 911 and then ran outside into the cold November air. When he looked up, he was startled to find smoke pluming out of his neighbor鈥檚 windows and roof.聽

The fire broke out at 2016 First Street NW in the Bloomingdale neighborhood and quickly spread throughout the structure. The house is just one of many in a row of dwellings that line the street. However, due to a prompt response from the fire department, the fire did not spread to the other houses within the row.

鈥淲e had a lot of smoke,鈥� said Elliott. 鈥淏ut we don鈥檛 know what the damage is yet, so we鈥檙e going to wait and see.鈥�

The entire 2000 block of First Street NW was closed to traffic as droves of firefighters swarmed the area and numerous fire and EMS trucks flanked the street.

DC Fire and EMS Public Information Officer Vito Maggiolo was proud of the department’s quick response. He said the department received a phone call at 1:19 p.m for a report of a structure fire. Smoke was billowing out of the building when the department first arrived. A team of firefighters attached hoses to hydrants and extended ladders to the building鈥檚 second and third floors. A department lift carried a firefighter to the roof.聽 Windows were smashed on the third floor to accommodate the hoses as firefighters worked swiftly to extinguish the fire within.

鈥淲e found fire in the walls between the second and third floors, so we engaged in what we call an interior attack, where we go inside and attack the fire from the inside, opening the walls and ceilings, exposing and extinguishing the hidden fire,鈥� Maggiolo said.聽

The department successfully executed a working fire dispatch, which included 12 pieces of equipment and 60 firefighters.

No injuries occurred as a result of the fire, but six adults have been displaced. Maggiolo said the displaced persons are being assisted by the American Red Cross and the District of Coliumbia Department of Homeland Security.聽

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but Maggiolo said a thorough investigation is currently underway.聽

Update Working Fire 2000 block 1st NW. located fire in walls 2nd & 3rd floor 3 story occupied row house. All visible fire extinguished. Opening up & checking for hotspots. No injuries reported.

鈥� DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems)

Just down the street, Bloomingdale resident Daniel Donavan was pacing in front of his apartment building located on First and U Street NW. He hoped to get into his car and leave, but the barricade of fire trucks blocked him in.

鈥淚 just have no idea why they need this many trucks,鈥� Donovan said. 鈥淢y car is like, right there, and there鈥檚 no shot I can move it even an inch.鈥�

Donovan was preparing to leave his first-floor apartment when he noticed the massive number of fire trucks driving down the street.聽

鈥淚 had the door open actually, just trying to get fresh air and saw the lights. I didn鈥檛 think much of it, but then I did smell a hint of smoke and that鈥檚 when I came out and all the trucks were here,鈥澛� Donovan said.

Donovan said the neighborhood had seen its fair share of ambulance activity in the past, but he has never seen this level of fire and EMS response before. He was pleased to learn that none of his neighbors had been injured as a result of the fire.聽

The post Bloomingdale house fire leaves six displaced first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

For the Afghans who made it to the United States, a long journey of resettlement and integration lies ahead.

The Afghan Resettlement Report looks at the journey of evacuees fleeing Taliban rule in Afghanistan, how they are navigating the U.S. government resettlement system, and how they are being welcomed by nonprofits and local communities.

This podcast was reported and produced by the graduate broadcast journalism students of American University鈥檚 School of Communication.

Thank you to the local experts who shared their time and knowledge with the reporters of this podcast:

Mark Greenberg, Senior Fellow at Migration Policy Institute
Hannah Tyler, Research Analyst at Bipartisan Policy Center
Monika Evstatieva, Senior Producer of Investigations at NPR
Glenn Luther, Former Photography Instructor in Afghanistan
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, (D-VA) (Statements from House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on 9/13/21)
Noah Klose, Community Outreach Manager at Homes Not Borders
Billy Coleburn, Mayor of Blackstone Virginia
Lea Ruscio, Field Operations Lead for Team Rubicon
Kenneth Speicher, Parishioner at United Methodist Church
Timothy Young, Press Secretary for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Huneressa Fariad, translator from the All Dulles Area Muslim Society
Taliha Masroor and the rest of her family, owners of Bistro Aracosia

Supervising Faculty: , SOC Professor聽

The post The Afghan Resettlement Report first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

In an posted to their website, the school praises the fundraising efforts of Chappelle over the years, stating Chappelle has 鈥減ersonally donated or raised millions of dollars to address the school鈥檚 chronic under-funding.鈥�

The school was set to rename its 800-seat theater in Chappelle鈥檚 name later this month. However, they have decided to push-back the ceremony until April 22, 2022, stating scheduling conflicts from Chappelle.

In regards to 鈥淭he Closer,鈥� Chappelle鈥檚 Netflix special that garnered national attention due its controversial contents, the school states they are 鈥渓eaning into this moment as a community.鈥�

Throughout 鈥淭he Closer,鈥� Chappelle verbally lambasts members of the LGBTQ+ community for almost an hour, which is a community widely represented in the student body of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.聽

The school claims to have engaged in 鈥渓istening sessions鈥� with the students and has allowed space for 鈥渄iverse viewpoints.鈥� The school states it will use Chappelle鈥檚 latest works as an impetus to expand its Social Studies curriculum to include political activism, civic engagement, arts activism, and the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality.

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts prides itself on being a diverse and inclusive educational center for young artists throughout the District of Columbia.聽

鈥淥ur objective is to uplift conversations around artistic freedom and artistic responsibility,鈥� the statement reads.

Earlier this week, 最新蜜桃影像 published a report about the administration鈥檚 mishandling of the controversy. Several parents at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, whose names were withheld from the report to protect their families, expressed concerns over the special鈥檚 contents and how it has affected their children.聽

One of the parents in that report has read the school鈥檚 statement and feels that it is not enough.

鈥淚 find the preemptive framing of the issues problematic. The students are better allies for each other across gender and racial identity lines than the adults who are hardening those divisions,鈥� said the parent.

Whether Chappelle himself will engage with the students he champions has yet to be determined.

The post Duke Ellington School of the Arts breaks silence amid national controversy first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

Chappelle premiered the comedy special in his hometown of Washginton, D.C. as a fundraising event for the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, where big donors contributed to the , a charitable arm of the school that makes up for funding not provided by the D.C. Public School System. It was also announced at the event that the school would later honor Chappelle by renaming its historic theater in his name. However, all this took place before the special hit Netflix and reached a wider audience. Since then, a nationwide debate has risen over the special鈥檚 contents.聽

Throughout more than half of the 70-minute special, Chappelle wielded joke after joke at the expense of the LGBTQ+ community, which is a community widely represented in the student body of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

He joked about being transphobic and argued that White LGBTQ+ people have over-sensitized the community. Chappelle yearned for a time when 鈥淪tonewall gays” dominated the community, but what he failed to understand is that a was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall Riots of 1969.

最新蜜桃影像 spoke with several parents of Duke Ellington students about the controversy and how it has affected their children. This publication agreed to withhold the parents’ names to protect the privacy of their families.

One mother of a bisexual student said her son returned home from school one day and told her that he and his friends had discussed Dave Chappelle over their lunch break, where one of his friends was visibly upset about Chappelle’s relentless jokes.

鈥淢y priority was making sure that my son was okay and his feelings were okay,鈥� the parent told 最新蜜桃影像.聽

She said despite the students being “very fluid” about gender issues, the school administration made no effort to contact parents or offer guidance to students amid the controversy surrounding Chappelle, leaving her alone to navigate a delicate conversation with her son.

Chappelle has championed the students of Duke Ellington School of the Arts since early in his lauded career through financial support, routine visits and even donating his 2017 to the school. Chappelle got his start in comedy after graduating from the school in 1991. The students remained starstruck by Chappelle鈥檚 celebrity and generosity over the years. However, his obsession with making fun of the LGBTQ+ community has altered Chappelle鈥檚 image in the eyes of some students and parents alike.

鈥淓veryone deserves respect,鈥� the parent with a son at the school said. 鈥淎nd if you don鈥檛 like someone because of their sexuality, everything doesn鈥檛 need to be said. Keep it to yourself.鈥�

And yet, despite being disappointed by Chappelle鈥檚 brand of comedy and the school鈥檚 inability to communicate with students and parents, she said the school should not reject Chappelle鈥檚 fundraising efforts.

In 2017, the school completed a three-year that went $100 million over budget. The renovation resulted in new performance spaces, including an 800-seat theater and smaller black box theater, as well as dance studios, art studios and vocal labs.聽

鈥淭his money is used for the betterment of the school so these kids can have what they need to grow. Even though this is a public school, they get limited money from D.C., and everything else has to be raised,鈥� the parent said.

Another mother of a recent graduate said the school is reliant on the Ellington Fund.

鈥淚t would be hurting the students to turn that money away, in a way that they may not realize right now,鈥� she said.

But she also could not deny the toll that the controversy has taken on the students.

鈥淗e was a real hero at the school, and now he鈥檚 a pariah,鈥� she said of Chappelle.

The parent told 最新蜜桃影像 that the student population is 鈥渟o openly out on gender issues鈥� that it is hard for her to imagine being a parent at Duke Ellington and not talking about the controversy. But she still receives emails from , the Duke Ellington parent and teacher association, and none of the emails mention the fallout among students that resulted from Chappelle鈥檚 special.

鈥淚f I was in a position to do something about this, I would have Chappelle come in and listen to the students. I think if someone did a facilitated closed door with him, that would probably change him,鈥� she said.

Administrators at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts did not respond to repeated requests for comment and interviews from 最新蜜桃影像 over the past two weeks.聽

Mark Chalfant, the artistic executive director for the Washington Improv Theater (WIT), said comedy has gone through a reckoning over the last decade about what it means to聽 punch-up and punch-down and who鈥檚 the target.

The WIT takes a strong anti-oppressive and anti-racist approach to their comedy and actively works to create an inclusive atmosphere in their classroom spaces and performance venues.

鈥淚f people are talking to you and telling you they feel targeted by your comedy, then I think you need to listen to them and not sort of avoid dialogue or just double down on your own attitude,鈥� Chalfant said.

Chalfant has not seen 鈥淭he Closer,鈥� but he is familiar with Chappelle鈥檚 work and his association with the Duke Ellington School of聽 the Arts.

鈥淭he trajectory of his career, and what he鈥檚 managed to achieve, I think is hugely important as a sort of example of what鈥檚 possible. And I think you can celebrate that, and name your theater after this person, and still manage to have an open dialogue. I don鈥檛 think you have to gloss over the flaws in somebody鈥檚 career,鈥� Chalfant said.

Many of Chappelle鈥檚 jokes in 鈥淭he Closer鈥� are pointed toward the transgender community, where he pokes fun at the physicality and lifestyle of trans people for laughs.聽

At Netflix in California, staffers staged a walkout in response to the streaming giant鈥檚 support of Chappelle.聽

A spokesperson for Netflix sent an email statement to The聽 Wash, stating: “We recognize the hurt and pain caused to our trans colleagues over the last few weeks. But we want to make clear that Netflix has not taken any action against employees for either speaking up or walking out.”

However, a transgender employee was suspended for releasing private financial information concerning Chappelle鈥檚 association with Netflix.

But not all members of the LGBTQ+ community are up in arms over the comedy special.

Mia Mason, a U.S veteran and the first transgender congressional nominee for the state of Maryland, said her interpretation of 鈥淭he Closer鈥� was that Chappelle is going through his own transitional phase.

She said Chappelle took the time to educate himself about the LGBTQ+ community and that he was exploring that education on stage in the best way he knows how, through comedy.

鈥淓ven with the walkout at Netflix and everything else, it鈥檚 kind of an over-censorship. But at least this person is giving his video autobiography of his life鈥檚 lessons, and it鈥檚 up to us to understand that this is part of his transition and this is how comedians do it,鈥� she said.

Mason said Chappelle鈥檚 comedy allows for the LGBTQ+ community to reflect upon itself and grow stronger in it鈥檚 fight for equality.聽

鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 a reimagination of my life in Dave Chappelle鈥檚 shoes, because I got to see where he made his mistakes, why he鈥檚 still making his mistakes, and what he can do to help others from his mistakes,鈥� she said.

Mason, who is an advocate for equality rights, said the Duke Ellington School of the Arts could benefit from hearing her voice and her interpretation of the Chappelle special.

The post Dave Chappelle brings fundraising efforts and controversy to Georgetown鈥檚 public arts high school first appeared on 最新蜜桃影像.

The sign read Towne, the name of the 60-year-old liquor store Chen purchased seven years ago on Wisconsin Avenue NW in Georgetown.

鈥淭his Towne sign has been here since before I was born,鈥� Chen said. 鈥淎nd now we have to take it down.鈥�

Several Georgetown residents have complained recently about the overwhelming number of neon signs in storefront windows throughout the historic neighborhood. Neon lights and signs are strictly prohibited in Georgetown because they detract from the neighborhood鈥檚 history and style. But the number of colorful, gleaming lights and signs has only聽 grown over the last year and a half, causing local representatives to take action.

The Advisory Neighborhood Commission in Georgetown (ANC2E) is a group of locally elected representatives that advise the District government on matters that affect their neighborhood.聽

Earlier this month, amid growing frustration from residents and commissioners, ANC2E unanimously voted on a resolution to have the neon lights removed. In the resolution, ANC2E voiced their “frustration” about neon lights within the Historic District and deemed them as “inappropriate.” ANC2E is asking the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs to “vigorously enforce” the guidelines for neon lights in Georgetown “immediately.”

Business owners in Georgetown are required to submit their signs for review before mounting them in storefront windows, but many business owners chose to hang their neon signs without prior approval.聽

鈥淎ll signage concepts are required to go through the Old Georgetown Board before being permitted,鈥� ANC2E commissioner Lisa Palmer said via email. 鈥淣one of the neon signs in ANC2E鈥檚 district went through that process.鈥澛�

Just last week, Towne Wine and Liquors had a large Captain Morgan sign illuminated in the storefront window, as well as a neon Modelo beer sign. Owner Joey Chen has since removed both signs, but he can鈥檛 seem to part ways with the original neon sign stating the name of his store.

鈥淚 can take down a beer sign because that鈥檚 newer, but that Towne sign has been there since forever,鈥� Chen said.聽

After receiving notice that his neon signs must be removed, Chen reported back to ANC2E with a photo of the old Towne sign asking if it also needed to come down.

They confirmed that the Towne sign must be removed and reviewed.

Chen wanted to know if the massive neon Georgetown Theater sign hanging vertically over Wisconsin Avenue NW would also be taken down.

The Georgetown Theater sign was erected in the 1950s and is emblazoned with glowing red bulbs.聽

But the Georgetown Theater sign is safe from review because it is deemed historic by the Old Georgetown Board.

In a few weeks, Chen will move Towne Wine and Liquors to a new location up Wisconsin Avenue NW. He has yet to decide what he will do with the original neon Towne sign, but for now, it will remain hanging in the same spot it has for decades.

However, Chen is not alone in his plight to understand and follow the guidelines concerning neon signs in Georgetown. There appears to be confusion about the regulations and who鈥檚 enforcing them.聽

Down along Wisconsin Avenue NW sits GT Vapes and More, a smoke shop that opened only four months ago.

The storefront window of GT Vapes and More is framed by a string of twinkling neon lights and signs, which surround a cornucopia of vape pens, cartridges and hookahs.聽

Store manager Abdul Yaqubi said he received an email a few weeks ago from the Georgetown Business Improvement District. The email was a reminder that neon lights and signs must be placed 18-inches away from storefront windows, according to signage guidelines.

Yaqubi contacted the owner of GT Vapes and More, asking what he should do.

The owner told Yaquibi to follow the law.聽

鈥淎ccording to Georgetown, it鈥檚 not allowed, this kind of light,鈥� Yaquibi said. 鈥淏ecause Georgetown is like, classy.鈥�

But according to Thomas Luebke, the secretary for the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which oversees the Old Georgetown Board, the 18-inch guideline was recently removed. Now no new neon signs are allowed.

鈥淔or many years, the D.C. regulation supported the principle that if a sign were set back 18-inches from the window, it was not subject to this kind of review,鈥� Luebke said.

However, since the removal of the 18-inch guideline, the neon lights and signs of GT Vapes and More are against regulations.聽

But following the advice from the email he received, Yaqubi used a measuring tape to total the distance between the string lights and the window frame.

鈥淏efore, the lights were here. All around the glass,鈥� Yaqubi said, tapping the glass with the metal tip of his measuring tape. 鈥淚 asked them what is the law. They said it must be 18-inches away from the glass. So I moved it.鈥�

Yaqubi said he鈥檇 hate to see the neon lights removed because they attract business to the new store, especially tourists and people driving.

A spokesperson for DCRA told 最新蜜桃影像, 鈥淚n the District of Columbia, business signage requires permits. In conjunction with the Office of Planning, we are investigating the complaint submitted by the Advisory Neighborhood Commission.鈥�

Several other business owners with neon lights and signs in Georgetown have yet to hear from either ANC2E or DCRA. But considering ANC2E only submitted their resolution at the beginning of the month, a slew of notices is all but certain to follow.聽

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鈥淚t鈥檚 not locked right now,鈥� Pauling said through a nervous smile. 鈥淏ut I can look outside and see it.鈥�

It turns out drivers in Georgetown aren鈥檛 as safe as they used to be. Auto thefts spiked 250 percent in Georgetown between August and September, jumping from four to 14 cases. There were also four auto thefts over the first weekend of October, matching the number of thefts in the entire month of August. Lieutenant John Merzig of The Metropolitan Police Department said a majority of auto thefts are the result of opportunistic thieves and negligent vehicle owners.

However, auto theft has been a running problem throughout the entire District since the beginning of the pandemic. The Metropolitan Police Department says thieves steal about 18 vehicles per day citywide. So far this year, nearly 3,000 vehicles have been stolen, that鈥檚 285 more thefts compared to the year before.

But the second district of the Metropolitan Police Department is taking multiple avenues to stop the rise of auto theft in Georgetown. They鈥檝e launched education and enforcement campaigns to bring awareness to citizens and accountability to those responsible.聽聽

On Wednesday, the second district police department held a Coffee with a Cop event outside the Starbucks located on K Street NW as part of their education campaign. Officers mingled with locals to discuss safety in Georgetown. Brochures and signs highlighting what residents can do to protect themselves and their vehicles were made available to all. The signs read: lock your car, take your keys, secure your items.

Lieutenant John Merzig told 最新蜜桃影像 most of Georgetown鈥檚 auto thefts are perpetrated by juveniles who use the vehicles to drive home.聽

鈥淭he people who are stealing these cars, they鈥檙e not taking them to chop shops and all that. We recover almost all of them. It鈥檚 like another form of Uber for them,鈥� Merzig said.

When a car is stolen, its license plate number is added into a police plate reader system. The number then gets blasted to officers throughout the district and the perpetrators are usually caught within 24 hours.

Merzig stressed the difference between auto theft and carjacking. Carjacking is a violent crime that can lead to substantial criminal repercussions. But Merzig said Georgetown is combatting auto theft, which is a nonviolent crime of opportunity, often perpetrated by juveniles who do not receive serious sentencing.

Merzig also said an overwhelming majority of the victims are people who leave their keys in their car, running on the street, illegally parked.聽

鈥淲e鈥檙e putting up fliers, everything, doing stuff like this,鈥� Merzig said, gesturing toward the event. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 think it reaches our target market.鈥�

According to Merzig, the target market is difficult to warn because they are hardworking individuals, people on the go and delivery drivers.聽

鈥淚 guarantee you the people who had their car stolen in this manner, they鈥檙e not going to get it stolen again,鈥� Merzig said confidently. 鈥淏ut the sheer number of people doing deliveries and stuff like that means that it鈥檚 not a problem we can really cure right now because there鈥檚 always going to be a new person who hasn鈥檛 had this experience.鈥�

The second district police also launched an enforcement campaign to combat the thefts, which comes down to ticketing drivers who leave their cars unattended on the street. This means a driver鈥檚 own negligence could land them a parking ticket and a stolen car.聽

鈥淚 hate the idea of that because it鈥檚 like blaming the victim,鈥� said Merzig. 鈥淏ut they鈥檙e doing something wrong and that鈥檚 a major contributing factor to the problem.鈥�

In March, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser received serious backlash after tweeting about auto theft prevention in the wake of an Uber Eats driver being killed during an attempted carjacking by two teenage girls. The mayor鈥檚 poorly timed response aimed to pressure drivers into being more cautious with their vehicles. But bringing auto theft awareness to drivers is a significant component of the city鈥檚 solution plan.聽

And yet, the streets of Georgetown are the busiest they鈥檝e been in quite some time. The number of visitors to the area are almost up to pre-pandemic numbers. People are back on the go.聽

Georgetown resident Colleen Girourard said she leaves her car running all the time.

鈥淲hen we lived here 35 years ago, our car was stolen twice. And I鈥檝e lived here now for 15 years and it鈥檚 never been stolen,鈥� Girourard said, knocking on the backdoor of her Jeep for good luck.

鈥淲e just don鈥檛 leave stuff in our car anymore. If you don鈥檛 leave stuff in the car, then they don鈥檛 try to get into your car,鈥� she said.

As it turns out, The Metropolitan Police Department isn’t alone in combating auto theft in Georgetown. The Citizens Association of Georgetown is also taking matters into its own hands. They鈥檝e posted warning signs along streets where auto thefts have recently occurred in the area. The signs remind drivers to take their keys and lock their doors; otherwise, they are looking at a parking ticket and a long walk home.

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A total of 21 businesses opened their doors this year in Georgetown, and 16 businesses are slated to open soon. A from the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) shows Georgetown suffered 63 business closures last year during the height of the pandemic. But so far this year, there have only been 12 closures, a steep drop from the year before.

Jamie Scott, the Director of Planning and Economic Development for the Georgetown BID, said the 2021 business report is looking optimistic.

鈥淭he difference between 2021 and 2019 has gotten smaller, and smaller, and smaller as the year goes on,鈥� Scott said.聽

Consumers gradually flocked to the historic neighborhood this year, inching closer to pre-pandemic numbers. Scott said Georgetown saw 10 million visitors by the end August in 2019, then the pandemic happened, and visitors plummeted to 4.6 million in 2020. But this year, visitor numbers jumped back up to nearly 8 million, proving Georgetown is making a comeback.聽

And yet, despite the gradual return of shoppers and diners, businesses in Georgetown still suffered during the pandemic.

The Lantern Bookshop opened on P Street NW back in 1996. All profits from The Lantern go to financially assist women attending Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. The bookshop, which sells used and rare books, is operated by volunteers, most of whom are Bryn Mawr alumnae.聽聽

Susan Flinn, the president of The Lantern board, said the bookshop was closed between March of 2020 and May of 2021. Unfortunately, The Lantern was unable to make any financial contributions during 2020 due to the mandated business closures; but they鈥檙e turning that around this year.

Flinn said she鈥檇 seen an enthusiastic response from customers since reopening. Sales are up by 25% compared to an equivalent pre-pandemic period, and Flinn said she鈥檇 received a host of new volunteer requests, too.

鈥淚 think one benefit of COVID, such as it is, is that people have really noticed what they鈥檝e been missing during the shutdown. For our book-loving customers, being able to come back to our quirky shop has been a delight,鈥� Flinn said.

Down along the bustling M Street NW sits Allbirds, a sustainable shoe and clothing outfitter. Allbirds opened its doors in February of 2020. One week later, the pandemic slammed those doors shut. The shop would not reopen again until August later that year.聽

Jordan Piha, a store manager at Allbirds, said business this year has been going strong since May.

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely not back to normal as we know it,鈥� Piha said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 on the uptick.鈥�

Piha told 最新蜜桃影像 he鈥檚 happy about college students returning to campuses across the district because they’re applying for jobs that Allbirds needed to fill.聽

Restaurants in Georgetown were thrown a life raft when a was executed last year. The project鈥檚 mission was to provide more space to consumers walking along Georgetown鈥檚 narrow sidewalks and to help local restaurants create or expand outdoor dining spaces to boost business during the pandemic. The project cost approximately $1.3 million, with $500,000 coming from a DC Council grant.

Clyde鈥檚 American Bar, located on M Street NW, has multiple locations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The restaurant and bar specialize in American fare and specialty cocktails.

Bryan Trotter, the general manager of Clyde鈥檚 in Georgetown, said the restaurant benefited greatly from the sidewalk extension project.

鈥淚t helped us a lot with people who weren鈥檛 comfortable eating inside,鈥� Trotter said.

Around Christmastime, a government mandate shut down indoor dining at restaurants throughout the district. The sidewalk extension allowed guests at Clyde鈥檚聽 to dine outside surrounded by heaters. Trotter said this was better than nothing.

But now that indoor and outdoor dining are back, Trotter said weekends at Clyde鈥檚 are back to pre-pandemic business numbers.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been busy again,鈥� said Trotter. 鈥淚t seems like people are coming back out, and enjoying dining out again, and feeling more comfortable. So it鈥檚 definitely looking up for everything.鈥�

The most comparable market to Georgetown is Tyson鈥檚 Corner, located in Fairfax, Virginia. Tyson鈥檚 is an indoor shopping center with 290 retail spaces, compared to Georgetown鈥檚 446 retail spaces. Density of retail space and high-end retail offerings make the two markets comparable. But Tyson鈥檚 indoor retail experience is a stark contrast to Georgetown鈥檚 outdoor offering. Tyson鈥檚 and Georgetown have seen similar visitor numbers this year, but by the end of August, Georgetown surged past Tyson鈥檚 with more than 100,000 visitors.聽

Jamie Scott, from the Georgetown BID, said multiple factors are at play when measuring Georgetown鈥檚 recovery.

鈥淭he outdoor environment, density of retail, international reputation, and the physical quality of the neighborhood all mean that Georgetown is well-positioned to have people come back,鈥� Scott said.

With fall weather and the holidays around the corner, businesses remain hopeful that the upswing in visitors continues.

Scott told 最新蜜桃影像 the Georgetown BID will publish its 2021 business progress report in the forthcoming weeks.

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