Is there any rhyme or reason as to the naming of state streets? And why are Massachusetts and Pennsylvania Avenues main thoroughfares while Indiana Avenue is only a couple of blocks?
When Pierre Charles L'Enfant drew out his plans for the Federal City, he aimed to name the broad diagonal avenues that dissected the plan's grid [...]
If you're coming into town on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, there's an overhead road sign marking the split between U.S. 50 East/Anacostia Freeway and U.S. 50 West/New York Avenue maybe a quarter-mile before the split. The problem is that the westbound sign reads “TO NEW YORK AVE.” in absolutely tiny type, much smaller than the rest [...]
Metro identifies African-American Civil War Memorial at the U Street station and Adams Morgan at the Woodley Park station (even though it's a 15 minute walk from the station), but it doesn't identify the White House at Farragut West. Or the Capitol at Union Station. Why not highlight the most popular tourist spots?
Metro stations’ primary [...]
Each time I head down to the Mall, I end up with a shoeful of pebbles and red eyes from dirt blowing in my eyes. I've also seen pebbles get caught in dog's paws and provide an unnecessarily rough ride for people with disabilities. Why not just pave ’em?
People love the pebbled walkways, says National [...]
On 8th Street NW just above the Navy Memorial, there's a “building” that takes up about half of the western side of the block. The building appears to be a solid block of concrete but has been decorated with some drawings and false windows and doorways to give the impression (although not a very good [...]
Why the hell is there an aquarium in the basement of the Department of Commerce? And why is it so pathetic? It looks like a high-school science project.
The aquarium isn't pathetic-it's vintage. In fact, when the aquarium was built as an original part of the Department of Commerce Building in 1932, it was considered a [...]
I understand why Metro might need its own police force, and I can see why the Capitol and the CIA need their own uniformed police, too—but, really, why does the Government Printing Office need its own police force? And why are they carrying guns? Come on!
In 1860, Congress established the Government Printing Office (GPO), and [...]
Yet another instance of our New York inferiority complex: The New York City Subway has lots of abandoned stations and other neat anomalies. Of course, Metro, I thought, would have nothing so cool. But then I read here that a Metro station was built underneath a parking lot at Washington Dulles International Airport when the [...]
Whenever it rains, it seems like everywhere you walk is a giant puddle. I heard that the reason is that some District sewer pipes are wooden. Any truth to that?
The sewer pipes aren't wooden, but they are old. In fact, some have been around since Teddy Roosevelt was in the White House, according to D.C. [...]
What's the deal with bus letters and numbers? Some have a letter and a number, some have two numbers and a letter, some just have two numbers, while others have a letter and two numbers. I don't really see a method to this madness.
“There could be a simple numbering system, but nobody is interested enough [...]
Why aren't there any musicians playing in Metro stations? I can understand why Metro wouldn't let the bucket-drummer guys in—they would get pretty loud and annoying after a while. But there isn't even a tasteful clarinetist to be found. Or why not a mime? Everyone loves mimes!
Ride the Tube in London or the New York [...]
What's the deal with all the antennas and dishes and stuff up on Wisconsin Avenue in Tenleytown? You know, right there by Wilson High School and Fort Reno? And what are all those towers for, anyway? One of ‘em looks like it isn't even finished.
And it never will be: On March 17, the District agreed [...]
What's the deal with the bus stops paved in concrete? I mean, why not just pave the suckers in asphalt like the rest of the road?
D.C. bus stops' concrete slabs bear the burden of the daily stream of buses better than asphalt, says District Department of Transportation (DDOT) spokesman Bill Rice. If DDOT used asphalt [...]
