City Desk » matthew yglesias

Florida: D.C. Good For Writers, Everyone Else, Not So Much

Shani Hilton — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:56:04 +0000

Urbanism master and head of the Atlantic Cities Richard Florida has picked up the disagreement between Slate's Matthew Yglesias and our own Ryan Little over whether D.C is good to artists. After looking at Census data, Florida concludes:

When all is said and done, D.C. seems like a not-so-great place for visual artists, a slightly better than average place for musicians and a pretty good place for writers and editors. New York and L.A. continue to dominate these fields, particularly arts, design and music, and actually provide a comparatively good living even with their high costs of housing.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

From Arts Desk: Why Slate Is Wrong About D.C.

Shani Hilton — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:01:45 +0000

Contributor Ryan Little takes on Matthew Yglesias' contention that D.C. is lacking cool because...the murder rate is too damn high (among other things):

Speaking as a proud local resident, musician, and arts journalist, Yglesias–while he's not totally off base–sold our fair city short.

First, there are bizarre references to the murder rate, which is both irrelevant and inconsistent; are cities with a lower murder rate "cooler?" If so, how does he square that with his argument that D.C. was most culturally important in the '80s, when the murder rate was significantly higher than today? And besides, does anyone think places he mentioned like Cincinnati or Kansas City are significantly cooler than D.C.?

But what really hit home for me was this line: “...if you're a semi-employed artist or guitar player it's much more expensive than Philadelphia or Baltimore and still smaller and less interesting than New York City, which has less than one-third our murder rate.” Again, I’m not sure how the murder rate is germane, but the cost-benefit ratio to the creative class is a pretty big deal. Speaking as a “semi-employed guitarist,” I have to admit he’s partially correct. If you’re in a rock band and simply need a hub from which to tour, both Baltimore and Philadelphia are generally more affordable than the District. They have cheaper rent, more artist studios, and more practice spaces.

But if you’re looking for a city with a decent grant system, a slew of great venues, a consistent dedication to making the arts accessible, and a strong sense of community, I would argue D.C. easily tops those two.

There's more. Read the rest at Arts Desk.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

Food Pantries Want Your Money, Not Your Old Cans

Shani Hilton — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:09:51 +0000

Turns out the food pantries that serve struggling families would rather have some cash than whatever random old cans you cleaned out of your cupboard for a local food drive. They're just afraid to say so:

Charities are naturally reluctant to turn down donations for fear of alienating supporters or demoralizing well-wishers, but the reality is that dealing with sporadic surges of cans is a logistical headache. A nationwide network of food banks called Feeding America gingerly notes on its website that “a hastily organized local food drive can actually put more strain on your local food bank than you imagine.” Food dropped off by well-meaning citizens needs to be carefully inspected and sorted. A personal check, by contrast, can be used to order what’s needed without placing extra burdens on the staff.

But, apparently that's changing, including here in D.C., where nutritional needs have become a concern for charities. Matthew Yglesias notes:

“For a long time we just basically kept politely quiet about the fact that food drives weren’t as helpful as people assumed,” explains Greg Bloom, a development assistant at Bread for the City in Washington, D.C., “but that changed when we became more diligent about stocking our pantry with healthy foods.”

Bloom explains that they tried providing a specific list of items for people to donate, but even so “we find that almost half of what comes to us in any given food drive just doesn’t meet our nutritional standards.”

Yglesias' advice: "Can the cans. Hand over some cash."

Photo by EraPhernalia Vintage via Flickr/Creative Commons Attribution Generic 2.0 License

What’s the Frequency, Yglesias?

Michael Schaffer — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:37:44 +0000

Crime happens everywhere. But it’s safe to say that crimes against journalists who think about public policy issues happen a lot more frequently in Washington than anywhere else. And when they do, it’s a good bet the incident will make it into the media before long—usually wrapped up in a politically-tinged argument. Some media figures who’ve fallen victim to D.C. crooks, and lived to prompt policy arguments about it:

Victim: Matthew Yglesias, Center for American Progress blogger

Crime: Assault

Media Upshot: Soon after being punched and kicked by a pair of strangers on a desolate stretch of North Capitol Street on Saturday night, Yglesias had blogged about the incident.

Policy Argument: Dense urban development makes it harder for random dudes to sock people. “All else being equal a denser city will be a better policed city,” Yglesias wrote shortly before midnight.

Victim: Marc Fisher, Washington Post senior editor

Crime: Burglary

Media Upshot: The perp later posted a photo of himself and his loot on Fisher’s son’s Facebook page, giving the Postie an irresistible story.

Policy Argument: Cops should take property crime more seriously. “When the system treats such cases as nuisances, it breeds the cynicism that too many of us have about justice in this country,” Fisher wrote last Sunday.

Victim: Mika Brzezinski, Morning Joe co-host

Crime: Mugging

Media Upshot: Brzezinski was hit right in front of the bell stand outside a D.C. hotel—and just before then-Mayor Adrian Fenty’s previously scheduled appearance on her show. Co-host Joe Scarborough brought it up on camera.

Policy Argument: Hotels should watch nearby streets more carefully. “I’m angry at a hotel this morning,” Scarborough told Fenty. “Not you, ‘cause your cops can’t be everywhere.”

Morning Roundup: Going Long Edition

Andrew Beaujon — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:00:53 +0000

If you pick up a paper copy of Washington City Paper this morning, you may experience a sensory flashback to 2006, when our issues averaged 160 pages and always weighed this much. However, it's just that our fall arts guide is stuck inside! Don't panic! The newspaper business still sucks! This year's guide has listings and content up the wazoo, including critics' picks and a feature that purports to tell local bloggers such as Morgan Hungerford and Matthew Yglesias just what they should do with their entertainment dollars this autumn. Also in this piece: bear joke. It looks great in print. Pick one up!

As Mike Watt would say, I feel like spielin' this morning. If you don't have the time, DO NOT CLICK MORE.

Rain! That stuff is wet! If you haven't left the house yet, pack a hat, or better yet: an umbrella!

Tonight, Virginia gubernatorial candidates square off in a debate that will focus on business. Washington Post helpfully points out that unions are shoveling money toward Creigh Deeds, which in Virginia should go over as well as another Ben "Cooter" Jones campaign. For sure, the race has tightened since Thesiscaca™, but it's hard to see Deeds pulling this one out. My buddy Norm points out this is a poll of registered voters and probably an "outlier," but then again he thinks the tea-party protests were a wake-up call to fancy-pants Republicans such as himself. I don't buy that—who is going to herd the nutballs into a majority? Mitt?

Also can I get a what-what for Anita Kumar, who is covering the bejesus out of this race?

• Has anyone else noticed that Giant is a lot cheaper lately? This major newspaper has. Can I get a what-what for lower prices?

• BIKE COMMUTING CORNER: After my helmet, your second-most important accessory is gloves. Buy yourself a quality pair! Sure, they're great for protecting your hands should you fall, but they also dampen the vibrations that lead to hand numbness. Velo Orange is contemplating a fussy pair for fancy-pants people such as Norm, but I have had tremendous luck with these gloves, which I got on sale for $4.95 and which have come through two summers beautifully. Look for extra material around the thumb.

• ITEM! Christmas will soon rock for the color-blind. Demby, I got you on this one, man!

It's 10 a.m.! I'm out of time! E-mail me for more riffs or follow me on Twitter!