03.12 - hope and light of better days ahead
what’s going on in d.c.
Outdoor workouts are so much more appealing in good weather - take advantage with a yoga class at Haines Point tomorrow at 10 AM or look at other outdoor studios such as Cut Seven off of 14th St or 305 Fitness and SoulCycle at Union Market. If you’re looking for a post-workout meal, Park View’s Tabla and Past Tense yoga are combining to host a Saturday evening yoga class and hands-on khachapuri (cheese bread) making session.
There’s a plant pop-up Saturday afternoon at NoMa’s Red Bear Brewing featuring PLNTR’s plants and dried florals.
looking ahead: an adults-only mini-golf course, Swingers, is taking over the former Buffalo Billiards and Front Page spot in Dupont Circle. The spot, to be combined with a food hall, opens on June 11 and is already taking reservations for tee times. Brentwood is also adding a new bar and outdoor venue, Metrobar this spring that will, believe it or not, serve drinks from a retrofitted Metro car for nostalgic former commuters.
let’s talk food and drinks
my weekly best bite: Republic Cantina’s Esquites Casserole - the perfect fusion of mac & cheese and a corn casserole.
Lots of ways to get outside if you haven’t already, but if you’re looking for a happy hour spot, Washingtonian compiled eight ones, including two of my favs - LeDroit Park’s The Royal and O-Ku in Union Market.
Taqueria al Lado in Adams Morgan is open and offers pandemic-friendly features such as a roofless dining room area and an open-air heated patio. The price point is lower and the food and drinks are on point (h/t to Adri). For another AdMo spot, a local favorite Indian restaurant, Bombay Street Food, opened its third location in the area this week (other locations are in Columbia Heights and Barracks Row).
what’s on our minds?
If you’ve followed the news in the slightest this past week, you’re aware that President Biden signed into law a historic $1.9BN stimulus package that includes a plethora of provisions to boost the economy. Beyond the $1,400 checks, other significant effects of the bill include child tax credits estimated to cut child poverty in half, needed relief for pension plans, and cash influxes to avert significant job losses in highly affected industries. Prior to Biden signing the bill last night, both United and American Airlines announced they would cancel layoffs planned to affect 27k employees
While the overall demand for vaccines continues to outpace the supply, the supply chain pressures are likely to be lessened in short order (last night, President Biden directed all states to make all adults eligible for vaccines by May 1). Once supply issues are addressed, the government and others will need to quickly pivot to convincing hesitant individuals that the vaccine is safe and necessary in order to reach herd immunity (estimated to be around a 70-85% vaccination rate). However, much of the rhetoric around “vaccine hesitancy” has focused on Black communities (Maryland’s governor Larry Hogan cited it last week), but the facts don’t bear it out - study after study shows little difference in hesitancy between Black and white individuals. This messaging is harmful to Black individuals and gives our governments a pass on a significant issue - a lack of vaccine equity and access for these communities.
Quick links to other weekly #goodreads:
‘School Wasn’t Even Important’: For Many Local Students, The Pandemic Has Meant A Mountain Of Adult Responsibilities - per dcist, “That [emotional] toll has been unevenly felt among the D.C. region’s public schoolchildren. Black and Hispanic children are more likely than their white peers to become infected with the coronavirus and die from it, according to a study of D.C. children published in the American Academy of Pediatrics.”
GME, Doge, Supreme: How Getting Rich Went Full Internet- per Wealthsimple, “The idea has always been that value — in stocks, art, precious metals, whatever — is inextricably tied to “fundamentals.” But it seems the internet changed that (hello, GME and Dogecoin!).”
The Lost Year: What the Pandemic Cost Teenagers - per Propublica, “In Hobbs, New Mexico, the high school closed and football was cancelled, while just across the state line in Texas, students seemed to be living nearly normal lives. Here’s how pandemic school closures exact their emotional toll on young people.”
Private Schools Have Become Truly Obscene- per The Atlantic, “Elite schools breed entitlement, entrench inequality—and then pretend to be engines of social change.”
what are we watching/reading?
Last Chance U is back with a new sport - basketball. The documentary series, formerly focused on football, dives into the lives of junior college athletes looking to break through. While the sport is the connecting focus of the series, the real driver of the show is the intimate access into the lives of players trying to create a chance for themselves against all sorts of odds.
Recently googled my way into a subreddit I wish I’d known about years ago (any many of you may already!): If you like ___. It’s as straightforward as it sounds - people post the TV/music/etc. they like and then others suggest similar options. I’ve already found a bunch of new music from it (thanks to a few Britney Spears songs I was playing on repeat this week).
Confession - I still haven’t watched WandaVision (I know, I know). On my list for this weekend!