11.20 - it's beginning to look a lot like?
Thanks to everyone who sent along their feedback on the day of delivery for MIDC - Friday was the overwhelming preference! Happy early Thanksgiving everyone - we’ll be taking next week off :)
what’s going on in washington d.c.?
A holiday tradition, the Downtown Holiday Market (8th and F St NW), opens today and runs through December 23. Stroll through the market for artisan gifts and food.
Love cooking? Or simply love perusing a wide array of cookbooks? You’re in luck, as Bold Fork Books recently opened. The locally-owned bookstore began as a pop-up inside of Pear Plum Cafe, but is now settled in a stand-alone location in Mt. Pleasant.
let’s talk food and drinks
Brookland’s Primerose is hosting a “dessert lounge” on Friday night in partnership with Sweet Maddie’s Bakery. The menu includes a variety of cakes, cookies, and cheesecakes.
As it turns to winter, Brightest Young Things compiled some of the top cozy outdoor restaurant options (think blankets, firepits, and …viking huts)
what’s on our minds?
D.C. luxury apartment buildings (about 1/3 of the city’s rentals) have been particularly impacted by COVID, with vacancy rates rising from about 4% to 8% over the past year. For renters, that’s translating into some major drops in rent prices - down about 11% YoY. But, who’s looking to filling them? With our current “k-shaped” recession, some renters are turning into buyers (the area’s housing market is very hot) while others may be priced out of the market as unemployment remains at record levels.
A heartwarming story. Sakina Grill, the Pakistani-Indian restaurant in downtown D.C is well-known for offering free meals to anyone in need. However, like many other restaurants, it’s significantly struggled since COVID. A local ABC reporter featured the restaurant last week, noting that the owner was barely able to feed himself and the restaurant was on the serious brink of closing. With a GoFundMe linked to the story, goodwill poured in, with over $275k donated to save the restaurant.
Quick links to other weekly #goodreads:
It took a pandemic to change the movie business - per Vox, “Why you can see Wonder Woman 1984 at home on Christmas Day.”
The Last Children of Down Syndrome - per The Atlantic, “Prenatal testing is changing who gets born and who doesn’t. This is just the beginning.”
Buying a baby on Nairobi's black market- per BBC News, “Babies are being stolen to order in Kenya to feed a thriving black market. Africa Eye infiltrated the trafficking rings selling children for as little as £300.”
what are we watching/reading?
The Undoing on HBO. Without giving too much away, if you haven’t had a chance to tune into The Undoing yet, just do it. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant star in this windy and beautifully shot limited-series thriller (it’s almost worth watching for the cinematography and beautiful NYC scenery alone)
69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez on Hulu. If you’ve been following controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine’s life at all (felony charges, pedophilia accusations, assisting the prosecution, kidnapping attempts), you know it’s almost perfectly set-up for a deep-dive documentary. 69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez does just that, giving viewers a lens into 6ix9nie’s attention-seeking ways.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed, please share with your friends. Or, if you have any thoughts or want to say hey, just respond to this email.
‘til next time -courtney