Busboys and Poets

My relationship with Washington, DC is complicated, fraught, and wistful. There is and was a lot about the city I actively dislike. The provincialism, the lack of style, an acute divide between those of us who work (worked) for Uncle Sam or lobbied him and anyone else are but a few gripes. And while I might find myself fascinating, being surrounded by people just like me in terms of their profession and interests felt oppressive and dull.

However, since I began coming to DC professionally (from  Spring 2003 on) there were things that I always liked. The (now gentrified) 14th Street/ U Street corridor being very high on the list, as my first apartment in DC was on New Hampshire Avenue and Swann Street.  My last DC address was in beautiful flush Georgetown so complaining about the gentrification would be a tad hypocritical. . .

With the gentrification of that area, the infusion of Obama administration folks, and the development of much better dining and nightlife, DC has become far more palatable and (gasp!) fun. One of my favorite places is Busboys and Poets, the original one being on 14th Street between U and V.  This article on the Washington Post on the owner Andy Shallal was a great read. It made me realize the exciting things going on in DC and reminisce about the good times there. I'm going back for my birthday, for the first time in 2 1/2 years and I'm looking forward to it.

And the article inspired me to think deeply about what I am doing right now. It makes for good reading.