Looking forward to this! Washington Walks is having another Historic Drinkabout, a walking tour with a historian that includes stops at local bars. I went last year with some friends and it was great, I learned a lot about the neighborhood’s history, met some neighbors, and had a few drinks. Can’t beat that.
Here’s their press release:
It’s back! Even Snowmaggedon 2010 could not discourage us from reprising the fun and filling Drinkabout. Columbia Heights is home to a growing number of cafes and bars (conveniently located along the walk route.) We’ll stop to imbibe hot or cold libations inside a select few.
Tivoli Theater site prior to restoration
The 14th Street corridor between Irving Street and Park Road was one of Washington’s most important shopping and entertainment destinations outside downtown. That is until April 4, 1968, when riots following the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. sparked extensive looting and burning of commercial property.
Columbia Heights Metrorail station
For decades afterwards, boarded-up businesses and empty lots marred the formerly vibrant Columbia Heights. Nearly 40 years later, change has swept the area once more: the opening of the Columbia Heights Metrorail station in 1999 spurred construction of apartment buildings, rowhouses, and the massive shopping complex D.C. USA—not to mention the local-color eateries and pubs we’ll visit during the walk.
Guide for the afternoon is Brian Kraft, historian for the “Cultural Convergence: Columbia Heights Trail” developed by Cultural Tourism DC. Brian also penned the Columbia Heights chapter in the much anticipated reissue of the book, “Washington at Home” published in 2010.
GALA Hispanic Theater/National Center for Latino Performing Arts building
Columbia Heights Historical Drinkabout
Saturday, 19 February 2011
2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
$20 per person
Cost of beverages and snacks purchased extra.
You can getreservations here.
