By Matt Koehler Walking into Renewal 2121 (https://www.artechouse.com/program/renewal-2121/), masked but amidst a small jubilant crowd of early viewers, I felt lighter than the last time I experienced one of ARTECHOUSE’s cherry blossom-themed interactive exhibits. Much has happened in the past year that has caused intense existential anxiety. Some parts of […]
SW Gardens Plants New Initiatives in 2021
By Pamela McKinney Southwest Community Gardens (SW Gardens) was founded in 2013 to create a space where neighbors can connect with one another in a hands-on, peaceful, and respectful environment around the activity of growing produce. Since the beginning, we have maintained 10 communal plots that allow anyone in the […]
Banneker Park Undergoes a Major Facelift
By Matt Koehler Towards the end of January, Southwesters likely noticed that the trees around Banneker Fountain at L’Enfant Plaza had been cut down. The Southwester noticed the community chatter, so we looked into it to find some answers. Banneker Park and Fountain are getting a much needed upgrade, which […]
Ward 6 Democrats host Words Matter Poetry Contest
By Mike Goodman In celebration of April as National Poetry Month, the Ward 6 Democrats are sponsoring Words Matter, a poetry contest open to all residents of Ward 6. To enter, respond to the following question in the form of a poem: “What does DC statehood mean to you?” Entrants […]
“Hybrid” Cherry Blossom Festival Underway In DC
By Southwester Staff An oft-repeated pandemic refrain is “the coronavirus doesn’t care” about various phenomena like borders, the NCAA basketball tournament, campaign rallies, and so on. In DC, we might say cherry trees “don’t care” about the pandemic. At the time we wrote this piece, the cherry blossoms had started […]
Stepping Up to Help Neighbors
By Southwester Staff Although there is no denying that it has been a tough year for Southwest residents, the community can be grateful for the many local organizations working to bring assistance and comfort to the neighborhood. The Friends of Southwest DC’s annual report, just released, highlights its support to […]
Op-Ed: Planned Eye Street Bike Lane Still Raises Safety Issues
By Matt Koehler Last month, The Southwester published a front page story about the planned protected bike lanes to be installed on I (Eye) Street SW, between South Capitol and 7th Street. I hadn’t heard of the proposal until reading the article, and generally I’m for it. The stretch of […]