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See, I take pictures of people, too! :p

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Schedule didn’t permit joining for the whole trip, but I explored my favorite parts of the C&O Canal in Georgetown then looped home via Ohio Drive. Malmaison is a gem, in an ideal location at the CCT trailhead.

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@streetsmarts 148516 wrote:

OOH I’m a Junior exec. member of the forum now. how did that happen?

At one time I was “Totes an adorable member” which lasted, dunno, like a week or something. Now I’m reduced to just a “Somewhat regular member”. >>meh<<

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Echo the reality check. Generally in the DC area you can have 1) convenience, or 2) the house of your dreams. But unless you come with $$$ you won’t get both.

After owning the house of my dreams for 7 years, I gave it up for convenience. Commuting is probably the #1 reason people hate this area, and for good reason, traffic sucks. Strategic thinking around how you’ll get to work and beyond is the key to enjoying it. Location should be your top 3 priorities.

I live in the Long Branch Creek neighborhood between Shirlington and Crystal City, in south Arlington. I have a 10-minute bus ride to the Pentagon (where I pick up Metro blue/yellow lines), and I can bike just about anywhere. My driving anymore is minimal. In my area a 2-3 bedroom duplex from 1941 can cost you $375-$425k depending on how much renovation it needs; more than half the residents are renters – also not cheap. I’m too old to be a millennial, but I consciously chose what they all want — the “lifestyle” in a bikeable, walkable, livable neighborhood with shops, restaurants, libraries, theaters, parks and more easily accessible without driving. It meant downsizing, but you couldn’t pay me to live in suburbia/exurbia anymore.

If you only plan to stay a few years, my suggestion is to maximize your enjoyment and go for convenience. To spend that time getting frustrated in traffic would be a shame. If you live close in, where biking and public transit are easy options, you’ll be able to take advantage of all that DC offers. Get on Zillow and do some research — happy house hunting!

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@Emm 148330 wrote:

I know that spot

Me too, and I’ve been hyper wary of it since the first time I saw it. +1 for pulverization. Glad the guy was (sorta) okay.

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Thanks Bike Arlington, that was fun! Bonus points for the “fight club” pop-up performance art in the Rosslyn plaza!

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@Crickey7 148254 wrote:

The CCT this morning was easily the most crowded I have ever seen it, and lots of the riders seemed to be first time users. Not quite sure why now, all of a sudden, this is happening.

SafeTrack surge 10, perhaps, which started Saturday? The red line is closed between NoMa-Gallaudet U and Fort Totten, so commuters coming from Silver Spring area might choose to ride down the CCT. This is an awfully nice week to attempt the bike commute.

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Rolling start from 8:30-10:30 AM. If you want any snacks besides sugary stuff, best to bring some (or plan to stop).

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I registered for the Honeycrisp, too. May sunny fall weather shine up on us!

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Congrats to chris_s and dasgeh, who both made strong statements in this morning’s interview on WAMU.

The fact is, the new ban on cyclists in ANC only reduced bike access by one notch in the recent decision — from almost none to even less. Commuters previously had a specific route and a narrow time window to ride through the cemetery, and now they’re not allowed at all (except with an issued family pass to visit loved ones). The Department of the Army, acting as “custodians” for this important public property, made an arbitrary (at best) or even discriminatory (at worst) decision to exclude bicyclists. They did so against the public comments that they solicited, and against the recommendations of Arlington County who are their neighbors. Their judgment of decorum evidently carries more weight, even, than the Pentagon’s concern for security.

The hornet’s nest this has stirred up has to do with the bigger picture, illustrated by Arlington’s newest rendition of the Comfort Map. Arlington Cemetery, plus adjacent Fort Myer and the Pentagon, remains as a giant, impassable blob that blocks Arlington residents from reasonable and straightforward routes into DC.

ANC and Fort Myer have existed since the Civil War, the Pentagon since 1941. Yet Washington DC was designated this nation’s capital in 1790. Maybe it was all goats and chickens back then, but this is 2016. It’s fruitless to argue that urban and transportation planners could not have anticipated the growth of Arlington’s neighborhoods and provided better routes for ALL — autos, pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation — sometime in the past 226-odd years. We’re only going backwards, and I for one don’t like the trend.

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@chris_s 147605 wrote:

The Cemetery is so big, it is a barrier to movement in the County. It is especially a barrier to people on foot and on bicycles. It is even more of a barrier because it is directly adjacent to Ft Myer which is also a barrier. It is even more of a barrier because it almost immediately adjacent to the Pentagon which is also a barrier.

These institutions need to be good neighbors.

I’d like to go back in time and kick the urban planners who put all three of these properties together, across the river from the nation’s capital. But they’re not moving anywhere, so access through or around them is an ongoing negotiation with Arlington residents.

I live just a couple miles south of the Pentagon, and actually the roads through and around their property are open to the public, including bike commuters. I ride there regularly, and as long as you don’t go through any security gates, nobody blinks an eye (though I don’t doubt there are cameras and well armed guards watching). The Pentagon 9-11 Memorial attracts visitors on a daily basis without any special pass. Metro subway and bus commuters come and go in droves through their massive transit center. Just putting this out there, that despite typically tight security, the Pentagon should get credit for being a good neighbor.

ANC is another story.

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@Emm 147619 wrote:

Question though–my C02 cartidge is now half used. Do I just let out the rest of the C02? I have a spare one or 2 cartridges at home so I can easily replace it, but right now it’s just sitting half used in my bag…

I label things when they’re half empty but still usable (CO2 cartridges, fuel canisters for camp stoves, even rechargeable batteries…). I use colored electrical tape with a red-yellow-green system, or just mark them with a Sharpie pen.

And I always carry more than one CO2 cartridge, at least two but more often three.

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@Steve O 147617 wrote:

In fact, the very existence of those facilities is paid for by you and me.

This is my biggest peeve with the whole situation. After I read “The Army disagrees with and rejects these comments ….” I halfheartedly skimmed the rest. The Army clearly thinks it owns and makes all the decisions for ANC, and I reject their assumption of authority. It’s a public property, and the public ought to at least have a voice in when/how it is accessed and enjoyed.

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Another one of those evenings, where security around the White House created rush hour chaos. I could get into Lafayette Square via H Street, but not out onto Penn Ave. 15th Street was also closed for a couple of blocks. I actually saw a Metro bus making a 6,942-point turn in the middle of 15th Street to get away from the road block. Thanks, Secret Service!

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