Since the demise of Rhino, there’s been a hole left in the heart of Georgetown social life that no Club Monaco can replace. While Crumbs and Whiskers isn’t exactly a 1:30 a.m. destination, it adds a special flare to the D.C. social scene and a chance to make a connection with a special furry someone.
Crumbs and Whiskers, conveniently on O Street by Wisconsin Avenue, is D.C.’s first cat café. Intended for human visitors to mingle with cats, it’s a great spot to hang out with friends, eat, study and get to know some new felines in a relaxed setting. Upon my first visit this week, I couldn’t help but notice similarities between this cat café and the D.C. bar experience.
I first met the bouncer, who made me wait outside for a bit. They don’t open until 4 p.m. on Mondays and the establishment was packed to catacity with 22 felines. Luckily I had gone online ahead of time and made myself a reservation, so I got to cut the line and start assessing the scene.
There were cats everywhere.
You got kitties all blinged up to show their attitude.
You got kitties dancing on furniture.
You got kitties passed out, straight napping on the floor.
You got kitties going hard on bar food at the end of a long day.
One of the more forward kitties came up to me and started DFMOing (I never even knew her name).
Tensions got pretty raw at one point, as Rigatoni felt provoked that another kitty was crashing in on his territory. It was unclear who threw the first punch, but there was some mild paw action that followed.
Both cats walked away unscathed, but Rigatoni’s opponent shot some death glares from across the room.
Mitty and I really hit it off. A part of me felt like he was only hanging with me for the photos, but at least he provided a great Instagram to boost my cred.
And if you’re lucky, you can even go home with one at the end of the night. No, really, all the cats are up for adoption.
Don’t feel bad if you go home alone though—Wingo’s is right next door. 4E is a proponent of drowning sorrows with food.
Hey Hoyas, and welcome to 4E’s new series: the oh-so-cleverly named
“GTFO: Georgetown, Together Fleeing Off-campus” (profound apologies).
Our first edition is all about places to go and do what we Georgetown students do best: study! Midterm season is upon us like a thick and suffocating blanket, and I am going a little bit stir-crazy staying on campus and working.
The Gymboree-esque seating in the Heal Fam Stu Cen is less quirky and more irritating. The artificial lighting in ICC classrooms is becoming restrictive and headache inducing. The Lau cubicles are starting to cause cabin fever and serial-killer tendencies a la Jack Torrance in The Shining.
This might be a personal problem.
Luckily, these problems can easily be solved by the many student-friendly study spaces throughout DC. The first edition of GTFO will focus on cafes and coffee shops, because the only activities Georgetown students hold nearer to our hearts than studying are eating and consuming unhealthy amounts of caffeine. (For a fall finals version, check out these studying hotspots.)
Here’s a handy map of your new favorite study spots!
If you wanna be the coolest kid in the district, here’s where you should hang:
What is it: Caffe Aficionado is located right over the Key Bridge in Rosslyn. There’s not a ton of seating, but they do have free Wifi.
Why you should go: Caffé Aficionado has the best lattes ever. Sipping on a honey-cinnamon latte with a foam-art bear will make your IR readings a little less painful.
How to get there: On weekdays, take the GUTS bus to Rosslyn. Otherwise, the Dupont Circle-Rosslyn circulator bus costs $1 and leaves from 35th and M St. The fifteen minute walk is cool too, especially if you like scenic views of the Potomac and the Washington Monument.
What is it: Blind Dog Cafe is located a little bit off of U St, and serves breakfast sandwiches, regular sandwiches, salads and lots of fancy coffee drinks and juices. They have free Wifi and couch seating.
Why you should go: I had one of the top three best chocolate chip cookies of my life. If you go, please bring one back for me. The people watching there is also a fantastic way to procrastinate. Protip: Do not try to be cool by putting almond milk in your iced Americano. It’s disgusting.
How to get there: Take the G2 bus from the front gates to 7th and P St, and then walk 5 blocks. You can also take the D6 bus to the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro, and then take the green or yellow line to the U St. stop.
*cookie monster voice* COOOOOOOOOKIES
3. Slipstream (C): 1333 14th St NW, Washington, DC
What is it: Slipstream is a restaurant/coffee shop in the Logan Circle neighborhood. It’s definitely expensive, but there’s lots of seating and table service. There’s also like 10 different kinds of coffee with carefully explained flavor profiles. So if you’re a coffee snob or if you like making fun of coffee snobs this is the place for you. There’s no Wifi during brunch on weekends, but during the week, it’s a great place to sit and enjoy coffee that has been “de-pulped and tossed with champage yeast before being fermented for eight hours.” Yum!
Why you should go: If you’re like me and have some kind of primal need for pretentious and instragrammable foods like avocado toast and something called “French-toast casserole,” then Slipstream is your place.
How to get there: Take the G2 bus from the front gates to the corner of 14th and P St.
What is it: Located in Dupont Circle, Soho is much closer to home. There’s a ton of seating, free Wifi and a full menu. It’s a lot less crowded, less expensive and less hipster than most other DC coffee shops.
Why you should go: Soho is much more laid back and down-to-earth than the other options on this list. It’s ten minutes away from Georgetown, and is open until 11pm on weeknights. If you prefer comfort food to coffee that requires ten different flavor adjectives, go to Soho.
What is it: Whole Foods is actually a fantastic place to study. There’s free Wifi and counter seating. Also, “food” is literally in the name of the place. There’s nothing better than looking down at a sea of colorful, fresh produce while you are struggling through a philosophy paper. Study breaks come in the form of staring longingly at $8 buckets of strawberries and organic, vegan, gluten free cookies.
Why you should go: On weekends, the Logan Circle Whole Foods gives out free guacamole samples all afternoon. I’m pretty sure I had a religious experience watching the guacamole lady work her magic. Warning: Studying at Whole Foods may induce exclusively guacamole-centered daydreams for several days.
How to get there: The Logan Circle Whole Foods is a few blocks from Slipstream, so you can take the G2 bus. There are also Whole Foods on Wisconsin and near GW, but guacamole has not been confirmed at those locations.
#praise
Studying for midterms and writing papers doesn’t always have to be a completely horrible experience. Getting off of campus is a great way to clear your head, and studying at spots other than Lau 1, Lau 2, Lau 3, Lau 4 and Lau 5 gives you the opportunity to explore new neighborhoods and find new favorite places (Saturday night Lau sessions, however, are highly recommended and sure to be entertaining).
Also, if you find any other awesome places to study, #hmu or I might go all Jack Nicholson on you. So Hoyas, grab your laptop, books and appetite, leave your disdain for public transportation at home and GTFO.
Photos/Gifs: giphy.com, mapfling.com, Yelp.com (users: Kay H., Rebecca Dickerson, Brandon M., Nikila D., Orlando N., Deane M., A.R. P.), sohoteaandcoffee.com, blinddogcafe.com, dc.urbanturf.com, https://living-in-washingtondc.com/
Georgetown University’s Children’s Theater will be offering a free public performance of its new show “The Wizard of Oz,” directed by Sophia Wood (SFS ’17) and produced by Taylor Oster (COL ’17). While the troupe caters to younger audiences, the performance is meant to be enjoyed by viewers of all ages, so make sure to check out this fun classic.
The Georgetown Improv Association is ready to show their quick-thinking talent this weekend. Even though the group performs several times throughout the school year, this show in particular is guaranteed to be a standout performance. The actors spin their comedic tales from audience suggestions, so come ready with a few creative ideas.
5k Race Against Homelessness
Where: Red Square When: Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Info:csj.georgetown.edu Price: $20 ages 23+, $10 under 22
The Georgetown Ministry Center is committed to the fight against homelessness in our local community. The race being held this Sunday is an opportunity to raise funds and awareness for this cause. Participants can choose between the 2k walk and the 5k run and can register online in advance or on-site the day of the event.
The Georgetown University Orchestra will be premiering a piece written by GU faculty member Joel Phillip Friedman. Friedman’s music has been lauded as “beautiful and intelligent” by the New Yorker. The piece was written especially for Benoy Behl’s “Buddhist Heritage Sites” photo exhibit. After the performance, a discussion with the artists will be held.
If you’re looking for a new D.C. adventure but you’ve already become too familiar with the National Mall, consider walking four blocks over to the National Building Museum for one of its October Ghost Tours. Led on a lantern-lit journey through the museum, you’ll witness a spookier side to this impressive cultural center.
I Made This Just For You
Where: D.C. Arts Center When: Oct. 17 to Nov. 16 Info:dcartscenter.org Price: Free
Artist Michael Booker mixes a striking blend of past and present inspirations to produce this experimental gallery. He has created vivid oil paintings that draw from his personal experiences and photos of his past. Any type of art lover can visit the D.C. Arts Center to appreciate his bold work and original sense of ingenuity.
Join 9:30 club this Saturday for a great concert. You Me at Six and Young Guns are British rock bands making their mark in the United States. Stars in Stereo is an American-based band. The three groups are sure to deliver quality entertainment.
D.C. Dead
Where: The Shop at Fort Fringe When: 7 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays, Oct. 10 to Nov. 1 Info:dc-dead.com Price: $35
Relieve midterm stress by grabbing five of your best friends and some “fatal neurotoxin darts.” Explore Fort Fringe and take part in an interactive and thrilling zombie chase game that’s sure to get your Halloween blood flowing.
When: Today, 1:15 p.m. Where: McNeir Auditorium, New North Building Price: Free Info:cstreetbrass.com
C Street Brass is a lively brass quintet that brings a contemporary twist to classic jazz. Originally from Pittsburg, this funky group of five often combines older styles like jazz with newer genres like dubstep, bringing their sound to the forefront of modern music. Join the talented quintet for this incredible afternoon of complex yet completely free music.
GU Nightclub is ready to revive the social scene on campus. Join the new DJ club for a pumped-up night of fun and dance. This musical event provides everybody with free entertainment — a refreshing alternative for those who are growing tired of off-campus weekend activities. All you need is your GOCard, and then you’re ready to party!
Abenomics: How Japan Will Revitalize Its Economy by Empowering Women
When: Oct. 7, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Where: Fisher Colloquium, Rafik B. Hariri Building Price: Free Info:Eventbrite
Join Chief Japan Strategist for Goldman Sachs Kathy M. Matsui for an in-depth discussion of Japanese social and economic culture. Matsui will focus on the correlation between gender roles and economic patterns, offering her own advice about how to achieve progress and change. Matsui is an expert in the field of economics and was named one of the “10 Women to Watch in Asia” by the Wall Street Journal.
Lecture by Ardo Hansson, Governor of the Bank of Estonia
When: Oct. 9 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Where: Executive Conference Room, ICC 700 Price: Free Info:guevents.georgetown.edu
Ardo Hansson is a prominent figure on the Estonian economic scene. His lecture will offer an expansive look into the financial problems currently facing Europe, analyzing the global economic crisis and how Europe has responded to it. He will discuss how different regions have recovered, shedding light on each country’s method of rehabilitation.
Off Campus
“Driving Miss Daisy”
When: Friday – Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Where: Ford’s Theater Price: Starting at $15 Info:fordstheatre.org
Has Ford’s Theater been on your list of historical places to see in Washington, D.C.? Forget just going for a quick tour — make an actual night of it by getting tickets to see “Driving Miss Daisy.” This classic Pulitzer Prize-winning play explores the themes of class differences, cultural boundaries, generation gaps and race through the interactions between the two leads. Tickets are currently being sold online. Don’t miss out!
Taffety Punk Theatre Company’s one-man show “The Devil in His Own Words” has already opened to enthusiastic approval. Actor Marcus Kyd portrays Lucifer’s journey from fallen angel to master of hell in an incredibly rich and complex script. The script is composed of cross-century texts from all over the world, promising to do justice to this dense history.
D.C. Palestinian Film and Arts Festival
When: Oct. 2 to Oct. 5 Where: Goethe Institut, 812 7th St. NW Price: $8 for students, $10 for general admission Info:dcpfaf.org
This cultural festival features screenings of both short and feature-length films, including “A World Not Ours,” “Where Should the Birds Fly?” and “Suspended in Time.” The event will be running all weekend and is a great chance to get off campus and explore another area of Washington, D.C. Lena Seikaly, an acclaimed jazz vocalist, will be closing out the festival on Sunday night.
(E)merge Art Fair
When: Oct. 2 to Oct. 5 Where: 10 I St. SW Price: $10 for students, $15 for general admission Info:emergeartfair.com
The fourth edition (4E?) of this annual exhibit will be held at the Capitol Skyline Hotel this year. The fair helps emerging art professionals from around the globe showcase their work and connect with important collectors and curators here in Washington, D.C. If you like art and want to get an early glimpse at some up-and-coming artists, then this event is the one for you.
Do you have 6,000 pages of Plato’s Republic to finish by Friday? Are you sick of having people on Lau 3 glare at you when you rustle a page too loudly? Do you like animal crackers and lattes?
If any of these things apply to you, you’re probably looking for an off-campus study spot. LOOK NO FURTHER: Tryst is a café in Adams Morgan with a great bar area, comfortable couches, delicious and moderately priced food and drinks, and tons of young twenty-somethings wearing circle scarves with their noses buried in the newest Junot Diaz novel. It’s a great place to get some work done in a non-stressful environment.
I’m going to start off with the downsides of Tryst so that we can end this post on a high note (I’m all about the happy endings….okay, that didn’t come out right…but you get the point). Tryst is located in Adams Morgan which means it’s kind of a trek to get over there.
If the weather permits, it’s only a little over a half hour walk which is easy and nice if you have a friend or last week’s Guide Grooves playlist to accompany you. It’s approximately a $10 cab ride one way from the front gates, which is also not too bad if you have a friend or two to split the fare with. The café website has a whole section that explains the various methods of public transportation you can use to guide your trip!
The other downside, ironically, is Tryst’s popularity. When I walked into Tryst, I struggled to find an open seat and so I plopped myself down at the only empty stool at the bar. Those are, however, my only stipulations about going to Tryst every single day to study.
I personally cannot study without some sort of background noise going on to keep myself sane. Tryst supplies plenty of that along with some light background music to set the hipster-mood. I treated myself to a latte (which comes with animal crackers) and a super delicious Santa Cruz Bagel – your choice of bagel, topped with cream cheese, chopped basil, chives, scallion, thyme, rosemary and mint, served open face and drizzled with olive oil and fresh black pepper.
The girl next to me had a Belgian waffle that looked fluffy as fluffy can get and the man to my right ordered Hot Bacon Dip (which comes with potato chips) and also looked delicious. Next time I go, I will make sure to forego the morning Leo’s run and just stock up on the large selection of delicious treats at Tryst while I finish my weekly Spanish paper.
Let’s also talk about how this place is called “Tryst” and how that just sounds awesome in itself. It’s a great word. I’m going to use it more. Even in situations where it doesn’t apply at all. Maybe even as an adjective (i.e. That Nutella sandwich was so tryst, I can’t even handle it.)
All in all, I give Tryst a big thumbs up! Be sure to check it out when you get the time…and call me so that I can come with you…
Midterm season is in full swing. Lau is packed, your housemates are antsy, and Regents doesn’t have an open plug. Great. How where is there to study? Off campus, of course. And why not study while eating Georgetown’s best cupcake and sipping on some awesome hot cider? Baked & Wired, also known as the most popular off-the-beaten-path place in Georgetown is the perfect place to catch up on readings and study for quizzes.
The tip jar reads “need laser gun to take over the world.” Don’t we all, don’t we all my friends. Come baked to get wired or wired to get baked, whatever your needs may be Baked & Wired will heed to your desires (not encouraging anything illegal here, please). Hidden on a side street the infamous pink bike out front will tip you off to its locale. Some might say the place is a bit quirky, but I think of it as a touch of charm. Take the décor, one wall is covered with napkins that people have written on; everyone can be artist and interior decorator all in one! It has a very loungey, cute coffeehouse on the corner feel. It can get a little loud, but if you don’t have Lau 4-type needs, you should be okay studying here.
As you walk towards the food counter an employee boasts the ‘hippie crack’ granola, and motions for all to try it. Samples anyone? It’s so good it’ll turn us all into addicts. I can’t tell if I mind or not. The cupcakes at Baked & Wired are definitely the main attraction. My personal favorite was the Beesting, a mix of shortbread and honey almonds. They also have vegan and gluten free options for those of us that so desire, or so necessitate. The cupcakes are pretty big, so bring a friend to share. There’s nothing better than bonding over a (sugar) high. Sorry, that’s the second drug reference in this article. Baked & Wired is just that good. Head over after a day of shopping at nearby Urban Outfitters to replete your energy reserves. We know how hard it is to try on clothing, reward yourself!
If you’re looking for a coffee fix, head into the second room where drinks are brewed to perfection. Also, grab some free water to hydrate. There’s plenty of seating but if you’re looking to enjoy the last rays before a dreary winter sets in, head down to the waterfront only a minute’s walk away. There’s something to be said for enjoying a cupcake on the water, the breeze in your hair. Fancy yourself on vacation, I know I always do.
Baked & Wired
1052 Thomas Jefferson St. NW
Washington, DC 20007
Since the demise of Rhino, there’s been a hole left in the heart of Georgetown social life that no Club Monaco can replace. While Crumbs and Whiskers isn’t exactly a 1:30 a.m. destination, it adds a special flare to the D.C. social scene and a chance to make a connection with a special furry someone.
What is it: Caffe Aficionado is located right over the Key Bridge in Rosslyn. There’s not a ton of seating, but they do have free Wifi.
