About Washington's Adams Morgan

Every year in September, right around the time of my youngest sister's birthday, Adams Morgan throws her a party. When she first moved into DC, this was her neighborhood, and she helped to organize several of these festivals before she moved to Baltimore.

This year's was last Sunday. It was a mob scene of people,sounds, tastes, smells and all kinds of neat stuff to buy!

It was also the perfect day for an Open House in Adams Morgan!

Every year, there are local groups playing all sorts of music, from folk to Caribbean. You can hear it pretty much all over the neighborhood, but just for this one day!

And the shopping opportunities are almost unlimited! Need some good smells to sweeten your bath water? Looking to add to your family jewel collection?

Perhaps some socks, pillows, textiles or a new hat?

Or, if you want to dress like an authentic 1960's hippie, there are the vintage clothing booths that will let you see what your parents looked like - or if you are the parents, a little nostalgia! And don't forget the little stuffed birds, an addition to your collection of staging props!

And I cannot believe that I wandered through with my camera and forgot to capture images of food - from several continents! Oh, well, I'll do the food thing next year!

Today I wrote an ad that my client loved. She has a coop to sell in Adams Morgan, and the coop market is not quite as hot as that for single family homes. So I did a "Re-ad", using one that got a house sold in a crummy market a bunch of years ago.

It reads:

Motivated Seller...Just married the man of her dreams. Must sell chic 2-bedroom bachelorette pad

Then there was stuff about the gorgeous wood floors, renovated kitchen, balcony and other cool stuff. The last time I used it was the weird market of the early 1990's, and it got a plain Jane house sold really fast - and the first Open Hosue was crawling with single women, perhaps hoping for that good luck in love house? Well, this is the good luck in love coop! And I'm hoping it will bring us good luck in finding a buyer!

Of course, I'm taking no chances and will deliver the St. Anthony statue tomorrow!

When I moved to Washington to harass airlines for Ralph Nader, my first home was in Adams Morgan in what is now the Valley Vista condominium. Back then,it was a building with rent controlled apartments that even I could afford on a non-profit salary. As with much of the rental housing in the neighborhood, it went condo.

My 1-bedroom apartment was gigantic compared to my New York City brownstone - I had 835 square feet of space, compared to about 300 in New York. In Washington, I also got an amazing top-floor view of Rock Creek Park and the National Cathedral.

And while I no longer live in Adams Morgan, I do go there often - and not just to show houses and condominiums. The neighborhood has my favorite restaurants and grocery stores.

Every time there is an uprising in a far corner of the world, some of the affected people immigrate to DC and open a fabulous restaurant. Then there are places like Millie and Al's, a pizza and beer place that was a hang out for the kids who worked in various Democratic administrations. Somehow, I think the kids in the Bush administration have opted for something a little less seedy. Millie and Al are probably rooting for Obama so the crowds will return.

There are the funky little book stores, gift and clothing shops. You can find high end bicycles, political buttons, little Washington Monuments and White houses in glass with snow, incense, all kinds of T-shirts, and exotic home decor.

September 14th is a great day to visit Adams Morgan - it's the day of the annual neighborhood festival where they block off two blocks for a street fair with great food, music and crafts.