Dare to be Great #2

Another way to learn about the city in a more experiential fashion is to attend tours sponsored by Cultural Tourism DC during their Walking Town DC extravaganza -- two days in April, one in October. This April the event is held on Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd.

I'm co-leading two tours myself, although I won't claim that everything we say will be 100% vetted and accurate, although we endeavor to do so:

Explore Florida Market/Capital City Market
Saturday 9 – 11 am
Meet outside the north entrance of New York Avenue Metro station (exit to Florida Avenue)

The Florida Market is the city’s major wholesale food distribution center. Walkers will visit two Korean restaurants and vendors inside the DC Farmers Market building. The tour will also address development issues, such as increased demand for urban living. Led by Richard Layman and presented by Citizens Planning Coalition, Frozen Tropics weblog, and Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space weblog.

Alley Living in Capitol Hill
Saturday 12 noon – 2:30 pm
Meet at the northeast corner of Third Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE (next to the SunTrust Bank), three blocks from the Capitol South Metro station

In the 1800s and early 1900s alleys were used for stabling horses, industry, and housing the poor. Housing reform, zoning regulations, and urban renewal made most of these uses illegal. This tour will visit one of the city’s only remaining hitching posts as well as Capitol Hill alleys, including the cobblestone alley near St. Marks Church and Frederick Douglass Alley. Led by Richard Layman and presented by Alley Residents of Washington, Citizens Planning Coalition, and Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space weblog.

Will Fleishell, a 5th generation Washingtonian and alley dweller, co-leads this tour.

Note we revised the tour and won't be visiting the hitching post, although we'll give directions to it...

Hitching Post, 421 1/2 6th St. SE, Washington, DC