🌸 A fifteenth birthday party

Good morning, DC. On this day 68 years ago, President Eisenhower addressed the nation from the White House, announcing he was sending the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce school integration. It marked the first time since Reconstruction that federal troops were deployed to the South.

In today’s District Download:

Let’s get to it.

Capital Bikeshare marked its 15th anniversary on Friday, celebrating a journey from 49 stations in 2010 to over 800 stations and 50 million trips today. The signature red and silver bikes have become as ubiquitous as political scandals, with residents using them for errands, commuters dodging traffic, and tourists wobbling through the Mall, though locals know the real achievement is nabbing one during cherry blossom season. DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum called it a transformation "from a small pilot program to a world-class bikeshare system," connecting residents to jobs, schools, and parks, carefully omitting mention of the system's other primary function: cardio punishment for choosing that uphill station. Greater Greater Washington notes that while bike infrastructure "still has much room for improvement," elected leaders have actually kept their promises on bikes, unlike those perpetually delayed streetcar plans collecting dust since the Obama administration. Annual memberships just jumped to $120 with e-bike rides costing $0.15 per minute for members, but hey, it's still cheaper than therapy and doubles as both transportation and a reminder that your quads aren't what they used to be.

Paris just opened the Seine for public swimming this summer after spending $1.5 billion on cleanup, while DC residents continue staring longingly at the Potomac, where swimming has been banned since 1971. The French capital's Olympic-driven push included updating pipes and treatment plants, building underground storage basins, and even getting President Macron to take a televised dip, completing a cleanup project that started in earnest in 2015. DC's efforts have been more piecemeal, with community groups leading initial cleanups and the city's $3 billion Clean Rivers Project focusing on massive underground tunnels that dwarf Paris's infrastructure but won't be complete until 2030. DC Water reports the tunnels will reduce combined sewer overflows by 96 percent system-wide, though studies show it's sometimes already safe to swim in certain spots—just still always illegal. The goal is swimmable rivers by 2032, meaning we're still seven years away from legally dipping our toes in while Parisians are already doing laps past the Eiffel Tower this very moment.

Thirteen Ballston restaurants are rolling out everything from pumpkin spice milkshakes to pumpkin ravioli starting October 1st, part of a new punch card promotion where diners who try six fall menu items by November 6 score a limited-edition mug. The Ballston BID's kickoff celebration next Wednesday features live music, a Bachata dance class, and free candy at Ballston Quarter from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with punch cards available at any participating spot including local favorites like Ted's Bulletin, Ice Cream Jubilee, and newcomer Immigrant Food. The promotion runs alongside the BID's existing 10% cash back rewards program, giving locals double the reason to explore neighborhood spots serving everything from pomegranate iced matcha at Olive Lebanese Eatery to the "Headless Horseman" rum cocktail at Whino.

Tariq Alaeddin has transformed from server to owner at Mosaic District's former Kirby Club, opening NAJA today in the same space with a menu honoring his Lebanese grandmother and featuring everything from traditional mezze to a Lebanese chopped cheese topped with his beloved toum garlic sauce. The transition feels natural after Alaeddin worked his way up from opening-week server to general manager under Rose Previte's mentorship, with her blessing to continue the space's Mediterranean legacy while adding personal touches like his mother's floral arrangements over the bar and family recipes including grandmother's bright red shatta chili sauce. NAJA keeps fan favorites like the havuc dip and roasted chicken while introducing weekend DJs, Dubai chocolate-inspired desserts, and a special emphasis on toum—the garlic sauce Alaeddin has evangelized since childhood, once convincing his mom to drive across town just to pair it with Walmart rotisserie chicken.

Here’s what’s going on around DC this week:

Folger Theatre | Julius X | Letson's re-envisioning blends Julius Caesar with Malcolm X's story | 7:30 PM

Studio Theatre | The Heart Sellers | Two immigrant women bond over Thanksgiving dinner in 1973 | 7:30 PM

Sixth & I | Bobbi Brown: Still Bobbi | Makeup mogul discusses her memoir with Robin Givhan | 7 PM

MLK Memorial Library | 9-Man Heritage Talk | Panel explores the Chinese American street volleyball tradition | 7 PM

Wednesday

77 🌡 69 | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 1 mph

Thursday

78 🌡 68 | 🌧️ 40% | 💨 9 mph

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The Atlantis | Fly By Midnight with Laur Elle | 6:30 PM

Kennedy Center | The Princess Bride in Concert | 7 PM

The Fillmore Silver Spring | Kublai Khan TX | 7 PM

9:30 Club | Kingfishr | 7 PM

Birchmere Music Hall | Robert Cray | 7:30 PM

Lincoln Theatre | X Ambassadors with Delacey | 8 PM

Soundcheck | Yookie | 10 PM

The Atlantis | G Flip | 6:30 PM

Black Cat | Ginger Root Night 1 | 7 PM

9:30 Club | The Beaches with Debbii Dawson | 7 PM

Songbyrd Record Cafe and Music House | SosMula | 7 PM

Birchmere Music Hall | Iris Dement | 7:30 PM

Union Stage | Lily Rose | 8 PM

Lincoln Theatre | Hermanos Gutierrez | 8:30 PM

Echostage | Hardwell | 9 PM

Soundcheck | Da Tweekaz | 10 PM

The Nationals' sixth straight losing season mercifully ends this weekend against the White Sox, closing the book on a 62-91 campaign that saw both manager Dave Martinez and president Mike Rizzo shown the door on July 6. MacKenzie Gore's franchise-record 13 strikeouts on Opening Day feels like ancient history now, though James Wood's emergence as a legitimate power threat offers a glimpse of what could be, the 22-year-old leads the team in homers and has shown why he's the cornerstone of this rebuild. Dylan Crews' brutal rookie year (hitting .106 through April, missing half the season with injury) has tempered expectations, but his September surge including that clutch homer against Pittsburgh proves the talent is there somewhere. At least they won December's draft lottery, securing the #1 pick for 2026, because in this town, hope springs eternal, even when autumn brings nothing but golf plans.

Till next time,