Features

Before the crocuses and daffodils pop up around the District sometime in mid-February, gardens across DC’s Takoma, Manor Park and Riggs Park neighborhoods will be sprouting colorful repositories of free books, thanks to the efforts of…

Some voices are unforgettable. For communities spanning from DC to Virginia to Maryland, Shellie Bowers’ voice was one of them. As a baseball coach, sports announcer, broadcast teacher, tutor, mentor and comedian, Bowers was involved in…

Logan Circle has a reputation for many things: beautiful architecture, expensive homes and marvelous eateries and bars. Generally not included in this list is the 19th-century Korean Legation at 15 Logan Circle NW. For the 40th annual Logan…

Over 150 local artisans and entrepreneurs are getting the chance to showcase their work — and bolster the bottom line — at this year’s Downtown Holiday Market, an annual marketplace set up in front of the National Portrait Gallery and…

“Jambalaya.” The word typically refers to a large pot of Louisiana-style stew. It’s also the term Abimbola George uses to describe the melting pot of educational programs he’s helped introduce since 2014 at Malcolm X Elementary School in…

This weekend, the District prepares for winter and upcoming holidays. From Dec. 7 to 9, opportunities to finish seasonal shopping abound all around the city, along with festive films, a fundraiser to support the homeless, and much more.…

People look at Zahir Muhammad and automatically assume he plays sports. At 6 feet 3 inches, he towers over most of his peers at DeMatha Catholic High School. But the 16-year old’s sport of choice isn’t basketball or football: it’s chess.…

Since 1983 Shepherd’s Table, a nonprofit in downtown Silver Spring, has provided daily home-cooked meals and other vital resources for low-income communities and homeless individuals. By 2016, demand for its services increased — and the…

Principal Rachel Tommelleo has the Midas touch of kindness. It’s her compassion for every student that makes her school in Ward 4’s Brightwood neighborhood a warm, welcoming place for each and every student. “If she had it her way, she…

After two decades, Karla still recalls traveling through the desert with her brother and aunt in 1998 on their way from El Salvador, reliant on a “coyote” to get the three of them where they needed to go. Her mother was already in…

On a cold day last February, 89-year-old Thomas Pressley walked into the 3rd District police station to report that someone had scammed him out of his money. He was fortunate to be speaking with Sgt. Juanita Eccles, a 31-year veteran of the…

Here in Washington, history is always just around the corner. And every neighborhood has a story to tell. This Sunday, LeDroit Park will open its doors and heart to visitors at its first-ever house and garden tour. Proceeds from ticket…

It is a sweltering Thursday afternoon in the city 45 minutes before The Caged Bird will open for its happy hour. Amid the final preparations for the evening’s operations at this new restaurant/lounge/meeting spot in Dupont Circle, co-owner…

Chevy Chase DC resident Elizabeth Workman has turned her 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector into a family affair that’s helping neighbors rid themselves of unwanted items for the benefit of people in need. Workman spent 10…

Few people are humbler than Josh Singer. Even with a successful career, numerous adoring fans and a Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Award for outstanding government service, Singer would still rather spend time with plants than talk about…

While designing a historical exhibit for their school, students at Marie Reed Elementary School found one particularly rich source of inspiration. Before her death in 1969, Bishop Marie Reed was a powerful force in the civic life of…

What are the boundaries for collective ownership, and which residents own what “rights” to their communities? A new exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum dives into these complex questions, exploring real-life stories of…

Maya Wilson squeezed through the crowd that packed Pennsylvania Avenue for the March for Our Lives. She was trying to reach the nearest Starbucks — anywhere with Wi-Fi — to send updates to be published on the Huffington Post’s social media…

"Music heals the soul," Maurice Jackson said recently at Busboys and Poets in Takoma Park. Jackson is one of the editors, along with Blair A. Ruble, of DC Jazz, a collection of essays that surveys the city's long history with the most…