A Visit to Georgetown

We decided to explore Georgetown, a neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. this weekend. It is a historic town dating back to 1751- so there are  LOTS of really old buildings. It lies along the Potomac River and once was the furthest point up the river boats could navigate. Today it is home to many upscale shops, restaurants, bars, Georgetown University and several embassies as well as the Old Stone House, the oldest standing building in Washington, D.C. We had limited time there this time so I picked two things I really wanted to see: the new Safeway (yes, the grocery store- you'll see why!) and Dean & Deluca.

The Safeway in Georgetown is a "state of the art lifestyle store." In addition to groceries, a Starbucks and a bank this one also has a Bergmann's cleaners, a wine cellar with a tasting room, an expanded salad bar, sandwich bar and deli to complement the open-air cafe with a huge fireplace. Yep- it is the "yuppiest" grocery store I've ever seen and seems to reflect the new atmosphere in Georgetown. It is located on the second floor of the building with street shops on the ground floor and has a two-level parking garage attached. Some items were more expensive and some were about the same as our "regular Safeway" in Columbia. It was fun to visit but...

Bottom left to right: the wine tasting bar, bakery, expanded ready to eat food

After checking out Safeway we headed over to Dean & Deluca, a store with international foods- both ingredients and prepared foods ready to take home and serve. We leisurely walked through the store marveling at the fresh flowers, wondering who would buy lima bean salad and checking out the intricately decorated cupcakes. They also have the BEST coffee ever and we specifically went to get some ground coffee for Jacob's next care package (shhh... don't tell! =)) as well as a mocha from the coffee bar. 

My D&D Mocha was the best one I've ever paid for- Doug McGregor's are still the best ever!

I love how the buildings all butt up against each other- yet each one has its own distinct personality- with shops on all floors. It's a very "old town" feel!

After our "shopping adventures" we just walked around soaking up the local color. From across the street we saw a buildng with a bright red door we had to investigate. Grace Episcopal Church began having regular church services in 1857 for the local shopkeepers, laborers, craftsmen and watermen of the Georgetown waterfront, a very poor district quite different from today. Today they still have regular services and everyone is welcome, even your dog!

The church property has a wrought iron fence around it and the plaques were on either side of the gate into the church yard. The grounds are gorgeous- very peaceful and welcoming. Just a block or two farther is the Potomac River... and the Francis Scott Key Bridge. There is such beautiful architecture in Washington, D.C.!

We watched crew teams, rowers and kayakers on the Potomac with the Kennedy Center in the background. It was a beautiful day and there were a lot of people outside sunbathing, playing frisbee, riding bikes or just sitting and doing nothing. When we left the river, we walked up the steep street on the bottom left to get back to our car... whew!!

We had a fun time exploring some of Georgetown with Adam and Janne and are looking forward to going back again to see the Old Stone House and a shot tower we saw in the distance. There is so much to see and do!!!