Our Little Neighborhood Post Office

Lately I've been using that little post office at the intersection of 4th and RI and Florida avenues NW to drop off my mail as I just can't be bothered to drive or bus down to the Post Office at Union Station and, well, I just don't trust the mail boxes on the streets. I expect they are safer now but I do remember learning that the kids would dump their soft drinks in them or light fire crackers and post them in the mail boxes. And when I send mail I really do want it to get to the destination intended.  After all, it's quite a bit of trouble to do real snail mail (it's amazing that email has become the baseline, isn't it?) What I do like about this post office is that it has a  parking lot so I can just drive in, drop the mail, and drive on to the library or whatever from out the other side of the lot.  Very convenient.  I did read some Yelp reviews where there was criticism about how it sometimes opens late or the staffer on duty takes a long lunch hour and it closes at 5pm and isn't open on the weekends. Also, some reviews about how the staffer isn't always so friendly or as helpful as the user would like. But really, does everything have to be open 24 hours, 7 days a week, every day?  Can't some people just have a bad day at work and not be particularly helplful? It really feels more like a neighborhood post office with these kind of attributes, don't you think?

Union Station Being Upgraded

Drapes and scaffolding in the station

Ceiling being repaired

I haven't been in Union Station for a while and I stopped by there for lunch today and was surprised by several things. Firstly, there's all scaffolding and drapes and screens over the ceilings and some walls. Apparently, last August's earthquake caused some damage to the surfaces, especially in the roof, so there's a project to assess and fix the arches and other elements. Hopefully, they will also do the other repair work on the ceiling as in the past I'd noticed some places had water damage. Then, I noticed that a lot of stores -- which sold stuff like ties, toys and toiletries -- had left and been replaced by new eateries. For instance, there's now a Chop-T there and the Station Grill -- where my husband and I first shared a meal! -- has been replaced with a Chipotle Grill. While I like the food at this chain, they've covered over the old stamped tin ceiling.  And the liquor store, where you also buy lottery tickets, has moved downstairs to be replaced by Pret a Manger (more food to eat). The shops have also changed over in some cases with a Svaroski crystals place, a shaving equipment place and a Citibank as new business. In fact, Citibank has about a hundred ATMs now sprinkled everywhere.  There's also more stands selling stuff such as those flowers glazed over and made into pins or necklaces and earrings.  I also did a quick look downstairs and most of the original food joints have been replaced with newer, smarter food services.  Of course, the movie theater has NOT been replaced but there's more food places there; and thank goodness, Johnny Rockets is still cooking fries and burgers. Also new is a US Post Office and it looks like a new sushi place is moving in too.   Overall, it looked like a massive Food Hall throughout the place, with far less shops. Due to the repair work some of the passageways were blocked and one is almost compelled to walk through the Godiva store to get to the Center Cafe, which is still there, but seems to have upped the price of its martinis.

Union Station

About 34 years ago I came to Union Station and it was a total dump as the renovation had not yet occurred. It was dark and dusty with some sort of plywood paneling with bad posters lining a corridor that funneled train passengers away from the very dingy train tracks and out of the building. However, some federal and private funds were found and it was cleaned up, and redecorated and stores, movie theaters, food court and restaurants were brought in. Today, the station is a totally bustling, busy place with enough of the old features, like this clock and window, and those mysterious figures with shields guarding us at the frieze level to add elegance, charm and curiosity to what has become a city destination. I'm not sure everyone notices all the gilded, sculpted and leaded things when they hurry through from the Metro subway or on to the regional trains, but there's no comparison with Tyson's Corner or any of the super shopping malls, in my opinion, which have some of these elements but none of the history. And  its location near Capitol Hill makes it a great place to meet for drinks after work.

Boy Scouts All Over DC

You couldn't miss seeing at least a few of the Boy Scouts that have been in Washington, D.C. the past couple of weeks. Apparently they had some huge jamboree in northern Virginia and have been visiting all the usual sights that visitors to DC should visit.  I spotted this uniformed crew in Union Station while shopping for trinkets and asked them if they would mind if I photographed them while in the souvenir shop. They kindly agreed and the leader quickly pulled all his mates together and they obligingly posed for me. The whole pack was cheerful, optimistic, respectful, seemed to love their trip and epitomized a boyish natural enthusiasm that is rarely captured in the popular media who tends to focus on what's wrong with the Boy Scouts, rather than what's right.. I forget where this group said they were from but I recollect it was a midwestern state.I learned later that there are almost 3 million boy scouts in America and it was the 100th anniversary of the association and that over 30,000 had come to town for the jamboree.These teenage boys seem like a hidden treasure in our midst!