What do you want to know about Washington, DC?

By no means am I out of fodder for my Gridskipper posts, but some of my best (and most read) entries started as ideas from other people. And, as the future of Gridskipper is a little uncertain, I figured I’d ask again for any suggestions for blog posts (they can be either map-oriented, which highlight the best six to 12 of a particular kind of establishment, or a more in-depth feature).

If you’ve read Gridskipper, you’ll know that contributors have a lot of leeway in what they write about, so don’t worry if your suggestion is bizarre.

The Jewish sightseing guide to DC

One day last week I was walking by the White House and saw a small crowd gathering for the lighting of the National Menorah on the first night of Hanukkah.

It got me thinking that DC has a fair amount of Jewish-centered sites that don’t get the attention that a lot of other attractions do. Hence:

The Jewish Sightseeing Guide to DC

Getting revenge on DC restaurants that have made me sick.

Whilst I usually enjoy researching my Gridskipper entries, writing this post caused me to relive some not-so-good times—although I did get a bit of revenge:

DC Restaurants That Made Me Sick

In case the title doesn’t make it obvious, the post does get a little graphic (it is Mean Week on Gridskipper after all).

Crack use in Washington, DC

Please keep in mind that I researched this article online and by driving around Washington, DC, with my windows up—no money exchanged hands and no products were consumed:

Where to Buy Crack in Northwest DC

I got the idea to write this piece when I read and saw a graphic description of a drug deal in a posh and trendy Northwest DC neighborhood (I won’t link to the account here, but it’s the first site I mention in the Gridskipper post).

My views on America’s drug policy notwithstanding, it’s absurd that the DC police are so inept at controlling a problem that is associated with more severe crimes, such as homicides. If you search online for some of the addresses I mentioned, you’ll see that they are also murder sites.

I also was surprised at how prevalent crack is in Northwest; usually drugs are a problem associated with the rest of the city. Or maybe I was just ignorant.

On another note, while scoping out some of the venues I reviewed, I was taken aback by how accurately HBO’s The Wire depicts areas where drugs are sold: guy standing on the corner, another guy sitting a few doors down (probably with the stash), and downtrodden folks milling about.

My latest for Gridskipper: Washington, DC, restaurants with health code violations

If my piece on Alexandria’s best wine values by the glass for Gridskipper was fun to research, my latest entry was not:

DC Restaurants with Health Code Violations

What I found most surprising was that the DC Department of Health doesn’t require vermin to be eliminated, just minimized.