| |  | D.C. is one step closer to having a museum of its very own.Construction on The City Museum will begin on September11, 2001 at the soon-to- |
| be-restored Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square. A project of the D.C. Historical Society,the driving forces behind the $30-million undertaking includeformer D.C. Mayor Walter E. Washington, construction-industrypioneer and native Washingtonian Albert H. Small, and editor emeritus ofThe Kiplinger Letter, Austin H. Kiplinger. Approximately$12.5 million has been raised so far for the museum that willbe dedicated to the Nation’s Capital and its rich local history. | | 
photo by Judy Rolfe
| | Checking in under an alias: It seems that The Ritz-Carlton,Washington D.C. is the hotel of choice forcelebrities visiting the city, with over 200 stars making it theirhome away from home, since the hotel opened its doors inOctober of last year. While the hotel is careful not to disclosethe names of its clients, or their assumed names atcheck-in, they did tell us that celebrities often register underanother celebrity’s name, and that there have been twooccasions in the last year when the celebrity whose namewas being used also checked into the hotel the same night.Fortunately, there were no mishaps and none of the celebritiesknew about the others.
| | We do know that over the summer Nicolas Cage checkedinto the Ritz-Carlton in D.C. with Lisa Marie Presleyunder a name that could be taken to have a similar meaningto “Hunk of Burnin’ Love.” Maybe next time he’ll check in asMichael Jackson, Presley’s ex.
| | Mayor Anthony Williams posed for photographs after announcing a 10-year agreementwith the American Le Mans Series that will bring the area’s first major auto race, theNational Grand Prix to the city next July during Race Weekend at RFK Stadium. Athree-hour race, the temporary street circuit will include 12 turns,including three hairpins, and a 3,000-foot straightaway.Race Weekend will also feature live music, and an exphibition,as well as three other races—one for celebrities, theWorld Challenge, and the Trans-Am Series. Cars moving athigh rates of speed, somewhere besides the Capital Beltway?..Imagine that. | | 
photo by Alex Wong/ Getty Images
| | Look out Sundance Kid, the Georgetown Independent Film Festival has come totown! A series of summer fundraisers was held for the Festival, with the season closer atThe Ralls Collection on July 26. Gallery owner Marsha Ralls was looking particularly fit inpreparation for her August 25th hike up Mt. Rainier to raise money for the Leukemia &Lymphoma Society. Guests sipped cocktails and viewed a preview collection of shorts, trailers,and new media from promising filmmakers, animators, andmoving image artists. The Festival’s Executive Director, EricSommer, had this to say about independent films: “A film’sbudget, as Hollywood has so perfectly demonstrated, does notassure success—a plot and a well-crafted script beat tired dialogand eye candy every time.” Viewers of the Festival’s filmswere impressed with the quality and level of talent exhibited.Washington Life is looking forward to next year’s festival. | | 
Eric Sommer & Rick Siems
(photo by Geoffrey T. Chesman)
| | The Topaz, a new boutique hotel offering personalized servicein a décor mixed with touches of Eastern symbolism, is dueto open in October 2001. Located at 1733 N Street, the exotichotel (formerly the Canterbury) will feature special yoga andmeditation rooms. It was developed by the Kimpton Hoteland Restaurant Group, which is known for transformingolder, often historic buildings into charming European—styleaccommodations. The Topaz will be the Kimpton Group’s first hotel located on the East Coast.
| | It seems that Jeffrey’s at the Watergate isn’t just a favoritedining spot of President and Mrs. Bush. National SecurityAdviser Condoleeza Rice, Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill,and Commerce Secretary Don Evans have also dined at the restaurant, inaddition to Lynne Cheney, former Secretary of State MadeleineAlbright, and Mel Gibson.
| | Christopher Murray, owner of the fabulous Govinda Gallery, andartist Carlotta Hester took time to check in with Washington Life while jet-settingbetween Holland, Ireland (where they visited their friend andmusician/singer Donovan in County Cork) and Majorca, Spain, where theyrented a villa in the famous arts colony of Deia in July overlookingthe Mediterranean, next door to movie stars MichaelDouglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ house. Loyal readersthat they are, they wrote that they even left a copy ofWashington Life at Catherine and Michael’s house for them toread. How considerate!
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| | Ann Hand has a new store opening at 4855 MacArthurBoulevard, appropriately named “Ann Hand”. The store willinclude her jewelry as well as a new line of perfume and candlesfrom France. Designed to resemble an English living room,the store’s hours will be by-appointment only. The grand openingis slated for mid-October.
| | Hats off to Sesto Senso restaurant owners Patricia andFabio Beggiato, the Many Hats Institute, and YouthService America for co-hosting a recent fundraiser that raisedover $6,000 to benefit Youth Service America and its programs.Youth Service’s mission is to strengthen the effectiveness, sustainability,and scale of the youth service movement. An autographedpictorial book of former President Clinton’s Years inOffice, cosigned by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton,fetched $190 at auction. Guess the buyer didn’t want to wait inline later for a signed copy of the former President’s memoirs.
| | And closing on a sad note, Stuart Carleton Davidson,founder of Washington’s Clyde’s Restaurant Group, a titanof the Washington business scene, died suddenly in Norway onAugust 1, while traveling in the Arctic Circle with his wifeSally. Davidson opened Clyde’s of Georgetown in August1963, citing D.C.’s “lack of a good saloon.” Opening the firstClyde’s in the tradition of “an American bar”, he summed uphis philosophy thus: “It’s more fun to eat in a saloon than todrink in a restaurant.” We’ll drink (and eat) to that! Our condolences to his family.
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or fax to:F.Y.I. D.C. 202-745-9268. |
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