As most of my friends know – I a regular at the Social Safeway in Georgetown. I have been going there for 5 years now and I probably shop there about 5 times a week. It is perfect because it is right across the street from my apartment and I’m able to get fresher groceries. I frequent the Safeway so much that I actually know many of the employees by first name and they know me. In fact last night Tom, one of the managers, actually opened up another checkout and secretly told me which one it was so I could be first in line. Talk about perks at the grocery store. There has been some buzz over the Burleith residents’ listserv about a renovation at the Safeway that will have it closed for a full year. What am I going to do without my nightly stops at the store? Am I actually going to have shop at the Whole Foods (or Whole paycheck as someone put it yesterday)? Yikes – this may mean I will have to go to either VA or the Harris Teeter in Adams Morgan.
Clearly I really like my neighborhood. After 5 years – I finally know where everything is, where to go and who the people are in the area. In fact when I moved here 5 years ago – I started going to Bourbon in Glover Park – like the first day it opened. I was the guy there alone on Friday nights getting to know the bartenders, eating dinner and drinking too much. So much in fact I usually ending up buying all of the attractive woman at the bar a drink – it never really got me anywhere but hey it was fun. Thank goodness I was friends with the bartenders or else I would have been broke. I was there so often that they joked that they opened the Bourbon in Adams Morgan because they found out I was dating someone in that neighborhood (whom I am not longer dating – ladies 
).
There is something to be said for a community like atmosphere whether it is going to the Flea Market at the Hardy Middle School (which should reopen soon) or just knowing the barista at the Starbucks. It makes me wonder as the DC neighborhoods continue to move East – are they going to be as friendly and convenient? Will the constant violent crime that is that area subside? Will the residents know someone like Tom at their Safeway?
Although I may be moving soon (maybe Boston, Chicago or Atlanta), I can’t imagine not being in my neighborhood even without a Metro. So make friends with your local retailers and their employees – it will make your experiences that much better.
