Georgetown Hunkers Down for the Storm, but Some Restaurants Are Open

The intersection of Wisconsin and M streets in Georgetown is typically jammed with rush hour traffic on Monday mornings at 9. On this morning of Hurricane Sandy, it was empty. There were a few walkers, but fewer—if any—cars. An hourlong walk around the neighborhood found these observations:

• One store, Papyrus, was fully boarded up. The Apple store and its next-door neighbor, Madewell, both had sandbags out front. This may be prudent, but if the Potomac River were to rise to their level on Wisconsin Avenue, it would mean an epic flood.

• CVS, Wisey’s, and Marvelous Market were open, but the PNC Bank was closed.

• There are “no parking” placards up all over Wisconsin and M streets, but they aren’t related to the storm. They are for Halloween, which will get here in some form eventually. (There is some sentiment toward postponing the Halloween celebration until Saturday.)

• The C&O Canal has been drained to prevent any flood damage.

• We did find a construction crew hard at work inside the space at 1220 Wisconsin Avenue, which used to be the American Eagle store.

• The floodgates are up at Washington Harbor, but interestingly the buildings along K Street do not have sandbags out. Maybe that’s because the Potomac usually floods in Georgetown a few days after a storm, when the runoff comes rushing down from the highlands.

• Restaurants open for business today in Georgetown include Clyde’s, Cafe Milano, Bourbon Steak, La Chaumière, Bistrot Lepic, Bistro Français, Thunder Burger, and Peacock Cafe.