Citylights Realty Group participated in this year’s Rebuilding Together Project.  The house was located on Channing St. NE near Galludet University and we helped with cleaning, painting and updating the kitchen and bath for the elderly owner.  We had a great time getting down and dirty with our colleagues!

A note of thanks to Kate Reichert and Andrew Kohn, who participated with me in the Rebuilding Together project on Saturday April 25th, 2009. The house was located at 524 14th St. NE in DC’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. It was a two level Victorian home with three bedrooms and one full bath. Minnie, the 71 year old owner, was as sweet as can be. Her home had been uncared for since her husband passed away and as a result, it needed to be cleaned up and repaired.

Together with the crew organized by GCAAR, we took charge and cleaned her kitchen, repaired appliances, repaired her utility room, painted exterior window trims, planted flowers in her front yard, cleared out her back yard and bedrooms (which were FULL of unneeded items), repaired her toilet and cleaned the bathroom, installed grab-bars, painted the second floor hallway and bedroom and, overall, created a more functional, clean and organized home for her.

It was truly a wonderful experience to not only bond with other realtors in the area who care about their communities, but also to see how our work together made and will continue to make a positive impact on the owner’s quality of life. Thank you again for your participation. I look forward to the next opportunity to share in this wonderful experience!

For those of you who’ll enjoy mixing a bit of art with the inaugural festivities around town: This will be taking place from the 17th to the 19th in Georgetown’s now defunct Artefacto gallery space (nearly 10,000 sqft!) near Cady’s Alley at 3333 M St. NW.

Art plays a pivotal role in creating cultural momentum. The MANIFESTHOPE: DC Gallery celebrates that role and shines a spotlight on artists who use their voices to amplify and motivate the grassroots movement that carried President-Elect Barack Obama to victory.

MANIFESTHOPE: DC gathers together a diverse array of the nation’s most talented visual artists under one roof to mark this monumental achievement in our nation’s history and encourages artists and activists to maintain the momentum to bring about true change in the United States.

Along with its partners, MoveOn.org Political Action, the Service Employees International Union and Obey Giant, MANIFESTHOPE: DC, will issue an inspiring visual call-to-action, encouraging a redirection of public energy toward true reform in three key areas:

• Health Care Reform
• Workers’ Rights
• The Green Economy

The MANIFESTHOPE: DC Gallery will be open to the public in Washington, DC for the days preceding the Presidential Inauguration, Saturday, January 17th, 2009 through Monday, January 19th, 2009 between the hours of 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Art exhibition management will be provided by our Washington, DC gallery partner, Irvine Contemporary.

If you’re in Logan Circle during the weekend, you MUST stop by at Irvine Gallery, one of my favorite places to go in DC for cutting-edge art. Check out this link for more information. While you’re there, you should also go to G Fine Art Gallery and see their current exhibit.

Lori Esposito, Belated, 2007, Acrylic on aluminum on panel, 19 X 18 inches

When you’re in Logan, be sure to check out the Tavern. I go to Halo for a different kind of ambiance: Latest electro/house playing, uber-mod decor, and fancy cocktails. HR57 has some crazy jazz ensembles right up the street. Vegas Lounge is for the blues and funk, and when you’re tired of it all, you go to Helix and relax by their bar and order a lovely little palette cleanser and call it the day.

Now, go enjoy some culture for god’s sake!