Why Does This Blog Exist?

I have lived in the DC area for over a decade (half of it in Georgetown) and it has been amazing to see the transformation that has taken place since I first stepped foot in the neighborhood.  As we all know, the retail world here has been flipped on its head, so much so that the M Street and Wisconsin Avenue we used to know barely survives in the deepest recesses of our brains.  Gone are the institutions that forged the people we are today:  Third Edition, Commander Salamander, The Cheesesteak Factory, Barnes and Noble, Furin's, etc.  In their place we've gotten a lot of chains and even more empty storefronts...

Here's my question: why do we get five new banks for every unique proposition (like the totally delicious Pie Sisters)?  More importantly, wouldn't it be great if the residents of 20007 actually had a say in what shops we get?  While this is a bit of a fantasy, it's not entirely off-the-wall.  

For instance, I have always wanted a nearby storage facility to put those things that never seem to fit in our little house.  Obviously, this will never happen thanks to zoning and sheer cost (which is why I am thankful this site exists), but you catch my drift.  That said, there are a number of other ideas that could survive and thrive, even at rents approaching and surpassing $5K-$10K a month.  Perhaps all it would take to make them successful is some advanced warning on what we actually want!

It's my goal to pop a few good ideas on here each month and, based on your comments, see what can happen when a community rallies around a shared need or desire.