The Best Hey DC Stories From 2023

With 2023 rapidly coming to an end, we wanted to look back at our most loved stories of the year. Maybe these will trigger some nostalgia, teach you something new, or compel you to become a City Cast DC member (wink wink). We’re not picky.

The Best Spots to Cry In DC:

If winters in D.C. have taught me anything, it’s how to perfect the art of crying in public. Here are our tried-and-true spots to attain that desolate, heartbroken vibe that everyone needs sometimes.

How to Survive a D.C. Group House:

In D.C. it’s common to live in a row home with 3 - 10 (or more!) people far into your 30s. Here are tips from readers on how to keep a happy group house (and some horror stories too).

What It’s Like To Be a DC Food Critic:

Washington Post’s food critic Tom Sietsema has D.C.’s most universally envied job. Being paid to eat out for a living? Sign me up. But there’s more to it than just ordering food and assigning stars. Sietsema spills some tricks of the trade.

How to Handle Service Fees:

Ever since Initiative 82 kicked in this summer, navigating tipping and service fees has gotten more confusing than ever. This is your ultimate guide to tipping in D.C.

Do I Call It Malcolm X or Meridian Hill Park?

This park has long sat as a centerpiece, both literally and figuratively, in the D.C. community. But what to actually call it is a delicate question.

Chef Profile: Masako Morishita

Masako Morishita is the first Japanese woman to helm the kitchen at Perry’s restaurant in Adams Morgan and she’s quickly turned the local spot into a critically-acclaimed destination for Japanese comfort food.

DC’s Best Underrated Restaurants:

There have been lots of new restaurant openings, but don’t forget about the durable staples that fly under the radar. They might not be all over your Instagram feed, but they punch above their weight.

How To Find Your Perfect DC Book Club:

Is “read more” going to be one of your New Year's resolutions? Luckily, D.C. is obsessed with book clubs (like obsessed). But with clubs on everything from cooking to labor politics to Gilmore Girls, how do you possibly choose?!