City Cast DC with Michael Schaffer
🚶 Walk a mile on Penn Ave. SE
December 10, 2025 · 💌 Kaela
Oh hey there! Today is the day I want YOU to become a City Cast DC Neighbor 🫵
Here’s why: D.C. should feel like a place where people know each other a little better and care a little more — especially after the year we’ve all had. City Cast Neighbors is our way of making that happen. It’s a community of locals celebrating what makes life here unique, all while supporting high-quality journalism.
If that sounds like you, join us and make this city feel like one big neighborhood.
For $10/month or $100/year, you’ll unlock perks to engage more deeply with local life — you’ll also support this daily newsletter made for locals, by locals. Plus! Join this week and we’ll send you a set of locally made artist postcards that celebrate D.C.!
What's CITY Talking About
Your Bus Route Might Be Changing
50 Metrobus routes are changing this Sunday in response to rider feedback about the new Better Bus Network. See the full list of changes here. [ABC7]
New Initiative Seeks Min Wage Increase
A new progressive initiative wants to put a measure on the 2026 ballot that would raise D.C.’s minimum wage to $25/hour (now $18/hour). The measure needs ~26,000 signatures to get on the ballot but opponents say Initiative 82 already spiked labor costs, leaving businesses scrambling. [Axios]
Fight Over VA Confederate School Names Begins
Virginia school board's decision to bring back Confederate names on two schools heads to trial this week. Plaintiffs allege that the names discriminate against Black students and force them to represent a message of racism. [Washington Post 🔒]
DC Makes NYT Best Dishes List
Two D.C. dishes made it on to the New York Times Best Restaurant Dishes of 2025 list — Falafel Jibne at La’ Shukran and Ben’s Bowl at Dōgon. Agreed, but we can also think of about a million more! (More on that soon 🫣) [New York Times 🔒]
How To Get Cheap Holiday Flights
It’s officially holiday travel season! Whether you're taking a tropical vacay or visiting family in rural Montana, travel expert Scott Keyes from Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) spilled the deets on how to get cheap flights from D.C. and other travel hacks. [City Cast DC 🎧]
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What To Do
Wednesday, Dec. 10
- 🚂 Light Yards Express at The Yards (Navy Yard)
- ✍️ Golden Haiku Workshop (Downtown)
- 🍷 Holiday Natural Wine Tasting at No Kisses Bar (Park View)
- 🪡 Winter Photo Embroidery Workshop at Stardust Vintage (Del Ray)
- 🤘 Punk Archive Processing Night at MLK Library (Downtown)
Thursday, Dec. 11
- 🎁 Gift Wrap Extravanganza at Deanwood Library
- ☃️ HumanitiesDC Winter Soirée at the True Reformer Building (U St. Corridor)
- 📵 Phone Free Art Gallery Party at Hush Harbor (H Street NE)
- 🎥 Hallmark Movie Marathon + Gingerbread House Making Party at Metrobar (Edgewood)
- 🌲 Christmas at Tudor Place (Georgetown)
- 📚 Book Club Holiday Party at Old Town Books (Alexandria)
- 🍶 Sake & Wine Holiday Soirée (H St. NE)
- 🪡 Embroidery, Imperialism and Mobility in the Horn of Africa at the GW Textile Museum (Foggy Bottom)
- 🎛️ Tunes: Lumasi’s Escape Tour (DJ/Electronic) at Flash (Shaw)
🎩 Hats off to our newest City Cast DC Neighbors: Izzy M., Kelsey B., Alison R., Jenna S., Taylor O., and Colleen J. May all of your buses be on time and your happy hours have hot toddies.
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