City Cast DC

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast community. Happy July everyone! July in DC has a lot to offer, despite the oppressive weather. Our hosts Mike Schaffer and Bridget Todd are here to talk about what to do when it’s hot and muggy and gross out this month. For even more tips on how to make the most of Jul...

DC police are getting drones, DC bicyclists are getting a new trail, and Abraham Lincoln has melted! Washington City Paper’s Alex Koma and City Cast’s Julia Karron join the show to round up the week.  Join us for our next live taping at Metrobar DC!  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as lit...

If you live on the Red Line, you know it’s been a summer of Metro closures — which makes it a great time to check out one of our favorite early City Cast episodes. We sat down with Metro historian Zack Schrag and transit planner Matt Johnson to talk about one of my favorite pastimes: Making up fantasy Metro lines that can get you exactly where you want to go. Or, at least, talking about why they c...

Did you spend a bunch of money on craft supplies in the early parts of the pandemic that you never really used? Whether you’re an aspiring crafter or a seasoned pro, Madeleine Odendahl, founder of Merry Pin, the city’s first crafting bar and cafe, says D.C. is a great place to get your craft on.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also beco...

A D.C. coffee shop is alleged of kicking anti-union efforts into overdrive, the heat is making Metro slow its roll, and the Folger Shakespeare Library is reopening. To get into all of it, CityCast’s Kaela Cote-Stemmermann and Cuneyt Dil from Axios join the show. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening...

We’ve got a budget for 2025! And it’s very different from the one that we talked about with Mayor Bowser. The Washington Post’s Michael Brice-Saddler is here to tell us the differences between the two, and what the council’s priorities are. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $8...

We’ve got a zoning battle in Georgetown over bagels, we’ve got a copy of the sports economic study, and we all have to find a way to survive the heat wave crushing the city. ANC member Topher Matthews and the Washington Post’s Michael Brice-Saddler are here to chat all about it. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with...

Since May of this year, Giant has banned bags above a certain size to crack down on shoplifting. For shoppers like our host, Bridget, this means not only an inconvenience, but the company putting corporate responsibility onto their customers.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as...

Are all those new speed cameras making an impact? Plus, we need to hash out D.C.’s new budget, and how to celebrate Juneteenth! To dig into all of this, we’re joined by Briana Thomas, author of Black Broadway in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 18th episode: PaintCare Paulson & Nace  Eagle Bank  Smithsonian Folklife Festival Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign...

Absentee rates at D.C. schools have gone absolutely off the charts. Everyone agrees it’s a problem, but there’s a lot of disagreement about how to fix it. Axios’ Cuneyt Dil has been covering kids playing hooky and grownups playing politics.   If you enjoyed this interview with Alliance Française's Executive Director, Sara Dilligenti, learn more here. Learn more about the pther sponsors of this Jun...

The Washington Post is making news, we’ve got James Beard award winners in our own backyard, and we get an update on the ultimate park's quest. Ann Limpert from Washingtonian and Jacob Fenston are here to get into all of it. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 14th episode: Casey Trees Alliance Française Eagle Bank Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter...

It’s D.C. Parks Week sponsored by Casey Trees, a week of coverage celebrating D.C.’s green spaces. D.C. was recently named the country’s best big city park system by the Trust for Public Land for the fourth time in a row! We are a park city, and not all of our parks are big. Greater Greater Washington’s Dan Reed and Kelly Collins Choi of Casey Trees sound off on what makes DC’s pocket parks so sp...

It’s Parks Week sponsored by Casey Trees! A week of coverage celebrating DC’s green spaces. If you’re hearing more about foraging lately but don’t know where to start, you’re not alone. April Thompson, culinary chair of the Mycological Association of Washington D.C., explains what you need to know to safely and deliciously forage in the DMV. Learn more about the sponsors of this June 12th episode:...

It’s Parks Week sponsored by Casey Trees! A week of coverage celebrating DC’s green spaces.  In today’s roundup, we dig into a potential change in D.C.’s weed legalization, recent extreme weather in the area, and why the District is having a great reality TV season. Contact 311 or visit trees.dc.gov for more information on tree maintenance. Check out are episodes on DC's weird weed culture and gre...

It’s Parks Week sponsored by Casey Trees! A week of coverage celebrating D.C.’s green spaces. A recent study says 9 of 11 forests in DC could face failure of regeneration. The National Park Service’s JP Schmit is here to explain what forest regeneration is and what we can do about it. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member,...

We’re talking election results, pet policies and pride month with City Paper’s Alex Koma and Hey DC’s Kaela Cote-Stemmerman.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $8 a month. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE We’re also on Twitter! Follow us at @citycas...

Are you vegan? Vegan-curious? Or just likely to go out to dinner with a vegan? Tom Sietsema from the Washington Post is here to talk through the best of DC’s burgeoning vegan and vegetarian dining options.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE And we’d love to feature you on the show! Shar...

There are so many thrift stores throughout the DMV area! So we connected with Sidney Hui, owner of Disco Loft, to lay out our guide for thrifting in DC.  Plus, we have all the results from election day! We'll be back with a more in depth analysis on our Friday news roundup. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-fr...

Gas leaks at a D.C. elementary school, more news on the Adams Morgan SunTrust plaza development, and can you be charged for skipping your dinner reservations? Hill Rag’s Elizabeth O'Gorek and Axios DC’s Mimi Montgomery join to get into all of it. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little...

The 11th Street Bridge Park will link Capitol Hill and Navy Yard with the Anacostia and Fairlawn neighborhoods. We spoke with Ronald Moten from Don’t Mute DC and Scott Kratz of the 11th Street Bridge Park Project about what to expect from this mega project. Plus! City Cast’s Priyanka Tilve caught up with Casey Trees’ director of policy and land conservation about their work preserving green spaces...

Washington is elated about getting its pandas back, and City Cast CEO David Plotz is here to rain on their parade. On the other hand, there’s also a new report ranking Washington as having the best parks in the country, and City Cast park expert Jacob Fenston is going to lead that parade. And we’re also going to talk through the latest skirmishing over the city’s budget, which involves the prospec...

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast community. It’s officially summer time, and June is one of the most exciting seasons the city has to offer. From Pride celebrations to dancing outdoors, we’ve got you covered. Plus, if you’re worried about the impending Metro closures, Metro GM Randy Clarke assuages ou...

It’s election season in D.C.! Washington City Paper’s Alex Koma is here to give us the low-down on the city’s hottest races before you head to the polls on June 4. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $8 a month. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE And we...

Two Capitol Hill area elementary schools - Maury and Miner- could merge thanks to D.C.’s redistricting of school lines. And some parents are pissed. Lauren Lumpkin, Education Reporter for the Washington Post, has been following the story. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll...

We’d usually be doing our Friday News Roundup, but instead we’re sitting down with the Mayor of D.C., Muriel Bowser. She invited us to her office in the Wilson Building, and we showed up with questions about her administration, her future plans, and the state of D.C. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s...