City Cast DC

Axios’ Cuynet Dil and City Cast’s Julia Karron join our roundup to talk about zombie office buildings and zombie bike lanes and one of the most D.C. stories of all time: A cheating scandal at a pub quiz.  Check out our episode on the fight over the Connecticut Avenue bike lanes here. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You also have a chance to win...

The history of D.C.’s alleys is a weird, crazy metaphor for a couple centuries of race and class and power. We spoke to Kim Prothro Williams, author of Hidden Alleyways of Washington, DC: A History, to learn about the streets behind the streets.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. And we’ve got Nationals tickets for YOU! For a chance to win 2 FIS c...

This weekend is 4/20, the annual holiday where cannabis enthusiasts celebrate all things weed. Being in the shadow of the federal government means the laws around cannabis in the city are a little complicated. Alan Amsterdam, Owner of Capitol Hemp, is here to clear the smoke around getting high in D.C.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can al...

Today is Emancipation Day. Even if you’ve been living in the District for a while, you might not know much about the holiday, and what makes it uniquely D.C. Briana Thomas, author of Black Broadway, joins to explain what you should know about Emancipation Day in D.C. and how to commemorate it. Want some more D.C. news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. Wanna win tickets...

You might have noticed that gas leaks have been in the news more often. It’s pretty scary! When you suspect there’s a gas leak happening, it might not be clear what to do. So today on City Cast DC, we’re talking with environmental reporter Kayla Benjamin to get the lay of the land on what’s happening. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also...

Reporter Michael Pope and author Briana Thomas join the show to talk about what the D.C. budget means for the cost of your child care, what the Virginia budget means for the health of our Metro system, and ways YOU can vote for D.C.’s best restaurants. You can vote for your favorite restaurants for the RAMMY awards here. Wanna win tickets to see the Washington Nationals? Become a City Cast DC memb...

D.C. has an absurd amount of parks – 683! Longtime D.C. environmental reporter Jacob Fenston is hitting up all of them for us in the ultimate D.C. park's quest. We catch up with him to see how it's going, what his approach is, and to learn the weirdest thing he has seen in the Potomac so far.  And don’t forget to vote for City Cast DC as the District’s best podcast! Want some more DC news? Then ma...

If you’ve ever had to GO while out and about in D.C., we’ve got good news. Throne Labs, a high tech toilet company, is bringing  public restrooms to 5 different locations in the city as part of the D.C. Public Restroom Pilot Program. But D.C.’s track record with public restrooms has been iffy at best. Jonathan Katz joined us awhile back to explain why this is a big deal for everyone. To learn more...

In today’s roundup, we’re talking about the city sending a warning to unlicensed weed shops in the city, an update on keeping sports teams in D.C., and 1 star reviews of Capital One Arena. Parents have taken on weed shops in the past, and we explain why that’s a big deal. 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...

There’s been a crazy fight going on about whether to erect an apartment building on the site of an old firehouse on U Street — and it’s a fight worth watching because it says a lot about what it takes to actually build anything in D.C. Paul Schwartzman from the Washington Post has been covering it and is here to walk us through the wild details.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up f...

We’re breaking down the 2025 budget with City Paper’s Alex Koma, and Washingtonian’s Jessica Sidman is here to talk about D.C.’s nominees for the James Beard awards — and a crazy spy story at a local Russian restaurant.  Check out our interview with James Beard award-winning chef, Rob Rubba, on why we should all be switching to electric stoves! Also! We're giving away a Hey DC mug! But you have to...

How’s your D.C. food trivia game? Two of the city’s premier food journalists are here to match wits about the past and present of Washington culinary life. It’s Jessica Sidman versus Ann Limpert in a D.C. food trivia showdown. Jess mentioned that she doesn’t think D.C. is in the South, but we’re not sure it’s so simple. Check out the episode where we tried to figure it out. Want some more DC news?...

Right now, through April 15, D.C. residents can apply to get up to $2000 from the city government to buy an e-bike. But there are limited funds available, and it got us thinking – how desperate ARE we really to buy our own e-bikes? Or, do the ones sprawled around town to rent do the trick? City Cast Producer Ashe Durban systematically tested all the different brands, and he’s here to give us the l...

Ted Leonsis, who owns the Capitals and Wizards, is giving us some major whiplash. He’s had an abrupt change of heart and the Caps and Wizards will be staying in D.C. The Washington Post's Candace Buckner is here to tell us how Ted can make Washingtonians love him again and protect his long-term legacy.  Losing the teams would have been a tough blow for Chinatown, which is already dealing with the...

April in D.C. is about more than just cherry blossoms. The City Cast D.C. crew has recommendations for upcoming festivals, celebrations, and new ways to explore the city. Let us be your guide to ensure April isn’t the cruelest month. Plus, at the end of the episode, senior executive producer Priyanka Tilve sits down with our sponsor District Bridges to talk about one event THEY think you should at...

In a dramatic turn of events, Monumental Sports owner Ted Leonsis announced that the Capitals and Wizards will be staying in D.C. after all. Plus, there’s yet another new food hall in the DMV and Nats Park has undergone some futuristic upgrades just in time for the new season. Axios’ Cuneyt Dil and Anna Spiegel join the team to break it all down. For more on Ted Leonsis’ battle with a local Chinat...

Anything built in Georgetown has to go through the Old Georgetown Board. And, most recently it refused to approve an office-to-residential conversion on Thomas Jefferson St. NW. Topher Matthews, from Georgetown Metropolitan, explains how this unelected board of architects came to be and why it may be out-of-step with the city’s priorities. Want a free (and beautiful) engraved mug? Sign up to becom...

You might not think of D.C. as a city where you need to watch out for snakes, but multiple snake sightings in the city dispel that notion. Wildlife educator Caroline Seitz loves our scaly, slithery friends and last year, she explained to me what types of snakes are in the area and what you should do if you see one. Want a free (and beautiful) engraved mug? Sign up to become a City Cast DC member t...

It seems like there are weed shops, vape shops and smoke shops on every corner in D.C. these days. For some, it's heaven, for others it’s a bit much. Our hosts Bridget Todd and Michael Schaffer sat down to get into how D.C.’s cannabis culture is changing, why there’s so many weed shops, and what it means for the city. Want a free (and beautiful) engraved mug? Sign up to become a City Cast DC membe...

There’s been a lot of controversy around D.C.’s public housing agency. The latest involves the question of whether the city is overpaying landlords. Steve Thompson from the Washington Post is here to explain why it matters — to people on public assistance and to everyone else in D.C. too.  Want a free (and beautiful) engraved mug? Sign up to become a City Cast DC member to enter the raffle. Plus y...

Environmental reporter Jacob Fenston joins the team to talk about frat chaos at the University of Maryland, e-bike vouchers in D.C., and a new quest to visit every park in the District. Learn more about D.C.'s impending budget crisis in this podcast episode. Want a free (and beautiful) engraved mug? Sign up to become a City Cast DC member to enter the raffle. Plus you’ll get ad-free listening, for...

One of the most notable features of Washington’s cityscape is the skyscrapers: there aren’t any! That’s thanks to a law that’s more than a century old. But we’re in the midst of another conversation about tinkering with the law. We spoke with WTOP’s Luke Garrett last year to break it all down.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become...

Allergy season is here. It may seem a little early, but this year’s unusually warm weather has pollen counts near record highs in D.C. Dr. Rachel Schreiber, who heads up the Schreiber Allergy practice, joins us to share what you need to know about surviving allergy season.  Stay up to date with DC news! Sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more...

Cherry blossoms are peaking early thanks to climate change and there’s a fight over D.C.’s busiest airport. The City Cast team is here to sum up the latest news and laugh at some hilarious one star reviews of the Jefferson Memorial.  Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC, to keep up with all the latest in the city. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as littl...

It looks like D.C.’s city budget is about to have a big fat hole in it. If you feel like we were swimming in cash not so long ago, you’re right. Tristan Navera from the Business Journal is here to tell us how this happened and what could be on the chopping block.  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 listeni...