In the landscape of the American roadway, four colors seem to reign supreme for background signage: green, yellow, orange, and blue. Green (with white lettering) is the status quo across freeways and most municipal markers for value-neutral guidance and wayfinding. Yellow (with black lettering) is most pervasive in signaling a permanent aberration: e.g., a change
The font, the name “spectrum”, the combination of rainbow against a monochrome backdrop, the inclusion of a prism—it all evokes an aesthetic gestalt that probably seemed pretty fashionable during its 1980s inception (concurrent with the album Glassworks, maybe?), then enjoyed a lingering viability as a signifier of all things highbrow and “arty”, all the way
I normally offer a disclaimer whenever I write an article about a timely or currently relevant subject. Essentially, these disclaimers all offer the same warning: don’t expect this to become a routine. And, even though my last hot-off-the-press article wasn’t that long ago and generated considerable response, I still won’t get into the habit because,
Cleveland Park in Washington DC is, by almost all metrics, a superlatively walkable neighborhood. Just 2.5 miles northwest of the National Mall and DC’s vast downtown, the neighborhood features finely wrought detached, semi-detached, and multifamily housing, all surrounding a commercial node at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue NW and Ordway Avenue NW. It is one
A few years ago, I explored what Arlington County (Virginia) was telling me was a bona fide bike boulevard. I mean, it had to be: all the street signs in the area used the words “BIKE BOULEVARD” in white and green underneath the traditional street name. Fine and good for the small set of advocates
I’d imagine most Americans who possess a drivers license have had at least one sub-par experience in an enclosed parking garage. Maybe it didn’t amount to an actual accident, but no doubt a dinged bumper or some seriously close call. In my many years of driving, I’ve had exactly one fender-bender that was my fault,
Whether by foot or by wheel, the average American encounters a certain red octagon frequently enough that 99% of adults will know what I’m talking about with no additional context. It’s not just that only one commonly occurring icon comes to mind that fits this “red octagon” description—though that’s certainly the case—it the fact
The designers of the Wilkes Street Tunnel surely didn’t expect that its novelty would someday elevate it into a tourist attraction. For over a century, it was functional infrastructure. But in 2025, what more could anyone call it? After all, it contributed to the economy of Alexandria, Virginia as a segment within an early railway,
I can’t claim I relish gruesome subjects, but when they’re as salacious as last month’s Exorcist steps, it was hard to resist. (And, I’ll admit, I needed an easy topic right before Halloween as I scrambled to meet my quota of articles before an extended trip overseas.) Most of the time, though, when I approach
The spooky season is among us! And though I’ve now lived in the DC metro for more than eight years, only at the end of October 2025 have I finally embarked on a journey to this famous flight of stairs. I’m not sure they achieve quite the memetic lore as the Rocky steps—the climb up
In the landscape of the American roadway, four colors seem to reign supreme for background signage: green, yellow, orange, and blue. Green (with white lettering) is the status quo across freeways and most
The font, the name “spectrum”, the combination of rainbow against a monochrome backdrop, the inclusion of a prism—it all evokes an aesthetic gestalt that probably seemed pretty fashionable during its 1980s inception (concurrent
I normally offer a disclaimer whenever I write an article about a timely or currently relevant subject. Essentially, these disclaimers all offer the same warning: don’t expect this to become a routine. And,
Cleveland Park in Washington DC is, by almost all metrics, a superlatively walkable neighborhood. Just 2.5 miles northwest of the National Mall and DC’s vast downtown, the neighborhood features finely wrought detached, semi-detached,
A few years ago, I explored what Arlington County (Virginia) was telling me was a bona fide bike boulevard. I mean, it had to be: all the street signs in the area used
I’d imagine most Americans who possess a drivers license have had at least one sub-par experience in an enclosed parking garage. Maybe it didn’t amount to an actual accident, but no doubt a
Whether by foot or by wheel, the average American encounters a certain red octagon frequently enough that 99% of adults will know what I’m talking about with no additional context. It’s not
The designers of the Wilkes Street Tunnel surely didn’t expect that its novelty would someday elevate it into a tourist attraction. For over a century, it was functional infrastructure. But in 2025, what
I can’t claim I relish gruesome subjects, but when they’re as salacious as last month’s Exorcist steps, it was hard to resist. (And, I’ll admit, I needed an easy topic right before Halloween
The spooky season is among us! And though I’ve now lived in the DC metro for more than eight years, only at the end of October 2025 have I finally embarked on a