The 51st

Black and white image of rowhomes in D.C. with trees in the foreground.

News

Last-minute lottery creates 'hot mess' for first-time D.C. homebuyers

Last-minute changes from the city confused first-time homebuyers who were expecting to qualify for assistance. Now, many of them are out of luck.

A photo of the Wilson Building in D.C. with two American flag poles on either side of the building.

News

Everything you need to know about D.C. home rule

The city’s power over its own affairs is imperiled by the incoming Trump administration. Here’s what you should know about the parameters of local control in D.C.

Phil Mendelson and Mayor Bowser on a background of the Wilson Building.

Wilson Building Bulletin

Wilson Building Bulletin: Juvenile justice bill passes first vote

The bill, from Attorney General Brian Schwalb, would increase oversight of the city's Department of Youth and Rehabilitation Services.

Seven actors sitting on or standing near on a couch while singing together on a theater stage. One is playing a drum.

Arts and Eats

Review: Art of Care at Mosaic

In a time of political fractures, global unrest, and heightened social tensions, can we imagine a world that centers communal care?

A view of the BLM Fence exhibit in the MLK Memorial Library through a window.

Events

13 things to do around D.C. this weekend

Head to a hair show and after party, peruse pottery from local ceramic artists, or look inward at a journaling workshop.

Maddie Poore, a white woman with curly black hair and a blue shirt, in front of a brick wall.

Meet our team

Meet our team: Maddie Poore

It takes a village to make The 51st. We’ll occasionally dedicate some space to introducing a member of the team.

Marion Barry, an African American man, is standing beside reporters holding microphones to his face.

Ask A D.C. Native

Ask A D.C. Native: Why are native Washingtonians so loyal to Marion Barry?

The "Mayor for Life" made an impact through activism, community development, and a non-nonsense leadership style.

The mural depicts at least five hands placing pieces of the D.C. flag together, along with swirling colors, fresh produce, an

You Street

Survey Results: Your outlook on living conditions in D.C. over the next five years

Nearly half of respondents expected living conditions to get worse, and that was before the presidential election results.

Phil Mendelson and Mayor Bowser in front of the Wilson Building, with graphics of question marks, a gavel, and money.

Wilson Building Bulletin

Wilson Building Bulletin: Comings and goings

Two departures from Bowser's administration in an otherwise quiet legislative week.

Groups of two people walk down Washington D.C.'s U Street with an art sale on the street in the background.

Weekend Events

13 things to do around D.C this weekend

Community is important right now: attend a post-election gathering space, make new friends, go to a sound bath.

The 51st

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Phil Mendelson and Mayor Bowser in front of the Wilson Building, with graphics of question marks, a gavel, and money.

Wilson Building Bulletin: Comings and goings

Two departures from Bowser's administration in an otherwise quiet legislative week.

Groups of two people walk down Washington D.C.'s U Street with an art sale on the street in the background.

13 things to do around D.C this weekend

Community is important right now: attend a post-election gathering space, make new friends, go to a sound bath.

Meet our team: Christina Sturdivant Sani

Meet our team: Christina Sturdivant Sani

It takes a village to make The 51st. We’ll occasionally dedicate some space to introducing a member of the team.

So...what do we do now?

So...what do we do now?

Local organizing and volunteer work is one way to stave off dread and bring about change when our electoral systems can’t.

What Republican control of Washington could mean for D.C.

What Republican control of Washington could mean for D.C.

The U.S. House is D.C.'s last hope for a bastion of resistance in federal Washington.

A picture of a sidewalk in D.C. with a small mural featuring fire, a first, and a traffic light.

An antidote to despair

Focusing on what we can do.

A photo of a woman in a white t-shirt with images of different "I voted" stickers on it.

Ranking the D.C. area’s ‘I Voted’ stickers

Are we stuck on them, or peeling them off the first chance we get?

What’s going on in the Ward 8 race?

Plus, your guide to voting in D.C., Wilson Building updates, and how you can be a better neighbor.

A photograph of a street in Ward 8 with a bus in the background and a sign that says "Vote November 5" in the foreground.

What’s going on in the Ward 8 race? An embattled incumbent, write-in candidates, and what to expect next year

Five write-in candidates have thrown their hat in the ring, but none have a realistic chance of ousting Trayon White.

A red and white voting sign on a blue wall.

How to vote in D.C.

Everything you were too afraid to ask about voting in the District.

Mayor Muriel Bowser and Chairman Phil Mendelson in front of the Wilson Building.

Wilson Building Bulletin: Protest restrictions, (over)riding for Circulator drivers, psychiatric facility oversight

Rounding up what you might've missed in local governing this week.

Adults and children scattered at an outdoor plaza surrounded by buildings in Washington D.C.'s Columbia Heights.

Ask A D.C. Native: What do you wish more people did to be better neighbors?

Aspiring to be a good neighbor in a city as richly diverse, vibrant, and dynamic as D.C. is essential and, honestly, a bit of an art form.

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