As a D.C. native (from birth, shout out to the Columbia Hospital for Women, which has since been turned into gentrifier-friendly condos), it’s an emotional rollercoaster to see the major changes that have happened in the city, post-Anthony Williams in particular. Unfortunately, many of these newer residents don’t move here to join in and add to the city’s long-standing culture; they’d rather try to turn D.C. into whatever rural town in WisColorUtah they came from. Overbearing bike lanes and resident-only street parking in high-traffic commercial areas are two of the ways that many of us have increasingly felt like outsiders in the place we call(ed) home.

Here’s another example: new noise ordinances in those very same entertainment-heavy neighborhoods….remember that bulls*** at the Verizon Center Capital One Arena? Over the past week, the attention has been building in the Shaw area, where the Metro PCS store — long-known for serenading the busy intersection with Go-Go — suddenly found themselves having to turn the music down (source):

The speakers outside the Metro PCS at the corner of 7th Street and Florida Avenue NW are usually blaring the sounds of Go-Go, a music genre born in D.C.

But the store was forced to turn down the music recently after a neighbor reportedly made a complaint to the company.

In response, the #DontMuteDC movement was born, which has led to huge rallies both near the store in question, and on 14th and U Sts. NW. Even the CEO of T-Mobile has since responded:

Check out some clips of the protests that have taken place. For those that live in D.C. or any other major city and don’t like the noise (especially those that don’t come from here), please move your dumb ass to the boondocks and go to sleep.

A small-but-committed group of writers, bloggers and videographers that (mostly) exist and function all over the D.C. Metro area.