From CityZen to Citizen

So tonight my boss is taking our team out for a year end celebration (we officially close our books on January 31) at one of DC’s nicest restaurants, CityZen.  I’ve never been before, because I don’t routinely drop $200+ on dinner, but I’ve never met an expense account I didn’t like.  Anyway, it should be a fun, drunk, expensive evening at a restaurant universally raved about locally and nationally.

The point of this entry is that going to this fancy restaurant got me thinking.  Despite nearly 5 years in Washington, I have still not made it to a lot of off-the-beaten-path attractions.  I’m appealing to my readers (that’s you) for help.  If you live here, or have just visited.  Comment about your favorite attractions, museums, restaurants, and other things less well known than the Lincoln Memorial.

I want to make my last couple of months here memorable, and check out some DC things that I have previously overlooked.

580 California

Here’s some actual news.  I have found out the address of the new building.  It’s called 580 California, and is (shockingly) located at 580 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94104.

I did a little research and found out that it’s a 23 story building, built in 1987.  It has very distinctive architecture that sets it out from the surrounding offices.  It has a mansard roof, and is adorned by three statues on each side.  The statues are apparently a source of some controversy, since their a bit creepy looking and out of place in the Financial District.

The statues were described as “Corporate Goddesses” by the artist, Muriel Castanis, and where commissioned specifically for the building by architect Philip Johnson.  They are the subject of much conjecture and joking in the SF blogosphere.

Here’s some more info on the architecture of the building, all jazzed up with big words.

Check out some pictures and a close up of the “goddesses” after the jump

Hell on Wheels

Picture Hell for a moment.  What do you imagine? … It probably involves some combination of extreme heat, massive overcrowding, and enternity.  Got that mental image queued up?  Good, because that’s also what my daily commute in Washington is like.

Read all about the governments mobile hell after the jump.

A Little Claustrophobic

I first applied to Transfer to San Francisco about 10 days ago, but I kept it under wraps.  Only a few close friends knew, since I didn’t want to jinx my chances.  Having now gotten the go ahead, I announced my plans to the world in the letter posted after the jump.  And don’t flip over the blanks, I scrubbed it of identifying marks to throw all you creepy internet stalker types off my trail.

 

Read the letter to friends and family…

Setting the Ball in Motion

I found at yesterday that my transfer application for the new San Francisco office had been approved.  So now I’m definitely in.  There’s no exact move date yet, but HR tells me it will be late March.  So that gives me about 8 weeks left here in DC.  I’m sure those weeks will have their ups and downs, but this week is all up.  I’m excited about a new city and a new start.  Plus my best friend already lives there, and every time I’ve been to SF has been amazing.  Now I just have to sublet my room, sell all my stuff I don’t need, and of course, say goodbye to everyone I’ve met here in the last fives years.

 It’s a lot to do, and not really that much time to do it.  Bookmark this page and check back frequently to find out how your intrepid explorer is doing.