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AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Foggy Bottom Guide – 2000 Penn shops serve up mix of food and fun

Perhaps the most difficult thing about being a college student living in D.C. is saving money. Standing as a virtual gateway to the GW campus, the shops at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. don’t make saving a buck any easier. With so many convenient and high-quality services, restaurants and shops available right on the edge of campus, 2000 Penn offers students a great place to shop and hang out.

Foggy Bottom Guide – Brews embody taste of Foggy BottomThe shops at 2000 Penn, which was built in 1984, are constructed inside several gutted 19th-century townhouses and shops. The facades of the buildings have been maintained to preserve the integrity of the historic Foggy Bottom neighborhood and resemble a row of townhouses. The building hosts 19 stores and seven floors of office space.

Perhaps the most familiar vendor at 2000 Penn is Tower Records. Located across the street from the Marvin Center, it is the closest music store to the campus. According to manager Michel Redmond, it is also the most comprehensive music store in the city.

As the Cliff’s Notes display next to the magazine rack indicates, Tower gets a great deal off business from GW students and actively markets to them.

We have tailored our store to provide for the college student so we have more gothic, techno and indie CDs than our other stores do, Redmond explained.

Both floors in the music store are packed with CD’s of all genres as well as tons of music paraphernalia. There is a comprehensive international music collection on the first floor. The floor also offers a slew of magazines, free newspapers and books on music.

The second floor is filled with everything from Lil’ Kim and Barbara Striesand CD’s to posters featuring dorm-room themes and TRL bands.

For anyone looking to buy a vest and T-shirt in as little amount of time as possible, the Gap is located at the corner of Eye and 20th streets. The familiar trend-setting store serves up the hottest in casual wear for women, men and children. While it can be expensive, the Gap usually offers sales on clothes slightly out of season, if you are willing to take the risk.

One Stop News is filled with every imaginable type of magazines and newspapers from all over the world.

I can find a lot of magazines about running and working out that I can’t find anywhere else, freshman Giannis Doulamis said.

Tower Video, on the opposite side of the mall from Tower Records, rents and sells a collection of DVDs and videocassettes. Tower offers $3 deals for three movie rentals for three nights on selected titles for students who are bored and low on cash.

From burritos to caviar, 2000 Penn serves up food that will satisfy any appetite. With six different restaurants to choose from, the shopping mall offers a variety of dining opportunities at different price ranges. At lunchtime the mall virtually turns into an extension of the Marvin Center, as students and faculty members line up at Au Bon Pain, La Prima and the Burro, which accepts GW debit dollars. Pizza, sandwiches, salads and Mexican food are all available for a reasonable price.

The secluded brick patio behind 2000 Penn and across the street from the Quad offers students a peaceful place to eat on a warm day.

I like eating here because the staff is friendlier than in the Marvin Center and they don’t give you any attitude, junior Alex Liss said.

Freshman Rachel Gainer agreed.

I like to go get some yogurt, sit outside at a table, and study, she said.

Other restaurants such as Kinkeads and Bertucci’s offer fine dining. Bertucci’s specializes in Italian pastas and pizzas.

I like the atmosphere at Berucci’s and the pasta is really good, sophomore Emily Knupp said.

Kinkead’s is one of the city’s premier restaurants. It specializes in American cuisine and seafood. Kinkead’s has won numerous awards and has been consistently named one of the 50 best restaurants in D.C. by The Washington Post. Since the restaurant is a bit pricey, students might not want to try this one until their parents come to visit. Also, students should plan ahead, because Kinkead’s is famous for its long waiting list for reservations.

For those who don’t want to spend a lot of money, Cone E. Island offers up a hardcore selection of ice cream, yogurt and baked goods. The ice cream shop also accepts debit dollars. Students can read love horoscopes, play video games and listen to music selected by the GW students working behind the counter.

In addition to being a great place to spend money, the shops at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. are where a number of GW students earn money.

Junior Michelle Deslauriers has worked at Cone E Island since May. Working here, I have flexible hours and I am close to school so it doesn’t get in the way of my classes, Deslauriers said.

Tower Records employs about 10 GW students part-time. Other stores, such as the Gap and Mailboxes Etc are looking for students interested in part-time positions.

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