Avalon Theatre Adds to Chevy Chase (DC)

It’s too nice outside to go to the movies today but I am tempted once again by the Avalon Theatre in Chevy Chase, DC. This restored, non-profit movie house is a cultural jewel for the Upper NW  area and focal point for the local residents who fought to save it.

Seeking out film festivals (of which there are a lot in DC) takes time and effort. But I can pretty much guarantee myself an independent or foreign movie treat at the Avalon, on any day, without much research or planning.

Today they offer two choices: an acclaimed documentary about a guy who cuts bushes (really, they say it is good) or “Flight of the Red Balloon” which The Village Voice says is “a movie of genius.” Or I could see the more mainstream “Sex and the City” and then get an ice cream next door. The Avalon’s shows are constantly changing. They also serve up family movies on Saturday mornings and other cultural events. 

Besides the Avalon, Chevy Chase, DC has lots of surprises and sub-neighborhoods, each with a different feel. It is upscale on many streets but not in the stuffy, suburban manner of certain parts of Maryland that go by the same name. Other streets have properties with nice homes but gardens that are barely large enough to plant a tomato.

The open house list today shows a pretty good cross-section. You could tour the area starting on the west side of Connecticut Ave. NW, with a 4-bed, semi-detached, historic, frame house close to the urban center of Friendship Heights ($875,000.)

Next, move on to the larger areas east of Connecticut Ave. to an elegant arts & crafts home at 3390 Stuyvesant Pl. NW  ($925,000.)

Then head closer to Rock Creek Park to get a taste of Hawthorne and Barnaby Woods, with larger lots and greenery, and a more suburban feel. The house at 3235 Chestnut St. NW has a 19,000 sqft yard.    

Have fun, and get to know a place before you judge it!

Cheers,
Allison

Photo: jamacdonald with Creative Commons license