This past week was a rainy one in the District, so I was unable to venture out into the world without getting my precious phone wet. It would be detrimental for my phone to stop working because it is currently being held together with a rubber band and will be put out of it’s misery in two weeks time.

So, instead of the usual blog post, I have decided to provide you with a curated list of my favorite urban/DC related news I read over the past week. Let’s begin.

1. Last weekend the National Museum of African American History and Culture had it’s grand opening! See President Obama’s speech here.
2. The Smithsonian celebrated World Architecture Day yesterday with a wealth of activities centered around the Hirshorn. Check out their tumblr post.
3. Is the company town the future? This article on Architecture Boston makes it sound like these new company towns will be a cross between the 1800s and Walt Disney’s original plan for EPCOT.
4. The Cleveland Park metro station tried to stave off flooding this weekend after it had to shut down in June. (via PoPville)
5. A great exploration of Franklin Square’s potential to be a fantastic urban park on Greater Greater Washington.
6. Who’s in love with Gilmore Girls? Netflix is paying three cafes in DC and over 200 around the country to transform into Luke’s Diner and give away 250 cups of free coffee at each location. (via dcist)
7. An interesting Washington Post article that delves into why residents of diverse neighborhoods in DC think their neighborhoods are better than others.
8. Finally, you know it’s getting close to Halloween when everyone is already focused on Christmas! (via dcist)