Faves and raves by Matthew Fraidin
Co-director of the HIV/AIDS Legal Clinic and law professor at the University of the District of Columbia
PERSONAL STATS
AGE: 46
NUMBER OF YEARS IN D.C. AREA: 17
NEIGHBORHOOD: Glen Echo Heights
– Brian Hughes
1. FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD HANGOUT
The stream down the hill behind the wonderful Cabin John preschool, Clara Barton Center for Children. It’s just north of the one-lane bridge on Macarthur Boulevard, and is a fabulous spot for aimless stone-skipping. You also can’t beat the Billy Goat Trail on the Maryland side of Great Falls for whiling away an afternoon, although the Post Pub on L Street comes close.
2. BEST MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
I’m told my minivan just isn’t cool. But I wasn’t cool to begin with, and I like it. I am intrigued by my friend’s Mini Cooper, though. And I could ride Metro rail or bus all day for fun.
3. FAVORITE LOCAL SPORTS EVENT
Prince’s Court International Tennis Club in McLean is one of only 10 Court Tennis courts in the country, and one of only 50 in the world. Court Tennis — or “Real Tennis” — is the original racket sport, invented in the 13th century by French monks. The rackets are wood, the balls individually hand-sewn. Play includes four side walls, a slanted roof, and a half-wall that juts out and causes freakish ricochets. If you play tennis or squash, come enjoy an eye-opening introduction at the annual Cherry Blossom Doubles Tournament in April. Or don’t wait, and call for a free starter lesson with one of the world-class pros.
4. BEST PLACE FOR OUT-OF-TOWN VISITORS
I love to see Sleepy Labeef and Bill Kirchen at the Twist & Shout. What do you mean, it’s closed? The Smithsonian’s free concert series is wonderful. The Folklife Festival is the highlight of every year.
5. BEST PLACE FOR OUT-OF-TOWN VISITORS
The MLK National Memorial. He reminds us that building the world we want to live in is a process, not a destination, and he shows us how to make the journey. What an inspiration.
6. FAVORITE MUSEUM
National Gallery: free. Air and Space Museum: free. Holocaust Museum: free. National Archives: free. For a native New Yorker, this is just plain weird — in a good way.
7. MOST ROMANTIC SPOT
Walking in the woods by the Potomac with my wife.
8. FAVORITE WAY TO SPEND A LAZY SUNDAY
Softball in the morning and baseball in the afternoon. Sunday mornings from March to December, I play in a pickup softball game at Wood Acres Elementary that’s been going for 30 years. It’s the most enjoyable athletic experience I’ve ever had, because the guys take the game, but not themselves, seriously. In the afternoon, I coach my son’s little league team, the Titans of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase league. The team is like the league — warm, fun, laid-back, and supportive. A bunch of the kids have been together for years, and we’ve developed a comfortable routine.
9. BEN’S CHILI BOWL, OLD EBBITT GRILL OR CAFE MILANO?
Loeb’s NY Deli on I Street Northwest. Corned beef? Pastrami? Tongue? It’s a surfeit of riches.
10. BEST RETREAT OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY
Chincoteague, digging for sand crabs with my daughter.
11. BEST RETREAT INSIDE THE BELTWAY
Sycamore Island in the Potomac River is quiet, beautiful, unpretentious. The natural beauty of the island and the entire Potomac River/C&O Canal corridor are all about slowing down, conserving, and preserving.
12. BEST PLACE FOR LATE-NIGHT EATS
Cheesesteaks and beer at Trio, 17th and Q streets Northwest. My wife and I blew an awful lot of money there in the summer of 1992. Nowadays, we have fun at Comet Ping Pong (5037 Connecticut Ave. NW) with dear friends.
13. PROUDEST PART OF LIVING IN D.C.
I teach at our public law school, and it is a special gem — something the city has really done right. At UDC’s David A. Clarke School of Law, I’m surrounded by colleagues and students who are indefatigable lawyers, activists, and social change agents. They are narrowing the wealth gap and trying to ensure that every family has an affordable home. They’re making sure that every D.C. child is offered a free, appropriate education instead of juvenile incarceration. They help families stay strong together, instead of being broken up by unnecessary foster care placements or deportation. They help families affected by HIV/AIDS gain access to the testing, treatment and services they need. Some students work at the D.C. Council, and bring their sensibilities and talents to bear there. It’s all about building social capital, and these folks won’t quit until we get there.
14. EMBARRASSING PART OF LIVING IN D.C.
Ninety-seven percent of the children in our foster care system are black, even though only 65 percent of all the kids in D.C. are black. A federally mandated panel recently found that 75 percent of the children studied in D.C. foster care were not in danger when they were taken from their families, and that the seizures were unlawful and harmful to the children. It’s all hidden behind closed doors in secret family court proceedings, and the public and press can’t see what’s happening. But this can be a momentous time for child welfare in D.C. The mayor is a human services guy. His new [Child and Family Services Agency] director had a good track record in Maryland, where she led the way to reducing unnecessary foster care placements. Our kids need them to seize the moment. Next time you interview me, I hope our child welfare system will be the answer to question number 13.
