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Even in 6,000 words, it is basically impossible to capture the best of an entire city. And yet, that is the task City Paper staff and contributors set out to accomplish every year for our Best of D.C. issue.

This year, in addition to readers’ picks for the very best of the District, City Paper writers have recommendations for up-and-coming performers and unique shows, for emergency veterinarians and tattoos that don’t suck, and—as we do every year—we blow up some of our favorite hidden gems for dancing, cocktails, and an outdoor athletic field.

We do it all for you, dear readers, because none of us can go anywhere without thinking to ourselves: Is this worthy of a Best of D.C. pick? 

So take a moment with this year’s issue, and bookmark this page so you can refer back to it throughout the week (and year). We’re releasing one section per day, starting with Food & Drink. People & Places comes out on Tuesday, Arts & Entertainment on Wednesday, and we’ll conclude with Goods & Services on Thursday. We hope you’ll continue to return to our picks and use them as a guide to the city. And if you’re feeling some kind of way about a particular winner, leave us a note on Twitter or Instagram or send us an email. 

—Mitch Ryals (tips? mryals@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• Amtrak is officially taking over Union Station after the judge in an eminent domain lawsuit allowed it to wrest control of the station from the real estate investment management company, Union Station Investco. Not much will change at first, but an $8.8 billion modernization project is in the works. [Post]
• Arlington native Torri Huske won gold in the women’s 100-meter butterfly race, beating fellow American Gretchen Walsh by 0.04 seconds. Huske missed out on a medal in the same race during the previous summer Olympics in Tokyo, coming in fourth place by 0.01 seconds. [ARLnow, NPR]
• The USWNT, with its four Washington Spirit players, won its second game yesterday, securing a place in the quarterfinals. And Prince George’s County native Kevin Durant led Team USA’s basketball team to victory yesterday. [Athletic]
• Charges against about half of the 25 people arrested during protests of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks to Congress have been dropped. Protesters outside Union Station burned an American flag and spray-painted the Christopher Columbus fountain and Liberty Bell reproduction. Police union officials scolded prosecutors for dismissing the charges and expressed frustration that their staffing levels didn’t allow them to arrest more people. [Post]
• Keanan Turner was found guilty of first-degree murder last week in D.C. Superior Court. Turner, 35, shot and killed the mother of his 3-month-old child, Ebony Wright, and the child’s grandmother, Wanda Wright. Ebony Wright had filed for child support, and Turner shot and killed her and her mother in 2021 when he came to their apartment in Southeast to meet his son for the first time. [Post]

By City Paper Staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• There are still no candidates looking to run for a third of all the advisory neighborhood commission seats on the ballot this year, as even many longtime ANCs are stepping away. Officials blame a persistent lack of resources and the intensity of neighborhood debates for burning people out of the volunteer positions. [Post]
• Attorney General Brian Schwalb reached a $3.75 million settlement with several local construction firms accused of wage theft. He’s calling it the city’s largest ever enforcement action in this area. [WBJ]
• Crime may be falling, but D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith has still had an uneven year helming the Metropolitan Police Department. “Crime is down, but not because of her,” griped an anonymous police supervisor, as some department veterans remain skeptical of her leadership. Smith has even had to fight off rumors that she’s been eyeing the exits. [Post]

By Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• The Chesapeake Bay’s invasive blue catfish is known to hurt the juvenile crab population, so the Maryland Department of Agriculture is promoting them as sustainable and delicious dining options. Blue cats are already on the menu at some D.C. restaurants (The Salt Line and Dauphine’s) and are sold in Whole Foods stores nationwide. [Axios]
• Police are still searching for two suspects who robbed a beverage distributor truck Friday morning. The thieves are said to have made off with $10,000 of products. [WJLA]