Monday, January 28, 2008

frequently asked questions

A long-overdue list of questions and invitations to the bar I've received since beginning this blog six years ago. Feel free to submit more if you have any.

1) What is this called? Up The Pike?

One day, I will think of a less confusing name. In the meantime, this is Just Up The Pike. I lived "up the pike" - meaning Columbia Pike, or Route 29 - from Downtown Silver Spring, but not too far up, if you will. Thus, "Just Up The Pike."

2) What do you . . . do?

I write. About our elected officials. About development and traffic. About our schools. About local arts and music, and occasionally food. Anything and everything affecting East County.

Are you having a community meeting? An open house? Are you running for office? Starting a business? Do you have any tips or story ideas? Would you like to write guest posts? Let me know. I'm open to anything. E-mail me at justupthepike at gmail dot com.

Just Up The Pike is updated a few times each week, though that schedule might occasionally give way to work, a social life and, of course, sleep.

3) How did you get started?

Blogs beget other blogs. I started by reading The Silver Spring Scene and Silver Spring, Singular in early 2006. Honestly, back then I thought the idea of a Silver Spring blog was kind of silly. I was working at an architecture firm in Bethesda that summer with a lengthy, two-bus commute. When the bridge on Route 29 flooded that June, I found myself without a way to work. That's when I started thinking about all of the missed connections in East County - not just the roads, but mentally. How often do you hear about the east side? Not much, and the things you hear are rarely good. Suddenly, a Silver Spring blog didn't seem so silly after all. You know the rest . . .

4) Say, we should have a drink sometime!

Yes! As of April 2009, that is totally possible.

5) Are you on Facebook? Twitter? MySpace?

Facebook: Yes. Become a fan! Twitter: Follow me! Flickr: Ditto! MySpace: Too creepy.

6) What do you do for a living?

In May 2009, I graduated from the University of Maryland-College Park with a double degree in Architecture and English. After that, I worked for Montgomery County Councilmember George Leventhal. And in May 2012, I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a master's degree in City Planning and a concentration in Urban Design. Currently, I'm looking for work. If you'd like to know more, check out my LinkedIn page.

7) Where do you live?

Save for two years at school in Philadelphia, I've lived in the D.C. area my entire life. I've had brief stays in Suitland, Germantown, College Park and Petworth, but spent most of my childhood in downtown Silver Spring. I currently live with my parents and brother in Calverton, right off of Columbia Pike.

8) Can't anyone start a blog?

Yes. And I invite you to start your own by creating an account at www.blogger.com.

Anyone can write a blog. That means I can - we can - write about issues and places that aren't being noticed by local newspapers, TV stations, and so on. And we can elaborate on what local news outlets are covering without worrying about space or time limits. And I could be anyone. I'm not an elected official or a developer. I'm just someone living in your community writing about what's happening here.

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