The past year has been unlike any other. Tonight I'll reflect on the changes to our neighborhood, but every detail is dwarfed by the tragedy of September 11. Dupont was not untouched by that event, and our hearts go out to those who lost friends and loved ones. I pray that the everyday joys that we find with friends and strangers, in our parks, our streets and our homes, will help to heal that awful wound. We take comfort in the commotion that drew us to the city in the first place, as we mingle and mix with the wonderful people who call this neighborhood home. And we will continue to work to make this an ever better place to live, in memory of those we have lost, and for the benefit of generations to come.

It is appropriate to begin this review at the circle itself. The National Park Service, which has custody of the park, renovated the fountain's mechanical equipment, and made several other changes to the park, including the addition of posts-and-chains around the park's perimeter, and along the paths' corners. The Park Service formalized its opposition to underwater lights for the fountain, saying it would have a negative impact on the historical integrity of the statue, since the sculptor did not intend to have his work lit from below. Having the fountain lit from a series of super-bright stadium-level lamps on the rooftop of the Jurys hotel, however, was just fine with the Park Service. Neighborhood opposition to the lamps moved the hotel to cut back the number of lamps used, and, eventually, to turn them off entirely. I applaud the hotel's acceptance of our concern. It is commendable to use lighting to make the park safer and more attractive, but the key ingredient that's missing is underwater lights.

Some of Dupont's noteworthy institutions were in the news. The Phillips Collection announced plans for a major expansion, to include a new 55-seat cafe. The Dupont Circle Jewish Community Center played two films from its summer series in the outdoor parking lot behind their building, bringing outdoor films to Dupont for the first time. In another first, The Carnegie Institution opened its doors to the public, in order to present an exhibition titled "Our Expanding Universe," marking their first century of scientific exploration.

The Historical Society put their headquarters up for sale - the Heurich Mansion at New Hampshire Avenue and Newport Street. Crown Books quietly changed into Books a Million. The Human Rights Campaign announced they'd build a brand new headquarters on Rhode Island Avenue, then changed their minds and instead bought the B'nai B'rith building next door, on 17th Street. Across the street, the Governors House hotel announced plans for a 50-room expansion.

Dupont got three new TV studios: 16th St's The Embassy Building became home to Double R Productions; the National Geographic headquarters opened a TV studio for its cable channel, and the Brookings Institution built a TV studio. And just when we thought our neighborhood couldn't become any more glamourous, the city got two hip boutique hotels, both located, of course, in Dupont Circle, with the Topaz at 17th and N, and the Rouge at 16th and O.

This was a year when our neighborhood was immortalized in Paul Kafka-Gibbons' novel "Dupont Circle," which wove unlikely romances into a fight for gay marriage.

The 2000 census came out, finding 597 "Male householder and male partner" households in Dupont, and three times as many elsewhere in the city. We found out that the median age for males in Dupont is 34, and the median age for females in Dupont is 31. Over the past ten years, central Dupont's population - bordered by 16th Street, New Hampshire Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, Rock Creek and Florida Avenue - gained 2%, while the area between 16th Street and 14th Street lost 10%.

West of the circle, P Street also saw change. This short stretch is Dupont's most prominent entrance, with its dramatic entrance over Rock Creek. There was more drama to be found in new restaurant Mimi's, where singing waiters give Dupont some much-needed theatrical flair. Elsewhere, the news was more mundane, with a Starbucks replacing the former costume shop Backstage, and 12" Dance Records announcing its departure. The original owners of 17th St's Elite returned from Greece to open a new Greek cafe called Legends, which is the only place I know of which combines ceiling panels with crown molding.

Our second-most prominent entrance is the northern stretch of Connecticut Avenue, coming downhill past the Washington Hilton. There was a significant loss when Outlook closed its doors, leaving us without a prominent gay card shop, as boring as that shop was. Nearby, however, we saw a flurry of new businesses. Peter's Passion opened in the former Dimitri's, and the old Circle bar made way for four new businesses: Chipotle, Gazuza, Dupont Hair, and the HRC Action Center. Kulturas expanded to the old Outlook space, and eventually gave up the previous location on 20th Street, which is now home to Miss Pixie's. Some major national chains brought their luster, and good design standards, to Connecticut Avenue as well. We welcomed Lucky Jeans and Ann Taylor Loft, and Salon Cielo in Kulturas' original home. The R Street Starbucks added a nice patio.

South of the circle, where Dupont blends into downtown, a Fuddruckers came to the old Whatsa Bagel spot at Connecticut Avenue & Jefferson Place. Acropolis, a fancy nightclub, will open up in 1337 Connecticut Avenue, once home to Vertigo Books, and years before the Republican National Headquarters. Near L Street, The Grooming Lounge will soon open up. A few doors west of Connecticut Avenue, at 1812 N Street, the National Association of Parliamentarians erected a brass plaque commemorating the 125th year since the first publication of Robert's Rules of Order.

A little to the west, 19th Street saw changes as well. 19th & L, once home to Brooks Brothers, saw a new Corner Bakery and Mervis Diamonds. Cafe Toka opened at 1140 19th Street. The NE corner of 19th & M was nicely renovated, and is now home to a Penang Malaysian Cuisine, Chipotle, Starbucks, and the French cafe Le Jardin. Moby Dick House of Kabob opened just east of 19th and N. And yet another burrito joint, Baja Fresh, opened just south of the circle, joining The Well-Dressed Burrito, Burrito Brothers, Wrapworks, The Burro, and Chipotle (and the other Chipotle) - making Dupont the region's burrito district.

The heart of residential Dupont has always been 17th Street, in many ways hidden from the rest of city, and the place most likely to bump into friends. Cobalt finally reopened, and the basement-level restaurant was reborn as Food Bar DC. Nearby, Shari Dixon & Friends is a new second-story store. Near the corner of 17th & R, Terenga was replaced with Oriental Cafe. And plans are in the works to expand 17th Street's TrueValue store.

Some of the neighborhood's most dynamic changes took place around 14th Street. It is thrilling to watch Logan Circle's premier commercial corridor undergo a revitalization. And many of the new businesses are the best kind - the home-grown variety which fill a hunger for retail while at the same time providing a unique identity for the neighborhood. Following the wake of the new Fresh Fields, and inspired by the model offered by Home Rule, we saw Go Mama Go open up in the dingy Ultimate Value Thrift shop space, and Fusebox art gallery became an instant hit, drawing connoisseurs and hipsters alike to its overflowing opening parties. Ultra-chic mens boutique Haute closed its door on P Street, but was replaced with cozy photo gallery Ozone. Hamburger Mary's opened its first east-coast restaurant, with the spacious and fun bar Titan upstairs. Soon that block will welcome Thai Tanic, a new restaurant on the west side of 14th Street. Fresh Fields got into the cafe act by adding outdoor tables. Across the street, Empire Video opened its second location. Sparky's added some comfy red booths, and next door, Flowers on 14th opened up.

The Black Cat found a new, larger home by moving a few doors south into The Cage. Local pizza dive Manny and Olga's added a bastion just north of Source Theatre. We all bid good riddance to the check-cashing store at 14th & Rhode Island Avenue.

And even more changes are in the works. The Duron paint store is planning to move to 14th & Clifton, and the large Central Mission at 14th & R is for sale. Caribou Coffee is officially coming to 14th & Rhode Island Avenue. A second BodySmith gym will soon open up. And the most highly-anticipated new store is The Garden District, opening this March at 14th & S. And finally, one of the original champions of 14th Street, Studio Theatre, announced its purchase of two adjoining buildings, and will be expanding its theatre space. Ace Electric will be missed, but the new theatre space is highly exciting.

The Logan Circle Community Association started a new tradition by holding its first annual Easter egg hunt in Logan Circle park.

South of Thomas Circle, the Green Lantern bar reopened, looking less skanky than before, with the upstairs Tool Shed evoking a clean mean cruising machine.

The activity in Adams Morgan was comprised mostly of restaurants coming and going, to no one's surprise. The best new addition was "The Diner," two doors south of Tryst, and by the same people. Felix expanded with a new addition called "Spy Lounge." Staccato became the neighborhood's first piano bar. Chez Antoine, an authentic little French creperie, opened to much acclaim, and Cluck U to much disdain. Trios, near 18th and Columbia, was transformed into the Adams Mill Bar and Grill. Franklin's, on a perfect little corner, closed its doors. Even local pets got a new store, though not the pet cafe they had hoped for, when WagTime pet services opened on lower 18th Street. And finally, the long-debated garage/condo project between 18th Street and Champlain broke ground, with the garage portion now complete.

U Street grew in fits and starts, continuing its conflict between quality businesses and inebriating nightclubs. Starting on the west end, Results' ground-floor neighbors both folded - the gay-focused art gallery Rivaga and healthy pit stop Basics Cafe. Chic salon Bang has already replaced Rivaga, and a new restaurant is expected later this year. The former run-down neighborhood stalwart Julio's closed to no one's surprise, and recently had a Starbucks carved into its former spot. A sushi restaurant is expected in the remaining space. On the 1500 block, Habitat Home Accents turned a small walk-up space into a chic home furnishings store. Across the street, used-furniture shop Weathered Classics closed down. One block east, we lost our beloved Kitchen K gallery. Though secreted away in the Winter building, this gallery brought outstanding design sense to the neighborhood. Good Wood suffered the effect of a firebomb, but thankfully was able to come back, looking more saintly than ever. A former post office was rebuilt into the nightclub Cada Vez. On the 1300 block of U Street, neighbors welcomed Kuna, an instant neighborhood favorite for pasta. Twins Lounge took over the space of the still-missed Andulasian Dog. Further east, the Public Welfare Foundation did a quality restoration of the True Reformers building.

Dupont is lucky to have so many distinct neighborhoods nearby. Our neighbor to the west, Georgetown, celebrated its 250th birthday this May. Georgetown continued its rise as a retail superpower, with several high-profile stores moving in. A slew of furniture stores made the west end of M Street a destination. Bo Concept - a pricey boutique version of IKEA - joined Baker and Ligne Rouge. Waterworks expanded to a huge new location.

Commander Salamander and Benetton completed major expansions. Wrapworks and FAO Schwarz closed. Marvelous Market and The Proper Topper opened stores in the former Neam's Market. Beyond Comics replaced Another Universe, and Big Planet Comics opened their first DC location on Dumbarton Street, though I don't understand why Georgetown has two comic book stores and Dupont and Adams Morgan have zero. The Georgetown Incinerator project is close to completion and will add strength to the neighborhood.

Though plans for RiverJet water taxi service were withdrawn, a new shuttle service was born which connects Georgetown to the Rosslyn, Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle Metro stations.

To our south, downtown made steady progress in ways both small and large. My favorite small touch is an old-fashioned cast-iron public clock on F Street, across from National Place. The Golden Triangle BID started "Music In the Park," a summer concert series in Farragut Park. Among the acres of new office space, a few residential projects made progress, and construction has begun on a building at 7th & E which will house downtown's only grocery store.

Chinatown added a few useful-but-ubiquitous national retailers, such as Fuddruckers and Radio Shack. Construction of Gallery Place at 7th & H will fill in that long-vacant corner. But the biggest news came in early spring when Vega opened at 819 7th Street, selling some of the hippest furniture and accessories in Washington.

Capitol Hill saw a surplussed school be transformed into a Results gym. The Banana Café team opened the Starfish Café on 8th Street, and nearby, Firehook bakery added a new location. Design plans progressed for "Barracks Row," a makeover of the streetscape on 8th Street.

Major projects were announced for the Brentwood shopping complex, which will include Home Depot, Giant, and a down-but-not-out K-mart. Four miles away, in Fort Lincoln, a strip mall is being developed which has been touted as a possible home for Target, Lowe's, Home Depot, Safeway and Wal-Mart.

Though we live in the heart of the city's historic fabric, our neighbors in Maryland and Virginia were taking the lead in using good pedestrian-orientated design principles in scattered projects. Pentagon Row, Bethesda Row and The Market Common were mega projects which combined trendy retailers with dense living and inviting public spaces. Silver Spring moved ahead with plans for a true pedestrian downtown. And the biggest shock of all came when mega-landlord Charles E. Smith proposed to build sidewalks and convert ground-level office space into retail in Crystal City, of all places. Major pedestrian-friendly projects are in the works, or planning stages, in White Flint, Prince George's Plaza, Rockville, Fairfax County, Reston Town Center, and Tysons Corner.

Most of the dazzle for these new projects comes from national retailers, but in one stunning exception, Bethesda scored a major coup when it became home to Strike Bethesda, a retro bowling alley that instantly became a hip hot spot. Many of the national retailers have steered away from the District, notably Apple, which opened sleek computer showcases in Tysons and Clarendon.

Dupont still enjoys an enormous advantage, given that the physical fabric of our buildings has more beauty, variety and historical significance than any of these upstarts.

One of the best signs of a healthy neighborhood is a robust housing market, and Dupont saw much activity. New construction included small but significant projects like The Tápies at 1612 16th Street, and an infill project at 18th & R. We also welcomed the long-awaited redevelopment of 1774 U Street, near the corner of 18th and Florida.

The Gatsby opened up, bringing 52 apartments to 15th and O. Nearby, other large residential projects are under construction. Saxon Court, between Church Street and P Street, SoLo Piazza, at 13th and N, and Post Massachusetts Avenue, at the corner of 15th Street, are being built from the ground up. The University of California built a building near 17th and Rhode Island Avenue which includes dorms for 300 government studies students. We also have some major renovation projects, like The Willison on Rhode Island Avenue near 14th Street, and the long-awaited Roosevelt, on 16th Street by V Street.

Plans progressed for two major housing projects around U Street: a large project at 14th and V, and Ellington Plaza at 13th & U. Further north, the once-notorious Clifton Terrace began efforts for a complete renovation.

The city's highest-profile housing restoration was Alban Towers, which provided 229 apartments across from National Cathedral.

It was exciting to see new housing projects downtown as well. Major projects include the Summit Grand Parc at 15th & I, the Carroll Square project on the 900 block of F Street, a new sister building for The Lexington at 7th and E, the renovation of the Mather Building on G Street, the top four floors of 9th Street's Atlas Building, Avalon at Gallery Place at 5th and G, and The Jefferson at 7th and D, which will include not just a major supermarket, but also the new home for Woolly Mammoth theatre.

The biggest obstacle to making our neighborhood a good place is the stubborn crime. Looking over the stats for the past year for PSAs 304, 308, and 309, which includes part of Adams Morgan and leaves out a small part of Dupont, we saw burglaries jump 31% and assaults go up 9%. Other categories of crime went down, including a 26% drop in theft from autos and a 22% drop in stolen autos. However, theft from autos remains the most active category, with 588 cases reported in 2001 in these three PSAs. Theft was the second-highest category, with 331 cases, and burglary was the third-highest, with 179 cases.

Our neighborhood also saw some high-profile cases. In June, a Metro officer was fatally shot at the U Street metro station. In September, the owner of Boutique U at 11th & U was killed inside his shop.

In August, former Washington Redskin Barry Wilburn was caught mugging people at knifepoint in Dupont Circle.

But everything was overshadowed by the unsolved disappearance of Chandra Levy, who was last seen May 1st at the Dupont Circle Washington Sports Club. The national hubbub over Congressman's Gary Condit's relationship with the girl overshadowed the frightening thought that someone, somehow, is able to prey upon our citizens with impunity. Justice in this case is about more than just revealing the infidelity and abuse of position of a U.S. congressman. It's about finding someone so vile, so evil, that they would snatch away an innocent person. That victim could be anyone, and we as a society are doomed if we do not devote the resources to ensuring that justice is served, and the streets are safe for everyone, forever.

One of the attractions of this city is the vast cultural resources housed here. The past year saw some new projects and a few improvements.

The National Park Service gave Sylvania the green light to give the Jefferson Memorial new light, with a lighting makeover unveiled in October, even though there's no proof that the sculptor would have approved. As a reminder, that's the lame reason the Service gave for not allowing underwater lights for the Dupont fountain. Pierce Mill in Rock Creek Park saw the beginning of its restoration work. The Kennedy Center began a major renovation, and the Zoo announced plans for a $120-million fix up. The U.S. Botanic Garden reopened. A peaceful garden path was unveiled next to the National Cathedral, and the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center opened its doors.

And more projects are on the way. This June will see the opening of the International Spy Museum, on F Street. In 2003, the City Museum should open in Mt. Vernon Square. In 2004, the Museum of the American Indian will open on the Mall. And in 2005, we should see both the new Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue, and the underground Capitol Visitor Center.

Over the course of the next few years, we should see progress on the Anacostia waterfront, a vital amenity that's been ignored for too long.

This past year also saw some good news for local bicyclists. The Golden Triangle BID placed 200 sturdy bollards throughout their area south of the circle for cyclists to lock their bikes to. The city began its campaign to stripe bike lanes, with new lanes on 15th Street along Meridian Hill Park, on Massachusetts Avenue NE between 6th Street and 11th Street, and on 14th Street between Shepard and Kennedy. The city installed 80 bike racks throughout D.C., with more to come. Behind Union Station, ground was broken for the city's first segment of the Metropolitan Branch Trail. In the coming year, we look forward to the start of the DC bike plan. Much of this happens as a result of the good work of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. WABA is working to launch a Safe Streets campaign with the police and the courier association, and is also working on annual traditions Bike to Work Day and the BikeDC ride, which last year enabled thousands of cyclists to enjoy our streets without worrying about cars.

Metro celebrated their 25th anniversary with a flurry of plans for improvements and expansion. We saw new signs announcing the arrival of trains. Later in the year the recycling bins and garbage cans were removed for fear of harboring bombs. Metro teemed up with Flexcar to provide a convenient car-sharing program. Meanwhile, a separate company, ZipCar, introduced a similar program throughout the city. Plans for the future include more new trains, and there's talk of entirely new lines through downtown DC, as well as the long-awaited pedestrian tunnel connecting Farragut North to Farragut West.

Amid all the new construction and new residents, the most welcome additions to Dupont were true transplants. The Dupont Circle Citizens Association planted 41 trees in empty tree boxes. Logan Circle also had a tree-planting campaign. But the big news is the Casey Foundation, founded with a whopping $50,000,000 gift, which has begun planning for tree planting and maintenance throughout the city.

Back in August, when Madonna brought her Drowned World tour to Washington, and, coincidentally, everyone's basement flooded, regular citizens were coping with flaming manholes, power outages, smoky eruptions and loud underground explosions along 17th Street. For one night, the calamity brought by a massive storm and faulty underground utilities tested our moral courage. Little did we realize an even larger storm lay shortly ahead.

Samuel F. du Pont, the Navy hero who gave this neighborhood its name, gained his reputation on his ability to steer his ship in all conditions. We face a similar challenge, though ours is metaphoric. -Unless you actually own a boat, then by all means, steer away. So let's set a course for adventure, our mind on a new romance.

Our neighborhood is special. Party on, and be excellent to each other.