City Cast DC
City Cast is the daily, local audio companion you knew DC needed. Washingtonians are gritty, proud, and resilient — necessary qualities for a community facing issues that range from an affordability crisis to the fight for statehood to the movement for racial justice… and useful qualities for a region full of whip-smart people, dynamic culture, and constant change. Washingtonians are deeply passionate about our city, whose story is still being written, and City Cast DC is here to tell it.Every weekday morning, our hosts Michael Schaffer and Bridget Todd will engage people from all over the eight wards in conversation about DC’s crises and its beauty, both literal and figurative. It’ll have the feel of eavesdropping on an energetic and informative coffee shop chat, except that with City Cast DC, consider this your official invitation to listen in.
Latest episodes
Dec 28, 2023 • 21min
The Secret to Finding Housing in D.C.
Pretty much everyone in DC is obsessed with finding a good place to live, including Jamie Manning, the creator behind the popular Instagram and newsletter Exposed Brick. She chatted with us in March to share her tips and tricks for navigating DC’s rental market. After the interview, executive producer Priyanka Tilve joins us for a conversation sponsored by Children’s National, about the nonprofit hospital’s fundraising campaign this holiday season.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletterAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 27, 2023 • 16min
Honoring the History of Ben’s Chili Bowl
Virginia Ali, the woman behind one of the most historic D.C. spots, Ben’s Chili Bowl, recently turned 90. So in honor of the many late-night half-smokes Ben’s has served, we are revisiting a conversation Michael and Bridget had with her back in August about the 65 years of history that shaped the iconic D.C. restaurant. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 26, 2023 • 22min
Our Most Scandalous D.C. Restaurant Takes
What are D.C.'s most overrated restaurants? Are Georgetown cupcakes actually the best in the city? And How much is too much to pay for a sandwich? In August, Washingtonian food editor Jessica Sidman joined the City Cast crew to debate her collection of 2023 restaurant hot takes.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 22, 2023 • 15min
D.C.’s Best and Worst of 2023
In our last new episode of the year, we’re turning it over to you, the listeners. What did D.C. do right this year, and where did our city come up short? Bridget and Mike break down everything the city did right and wrong in 2023.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 21, 2023 • 19min
How To Make Sense of 2023’s Crime Wave
Crime has been one of the biggest issues of the year, with high-profile incidents drawing national attention and Congressional intervention. Carjackings and thefts are on the rise all over the District. Emily Davies from the Washington Post is here to tell us where we’ve landed after a year of intense focus on crime – what’s improved, what’s gotten worse, what’s next, and what it means for the city. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC.Support our work by becoming a member of City Cast DC.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.And we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 20, 2023 • 16min
Alexandria’s Concerns About a New Stadium
There’s been a vocal contingent of Alexandria residents grumbling about the planned Washington Capitals and Wizards stadium in Potomac Yard since the second it was announced. The Washington Post’s Teo Armus is here to tell us why people are upset and how loudly they’re shouting. If you want to attend or testify at info sessions and hearings about the new arena, sign up for alerts at monumentalalx.com.Plus, sign up to support our work by becoming a member of City Cast DC.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 19, 2023 • 12min
D.C.'s Hollywood Problem
DC shows up in films and movies all the time, but how many of those projects actually film in the District? Writer Hannah Docter-Loeb tells us how D.C. has historically been short-changed on this and what the city is doing about it.Plus, check out our interview with the creators of “The Americans” about how they approached filming a show set in D.C. And Bridget wrote up this great article about how reality shows film in the District.Plus, sign up to be a member of City Cast DC today! It’s only $8/month.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 18, 2023 • 29min
Metro's 'Catastrophic' Budget Proposal
Metro recently released a dire looking budget. Layoffs, fewer trains and stations, and higher fares are all on the table. We sat down with Metro Chief Randy Clarke for his take on what it will take to springboard Metro into the future.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 15, 2023 • 24min
Mayor's Response to 'Monumental' Loss, and RIP Harrington Hotel
Cuneyt Dil from Axios joins us to analyze the political fallout of the shocking announcement that the Wizards and the Capitals are leaving DC for Virginia . Plus, RIP for DC’s least-beloved old hotel, a move that also tells a story of the city’s troubled downtown.Per usual, our roundups are powered by the stellar local reporting going on:
Cuneyt Dil investigates how D.C. lost the Wizards and Capitals to Virginia.
Learn about the history of the Harrington Hotel thanks to our newsletter!
And some good news! Roofers Union is coming back!
Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 14, 2023 • 22min
How Virginia Poached the Caps and Wizards
Well, it’s almost official. Ted Leonsis is probably moving the Capitals and Wizards across the river by 2028. Tristan Navera from the Washington Business Journal is here to explain what this means for the future of downtown D.C.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
