City Cast DC

A lot of cities, including DC, are trying to figure out how best to revitalize downtown. It's an issue that's especially top of mind for Pittsburgh, who is hosting the NFL Draft in April. To solve the problem of vacant properties and empty storefronts, the city is trying out a new rent abatement program. So, City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Pittsburgh podcast host Megan Harris about why their downtown emptied out, whether this program will bring new businesses downtown for the long-term, and other revitalization plans that are in the works.

Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now! 

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We’re talking about the very weird state of the DC mayor’s race, the Trumpian rebranding of DC’s landscape, and our favorite question: What are Washingtonians mad about this week? Plus, in a member’s only fourth segment, we’ll return to the ride-sharing app that DC can’t seem to force out of town. 

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. 

Learn more about the sponsors of this February 27th episode:

Nace Law Group

Johns Hopkins University

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

For more than a decade, the question of whether the city would redevelop the McMillan Sand Filtration site was perhaps DC’s ugliest political battle. And now, the redevelopment is kinda… here. There are million-dollar townhouses for sale and the first residents of the new neighborhood have moved in. So is it the nightmare that opponents predicted? Or the engine of urban amenities that proponents promised? Tristan Navera from realtor.com has been covering it for years and he’s here to give us his take.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. 

Learn more about the sponsors of this February 26th episode:

Nace Law Group

Johns Hopkins University

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

There is nothing  that hits quite like a good diner. Unlimited coffee, comforting, no-frills food that's just the right amount of greasy. But in a city like DC, where everything seems bespoke and overpriced, do we even have any good ones left? That's what writer Warren Rojas set out to answer and his list of DC's best diners in the Washington Post got people talking. He’s here to defend his picks.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this February 25th episode:

Nace Law Group

Johns Hopkins University

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Last week, a British coffee chain called Caffè Nero bought DC’s Compass Coffee at auction. It was an ignominious end for what was once one of the DMV’s hospitality high-flyers, a company founded by a pair of local guys, including one of DC’s most famous families. What went wrong? It’s a story that involves hubris, betrayal, bad decisions, and the economics of a work-from-home city. The Washington Post’s Tim Carman published a deep dive into the fall of the house of Compass, and he’s here to tell all. 

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this February 23rd episode:

Nace Law Group

Johns Hopkins University

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

DC’s violence interruption program has become one of the most controversial subjects in local politics. One program, Life Deeds, finds itself front and center in the upcoming corruption trial of a DC councilmember. Jenny Gathright and Megan Flynn from the Washington Post recently published a deep-dive investigation of the group and they’re here to explain. 

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. 

Learn more about the sponsors of this February 23rd episode:

Nace Law Group

Johns Hopkins University

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Everyone’s talking about AI these days, including Washingtonians. And now, more data centers are popping up across the country, thanks in part to the AI revolution. But some cities are stemming the tide, including Madison, Wisconsin, who recently passed a one-year moratorium on new data center construction. City Cast CEO David Plotz feels strongly that this was the wrong choice! He’s sitting down with City Cast Madison podcast host Bianca Martin to weigh the pros and cons of data centers, and debate the economic, ethical, and ecological considerations at the heart of this debate. Plus, David and Bianca share must-know tips for making it in Madison and DC. 

We also mentioned this City Cast Madison episode.

Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now! 

We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter

Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.

It's kind of an emergency! We’re talking about the latest in the Potomac River sewage spill. Plus, Maryland and Virginia versus ICE, a union catfight at a kitty cafe, and in a member’s only 4th segment, the lawsuit against Donald Trump for trying to steal DC’s golf courses. 

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. 

Learn more about the sponsors of this February 20th episode:

South by Southwest - use code "citycast10" for a 10% discount on your Innovation Badge

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Marty Baron spent almost a decade as Executive Editor of the Washington Post, which gave him a close-up view of Jeff Bezos’ stewardship of one of our city’s most important institutions during the first Trump term. And it’s why Baron’s emergence as one of the sharpest critics of Bezos’ stewardship during the second Trump term has been such a big deal. In the wake of Bezos’ decision to dismantle much of his old paper, Baron here to share his own thoughts. 

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this February 19th episode:

South by Southwest - use code "citycast10" for a 10% discount on your Innovation Badge

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

When it’s chilly out, there’s nothing better than a cozy bar, and vinyl bars appear to be that peak winter vibe. About a year ago, City Cast’s Julia Karron and Claudia Rosenbaum from Eater did their darnedest to make the case that vinyl bars are the new speakeasies, and they shared tips and tricks to enjoying them. We’re revisiting that conversation today, and you can decide if they were convincing.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. 

Learn more about the sponsors of this February 18th episode:

South by Southwest - use code "citycast10" for a 10% discount on your Innovation Badge

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.