Julia's Top 5 New Arrivals

Amidst all the new restaurants and bars that popped up across the metropolitan area this year, there also have been other significant additions to the District landscpe -- things that make D.C. a great place to live, work and play. Of all of the things that came to Washington this year, I was most excited about these:

5. Wireless Service in  Dupont Circle. Dupont Circle is a great spot for people-watching and relaxing, but being able to check e-mail there is a sweet bonus.

4. Tai Shan. The panda cub has been a bit overexposed in his first few months on Earth. Nevertheless, the videos of him bumbling around have been a constant source of amusement.

3. ATMs in Metro Stations. For when I just didn't have time to go to the bank.

2. The Circulator. I had heard all about the new red buses and their crazy routes well before any maiden voyages. (Full disclosure: A friend of mine worked at the Downtown Business Improvement District on this project.) But at first, I still couldn't figure out this new transit system. It wasn't until months after the launch, when I finally hopped on with other skeptical passengers, that I developed an admiration for these colorful vehicles. Wide windows, new routes, friendly drivers -- I dig it.

1. The Nats. Seems there will always be debate about the merits of the stadium deal, but I had a great time going to baseball games on Saturday nights and watching the Nationals take this city by storm. Here's hoping we can keep them around in 2006.

--Julia