Off The Mall Tours

02/06/2025

The Industrial Bank is the oldest black-owned bank in Washington, and when it opened in 1913, the ONLY black owned bank in Washington. At a time when white-owned banks (ie all banks) would either not approve financing to black citizens, or if they did they did so at exploitative high rates, the emergence of a black-owned financial institution became a lifeline for black entrepreneurs, aspiring home-owners, and students needing loans. Started by John Whitelaw Lewis, saved from bankruptcy during the Depression by Lightfoot Solomon Michaux, the bank was bought in 1934 by Jesse Homer Mitchell. The Mitchell family still owns the bank, and it is one of only three black-owned businesses continuously run by the same family since before 1968. It was because of this bank that U Street would rise to fame as "Black Broadway." Learn more about U Street''s history on our Harlem Renaissance in DC walking tour happening this Saturday, February 8th at 4pm. And don't forget that in honor of Black History Month we are offering a 20% discount with code BHM2025 at checkout!

01/27/2025

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, and by coincidence the day that I was able to get tickets for the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. No photos are allowed inside, so you'll have to believe me when I say that it was a poignant and moving tribute to someone who chronicled through her own diary the horrors inflicted on Jewish communities throughout Europe, including the tens of thousands in Amsterdam. The process of extermination began first with a fascist party being put into power. That party then established laws that marginalized and controlled minority groups who were blamed for society's ills. After their civil rights were taken away, it was easier to whole-sale round them up and take them away to work and extermination camps. That included Anne Frank and her family. She and her sister were taken to the Bergen-Belsen camp, where she died in 1944. Her father was the only one to survive of her own family. The Germans who had hid the Frank family in a business annex found Anne's diaries and the book she had almost completed based off of those diaries, and handed them over to her Father, who then had them published. Hers, and other personal accounts and memoirs, tell a story that should never be forgotten.

01/27/2025

Greetings from Amsterdam! I'm spending a long weekend here during my sojourn to Europe, and had the privilege to get a personal perspective of the red light district, thanks to Bear at the Prostitution Information Center, an organization that strives to educate and respectfully share about the reality of s*x work in Amsterdam, and the Netherlands in general. It was a very interesting introduction to a place that works hard to ensure s*x workers can practice safely, takes extra precautions to ensure workers were not doing so under duress or compulsion against their will (we had a whole discussion about the use of the word "trafficking" and how it can paint an inaccurate picture). We learned about the mechanics of the industry, the lives of the workers and the .i.c.amsterdam 's advocacy. What an incredible experience. Check out the P.I.C and what they do at their profile. *xworkiswork

01/23/2025

Allo from London! I'm having a birthday getaway during the slow tour season in the capital of the UK. It's a bit grey, but being in a new city is always invigorating. I also find myself constantly drawing parallels to DC everywhere. I am staying in Notting Hill (yes, the one featured in the movie of the same name). Much like what you see in some neighborhoods in DC, many of the streets have homes painted an array of colors. Also, I saw the same types of bracers used in brick buildings, though much bigger, that you would find in Georgetown and Alexandria. Makes me feel right at home. More dispatches soon. If you have any recommendations, please put them in the comments!

01/21/2025

Thank you to the brave souls who came out during this wintry weekend for the Madams of DC and District of Punk tours! Other tours had to be rescheduled due to forecasted conditions, but that's how it goes sometimes. In any case, it was a fun start, talking about s*x workers, punks, and the power of non-conformity. Our next tours are coming up for Blacl History Month, along with a promotion. Stay tuned! *xworkiswork

01/20/2025

6 years before Dr. King gave his "I have a Dream" speech, he was in Washington, DC, to give another speech. On November 9, 1957, King was at the for the national convention of the National Council of Negro Women's Mary McLeod Bethune Commemoration Week. The title of the speech was "A Look to the Future." In the speech he cites three stages in race relations in the United States: Slavery (1619 - 1863), followed by the "separate but equal" period marked by Jim Crow (1877-1954, when Brown vs. Board of Education struck down segregation in schools), and finally the "promised land" of integration. During his speech, he references how those who pushed against a status quo that relegated a portion of the population to 2nd class citizens were called "maladjusted." He implored his audience to own the idea, to refuse to "adjust" to a world that was unjust, unequal, and complacent to "the tragic inequalities of an economic system which takes necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes." As we honor his legacy today, let us meditate on his words, refuse to adjust to an unjust reality, and continue to push for equality for all. Happy Birthday Dr. KING! Rest in Power.

01/20/2025

If you weren't able to make my virtual tour on Dr. King in Washington, DC, no worries! Here is my blog post on where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke, ate, and stayed during his many visits to our nation's capitol. Happy Birthday Dr. King. Your message is more important today than ever.

There are three important birthdays that I celebrate in January – David Bowie’s (January 8th), my mother’s (January 20th) and of course the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15th), not in that order. While my mother's might be the most important of those three to me, Dr. King’...

01/16/2025

Reminder that today at 12:30 I am offering a virtual tour of Dr. King's Washington, in which we explore the places and spaces visited by the eponymous Civil rights activist in our nations capital. It is FREE, thanks to sponsorship by the Savage Branch. Registration still open through link in bio!

01/13/2025

Off the Mall Tours is offering a special schedule of tours in January in honor of Dr. Martin Luther Kings' birthday! This time of year is a great time to commemorate Dr. King's legacy of fighting for civil rights, resistance to tyranny, decrying injustice, and a belief in the intrinsic value of all people. We hope you'll join us for any or all of our incredible options, including a FREE virtual tour of places in the District visited by Dr. King throughout his life, offered in partnership with Savage Branch. All tour descriptions and booking can be found through links in bio or at www.otmdc.com!

01/05/2025

A beautiful sunset in Temecula, CA, I wanted to share with you all. I admit, I've been enjoying the warmer temperatures and clear skies of southern California, not to mention some well-needed family time. Soon, I will be returning to DC and gearing up for the 2025 tour season. There are lots of exciting things coming that I can't wait to share. In the meantime, bundle up and be safe in the upcoming snowstorm, DMV!

12/31/2024

Thank you to everyone who made this year incredible, from my curious and enthusiastic guests, to my amazing partners in tourism, my colleagues, friends, local businesses and history organizations. You are what makes this job the enriching and valuable experience it is. When I started this company over four years ago, I had no idea what it would become. I couldn't be more proud to be a part of this wonderful community in the nation's Capital. Thank you, and here's to an even better 2025.

12/30/2024

Greetings from LA! I'm in California for the holidays and was able to get in at least one great show at . Loved the performances by all the incredible acts including and , and finally the , which had me wishing I was back in The Big Easy. I love trying out new venues and I'll definitely be back to this one. Thanks to for the recommendation and to my dear friend Erica for coming with me. What a great way to start winding down the year!

12/27/2024

That's it for 2024! Thank you to everyone who came on the History of Jewish Washington tour with as we kicked off Hanukkah in an amazing way. And thank you to the for hosting our group. That's our last tour of the year, but we are already looking at some great things coming up for 2025. Stay tuned for more tour announcements in the New Year. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your holiday season, stay safe, and we'll catch you on the flipside.

12/25/2024

12/21/2024

Today we celebrate the start of winter, and also the beginning of the days getting gradually longer. Happy Solstice to you and yours.

12/19/2024

Abe Lichtman was a Jewish entertainment entrepreneur during segregated Washington. He specifically owned theaters and parks that catered to African Americans, including the Howard Theater, the Lincoln Theater and the Strand Theater in Deanwood. He also owned the Washington Bears, one of DC's African American baseball teams. He used proceeds from his businesses to offer loans to black entrepreneurs, and was representative of a historic connection between the Jewish and Black communities in Washington, DC. The 7th Street Corridor often had Jewish and Black-owned businesses side by side, for example. Learn more about DC's Jewish history in the upcoming History of Jewish Washington walking tour with Ami Greener, happening on December 25th at 10am. There are only 5 spots lefts, so a 2ND tour has opened at 12:45pm. Both will go quickly, so get your tickets now at link in bio!

12/16/2024

What an incredible gathering of some of the best tour guiding talent out there. These fine people have encouraged me, educated me, laughed and cried with me. Thank you for being my chosen professional and personal community. All of us strive to share the DC we know intimately with fellow locals, transplants, national and international visitors, students and history enthusiasts. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Everyone needs to take tours with one of these amazing humans.

12/10/2024

I had a wonderful "Tour exchange" today with real estate historian extraordinaire Joe Himali! He shared with me the stories behind some of Kalorama's historic buildings, including the Vichy France embassy where a British spy successfully evaded capture wearing nothing but heels and pearls, and the coop in which Betty Frieden lived (now The Wyoming). In exchange I took him on the History of Black Georgetown tour, ending at the Mt Zion Female Union Band Cemetery, where we had a chance run-in with Exec Director Lisa Fager. What a great day full of history nerddom! BTW, I'm offering the History of Black Georgetown tour to the public this Saturday 12/14 at 2pm (tickets available through link in bio). Thanks Joe for an excellent tour chock full of great info, and to Lisa for giving us both an impromptu tour of the Cemetery!