Lord knows, Washington, D.C. has its problems. But for an afternoon in May each year, they are all forgotten as the U Street corridor, from the newly gleaming, insta-neighborhood of North Shaw to the once-again de facto center of the city — 14th Street — becomes a carnival mixing young and old, African Americans and everyone else, straights and gays, families and singles. And that doesn’t even include the Funk Parade itself, which goes from the Howard Theater to Ben’s Chili Bowl. Just a few hours after the President gave the commencement address at Howard, and just a few hours before the Washington Capitals stayed alive by beating the Penguins at the Verizon Center, the city came together, as it does each year, in a reminder of why it’s great to live in cities, and not just cities per se, but the Nation’s Capital. Here are some photos that should give you a flavor of what the day was like. All images taken with a Leica Monochrom (type-246) and 50mm APO-Summicron-Asph.
Tulip Frenzy 