Washington in the 2000s

WETA revisits the major events, people and developments that shaped Washington at the dawn of the new millennium. From 9/11 and the D.C. sniper to the return of Major League Baseball and a baby panda’s birth, the region experienced great highs and lows. Meanwhile, a massive wave of investment and growth transformed Washington into a hip foodie mecca, as traces of the old D.C. grew fainter.

In the early 2000s, D.C. experienced a vibrant and lighthearted transformation as colorful statues of elephants and donkeys, symbolizing democracy, adorned the streets, bringing joy and fostering conversations about art and democracy. Meanwhile, mysterious street art emerged, attributed to an enigmatic figure known as Borf.

Witness the heartwarming arrival of a baby panda to the National Zoo in Washington, DC in 2005, capturing the city's attention and uniting its residents in awe and adoration. As Chef José Andrés explains, the excitement in Washington, DC was palpable when the adorable cub, initially known as Butterstick, was born. But an online competition to choose the Panda's name became heated.

Once considered a quiet city with limited dining options, the restaurant scene underwent a remarkable transformation. The rise of food as a recreational activity and the growing vibrancy of restaurants turned Washington into a dynamic food town. Leading the culinary revolution was Spanish-born chef José Andrés, whose restaurant Minibar, opened in 2002, defied traditional fine dining conventions.

DC Mayor Tony Williams' re-election campaign hit a snag when it was discovered that thousands of petitions submitted to get his name on the primary ballot were inaccurate or fake. The scandal forced Williams off the primary ballot, leaving a write-in campaign as his only option. He still won easily. Following his re-election, he aimed to attract 100,000 new residents to DC in the next 10 years.

What began as anticipation for snow quickly turned into an extraordinary phenomenon as the blizzards known as Snowpocalypse and Snowmageddon blanketed the region with over three feet of snow combined. The city came to a standstill, creating a frozen landscape where streets were devoid of cars and replaced by impromptu snowball fights that gained widespread attention through social media.