What's in and out for 2026 in D.C.
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Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Time for one of our fave Axios D.C. traditions: The new year's in-and-out list.
Why it matters: It's official: 2025 is so last year.
State of play: Here's what's hot and what's not for Washington's year ahead.
❌ Out: Natural lewks / ✅ In: Mar-A-Lago face
❌ Out: Remote work / ✅ In: Swiping your badge at 10am, leaving at 1pm
❌ Out: Big Balls / ✅ In: Big ballrooms
❌ Out: Dudes playing football / ✅ In: Women playing football
❌ Out: Northwest Stadium / ✅ In: RFK Stadium
❌ Out: Butterworth's / ✅ In: The KenCcen Speakeasy
❌ Out: Alex Ovechkin??? / ✅ In: Hot gay hockey players
❌ Out: Drinking in airports / ✅ In: Fitness in airports
❌ Out: The Hunger Games / ✅ In: The Patriot Games
❌ Out: World Cup in the DMV / ✅ In: World Cup road trips
❌ Out: Doing chores / ✅ In: Having the National Guard do your chores ... indefinitely?
❌ Out: White tablecloth dining / ✅ In: "Fine-casual" counter-service
❌ Out: DCA / ✅ In: Trump-y Dulles
❌ Out: Government shutdown specials / ✅ In: Keeping the government open past January
❌ Out: Mayor Muriel Bowser / ✅ In: Mayor Randy Clarke?
❌ Out: Therme / ✅ In: Getting weird and renting other people's saunas
❌ Out: Trump luxury real estate bump / ✅ In: Plz god lower interest rates
❌ Out: Cybertrucks / ✅ In: City of D.C. Rivians
❌ Out: Finding a white-collar job / ✅ In: Becoming an unemployment social media influencer
❌ Out: Waymo / ✅ In: Robot massages
❌ Out: $22 cocktail bars / ✅ In: Just ... bars
❌ Out: Streateries / ✅ In: Parking
❌ Out: A Tatte on every corner / ✅ In: A Wonder on every corner
❌ Out: UFC cage matches on TV / ✅ In: UFC cage matches on the White House lawn
❌ Out: Peeing in a Throne / ✅ In: Peeing next to Lincoln's ghost in the new gilded "Lincoln Bathroom"
❌ Out: Coffee shops / ✅ In: Broth bars
❌ Out: Natty L / ✅ In: G-town and Union Market District
❌ Out: Water taxis / ✅ In: Hydrofoils
❌ Out: Getting a membership at The Ned / ✅ In: Getting a friend with a membership at The Ned
❌ Out: Italian olive oil (thx, tariffs) / ✅ In: Tallow
❌ Out: Dating older politicians / ✅ In: Dating someone who dates older politicians and then writing about it on Substack
❌ Out: Stealing dogs / ✅ In: Stealing wine
❌ Out: Tyra Banks' ice cream incubator for underserved youth / ✅ In: Bezos Learning Center
❌ Out: Pennies / ✅ In: Trump $1 coin
❌ Out: Tapas / ✅ In: GLP-1 menus
❌ Out: Power booths at restaurants / ✅ In: Union drives at restaurants