Life
Nicole Bourgea at D.C. Walls Festival 2022. Photo by Nicole Schaller
I Will Follow: May 2023
May 3, 2023 @ 1:00pm
Who to follow on Instagram and TikTok to make your life better.
Staying informed on local happenings can be overwhelming, but these three creator picks will make your scrolling journey one you look forward to, offering everything from commentary on the dating scene to a perusal of the food scene to highlights in the art scene.
@BlackGirlsExploreDC
As a freelance food writer for DCist and Insider, Cornelia Poku is no stranger to finding the best eats around the city. On both TikTok and Instagram, through her Black Girls Explore DC moniker, the Ghanaian-American DMV native shares the latest openings and new menus in the city, while peppering in her favorite dishes from local mainstays. Though covering the food in D.C. is not unique, what sets Poku apart is her candid demeanor. Her videos make you wish you could pull up a chair and join her for the meal. Note: To find Poku on Instagram, her handle is @blackgirls.exploredc.
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@WaitDontDoItPodcast
Cohosts Raffi Umanzor and NuNu Paris never hold back, which is a gift to us all. Self-described as “D.C.’s Messiest Podcast,” no conversation is taboo, including bottoming, faking orgasms and the District’s ongoing gentrification. If you don’t have time to commit to a full episode, you are in luck: Their videos on both TikTok and Instagram are where the real magic happens. Featuring local topics and LGBTQ+ dating, Umanzor usually takes the lead on creating hilarious content that consists of roasting transplants, D.C. gay culture and themselves at bottomless brunches. Listen to “Wait! Don’t Do It!” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any major streaming platform.
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@DCWallsFestival
Every fall for the last seven years, local and international artists coalesce to paint eye-catching murals around NoMa for 10 days. Organized by D.C. stalwart artist Kelly Towles, the festival’s Instagram account boasts dozens of new murals that spring up annually. However, for the rest of the year, the account showcases some of the best contemporary art around the world. Focusing primarily on public art, the account features sculptors, painters, performing artists and even animators. Regardless of the medium, the curated selection is consistently mesmerizing, including posts like a timelapse of a man using a flaming log on cement to draw a dragon, or a whole white room being graffitied in thick black ink in the style of Keith Haring. The reels and posts will leave you counting down the days until the festival returns.
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