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SATURDAY

“There are signs of drug trafficking—tiny plastic bags on the sidewalk, the kind of bags used for crack cocaine.” This is Anacostia, according to the Newcomer’s Handbook for Moving to Washington, D.C. Authors Mike Livingston and Ricia Chansky admit that most neighborhood residents will never actually be shot but still tell us that it’s “not a good place to raise kids”—encouraging news for the families who reside here. Stereotypes aside, the guide is filled with useful information on both the District and its ‘burbs, and it lists every phone number and Web site that a recent transplant or long-term resident could ever possibly need. Still, the handbook lacks crucial insider knowledge: How about warning newbies that if they stick a large bill into a farecard machine, they’ll be commuting with a pocket full of quarters? Or at least a heads-up that asking a D.C. cabdriver to stop off in “NoMa,” one of the neighborhoods listed in the guide, is begging for a $50 fare. Get moved at 2 p.m. at Luna Books, 1633 P St. NW. Free. (202) 332-2543. (Sarah Godfrey)