At 80 degrees, things are starting to cool off in DC. (Yes, 80 is brisk this year, it seems.) Which means autumn is just around the proverbial corner. And while the most obvious reason to be excited is not worrying about perspiring through your pants on your commute to work (gross), we've come up with five more. Check it out:

1. Seasonal Eats
Restaurant menus everywhere are about to get squashed. That is, local eateries are readying to unleash all types of hearty fall veggies into their apps and entrees. In particular, we're dying to bite into one of Lincoln's Bacon-Wrapped Cinderella Squash Lollipops.

2. Seasonal Dranks
Sure, pumpkin spice lattes are pretty awesome, we're more pumped to learn about the carrot juice-based Bloody Mary that J. Paul's Dining Saloon is readying to introduced. Deemed the Un-Bloody Mary, bar manager Sarah Counts tells us this drink is the antidote for any hangover. "It's a meal in a glass," she said.

3. Layering
There's only so many clothing items you can peel off in the summer without getting arrested. Thanks to the cooler temps, though, in the fall we get to layer more on to keep warm. Now's the time to get some sweet pieces at some of DC's best boutiques We're especially excited about the grand re-opening on Sept. 12 of Ginger Root Design, and fully endorse other U Street establishments like Zina and Junction Vintage. In Columbia Heights/Mt. Pleasant, make sure to hit up Nana and Black Eyed Susie's.

4. Halloween
Two words and a conjunction: trick or treat. We like both, which is why we plan to celebrate hard this year. (STAY TUNED!) More than that, we're pumped that we can already by candy corn and mini candy bars in bulk at CVS. And for that, we've also already booked our autumnal dentist appointment.

5. The Smell of the Air
We realize our list so far is pretty materialistic, but there's one thing on it that you can't buy—the scent of fireplaces burning, crisp northern air and all those aforementioned pumpkin lattes. Of course, the best thing about autumn air in DC is what you won't smell: smell you later, steamy hot street garbage! Happy Almost Fall, friends!