We know they're getting a puppy (either a Labradoodle or a Portuguese water dog).

We know that California designer Michael Smith -- he of the classic-yet-modern-yet-family-friendly aesthetic -- will decorate their living quarters.

But what other kinds of change can Barack Obama and his extended brood expect to live with when they move into the White House Tuesday?

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Where will they go to church? Where will they go out for ice cream? Will Mr. Obama's mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, move in permanently? Will the Obamas be homebodies like the Bushes, or will they cut a wide social swath through the salons of Georgetown and the city's large, affluent black professional community?

First things first: Mrs. Robinson's decision to move in with the Obamas, even if only for a few months, has gotten rave reviews from senior citizen advocates.

"Marian Robinson had a very full life in Chicago, but the call to support her grandchildren was stronger, and we think that the Obamas are going to be a tremendous example of how extended families can help each other," said Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, a Washington, D.C.-based organization promoting policies that build bridges between generations.

"She's going to help keep the girls [Sasha and Malia] grounded. She's going to help keep them real, and set a great example for other older relatives living with younger families around the country."

Plus, she'll be a great baby sitter when Mr. Obama decides to head out to off-the-record dinners like the one he had Monday night at the home of conservative columnist George Will.

That initial social foray was, like all first-time presidential outings in Washington, revealing for social observers carefully searching for clues to the next chief executive's social style.

And to some extent, the consensus was that (gasp!) brainpower will carry more social weight in Obama's Washington than political ideology or wealth.

"No one thinks Obama is likely to fit neatly into any of the traditional categories that define politics or the city's social life," said Juleanna Glover, a Republican whose own parties during the Bush administration at her mansion in Kalorama, one of the city's most elegant neighborhoods, were known for their eclectic, bi-partisan guest lists.

"He's a very intellectually curious guy, and visiting George Will was a perfect indication that he will be seeking out the smartest and intellectually unique individuals in town," she said. "Wealth is not going to be the criterion here."

On the other hand, Michelle Obama -- who has stated that getting her family settled is her first priority -- isn't expected to show up at too many Georgetown cocktail parties.

"I would imagine that Michelle is going to stay closer to her Chicago roots and friends," said Christine Wilkie, managing editor of Washington Life (www.washingtonlife.com), which chronicles the city's social scene. "She doesn't appear to be a cocktail party chatterer and will probably opt for settings in which she feels more comfortable."

Still, after eight years of being relegated to a social backwater under the Bush administration -- whose officials tended to live in Republican enclaves in suburban Virginia -- Georgetown hostesses are loaded for bear.

"The Bushes snubbed us over here, but I'm sure any liberal hostess in Georgetown would die to have the Obamas to dinner," said Craig Wilson, a longtime Georgetown resident and columnist for USAToday.

It's possible the Obamas will bond with at least one young, glamorous Washington couple: Adrian Fenty, the city's mayor, and his wife, Michelle, may be going out to dine at one of the city's hot spots, like Komi, a pricey Greek restaurant near DuPont Circle, or Equinox, overseen by celebrated chef Todd Gray.

Also expect longtime Washington insiders Vernon E. Jordan and his wife Ann -- who is the cousin of Obama adviser and close friend Valerie Jarrett -- to entertain the Obamas at their Georgetown home. While that legendary neighborhood may rise again after years of social quiescence under the early-to-bed, early-to-rise Bush administration, its hostesses may find themselves eclipsed by members of the city's large black elite scattered across the city, who include Ann Jordan's daughter, Toni, a partner at high-powered law firm Skadden Arps, and Debra Lee, CEO of Black Entertainment Network.

The Obamas also have vowed to return to Chicago frequently, but it also seems that a lot of Chicago will be coming to them. Valerie Jarrett will be leaving her Gold Coast condominium in the Windy City -- at least part of the time -- to become a White House senior adviser, perhaps settling in Washington's own upscale Gold Coast neighborhoods along 16th Street. Susan Sher, who worked with Mrs. Obama at the University of Chicago Health Center, will join the administration as associate counsel to the president, and Penny Pritzker, finance chairwoman of the Obama presidential campaign and heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, is said to be scouting out property in Washington.

Even the old Oprah-Winfrey-has-bought-a-house-here rumor, one that surfaces whenever some destination becomes particularly trendy, has emerged. This time she's supposedly bought an old house in Georgetown.

Desiree Rogers, another longtime Chicago friend, will be the first African-American to serve as White House social secretary, which raises this pressing question: will the White House once again be the site of big state dinners and glitzy parties, sleepovers for big donors and other hallmarks of the Clinton and Reagan administrations?

Yes and no. Mr. Obama steered clear of the Hollywood crowd during his campaign, and in these parlous economic times it's unlikely that the Obamas will entertain ostentatiously. On the other hand, Ms. Rogers, the former president for social networking at Allstate Financial in Chicago, is expected to give a whole new meaning to "social" â€" by tapping into Mr. Obama's vast network of Internet supporters to participate in special events, albeit in cyberspace rather than in the White House.

At least initially, the Obamas may not have that much time for partying. President George W. Bush famously kept scrupulously regular hours, leaving the Oval Office at 6 p.m. Not so Mr. Obama, whose aides are so worried about the long hours they're expecting that they're thinking of opening up the White House to visits from staffers' children.

Mr. Obama has said he'll be visiting different churches before settling on a regular place of worship -- which will probably also apply to the city's basketball courts as well. This is a president who needs his exercise, and the city's ball hogs are hoping Mr. Obama will join them in a pickup game, either at Sports Club LA at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel or the downtown YMCA a few blocks from the White House, or even, when the weather gets warmer, at an outdoor game in Georgetown's Rose Park.

Shelley Cohen, a local environmental activist, says her husband plays in the Ritz-Carlton game "and it's nice because they play hard but they're not cut-throat."

The Obamas dined out frequently in Chicago -- Rick Bayless' Topolobampo was their favorite -- and inevitably, even the most innocent dining choices by the president will be scrutinized. Trendy? Down home? Up-and-coming? Environmentally correct?

In the end, Mr. Obama's visits to George Will's house, a funky chili stand and the Lincoln Memorial with his children -- all in one week -- auger for an eclectic, diverse social life for the First Couple, something that will be welcomed by many Washingtonians, said Mr. Wilson.

"What's so nice is that after eight years of never, ever seeing the president out and about, I hope now we can feel more connected with the man in the White House."