Dupont Circle Update (9/4/06)
Michæl
Profile of business at 2024 P St: "Buying Indie:
Tranquil Space Yoga,"
http://www.dcist.com/archives/2006/08/17/buying_indie_tr.php
Dunkin Donuts/Baskin-Robbins now open at 1511 17th St.
WP profiles 206-unit apartment building at 20th & N,
formerly the Embassy Suites hotel. See "'Funky,
Colorful Feel' Attracts Young Adults to the Flats:
Dupont Gets New Option With Ex-Hotel,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/18/AR2006081800460.html
Post covers retail changes: the Third Day and District
Hardware will close. Along ConnAve, we went from 61
independent stores and 3 national chains in 1991 to 39
independents and 18 chains today.
"From 1990 to 2006, typical household income in
Dupont, adjusted for inflation, rose from $46,000 to
nearly $60,000 ... The average home value, adjusted
for inflation, rose from $493,000 to about $582,000.
Cyberstop cafe will remodel and rename this fall.
See "Life Around Dupont Circle Takes a New Turn,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/13/AR2006081300499.html
See also interactive map "The Changing Face of
Dupont Circle,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/custom/2006/08/14/CU2006081400058.html
See response "Changing Times in Dupont Circle,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/01/AR2006090101374.html
See also "Why are people, including Post
journalists, still not learning from Jane Jacobs...,"
http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2006/08/why-are-people-including-post.html
WT profiles "the Jackson tree," a 3-storey elm once
planted behind Andrew Jackson's house, in an alley
between Q & Corcoran and 17th & NH Ave. See "200-year-
old elm tree beats the odds in Dupont,"
http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20060807-114217-2161r.htm
See photo of tree at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/77945684@N00/211333393/
Letter-writer mulls 17th St Safeway's recent makeover.
See "From Soviet to Suave,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/25/AR2006082500785.html
New statue in park at 17th & NH Ave. See "Answer Man
Sleuths For Missing Sculptures,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/19/AR2006081900590.html
See Stead Park progress report, [1] below.
Upcoming bike lanes will connect Dupont to Foggy
Bottom, on 21st St from Florida (S St) to Virginia
(E St), and on 22nd St from Virginia to Mass (Q St).
See "Help WABA Enforce New Bike Lanes,"
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/WABA/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=5079
A witness to a beating in Dupont Circle was rebuffed
by MPD. See "In D.C., a Crime Goes Unchecked,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/18/AR2006081801348.html
Local resident writes "On a recent Sunday afternoon,
while I was enjoying the beautiful weather in Dupont
Circle, a police officer entered the circle and began
approaching park patrons. The officer informed those
of us basking in the sunshine that we were required to
be sitting upright instead of lying on our backs." See
"A Strange Way to Lay Down the Law,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/11/AR2006081101384.html
WP comments on "in-your-face malice" by Conn Ave
sidewalk saxophonist. See 2nd half of "Scene & Heard,"
"The Many Layers of Prejudice,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/09/AR2006080901681.html
32yo attorney Robert Wone was found murdered August 3
in 1509 Swann St. See "D.C. Police Maintain Focus on
House Where Lawyer Was Murdered,"
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1156340415182
See also "New Developments In Lawyer's Murder,"
http://wusatv9.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=51667
See new site http://www.crimeindc.org/
Article looks at Kentlands and Dupont Circle as models
of place-making and community-building See "Building,
and Rebuilding, Community,"
http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-plcsmartgrowth0827.artaug27,0,2996567.story
New group for ANC 2B01 (S St area):
http://groups.google.com/group/anc2b01
Trader Joe's opening on Friday on 25th St.
Effort to bring grocer to 14th & U - see "New site
to urge Tj's in Mid-City: A Campaign for Another
Trader Joe's,"
http://www.dcist.com/archives/2006/08/28/a_campaign_for.php
Empty storefront at 14th & Church being used as art
showcase; see "Storefront Art That's Turning Heads,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/18/AR2006081801321.html
See "Strip Stakes: 14th Street has six galleries in a
three-block stretch,"
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/tell/2006/tell0804.html
Womans clothing shop coming to SE corner of 14th & S.
Cultural Development Corporation will run space at
1835 14th St. See "Source Theatre's Last Act: Building
To Be Arts Center,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/01/AR2006080101662.html
See also "Arts for Arts Space: How many performers
can pile into the Source's 14th Street digs?,"
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/tell/2006/tell0811.html
See also "For In Series, No Place Like a Permanent
Home,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/07/AR2006080701127.html
See also "Source's Untidy Life Begets a Messier
Demise,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/01/AR2006090100378.html
See "Explosion of New Retail Set for 14th Street From
Thomas Circle to Columbia Heights,"
http://www.intowner.com/fr/issue/stories/story2.htm
NYT visited DC and hit 9:30 Club and Al Crostino.
See "36 Hours: Washington, D.C.,"
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/08/25/travel/escapes/25hours.html
MW profiles new bar at 1318 9th St. See "From A to Be
Bar: An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the
months-long creation of D.C.'s newest gay bar,"
http://www.metroweekly.com/feature/?ak=2271
See also "New gay bar to open in Shaw: After much
wrangling, BeBar's owners looking forward to Sept.
debut,"
http://washingtonblade.com/2006/8-25/locallife/feature/bebar.cfm
See also "D.C. Lets BeBar Be,"
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/rawfisher/2006/08/dc_lets_bebar_be.html
Blade says View 14 construction will start in the fall
(14th & Florida). See "Development's movin' on up
14th: Despite concerns about a cooling housing market,
new condo buildings are marching uptown,"
http://www.washblade.com/2006/8-4/locallife/feature/LL.cfm
See "Washington Heights Historic District Now Official
in Adams Morgan Despite 82% of Business Owners in
Opposition,"
http://www.intowner.com/fr/issue/stories/story1.htm
Georgetown cafe expanding to 1847 Columbia Rd; see
"Cafe Bonaparte Plans To Acquire Mantis Space
http://amandamc.blogspot.com/2006/08/cafe-bonaparte-plans-to-acquire-mantis.html
See "Around Town: Muni-Meters for 18th St. NW,"
http://www.readexpress.com/read_freeride/2006/08/around_town_munimeters_coming_to_18th_st_1.php
Adams Morgan Partnership has funded private nighttime
patrols. See "Business Owners Pay For Neighborhood
Security Patrol,"
http://www.nbc4.com/news/9704388/detail.html
WP visits renovated Thomas Circle. See "At Last, It's
a Pleasure To Go Around in Circle,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/13/AR2006081300673.html
Logan Hardware owners opening 4th shop at City Vista
site at 5th and K. See "Hardware Made a Little Easier:
Simplicity and Service Meet D.C. Residents' Needs,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/30/AR2006083000798.html
See commentary "The Mediocre Mile: Residential
Projects Are Rising Rapidly Along Massachusetts
Avenue. Design Review Hasn't Kept Pace,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/03/AR2006090301003.html
See "Alexandria Accelerates Riverfront Makeover,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/05/AR2006080500778.html
Metro link to BWI might get higher priority: see "Md.
Business Secretary: Green Line Has Most Potential,"
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=598&sid=889188
Sunday, September 11:
http://www.adamsmorgandayfestival.com/
Tuesday, September 18: Dupont Circulator (happy hour)
- see http://www.dupontcircle.biz/networking.htm
The Lobster Boy Revue and Cherry Red Productions are
teaming up to produce "Freak House" for Halloween at
Warehouse. See http://www.lobsterboy.net/
Best regards,
Michæl
http://www.flickr.com/photos/77945684@N00/
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[1] [from mmol...@dccouncil.us]
Dear All:
After much starting and stopping, it looks like there
may be some progress to report on the renovation of
Stead Park's playground. The District's fiscal year
ends on September 30 and it is clear the funds cannot
be spent by then. As the funds were specifically
earmarked for the Friends of Stead Park (FOSP), it was
decided the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)
would give the funds to FOSP. Please join me in
thanking the FOSP board members: Mike Carr, Liz
Kelley and Wendy Meltzer for taking on so much
responsibility.
The tentative time line for Stead is: fleshing out
the design concept and creating construction documents
in September and October, selecting a contractor in
November, breaking ground in March (weather
permitting) and three months for construction.
Lee and Associates has been officially chosen as the
landscape architect. Eric Baugher will be the project
manager. Lee and Associates is also the landscape
architect for the S&T Street parks and we hope to
create some common design elements to tie to two
Dupont Circle parks together. The park renovations
along with a streetscape upgrade for 17th Street in
2008 could mean some exciting changes to Dupont East.
Currently, we are waiting for the completion of an
engineer's survey (elevations and utility lines). DPR
is in the process of preparing a Memorandum of
Understanding with FOSP outlining each party's
responsibilities for the project. With luck on our
side, children will be playing in the new playground
this summer.
Michele Molotsky,
Deputy Chief of Staff
Councilmember Jack Evans, Ward 2
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, #106
Washington, DC 20004
Ph: 202-724-8033, F: 202-724-8023