Dupont Circle Update (10/24/06)
Michæl
Wrapworks has closed.
Dupont Pet Shop now open at 2024 P St.
Pizzaria Paradisio is expanding into the basement.
Blaine Mansion (20th, P & Mass) has gotten approval
for its plans for the parking lot beside it. The 6-
story addition will have retail at ground level and
condos above. The mansion itself will get new tenants
on the ground floor, a condo on the top floor, and
law offices in between.
See "Contemporary Addition Approved by HPRB for
Dupont Circle's Historic Blaine Mansion,"
http://www.intowner.com/fr/issue/stories/story2.htm
Blade covers Meat Market gallery (1636 17th St) and
Long View gallery (1302 9th St): "A tale of two
galleries: New gay-owned galleries bring flair to the
D.C. arts scene,"
http://www.washblade.com/2004/7-23/locallife/
See "Opposition to Trio Owner's Application to Serve
Mixed Drinks on Existing Q Street Patio Not Sustained
by ABC Board Action,"
http://www.intowner.com/fr/issue/stories/story1.htm
See "Studio Theatre Apprentices Will be Corcoran
Street Neighbors; Will Occupy Renovated Six-Unit
Building Starting in Fall, 2006,"
http://www.intowner.com/fr/issue/stories/story3.htm
"Shangri-La Day Spa" now open in former DC Vote space
at 15th & U.
See "The buffaloes are back on Q Street!"
http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/EVANS/newsletter/Week.of.10.13.06.htm#QSTREET
See "Dupont Dog Owner Tries to Move On After Loss;
Transient's Animal Was Fatally Shot By Park Police
Officer,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/18/AR2006101800584.html
More info on Aug 2 murder of Robert Wone. See "A New
Glimpse Into Night of D.C. Slaying,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/08/AR2006100801061.html
WP reports "the city's robbery core is in the 3rd
Police District, which includes the neighborhoods of
Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant, Dupont
Circle and Logan Circle. It is the city's smallest,
densest police district and accounts for almost 30
percent of muggings. ... Based on volume, the top
location for the city's robbers is near 14th Street
and Columbia Road." See "Liveliest D.C. Neighborhoods
Also Jumping With Robberies,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/12/AR2006101201813.html
See also chat transcript "Neighborhoods and Robberies
As Many As Five Robberies an Hour in Some Areas,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/10/13/DI2006101300536.html
See also crime zone map
http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/pdf/robbery_101306.pdf
See also http://www.crimeindc.org/
Furniture store at 1526 14th St NW due to close. See
"Rowe Plans to Close Storehouse Outlets: No Buyer
Found for Furniture Retailer,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/06/AR2006100601545.html
City is testing a new design for crosswalks. See photo
of the prototype at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/77945684@N00/278460909/
See "Logan Gets New Lights,"
http://www.dcist.com/archives/2006/10/10/logan_gets_new.php
See "Five Manhole Blasts Shatter Windows In Logan
Circle; Northwest Neighborhood Rocked By Manhole
Blasts,"
http://www.nbc4.com/news/10025018/detail.html
WCP reports how jazz club at 1610 14th St took a
$250,000 grant from the city three years ago yet is
still under renovation. See "Room to Improv: Why is
HR-57 still under construction?"
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/tell/2006/tell0929.html
NYT mentions Tabaq Bistro, Café Saint-Ex, Busboys and
Poets, Bohemian Caverns, Ben's Chili Bowl, Cafe Nema
and Love Café. See "Lights Return to 'Black Broadway'
in Northwest Washington, D.C.,"
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/09/10/travel/10surfacing.html
MidCity shops and restaurants get attention in
"Washington, D.C.: New life comes to once gritty
capital streets, as shops, restaurants, galleries,
clubs, and scenesters take up residence,"
http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/neighborhoods-washington-dc
79-unit luxury condo project at 16th and Fuller has
been halted by the Historic Preservation Review
Board. See "Plans for Old Italian Embassy Snagged,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/15/AR2006101500601.html
New home furnishings store And Beige coming to 1781
Florida Ave. See http://www.andbeige.com/
See "Mideast War: Amsterdam's chef bolts to start his
own self-serve falafel shop in Adams Morgan,"
http://restaurants.washingtoncitypaper.com/hungry.php?week=20060929
WT profiles Constantine Stavropoulos, owner of Tryst/
Diner/Open City. See "Building a mini restaurant
empire in D.C.,"
http://www.examiner.com/a-341037~Building_a_mini_restaurant_empire_in_D_C_.html
The Watergate's courtyard fountain will be renovated;
Safeway will be expanded. See "Why Break In When You
Can Lease the Office?"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/23/AR2006102301139.html
See "History Gets Hipper: Shops, java huts and haute
condos keep Georgetown bustling,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/18/AR2006101800470.html
15 acres of air rights have been sold; see "New Life
Above the Union Station Tracks,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/01/AR2006100100717.html
NYT shows how Paris uses nighttime illumination to
enrich the city, saying "Late-night Paris belongs to
the stroller, the idle walker with no purpose except
to roam. ... Paris at night has the irrational power
to trigger the imaginations of even ordinary folks,"
and concluding "the real secret to Paris's beauty at
night can be described in one word: light. ... An
entire lighting division in City Hall is responsible
for choosing the design, style, color, intensity and
timing of the lighting for nearly 300 structures."
See "Paris la Nuit,"
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/travel/01parisnite.html
How different is Washington at night? Even many
of our buildings and monuments designed to be lit at
night are malfunctioning - such as the Banneker
Fountain, the Senate Garage Fountain, the LOC's
Neptune Fountain, the Navy Memorial fountain, and many
more. Plus buildings - primarily along the Federal
Triangle - which were once lit at night have been left
to darkness, either by design or neglect. Then there's
the fountain at the heart of our neighborhood, which
at night runs in shadows.
See 2nd letter in "Fountain Feedback,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/06/AR2006090
600465.html
Tonight, October 24: High Heel Drag Race on 17th St.
See "Racy Revelry: D.C.'s High Heel Race turns 20 in
grassroots style,"
http://www.metroweekly.com/gauge/?ak=2363
Wednesday, October 25: Columbia Heights Public Realm
open house. See [1] below.
Thursday, October 26: Pumpkin carving contest, Helix
Lounge.
Saturday, October 28: Rock Creek Park Trail
Rehabilitation Project. See [2] below.
Thursday, November 2: Plan the new Stead Playground,
6:30pm. See
http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=JWHYWSNICAASDIGISDSS
November 16-19: http://www.georgetownfilmfest.com/
November 30 - December 10: Washington Jewish Film
Festival, DCJCC. See http://www.wjff.org
See [3] below for volunteering info.
Best regards,
Michæl
http://www.flickr.com/photos/77945684@N00/
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[1]
OPEN HOUSE
Columbia Heights Public Realm
& Ongoing Construction Meeting
The District Department of Transportation, Councilman
Jim Graham (Ward 1) and Advisory Neighborhood
Commission 1A, in cooperation with the DC Office of
Planning and the Commission of Arts and Humanities,
will hold an open house to discuss the Columbia
Heights Public Realm design, which is a culmination of
several years of community meetings that focused on a
framework of landscape and transportation improvements
in the area.
The meeting will discuss:
* Progress of the construction plans;
* Details of the new triangle park and metro plaza;
* Implementing the recommendations of the Mt. Pleasant/
Columbia Heights Transportation Study;
* Making Columbia Heights a pedestrian- and bicycle-
friendly destination that offers both shopping and
recreation;
* Ongoing construction issues related to congestion and
pedestrian safety.
Where: Kelsey Temple Church of God in Christ
1435 Park Road, NW
Washington, DC 20010
Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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[2]
Open House in the Park
Join the National Park Service-Rock Creek Park unit
and the District Department of Transportation for a
Trailside Open House.
You are invited to share your ideas and concerns
for the rehabilitation of the trail along Rock Creek.
Date Saturday, October 28th
Rain date Sunday, October 29th
Time 12 Noon - 4 pm
Location Trailside at Peirce Mill
(north of Tilden Street)
For additional information, please contact Rock Creek
Park at 202-895-6000 or Chris Holben, District
Department of Transportation at 202-671-2638 or
chris....@dc.gov.
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[3]
Volunteer (Ushers, box office & special events - can
you say 'party'?) for the 17th Annual WJFF. For every
shift you work, you get to see a film for FREE!
Orientation on Sunday, November 5, 2006 11:30am @ the
DCJCC ... enjoy donuts and coffee ... see www.wjff.org