Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets (HDCMS)

NEW! September 2009 Dupont Business Directory Did you know that the commercial corridors of Dupont Circle contain more than 365 businesses?  That's one for each day of the year!  Click above for our updated, September 2009 complete business list by category or by any one of our three major commercial corridors.   ********   2009 Taste of Dupont Held Tuesday, November 17, 2009   This new format attracted over 1,000 ticket holders who visited 16 restaurants for tasty tastings and paired cocktails at locations all over Dupont Circle.  Click the link above to see the participating restaurants, and a big thank you to those that purchased tickets and to our many fine restaurants ******************   HDCMS Awarded Humanities Council of Washington Grant: Historical Images of Dupont Circle HDCMS applied for and was awarded a recent 2009 DC Humanities Council Grant of $1,500 that allowed us to build a history page on our website featuring nearly 200 vintage images and captions from the book Dupont Circle by Exec Director Paul Williams.  The historic images can be seen HERE.   ************ Connecticut Avenue Median Landscaping Project HDCMS is pleased to announce that landscaping and irrigation plans have been finalized for the very long Connecticut Avenue median north of the Circle, from R to S Streets!  We have made great progress of late, and overcome seemingly insurmountable hurdles due to the current configuration, existing trees that will remain, utility locations, and the need for a unique irrigation design to ensure a lasting installation scheduled to begin in late and winter of 2009 and plant installation in April 2010 that will continue to enhance the community for years to come.  The overall landscaping plan is one that will bloom during all seasons, and provide maximum visual impact.  This $75,000 + project is scheduled to be planted by students at the UDC Master Gardener program. See the existing, landscaping, irrigation and traffic control plans here. See the Fence Design by Trout Studio Here Project Status: October 2009 Project Budget  *********** The 2009 High Heel Race The 24th annual High Heel Race was run on Tuesday, October 27, with approximately 15,000 spectators from all over the world.  HDCMS was the beneficiary and sold just 50 VIP tickets for the first time in a much welcomed tent at the finish line, saving many from the rain.  Mayor Adrian Fenty and over 150 volunteers made it one of the most successful events to date!      ************ Dupont Business Owners and Managers Meet & Greet October 13, 12:30-2 pm Hotel Dupont, 1500 NH Ave   The informal meet and greet was a successful function to network with business owners, learn what HDCMS has accomplished in the past year, and learn what is planned in the near future.  Many thanks to the creative Hotel Dupont catering staff that provided a fun and innovative "sky" snack set up! We hope to bring these functions each quarter, or more!  Pictures coming soon.   Invite pdf here  ************ Police Night Out: Dupont Circle Park August 4th, 6-8 PM Free food was graciously provided by Circa at Dupont Restaurant!  Free drinks and water provided by Omega DC!  Everyone had a good time, good food, and everyone also got to meet five of our local cast mates from MTV's The Real World being filmed right here in Dupont Circle.  Many thanks goes out to the successful efforts of our hardworking local police officers.  More pics here   *********** Dupont Circle  - May 2009 Magazine Feature!  HDCMS coordinated a feature story on our neighborhood for the May 2009 issue of Mason-Dixon Arrive magazine, with a readership of over 100,000 affluent readers in Maryland and Southern PA counties - a monthly feature written by Gregory J. Alexander that encourages a "backroads" trip to a local town or city.  The author accompanied HDCMS Exec Director Paul Williams visiting local merchants and eating in local establishments.  Read the entire article here (pdf)       2009 Spring Fling: A Thanks for attending!  Many heartfelt thanks for your attendance and support at our April 21, 2009 Spring Fling event, with silent auction.  Over 250 of you enjoyed the food, historic atmosphere, and silent auction.  It was a successful fundraising event for us, and we thank you!  See Pictures here.  **********   Dupont vs. Georgetown!  You voted, and the winner was DUPONT CIRCLE!  NBCWashington.com's fun contest for the best site for people watching had you vote Dupont Circle 63% to Georgetown's 37%!  The winner was announced on April 14, and HDCMS ED Paul Williams. Board Member Gil Hill and ANC 2B Chair Mike Silverstein were interviewed by NBC 4 in a plug that will appear on newscasts April 16.  See the comment on the voting results here.    ***********   Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets Clean Team Began in October 2008! HDCMS secured funding for a Clean Team that began sweeping, collecting trash, removing graffiti, and cleaning our commercial corridors in October!  If you see our team on the streets, be sure to thank them for a job well done. Did you Know? In the first three weeks alone, the team collected enough trash to fill 831 garbage bags weighing nearly 25,000 pounds!  1,656 bags were gathered in November, and 1,360 in December 2008!    This $125,000, year-long initiative will focus on business areas and adjoining alleys including Connecticut Avenue (north of the circle to T Street), N and P Streets, 17th and 18th Streets.  For the cleaning schedule and additional program information Click Here ************* Other Recent HDCMS Activities: ● 17th Street Planning and Construction Update: Final Design Meeting Sept 24, 2008  The 17th Streetscape Project will begin construction in Fall of 2009! ● General Info Dupont Circle WASA Replacement of 12-Inch Water Main Around the Circle: Aug 2008-Fall 2009.  Work is complete!  ● Learn about the Smart Bike Program in Dupont Circle!  --> ● P Street Streetscape Project Completed: See the Results!   HDCMS Mission: Our mission is to make Dupont Circle's commercial corridors economically healthy, improve our quality of life, and reflect our community's pride and history. Our program is guided by the following goals: Incubate new small businesses that serve the neighborhood Enhance our sense of community Increase public safety Beautify our parks and commercial corridors Our main focus is on three corridors: P Street between Dupont Circle and Rock Creek; Connecticut Avenue between Dupont Circle and Florida Avenue; and, 17th Street between P St and Riggs Street. Four main committees work together to achieve our goals: Organization, Design, Promotion, and Economic Development. Follow the links on the left for more information. Interested in helping? Contact Paul Williams at 202-441-1474 or via execdirector@dupontcircle.biz.   Other DC Main Streets programs: Main Street Anacostia, Inc. Gateway Georgia Avenue Adams Morgan Main Street Historic Dupont Circle Main Street Barracks Row Main Street North Capitol Main Street H Street Main Street Shaw Main Streets, Inc. Gateway Georgia Avenue Main Street Congress Heights Main Streets Deanwood Heights Main Streets Vinegar Hill South Main Street Funding Support from the Government of the District of Columbia, Department of Small and Local Business Development.

HDCMS Upcoming Events       ******************   Holiday Party December 8, 2009 TD Bank, 1753 Conn Ave   **************   HDCMS Brochure   HDCMS Aug 2009 Newsletter   HDCMS Committee Meetings First Tuesday, 12:00pm Promotions Committee, Resource Center, 9 Dupont Circle, NW Third Thursday, 6:00pm Design Committee, Resource Center Fourth Wednesday, 6:00pm Economic Enhancement Committee, Resource Center New Businesses   Bangkok Thai Dining, 2016 P Street Scion Restaurant, 2100 P Street Le Pain Quotidien, 2001 P Street French Bistro, 1725 Conn Ave Sweet Green, 1512 Conn Ave Cafe Green, 1513 17th Street Saigon Bistro, 2153 P Street One West Dupont Wine & Spirits, 2012 P Street Submarina, 2029 P Street   Community Events First Friday Open House, Galleries of Dupont Circle Community Meetings First Monday of the Month, 7:30pm DCCA Second Wednesday of the Month, 7:00pm ANC 2B, JCC Second Tuesday of the Month, 7:30pm DCC, Tabard Inn Community Partners ANC 2B Dupont Circle Citizens Association (DCCA) Dupont Circle Conservancy, Inc. Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium Dupont Circle Merchants and Professionals Association Web Resources The Wander Group Dupont Circle Main Streets - Flickr group photoblog Dupont Circle Update Dupont/Main Streets Open Forum Government Resources Dupont Scramble next