3/21/02:
Mystery Books is closing. This is an unfortunate
trend. In '00 we lost Vertigo Books (in the space
which will soon be Acropolis nightclub) and Lammas. In
'99 we lost Atticus Books (on U St). In '98 we lost
Neal's Books (on 17th St).
Meanwhile, Adams Morgan's Idle Time Books will move
north on 18th St this fall, next to Asylum and Subway.
WP profiled new Public Resource Center for Activism
and Arts. See "Up Connecticut Avenue, on the Left,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59281-2002Mar20.html
DJ Hut is now open in the old 12" Dance store, at 2010
P St, above Subway.
Osteria Goldoni space on 20th St above L St will soon
be home to Viva La Vita, with South American food.
WP covered 200th anniversary of First Baptist, at 16th
& O. See "Church of Presidents, and of the Oppressed:
First Baptist Celebrates 200 Years of Serving All,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46940-2002Mar6.html
"Hotel Helix" is the name for the old Howard Johnson's
on RI Ave, to open in Nov with 182 fashionable rooms.
Thai Tanic opened yesterday on 14th St, s of RI.
U St's State of the Union will be closing soon.
Owners are looking for a new space.
U St's 1500 block is getting two well-designed stores,
joining the ever-fabulous Millennium.
At 1506, CakeLove will open soon. See "Cake Walk:
A man for all confections, Warren Brown ditched
practicing law to bake all things sweet,"
http://www.fly2dc.com/articles/2002/2002_03_in2.asp
At 1512, "Wild Women Wear Red Shoes Boutique" is
under construction.
Franklyn's has reopened, though they are still looking
for a new owner to buy it.
WP looked at Staccato (2006 18th St, by Duplex Diner)
at their one-year anniversary. See "Can We Talk?,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54482-2002Mar7.html
See Dr. Gridlock's recent column, "Adams Morgan
Parking Problem Prompts Range of Solutions,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21435-2002Mar13.html
Mt Pleasant will be getting a new hardware store, next
to Heller's. See [1] below.
The Foundry, G-town's 2nd-run movie house, has closed.
See "Curtain falls on Georgetown's 'art' theater,"
http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20020316-74826664.htm
See also "Loews Chain Closes Bargain Theater in
Georgetown,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55788-2002Mar20.html
InTowner looks at 11th St between Mass Ave and Q St.
See "Re-development Reaching Critical Mass: East of
Logan Circle, Along 11th Street,"
http://www.intowner.com/fr/issue/stories/story3.htm
WBJ looks at plans for historic market building at 7th
& O. See "Developers take on O St. revitalization,"
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2002/03/11/story2.html
Howard U is hoping to reconfigure their parking garage
at Georgia Ave and V St into street-level retail and
four levels of residences atop the garage. See
"Howard's high hopes: The university aims to boost the
commercial corridor of Georgia Avenue and beyond,
starting with a supermarket,"
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2002/03/04/story5.html
Potbelly Sandwich Works has opened a location at 12th
& E, with another opening at 14th & NY Ave by June.
They are cheap & yummy. See "The Weekly Dish,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49585-2002Mar19.html
This May the Museum of Natural History will open "The
Fossil Café," the Smithsonian's first cafe housed in
an exhibit space, behind the Dinosaur Hall.
See "Kmart Suspends Work on D.C. Store,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63496-2002Mar8.html
See "City Unveils Plan for D.C. General Site: Homes,
Shops, Waterfront Park, Health-Related Offices
Envisioned in Project,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58965-2002Mar20.html
See also "D.C. debuts redevelopment plan,"
http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20020321-22282368.htm
See "Arena Stage looks to D.C. for $25M,"
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2002/03/18/story3.html
WP looks at plans to "transform S Cap St on both sides
of the river into a grand, tree-shaded boulevard" and
redo the Douglass Bridge. See "Anacostia Riverfront
Gets $500,000: Federal Funds Earmarked For Redesign of
Blighted South Capitol St. Corridor,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24175-2002Mar13.html
See "A Place of Promise and Pitfalls: St. E's Could
Become a High-Tech Magnet or a Historic Mausoleum of
Vacant Buildings,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21437-2002Mar13.html
WBJ looks at groups participating in the ReStore
program. See "On the store front: New programs and new
money open doors for retailers on D.C.'s streets,"
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2002/03/11/focus1.html
Dupont's application for the Main Streets program
is being headed by the Dupont Circle Merchants and
Professionals Association. See [2] below.
LCCA has info on their Logan/Shaw Main Streets
application. See "14th Street & U Street Organizations
and Businesses Band Together To Revitalize Our
Collective Commercial District,"
http://www.logancircle.org/news/news1.html
WP reports the "inspector general announced yesterday
that he would investigate the work of the city's
community development corporations to determine
whether they misspent taxpayer funds they received for
projects to revitalize neighborhoods across the city."
Did no one know this was a problem before the Post ran
their series? See "District to Audit Nonprofits:
Revival Not Done by Groups That Collected Millions,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63824-2002Mar8.html
See also "D.C. Council Targets Housing Groups'
Funds,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31132-2002Mar15.html
WP looked at the city's major projects. See
"Construction Wave Transforming City: Activity Called
Greatest Since 1960s,"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46951-2002Mar6.html
Giant map (not online) points out the following:
* Savino's Cafe and Lounge, 1 Dupont Circle,
scheduled to open in May
* The Lofts at Adams Morgan, 60 condos + retail
* Roosevelt Hotel apartments
* Warder Mansion luxury rentals, 38 units in old
building, with 80 new units behind
* Logan Circle apartments, 1300 N St
WT looks at how smaller development companies are
looking at opportunities "on the fringes of a so-
called hot neighborhood," including Logan Circle and
Columbia Heights. Two unusual smaller projects near
the convention center are mentioned: the 7-unit Verona
at 310 M St, and the 6-unit Haley at 9th and M.
Article says retail development is "the next component
for revitalizing downtown." See "Revitalization keeps
growing in the District,"
http://www.washingtontimes.com/fhg/20020308-1105948.htm
AOL and Travel + Leisure ran a survey of 14 major
cities. See how DC fared at
http://www.travelandleisure.com/travelamerica/results.cfm?overall
The area's newest hot spot is a cozy 2-story brewpub
called Franklin's, located in downtown ...Hyattsville.
Just off the Route 1 bypass, at the intersection of
Baltimore Ave and Galletin, the owner of Franklin's
general store (itself an oddly interesting shop) built
an addition under an unusual deal with the local
government. It is a true success, and it's sad to
think Dupont doesn't have anything like it, from its
fabulous neon sign to the gleaming beer kettles.
NYT ran interesting story on how even LA is starting
to focus on its downtown core. See "Sprawl-Weary Los
Angeles Builds Up and In,"
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/10/national/10ANGE.html
Tonight, March 21: 3rd 3rsday, 6 to 8 pm. 7th St's
art galleries host monthly open house.
March 23 - April 8: Cherry Blossom Festival. See
http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org
Sunday, March 24: DC Marathon will pass through Dupont
via 22nd St, Q St, and Mass Ave. See
http://www.washingtondcmarathon.com/
March 24: A movie called "The Farm" will be filmed in
Dupont from noon to 8pm, closing streets around Riggs
(20th, Q, and Conn Ave).
Monday, March 25: Planning meeting to discuss upcoming
P St beautification program (between 23rd St and
Dupont Circle), 7:00pm. See [3] below.
The mayor's budget (not yet approved) has $500,000
from DDOT to initiate a study and possibly some design
of streetscape improvements along P Street.
Saturday, March 30: 2nd annual Easter Egg hunt in Logan
Circle, 2:00 - 6:00. Featuring: The Easter Bunny. See
http://www.logancircle.org/calendar/calpop.asp?EventID=38
March 30: Egg-A-Prize III, 11:00 - 3:00 in Kalorama
Park. Kids up to 12 years old are invited for an
Easter egg hunt, sponsored by the Kalorama Rec Center.
Sunday, March 31: Freshfarm Market opens behind Riggs
with 14 farmers.
March 31: JR's hosts their annual Easter bonnet
contest. See http://www.jrsdc.com/esterpage.html
Monday, April 1: "Bringing Trolleys Back to the
Nation's Capital," 6:30pm at the National Building
Museum, $15. See http://nbm.org/Calendar/Lectures.html
Tuesday, April 2: "Property Rights That Take the Cake"
at 12:30 at the NBM; free.
April 2: Mass Transit Forum, 6:30pm. See [4] below.
Saturday, April 6: Potomac Watershed Cleanup. See
http://www.potomaccleanup.org/cleanupmainframe.html
Wednesday, April 10: Fusebox opening, 6:30 - 8:30, for
"Re-Imaging Body and Space in Contemporary Dutch Art."
Sunday, April 21: Adams Morgan House Tour. See [5]
below.
Best regards,
Michael
------------------------------------------------------
[1]
HARDWARE STORE COMING SOON
Al's Hardware (f/k/a Al's Electronics) will open this
spring at 3219 MtP St, next door to Heller's Bakery.
We plan to stock a full line of tools, household
hardware items, electrical and plumbing supplies,
garden tools and much more. Our goal is to cater our
inventory to the needs of Mt. Pleasant residents. If
there are particular items that you would like to see
stocked at Al's Hardware, please e-mail your
suggestions, as we are preparing our initial inventory
sheet. --Haldane Prince, owner & neighbor
------------------------------------------------------
[2]
WHAT IS MAIN STREETS?
The Main Street program is a partnership between the
National Trust for Historic Preservation, the District
government and a commercial area created to revitalize
a neighborhood commercial area and address business
community issues. The program is designed to address
the needs of a particular commercial area. Local
staff, business and residential volunteers work
together to implement projects in four key areas:
1. Organizational development
2. Streetscape improvements
3. Implementing events and marketing
4. Business economic development
The Dupont Circle Merchants and Professionals
Association (DC MAP) is working with businesses, local
civic organizations and local residents to submit an
application for participation in this program.
We ask that you support our application. Please sign
the attached letter of support. Or, you may email your
letter of support to DCMAP@aol.com. Letters of support
should be addressed to John E. McGaw, Commercial
Revitalization Coordinator, D.C. Main Streets Program,
Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic
Development, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite
317, Washington, D.C., 2000. Please email or send your
letter of support to us so we may include it with our
application.
If you have any questions, please call Ed Grandis,
Executive Director of DC MAP, at (202) 234-8939.
------------------------------------------------------
[3]
Monday, March 25: Special Planning Meeting to Discuss
P Street Between 23rd Street and Dupont Circle
ANC 2B, the Office of Planning, and the District
Division of Transportation will hold a special meeting
on Monday, March 25, 2002, 7:00 p.m., at the Dupont
Circle Resource Center (#9 Dupont Circle, NW). This
meeting will be the first meeting to discuss ways to
improve the P Street corridor between the P Street
Bridge and Dupont Circle. This area, targeted for
improvements in the District’s comprehensive plan, is
a key commercial and residential corridor in our
neighborhood. Please plan on attending.
------------------------------------------------------
[4]
Mass Transit Forum to Be Hosted by Brookings
Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities
and Brookings Institution Greater Washington Research
Program will present a forum on the future of mass
transit in the metropolitan area on April 2nd. Here
is the specific information:
Transit-Oriented Development in the District: The
Mayor’s Taskforce with Andrew Altman, Director, D.C.
Office of Planning, and an Introduction by Dr. Alice
M. Rivlin, Co-Director of the Brookings Institution
Greater Washington Research Program
Tuesday, April 2, 2002
6:30pm Refreshments, 7pm Program
Falk Auditorium, Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
How can we use our regional Metro and bus systems to
make the District of Columbia a better place to live,
work, shop and recreate? This event will also feature
Metro In Your Neighborhood (MIYN).
------------------------------------------------------
[5]
ADAMS MORGAN HOUSE TOUR EMPHASIZES THE UNIQUE
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February, 2002) -- For the first
time in more than 20 years, a group of Adams Morgan
residents are opening their houses to the public for a
tour that will include a wide spectrum of the places
as well as people that make the community unique. The
Adams Morgan House Tour, to be held from 1:00 PM to
5:00 PM on Sunday, April 21, 2002, will reflect the
diverse types of homes found in Adams Morgan, as well
as showcase community sights, services and history.
Designed as an "inside and out" walking tour of
Adams Morgan, the itinerary includes entry into
distinguished townhouses, co-ops and condominiums and
an inventive rental, as well as pointing out
noteworthy buildings, institutions and neighborhood
history. It will conclude with a guided walk around of
the historic Holt House, located on the grounds of the
National Zoo just inside the gate on Adams Mill Road,
and a public reception at Perry's Restaurant, 1811
Columbia Rd NW from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM.
"We live in a richly diverse community of which we
are proud," said Wanda Bubriski, House Tour Chairman.
"Our house tour is a little different, offering
visitors a more varied experience than a standard
house tour. We want to show our community through an
event which will help us to know each other better and
which will be fun. Even the reception will provide
neighbors and visitors alike the opportunity to meet
and mingle," she said.
Sponsored by the Kalorama Citizens Association, the
proceeds from the house tour will go back into the
community to further preserve its historic assets and
public spaces.
"We started calling the Tour '...absolutely Adams
Morgan,' because we wanted to give a wider
perspective on what makes Adams Morgan so special,"
said Linda Ingram, house selection chairperson.
"The houses were selected for their historic as well
as architectural interest," she said, "and for how
they reflect the creative individuality of their
owners."
The offerings range from architectural landmarks to
eclectic, from an almost renovated grand residence on
Cliffbourne to a heavily-paneled Jacobean condominium
in a former embassy building. Two Edwardian town
houses on Belmont Road provide a look at different
approaches to renovation, one which maintained its
original large central reception room and the other
which replaced it with a staircase and front entrance
hall, complete with a ceiling mural that memorializes
a love letter to a former owner. On either end of the
tour, the classical architecture of early 20th century
apartments, today reborn as cooperatives: The Beaux
Arts marble lobby of The Wyoming on Columbia, setting
the stage for residences with oak parquet floors inset
with custom teak banding, and the grand Ontario
cooperative, providing an appropriate setting for D.C.
Council member Jim Graham's wonderful collection of
mission furniture.
The walk around Holt House provides a glimpse into
Washington's past as well as at a reservation-in-
process. Community residents, with the backing of the
Kalorama Citizens Association, initiated a public
awareness campaign several years ago about the plight
of Holt House, now vacant badly deteriorating. Listed
on the National Register of Historic Places, this
five-part, Georgian-style manor house sits on a wooded
hilltop overlooking Rock Creek Park and a mill site
once owned by John Quincy Adams.
Tickets may be purchased in advance for $15.00 at
selected local businesses (see attached) and for
$20.00 on the day of the tour at The Wyoming, 2022
Columbia Road, and the Police Substation beside the
Sun Trust Bank at 18th & Columbia Road, NW. Complete
tour and ticket information, as well as down-loadable
order forms are available at www.AdamsMorganTour.com.
The neighborhood encompasses an area in downtown
Northwest DC roughly bounded to the west by
Connecticut Avenue and the east side of the zoo; north
and south by Biltmore and Florida Avenue, to the east
by 16th Street, and centering on Columbia Road and
18th Street. The name references the John Adams and
Morgan elementary school districts and came about with
the infamous "Adams Morgan Urban Renewal Plan" which
stuck even after it was defeated, just one of the many
assaults on its way of life that the community has
fought off.
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