4/4/03: MW reports that Mr P's has been sold to owner of Odeon, who will keep it as a gay bar but will remodel the interior and the patio, and add a kitchen for food service. See middle of "Hearsay," http://www.metroweekly.com/nightlife/hearsay/?ak=423 Dupont Grille opens today at 19th St by Jurys, with "an American menu with a blend of French, Spanish and Asian cuisine." Agua Ardiente opened recently at 24th & M. Construction has begun for renovation of P St Bridge. The $3.5-million project will be complete in Oct '04. Dupont Circle Merchants and Professionals association is applying for the Main Street program. For more info, contact DCMAP@aol.com. See "Bookseller's Success Speaks Volumes: Lambda Rising Owner Helped Bring Gay Literature Out of the Closet," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6545-2003Apr1.html See "The everything store: For more than 100 years, customers have been discovering the true value of W.J. Candey Hardware," http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2003/03/31/smallb1.html See review "Lounge Act: Local 16 balances an up-and- down menu with impressive drinks and a flirty scene," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34062-2003Mar26.html CF visits monthly gay event at Staccato. See "Do you Feint?," http://www.cultureflux.com/mar_17/feint.html Blade says The Hung Jury will close "sometime in the next five months." See "The Jury is out: With the closing of one of D.C.'s two lesbian bars, the future for ladies' nightlife in the District may be bleak but some promoters aim to keep the party going," http://www.washingtonblade.com/point/030321outindc.php3 Helix Lounge has introduced a "Disco and Dingdongs" night on Thursdays from 5pm till closing, with $5 "Dingdongtinis," garnished with a dingdong, and 70s disco music after 9:30. Pulp's new home opens today at 14th & S; instantly the city's best card shop. WP ran an early review of Cafe Saint-Ex: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=entertainment/profile&id=1082489&typeId=5 WCP says Mid City Fish Market at 14th & P signed a 10- year lease in Nov '02. See "Grease is the Word," http://washingtoncitypaper.com/cover/cover0404d.html WP says Barrel House Liquors was charged in February with "buying, receiving, possessing, or obtaining control of stolen property." See "ABC Fines Restaurant, Store for Violations," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42807-2003Mar17.html See first-hand tale of Corcoran St mugging, [1] below. WP says Duke Ellington mural will be mounted on the True Reformer Building in May. See "Ellington Mural Vacations From Construction," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42819-2003Mar17.html ShawDC says Garnet-Patterson Middle School (10th & U) will begin construction soon on finally replacing their gym. See "Capital Improvements Move Forward Along U Street Corridor," http://shawdc.com/artman/publish/article_158.shtml Former Shake Your Booty shop on 18th St is rumored to become a "mom 'n' pop ice cream shop." WP focuses on crime on the 3500 block of 14th St in Columbia Heights. See "PSA 411: Despite Bad 'Numbers,' Progress On Safety," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49815-2003Mar18.html See also http://mpdc.dc.gov/info/districts/4th/bound.shtm See map of stolen autos in the 3rd District between March 1 and 13: http://www.safestreetsdc.com/graphics/crimestats/3dstolenautos.jpg WP says the median sales price of single-family houses and townhouses in 20009, which includes most of Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, and Columbia Heights, went up 45% to $419,000 last year, compared to a 33% rise for DC overall. See "The District," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31214-2003Mar15.html See note on Mt Pleasant art program, [2] below. PARK says the NPS has proposed a plan to limit weekday traffic on upper Beach Drive from 9:30am to 3:30pm. See http://www.rockcreekpark.net/GMP.htm WEG looks at efforts to lure a grocer to 340-unit apartment building to be constructed this summer. See "Giant Food Backs Out of 2400 M Street Project: Outlook Now Doubtful for West End Supermarket," http://www.westendguide.us/nogiant.htm See "Columbia Hospital Condo Plan Rejected Again, Developer Encouraged To Try Other Options," http://www.westendguide.us/chw04.htm See WEG historical profile "First Bridge in District Spanned Rock Creek at M Street," http://www.westendguide.us/bridge.htm Effort has begun for better streetscapes and wider sidewalks in G-town. See "Georgetown faces standoff on sidewalks: Developer Lanier pushes city to overhaul district's sidewalks while utility work continues," http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2003/03/24/story5.html Take a moment to sign their petition: http://www.georgetownsidewalks.org/ H&M expects to open April 23 in Georgetown. Jack Evans reports Thomas Circle Underpass rehab has finally begun. See http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/EVANS/newsletter/New.htm#LC WBJ looks at effort to build a "critical retail mass" downtown. See "NW boosters pitch a TIF: Proponents say $30M plan would lure retail downtown," http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2003/03/31/story1.html WP previews Woolly's new home, opening at 7th & D in fall '04. See "Woolly Mammoth Gets New Downtown Digs," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49953-2003Mar18.html See "D.C. Rental Glut Moves Some Developers to Switch to Condos," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39553-2003Mar27.html WBJ ponders "question of balance" in Dupont and beyond. See "DC chases the old mall and chain stores," http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2003/03/31/editorial2.html See "Time to Change Course: Anacostia Waterfront Holds Big Hopes for City's Future," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63603-2003Mar31.html See also summary "A River Runs Through It," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63503-2003Mar31.html DC ranked #7 in APMA's list of best walking cities. See http://www.apma.org/citywalks/topcities.htm See cool list of area blogs: http://www.reenhead.com/map/metroblogmap.html See "The Revival of a Classic: Theater's Opening Is Next Step in Silver Spring's Rebirth," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15161-2003Apr2.html See great photo of the Silver Theatre's marquee: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/admin/article/largerphoto?contentId=A15161-2003Apr2 See also "Stage Is Set to Create a Premier Arts Destination: AFI Theater Just Part Of a Cultural Boom," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6346-2003Apr1.html See also http://www.afi.com/Silver/about.asp Now playing: Penetrator, Fridays and Saturdays at 11pm at Source. See http://www.cherryredproductions.com ATW is returning soon to Source, with the first of its season in their new home, "The F Word," opening May 3. Saturday, April 5: 15th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup, 9am to noon. See http://www.potomaccleanup.org/cleanupmainframe.html Saturday, April 12: Youth Pride Day, P St Beach, noon - 5:30pm. See http://www.youthpridedc.org/ Saturday, April 12: Opening at Go Mama Go for woodcuts by Steven Munoz and photos by Susannah Sayler. 4 to 7. Saturday, April 12: "Laugh Out Loud" featuring drag bombshell Varla Jean Merman in "I’ve Got The Music In Me." Carnegie Institution, 8pm. See http://www.laughoutloud.org/lol_old/events.htm April 23 - May 4: http://www.filmfestdc.org/ Friday, May 2: Bike-to-Work Day. See http://www.waba.org/new/bwd/ May 2 - 4: Cherry 8. See http://www.cherryfund.org/ Sunday, May 4: Hinckley Pottery Student Show & Sale, noon - 6. (Come visit - I'll be showing my stuff.) See http://www.hinckleypottery.com/shows/m-shows.htm Saturday, June 7: Ward 1 Bike Ride 9am-noon; Ward 2 Ride 1-4pm. See http://www.bikemap.com/dcbikeplan/meetings.html#rides Best regards, Michael ------------------------------------------------------ [1] "My husband and I were robbed at gunpoint last evening (Sunday, 3/30) at about 7:30pm in the 1400 block of Corcoran Street on our way back from Whole Foods. The robbery was commited by two black males in their teens or early twenties. One was about 5'10" - 6', fair complexion with a thin mustache. The other was shorter and younger with medium complexion. Both were wearing dark clothes. The gun was a silver, shiny semi- automatic with a white handle. The taller guy was clearly in charge and pointed the gun at both our heads in turn as he robbed us. They made off with my backpack and my husband's wallet. We weren't hurt, just pretty shaken up or you would have received this alert sooner. We have filed a police report and are awating a call from a detective. Please remind everyone to be careful out there! With so much visible, positive developmenet in the community, it can be easy to forget that danger still lurks." ------------------------------------------------------ [2] [from PeopleGarden@aol.com] Local Artists in Neighborhood Businesses For years, several businesses have displayed the work of local artists in our stores. The Marketing Committee of the MtP Business Association is now proactively coordinating the effort to better promote both the artists and neighborhood businesses. We have approached businesses and asked which ones would be willing to display artists' works. In turn, we are also reaching out to artists to match them with businesses. Most artists have had great success in selling work through the business "galleries." We plan to run 4 exhibit series throughout the year and are trying to find a few more artists to fill the first exhibit series which will run April 15 through July 15. We plan to highlight the art on the last Sunday of every month by sponsoring neighborhood "Art Walks" in which visitors will be treated to a series of refreshments and discounts at each business gallery. We will start with what we have and hope to grow with each exhibit series. Flyers will include a street map marked with each "gallery". We plan to extensively promote the events. If you have artwork ready for the first exhibit series or would like to reserve a space for the July 15-October 15 series, please contact Noah Jackson at The People Garden (3155 Mt Pleasant) or jacksonnoah@hotmail.com. Volunteers are welcome to offer help. |