Friday, February 16, 2007

WBJ: Englert Transforms H Street

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I haven't seen the full article (you need a subscription for this one [but here's a free version]), but I'm going to try to grab a paper copy (and you might want to as well because this looks like a big one). Washington Business Journal: One Bar at a Time, Englert Transforms the Spirit of H Street.

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UPDATE
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I've since purchased a paper version of the WBj annd it is a big article (the cover story, no less). There's a large photo (on the cover, and appearing again on pages 28-29) of Joe Englert inside Dr. Granville Moore's (which is to feature Belgian beers, mussles, and other light fare). It's an interesting read on the ambitious gamble one businessman (Mr. Englert is the focus of the artilce, even though it does discuss others) is taking in creating a destination district on H Street. Notably, Englert calls for additional parking (not instead of a streetcar/courtesy shuttle, but in addition to these accomodations). if you are puzzled by a statement (near the conclusion) by one of Mr. Englert's sons (it isn't a negative statement), he says it refers to his son using Dupont as a reference point for typical DC.
Paper readers will also find a sidebar piece titled H is for History that mentions the riots and focuses on area development over the last 6 years, and an opinion piece (p.36) called It Takes a Block: Grassroots-Style Gentrification Requires the Cooperation of Everyone. The opinion piece calls for cooperation among merchants, and with the City Council to revive H Street through a concerted effort. The Robeys and the H Street Playhouse (along with others) garnered mentions for their contributions.
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2nd Update
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Here is a free version of the article.

19 comments:

Nate said...

Just realized that we had a paper copy sitting in the lobby at work. Anyone have any thoughts on this article? From a complete outsider's perspective, it seems pretty exciting--decide to move near H street, and all of a sudden it seems to be making tons of news for good reasons.

Anonymous said...

Do not be fooled by the Englert PR robots. Credit for kick starting H street goes to many others. The real big risk takers were the Robeys. No body and mean no bodeeeeee put their money where their mouth is on H street before the Robeys started the H street Playhouse. Their paper (Voice of the Hill) covered H street and the ANC 6A as a matter worthy of coverage, when the Hillrag did not bother.

Richard Layman, Kevin Palmer and many others gave thousands of free hours to give H street main street some legs, and the structure to give real clout to make demands for parity from the DC government. These are the people who made the street car and the renovated streetscape plans possible.

The list goes on, do you really think that Joe Englert would have invested in H street, if Jane Lang had not invested $15 million+ to create the Atlas?

No doubt Joe is a smart business man that deserves a lot of respect but he not a hero/mayor of H street. He hopes to make money and he selling you snow job.

inked said...

I agree that there are lots of people over the years who have put in major contributions towards H Street (and it would be a mistake to forget this). This particular article focuses on Joe Englert's efforts here (they are high profile), but I don't think the article is trying to dismiss the efforts of others. If the WBJ did an article on the Atlas, or the H Street Playhouse (both of which have made major contributions) I would expect the article to focus on those respective institutions. I think that not only does Mr. Englert have some good PR skills and connections, but that the sheer scale of his concerted efforts here are what makes this particularly of interest from a business perspective (so the focus, from a business journal, makes sense to me).

Anonymous said...

Joe Englert

Now if I could only get those robots to pack my kid's lunches, start the car on cold mornings and work out at the gym for me, I would really have something going for me.

Anonymous said...

Joe Englert (sorry, again)

Credit for H street's renewal goes to many, especially Jane (uhm, we named our area the ATLAS district). The Robeys and lots of other people paved the way, too.
We just want this thing to work. We gladly give the credit to everybody and anybody.
Articles like this can ultimately be classified as publicity and advertising. We work the phones constantly trying to get people and reporters to our neck of the woods. (most of the restaurant people quoted in the article have not stepped foot on H)
Up until now it has been an extremely remote chance that anyone over 30 years of age from Cleveland Park or Uptown or Dupont or even Capitol Hill have trekked down to H.
We have to create awareness and we have to open up restaurants and retail so all types and all ages of people will come down to the street.
If we don't start pushing the area now, the building of the new streets and sidewalks will be devastating to our businesses. It is hard enough to make it with the streets in tact.
As anybody concerned with our BID knows, we invite everybody to have a voice on the radio or a quote and a photo in the newspapers.
We can't wait until the day when H is a prosperous area and no one cares whom started what (Downtown Washington from G'town to Chinatwon is dominated by about 20 developers. Do you discuss whom owns what when walking down M Street, Chinatown or the West End?)
Hopefully, prosperity is coming sooner than later. And remember, it always starts with nightlife first in any new area. Then comes evening businesses and then day activity. How long did it take for you just to get a diner serving bacon and eggs in Adams Morgan, nearly 20 years after it first gained popularity?
We hope to accelerate the renewal so we all can have a safe and vital street that meets our needs morning, day and night.

Anonymous said...

folks..

englert is the mayor of h street.

he's the reason for this blog,sorry inked.

history will prove that.

the guy is a total catalyst. a vitamin for h street.

he actually needs MORE credit. that article was an injustice.

the dude is changing people's lives and bringing h street back to what it should be.

god bless joe.

i think i need to make some t-shirts w/that slogan...

Anonymous said...

The credit for H Street's continued success goes to many (countless) members of the community. No need to feel like anyone is being slighted. The fact that an article focuses on Joe Englert's major contributions is really only a positive thing for the entire area. I've been a neighbor for a year and a half now and watched so many people make positive contributions. Everyone involved receives my praise.

Linden Place Dweller

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, Mr. Englert's H Street renewal is leaving behind a large segment of the local community (i.e., the folks who are not middle-upper income, white under 35 year-olds). While there definitely is a market for places like the Palace, Red and Black, and soon to open other bars, this neighborhood needs solid, safe establishments, maybe all of which are not clubs catering to the hipster crowd.

The neighborhood really needs a less stark contrast between bottled imports and high end bar fare and the less expensive Danny's sub shops. I guess it's a toss up between offering the community more options and what those options are.

K Street Resident

Anonymous said...

obviously, you haven't been to Argonaut

inked said...

K Street Resident,
I don't think some of your statements are very accurate. I've seen lots of people who are over 35, and lots of people who are not white, and lots of people who are neither under 35, nor white, at the bars that you mention. As the comment above notes, you might especially want to check out the Argonaut. Crowds in bars vary from night to night, so it would depend on the particular time, and evening that you stop by.
If you are looking for a bar/club with a somewhat older (and more heavily African-American skewed) crowd, I suggest that you try Rose's Dream (1300 block of H Street), or the Majestic by Gwen. Both places offer live music some nights, and the Majestic has dancing.
You probably also won't find many hipsters at the Martini Lounge.

We've got some non-bar spots as well. There's Sidamo for coffee; the Rib Tip for breakfast, lunch, or earlier dinner at bargain prices; Horace & Dickie's is carry-out anyone who likes fried food can enjoy. Point being that we have a bit of diversity.

Many of the bars have drink specials on certain nights, and some have less expensive beer options.
Also, is the one who gets to decide what genre of business to open supposed to be the guy who puts in the hours, the sweat, and the dollars?

Anonymous said...

Amen

Anonymous said...

K street resident's comments ring very true to a degree. As much as we all hope Englert's busineses help turn around our community, one can not deny that the clientelle these establishments are catered toward are not the over 35 African-American community who has roots most deeper than all on H street.

C'mon, can anyone honestly say the Rock & Roll hotel, a bar featuring female arm wresting, putt putt golf and one themed on Belgian beer cater to DC H street locals?

Sure I've seen blacks in all of these establishments, but lets not act like somehow they are the target audience for this rennaissance.. they are residual income and if they happen to like any of these things which are predominantly geared towards whites, than so be it. Its not like its the 50's and they can't come in.

inked said...

I'm not arguing that African Americans over 35 are the target clientele for Rock & Roll Hotel, the Red & the Black, or the Palace of Wonders (I think the Argonaut gets a pretty wide range of people from the neighborhood). I'm arguing that there are bars on H Street for which this is the target audience. For me, the fact that K Street Resident ignores this fact severely weakens his/her argument. The basic argument is either that what's on H Street right now doesn't cater to African-Americans over age 35, or that Joe Englert's places, and those commonly associated with him, don't cater to African-Americans over 35. The first argument doesn't ring true for me for the reasons I've previously cited. The second argument is, I think, called into question by the Argonaut, and otherwise not a great argument to make anyway because it ignores the fact that there are other places on H Street (both presently, and in the pipeline). It makes it seem as though the burden to balance the target groups for various businesses falls on the shoulders of a single business man.
Maybe the best answer is to hope for diversity in the offerings on H Street, and to vote with your feet for the types of places you would like to see more of on H Street.

Anonymous said...

Many things that ae not thought about when contemplating H.

1) There are very few American entrepenuers or small businessmen outside of law and politics in d.c.

2) H was cheap for years. No one jumped in the cold water (Black or white) except business people catering only to LOW income people.

3) It is much deeper than catering to white or black tastes. I think the great majority of black clientele with money are looking for classier places than the average H street place. Be it class or economic status, well-to-do blacks tend to go to slicker places.


4) To any smart business person, it is really all about the real estate. There are not too many places that a sane businessman would want to buy on H now. It is dramatically over-priced on the corridor.

5) When most blacks become monied, they flee to the suburbs (just like white generations before them). There are less and less monied blacks whom wllingly live in the H st area. Walk house to house within a mile of H. You have grandmas, gay couples, white couples but not so many well-to-do black couples.

6) There isn't a substantial bar culture in African American city life. Many more black people than whites abstain from any sort of alcohol, especially when they have an active church life.

7) As stated above, Gwen's, Rose's and Martini Lounge and soon Cluck U roof top and Pap and Petey's (a new jazz bar coming to 4th) cater to a mostly black clientele. This means basically there is a lot of diversity on the street. Probably the only type of establishment you don't have is a family type restaurant.

Anonymous said...

To the people who want to be critical about the types of businesses that are being opened on H St. and thinking they are all being geared towards the white hipster crowd, let me either remind you or let you know that some of these places do have minority (as in a person of color) ownership. I have no problem at all with the types of places that are being opened, and I'm a person of color myself.

I agree with what others said, which is, you would think there were no other places on H St. that "cater to " as you say, African Americans or the people who have lived there for so many years.

Put your money where your mouth is and either support the businesses that do cater to your preferred crowd or help steer more minorities to open their own places down here.

In the end, stop being a hater.

Anonymous said...

Can we get some more info on Pap and Petey's? This is the first mention of it, as far as I know.

inked said...

I'm assuming that Pap & Petey's is the name for the jazz bar that will replace Reader's Lounge at 421 H Street.

Anonymous said...

A free version of this article can be found at http://masshightech.bizjournals.com/masshightech/othercities/washington/stories/2007/02/19/story15.html?b=1171861200%5E1418950

Anonymous said...

As a person of color, I totally agree w/Anon 4:59. First, it is true that there are few and far b/w many AA spots that I would visit on H St right now but I'm hopeful that more establishments geared to AAs will be on the way.

Next, it is my opinion that blacks are less likely to support and create establishments in transitional areas. Maybe it is because of the financial burden of having a start-up business or a lack of being risk-takers, being just cautious and/or sometimes even a lack of vision. Honestly,I find that when I visit many of the recently owned businesses on H St, it is white people who are more willing to stick it out and provide consistent support to see that new business make it (YES, I SAID IT). IMHO, usually it is not until black folks find out that something is hip or the buzz is uber-extra will they begin to focus on either visiting or creating new businesses on H St or for that matter other transitional neighborhoods. I think it's a "see it before I believe it" attitude. More often, that is when the places become priced out or there is a lack of availability.

As for Englert's establishments, I think it's crazy for folks to criticize an article that focused on his establishment as not meaning that others do not deserve acknowledgement or praise. Give Joe his due. He made a calculated leap/risk in creating many establishments that can basically cater to many. The common thread is that they cater to urban-dwellers. So what if his theme establishments doesn't cater to blacks in particular. They'll get over it, but for now we have to focus on the bigger picture and that is getting people/entities interested in H St. ...and Joe, the Atlas, and others are doing so, personally I could care less what color they are.

In essence, to all who are championing the cause of giving H St a long-awaited facelift, Thanks, many thanks and Good Luck.

Now, AA business owners plesse follow suit.