The Hill: R & R Hotel, A Haunting Experience?

The Hill relays reports of ghostly goings on at the popular bar and concert venue. The Rock and Roll Hotel is located at 1353 H Street.

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UPDATE
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Wonkette and DCist pick up the story.

Washingtonian: Joe Englert

Short story available here.

ANC 5B Meeting

Washington Center for Aging Services
2601 18th Street NE

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5B Meeting
7:30pm
April 5

Just for a heads up, here is the schedule for the rest of 2007:
May 3
June 7
Sept 6
Oct 4
Nov 1
Dec 6

April Atlas Shows

The Condensed Mikado
Presented by The Washington Savoyards
March 28 - April 15 in Lab Theatre II

Evening performances begin at 7:30 and matinees start at 2:30
Created and directed by Scott Kenison, with music arranged by David Simmons, a one-hour Mikado, with all the big songs and the whole story. Performed with a small ensemble of singers and musicians. The Condensed Mikado is part of the Washington Savoyards participation with the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Tickets are $20 (Family package of 4 tickets or more are $15 each ticket). Internet order service charge is $1.50 per ticket. Mailing charge is $3 per order.

A Change is Coming
March 30 and 31 in The Lang Theatre

A contemporary Gospel play about a family drifting in different directions who are brought together by a grandmother’s faith and belief in the power of prayer. After the death of her husband, Pearl is convinced to move up north and live with her daughter Renee along with her son-in-law Walter and her two grandchildren, Regina and Ricardo. As Pearl reunites with her family, she recognizes the separation that has occurred and begins to open the family’s eyes to the things they have overlooked.
Written & Directed by Michael W. McCorkle
Original Music Written & Composed by Richard C. Flanagan

Tickets are $15, and can be purchased online at www.atlasarts.org or by calling 202.399.7993

The Atlas District Courtesy Shuttle will be available Friday and Saturday evenings one hour prior to the curtain. The ride is free but tips are encouraged.

Call 1.301.751.1802 to request a pick up.


Jen DeMayo
Communications Director
Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
o. 202.399.7993 ext 125
m. 973.953.9831
e. jdemayo@atlasarts.org
www.atlasarts.org

Marathon

A less crowded moment during the recent marathon. 400 & 500 blocks of H Street (taken outside Sidamo).

Goodspeed Update: Bike Station

Check out what's coming to Union Station (good news for bicyclists). Here is an earlier story on the development from Voice of the Hill.

Streetcars Make Mayor's 2008 Budget

Funding for two streetcars to run on H Street will be included in the 2008 budget. It's my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's supposed to take about three years from the time that we order a streetcar before it can actually be constructed and make it to the street. So, though this is only a commitment for two cars, it is still a big step in the right direction. Streetscape improvements (and tracklaying) under the Great Streets program is set to begin this summer.

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UPDATE
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It now appears that the budget includes funding for five streetcars (presumably [hopefully] to be somehow split between Anacostia and H Street).

Check out Richard's earlier post on using historic cars for trams and trolleys.

ANC 6A Requests Dedicated Buses

They've sent a letter to DDOT expressing support for a dedicated special busline (like the circulator) that would run down H Street (but wouldn't run the entire route that the X2 covers) until the streetcar arrives. The idea is to get peopple used to using transit on the corridor (and it can't hurt the businesses on the far east end).

New Sign @Palace of Wonders

In case you haven't seen it yet, here's the new sign that recently went up at the Palace of Wonders (1210 H Street). By the way, if you haven't checked out their line-up recently you probably should. They've got a lot of new stuff. Trivia night and female arm wrestling have stuck around, and of course there are plenty of burlesque and sideshow type acts, but they've also got things like this:

Sunday, April 1st, 2007
Museum of Oddities Lecture Series presents PHRENOLOGY!
Doors 12pm
Price: Adults $5, Kids 7-11 $3

Featured Speaker and noted Lecturer Alexander Kensington explains the 19th century science of Phrenology, The Original Scientific Biometric of Morality.

Sunday, April 15th, 2007
Museum of Oddities Lecture Series presents OUTING THE SIDESHOW!
12pm Doors, 1pm Lecture
Price: Adults $5, Kids 7-11 $3

Internationally celebrated sideshow historian and lecturer James Taylor * asks the most important question about the sideshow businesss - “Can you really out the sideshow when the business is totally honest anyway?” - and then asks the audience to play along. Or meet him half way!


They've also added a monster movie night, and Kostume Karaoke (no cover for either).
*James Taylor opperated the Baltimore Museum that previously held many of the items now housed at Palace of Wonders.

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UPDATE
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Note that the museum at the Palace of Wonders now has its own website. The museum, which is open every first and third Sunday from First and third Sundays of every month from 12pm until 4pm, caters to all ages. Vistors can explore permanent collection of oddities, and also take in whatever lecture is offered that day.

Adults: $5 • Kids 7-11: $3
Kids under 6: FREE

Coming Soon to 200 Blk of H?

Check out Alan Kimber's blog post that includes renderings of the PUD coming to the 200 block of H Street.

The Quike Challenge (Updated)

This is a repost from before because they still need to raise more money...and they need it by April 6th. So far they've raised about $1100 of the $3000 Quike needs to buy a synthetic skull. Can we give a little more?

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From the Comments:

Englert here, Elise--
Quike is not a former employee of the Argonaut, he will be coming back as soon as his next surgery is complete.
But we have a problem. Quike needs $3,000 for a new skull that is being constructed for him. Would the readers, lovers of Frozen Tropics like to help him out? I am asking for $30 bucks from 100 readers/friends/concerned citizens. I am throwing in the first $300 right now. That means we only need 90 of us to keep the thread going...Will the Frozen Tropics readers respond to my challenge?

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UPDATE
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Joe Englert:

Drop off your checks at the Argonaut. Make them to Quike Morales and in the memo: mark "donation for skull". If you have physical dolllars, all cash will be kept separately in a non-Argo related account. Thanks for all the interest!

The Argonaut is located at 1433 H Street NE

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2nd UPDATE
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There is now a way to make donations online. It's still better to drop your money off because Amazon will take a little off the top for all online donations, but this is a good option for those unable to make it to the Argonaut. Here is (once again) the video of Quike discussing the shooting last fall that cost him his eye and has required several surgeries. In the video Quike also talks about his latest project, Music is Bulletproof, where he uses music to raise funds for victims of neighborhood violence.

Date Set For H Street Festival

I ran into one of the festival organizers this weekend and he told me that this year's festival will be held September 15th. Scheduling the festival is always a bit of a challenge because so many neighborhoods hold events at this time. Let's hope we can escape any major conflicts this year.

With These Hands

The store's Easter window display (500 block of H Street).

Roundtable on Future of Main Streets Program

From the listserv, but slightly edited:
Councilmember Kwame R. Brown, Chair of the Committee on Economic Development, announces a Public Roundtable on "The Status and Future of the Main Streets Program". The Roundtable will be held on Wednesday April 18 , 2007 at 2PM at The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE., Washington, DC.

Those who wish to testify should contact Mr. John Adams at the Committee on Economic Development by email at Jadams@DCCouncil.us or by telephone (202) 727-6683 by 5pm on Tuesday April 17, 2007. E-mail contacts should include the full name, title, and affiliation - if applicable - of the person(s) wishing to testify.

Witnesses should bring 15 copies of their written testimony to the roundtable. Representatives of organizations will be allowed a maximum of five (5) minutes for oral presentation and individuals will be allowed a maximum of three (3) minutes for oral presentation.

If you are unable to attend the Roundtable, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. Copies of written statements should be submitted to the Committee on Economic Development, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 119, Washington, DC 20004 no later than 5:30pm Friday April 27, 2007.

When: WEDNESDAY APRIL 18, 2007 AT 2:00PM

Where: The Atlas Performing Arts Center 1333 H Street, N.E.

Shots From the New Trinidad Rec

Located at 1380 Childress.

NBC4: Willpower

Ok, this story is from last week, but I'm late in posting it. It's about a group training at Willpower (the gym at 1005 H Street) for the marathon that took place on Saturday.

CP: Post H Street Story

The City Paper questions the Post on the recent H Street piece.

Metrorail to Open at 6am Tomorrow

Metrorail will open one hour early—at 6 a.m.—on Saturday, March 24, to help participants get to the starting line for the Wirefly National Marathon. The race begins at 7 a.m. near the Stadium-Armory Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines. Metrobus routes 96, 97, B2, D6 and E32 stop near the Stadium-Armory Metrorail station. The District of Columbia agreed today to pay the $21,000 operating cost to open the Metrorail system an hour early. Metrobus riders are reminded that 37 Metrobus routes in the District of Columbia will be rerouted due to street closures associated with the marathon. The following routes will be impacted: 5A, 13A, 13B, 13F, 13G, 32, 34, 35, 36, 40, 52, 54, 66, 70, 80, 90, 92, 96, 98, A42, A46, A48, B2, D6, D8, H2, H4, K11, L2, M6, P6, S2, S4, U6, V8, X2 and X8. Detailed information about the detours are posted on Metro’s Web site at www.metroopensdoors.com. Customers can call (202) 637-7000 or TTY (202) 638-3780 or go to www.metroopensdoors.com for more information on traveling by Metrobus or Metrorail.

NBC4: Marathon on H Street

NBC4 story on H Street preparing for the Wirefly National Marathon.

Atlas Events

This weekend at the Atlas Performing Arts Center there is something for everyone!


Friday and Saturday evenings at 8pm the Washington Performing Arts Society presents Expressions Dance Company: Virtually Richard 3
This audaciously original version of Shakespeare’s Richard III seamlessly blends theater and dance to tell the story of the Bard’s most complex and entertaining villain. The internationally acclaimed Australian company, led by director and choreographer Maggie Sietsma, produces “truly great, alarming, and rousing theatre” (Stuttgarter Zeitung, Germany).

Tickets are $37
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Saturday evening is also the the Hill's own Capital City Symphony's annual Gala and Silent auction A Capital Affair
Come eat, drink, dance and shop to support the orchestra! Our popular annual event features the music of Doug Bowles and the SingCo Rhythm Orchestra plus a lively silent auction.

Tickets are $50 per person and $85 per couple if purchased in advance, or $60 per person and $100 per couple if purchased at the door.
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For families there are the Free African Continuum Theatre Company BOBCo workshops from 10am-12pm
Using scripted improvisation to address age appropriate
community and social issues, this multi-cultural troupe of professional actors is sure to not only entertain but to also engage all that attend in some thought provoking play!

March 24: Youth & Adults … Come play! Parent/guardians bring your youth to participate in this event which is part performance and part interactive dramatic arts workshop! (3 youth per 1 adult)

March 31: All Youth! Kids come have fun!

All performances are from 10am -12 noon and are aimed at kids or youth ages 5-10 yrs of age!

SPACE IS LIMITED
Call 202.529.5764 to RSVP
Or e-mail wbaraka@africancontinuumtheatre.com
________________________________________________
And lovers of new plays should out the African Continuum Theatre Company's new play series, Fresh Flavas:Voices of Color for a New Generation

Billy Be Home Tomorrow – March 24 at 8 p.m.

By Steve Langley

Following the events of 9-11, a family desperately seeks information about the whereabouts of Billy, a security guard at the Twin Towers. The following weeks of uncertainly change them all.

Tickets are free but seating is limited



The Atlas Performing Arts Center is located at 1333 H Street NE

Tickets can be purchased at the box office 202.399.7993 or online at www.atlasarts.org


Jen DeMayo
Communications Director
Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
o. 202.399.7993 ext 125
m. 973.953.9831
e. jdemayo@atlasarts.org
www.atlasarts.org

Citizens Advisory Council (5th District)

Date: Thursday March 22, 2007 (tonight)
Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Repeats: This event repeats every month on the fourth Thursday until Saturday December 1, 2007.
Location: 1805 Bladensburg Road NE
Notes: The CAC is an advisory panel in each police district that provides the District Commander with information and recommendations from the community on public safety problems and police service needs. All Fifth District residents are invited to the monthly CAC meeting. The Director for 311 & 911 is going to be there tonight.

Can't Wait for Spring

Cool Art Project Coming to H?

Check out this Post story on a guy who makes and sells "trashballs," which are actually much cooler than they sound.

WP: Metro to Students: Behave!

According to the Post Metro is now focused on minimizing bad behavior from students using public transportation after school. Unfortunately the link on the Post site to page 2 of the story is messed up. Follow this link if you want to read the end of the story.

New Quasi-BID on H Street

Check out this explanatory comment from Joe Englert:

Our next serious push on H st is to call out all the landlords whom have let their properties become abandoned nuisances on and around H St. The H St SortaBID N.E. (Showbar, Red and Black, Pug, Martini Lounge, Granville Moore, Atlast, RnR, Argo, H St. Playhouse, etc) is going to pitch several ideas to Tommy about getting these property owners to paint, buy windows, lease or sell.
We don't want to tolerate the despair, danger and foreboding these sad structures bring to the strip. We'll annouce something formal a little bit down the line. Thanks, Joe Englert

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UPDATED
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Our quasi-BID only covers the 1200-1500 blocks of H. We are independent business AND building owners. We sweep the streets, haul aways debris, advertise our clubs and bars, pay for a shuttle service and buy supplies and tools for the maintenance of the street.
We welcome anybody who would like to join but maintaining our 3 blocks alone is a massive undertaking. We aren't looking to expand to the other parts of H yet. No one is paid in our organization. We will work hard to promote the use or lose movement.
Also, we have strong opinions on limiting the number of liquor establishments we should have on H, on our end and throughout the street.
Our next major push is to make H street a green corridor, promoting and using renewable energy sources, energy efficient power and machines and recycled building materials. We also will do charity work and fundraising. So, we look forward to the future.
Joe Englert

1300 Block of H Street

From last year's H Street Festival.

Express: H Street Now & Then

Latest offering from the Express.

Marathon to Close Parts of H Street

Reminder from the listservs:

The National Marathon is this Saturday. The course starts at RFK and runs through Capitol Hill and involves rolling street closures. Many streets on Capitol Hill are affected, this includes East Capitol, H St NE, parts of C and D Streets NE .

See their website for a map and exact street closures
http://www.nationalmarathon.com/downloads/Street.Closures.pdf
map
http://www.nationalmarathon.com/images/CourseMapLLoRes.pdf

Rain Barrels

I recieved the following email from a friend (i.e. the Carver Terrace guy from the Pug photo, who does not, by the way, sell rain barrels):

Here is the website for the Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center, which makes 60-gallon rain barrels from recycled plastic barrels.

http://www.arlingtonecho.net/rainbarrel.htm

I bought one this weekend, and it is very well made. If people are interested in making their own rain barrels, the website provides step-by-step instructions, but I would encourage people to purchase one if possible, since this is a fund-raiser for a great outdoor education aand recreation center for public school students.

Rain barrels help with storm water management (minimizing the burden on water treatment plants), help minimize the water use for outdoor plants throughout the summer and reduce the runoff from heavy rainfalls. I hope your readers will consider buying one (or making their own).

Tommy Wells H Street Office Hours

Advisory: March 19, 2007
Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells

Immediate Release Contact: Charles Allen
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Room 408 (202)724-8072
Washington, D.C. 20004

Councilmember Tommy Wells Next H Street, NE Community Office Hours: Thursday, March 22nd 8:00 - 9:30 am

(Washington, DC) - On Thursday, March 22nd, 8:00 - 9:30 am, Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells will host the next of his H Street NE Community Office Hours at Rib Tip, 1128 H St, NE, 20002 (the corner of 12th and H Streets, NE). On the fourth Thursday morning of every month, Councilmember Wells will host this type of outreach event on H Street, NE and members of his constituent services staff will be on hand to help handle requests from residents.

To showcase and support the historical and emerging small businesses along H Street, NE, these monthly community morning office hours will rotate among several locations on the corridor and will be publicized online and at Advisory Neighborhood Commission meetings.

On Thursday, February 22nd, Councilmember Wells joined nearly 35 residents at Sidamo for the kick off of his H Street, NE Community Office Hours. Mr. Wells hosts similar community office hours in Southwest on the second Thursday morning of each month.

CP: Memo to the Style Section

The City Paper's blog City Desk slams the Washington Post's U-Turn on H Street (not only is it a turn around on H, but it's a turn towards U Street, clever, huh?) in the blog's latest post Memo to the Style Section: Do Some Goddamn Reporting!
Also, check out the comments because Rae, the former Argonaut bartender, has left a comment relating to the article.
Check out the Post's online chat about the article, and here are some other opinions on the piece:
DCist: Morning Roundup March Sadness
Rebuilding Palace: Time Passages

Abandoned Car Explodes on Florida

Sometime around 3:30am a (stolen?) car that had been abandoned and set afire in an alley just south of the 1200 block of Florida Ave exploded. Several police cars and fire vehicles were on the scene as a large amount of smoke billowed from the alley. No injuries, but plenty of broken glass.

WP: U-Turn on H Street

Tomorrow's Post has this story on H Street (which I haven't had time to read more than once). Also see the video featuring Scott (manager of the Argonaut) & Joe Englert talking about H Street. As previously posted, here is the video of Quike Morales (former Argonaut bartender) taking about being shot last fall and his efforts to raise funds for other victims of neighborhood violence (the video accompanies this story, but was posted earlier). Check out the Post's H Street photo set here. Also see the updated nightlife map. Here's my hangouts and haunts post.
A few early comments on the story:
-the Catherine Fuller reference: Catherine Fuller was a a cleaning lady who was raped by a group of young men (there were convictions, but I'm not sure if it covered the entire group, there some issues with the witness reports). She was sodomized with a pipe such that it perferated certain vital organs and she would have died of those wounds, but her then proceeded to beat and kicked her. It's also my recollection that she had a small amount of money (perhaps $50) on her at the time. It happened in broad daylight (in an alley). That was 1984.

-Rae no longer works at the Argonaut, but that's because she got a promotion at her daytime job, and is no longer making the twice weekly commute from her place in Baltimore to DC to pour drinks at the tavern. I don't where that review was posted, but it definitely wasn't here (and I couldn't find it with a Google search). That's the first time I've heard that story, sometimes people suck. Rae was a good bartender.

-An Aquarius party is (I had to look this up) apparently a party for people with the zodiac sign of Aquarius.

WP: Music is Bulletproof

Watch the video of Quike Morales (the former Argonaut bartender who was shot in the face last fall) talking about the shooting, and his efforts to raise money for other victims of neighborhood violence.

WP: H Street Gentrification Chat

Monday (11am): Washington Post online chat about changes on H Street.

Benning Road Survey

From the Office of Planning:
Benning Road Land Development Plan – Your Input is Critical! DC Office of Planning, through the Great Streets Initiative, is conducting a land use planning process for the entire Benning Road corridor from Bladensburg Road to Southern Avenue. We are in the midst of holding a series of public meetings to address issues in specific sub-areas of the corridor for a wide array of topics. The first sub-area meeting was held February 27 and covered the area between Bladensburg Rd and Anacostia Ave. We had 30 or so residents in attendance and received good feedback from them, but we want to reach as many people as possible.

If you have an interest in this section of the Benning Road Corridor,please take a moment to answer the questions below and return them via e-mail to any of the Neighborhood Planners working on this project at the Office of Planning:

Deborah Crain – Ward 5 – deborah.crain@dc.gov – 202-442-7615
Jeff Davis – Ward 6 – jeff.davis@dc.gov – 202-442-7704
Evelyn Kasongo – Ward 7 – evelyn.kasongo@dc.gov – 202-442-7613
The remaining meeting schedule is as follows:
Sub-Area Meetings (All run 6:30-8:30 PM) March 26 – Anacostia Ave to 40th Street, NE
River Terrace Elementary School - 420 34th St. NE
April 11 – 40th Street, NE to East Capitol Street
Richard England Clubhouse - 4103 Benning Rd NE
April 24 – East Capitol Street to Southern Avenue
Jones Memorial Methodist Church - 4625 G Street, SE
Community Design Workshop, May 12, Location TBA
- Commence draft of land development plan
- Review of development concepts
Community Meeting #3, June 21, Location TBA
- Completion of land development plan draft
- Public unveiling of draft plan

Identification of Issues & Opportunities
TOPIC #1
What are your current impressions of the public realm along the corridor? Public Realm includes sidewalks, cross walks, lighting, signage, etc. Instructions: Make one list of what is working/what you like about the public realm (sidewalks, cross walks, lighting, signage, etc) in this sub-area. Make another list of what is not working or what needs to be improved.

TOPIC #2
What are your current impressions of the parks, open space, recreation opportunities, and environmental concerns surrounding the corridor?
Instructions: List what is working/what you like about parks, open space, recreation opportunities and the environment in this sub-area. Then list what is not working or what needs to be improved.

TOPIC #3
What are your current impressions of business/economic development and shopping opportunities along the corridor? Instructions: Make a list of what is working/what you like about the business/economic development and shopping opportunities in this sub-area. Make another list of what is not working or what needs to be improved.

TOPIC # 4
What are your current impressions of the housing along the corridor? Instructions: Make one list of what is working/what you like about the existing housing/housing opportunities in this sub-area. Make another list of what is not working or what needs to be improved.

TOPIC # 5
What buildings and sites along the corridor should be preserved and protected?
Instructions: Make one list of buildings, sites, or areas that you believe should be preserved to maintain the character of the neighborhood or preserve an important aspect of neighborhood history.

Wonkette Weekend: R&R Hotel

It was pointed out to me that the Rock & Roll Hotel made Wonkette's (short) weekend to do list twice.

Reminder: 2 Trinidad Events Tomorrow

PSA 504 Meeting
What: a Police Service Area meeting
Where: Youth Services Center (1000 Mt. Olivet Road)
When: 10am Sat March 17th

Trinidad Recreation Center Grand Opening*
What: a celebration of the center's opening, a lob fair, summer camp sign up, tours, and more.
Fenty, Harry Thomas, and others will make appearances.
Where: 1380 Childress
When:10am Sat March 17th

*Bonus: did you know that the Trinidad Recreation Center boasts a green roof (part of a demonstration project in DC)?

Real Cities Go Virtual

In another general urban interest story, Berlin has become the first city to go 3D in Google Earth. It's just the beginning (not everything is 3D yet), but it's pretty cool, and potentially useful as well. It also reminds me of the event the Happening that took place at R&B Coffee (formerly located at 1359 H Street) last February. A group called the Electric Sheep created a digital version of the coffee shop and projected it live on the wall (complete with digital attendees) during the even. There was also a guy demonstrating a wearable virtual reality suit that he had built. All of this took place during an art show featuring paintings and photographs, a breakdancing act, a fashion show, a poetry slam, and music performances.

Dissident Display Opening Tonight

RP: Two Tracks to Tartarus?

Sorry, I couldn't resist the (increadibly dorky) Highway to Hell reference. This is more of citywide (and really, just generally urban) issue, but Richard Layman (Rebuilding Place) has a really great piece on why Metro's two track system is a serious problem (main points: delays when anything goes wrong, major danger if we ever experience a terrorist attack, a limit on DC's capacity for latenight service because they have to stop trains to do track maintenance).

911/311 Dispatchers?

Have you had issues with dispatchers when you call 311, or 911. It appears that some of the calls made to dispatchers (who are not MPD officers) are not necessarily being treated correctly. There have been instances of crimes that are called in (I'm specifically talking about break-ins) that later fail to show up on police crime maps. If it isn't on the crime map (or the list you probably receive at your PSA meeting), then it isn't in the police stats because somewhere between you making the call, and the message getting to the police there is communication breakdown (according to the police, if this is happening, it is because the call is never getting to the police). Obviously there are multiple dangers with a problem like this. One of which is that if the crime isn't in the stats police are unable to accurately track trends, connect crimes, or allocate resources properly. Have you had issues of this sort with 911/311 recently?

Preparations

13th & H Street.

Trinidad Rec Opens Saturday

What: Grand Opening of the Trinidad Recreation Center
Where: 1380 Childress St., NE
When: 10am
Why: Mayor Fenty, Harry Thomas, job fair, summer camp registration, refreshments, tours & more.

The Argonaut Patio is Open!

A message from the Argonaut (1433 H Street):

In the long waited return of nice weather The Argonaut would like to remind everyone that its Patio is open!! come enjoy the weather!! The Argonaut would like to remind everyone that we are still collecting used board games, and that we do have free wireless connection for anyone that wants to use it.

thanks,

Scott

The Hill: Singles Night

The Hill briefly mentions H Street's proposed singles ban.

WT: H Street Singles Ban

Another offering from the Washington Times.

PSA 504 Meeting Saturday

What: A Police Service Area meeting for PSA 504 (includes all of Trinidad, Gallaudet, the Florida Market, Ivy City, Carver Terrace, Langston Terrace).
When: 10:00am
Where: Youth Service Center 1000 Mt. Olivet Road

Italian Market (Philadelphia)

The top two photos are of the Florida Market. There places that do on street sales (e.g. Mexican Fruit), but I don't have any photos of these handy (they were on my old harddrive).
but here is a photo from Ken Firestone of Mexican Fruit's offerings:

And here is one of Richard Layman's photos from the Italian Market:

and here is one of my photos of the DC Farmers Market:


Immediately above is a photo of Philadelphia's Italian Market (photo protected under creative commons) from someone else (many are all rights reserved, so you can look, but you can't touch).
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=295306507&size=m ( Jian Ailin 简爱霖) provides the photo immediately above. I don't know, but it looks pretty close to me. For more photos search flickr (free account & no junk email guys) for Italian Market Philadelphia. I suggest looking at the original (larger image) of the photo immediately above to see a building that looks much more like the Florida Market buildings than what you see in the forefront. For more info on the Capital City Market check here.

Philadelphia's Italian Market

Caribbean Crescent (which actually sells Indian food) offers all kinds of dalls.
Ok, if you are a regular reader you probably know that I love to compare the Florida Market (i.e. the Capital City Market) to Philadelphia's Italian Market. So, here we go again. Check out the Wikipedia entry for the Italian Market. I suggest paying particular attention to the "Visiting the Italian Market" section. They aren't kidding. The Italian Market is a serious tourist attraction, but it is also a fully functional market that serves both businesses and residents. It's not just the impossible dream, it does actually happen, and it could happen here too.

Goodspeed Update: Liquor Licenses

I was looking at the sight the Goodspeed Update when I noticed this great map created by the blogger. Here you can see all the liquor licenses in our area (and most of DC) mapped out and labeled as to type. A very useful tool! Also, sign up for a free flickr account and see the large version of the map.

Dissident Display Opening

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Rescheduled from the 2nd

+++++++++++++++++

Photography Exhibition
Dissident Display Gallery
416 H Street NE. Washington, DC
7PM-12AM

Runs March 16 - April 22nd, 2007

Jati Lindsay's SCENE (at)NIGHT: Places, Performances and Personalities

In Jati Lindsay's Scene, the Washington area photographer documents several years worth of performances, architecture and lifestyles of the then, late twenty -something hip-hop / soul generation. Featured are images from Bohemian Caverns, Bar Nun, Republic Gardens, DC Nine and Black Cat. Rare images of local and national music personalities such as: W. Ellington
Felton, Raheem DeVaughn, Eric Roberson, J'Davey, Esthero, Saul Williams and others are presented and celebrated.

Adult Playground: Strip Club Stories in Words and Pictures

A deeper investigation into the nightlife theme is uncovered by the photos of Steven Cummings in Adult Playground. Steven's controversial images take him into a popular Washington strip club to document the everyday workings of the average stripper. These tasteful, yet risquÈ images are presented as art, in context with an interview by the artist telling his deepest and darkest stories of experiences visiting these public yet, very private venues. On display are a total of 8 large format Silver Gelatin Print black and white images and video interviews.

Music by DJ's Stylus and Jahsonic (featured in the exhibition)

Adrian Loving
Dissident Display Studio & Gallery
www.dissidentdisplay.com
202.332.3346

Post: Liquor Licenses & Churches

You also won't want to miss this Marc Fisher piece Now You Can Drink and Vegetate at the Same Time. In his piece Fisher addresses the larger issue of the amount of (I know we're all familiar with the parking debate) influence that can be abusively wielded by churches (even those whose membership is largely non-DC residents) if those churches are so inclined. Fisher's article includes the line: ...too many of us are still living in someone else's neighborhood, rather than making that neighborhood one that all can consider home.

Many Red-Light Cameras Broken

According to a story in today's Post (the Post's source for the info is a report issued by the firm taking over responsibility for the cameras today) 23 of the District's 50 red-light cameras are currently broken. The report also raised troubling issues about the legitimacy of some tickets that have been issued based on radar speed readings. ACS, the firm that previously oversaw the cameras is the same firm recently slammed for poor maintenance of District parking meters. Here's a list of the broken cameras. Here's more info on DC's red-light cameras, and here's some more general info on the topic. You might also be interested in this old DDOT pdf on traffic calming (similar information to a pdf recently sent out on the ANC6A listserv).

Capital City Symphony Events

The Capital City Symphony has two great events coming up in the next two weeks!

Capital City Symphony Annual Swing Dance Gala and Silent Auction
"A Capital Affair"
Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H St. NE
Saturday, March 24 at 7 p.m.
Come eat, drink, dance and shop to support the Capital City Symphony. The event features a silent auction and dancing to the popular music of Doug Bowles and the SingCo Rhythm Orchestra.
Advance tickets are $50 each, $85 for couples. Tickets include an open bar of beer and wine, food and dancing. All proceeds benefit the CCS. You can buy tickets on the Atlas Web site at http://www.atlasarts.org or at the box office. On the Web site, look for "A Capital Affair.'' The couples discount is taken just before purchase. Contact the orchestra at 202-399-7993 x120 or Gala Chair Kristin Jensen at
kjensen@bloomberg.net for more information.

Spring Concert: Ellington!
Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H St. NE
Sunday, March 18 at 5 p.m.
The orchestra will play music by Beethoven, Mozart and hometown hero Duke Ellington.
Advance tickets are $16 per person, $12 for students and seniors 65 and over and free to children under the age of 16 with paying adults. You can buy tickets on the Atlas Web site at http://www.atlasarts.org or at the box office.

The Argonaut is Playing Games

Or rather, it wants to play games. The Argonaut (1433 H Street) is seeking donations of used board games (with all the pieces). Head down to the Argo with your complete board game and trade it for a complementary beer. Anyone willing to part with their By Jove? Also, keep your eyes open for menu changes at the Argonaut.

Checking Out the Pug

A Carver Terrace resident enjoys a Guinness at the Pug. The Pug (1234 H Street) hopes to offer a couple of beers on tap. One will likely be Guinness, and the other will probably be a regional brew (which I think they've already selected, I just don't know which one it is). Now offering paninis.

Costumed Karaoke @Palace of Wonders?

According to this Post description of the recurring Kostume Karaoke event at Wonderland host Debbi Arseneaux may add a similar event to the line-up at Palace of Wonders (1210 H Street). Incidentally, Place of Wonders is definitely hosting a hula-hoop cabaret on Saint Patrick's Day.

1300 Block of H Street

Roll Call: H Street Bars

Roll Call (subscription only) has a nice piece on the popularity of the recently opened H Street bars, and some information about those coming soon.

Missing Kid 9 Yrs (92 Bus?) Found

Arthrone Cabos, the 9 year old who disappeared yesterday was found unharmed.

Kiss Me Kate At the Atlas

I managed to catch a Sunday performance of Kiss Me Kate at the Atlas (performed by the Washington Savoyards). I'd never seen Kiss Me Kate before, but I really enjoyed the show. There was a sizable crowd, and seeing it the Atlas made it all the more enjoyable (the size and quality of the theater continue to impress me). If you enjoy musical theater, you should definitely check out the production, which is part of this year's Shakespeare in Washington festival. Even if you're not all that knowledgeable about musical theater (like me), you are likely familiar with both the works of Cole Porter, and Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. This is a very lively performance (so children are unlikely to become bored) with some timely political issues mixed in with the fun. How many shows can boast the mid-20th century military, 16th century Italian wooing, a golddigging male suitor, and two gun toting gansters? The show really does offer a little bit of something for everyone (the song Too Darn Hot was especially fun).
Buy tickets here. One child under the age of 15 will be admitted when accompanied by a paying ticketholder.

Dollar Store (707 H) For Sale

Please note that only the business is for sale, and not the actual building. $109,900
DC6324217 This is the gray building (pretty nice looking) with the top two stories where the windows are painted over.

CP Review: Majestic By Gwen

Read the City Paper review here. The Majestic is located at 1368 H Street. It also offers hand dancing and live music upstairs.

Klavitter: Sundays at Sidamo

Special to Frozen Tropics today we have a guest post from Quest for Quiet blogger David Klavitter (both text and photo belong to David). Enjoy:


My wife, Kara, and I really enjoy our Sunday mornings/afternoons at Sidamo. Kenfe and his wife, Yalemzwed, really do a terrific--and consistent--job.

Sidamo Coffee owner Kenfe Bellay on Sunday afternoon prepares a one-pound bag of whole bean Sidamo-region coffee. Only hours earlier, he used his shiny red roaster at the front of the store to roast those very beans. Kenfe says he roasts about five to six batches of coffee beans per week. He requires his coffee to be fair trade, organic, and grown in the shade. One pound of the smoothest coffee you’ll ever sip at home costs $9. It’s just as tasty in the welcoming store at 417 H St. NE, where the menu includes breakfast and panini sandwiches, soups, and assorted pastries. Full tables a short line greeted customers seeking refuge from yesterday’s chilly afternoon winds.

Sticky Rice

1224 H Street.

Meats

In the farmers market (part of the Capital City Market, AKA the Florida Market).

Fenty to Attend RCA Meeting

Mayor Fenty will attend to night's Rosedale Citizens Alliance meeting. Mayor Fenty will discuss issues in the Rosedale and Kingman Park neighborhoods and greater Northeast DC in general.
When: 7:30-8:30
Where: Rosedale Recreation Center (1700 Gales)

*******************************
UPDATE
*******************************

Fenty's visit has been postponed until the April 2nd meeting.

Sunset on H Street

Ok, I should have used different settings on this one, but the shy looks pretty cool (the actual colors were even more intense), so I thought I would share. This is looking west from the 1300 block of H Street). I also like the outline of the buildings (more visible in a larger version) against the sky (especially the large church in the corner of 11th).

The sky is less impressive here, but the buildings aren't quite so back-lit. This is the 1100 block of H Street.

RP: Retail Response to Change

Richard's (Rebuilding Place) got a short post on retailer response to alterations in market demand due to changes in neighborhood demographics.

CP: Eat at Joe's

The City Paper blog City Desk has a piece on Joe Englert and his food oriented plans for H street. Not only does Sticky Rice get a mention, along with upcoming grub from the Rock & Roll Hotel (middle eastern inspired fare with an emphasis on the vegan and vegetarian), the H Street Country Club (burgers, or course), Dr. Granville Moore's (unpretentious Belgian food), but the piece also mentions a spot (location not yet disclosed) that Englert hopes might house an Ethiopian restaurant.

Atlas Campaign Marches On

(Press Release)

MEAD CHALLENGE GIFT LEADS WAY TO FINISH ATLAS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

(Washington, DC)
The Atlas Performing Arts Center, the city’s exhilarating and versatile new arts complex on H Street Northeast, today announced a $700,000 matching gift from arts philanthropists Gilbert D. and Jaylee M. Mead to launch the final stage of the Atlas Capital Campaign. Under the terms of the new gift, the Meads will match every $2 raised for the Atlas Capital Campaign between February 1, 2007 and March 1, 2008 with an additional $1. Gifts made to the Campaign to meet the challenge must be paid by the end of 2010. “Gil and Jaylee Mead have given us an extraordinary opportunity to finish our Capital Campaign,” said Jane Lang, Chair of the Campaign. “We are so very grateful and privileged to have had their support from day one, and now they’re helping us cross the finish line. Could anyone ask for better friends?”

The Atlas Capital Campaign has raised over $17.6 million to date. “That’s pretty amazing for a start-up in the arts world,” said Anne Corbett, Executive Director of the DC Cultural Corporation, credited by Lang as the “godmother of the Atlas.” “But then, it’s a pretty amazing place!” Corbett showed the Atlas to Lang in 2001 when the property was vacant and severely deteriorating. Since then, the new Atlas Performing Arts Center managed a $20.4 million historic renovation, turning the site into a 59,000 square foot arts facility. The center includes four professionally-equipped theatres and rehearsal spaces, three store-front dance studios, offices for multiple arts groups and striking lobbies. Last November, a series of donor-appreciation galas and a community open house formally marked the opening of the renovated facilities.

“We’re looking forward to a great year,” said Patrick Stewart, Atlas Executive Director. “Finishing the Capital Campaign is important for its own sake, but also to enable us to focus all of our energies on filling the spaces with a wonderful array of dance, music and theatre performances and classes. With 2,000 students at the Joy of Motion Dance Center at the Atlas, and thousands of patrons in our performance spaces, we’re turning the Atlas District into a vibrant cultural destination in DC.” In addition to on-site performances presented and produced this season by the African Continuum Theatre Company, Washington Performing Arts Society, Washington Musica Viva, Capital City Symphony, StepAfrika!, Levine School of Music and The Washington Savoyards, among many others, the Atlas Community Connection Fund sponsors arts programs at schools and seniors’ residences in Near Northeast DC.

The Meads’ matching gift will bring their total commitment to the Atlas to $1 million, Stewart noted. “The Meads have changed the cultural landscape of Washington,” he added. “The Atlas is honored to be part of their living legacy.”

Jen DeMayo

Communications Director
Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
o. 202.399.7993 ext 125
m. 973.953.9831
e. jdemayo@atlasarts.org
www.atlasarts.org

Sticky Rice, the Writing's on the Wall

I didn't get a chance to snap a photo yet, but the building that will house the restaurant Sticky Rice now boasts a new paint job (essentially black background with the words Sticky Rice). Here's what it looked like before (when it was painted for the aborted Mexican restaurant the Beehive).


Here's what it looked like before that.


Progress, no?

UBU Dance Party @Red & the Black

At the the Red & the Black (1212 H Street). Support your local dj (Mellie Mel lives in the neighborhood).
Spinning starts at 9:30pm and goes until 2am (doors open at 6pm).
Take the free Atlas Courtesy Shuttle from the bar to Union Station after the show (runs until 2:30am). Call 202-906-0697 for pick-up.

The Time is Now

Capital City Market

WT: Singles B an on H

The Washington Times has...um, well, they've got something on the H Street proposed singles ban.

ANC 5B Meeting Tonight

Washington Center for Aging Services
2601 18th Street NE
Washington, DC 20002

7:30pm-9pm

New Ward 5 Site Launched

Thanks to Rob for leaving this in the comments recently. Check out the new site.

WT: Preachers at 8th and H

The Washington Times has a story (from a couple of days back -it's been a busy week) on the amplified preachers at the corner of 8th & H. Check out the blog Quest for Quiet for more recent news on the noise issue, and a photo of an officer on horseback(!) on H Street.