The Future of 421 H Street

The recent demise of Pap and Petey's has left 421 H Street vacant. I've spoken with the owner a few times, and he is looking for ideas about what to do with the property. Given the small space, and the current layout, he'd like to open a bar. So here's the game we're going to play, give me a concept. The concept must work for that space and location. Consider it a form of crowd sourcing. You can give me all, or one, of the following (obviously the full package is preferred):

1. Name of establishment
2. Target demographic
3. Types of drink and food (food would mostly come later) served.
4. Theme/decor
5. Any additional notes

*don't forget they have a second floor with nice big windows.

It would be great if people could actually stick to site policy on this one and use a handle. Have fun.

Clothing Exchange @Sova

Sova's got a new clothing exchange event going on. Here's the press release:

Clothing Exchange at SOVA : Keeping H St. Cool

If you miss your hometown's awesome, fair-priced clothing exchange, weep no more. DC will now have its own small version. The doors of the H Street Clothing exchange open this Thursday.

How does it work?

Bring me your tired, your under-worn, your bundled masses of clothes yearning to break out of the closet and I will buy them from you. While you're at it, you can acquire some sweet vintage/designer/random finds at a non-outrageous cost.

Clothing exchanges are good for the planet, good for your pocketbook, and will under most circumstances increase your hotness. Now you can feel good about the consumer choice you've made to look like a drugged up slutty American Apparel model.

This is also our bi-weekly bluegrass night, so slip on your buckskins, and come on down for some good old mountain music. And if you're a player, bring your instrument for our late night jam session to follow.

Shooting Last Night

Here's the alert:

Shooting 22:53 hours; Bladensburg Road NE/ Oates Street NE LOF; B/M; Occupying A Gray Truck With Unknown Tags DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20090474118

WP: Taylor Style

Tomorrow's edition of the Post features this article on the sleek look of Taylor and the living spaces above it. Check out the photos here.

Website for Ethiopic

The start of a website is up for the Ethiopian restaurant coming to 401 H Street.

Bars

Pap & Petey's Is Closed

I mentioned this in the comments a few days ago, but local Jazz bar Pap & Petey's is no more. Pap & Petey's was located at 421 H Street.

Unsuck Metro: Numbers Throwdown

Unsuck Metro recently posted recorded snippets of a WAML interview with Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein in which she discussed ridership numbers and the Examiner article claiming ridership is down significantly since the deadly June crash. Obviously the crash remains a very sore spot for Metro, what with the early attempts to blame it all on driver error not panning out so well. Farbstein seems to be cruising along just fine, and even provides her own numbers for ridership. Then the interviewer asks here where the Examiner got its numbers and apparently this causes some part of her brain to explode. She actually says "F*** their numbers is where it came from. You wanna quote me on that?" No word on whether she tapped her chest and aggressively moved forward while speaking.

*****************************
A comment left here say she actually said something about numbers coming out of someone's ass. I have a hard time telling from the bleeped recording.

Cap City Diner: Robbery

The Twittering owners of the Capital City Diner are reporting a rather disturbing robbery with what appeared to be a sawed off shotgun. Equally disturbing is the fact that a detective tried to discourage the victims from filing a police report. Because Matt has posted his account several places I'm going to go ahead and reprint it again here. But follow the link for the original post and comments.

Matt's post:
We (Matt & Patrick) were walking home late last night on Bladensburg Rd NE just north of the intersection with K St. We were with a friend of ours, aware of our surroundings, and in a well-lit area, but still were victims of a robbery.
We were walking down the street, passed by a group of 4-5 young people (one in a wheelchair), one of which asked if we had any money. After we passed about 10-15 feet, he quickly approached us, presented what appeared to be a sawed-off shotgun in his pants, and then demanded money from us. Two of us handed over some money and they fled up L St NE toward Carver/Langston. 911 was called immediately after, but it took some time for a respose and thus the police couldn’t locate them.
It also took a lot of effort to get interviewed by the police. Frustrated with the slow response, we continued walking home, as the police had Matt’s cell number from when he called. As we reach home, the police dispatcher calls back, asks for our current location, and Matt gives her the address, which she is heard relaying to the police unit (Trinidad 1) responding to our call.
Matt sat on the front porch waiting for the police, but decided to walk down the street to the police car parked at the gas station (1/2 block away) since no one’s shown up yet. Matt approached the group of three officers, but could only get one of them interested in the crime. The other two continued to play with a cell phone or eat sunflower seeds.
Fortunately, the one interested officer seemed genuinely interested, began taking notes, and called a detective to the scene.
Unfortunately, the detective tried repeatedly to convice Matt out of making a report. He stated that a robbery hadn’t occurred since Matt “gave up the money” willingly and the suspect didn’t actually reach into Matt’s pockets to steal the money (Matt handed him the robber money when asked for it). Matt recounted that DC code doesn’t require that a robbery physically touch someone, and that someone using fear (even without a weapon displayed) to take something is considered robbery. Furthermore, the detective reminded Matt that he sticks out because Matt’s a white guy in Trinidad and asked repeatedly if he really really wanted to be remembered by the criminal’s associates if/when he’s prosecuted.
Despite the intimidation and being called stubborn, Matt continually requested that a report be completed for robbery.
The detective begrudgingly asked the other officer to initiate report numbers for “robbery (fear),” which doesn’t require that the suspect display a weapon, only use the fear of having a weapon in the course of a robbery.
We encourage all others to report crime and insist on a report being made. If nothing else, the crime statistics will show a more true reflection of the area’s crime, resulting in potentially more police resources for our neighborhood.
For the moment, it seems we’re just walking targets with no means of recourse except a police response that attempts to discourage reporting of crime. Next time we hear “crime is down in the area,” we can’t help but wonder why; is crime actually down, or is it just not getting reported?
UPDATE: MPD is initiating an investigation into how the above incident was handled.

NPR: The House of Pain

NPR reports on the hardworking crew at Trinidad's Engine company 10 (truck 13).

Restaurant Week @Napa

Napa 1015
Restaurant ~ Lounge
Restaurant Week Menu

Appetizers
Arugula Salad with Ruby Red Grapefruit and Bosc Pears with Lemon Vinaigrette
Pan Fried Chicken Mozzarella Croquettes
A Trio of Wild Mushrooms over Creamy Polenta
Serrano Ham thinly sliced with Asparagus and Aged Parmesan

Entrée’s
Herbed New England Cod Roasted in Red Curry and Lime Broth with Asian Vegetables
Pan Seared Muscovy Duck Breast with Pineapple and Sweet Potato Puree
Mediteranean Leg of Lamb with Couscous, Fresh Mint & Cucumber
Crepes Stuffed with Fresh Vegetables and Crème Sauce

Desserts
Fresh Blackberry Cobbler with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Hazel Nut Chocolate Mousse Cake
Tres Leches Cake with Fresh Berries
$35.09

Ethiopian Food Coming to 401 H Street

According to a comment left by Joe Englert. I'm excited.

************************************
UPDATE
************************************
I've gotten confirmation from the business owner.

Problem Vacant Property Shut Down

The Mayor's office released this press release about 1214 H Street being shut down as a problem vacant property. This is an old photo, but I didn't have anything newer. The grey building is now the Red and the Black and the red brick building is now Palace of Wonders. S0 1214 is the building just to the right of the Red and the Black. According to the press release "[t]oday’s abatement at 1214 H Street, N.E. involved the removal of solid waste and evidence of drug and prostitution activities."

Conversations in Lyrical Abstraction 1958-2009 @Conner

Opening: Sept 17th: 6 to 8pm. preview: CLICK HERE Conner Contemporary Art 1358-60 Florida Ave, NE Washington, DC 20002v: 202-588-8750 info@connercontemporary.com
http://www.connercontemporary.com/ Join us on Facebook CONVERSATIONS IN LYRICAL ABSTRACTION: 1958 to 2009Morris Louis Alma Thomas Howard Mehring eremy Blake Leo VillarealSeptember 17 – October 31, 2009Conner Contemporary Art is pleased to present Conversations in Lyrical Abstraction: 1958-2009, an exhibition that elicits visual conversations among work by Morris Louis, Alma Thomas, Howard Mehring Jeremy Blake, and Leo Villareal. Breathing luminous color and varying in media from stain paintings to digitally controlled light emitting diodes, this select gathering of abstract images showcases Lyrical Abstraction as a vital impetus in American art.This is the first time a Morris Louis painting has been exhibited in a privately-owned gallery in Washington since the 1950s. We are honored to present Louis's magnificent veil painting, Plenitude (1958), in conjunction with a remarkable field painting by Alma Thomas, early all-over canvases by Howard Mehring, Jeremy Blake's seminal video, Mod Lang, and Leo Villareal's most recent digital light sculpture, Sky.Conversations in Lyrical Abstraction crosses boundaries of race, gender, geography and chronology to reveal complementary visual effects among the works of diverse artists. The exhibition highlights conceptual parallels and methodological adjustments between the groundbreaking developments of mid-20th-century and recent innovations in Color-Field picturing. This selection of works underscores historical patterns of artistic exchange, experimentation, appropriation, and critique, and attests that artists in Washington, DC and New York have shared a creative dynamic over several generations.The exhibition embodies Conner Contemporary Art's longstanding commitment to investigations in Color-Field history. The Gallery has exhibited drawings by Morris Louis and Gene Davis and has contextualized the art of important, but lesser known, 1950-1960s Washington Color Painters, Howard Mehring and Thomas Downing, with the publication of supporting educational materials and catalogues. We have also encouraged new experimentation in abstract imaging, presenting seminal work in four solo exhibitions by Leo Villareal. We were privileged to support Multiverse, Villareal's recent installation at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC - on view through December 2009.This exhibition is undertaken in cooperation with The Estate of Morris Louis, represented exclusively by Diane Upright Fine Arts, LLC, The Estate of Vincent Melzac and Mrs Sheila Melzac , Kinz Tillou Fine Art and The Jeremy Blake Estate.There will be an opening night reception, Thursday, September 17th from 6 to 8pm.Additional information may be found at: http://www.connercontemporary.com/. For further information or images, please contact the gallery @ 202-588-8750 or info@connercontemporary.com.Conner Contemporary Art is located at 1358 Florida Avenue, NE –Washington, DC 20002 in the Atlas / H Street Historic District. Gallery hours: Wednesday - Saturday 11-5pm.

Retail Traffic: Grocers Take Over Big Boxes

I thought people might enjoy this article on grocery stores moving into spaces vacated by big box stores.

WSJ: Renting the American Dream

The Wall Street Journal has a worthwhile article about homeownership and renting.

Work Begins on German Beer Haus

Aaron McGovern of the Dupont Circle restaurant Russia House recently began work on his latest project. He intends to bring a large German restaurant and beer garden to 1355 H Street. Expect about 12 beers on tap, and a full menu of German staples.

Baking for Peace @Sova

Announcement:

Baking For Peace
Learn how to make dough and bake bread with the sun
Tuesday, August 18th
The Sova Coffee and Wine Bar 1359 H Street NE, Washington D.C. starting at 7:30 PM

Franco Mares and Keith McHenry will give a presentation about making dough and baking bread in a solar oven for The Change We Knead Now - Baking Bread For World Peace. The presentation will include their recipe for bread dough as well as the methods and advantages of baking bread in a solar oven. They will also talk about the campaign The Change We Knead Now where they bake bread in a solar oven outside the White House every day while petitioning for the Implementation of universal government-paid (Single-Payer)healthcare for all, the freeing of federal prisoner Leonard Peltier by
executive order today, solar energy collectors available for every house, passenger trains connecting every city, organic gardening classes in every school and a Call for a global ceasefire.

The Change We Knead Now - Baking Bread For World Peace

P.O. Box 424 • Arroyo Seco, NM 87514 USA 575-770-3377
thechangewekneadnow.net

Obama Chicken @Buka

While walking down H Street the other day I noticed a sign outside Buka (a West African restaurant located at 1413 H Street) advertising an Obama chicken lunch special served with home fries. No word on whether the the chicken is cooked Kenyan style, fried American style, or prepared in another way.

It brought to mind the story of restaurant in Brooklyn that drew a mixed reaction to its name change (the new name was Obama Fried Chicken).

Kids' Flea Market Tomorrow

The campers

As part of their training as young entrepreneurs participants in Spoiled and Rotten's camp will be holding a market tomorrow from 9am-3pm. The market will be located at 10th and H in the parking lot of Mason's. Stop by to check out the selection of toys, and children's clothing and shoes.


All photos provided by Spoiled and Rotten.

Joe Cole Movie Night

Outdoor Movie Night in Trinidad

at

Joseph H. Cole Recreation Center

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

8:30pm

Featuring:

Akeelah and the Bee

Upcoming Movie Nights:

Thursday, August 20th
Saturday, August 29th


Joseph H. Cole Recreation Center

1200 Morse Street, NE

(corner of Morse & Montello)

The Mysterious Chair

I mentioned this in the last H Street Life column, ut I'm still at a loss as to who is behind the blue chair suspended on a pole some distance above the earth. This is on the vacant lot in the 300 block of H Street. Anyone have some answers for me?

Wheatley Ribbon Cutting Tomorrow

Late notice I know, but:
Please join Mayor Adrian Fenty, the Department of Public Education Facilities Modernization, and the Chancellor's Office for the

Grand Opening of Webb/Wheatley Educational Campus

***

Tomorrow, August 12th, 9:15 AM
Webb/Wheatley Education Campus
1299 Neal St NE

Principal Cartland @the TNA Meeting

The Principal of Wheatley School (he was the principal of Webb, but Webb is now moving to Wheatley) attended the Trinidad Neighborhood Association meeting tonight. Wheatley, originally constructed in 1903, has ow been completely renovated and expanded into a state of the art facility. Principal Scott Cartland was on hand (along with one of his rising 4th graders who dropped by) to discuss his past year at Webb, and what we can expect to see at Wheatley. The new school will be PS-8th grade, and will probably have around 400 students in the beginning. He plans to continue the heavy emphasis on literacy, and developing a love of reading. While at Webb he oversaw a program that put about 300-400 books into each classroom to supplement the 8,000 books available in the school library. The new facilities include a massive gym, and new library with WiFi, and Promethean Smart Boards in the classrooms. It will also have a fully functioning kitchen so that food can be cooked on site, rather than just reheated after freezing. Middle School students will have their own lockers. He invites everyone to come out for school beautification day on August 22nd. Though the facilities are all brand new, the school needs help unpacking and setting up its late arriving furniture.

I'm personally very excited for this new move because I've seen how much Webb is falling apart. I was also very excited to meet Mr. Cartland. He is a product of DC public schools himself, and I'd heard only good things about his work at Webb. He did not fall short when I met him in person. I believe that he and his students will blossom in their new Neal Street facilities.

Cartland recently won a Distinguished Educational Leadership Award from the Washington Post. Here's a shot of him dressed up for Halloween at his previous school in NW.

Sunday's Fire @3rd & H

Reader Justin Roth sent in the following photos and info on a residential fire that occurred around 8pm Sunday night. This is basically behind the liquor store and the vacant lot. The fire reportedly gutted one home, and damaged another. The fire required H Street to close for hours between the bridge and 5th Street. Justin says he's told that the homeowner fell asleep while cooking. I haven't received any reports of injuries.

WP: Friends/Family Remember Joyner

The Post catches up with family and friends of Trey Joyner, the man shot by Park Police in Trinidad this summer.

DC MUD: Signs of Life @Arbor Place

DC MUD has an update on Abdo's megaproject on New York Avenue.

Trinidad Movie Night Tomorrow

Outdoor Movie Night in Trinidad

at

Joseph H. Cole Recreation Center

Saturday, August 8th, 2009

8:30pm

Featuring:

School of Rock

Upcoming Movie Nights:

Thursday, August 13^th

Thursday, August 20^th

Saturday, August 29th

Joseph H. Cole Recreation Center

1200 Morse Street, NE

(corner of Morse & Montello)

Washington, DC 20002

Greater Greater Washington: Streetcars

The local blog covers last night's meeting.

WP: After the Joyner Shooting

The Post reports on a video of the scene shot only moments after Trey Joyner was shot by Park Police.

DC Beer Week on H Street

Photo by Shaaren Pine

The City Paper has the full list of events. Capital Spice made a map. Here are the H Street spots:
The Argonaut
Dr.Granville's
The Country Club
Palace of Wonders
Red and the Black
Sticky Rice
Rock and Roll Hotel
The Pug

WP: DC to Offer STD Tests in All HS

Less neighborhood specific, and more general local interest. DC is expanding its STD testing and putting it into every high school that is part of DCPS, or is a public charter school. Apparently the program, which is already in place in some schools, found an STD infection rate of 13% for 3,000 students tested last year. The majority of those infections were chlamydia and gonorrhea. Students choose whether or not to submit a sample for testing, and then must call a number to get the results. The city pays for treatment at the school, or a clinic.

The article also sites some other stats that will make your eyes pop out. For instance:
"In a 2007 study by the D.C. public school system, 60 percent of high school students and 30 percent of middle school students reported having had intercourse."

There is some discussion of programs in other cities. Apparently this one is very similar to the one in Philadelphia. The infection rate appears to be much lower in Philadelphia, so the program could probably have a much greater impact here.

Guest Host For Argo Trivia Tomorrow

The normal host, Maya, is sick in the hospital with tests pending. Come out to show your support. Our special guest host "Nota Bene" Nicole will be on hand with plenty o'questions while Maya recovers. 8pm-10pm upstairs.

Set the DVR on HGTV

A recent episode of the show Real Estate Intervention featured some local homeowners who wanted to sell their rowhouse our neighborhood. I'm told the episode also features the hosts dining at Sticky Rice. The episode, entitled Seeking a Reward for Renovations, is episode HREIN_108. I suggest the DVR, because the episode is now repeating only late at night, or super early in the morning:

• August 12, 2009
  

  10:30 PM e/p

• August 12, 2009

  2:30 AM e/p

• September 15, 2009

  10:30 PM e/p

• September 15, 2009

  2:30 AM e/p

BB gun on H Street

You may have seen a report of a gun drawn on H Street. Apparently what happened is that a kid (involved in a dispute) drew a weapon and threatened someone. An off duty officer approached and drew his gun. The kid dropped his weapon and ran. It turned out to be a realistic (as in looked like a gun, and loaded like one) BB gun. The kid ran off.

Disturbing Report from 1900 Block of Benning

Straight from the 5-D listserv:

Re: [MPD-5D] 1900 Benning Road‏
From: mpd-5d@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Greene, Lamar (MPD) (lamar.greene@dc.gov)
Sent: Sun 8/02/09 9:13 PM
To: MPD-5D@yahoogroups.com


Last night there were several subects observed running at that location. After stopping one of the subjects he was found to have been shot in the abdomen area. He was taken to the hospital for treatment where he is in stable conditon. Anyone with any information relative to this shooting please call us immediately.

From: MPD-5D@yahoogroups.com
To: MPD-5D@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sun Aug 02 09:49:44 2009
Subject: [MPD-5D] 1900 Benning Road



One of my neighbors just told us that the bus stop at that intersection is covered in blood. Also, when we came home last night there was a lot of police activity on Bennett PL and the alley. Any info would be appreciated.

Goodbye R. L. Christian

R.L. Christian Library (13th and H) permanently, or at least as far as the current structure is concerned, closed its doors July 30th. It was one of the so called modular libraries. These oddly shaped structures were always intended to be temporary. They are also somewhat portable.