Capital Spice: Seek Out Souk

Capital Spice gives the new Middle Eastern restaurant a solid review.

Sign is Up @Dangerously Delicious

Loyal reader Moravsky Vrabec (Flickr name), who has been pie stalking Dangerously Delicious (1339 H Street), says the sign is up, and sets the countdown to about a week for baked sweet and savory goodness.

Curbside Cupcakes

DCBlogs picks up on the recent arrival of the of Curbside Cupcakes (the founder lives just south of H Street). What is it with cupcakes these days? The New York Times just ran the story The Latest Entrepreneurial Fantasy is Selling Cupcakes. And I recall this ABA gem from May: Law Grad Turns to Cupcake Truck as Economy Sputters.

Curbside Cupcakes sells individual cupcakes out of their truck, but will also deliver larger orders to your Capitol Hill or Downtown location. Check them out on Facebook.

Looking Back: The Ohio

Delicious Meatloaf and Mac from the now defunct Ohio Restaurant (1380 H Street).

Who Knew the CDC Thought About Gentrification?

Well, apparently the folks at the Centers for Disease Control have spent a bit of time considering the health implications of gentrification. They even have a web page page on the topic. FYI, the page looks only at the negative potential impacts of gentrification, and doesn't address any potential positives.

Other fun stuff I'm finding while updating my side links:

Gentrified Fiction [N+1].

Urban Gentrification Meets Bulletproof Windows [NPR]. Okay, lots of you guys might have heard this one the first time around. But for the newer kids it's a good listen.

The Glass Menagerie [City Paper]. Ditto.

And another re-run. 7 Rules for Talking About Gentrification [The Neighbors Project].

ANC 5B06 Seat Vacant

Commissioner Wilhelmina Lawson has resigned from her seat in Trinidad. Lawson represented the southwestern portion of Trinidad, and all of the Capital City Market. Those interested in running for the vacant seat can pick up a petition from the Board of Elections and Ethics. Petitions, which require at least  25 signatures from residents of the Single Member District, are due December 21st.  The Challenge period is Dec 24th-31st. Here are the rest of the details:

In order to hold the office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, an individual must meet the following qualifications:

• Be a registered voter in the District, as defined by DC Code Section 1-1001.02;
• Have resided in the Single Member District from which nominated continuously for the 60 day period immediately preceding the day on which the nominating petition is filed; and
• Hold no other public office.

The Board will provide each candidate who obtains petition forms with a list of the registered voters in his or her Single Member District. We urge that the petition be checked against the list to ensure that it meets or exceeds the minimum signature requirement.

Dana Ellen @Evolve Urban Arts

WBJ: Streetcar Backers Gather Ammo

The Washington Business Journal reports on information gathering efforts by streetcar proponents.

Happy Thanksgiving!

HSCC Nominated for Two Awards

The H Street Country Club (1335 H Street) is up for Metro Mix's Best New Venue , and competes with Palace of Wonders (1210 H Street) for the title of Quirkiest Bar . Vote for you favorites online online.

WLDC: @ New Restaurants Seek Liquor Licenses on H

We Love DC reports on Liberty Tree, and a still unnamed Asian restaurant coming to H Street.

Beer Dinner @Granville's

Dr. Granville Moore's 1238 H Street.

Baltimore CP: Reclaiming Alleys With Art

The Baltimore City Paper has an interesting piece on the Axis Alley project in Baltimore, and how it allows local residents and artists to transform neglected spaces.

I thought I'd use the occasion to post a few local alley shots from the past few years.













How many locations can you identify?

New Flickr Group

I've set up a Frozen Tropics group on Flickr so that users can submit photos they'd like to have appear on the blog. The group is also a great way to share local photos with other Frozen Tropics readers. Check it out. Obviously, I'll give credit for any photo I use.

Some Changes Over the Next Week

Be like Nick, attentive and aware, but not in a panic.

You're going to see a few changes on the site over the week or so. I'm messing with the template a bit in the hopes of ultimately making Frozen Tropics easier to read, and more functional. If anything I do actually "breaks" the site for anyone, or causes you problems please drop me a note, or leave a comment. Obviously, the size change will mean old posts are going to look a bit funny until I fix them. Please just bear with me.

Thanksgiving @the Pug

All the usual fun plus $2 shots of Wild Turkey. 1234 H Street.

WP: 2nd Arrest in Rawlings Shooting

The Post reports that a second man (19 year old DeAngelo Edwards) has now been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of George Rawlings (21) as he boarded the X2 bus. Rawlings had just left the funeral of a friend who was murdered on Halloween night. MPD sources have suggested that Rawlings was a person of interest (a possible supplier of the car) in the murder of that friend. Seventeen year old Jeffery Britt has already been charged with first degree murder in the death of George Rawlings. 

An MPD press release now indicates that Edwards has been charged with Murder One While Armed.

H Street Shuttle Funding

The following note from the Atlas has been making the rounds, and I'd be remiss if I didn't post it here:

FROM THE ATLAS:

Hello Atlas Staff, Arts Partners and Atlas District friends,

 

As some of you may know the funding the free H Street Shuttle is up for renewal.  Our Ward 6 Council Member, Tommy Wells, has been extremely helpful with the shuttle project from the very beginning and he has been working hard to make sure the H Street Cooperative receives the money it needs to keep the shuttles running nightly.

If you are not familiar with the H Street Shuttle, it is a free shuttle that runs each evening from 5pm until the Metro closes, which means midnight Sunday through Thursdays and 3am on Friday and Saturday nights. It runs long H Street with limited stops beginning in Chinatown by the Gallery Place metro stop and ends at the Minnesota Avenue stop.

Ridership on the shuttle has steadily increased since its debut in January of 2009. It has become an easy way for customers, patrons and staff to get to H Street and helps reduce the number of cars parked on nearby residential streets. The corridor is undergoing a dramatic streetscape renovation which will eventually result in a beautiful H Street but the construction has further reduced (the already limited) street parking and increased aggravation for drivers. Learning from similar projects in other areas of the city, the shuttle was introduced before major work began and  has been a vital way to keep patrons coming here during this challenging time.

 

Councilmember Well's chief of staff, Charles Allen, has recommended we let Valerie Santos, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development know how important the shuttle is to all of us; the individuals, business owners and artists who have made the commitment to H Street and its renewal.  She's the key decision maker and is locking down the funding for us but it can't hurt to let her know how many of us are counting on the continuation of the shuttle service.

 

I would ask that if you have staff or members of your individual organizations that we ask them to write to her as well.

 

Her email is Valerie.SantosYoung@dc.gov

 

Charles has asked that we cc Tommy Wells on the emails. He is twells@dccouncil.us

 

If you have any questions about the shuttle please feel free to get in touch with me.

 

Thanks everyone!

Jen

Jen DeMayo

Communications Director

Atlas Performing Arts Center

1333 H Street NE

Washington, DC 20002

www.atlasarts.org

Where to Buy a Christmas Tree

A reader wrote in asking where to buy a Christmas Tree in DC. I've honestly not yet had occasion to purchase one in DC, but I've seen them at Eastern Market. If you don't mind a drive to the suburbs you can support Cox Farms. Cox Farms is a family run farm that has donated plants and materials to the Trinidad-Ivy City Garden Club. Here is a link to a company called North Star that will deliver a tree if you buy it from them. Prince of Petworth also has a post on the topic.

VOH: Humphries to Sell Martini Lounge

Voice of the Hill is reporting in its Twitter feed that Cliff Humphries plans to sell the H Street Martini Lounge. In the Tweet Humphries is quoted as saying H Street is "just not safe," and that he's witnessed four crimes this week. Wow. Wasn't Cliff on the agenda for an ANC 6A meeting last night? Is this from that meeting?

1940s Style Cabaret @the Atlas

hosted by ABC7/WJLA-TV & Newschannel 8 anchor

Cynne Simpson

featuring

Broadway performer

Julia Nixon

pianist

Richard E. Payne

dancers

Willie Mae and Levet Brown

Julia Stewart and Milton English

from the National Hand Dance Association

and a scene from

The Old Settler

Donors @ $100

Priority cafe table seating next to the stage

Special recognition in the program

Patrons @$50

Special recognition in the program

Tickets

Online: www.boxofficetickets.com

Phone: 202.529.5763

For more information, please contact jmwilliams@africancontinuumtheatre.com.

www.africancontinuumtheatre.com

GGWashington: Car Barn

Blog Greater Greater Washington has a post with some nice photos of the Car Barn that used to sit on the site of the Pentacle.

BYT: Tweed Ride DC

Brightest Young Things has more Tweed Ride photos.

A Message from Healthy Motions

Healthy Motions® Massage Therapy 2009 Fall and Winter Announcement:

Rejuvenate yourself by receiving quality, personally-tailored massage therapy treatments from one of our licensed professional massage therapists. Receiving regular massage therapy optimizes the body’s functions and naturally alleviates chronic muscular tension and pain. Healthy Motions® Massage Therapy studio, www.healthymotions.com, is located in the Lower Level of 702 K Street NE. We are family-owned and operated and have been serving the DC Metro area for over seven years.

New Client Discount:

Our $10 New Client Discount on your first treatment has been extended thru December 31, 2009. This discount cannot be combined with other specials or packages.

Online Appointment Booking:

We now have a ‘Schedule Now’ button on our website which allows you to check our availability and book your appointment online. It’s fast, convenient, and easy to do.

Holiday or Birthday gift certificates:

Purchase a Gift Certificate by December 31, 2009 and receive a free coupon for a Hot Stone or Thai Foot Reflexology Add-on with the gift certificate.

E-Newsletter:

Register to receive our e-Newsletter which always includes a photo contest for a chance to win a free massage.

Hooping aka HoopDance:

Granetta is now a certified HoopDance instructor. Check our Events Calendar for upcoming classes and free Hoop Jams, or call Granetta for more info. This is a fun, new way to exercise using adult size, weighted hoops. You can get a great cardio workout, tone your entire body and reduce stress.

Grub @Little Miss Whiskey's

H Street bar Little Miss Whiskey's now serves up a short menu Monday-Friday from 5-10pm. Check out Chef Stephan Boillan's eats at 1104 H Street.

Capital Spice: Dangerously Delicious

Capital Spice catches up with the guys from Dangerously Delicious Pies.

WP: Update on Rawlings Shooting

The Post has more info on the teen who shot George Rawlings. The City Paper also has the scoop.

WP: Photos of the Tweed Ride

The Post has photos from Saturday's Tweed Ride. Read the story here. You can find more photos on ReadySetDC.

The Loree Grand @Union Place

Cultural Development Corporation is bringing new live/work space for artists to Union Place (3rd and K Street). 30 Units at the Loree Grant will be available for artists/arts administrators, and arts educators. Prince of Petworth has the story.

Montello Deli

Circa March 2005

Arrive: H Street Corridor

Arrive Magazine covers the Corridor. The article starts on page 44.

WP: Arrest in Rawlings Murder

MPD has arrested a teen in connection with the recent murder of George Rawlings as he boarded an X2 bus on H Street.

WP: Murder of George Rawlings

The Post has further information on the fatal shooting of a man yesterday in the 1400 block of H Street. George Rawlings, 21, was shot yesterday around 11:40am as he boarded a Metrobus. He had attended the funeral of a friend who had been murdered on Halloween night. The police did not have Rawlings listed as a witness (and his attorney has said that, although Rawlings was being threatened, he did not witness the Halloween murder) to the killing on Halloween. I think we can expect pretty extensive coverage for a while mostly because George was the older brother of Deonte Rawlings (14), who was killed in a controversial shooting by an off duty police officer two years ago.

Shooting in 1400 Block of H Street

The older brother of Deonte Rawlings died after he was shot multiple times as he boarded the X2 bus around 11:40am. The Post reports. The shooting occurred at the bus stop near Rags 2 Riches.

ABRA Report on Gun Discharge Near XII

This is investigative report follows an incident to the side of XII during which an individual fired a gun into the air after a Gallaudet Homecoming celebration at the XII. The incident occurred at 3:30am, after XII had closed for the night. The reporting Officer indicated that the suspect NEVER entered XII. The suspect was identified by a witness as a male known as "Taylor" who resides in Baltimore.

Click on the images to make them bigger.

MPD Seeks Info on Carver-Langston Shooting

On Tuesday, November 10, 2009, at approximately 2405 hours, members of the Fifth District heard the sounds of gunshots in the area of the 1100 block of 21st Street, N.E., subsequently officer’s located two victims suffering from an apparent gunshot wounds. DCFD responded to the scene and transported the victims to area hospitals where one of them died as a result of his injuries. The Metropolitan Police Department is seeking information relative to this incident, please call 202-727-9099. Detective Stallings assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit is heading the investigation.

Tweed Ride Starts on H Street

There's tweed bike ride that begins behind the Bank of America November 15th. Unsurprisingly, there is a gin company listed as a sponsor. It should be a fun event (or a fun sight for onlookers). DCist also covers the event.

ANC 5B Meeting Notes

What follows are notes on last Thursday's ANC 5B meeting. These notes came from Geoff, who recently relocated to Trinidad from Bloomingdale. While there he ran the blog bloomingdale (for now). From time to time he might write the occasional post that will appear on Frozen Tropics. Anytime that happens I'll make it clear that he is the author. Thanks for the notes Geoff!

################################

Last night, I attended the ANC 5B monthly meeting at the Washington Center for Aging Services, located at 2601 18th Street NE. The big news was an announcement regarding a sewage line break at the Arboretum. I’ll go into that further down.

(This was the first 5B meeting I have attended, after years of 5C meetings while I lived in Bloomingdale. The meeting moved very quickly (perhaps due to the fact that there was very little on the agenda), but it just felt like it was run better than the 5C meetings are.)

Anyway, the meeting was scheduled to begin at 7:30. It was gaveled to order at 7:45, with a few seconds for silent meditation immediately following.

It was determined that there was a quorum, with the following members in attendance:

• 5B01—William C. Shelton
• 5B04—Rayseen Woodland
• 5B05—Rosetta B. Davis
• 5B07—David L. Hooper
• 5B08—Tina Laskaris
• 5B09—Jacqueline Manning
• 5B12—Maude Ababio

(5B03 commissioner Regina James arrived 25 minutes later, near the end of the meeting)

The following commissioners were absent:

• 5B02—Patricia Brown-Daniels
• 5B06—Wilhelmina P. Lawson
• 5B10—India Henderson
• 5B11—William Myers

Approximately 9 people were in attendance in the audience, as well as Gottlieb Simon, the executive director of the city’s ANC office.

The agenda was approved unanimously.

Chair Shelton announced that the next ANC meeting (on December 3rd) will be held at Love nightclub in Ivy City. It will be brief, with a community awards ceremony followed by a holiday get-together. All the community is invited.

There was a presentation by Dr. Jerome Paulson (the medical director of national and global affairs) and Tessa Chubbs-White (from the advocacy and community affairs department) of Children’s National Medical Center. The discussed the benefits that the hospital provides to the neighborhood, the city, and the country. There is a report outlining this available on the hospital’s website (www.childrensnational.org, click on ‘advocacy’). They would love to receive feedback (email to communitybenefit@cnmc.org).

The big news of the night came next: commissioners Manning and Shelton discussed a broken sewer line in the National Arboretum. It turns out that this line broke 6 months ago, but there was no public notice, and it was leaking raw sewage directly into a tributary of the Anacostia River. WASA repaired the break, but another break occurred recently. Again, there was no public notice of this sewer line break.

The ANC will be calling a special meeting, asking members of the EPA, Department of the Environment, and the Department of Health to attend. The ANC wants soil sampling to be done to determine if the E. coli commonly associated with untreated sewage has posed a threat to the people and animals living in the surrounding community, specifically those living in the Arboretum neighborhood. Chair Shelton noted that the ANC learned about this from the feds, and not any city agency, and he’d like to know why the city agencies don’t seem to be sharing information about what’s happening here in the city with the citizens.

There was a brief discussion about turning the block of Evarts between 18^th and 20^th Streets to one-way operation in front of Langdon Elementary School. The commission will likely put their full support behind a petition to have this done. Speed humps might also be requested.

There was no public safety report from the Fifth Police District, since there was no 5D representative at the meeting.

The chair gave the treasurer’s report, since the treasurer was not in attendance. There are issues with unnecessary service charges on the ANC’s bank account, which is currently at Wachovia bank. The commission moved to study other banks to move the account to, since Wachovia isn’t considered trustworthy anymore. PNC, TD, SunTrust, and Bank of America were all brought up as possible places to move the account to.

The 4^th quarter financial report was briefly discussed, and since there was no old or new business, the meeting was adjourned shortly before 8:30 pm.

Festival #5

In the background you can see the future home of Dangerously Delicious Pies, and the former domicile of an illicit funeral home.

Trivia @Sticky Rice

Sticky Rice is introducing a new trivia night this Sunday night. The game starts at 10:30, and from 12-2am they will be running some terrific drink specials. Stop by and check out the new night. 1224 H Street.

Family Concert @the Atlas

CAPITAL CITY SYMPHONY 2009-2010 Season

Washington, D.C. -- The Capital City Symphony is once again offering two performances of its popular Family Concert, Sunday November 22 at 2:30pm and 4:30pm. Each performance is preceded by an instrument petting zoo, with members of the orchestra displaying their instruments and even letting the children try them! The concert itself includes a special program book just for the younger set and lots of audience interaction.

This year's Family Concert is all about "What's in an Orchestra, Anyway?" Maestro Victoria Gau will take the audience on a musical tour of the orchestra, featuring works by Shostakovich, Copland, Britten, Bernstein, and more.

Tickets for Children 16 and under are FREE for all Capital City Symphony concerts!

This concert is recommended for children ages 3 and up (or able to sit through an hour-long program).

Capital City Symphony

Family Concert

Sunday, November 22 at 2:30pm and 4:30pm (instrument petting zoo at 2pm and 4pm for ticket-holders).

Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002

Tickets: $20/25 Adult; $16/20 Senior/Student; Free for age 16 and under (ticket required).

Tickets are available at capitalcitysymphony.tix.com or call the Atlas Box Office at 202-399-7993.

Festival #4

Sova Sessions

This Saturday DJ Chris Klang will be spinning deep house and disco in SOVA's wine bar while classically trained musician Matthew Hemerlein lays down live instrumental loops. No cover all night.

SOVA Wine and Espresso
1359 H Street

Creepy Double Feature @H Street Playhouse

Scena Theatre has a double feature of The Fall of the House of Usher and the Tell Tale Heart running through November 29th. Tickets are $25-32. Thursdays are young professional night, so $15 gets you a ticket and a beer, or glass of wine.
Thur. – Sat. @ 8pm; Sun @ 3pm

The Fall of the House of Usher, (1840) is "... a fantastical tale of the impossible that manifests the crumbling nature of Roderick Usher's inner decay ..." Don't miss Usher bemoan "... the cry of the wind, (and) ancient things groaning under the weight of age." Usher is both, "A death, (and) a resurrection". (Poe and Performance, Berkoff). Poe’s masterful story of insanity lures us into a surreal and occult dream world, blurring the boundaries between life and death, body and soul, and beauty and decay.

The Tell-Tale Heart (1834) is Poe’s masterfully composed tale of a murder, a dramatic monologue by a murderer creating the utmost suspense by re-counting and reliving the deed – at the same time psychological study of an abnormal consciousness.

Fixation @Industry Gallery 11/7

Daily Candy highlights the Ten Miles Square Fotoweek DC event at Industry Gallery. The Gallery won't officially open until next year, but this is your chance to sneak a peek at the space. Industry Gallery is located on the second floor of Conner Contemporary (1358 Florida Ave).

Join Ten Miles Square and the Pink Line Project at Industry Gallery with the work of nine local photographers for the second annual Fixation exhibit, part of the FotoweekDC festival.

These photographers each create a narrative with a short series of images, differentiating the stereotypical image of our Nation's Capital from the people actually living inside it. Their photographs inspect our city's individual subcultures and the people who thrive in them, whether it's the intense rock convulsions of serious air guitar competitors or the eager characters at the local Renaissance festival. Some create their own scenes by simply coming together as bystanders, while others transit separately in search of the same something. What these images all have in common is a fixation on subculture carved out inside the story of this city.

Featured photographers: Nicole Aguirre, Karon Flage, Angela Kleis, Drew McDermott, Amit Mehta, Pat Padua, Jay Westcott, Aziz Yazdani, and Joshua Yospyn.

Performances:
6-9 PM Music by Yoko K!
7:30 PM ayyoko confidential
9:00 PM Suspicious Package (recently mentioned in Spin magazine!)

Portrait photographs:
Have your portrait taken by Ten Miles Square photographer Tracy Clayton in front of a specially commissioned backdrop created by fab artist Cory Oberndorfer.

Celebrate DC's newest art center with:
--The opening of Koen Vanmechelen's Cosmopolitan Chicken Project (DC) at one of DC's top contemporary art galleries, Conner Contemporary.
--G Fine Art's new space on the same block.
--A first look at the home of the new Industry Gallery, a contemporary design exhibition space.

$10 suggested donation

Special Deal:
$2 tall-boy PBR drink special at the Rock & Roll Hotel if you wear our wrist band.

Huge thanks to our beer sponsor PBR and event sponsor Scion for making Fixation possible.

Industry Gallery is located on the second floor of Conner Contemporary, at 1358-60 Florida Avenue NE. When it opens in 2010, Industry will specialize in 21st century design, focusing on international artists who create functional art from industrial materials.

Stop by downstairs and check out the opening of Cosmopolitan Chicken at Conner Contemporary.

More on the Martini Lounge Incident

ANC 6A Commissioner Joe Fengler passed on this ABRA generated summary of the ABC hearing that followed a non-fatal stabbing at the H Street Martini Lounge:

On November 4, 2009, the ABC Board held a Fact Finding Hearing on Investigative Report No. 09-251-00278. This matter concerned the stabbing of two different patrons on the night of October 27, 2009 at Humphries Enterprises, LLC t/a H Street Martini Lounge located at 1236 H Street NE. The altercation resulted in an action by Chief of Police Cathy Lanier to close the establishment for 96 hours pursuant to her authority under DC Official Code Section 25-827.

ABRA Investigator Ileana Corrales, MPD Detective Sabrina White and MPD Officers Joseph Thomas and Charles Johnson testified as to the incident. Officer Johnson was present from the beginning as this area is a part of his regular beat. He witnessed two large groups on the second floor who became embroiled in a physical altercation that had escalated from a verbal fight. One group was comprised of DC Firefighters who were celebrating a birthday. The other group was comprised of several young male patrons. Officer Johnson was successful in calming the two groups down from the verbal altercation when one of the firefighters “flew over his back” and sparked the physical fight. Additional MPD assistance was called (upwards of 10 officers) who broke up the fight and dispersed the crowd. MPD inquired of the crowd if anyone was hurt and no one spoke up. It was only after learning that two patrons went to the hospital for lacerations did MPD realize that they needed to return to the establishment and treat it as a crime scene. There was also testimony that bar staff was cleaning up the blood before MPD could fully secure the second floor.

Detective White testified that she arrived on the scene after the fight. When attempting to interview and secure information from the owner, Mr. Humphries, she testified she was thwarted in her efforts to do so. Mr. Humphries was not cooperative in her opinion and was not forthcoming in providing any information. She also suspected that Mr. Humphries and another gentleman may have deleted the video footage from the hard drive on the laptop as she approached them.

Mr. Humphries testified that he was downstairs when the fight broke out and as he was beginning to ascend the stairs, people were leaving. He voluntarily agreed to close the bar for the evening upon the request of MPD. He stated that he has complied with the Board’s requirements that resulted from a May 2009 Fact Finding hearing (an altercation between a patron and security personnel) by filing a Security Plan and upgrading his camera system, however these measures were not taken until after the deadline set by the Board. Mr. Humphries does have six operational cameras in the establishment which properly recorded footage up through October 17, 2009 but he did not realize that a certain switch had to be triggered for the 30 day override and that’s why the incident on October 27, 2009 was not recorded. He also stated that he fully cooperated with ABRA and MPD and is willing to undertake any additional requirements imposed by the Board.

Seven area neighborhood and community leaders spoke in support of Mr. Humphries and asked the Board not to impose a suspension.

The Board voted 6-0 to send the matter to the Office of the Attorney General to Show Cause the enforcement of any alleged violations, chiefly due to the allegations that Mr. Humphries interfered with an ABRA or MPD investigation and he failed to comply with the Security Agreement.

Festival #3

NY Ave Corridor Meeting

WHAT: The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) invites you to a public
meeting on upcoming New York Avenue, NE Corridor projects from North Capitol
Street to Bladensburg Road, NE.

WHY: Learn more about the five projects and provide input on how to keep traffic
moving during construction.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 18 6:30-8:30 P.M.

WHERE: McKinley Technology High School Auditorium 151 T Street, NE

RSVP to Mary Ellen Akins makins[at]stratacomm.net with Public Meeting in the subject line or 202-589-2750

Street Tree Drama

The LA Times had a piece on street tree planting in NYC that reminded me of conversations I've recently had with friends about tree in Trinidad. Trinidad has lots of female ginkos. Sometimes they drop very smelly fruit on the ground. This is a huge problem that gets worse when people step on the fruit. The City tried injecting the trees with something to stop them from producing the fruit, but it didn't entirely work. For this reason (and possibly others) some people called to try to have some trees cut down. For reasons, that may, or may not have been related (I don't know) several trees were cut down, and have yet to be replaced.

Festival 2009 #2

The winner of the worst female tattoo award poses with her trophy during the H Street Festival. As part of her prize Paul Roe of British Ink (508 H Street) will fix her tattoo.

Good: Rebranding the 'Hood

Good Magazine looks at the anatomy of rebranding a neighborhood.

SCI AM: Porous Pavement

Scientific American has a interesting short on EPA testing of different types of porous pavement. They are trying to find the type best at filtering out impurities before they run off into the soil, or a nearby body of water.

Cone Tree

An archive photo of the 800 block of 12th Street.

Much Ado About Nothing Off H

Express reports on the Folger Theatre's production of Shakespeare's play. Much of the action takes place just off H Street. WAMU (scroll down) identifies one location as the alley behind Horace and Dickie's. I haven't been able to listen to the piece yet, so I don't know if the WAMU reporter mistakenly thinks that alley is in Trinidad, or if part of the play really is set in Trinidad. I suspect the latter because I think the Director picked Trinidad so its name could fit with his Caribbean theme.

THIH: 14th Street, Shell & Squatters

The future site of Angelico's reportedly houses squatters

The Hill Is Home talks to Tommy Wells and covers the issues at 14th between Maryland and H.

Cosmopolitan Chicken @Conner

Koen Vanmechelen - Cosmopolitan Chicken Project (DC) Mechelse Giant - lambda print - 47 x 47 inches.

KOEN VANMECHELEN: Cosmopolitan Chicken Project (DC)

November 7 - December 31, 2009

Conner Contemporary Art is pleased to announce Koen Vanmechelen's Cosmopolitan Chicken Project (DC) .This is the first solo exhibition in a U.S. gallery by the celebrated Belgian conceptual artist, who is currently exhibiting in two official 53rd Venice Biennale collateral exhibitions and in the 3rd Moscow Biennial.

Featuring live chickens, the exhibition also includes taxidermy sculpture, video, and photography, as well as drawings and paintings in tempera made from eggs laid by chickens bred by the artist. In his ongoing global enterprise, The Cosmopolitan Chicken Project, Vanmechelen is systematically crossing all breeds of chickens to create a world-mongrel chicken. His premise is that each country/region selectively cultivated a breed of chicken expressing its cultural identity. The artist seeks to reinvigorate the species with genetic integrity which centuries of domestication and inbreeding have diminished. His initiative poses ethical questions regarding genetic engineering, globalization, and individuality, while advocating the role of artists in promoting communication and interaction across many types of boundaries, between geographical areas, races, cultures, ideologies, and professional disciplines, such as art and science.

Rebirth is the theme of Vanmechelen's D.C. exhibition, as he explains, "The whole world is trying to be reborn." The artist describes this show as "a call to America to adopt a lost generation" of chickens, which he cross-bred while the birds were "in exile" from the U.S. Seven years ago, he had planned to cross, on U.S. soil, a Mechelse Redcap rooster (descended from his crossing of the male progeny of a Belgian Mechelse Koekoek rooster and a French Poulet de Bresse hen with an English Redcap hen) with an American Jersey Giant hen. In the wake of the Sept. 11th attacks, he was unable to import live birds into the U.S., so, in 2002, he bred the Mechelse Giants in Belgium. Since then, Vanmechelen has achieved crossings with several additional breeds in various countries, moving his project into its 13th generation. Yet, he considers the separation of the 4th generation of Mechelse Giants from the U.S. to represent a profound rupture, which this exhibition will symbolically reconcile. Vanmechelen feels now to be "the right moment to move forward by integrating the American audience, with its own diversity and a newly-elected president," into his cross-cultural experiment

There will be an opening night reception, Saturday, November 7th 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.

Bier Garten Haus Update

I received an update from an owner of the new German beer garden coming to 1355-1357 H Street. It sounds like things are moving along well.

We will have the following going on at Biergarten Haus:

Polka

Not be over-priced

Different size beers (Normal, Large, & Manly) In Glass not plastic

Custom Made Bar stools, Benches, & Tables made out of Oak that is being imported from over seas

Amazing brunch service on both Saturday and Sunday

Inside & outside televisions and projectors for sporting events

A huge promotion for the World Cup South Africa 2010

Small Sandwich shop selling Brats & other Sandwiches late into the night

A beautiful 2,000 square foot Beer Garden to sit outside and enjoy good friends

Many more details will be coming soon.

We are very excited about becoming part of the H street Family. If anyone needs more information on anything please call me at 301-775-4710

We strive to be a people's place, No attitudes just fun

Chris Chambers

How to Reach Me

I've seen a few people ask how to reach me. Using the "about me" link in the sidebar will get you there. Otherwise you can email inked78[at]hotmail.com. I suggest using "frozen Tropics" as the topic.

Updated Hangouts and Haunts

I'm sure I missed something, but here is updated and expanded update Hangouts and Haunts post. You can always find this one on the sidebar. It gets updated from time to time.

Sugar, Something Else to Try

I haven't yet been, but I've recently been hearing interesting things about a newish soul food restaurant just north of the Ivy City line. Sugar (1803 West Virginia Ave), only boasts limited seating. But, I'm told the flavors they turn out are anything but small. I look forward to a taste test soon, but for now I'll leave you with the Yelp reviews. You can also view the menu online. Sugar describes its cuisine as upscale soul food, but a glance at the prices reveals that most entrees are under ten dollars. the menu also includes a smattering of Caribbean food, and a promise that speciality shakes are "coming soon." Check them out for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Despite what the Yelp review says, 1803 West Virginia is definitely NOT in Brookland.  

Souk, A Tasty New Option on H Street

They are still working out some kinks, so expect to wait a while if you go during a busy Friday or Saturday night. The food is worth it. Souk is a tiny spot, with an open kitchen, and a cute look overall. I ordered take out with a couple of friends. I had the stuffed grape leaves and the beef kabob. One friend had the chicken shawarma, which he adored. I'm going to order that next time. My kabob was very tasty, but the highlight was the stuffed grape leaves. I was jealous because my friend got 5, instead of the 4 I received (the menu doesn't say how many you get for $5). Either way it was a good deal. Between the app and the entree I had more than enough food for two filling meals. They were also clearly paying attention to the look of the food on diners' plates. Dishes were well presented, and attractive.  Souk's biggest problem is its size. It's really small, and that little kitchen is going to be constantly tested because there is a HUGE market over here for well priced food of this type and quality.  I expect that Souk will follow in the footsteps of Taylor and be extremely successful. Maybe they'll knock in the wall and take over next door (I doubt they'd have trouble filling the tables).

Halloween on H Street

Photo by Lenny

We started out by picking up some very tasty food from Souk, and then I walked down the street  while my friends waited for their food. It was still early (before 9), but the rain seemed to be keeping people away. I did see a couple of pint size trick or treaters on H Street receive candy from costumed Palace of Wonders owner Priscilla. After that we hit up a house party in Trinidad, and then the Argonaut for the end of the night. 

Any one else spend part, or all of Halloween on H Street?

Historic Buildings of H, a Talk

Historic buildings of H Street: An illustrated talk

Nov 10th

6:30pm - 8pm

Free

Atlas Performing Arts Center

1333 H Street NE

202-393-1199

Learn about H Street Architecture from architectural historians EHT Traceries, who will present the results of the H street Historic Building Survey

http://www.traceries.com/

I hope I can make it, but can someone provide a summary?

Thriller on H

Apparently there should be some top notch video floating around of the mass Thriller re-enactment on Friday (I'm told they had cameras on top of the Pug). For now we have quick and dirty job from a bystander. But you get the idea (and I had heard about the guy with the glowing eyes).