Mixing It Up at Red Palace

Cocktail, a photo by Dana Beveridge on Flickr.

Red Palace (1212 H Street) seems to be on even more of a cocktail kick than normal recently. They've got this series of history of the cocktail classes happening. This Sunday is Tall Tales: the History of the Martini. Tickets are $25, and that includes three cocktails (not bad at all). The fun starts at 8pm.

Tuesday brings the intriguing Bring Your Own Ingredient Night, which the website describes thus:
Have you ever come across a piece of fruit or spice and thought to yourself “I’d love to have a drink with this”? Bring Your Own Ingredients night gives you the opportunity to bring in any flavor you like (the weirder the better) and have a cocktail crafted with that ingredient by one of DC’s top Mixologists who has been featured nationally for his often over-the-top drink menus.

No price is listed, so I'm assuming it's dependent on the spirits the bar contributes to your drink.

Early Morning Shooting in Rosedale

I don't have a lot of info on this one, but here's the police alert:

Shooting/0243 hours/700 B/O 16th St., NE/No Lookout at this time DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20110392286


Sent on: 07/30 03:20

No word yet on the condition of the victim.

HSGS: ANC Redistricting, Is It Time to Reunite H St.?

H Street Great Street looks at the recent efforts of the Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force, and ponders the possible advantages of uniting eastern and western H Street in one ANC. Currently, the H Street Corridor is split between ANC 6A, and ANC 6C. Here are the current boundaries. 

Curbed: The Flats at Atlas District Go Up

Rendering courtesy of Clark Realty Capital

Curbed provides an update on construction at the Flats at Atlas District, which really are coming along quite nicely. The project is going on the old Sears site (behind Hechinger Mall).

ReadysetDC: The Music at Whiskey's Rocks

A nice little write-up of the dj scene at Little Miss Whiskey's.

KPR Moms & Dads Happy Hour

KPR Moms (and Dads) Happy Hour Time

When: Thursday, July 28 · 5:30-8:30pm
Where: Argonaut 1430 Maryland Ave

More Info: Parents in Kingman Park and Rosedale come out to socialize with your fellow neighbors! Spread the word! Check out the group on Facebook.

For more information,

Please contact Nicole Coomber or Jalila Smith at kprmoms[at]gmail.com

Sneaker Con Returns to the Atlas

Sneaker Con, a major sneakerhead event returns to the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H Street) August 6-7th. Admission is $12, and you can buy, sell, or trade, sought after sneakers.

Restaurant Review Round-Up

H Street spots get so much attention these days I sometimes can't keep up. Here are a few recent local restaurant and bar reviews I haven't posted yet.

Argonaut:
I think Argo has the brunch thing down pretty well at this point, but they don't quite agree over at District Cuisine. While they thought the drinks offered good value ($9 for bottomless mimosas), the eggs benedict didn't hit the right note. Let's hope a follow-up visit makes it right.

Read more »

H Street, the Saga Continues

It's not just print media that's talking a lot about H Street. Poking around on Youtube kicks up tons of hits. After the jump you'll find a few you might want to check out (there's even a real estate video so you can see what recent buyers in the area might be hearing).
Read more »

Video of Tru Orleans Grand Opening

Did you miss the opening of Tru Orleans and wonder what it looked like? Check out these videos (the first one is just a shorter version).

D*mnGoodTimes Reviews Toki

ramen!, a photo by telepathicparanoia on Flickr.

D*amnGoodTimes heaps yet more praise Toki Underground (2nd floor 1234 H Street). Oh, and they interviewed Erik too!

TBD: Mega H Street Link Round-Up

Is the media obsessed with H Street? Judging from TBD's list of links to print media stories on the Corridor one has wonder. They only went back to 2006, but I think they made their point. In honor of the look at history I've included the very first photo of H Street from my Flickr stream (it's from February of 2005).

Doggie Happy Hour at Khan's

Dog chillin' with red sunglasses, a photo by rollanb on Flickr.

Metro Mutts and Khan's (1125 H Street) have teamed up for a new patio doggie happy hour. It's every Tuesday from 4-8pm. H/T @HStreetDC.

I Street

Car Crashes Into Sullivan's

Twitter user @hillrat reports that a car jumped the curb on Bladensburg Road and crashed into the corner of Sullivan's Southern Style Seafood and the adjacent wall. No word on the extent of the damage, but here's hoping it's minimal.

The phones are reportedly down across the street at the Capital City Diner, but they report that they are open.

+++++++++UPDATE+++++++++

The damage was very minor (some chipped bricks, but that's about it). Thank goodness for the retaining wall.

Street Talk Wednesday

STREET TALK SPECIAL SESSION:
H STREET NE RETAIL PRIORITY INCENTIVE ACT Q and A
Wednesday, July 27 11:30am-1pm
SOVA Espresso and Wine | 1359 H Street

Early this fall, the District will roll out a new incentive program for recruiting and expanding retail on the H Street, NE corridor. This incentive program is funded annually for five years, with the first year's funding level at $1.25 million. As these monies become available, it will be important for any prospective business owners looking to apply for the funds to be prepared to move quickly. To assist in this effort, CHAMPS will be holding a special Street Talk session this Wednesday, July 27 from 11:30am to 1pm at SOVA - 1359 H Street, NE. We will be joined by Charles Allen, Chief of Staff for Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells. Mr. Allen will provide a general overview of how we see the program working, and will also provide information to prospective applicants on the things he/she can be doing to prepare for the application period (e.g., being prepared to show proof of lease or ownership of building, etc). Mr. Allen will also field any questions from participants. For more information, contact Julia Christian, CHAMPS Executive Director at champs@capitolhill.org.

Examiner.com: Can You Revive What's Lost?

Ah fact checking, that forgotten art. At least it seems to have been forgotten by the author of Can One Revive What is Gone? H Street Culture that appears on the website Examiner.com (not associated with The Examiner). I won't really dive into this one because it reads more like a Ward 5 listerv email that was written at 3am and fired off without a decent proofread. But a few points I can't resist:

-It's the Atlas Performing Arts Center, not Atlas Arts and Cultural Center.

-$8 beers do not dominate the bars and restaurants on H Street.

-It's the Rock and Roll Hotel, NOT the Hard Rock Cafe.

-It's HR-57, not HR52 (and if this "HR52" is "at the far end of 'H" Street," what hotels and museums is the author discussing? Because I thought she was including NW for a sec there).

-It was the Ohio Restaurant not the Ohio Bar and Grill.

WP: H Street, A Work In Progress

The Post ran this story on the growth on H Street over the weekend. The story focuses on the fact that much of the development thus far has been restaurants and bars, rather than retail. That's not exactly an unusual development pattern (nightlife thrives first, and retail follows). The story is pretty good, but a little more context might help. At times the piece just reads like a list, and this isn't helped by the proliferation of single sentence paragraphs. I'm also not sure I'd called Little Miss Whiskey's "a part-Western-part-voodoo-themed bar." But that's a minor point. The story also comes with video and a slideshow which are worth checking out. I also suggest you read this response from Richard Layman over at Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space. Richard's also got a link in there for his rules of restaurant driven revitalization. It's a good read if you haven't seen it before.

Coming Soon to HR-57, Crepes

@HStreetDC reports that progress on setting up a crepe station at local live jazz spot HR-57 (816 H Street).

Pick Up a Rupert Murdoch at Dangerously Delicious

No word on the ingredients, but Dangerously Delicious Pies (now with retooled website) debuts its Rupert Murdoch Cream Pie today. Stop by and try it out this weekend. 1339 H Street.

Investigating Where We Live: H Street

Coming soon to the National Building Museum is a long-term exhibit in which teens use digital cameras to explore DC neighborhoods. H Street is one of this years communities for Investigating Where We Live. Trinidad was a past choice. The exhibit runs from July 30th-May 28th, 2012.

Inspire BBQ Expands Hours

KC BBQ. 228/365., a photo by PV KS on Flickr.

Inspire BBQ (650 H Street) is now open until 11pm. Ideal for those late night cravings.

District Cuisine Digs Tru Orleans

Photo by philliefan99

District Cuisine reviews the newly opened Tru Orleans (400 H street). BTW, Tru Orleans has a spiffy new website up.

Dance Festival DC at the Atlas

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities’ annual dance festival will celebrate the many styles of hip-hop and its influences on other cultures around the world with live performances, workshops and films. The events are FREE and open to the public.
Read more »

Afro Bop Alliance at Gallery OonH Postponed

POSTPONED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. New date TBA.

POSTPONED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. New date TBA.

Stop by Gallery OonH (1354 H Street) Saturday from 7:30-9:30 and $5 gets you in for live Cuban Jazz from Afro Bop Alliance. Enjoy the musical stylings of the Latin Grammy Award winners in a laid back setting. The Music in the Courtyard concert series continues every 2nd and 4th Saturday through September 16th.

CP: Endpoint Change for Streetcar

The City Paper reports that Streetcar won't run directly through a tunnel into Union Station. Instead, the trolley would drop passengers off inside the Union Station parking garage (where the Circulator picks up). Basically, Amtrak didn't want to give up the tunnel (Amtrak cited Vincent Gray's aborted attempt to defund the streetcar as evidence that the current mayor is not committed to the streetcar). Running over the bridge will be more expensive and time-consuming to initially set up. Not great news, but not the end of the world either.

Beat the Heat on H Street

PBR, a photo by wharman on Flickr.

It's WAY TOO HOT outside right now (we're supposed to hit 100 degrees today)! One excellent way to cool off is to take advantage of the PBR special running at eight H Street bars and restaurants. Anytime the mercury passes 95 degrees you can snag a PBR tallboy (and other beers) for only $2. Here's the list of who's in:

Little Miss Whiskey's (1104 H Street)
Queen Vic (1206 H Street)
Red Palace (1212 H Street)
The Pug (1234 H Street)
H Street Country Club (1335 H Street)
Rock and Roll Hotel (1353 H Street)
Argonaut (1433 H Street)
Jimmy Valentine's (1103 Bladensburg Road)

PSA 504 Goes to Pieces

PSA 504 is literally going to pieces. An attendee at an ANC5B09 meeting last night reports that the Trinidad, Ivy City, and Carver Terrace will no longer all share the same PSA. Carver Terrace is splitting away. PSA 504 was pretty large before, so this is likely a good thing. I also suspect that it might improve PSA meeting attendance on the Trinidad side, as the meeting will no longer be dominated by a certain former ANC rep who lives in Carver Terrace.

Casey of Taylor at The Toss Up Tonight

Take a field trip over to 2221 I Street NW (Sweetgreen) to watch Casey Patten of Taylor Gourmet duke it out with two competitors (one of whom is Spike Mendelsohn). The featured ingredient is golden cherry tomatoes. Catch the fun 6-8pm.

WP: Director of Culinary Strategy for Florida Market

The Post has exciting news that Chef Richard Brandenburg, who was recently the head chef at Cafe Atlantico, has been hired by Edens and Avant to serve as their Director of Culinary Strategy for the Capital City Market (AKA the Florida Market). From the article:

Much of the chef’s focus will be on rethinking Capital City Market in Washington. Brandenburg hopes to stock the wholesale-retail center with multiple restaurants, a culinary school, even a USDA hub


Wow, no small plans.

Report of Massive Illegal Kerosene Dump on Florida Ave

A reliable source reports that DC Water, Fire, and MPD are parked in front of an auto body shop in the 1100 block of Florida Ave. The source reports that an individual has been caught, and possibly, arrested for dumping kerosene (like, an entire tank in a truck [NOT a tanker truck] full of kerosene). More details as they become available.

++++++UPDATE++++++

I'm hearing that the culprits may have ties to Morse St. (possibly residents of that street), but do not appear to have any ties to the nearby auto body shop (that's just where the trucks were parked).

++++++++UPDATE+++++++++

It's actually a large old oil tank in a pick-up truck. No idea on the origins. I did get confirmation on the arrest.

THIH: Queen Vic Review

The Hill is Home has a very detailed review of the Queen Vic. I recently tried the veggie curry (ingredients vary by day) and found the food ample, and quite tasty. I later met someone who had tried it at brunch and felt the opposite. I'm curious about other people's opinions on the veggie curry.

Ethnic Food Project: Toki Underground

The Ethnic Food Project (which seeks to identify all the different sorts of ethnic food represented in the eateries of Washington, DC) checks out Toki Underground.

GOG: Playboy--> Jimmy V's is Great Late Night

The Going Out Gurus point out that Playboy Magazine included Jimmy Valentine's Local Hearts Club on PB's list of America's greatest late-night bars. Jimmy's was the only DC spot to make the list.

CP: Dinner at Granville's a Top Pick

Westvleteren 2, a photo by craigemorsels on Flickr.

The City Paper taps Granville's Tour of Belgium Dinner (there may be a few tickets left) as its top pick for the week. The event is part of Belgian Restaurant Week DC. The dinner is tomorrow, and it's one serious event. $75 a person gets you eight courses, each paired with a different Belgian beer.

Ward Six Redistricting Blog

Curious about the redistricting process for Ward 6? Have ideas and opinions to share? Now you can learn more and easily share your input on a new blog.

Reader Question, Bike Repair

A reader writes in asking if anyone in the neighborhood does minor bike repairs (specifically a brake adjustment). Do you know of anyone who performs such services any closer than Capitol Hill Bikes?

Tru Orleans Opening

Tru Orleans by Philliefan99

Did anyone else make it to Tru Orleans this weekend?

Free Zoning Classes

The Office of Zoning is running a very cool free series of classes intended to help Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners, and anyone else with an interest in zoning, learn about how the process works in the District. Zoning 101 kicks off the classes on Wednesday.
Read more »

NYT: DC's Changes Reflected in H Street

The New York Times has a piece looking at H Street as a reflection of racial and socio-economic changes in the District.

Restaurant Week at Watershed & Smith Commons

Two local spots have signed up to participate in this round of Restaurant Week. It's a great chance to try out new places without breaking the bank. During restaurant week you can enjoy a fixed price lunch for $20.11, or dinner for $35.11. In our neck of the woods Todd Gray's Watershed and Smith Commons are on the list (Smith Commons only for dinner). Capital Spice has a nice post on the topic and a handy map of participants. Restaurant Week runs August 15th-21st. Don't forget that Granville's is participating in Belgian Restaurant Week July 15-21.

OTR Agrees to Wells' Request to Aid Small Biz on H

OTR has agreed to Councilmember Tommy Wells' pleas to postpone the tax sale of numerous properties on H Street that are home to small businesses. This will provide time for the property owners to resolve tax issues, and for small businesses to obtain aid from the $723,000 Streetscape relief fund. Press releases from CHAMPS and Tommy Wells after the jump.
Read more »

Express: Khan's Causes a Stir on H

Express highlights Khan's Mongolian bar-b-q (1125 H Street).

HSGS: Patio Construction at Liberty Tree

H Street Great Street has an update on patio construction at Liberty Tree (1016 H Street).

Bastille Day at the Atlas

There are still a handful of tickets for tonight's Bastille Day celebration (6:30-11pm).

Let French guitar virtuoso Stephane Wrembel transport you to the cafes of Paris and hillsides of Provence. Wrembel and his quartet will perform an evening of classic French Jazz and original music including his most recent work "Bistro Fada", which is the theme of "Midnight in Paris", Woody Allen's newest critically acclaimed film.

Patrons can present their concert ticket and receive two free wine tastings at the theater's Bastille Day celebration, which begins at 6:30pm. Concert follows at 8:00. The Atlas is located at 1333 H Street.

Congressional Chorus Now Auditioning

AUDITIONS NOW OPEN
FOR THE 2011-2012 SEASON
25th Anniversary Season

We are a diverse group of individuals, of all ages, committed to performing choral music of the highest artistic quality in an environment that is creative, supportive and FUN! Please forward this information to anyone who might be interested in joining us.
Read more »

Belgian Restaurant Week July 15th-21st

Dr. Granville's (1238 H Street) is one of ten restaurants participating in Belgian Restaurant Week. Though you'll certainly want to check out the full list of events, I'm sure you won't want to miss the special beer dinner at Granville's on the 20th. Also be aware that they have a week long special running.

Special for Belgian Independence Week:
$20 Any Moules, Small Frites, Cheesecake

Beer Dinner July 20th

A Tour of Belgium : Matt LeBarron, Beverage Director from Granville Moore's spent twelve days touring Belgium, its breweries, and experiencing the culture.

The dinner will feature the ales of his travels along with stories, history and food pairings from Executive Chef Teddy Folkman.

600 Block of H

Toki Underground on the Cooking Channel

The Cooking Channel's Unique Eats will visit Toki Underground (2nd floor 1234 H Street) Sunday July 17th 5-8pm. First come, first serve. 10% off for everyone all night. Congratulations Erik and crew!

More Menus From Tru Orleans

Apparently that menu I linked to on Thrillist the other day was not complete. It was only the dinner menu. Tru Orleans has now posted its breakfast and lunch menus as well.  Po-boy fans will be happy to see several varieties of the sandwiches listed on the lunch menu. Tru Orleans opens Friday at 400 H Street.

Washingtonian Best Bites: Toki Underground

Washingtonian writes up Toki Underground (2nd floor 1234 H Street).

CP: Is H Street In the Running For a Ben's Chili Bowl?

Ben's Chili Bowl, a photo by TheGirlsNY on Flickr.

City Paper's Housing Complex reports that H Street is one of the locations in the running for a Ben's Chili Bowl franchise. No leases have been signed yet, but the owners have been looking.

WP: More on 6/19 Scarborough Murder

The Post has further info on last month's murder of 61 year old Glen Scarborough by three young men from rural Virginia. The Washington Times has a piece in which one of the suspects identifies himself as a "cage fighter." Also reporting is the Star Exponent (Culpepper, VA) with Culpepper Man Charged With First-Degree Murder in D.C.

Coming Soon: Langston Grille on Wheels

Photo courtesy of Langston Bar and Grille

Langston Bar and Grille (1831 Benning Road, LINK PLAYS MUSIC) has announced plans to roll out its very own food truck. The truck will be known as Langston Grille on Wheels: A Soul Food Express.

CP: Tru Orleans to Serve Up Gator Bites

C'mon in, a photo by amerune on Flickr.

Young and Hungry happily reports that Tru Orleans will serve up the fried reptile as an appetizer ($12).

WTD: 60% Off Star & Shamrock

What's The Deal? offers two great vouchers you can purchase to get 60% off food and drink at Star and Shamrock (1341 H Street).

Trinidad-Ivy City Festival & Clean-Up July 16th

Join your neighbors for the Trinidad-Ivy City Festival from 1-5pm at the Trinidad Rec (1310 Childress NE). Free food, free music, information about affordable housing in the neighborhood, and information about workforce training opportunities.

Interested in helping clean up the neighborhood? Join others at Bladensburg and Levis at 10am. From 10am-1pm a group of local residents will pick up trash, and paint the facade of a local building. Refreshments available. The first 25 volunteers will get a free t-shirt.

Tru Orleans Grand Opening July 15-17th

It's official folks. Stop by Tru Orleans (400 H Street) and check it out. The first 50 tables (total bill must equal $50, or more) get a free gift bag. They'll also have giveaways, and caricature artists.

Sidamo's Coffee Ceremony Caught on Tape

Perhaps you've heard of Sidamo's (417 H Street) weekly coffee ceremony, but haven't yet attended? YouTube user moravskyvrabec has you covered with this short video.

District Curmudgeon: Busted!

The District Curmudgeon focuses on a Trinidad demolition by negelct case that appears to have transformed into an illegal formal demolition case over the weekend. From the photos posted it looks like the owners will also face heavy fines for damaging the street and alley, in addition to tearing down their house without a permit.

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

UPDATE

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

OK, it now looks like (despite DCRA early saying there was no razing permit for that location) that DCRA hired a contractor to raze the house. The bank that owns the house will pay the $30k costs of demolition. The contractor will repair any damage to public space. District Curmudgeon has the full update.

WCP: Getting Sauced at Granville's

P1050721, a photo by jsmjr on Flickr.

The Washington City Paper sings the praises of Granville Moore's (1238 H Street) bacon chive mayo dipping sauce. I'll have to try it next time I get a moules frites craving.

ZestFest Returns to NoMa This Fall

ZestFest is back, bringing life and activity to NoMa’s streets and plazas with art, music and community gatherings. The event will take place throughout the NoMa neighborhood from September 27 to October 7.
Read more »

Thrillist Previews Tru Orleans

I linked to the menu last week, but here's the actual preview. Look for an opening in short order.

Examiner: Revitalization Costs Businesses

Today's Examiner had a kind of weird article on H Street. The title is H Street Revitalization Costs Businesses. The article skims the surface of issues facing local business (construction woes, changing local socio-economic changes in the nearby population), but doesn't give a lot of context.

Help Clean Up Our Neighborhood

HWDC: Details on 6/19 Scarsborough Murder

Homicide Watch D.C. has details on the murder of Glen Scarsborough. The story doesn't make a lot of sense, but it sounds like one of the suspects (21 year old Theodore Spencer) believed Scarsborough had infected his terminally ill mother with an STD that had worsened her cancer. Scarsborough appears to have been mother's boyfriend, and Spencer blamed Scarsborough even though the conversation he overheard (between doctors) indicated that his mother contracted the STD during a sexual assault. Spencer, then drove to Trinidad with two friends. Spencer donned a mask, and they all wore surgical gloves. They forced their way in and then bound, beat, gagged, stabbed, and strangled their 61 year old victim. Read more on Homicide Watch D.C.

New Mixed Use Development at 14th & Maryland

@CapitolHillDC reports that a new mixed used development is headed for 14th and Maryland. This is the lot currently occupied by the now vacant Faith Bible Church. Expect settlement in October with final delivery in 2013. PGN Architects will handle the project. Now if we could only do something nice with the Shell No! lot across the street.

Thrillist: Tru Orleans Menu

Thrillist snagged a copy of the menu for the soon to open Tru Orleans (400 H Street).

HWDC: 3 Arrested in Scarborough Murder

Homicide Watch D.C. notes that MPD has arrested three men in the June 19th murder of 61 year old Glen Scarborough. Mr. Scarborough was found in the basement of his home (which was subdivided into at multiple separate units) by MPD when they responded to a call reporting an unconscious male. This was in the 1300 block of Levis. Scarborough reportedly had duct tape on his head, and was stabbed. No information has been released yet regarding motive, or confirming that the stabbing was the cause of death. The suspects are charged with first degree murder while armed. Here are the three suspects:

19-year-old Phillip Charles Swan of Orange, Virginia;

21-year-old Theodore Spencer of Unionville, Virginia;

19-year-old Terrell Antwuan Wilson of Culpepper, Virginia.

More: WTOP, WJLA, Washington Post. UPDATE AFTER THE JUMP

Read more »

Free Grass Cutting Available For Seniors

LEGO Indiana Jones in Grass, a photo by Rob Young on Flickr.

The Department of Youth Services, in partnership with the Office on Aging, is offering free lawn cutting for seniors beginning July 8, 2011. All youth will be supervised. Priority will be given to seniors who are physically challenged or living alone.

To sign up a senior for the lawn cutting service, contact Courtney Williams at the Office of Aging at 202.727.8370 or courtney.williams[at]dc.gov.

Weekend East City Event Round Up

Weekend East City Event Round Up: Rising Stars Edition

Friday July 8

Off Rhode Studio Gallery (5pm to 7pm)

The folks at Art Enables have opened up a new gallery space on Rhode Island Avenue NE. Their inaugural exhibition will show work from artists living along the Rhode Island Avenue communities in NE Washington and just over Eastern Avenue in Maryland. For more info including a list of artists, click here.

Off Rhode Studio Gallery

2204 Rhode Island Avenue, NE

Read more »

DCmud: No Mo' For East NoMa This Year?

DCmud gives us a quick update on development in NoMa and Near Northeast, and ponders the future of a site at 3rd and M.

National Fried Chicken Day at the Capital City Diner

I had no idea it was National Fried Chicken Day, but the folks at Capital City Diner (1050 Bladensburg Road) have you covered. Stop by and try their chicken and waffles.

H Street Bakes at the Pug Saturday

Stop by the Pug (1234 H Street) this Saturday from 11am-3pm and check out H Street Bakes. H Street Bakes is a recurring pop-up bakery at which local bakers sell their wares. It's part fun baked goods market, and part market research. The bakers involve hope to open a co-op bakery on H Street, but selling their goods now helps them learn more about their target market. Led by Granville's Executive Pastry Chef Kim Moffatt, this is the third monthly H Street Bakes. Don't miss out.

Oasis Island Band Saturday at Gallery OonH

The Oasis Island Band plays an assortment of steel drum, reggae, calypso, and African sounds, at Gallery OonH (1354 H Street) part of the free summer music series Music In The Courtyard. Catch the show from 7:30-9:30pm.

Celebrate Bastille Day at the Atlas

This Bastille Day (July 14 6:30-11pm), let French guitar virtuoso Stephane Wrembel transport you to the cafes of Paris and hillsides of Provence. Wrembel and his quartet will perform an evening of classic French Jazz and original music including his most recent work "Bistro Fada", which is the theme of "Midnight in Paris", Woody Allen's newest critically acclaimed film.

Patrons can present their concert ticket and receive two free wine tastings at the theater's Bastille Day celebration, which begins at 6:30pm. Concert follows at 8:00. The Atlas is located at 1333 H Street.

This Week in Movies

We are lucky enough to have lot's of free movies playing locally all summer long. This week kicks off tonight with NoMa's Summer Screen showing Ghostbusters II. This is an outdoor movie showing on L Street between 2nd and 3rd.  The movie starts at 9pm, but the fun starts at 7pm with food and music.

All films at the Atlas are also free, but they do require a $2 booking fee.
Tomorrow you can catch My Beautiful Laundrette at the Atlas (1333 H Street) at 8pm. Friday follows with Dreamgirls at 8pm. Catch E.T. on Saturday at 5pm, and 4 Little Girls on Sunday at 4pm.

DCypher Celebrates Its 5th Anniversary at the Atlas

DCypher Dance Celebrates Its Five Year Anniversary at the Atlas Performing Arts Center

Joy of Motion Dance Center’s resident adult hip hop company DCypher Dance celebrates its five year anniversary at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, DC on Saturday, July 9, 2011 at 8 p.m. The hip hop concert titled Ascension: Phase 5 features choreography from DCypher Dance member Nikki Gambhir, as well as a host of talented artists including Porche Anthony of Beat Ya Feet Kings – a Washington based hip hop dance crew who competed on Season 4 of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew. Other guest choreographers include Chelsea Cooper, Jared Jenkins, Chris Law, Christina Nontanovan, Neil Schwartz and Kevin Simon. The show will also feature special guest performances from local talent.

Read more »

East City Art Reviews ARTventures

East City Art has a very nice, and very detailed, re-cap of ARTventures on H.

WP: A Yarn Bombing With Heart

Photo by John H.

The Post reports on last Thursday's very successful ARTventures on H. The photo above shows a partially completed mural on the side of Jimmy Valentine's. The artist created the mural as part of the ARTventures festivities.

Romeo of Metro Mutts

Romeo, official store cat of Metro Mutts (508 H Street), poses for the camera in this nice shot for Frozen Tropics Flickr pool user philliefan99.

Dog on Dog Attack Update

The attacking dog and his owner have been identified. The dog is currently in the hands of Animal Control. The Health Department is pursuing a Dangerous Dog designation. This could end a few different ways (depending partly on whether the owners fight the designation). Here are two possibilities:

1. The owners could show that they could keep the dog contained in the future;
2. The District could take the dog away completely, and he would likely be put down.

Apparently this particular intact adult male pit has been passed around a bit and the current owners don't have any paperwork on the dog (i.e. they can't prove that he's had his shots).

Reminder: Trinidad Block Party Sunday

2-8pm Sunday July 3rd.
Come one, come all, but you do need to follow the flyer and bring some food to share. We had a great time last year and everyone hung out for hours.
Things we'll need on the day of the party: grills, grill masters, tables, kiddie pools and whatever else you can provide.

Shelton To Step Down As ANC 5B Chair

Effective July 5th William Shelton will no longer hold the position of Chair of ANC 5B. He will continue to serve as the representative for his single member district. In mid-June WUSA9 reported that William Shelton was under investigation for misappropriating approximately $27,000 in public ANC funds (some of which allegedly paid for part of the car note on his Lexus). The investigation is ongoing.

The question now is who will take over leadership of ANC 5B. Vice Chair David Hooper resigned that position (maintaining his Commissioner position for 5B-07) citing his own "busy and demanding schedule." I can't exactly blame Com. Hooper for not wanting to head 5B at this point. Whoever steps in to fill the leadership void has a large clean-up job to say the least. ANC 5B will not meet again until September.

Teen Spa Opens on H Street

Photo provided by Spoiled and Rotten

This one's from the owner of Spoiled and Rotten (1012 H Street). Initially it will open up behind the children's spa, but will eventually move to its own location. Target ages are 13-17. Anyone who stops by the grand opening tomorrow (1-5pm) will get either a coupon for free water ice from Philadelphia Water Ice (also the same owner), or a coupon for $1 off the philly cheesesteak.