The 1300 has the best potential out of any block, but that potential will be realized even sooner than the other blocks. 1) H st country club coming 2) Ice cream store coming 3) Sava coffee shop coming 4) At least 5 buildings slated for art galleries by Steve and Dolly Hessler and O street gallery 5) Desire also by Hessler to open up a cafe ran and operated by local kids at risk. 6) This will be the best block of the three 12-15 H entertainment district
H Street Country Club-1335 Sova Espresso-1359 I know about 3 of the galleries (I think the name is "Gallery O/H"). I assume the others are in those gray building? I've heard vague rumors of some sort ice cream shop floating around, but I've never heard a who, or a where. This is the first I've heard of a cafe.
Heard a Shaw ANC rep (and exec dir of Shaw Main Streets) on the Kojo show on the way home from work. He said they have actively kept chain stores out of the area. Starbucks for instance. Would the ANCs along H St. go that far if, say, Abdo's condos opened up and Starbucks wanted to open up across from Sidamo. Or in a couple of years across from SOVA? And interesting question.
starbucks across from sidamo? BLASPHEMY. lol. I would hate to see that. Small businesses are what's going to keep H Street with its own individual flavor. We already have a plethora of franchises in the 800 block at that mini-mall, we don't really need any more; now it's time to mix in some more distinctive businesses so our corridor won't be a retail cardboard cutout of everyburb usa.
the only franchise I can say I'm fond of on H so far is the philadelphia water ice factory, mostly because of the friendly staff. okay, i'll be honest, i've never gone into the subway, popeyes, game stop or most of the franchise businesses on h other than the drug store and two of the sneaker shops (what's the one next to the drug store called?). the shoe store staff is friendly, although the store is so non-distinctive, i can't remember the name of it. LOL. but no one expects much from a shoe store.
ps: stella bleu is an example of an awesome looking independently owned shop. i never had a reason to walk in, but it sure looks nice from the outside.
i find most of your comments very sad, albeit funny.
maybe we should get a few more stella blues for you... or... how about a jackson joe's retail outfitters? or how about one of those military wholesalers? the ones with army backpacks?
uh huh.. if that's what you want, you probably should be looking a little bit more westward.
seems the folks that mostly want to get away from 'the burbs' is because that's all they know.
welcome to the big city.
i'd rather hit sidamo, but supposedly, a starbucks nearby would only make sidamo go the extra mile to keep customers. that's what you gringos call capitalism, or survival of the fittiest, or whatever.
seems most of you speak from a very comfy loft in the sky.
believe it or not, there are some longtime citizens in the area that are dying to get a starbucks in the area.
it's the little rich white kids that want to pretend to live in a ghetto, with their inevitably appreciating house values, and very few cares -- except for those that pretend to espouse the "culture of the neighborhood".
get a life.
big business is going to kick yer butt. just like it did in U street, where there are little coffee houses AND a starbucks, cvs, etc.
you claim to want diversity, but really, all you want is to feel empowered with all the crappy little businesses around.
10:52, you are clearly the same guy who appears to have spent the entire night leaving comments on this blog. so to reference your earlier comment, how many H Street places did you frequent while you were doing that? It isn't just white folks that leave comments here. And even if they did come from the suburbs, is your point that they should just stay there forever because that's where they were born? Why can't people move to the city. Isn't that how cities (say DC, for instance) have grown? Would you aregue that the blacks who moved to northern cities during the Great Migration should have just stayed in the south? Cities are constantly changing. It's the nature of cities.
Calling people pigs becaue they are white, or because they happen to have grown up in the suburbs is crazy, and strikes me as the billowing of a desperate man (for some reason I suspect that you are a guy, but I could be wrong) without an argument. I am white, but I am by no means rich. My situation growing up varied, but (though I don't claim to have come close to the poverty many experience here) I did my time as a kid eating the big bags of (about to spoil) discounted potatoes and oranges and sleeping on the floor (my mother couldn't afford beds for us at the time) of a one bedroom apartment that my family rented. I even shared a bedroom with my brother through jr. high. That (as I mentioned) doesn't meen that I somehow understand endemic poverty. But it also doesn't make me some rich white kid from the suburbs. So don't patronize me.
I get frustrated when people come at planning/development with an excessively suburban mindset. DC is a city (albeit a somewhat small one), and it should be treated accordingly.
Chains are not inherently bad, but I get the fear of them overrunning. They do, after all, have a lot more cash, and certain chains have been known to push out the competition because they are big and they can (see Walmart).
btw, yeah.... big chains suck, but they also have benefits. do you want a YES! market on H? they are not a big chain... but i think the majority of folks would welcome that, BLACK, WHITE, LATINO, or ASIAN.
10:52, I may have set off some of your ridiculous comments by omitting this fact about the Shaw ANC: while actively keeping the chains out they actively recruit independent businesses in their places. A lot of independent businesses on H are non-white-owned so that isn't such a bad goal. It is very tempting to get in a pissing match about who has more working class cred. All I'll say is you're doing a lot of presupposing yourself.
I love how anon. 10:52 is trying to REPRESENT! Calling out the white hypocrits, capitalist suburban pigs! Dag, you are hardcore! I can see you now in your camouflage, your beret covering your dreadocks, as Rage Against the Machine blares in the background, trying to call out all the bourgeoisse crackers that don't understand the reality of the STREETS. Man, I bet your proud of yourself...
Yeah, big business is definitely the way to go. Long time residents of this area can definitely afford the $4 lattes at a Starbucks. And feel totally comfortable hanging out with the hipster yuppies with their laptops freeloading off the wifi.
While we're at it, why not a tanning salon? You know, U Street has one now.
3rd Street Latino, can same people who can't afford a $4.00 latte at Starbucks afford one at Sidamo's? Your description of Starbucks is exactly the same.
I can understand not wanting H Street to become another generic version of Gallery Place or Clarendon but keeping chains out is difficult. You can keep out types of chains, i.e. fast food but can you keep out a Starbucks? Do you want to keep out a Trader Joe's or a supermarket?
Also for Anonymous 5:16, is there a point to bringing in race? Are there separate businesses for black people and white people? Is this what you are proposing?
The thing that I don't understand about the "us vs. them" mentality that characterizes arguments about bringing in new businesses of ANY kind - whether national chains or locally-owned restaurants, boutiques, etc. - is the argument that these businesses will necessarily cause the existing businesses to disappear.
Everytime I walk down H Street, I'm struck by the number of vacant storefronts and perpetually shuttered doors. Personally, I'd like to see those spaces filled with new businesses of all stripes before people start 'forcing out' existing dollar stores and carry outs.
The sooner we reach a situation where the majority of storefronts on a given block are actually open, the better. And there will be plenty of room for all types of businesses - I can't think of too any 13-block stretches in DC that have a unified character to all of the businesses along them.
I agree w/ Mike, I too would like to see a mix of "Mom&Pops" as well as some chain stores (i.e Starbucks, Cold Stone, etc.). Add'l why is everyone knocking Anon 10:52, he or she speaks some truth. There is a lot of hypocrisy when it comes to the chain stores we all approve of and would die to see come on H St. (HT, Trader Joes & not to mention Wegmans) yet, everyone knocks Starbucks.
If there is a particular look and scheme one might be aiming for along the strip, one should say that and not hide their argument behind the risks/effects that a big chain will have on a smaller biz. This argument can sometimes be viewed as suspect or w/ some underlying malintent to one group.
Last, to anon 1:51 when you start speaking of rebels, Leave the dreadlocks person outta your description. Haven't we grown from dreads equates rebel?
23 comments:
There's LOTS & LOTS of potential there!
Some day it'll rebound.
The 1300 has the best potential out of any block, but that potential will be realized even sooner than the other blocks.
1) H st country club coming
2) Ice cream store coming
3) Sava coffee shop coming
4) At least 5 buildings slated for art galleries by Steve and Dolly Hessler and O street gallery
5) Desire also by Hessler to open up a cafe ran and operated by local kids at risk.
6) This will be the best block of the three 12-15 H entertainment district
H Street Country Club-1335
Sova Espresso-1359
I know about 3 of the galleries (I think the name is "Gallery O/H"). I assume the others are in those gray building? I've heard vague rumors of some sort ice cream shop floating around, but I've never heard a who, or a where. This is the first I've heard of a cafe.
The icecream shop will be in the blue middle building in the picture.
Any word on the exact location of the building slated for the Ethiopian restaurant?
Joe? Anyone?
Isn't there an ice cream shop on the 1200 block already, a few doors west of Palace?
Philadephia Water Ice Factory sells more slushie/snow cone type products I believe. They also do hot dogs, burgers, fries, ect.
There's a photo gallery on the front page of the WP on line of a guy teaching "Thrash Jazz" at the Joy of Motion center on H. There's also an article.
love the jag and the merc parked in front of the bldgs.
good photo.
very telling...
Heard a Shaw ANC rep (and exec dir of Shaw Main Streets) on the Kojo show on the way home from work.
He said they have actively kept chain stores out of the area. Starbucks for instance.
Would the ANCs along H St. go that far if, say, Abdo's condos opened up and Starbucks wanted to open up across from Sidamo. Or in a couple of years across from SOVA? And interesting question.
starbucks across from sidamo? BLASPHEMY. lol. I would hate to see that. Small businesses are what's going to keep H Street with its own individual flavor. We already have a plethora of franchises in the 800 block at that mini-mall, we don't really need any more; now it's time to mix in some more distinctive businesses so our corridor won't be a retail cardboard cutout of everyburb usa.
the only franchise I can say I'm fond of on H so far is the philadelphia water ice factory, mostly because of the friendly staff. okay, i'll be honest, i've never gone into the subway, popeyes, game stop or most of the franchise businesses on h other than the drug store and two of the sneaker shops (what's the one next to the drug store called?). the shoe store staff is friendly, although the store is so non-distinctive, i can't remember the name of it. LOL. but no one expects much from a shoe store.
ps: stella bleu is an example of an awesome looking independently owned shop. i never had a reason to walk in, but it sure looks nice from the outside.
ok, kids.
a couple of decent franchises would be cool.
who says no to a trader joes, or a harris teeter?
seriously, how old are you folks?
i find most of your comments very sad, albeit funny.
maybe we should get a few more stella blues for you... or... how about a jackson joe's retail outfitters? or how about one of those military wholesalers? the ones with army backpacks?
uh huh.. if that's what you want, you probably should be looking a little bit more westward.
seems the folks that mostly want to get away from 'the burbs' is because that's all they know.
welcome to the big city.
i'd rather hit sidamo, but supposedly, a starbucks nearby would only make sidamo go the extra mile to keep customers.
that's what you gringos call capitalism, or survival of the fittiest, or whatever.
seems most of you speak from a very comfy loft in the sky.
believe it or not, there are some longtime citizens in the area that are dying to get a starbucks in the area.
it's the little rich white kids that want to pretend to live in a ghetto, with their inevitably appreciating house values, and very few cares -- except for those that pretend to espouse the "culture of the neighborhood".
get a life.
big business is going to kick yer butt. just like it did in U street, where there are little coffee houses AND a starbucks, cvs, etc.
you claim to want diversity, but really, all you want is to feel empowered with all the crappy little businesses around.
pigs.....
10:52,
you are clearly the same guy who appears to have spent the entire night leaving comments on this blog. so to reference your earlier comment, how many H Street places did you frequent while you were doing that?
It isn't just white folks that leave comments here. And even if they did come from the suburbs, is your point that they should just stay there forever because that's where they were born? Why can't people move to the city. Isn't that how cities (say DC, for instance) have grown? Would you aregue that the blacks who moved to northern cities during the Great Migration should have just stayed in the south? Cities are constantly changing. It's the nature of cities.
Calling people pigs becaue they are white, or because they happen to have grown up in the suburbs is crazy, and strikes me as the billowing of a desperate man (for some reason I suspect that you are a guy, but I could be wrong) without an argument. I am white, but I am by no means rich. My situation growing up varied, but (though I don't claim to have come close to the poverty many experience here) I did my time as a kid eating the big bags of (about to spoil) discounted potatoes and oranges and sleeping on the floor (my mother couldn't afford beds for us at the time) of a one bedroom apartment that my family rented. I even shared a bedroom with my brother through jr. high. That (as I mentioned) doesn't meen that I somehow understand endemic poverty. But it also doesn't make me some rich white kid from the suburbs. So don't patronize me.
I get frustrated when people come at planning/development with an excessively suburban mindset. DC is a city (albeit a somewhat small one), and it should be treated accordingly.
Chains are not inherently bad, but I get the fear of them overrunning. They do, after all, have a lot more cash, and certain chains have been known to push out the competition because they are big and they can (see Walmart).
gotta think about your post.
i dig that you went through a lot.
lots of us did.
white, black, asian, latino...
not a big deal.
just "upping the ante".
i think that a lot of folks are saying one thing, and doing the other.
i know that you know exactly what i'm saying.
i'm not saying it's right or wrong, i'm just saying..
and... it's funny how you presuppose an ethnicity and a sex.
lawyers to be shouldn't do that.
i know you mean well, and i dig your blog. i actually follow it constantly, along with others.
just sensing some... hypocrisy.
but hell, we are all hypocrites.
let's just see if you're around in ten years....
btw, yeah....
big chains suck, but they also have benefits.
do you want a YES! market on H?
they are not a big chain...
but i think the majority of folks would welcome that, BLACK, WHITE, LATINO, or ASIAN.
girl, get a grip of the folks that elected you...
10:52, I may have set off some of your ridiculous comments by omitting this fact about the Shaw ANC: while actively keeping the chains out they actively recruit independent businesses in their places. A lot of independent businesses on H are non-white-owned so that isn't such a bad goal.
It is very tempting to get in a pissing match about who has more working class cred. All I'll say is you're doing a lot of presupposing yourself.
I love how anon. 10:52 is trying to REPRESENT! Calling out the white hypocrits, capitalist suburban pigs! Dag, you are hardcore! I can see you now in your camouflage, your beret covering your dreadocks, as Rage Against the Machine blares in the background, trying to call out all the bourgeoisse crackers that don't understand the reality of the STREETS. Man, I bet your proud of yourself...
Yeah, big business is definitely the way to go. Long time residents of this area can definitely afford the $4 lattes at a Starbucks. And feel totally comfortable hanging out with the hipster yuppies with their laptops freeloading off the wifi.
While we're at it, why not a tanning salon? You know, U Street has one now.
-3rd Street Latino
3rd Street Latino, can same people who can't afford a $4.00 latte at Starbucks afford one at Sidamo's? Your description of Starbucks is exactly the same.
I can understand not wanting H Street to become another generic version of Gallery Place or Clarendon but keeping chains out is difficult. You can keep out types of chains, i.e. fast food but can you keep out a Starbucks? Do you want to keep out a Trader Joe's or a supermarket?
Also for Anonymous 5:16, is there a point to bringing in race? Are there separate businesses for black people and white people? Is this what you are proposing?
The thing that I don't understand about the "us vs. them" mentality that characterizes arguments about bringing in new businesses of ANY kind - whether national chains or locally-owned restaurants, boutiques, etc. - is the argument that these businesses will necessarily cause the existing businesses to disappear.
Everytime I walk down H Street, I'm struck by the number of vacant storefronts and perpetually shuttered doors. Personally, I'd like to see those spaces filled with new businesses of all stripes before people start 'forcing out' existing dollar stores and carry outs.
The sooner we reach a situation where the majority of storefronts on a given block are actually open, the better. And there will be plenty of room for all types of businesses - I can't think of too any 13-block stretches in DC that have a unified character to all of the businesses along them.
I agree w/ Mike, I too would like to see a mix of "Mom&Pops" as well as some chain stores (i.e Starbucks, Cold Stone, etc.). Add'l why is everyone knocking Anon 10:52, he or she speaks some truth. There is a lot of hypocrisy when it comes to the chain stores we all approve of and would die to see come on H St. (HT, Trader Joes & not to mention Wegmans) yet, everyone knocks Starbucks.
If there is a particular look and scheme one might be aiming for along the strip, one should say that and not hide their argument behind the risks/effects that a big chain will have on a smaller biz. This argument can sometimes be viewed as suspect or w/ some underlying malintent to one group.
Last, to anon 1:51 when you start speaking of rebels, Leave the dreadlocks person outta your description. Haven't we grown from dreads equates rebel?
I'm not the anon who used dreads in relation to the rebels, but to me that conjures and image of a trustafarian.
I don't have a problem with chains per se, although I think that Wegmans is truly overrated.
I am anon. 1:51, and the above comment understood my point: the banal revolutionary "calling it like it is".
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