I received an email tipping off to the existence of a new hostel called DC Lofty. It's located just off H Street. You could easily miss it because there is no sign out front. But they do have a website with photos.
From the website-
Our address is 815 7th st, NE Washington DC 20002. It's one of the nicest areas in Washington DC, with an H street mall and a library less than one block away, and the metro 10 minute walk away, about 5 blocks.
Our location is less than a block away from a large mall, with all your shopping needs.
They should totally have played up the free WiFi at the carryout McDonald's.
41 comments:
Stupid question - are there any rules/regulations regarding opening a hostel in a residential neighborhood? Seems like a commercial endeavor like this would require some sort of zoning approval.
Was the local ANC even notified before this place opened up? This is right on the border of ANC6A (Marshall's SMD).
You need to obtain the proper type of license. I don't know if this kind of thing requires ANC notification. DC could use more hostels [assuming they are properly licensed], but I think the website is a tad misleading to potential visitors. I have no idea what they mean when they refer to a library a block away, and the H Street Connection isn't really a large mall. I suppose nicest neighborhoods in DC is subjective, but...
I KNEW there must be a hostel nearby. I've been seeing all these confused white tourists on the X2 in recent weeks. Last week, these 2 very confused middle-aged women were asking if the bus went anywhere near the capital. The poor driver had a hard time explaining the concept that North capitol street is a clear shot down to the capitol. It was rather amusing.
Northeast Library is at 7th and Maryland...more than a block but pretty close.
Maybe they mean the Robert L. Christian Community Library at 13th and H. Still not a block, but it's in the general vicinity. this whole thing is weird though. I would feel very mislead if I were to come to the hostel after having read the site.
I think its totally misleading. And I think its even worse that they are marketing to doe-eyed students who probably don't know the layout of the town very well.
Calling the H Street Connection a "mall" is like calling Motel 6 the Ritz Carlton. Next they'll be saying that Murry's is "a luxury shopping destination".
Ridiculous.
If you view the "tour", it looks like they are talking about the Heckinger "Mall", not the H Street Connection, which I think is even more of a stretch. But I guess it is subjective.
Thanks Gleb, I accidentally didn't click through the entire tour. Even so, I still think it's misleading.
They show a photo of Hechinger, but say the large mall for all your shopping needs is less than a block away. Definitely misleading.
Thinking back to my college days, I stayed in hostels in much much worse neighborhoods all around Europe and never thought twice about it. I took a quick look at the rates and you really couldn't beat the price. If I were a college student, I'd think that this was a great deal. As for the proximity to a library and the "mall"... well, sure, that's a stretch. Let's face it, this is much better than a boarded up vacant property. If they're not bothering people, let's give them a chance.
My choice of title wasn't meant to convey that the area is inappropriate for a hostel. I think it's a fine location for a hostel. I was just imagining a hostel visitor giving the address to local resident and the resident being puzzled because the hostel isn't well known among locals. It certainly came as a surprise to me.
There is also a hostel in the 2400 block of Benning. It's called Capitol City Hostel. You can find the website by going to: www.hostels.com and searching for "Capitol City Hostel."
It has VERY mixed reviews.
Seriously, what are the licensing requirements for a hostel?
Good for them opening this place up. 7th and H is a fine place for a visitor to stay. Who cares if they have a license. DC people need to take it a little easier. Seriously people, you're giving us a bad rep around the world. I'm tired of people from other places, and from here, telling me how uptight DC is. So calm down, have a drink, and mind your own business.
robert-
I'll agree DC needs to lighten up on the permits and rules and regulations, but this is a place where people will *live* albeit for a short (probably) stay.
They should be able to count on working facilities and reasonable safety and if not, something needs to be set as a standard so they have a foot if they need to take action.
Also, if they're planning on having a number of people, it only makes sense for the neighbors to know and for the neighborhood to be able sustain a constant (and changing) influx of people.
Robert, seriously? We're giving the area a bad name by insisting that a hostel have a license? I'm assuming that these guys have already jumped through all the hoops and gotten a license. But licenses are important. They mean inspections. I've known people who died [of problems inspections would have caught] staying in places in foreign countries that don't require such inspections, so I'd rather see the inspections. I'll agree that some of DCRA's rules are weird, and don't make much sense, but some of them are good. Licenses are required for stuff like this, and making sure someone has one doesn't make you a NIMBY.
Although I do not know the taxation/hospitality license requirements for running a hostel, I do know that a basic business license is required. I have not been able to find any entry for the hostel in DCRAs database, thus far.
Wow! Did the McCain campaign put up that website?
Best hostile in DC
Best neighborhood in DC
Mall and library a block away
Metro 5 blocks away
My head is spinning....
Since I am a neighbor of this place, I care about whether or not they meet basic safety requirements, which is the point of most licensing anyway. The real problem with DC licensing is that it is not efficient, functional, or transparent. Few people would complain if it was a working system. DCRA issued a notice last week that they were shutting down for the rest of the month to "RETRAIN" everyone.
According to the DC.Gov website (Real Property Datebase) the owner is getting a homestead deduction (though the owner address is listed as Upper Marlboro). So assuming an owner is living there, it's primary residence and there are a certain number of people you can have without requiring a business license. Yet it looks like there shouldn't be that much space for a lot of people with only 4 bedrooms, and 2.5 bathrooms. They may be running afowl of the law in summer when the temptation to cram people in rooms is high.
K - thank you! I KNEW there must be some sort of hostel somewhere further up Benning, but I couldn't figure it out. When I get on the x2 at 19th, I have seen European teenagers w/ backpacks etc., and I could NOT for the life of me figure out where they were coming from.
Thank you for solving the mystery I've been wondering about for the past 4 years.
I saw two backpackers heading east on H street yesterday, right where it hits Mass Ave and 395. I hope they were trekking to union station and not to this place. Hostels are awesome and all, but it's kind of cruel to entice them to spend their visit in a place that's far away from the Metro.
I live down the block from this location and have been aware of this operation for the past 4 weeks when visitors started coming in in earnest. Personally, I have no problem with the use of the space as a hostel, though a notification to the neighborhood as to its intended use as housing for transient visitors would have been proper and appreciated. I will say that to date all of the folks I have seen and talked to have been very nice and it doesn't appear to be a "house of tomfoolery". I emailed the site to introduce myself and to find out whether there are is special zoning or permit required and if so, has it been obtained.
anon 9:54 --
815 7th St NE is an 8-9 min walk from U Sta.
i welcome a hostel in the neighborhood, assuming it is well run. the visitors can only be good for our local coffee shops, restaurants and other businesses.
Thanks charles for the positive viewpoint. Not sure why all the negative comments about a hostel in our hood. For $40 a night I'd say it's a pretty decent location. a few blocks to union station and the x2 right around the corner, and frankly on a nice day it's a fairly pleasant walk down to the capitol, the national mall, the smithsonians or to gallery place/downtown area. for that price, not a bad location at all
Like 7th and H, I'm a neighbor and I agree that a well-run establishment is a welcome neighbor (and far preferable to an empty building). I'd still like to see them introduce themselves to their neighbors and to the ANC, but I wish them plenty of success.
And it still amazes me that so many people think 7th Street is "far away from the Metro." We're less than 10 minutes to either Union Station or New York Avenue, depending on which way you prefer to walk. Compare that to pretty much any hotel you'd like in Georgetown or Old Town Alexandria.
I thought the comments about distance from the Metro may have referred to the Benning Road hostel, not the one on 7th [which is close to the Metro].
@ anon 9:54 am
I live in the 600 block of 7th Street NE and walk to and from Union Station 5 days a week to get to work. Even if you want to go to Eastern Market, it's 1 mile door to door (which means it would be under 1.25 miles from the 800 block). It's really not that far, I swear ;-)
I've been to that neighborhood 4 times in the past year. It's a new neighborhood for me and I had heard that it was very "marginal", so I was extra wary. My first trip, I went into the chinese takeout place and saw the woman taking orders get sexually threatened by a drunk man on the other side of the bullet-proof glass. She ignored the threats and eventually got a food order out of him. One of the bartenders noted that he'd rather pay 50% more for cigarettes out of the machine in the bar than risk his life walking the 3 blocks to the nearest convenience store. Bad rep? Yeah, I'd say so. Deserved? Perhaps not. But I wouldn't ever recommend that place to a woman traveling alone, not unless she was an experienced and saavy traveler. For $40, though? I'd consider staying there myself some weekend, just to have a convenient place to crash after a long night of food, drink, and rock-and-roll. It's not that much more than a cab ride back to VA, right?
I'm sure the 7th Street hostel is perfectly nice and the location is not that bad at all. My issue is with the misleading advertising on the website.
DCRA's online database has no record for any hospitality establishment of any kind at 815 7th Street, NE. This business appears to lack a business license as well as the required license to operate a hospitality operation.
Licensing is important to ensure the building complies with zoning requirements and has the required life safety systems. The lack of a license could pose a danger not only to hostel guests and staff, but also to neighboring properties. If they have no license, they probably also have inadequate insurance to cover a commercial operation. In the event of a fire if the insurance company finds out the building was used as a hostel, they will likely deny coverage and the neighbors (and/or their insurance company) will have difficulty making a claim against the hostel owner's policy.
It is also troubling that they are getting a homestead deduction without residing at the property. Both items should be investigated by DCRA. If you would like to request DCRA investigate this property you can do so at:
http://bblv.dcra.dc.gov/bblv/Default.aspx
you can probably also do so by calling 311.
Both OTR and DCRA have a history of being a bit out of date when it comes to online records. As this is a new place, I can understood if it didn't show up yet. I would advise people to phone DCRA before assuming they don't have a license.
Hey, my name is Roma. I was informed about this blog by one of you on here, and don't mind sharing and some information at all.
I've read through the posts, and am surprised by some of the responses, yet appreciate all of your input.
I run DC Lofty - a luxury dorm-style and a safe establishment. We provide long term and short term stay for professionals - working adults in the city who are on monthly internships, and for the older crowd and more savvy travelers.
We are a registered business, with all necessary documents.
We do not own the property, so what Mari mentioned may be true for the owner, however we are simply the "managing company" for this house. We do not get any kind of homestead deduction ourselves. After working with the DC zoning department, this house was chosen, previuosly vacant and attracting the wrong kind of attention from the street. There is no special business license requirements for something this small in R4 multi-family house, per Mr. Nero at DCRA.
Above all, We support the community by bringing in extra customers for all the business around us, as well as keeping the neighborhood safer by constantly managing and monitoring the house and the area around it, as opposed to some student-rented housing around us that offer non of that.
Finally, thank you for all your input on our incorrect website advertisements - we have taken attention to it and have improved our description of the area.
I've lived in DC for quite a few years, and have seen this neighborhood really grow into something beautiful, and expect it to keep improving through more friendly businesses and people.
If you have any questions feel free to call my cell ph.: 240-274-6572
Thanks - Roma
Roma,
thanks for chiming in. I thought it would require a rooming house license, but I could be wrong about that. I was also surprised that your site didn't mention the nearby bars or restaurants. That's got to be a draw for student travelers.
Not sure why silver is commenting on a neighborhood she's only been in 4 times in the past year. Especially when her point of reference appears to be Virginia...
If this establishment is a "rooming house or boarding house" it must conform to the following:
DCMR Title 11, Section 330.6:
A rooming or boarding house shall be permitted as a matter of right in an R-4 District;
provided:
(a) Accommodations are not provided to transient guests who stay ninety (90)
days or less at the premises;
(b) No sign is displayed on the premises;
(c) No advertisement is displayed or published on or off the premises holding out
the establishment to be a hotel, motel, inn, hostel, bed and breakfast, private
club, tourist home, guest house, or other transient accommodation;
(d) Cooking facilities are not provided in any individual unit; and
(e) In a rooming house, no central d i g or food preparation area is provided fo~
guests.
It appears that this establishment is advertising as a "hostel" and caters to guests staying less than 90 days, so the business would not be permitted in an R-4 district under this rule.
It may be possible that the establishment is classified as an "inn". The defininition of an inn in Title 11 Section One: definitions, is as follows (and appears to include hostels):
Inn - a building or part of a building in which habitable rooms or suites are reserved primarily
for transient guests who rent the rooms or suites on a daily basis. Guestrooms or suites may
include kitchens, but central dining, other than breakfast for guests, is not allowed. The term
"inn" may be interpreted to include an establishment known as a bed and breakfast, hostel, or tourist home, but shall not be interpreted to include a hotel, motel, private club, rooming
house, boarding house, tenement house, or apartment house. (36 DCR 7627)
An inn does not appear to be a permitted use in an R-4 district.
Based upon the above research, it appears that this hostel is operating in violation of the zoning code. If it does in fact have the proper licenses, they may have been issued in error by DCRA.
I grew up in this area and am in my last year at American University, Ive seen this area develop like none other, due to commercially inclined attractions. I actually visited the hostel and the environment is actually clean, friendly, and legit! People form all over the world visit this place. For all of you who moved in after the micro-gentrifying process, you need to know the history of this place and area. Roma , you guys are doing a great job. Continue to uplift the neighborhood.
I must protest, Roma. You did not get my permission to open a hostel, boarding house, or for that matter, any sort of business in the neighborhood. I except a business plan to be on my porch within next week, or I will be forced to blog violently against you to the point where you will not feel welcome to post here or anywhere else about topics describing my neighborhood. I mean honestly, how can you expcet to stay in business without asking everyone in your neighborhood their opinion?
BTW, thanks so much for updating your website. I'm glad I didn't have to reprimand you sooner about that, but I willl comment that NAPA, and the Atlas district are not mentioned. Please update this or suffer the consequences.
Let me tell you about DC Lofty,
Good luck having a "Good Night" at DC Lofty! The hostel is a poor imitation of Hostel International..First of all, there is typically two or three staff members present; Roma, Victor, Joe, Tom, Paul, Mike, Jay and a new girl-Shari. Joe, a member of D.C.'s Army Reserve has an alcohol problem and greeted me upon my arrival with the odor of hard liquor on his breath. Joe will typically come into the girls bedroom to take a shower. He also will wash and dry his army fatiques at 11 p.m. or 5:30 a.m.
And, he loves to chat up and take pretty single white hostel clients out dancing. Since I don't play up to him he has made me pay for the last two days in a row with a "remote control battle" with this staff member in order to watch the FOX news channel when he kept changing it to MSNBC. Tom joined in the harassment by opening the door to the cold, rainy windy air outside to drive me out of the room. I finally reminded the two that I am paying to stay here.
And, later, amid childish giggles I surprised Shari and Paul both spraying down my bed (one dousing the upper part-pillow case, bedsheets and all while the other one was spraying my towel on the radiator. This was the response after I stood up for the owner, Roma. Joe and Shari openly accused her of discriminating against blacks like them "Yeah, she told me I couldn't wear a wig too so I guess she wants us to wear a red slave bandana!"
How are they still open? It looks like they have 3 locations opened now...
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