The Post pulls an overnighter to see how the diner and bar bring life to a stretch of Bladensburg Road. Hmm, maybe I'll swing by for the early bird special.
34 comments:
Anonymous
said...
This article does an excellent job of capturing the Dickensian aspect of life in Trinidad.
Says the anonymous guy who's probably never been there.
Seriously, the article is about that little stretch of Bladensburg. Are there some seedy characters lurking about? Sure. But as the article fully illustrates, there are all kinds of people who pass through that space, and for many different reasons.
Nice article. I finally tried Sullivan's for the first time the other day and it was good stuff. The crabcake sandwich was as good as people said, and the shrimp deviled eggs were amazing.
I thought the article was really interesting and well written. The writing was really evocative.
Not sure about the beck family thinking they were in NW, but my address is in NE is very close to the Embassy Suites address in NW. I've given countless directions to lost (and terrified) out-of-towners. I'd guess they ask me because I'm often the only other whitey around. Its funny actually.
Speaking with the reporter before his 24-hour camp-out, he said that the goal was to fully capture a day in the life of a particular area of the city. This article does an excellent job accomplishing that, highlighting the friendly diversity that make Trinidad/H Street NE a great place to live and work, as well as the challenges we're facing.
Thanks to everyone for your support, and I (like many others) am proud to call NE DC my home. The neighborhood has a lot of amenities and variety not found elsewhere and I feel lucky to live here to be a part of it.
We're in Rosedale and love being able to walk up to the diner & Jimmy V's. Totally agree with Matt about feeling proud and lucky to be a part of this neighborhood.
Hank, it wasn't my intent to jump down anyone's throat. I do think the poster's intent was less than pure, but perhaps I'm mistaken (I doubt it).
I also wanted to remind people that this article is what it is, a view of what goes on on one tiny stretch of Bladensburg Road. That particular stretch is on the border between two different neighborhoods (Trinidad, and Carver Terrace). It isn't a portrayal of life in Trinidad overall anymore than it is a portrayal of life in Carver Terrace overall. That was how the poster phrased it.
Imagine that there's an article on H Street, is it a portrayal of life at 9th and E NE? No because one is a commercial corridor, while the other is a residential area. The two are connected, but not synonymous with each other. Those were the two points I was making.
First anonymous poster here... I was actually trying to make a humorous reference to The Wire (specifically, the episode entitled "The Dickensian Aspect"). I see that failed. My apologies.
The story just felt a bit like a "stunt" to me. I was trying to ding the Post - not Trinidad or its residents, and certainly not the Cap City Diner folks.
Post captured it well. As illustrated in the article, anyone can feel welcome up there. Usually head that way on the weekends for the friendly service (both places) & to avoid the increasingly Adams Morgan feel of H St.
4:00, I completely missed the reference. My apologies. I guess I need to Netflix the Wire.
I spoke with the reporter before he wrote the article, and I wasn't the only one. It may have been a bit contrived, but articles like that are so by their nature. I thought it was pretty decent.
3:28, the story appeared on the front page of the local section.
Last time I had the crab cake sandwich from Sullivan's I noticed a few pieces of shrimp. But I could be wrong. Did anyone else have a similar experience?
here's an intersting tidbit on the neighborhood. I've rented out a property in the 10th and I area for close to 6 years. Early on, I would have potential tenants keep driving because they were sketched by the neighborhood. Today, a would-be tenant emailed to say her roomates vetoed because they consider the H Street area "too unauthentic and gentrified." direct quote! I don't think its accurate but its a milestone of sorts.
"The story just felt a bit like a "stunt" to me. I was trying to ding the Post - not Trinidad or its residents, and certainly not the Cap City Diner folks." - anon 4:00
I agree. I'm a resident of Near Northeast and I definitely appreciate the efforts of Matt and all the other entrepreneurs trying to revitalize a once bustling area. But the article did seem like a bit of a WaPo ad for the Diner...with a cameo of Jimmy Valentine's and Bladensburg. Also...and I know I'm probably going to get slammed here...but in all honesty, does Matt follow every potential 'wait, they could get hurt out here if they don't watch out' customer home...or was he showing concern because the Post guy was there. Yes, I think it was an awesome thing to do and, like I said, I've eaten at the Diner before and appreciate that its in the neighborhood, but it rang a little bit of 'politicians doing something noble cause the camera's rolling'.
Big Green Cat, I can't speak to Matt's motivations, but on some occasions, when I encountered someone truly out of his/her element, say a stiletto/mini-skirt wearing W student gabbing louding into cell phone about being lost, wandering onto a less safe street I have stopped and either walked the person to the intended destination, or put her on the right path with a warning about the cell phone thing. Ditto for the Asian tourists seeking the youth hostel on Benning Road, or the occasional Swedish family attempting to roll luggage through through the Florida Market at night on the way to their NY Ave hotel. If it was a slow night, I can buy that he followed them just because.
@Big Green Cat: sorry, it's not that complicated. 'Twas just a kind gesture for folks who were a bit out of their element. Like inked (and others), I've done it many times before for the tourists, houseguests of neighbors, foreign exchange students, etc.
On another recent occasion, I ferried a group of 10 German students back to their apartment building on Capitol Hill after an evening at Jimmy's when cabs were sparse. Even without a reporter in the block.
Sometimes folks do the right/nice thing just for the sake of being nice.
when i first moved to dc i was too poor to notice that bladensburg was bad. didn't look to far off from where i grew up. i used to think hechingers and the safeway were pretty nice. we don't all come from idyllic places, some tea partiers included, i'd bet.
I drove through Florida market today. 6:30a.m. Some guy was urinating by the bank as I drove by. Niiice... Next to some Koreans unloading lettuce. Let's keep this market as it is! Give me woe ammunition as to why itnshouldbstay as it is. I go to woRk at 6 a.m. You idiots that do cutesy tours have no idea.... Seriously. Walk through the area when they actually deliver the goods. Are you people stupid? It's a shit hole .
Anon 5:34-- Hechinger Mall is not so great itself, but I don't know why everybody rips on that Safeway. It's been nicely renovated, has everything in stock, and I've never had bad experiences with the staff. I haven't been to a nicer Safeway in town.
Anon 9:52 - you've never had bad experiences with the staff? Then you've clearly never been to the deli. With the exception of one young woman who is pleasant and professional, the majority of the deli staff acts like you are bothering them if you ask for cheese in addition to your lunch meat. They are rude, slow, and often try very hard not to make eye contact from the back, seemingly in the hopes that you will go away.
Before plastic bags cost $.10, the cashiers were also nasty about having to use reusable bags. One made fun of my partner's last name. I could go on and on.
Anyone that "poo" disagrees with in any way, shape or form is an idiot who should go back to _(fill in random midwestern state)_. Sometimes right, sometimes wrong, always obnoxious.
34 comments:
This article does an excellent job of capturing the Dickensian aspect of life in Trinidad.
Says the anonymous guy who's probably never been there.
Seriously, the article is about that little stretch of Bladensburg. Are there some seedy characters lurking about? Sure. But as the article fully illustrates, there are all kinds of people who pass through that space, and for many different reasons.
Nice article. I finally tried Sullivan's for the first time the other day and it was good stuff. The crabcake sandwich was as good as people said, and the shrimp deviled eggs were amazing.
i only skimmed it, but does anybody else think the Glenn Beck family thought they were getting a condo at 18th and M NW?
i'll give them credit for sticking it out though.
who knows, they might have been so sheltered, they didnt even know it was dangerous.
Does anyone know which mayoral candidate is livng in that stretch of Bladensburg Road?
Tom A.,
that would be Sulaimon Brown.
I thought the article was really interesting and well written. The writing was really evocative.
Not sure about the beck family thinking they were in NW, but my address is in NE is very close to the Embassy Suites address in NW. I've given countless directions to lost (and terrified) out-of-towners. I'd guess they ask me because I'm often the only other whitey around. Its funny actually.
Speaking with the reporter before his 24-hour camp-out, he said that the goal was to fully capture a day in the life of a particular area of the city. This article does an excellent job accomplishing that, highlighting the friendly diversity that make Trinidad/H Street NE a great place to live and work, as well as the challenges we're facing.
Thanks to everyone for your support, and I (like many others) am proud to call NE DC my home. The neighborhood has a lot of amenities and variety not found elsewhere and I feel lucky to live here to be a part of it.
Matt
Capital City Diner
I agree with Matt. I thought the article was generally well written, and caught a slice of life on that strip.
But as the article fully illustrates, there are all kinds of people who pass through that space, and for many different reasons.
Sounds pretty Dickensian to me.
Not sure why you jumped down the first poster's throat. Perhaps you recognize his IP address from some previous trollish comments, though.
Great article-- both atmospheric and informative.
We're in Rosedale and love being able to walk up to the diner & Jimmy V's. Totally agree with Matt about feeling proud and lucky to be a part of this neighborhood.
Matt - your work ethic and tireless efforts are amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing the diner here to our neighborhood.
I'm especially touched by how you looked out for the welfare of that family by following them.
It would have been extremely bad PR for the neighborhood and for the business if something bad happened.
Many thanks!
Hank,
it wasn't my intent to jump down anyone's throat. I do think the poster's intent was less than pure, but perhaps I'm mistaken (I doubt it).
I also wanted to remind people that this article is what it is, a view of what goes on on one tiny stretch of Bladensburg Road. That particular stretch is on the border between two different neighborhoods (Trinidad, and Carver Terrace). It isn't a portrayal of life in Trinidad overall anymore than it is a portrayal of life in Carver Terrace overall. That was how the poster phrased it.
Imagine that there's an article on H Street, is it a portrayal of life at 9th and E NE? No because one is a commercial corridor, while the other is a residential area. The two are connected, but not synonymous with each other. Those were the two points I was making.
The diner is terrific. And Gloria is a neighborhood treasure.
Great piece. My favorite part of the diner is the character(s) and I think they nailed that. Was this in the printed paper today too?
First anonymous poster here... I was actually trying to make a humorous reference to The Wire (specifically, the episode entitled "The Dickensian Aspect"). I see that failed. My apologies.
The story just felt a bit like a "stunt" to me. I was trying to ding the Post - not Trinidad or its residents, and certainly not the Cap City Diner folks.
It was in the Style section of today's Post. The photos were excellent.
Another Gloria fan.
One thing that isn't mentioned in the Post's photo captions is that the homicide referenced in a flyer at Sullivan's is from 2004.
Post captured it well. As illustrated in the article, anyone can feel welcome up there. Usually head that way on the weekends for the friendly service (both places) & to avoid the increasingly Adams Morgan feel of H St.
4:00,
I completely missed the reference. My apologies. I guess I need to Netflix the Wire.
I spoke with the reporter before he wrote the article, and I wasn't the only one. It may have been a bit contrived, but articles like that are so by their nature. I thought it was pretty decent.
3:28,
the story appeared on the front page of the local section.
Last time I had the crab cake sandwich from Sullivan's I noticed a few pieces of shrimp. But I could be wrong. Did anyone else have a similar experience?
Bubba,
Aaron Sullivan uses baby shrimp as his filler in the crab cakes.
here's an intersting tidbit on the neighborhood. I've rented out a property in the 10th and I area for close to 6 years. Early on, I would have potential tenants keep driving because they were sketched by the neighborhood. Today, a would-be tenant emailed to say her roomates vetoed because they consider the H Street area "too unauthentic and gentrified." direct quote! I don't think its accurate but its a milestone of sorts.
I have eaten at the Diner several times. It is one of many jewels of NE. The WA Post did an excellent job on the article.
"The story just felt a bit like a "stunt" to me. I was trying to ding the Post - not Trinidad or its residents, and certainly not the Cap City Diner folks." - anon 4:00
I agree. I'm a resident of Near Northeast and I definitely appreciate the efforts of Matt and all the other entrepreneurs trying to revitalize a once bustling area. But the article did seem like a bit of a WaPo ad for the Diner...with a cameo of Jimmy Valentine's and Bladensburg. Also...and I know I'm probably going to get slammed here...but in all honesty, does Matt follow every potential 'wait, they could get hurt out here if they don't watch out' customer home...or was he showing concern because the Post guy was there. Yes, I think it was an awesome thing to do and, like I said, I've eaten at the Diner before and appreciate that its in the neighborhood, but it rang a little bit of 'politicians doing something noble cause the camera's rolling'.
Big Green Cat,
I can't speak to Matt's motivations, but on some occasions, when I encountered someone truly out of his/her element, say a stiletto/mini-skirt wearing W student gabbing louding into cell phone about being lost, wandering onto a less safe street I have stopped and either walked the person to the intended destination, or put her on the right path with a warning about the cell phone thing. Ditto for the Asian tourists seeking the youth hostel on Benning Road, or the occasional Swedish family attempting to roll luggage through through the Florida Market at night on the way to their NY Ave hotel. If it was a slow night, I can buy that he followed them just because.
@Big Green Cat: sorry, it's not that complicated. 'Twas just a kind gesture for folks who were a bit out of their element. Like inked (and others), I've done it many times before for the tourists, houseguests of neighbors, foreign exchange students, etc.
On another recent occasion, I ferried a group of 10 German students back to their apartment building on Capitol Hill after an evening at Jimmy's when cabs were sparse. Even without a reporter in the block.
Sometimes folks do the right/nice thing just for the sake of being nice.
I only help lost tourists if they are hot.
And by hot I mean physically attractive and sortof on the slutty-looking side, not hot as in roasting their butts off on a merciless DC summer day.
when i first moved to dc i was too poor to notice that bladensburg was bad. didn't look to far off from where i grew up. i used to think hechingers and the safeway were pretty nice.
we don't all come from idyllic places, some tea partiers included, i'd bet.
I drove through Florida market today. 6:30a.m. Some guy was urinating by the bank as I drove by. Niiice... Next to some Koreans unloading lettuce. Let's keep this market as it is! Give me woe ammunition as to why itnshouldbstay as it is. I go to woRk at 6 a.m. You idiots that do cutesy tours have no idea.... Seriously. Walk through the area when they actually deliver the goods. Are you people stupid? It's a shit hole .
There is a hot prostitute and her drunk pimp at 4-5a.m.
Buy your foods there, and support the market...
It's awesome. Still can't FiguRe out if it's a guy or a giRl.....
I love the dirT and gRime... Cuz living near that makes me forget I'm a doRk FRom Indiana oR whateveR...
Anon 5:34-- Hechinger Mall is not so great itself, but I don't know why everybody rips on that Safeway. It's been nicely renovated, has everything in stock, and I've never had bad experiences with the staff. I haven't been to a nicer Safeway in town.
Anon 9:52 - you've never had bad experiences with the staff? Then you've clearly never been to the deli. With the exception of one young woman who is pleasant and professional, the majority of the deli staff acts like you are bothering them if you ask for cheese in addition to your lunch meat. They are rude, slow, and often try very hard not to make eye contact from the back, seemingly in the hopes that you will go away.
Before plastic bags cost $.10, the cashiers were also nasty about having to use reusable bags. One made fun of my partner's last name. I could go on and on.
Anyone that "poo" disagrees with in any way, shape or form is an idiot who should go back to _(fill in random midwestern state)_. Sometimes right, sometimes wrong, always obnoxious.
I so wish blogger had a killfile feature.
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