Fortunately for those of us that had to miss tonight's meeting HstreetDC was on-hand to Tweet the exciting developments. Here are the highlights of the highlights:
HstreetDC: Scott from @ArgonautDC presenting plans to expand patio, cover part of it. Asking for ANC support. Partnering w/@Fragers on gardens.
HstreetDC: New director of H St CDC, Ken Brewer, speaking about what they own on H Street.
HstreetDC: There is a contract to sell the Auto Zone to Western Devel. but AZ has 2 five year options left on their lease.
HstreetDC: Comm. Holmes asking why after 3 yrs is city suddenly rushing the awarding of devel rts to Stan Wall for prop in 1100 blk of #HSt.
HstreetDC: ANC6a votes to protest XII's liquor license, add numbers of all H St incidents to report.
You would think that Holmes would be thrilled to see movement toward development on H Street. Does the empty lot have chicken wings on it?
ReplyDeletePlease let Auto Zone become something else!!
ReplyDeleteThe AZ location is optimal for a WSC, Pottery Barn and Starbucks.
ReplyDeleteInked, I don't know if you've been told lately, but I just want to go on record as saying your blog provides an invaluable resource of information to our community. (Can I get an amen?) Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteI second Anon 9:51!
ReplyDeleteThanks Inked!
Ya know people really hate on the auto zone and I dont like the spillage of auto fluids there.
ReplyDeleteHowever,
you wonder why people hate on the newcomers? They have tended to bring businesses that established residents dont use and they get rid of those they do. This is a perfect example. Autozone is used by people who dont or cant pay to get their car fixed at a shop. I dont think that its the best location for the place, but it is heavily used by the community.
dcjaded,
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that our community spreads across the border to Maryland. Half of the cars in the AZ lot have MD tags.
Gosh. Western Development seems like an awfully strange developer for that property. They've *never* built anything other than a mall (apart from a big box complex in Williamsburg, which one could argue is sufficiently mall-like).
ReplyDeleteDo you think they bought that property with the intention of flipping it after a few years when AZ's lease expires?
I really hate it when people say "new comer" like its a dirty word. Last I checked, this is America and I can move where I please (making me a new comer when I do). And when enough people like me who like the things I do move in as well, then we get to decide what stores and restaurants we want to frequent, which could possibly close other older establishments. Welcome to Capitalism. I'd rather go to Taylors than the Chinese "food"take out places (except for Yum's). I have no use for wig shops either. Does this make me a bad person? No. The demographics are shifting in DC (again). I bet 50 years ago, another demographic of people were complaining about things changing. It happens, just move on.
ReplyDeleteAnd here's another tidbit to blow your mind: I'm Black! Not that Clarence Thomas/Michael Steele kinda Black either.Surprise surprise, not all gentrifiers are white.
kristin,
ReplyDeletewelcome to the neighborhood. here is some required reading
http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/
Dave B -
ReplyDeleteThanks.I've seen their book (on stuff white people like). They sell them in the checkout line at Borders. Really funny - and sometimes true.My favorite is how they sometimes know more about your culture than you do and proceed to educate you on it.Once,I actually had a 50 year old white guy explain the difference between rap and hip hop to me (smile).Its all in good fun.
People don't hate Auto Zone because they are an existing business.
ReplyDeleteThey hate them because they are dicks.
They refuse to let patrons of surrounding businesses that could desperately use offstreet parking use their parking lot during off hours, they never shovel their damn snow during snowstorms, they allow illegal auto work to go on in their lot (which often means the auto fluids end up being dumped on neighbors lots), etc.
What's particularly galling is that they got a helluva sweetheart deal to move to that location. Lots of taxpayer dollars subsidized their move there.
And then they reward the neighborhood by being terrible neighbors.
"you wonder why people hate on the newcomers? They have tended to bring businesses that established residents dont use and they get rid of those they do. This is a perfect example. Autozone is used by people who dont or cant pay to get their car fixed at a shop. I dont think that its the best location for the place, but it is heavily used by the community."
ReplyDeleteThen move out. There are plenty of neighborhoods around the DC area that are still stuck in the 1960's post riot years. H street is heading in a new direction. Live with it or get out.
This kind of thing happens all the time. I grew up near Chicago. When the neighborhood started to change and other demographics started flooding in and long running greek, polish and italian family businesses turned into chinese carry outs and mexican groceries, my parents packed their bags and got the hell out of there. While there was no internet at the time, even if there was I'm sure my parents would not have spent their days bitching on the internet about the changes that were coming.
I don't understand this sense of entitlement that just because some of you have been here for 10, 20 or even 30 years, you think you can put a stop to change in your neighborhood.
as a do-it-yourselfer, I like having an autozone so close to home. Plus it's just nice to have a variety of retail options in the neighborhood. I would hate to see H st become nothing more than bars and restaurants.
ReplyDeleteI love when folks post pro-gentrification messages. It fuels me up. I feel like Beavis when he screams, "FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!" over and over again. Please carry on... and gentrify the 'hood.
ReplyDelete"I don't understand this sense of entitlement that just because some of you have been here for 10, 20 or even 30 years, you think you can put a stop to change in your neighborhood."
ReplyDeletepeople have the same right to seek to keep their neighborhood unchanged as you have to try to change it. how is that difficult for you to understand?
What other retail is on H right now? I can say, without a doubt, that I frequent the Autozone much more than any other retail store along H. If there is such a demand to get Autozone out, i'd like to see other types of retail already here, instead of kicking out the one store that folks actually use.
ReplyDeletepoor people should just let rich people do whatever they want. after all, this is america.
ReplyDeleteif you don't like racism and homophobia you should just leave!
ReplyDelete@anon 2:56
ReplyDelete"people have the same right to seek to keep their neighborhood unchanged as you have to try to change it. how is that difficult for you to understand?"
No neighborhood remains unchanged. To claim a right to keep a neighborhood unchanged is like ordering the tide not to come in. It isn't a question of "rights," it is simple free market economics. Existing businesses cater to an existing demographic. When a new demographic starts to move in, the existing businesses will either change, or they will lose market share to new businesses that cater to the changing demographic.
all of your neighborhood are belong to us
ReplyDeletesincerely,
newcomers
property speculation before people said... poor people should just let rich people do whatever they want. after all, this is america.
ReplyDeleteWhat are you talking about? Are you suggesting that we continue to segregate rich and poor? Keep poor people in slums and allow them to continue to receive subpar services because they either don't know any better or don't have the political strength to fight for their due?let's face facts. Our Safeway is terrible because we don't live in Georgetown and while we have 20 people standing at a bus stop in the pouring rain with no shelter, waiting for a bus that will inevitiably be overcrowded, the people in other more affluent neighborhoods have ornamental, pristine bus sheltors that stand empty while some rich house wife drives by it in her Lexus SUV (taking her kids to a private school no doubt). My point is that the reason why our area has substantially improved over the past few years is because of amount of more affluent people moving in.when the tide rises, all boats float or whatever that saying is...
That said if Gray takes over, our kids may not be able to read (since Rhee left), butmaybe we can finally get some *#!+ing bus shelters in NE! Heehee
The poo is officially in love with Kristin. That is all.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't too long ago that H street was a ghost town after 5:30 pm. Now the sidewalks and new bars/restaurants are packed with customers at night.
ReplyDeleteYou say you don't want change and you want things to be the way they have been, but quite honestly there was never anything there to begin with.
There are more strawmen in this thread than posters.
ReplyDeletePoo Poo you beat me to it, me thinks Kristin is a goddess. out!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/
ReplyDelete"It isn't a question of "rights," it is simple free market economics. Existing businesses cater to an existing demographic."
ReplyDeleteIn case you haven't noticed, the demographic who patronizes Auto Zone still lives here. So, your point is null and void.
"When a new demographic starts to move in, the existing businesses will either change, or they will lose market share to new businesses that cater to the changing demographic."
And while the Auto Zone demographic still lives here and patronizes AZ, you can sit your yuppie ass down and choke on your own fist.
"That said if Gray takes over, our kids may not be able to read (since Rhee left), butmaybe we can finally get some *#!+ing bus shelters in NE! Heehee"
ReplyDeleteRhee was replaced with one of her subordinates and most of her old staff is still in place. Rhee wasn't a magician, everything she accomplished she did with the help of her senior staff, most of whom are still there. Reforms will move forward without Rhee.
I should also mention that Cafritz helped a bit pre-Rhee as well. And demographic changes in DCPS alone will account for some upward test score movement. Fewer students, increased parental volunteering, increased parental governmental lobbying, and the x-factors involved in kids from more affluent homes entering the system, etc...
i propose that all the displaced XII patrons overrun the pug. tony t would love that. mu-hu-ha-ha.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to repost this article from other sources as I feel it gives detail and weight to the issue with Twelve.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tbd. com/ has this article.
H Street club XII facing opposition to liquor license renewal
October 15, 2010 - 06:00 AM
By Sommer Mathis (Twitter @sommermathis)
Neighbors complain the XII Restaurant & Lounge is just too noisy. (Photo:
Courtesy XII)
Bernard Gibson, the owner of H Street nightclub XII, got an earful from ANC 6A
commissioners Thursday night. The commissioners say they're fed up with the
constant complaints about loud music, fights, and rowdy, drunk customers from
the venue disturbing residents who live in the vicinity of the 1100 block of H
Street NE.
Gibson downplayed the number of times he's been fined and police have responded to
the club. "This is my community, too."
Despite concerns raised by 6A Chairman Kelvin Robinson that there
weren't very many residents present at Thursday night's meeting to speak to
their concerns (one immediate neighbor did appear and later offered to gather
signatures on her block), the commission voted 5-1 to protest the license.
Commissioner Mary Beatty (6A05) noted shortly before the vote that this would
be the ANC's last chance to voice its concerns for the next two years.
Gibson will now head to the ABC Board for a hearing on Oct. 22.
This comment really bugs me: "...we are really confident that once everything is known, it will all be fine for our people."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/15/AR2010101506088.html
2:07,
ReplyDeleteI think he just meant that he believes the accused at DC9 will be cleared of all charges.
And does anyone really believe that? Those DC9 guys murdered that young man. I don't know how else you can spin that.
ReplyDelete4:14,
ReplyDeletethe facts are not yet fully known. I'm hoping a security camera somewhere may have caught what happened, so we can all know for sure.
That said, I'd prefer to keep discussions here on topic, or at least directly related to stuff on H Street, in Trinidad, or in the larger area north of Capitol Hill. If you want to argue about what happened on 14th Street, you can do it on the Post, the City Paper, TBD, DCist, or a about a million other media outlets.
Some people are biased. There have been numerous other city-wide discussions on here before, but I suppose this one is close to home. I'll respect that.
ReplyDelete11:02,
ReplyDeletecitywide issues are fine, but that particular case (at least its details) are specific to a certain event that occurred way over in NW, not over here. If you want to talk about liquor and bars generally that's one thing, but that particular case is another thing. I don't think that makes me biased.