Our Secret Closet Opens on H Street

The news came via a local listserv that the upscale women's boutique Our Secret Closet will open on Saturday at 1000 H Street. This would seem to place them at the same location as C.A.T. Walk Boutique.  I'm assuming this is a partnership of some sort with the recently relocated C.A.T. Walk.  Both deal in vintage, and consignment clothing. At any rate, this is terrific news for retail on H Street. Welcome to the neighborhood Our Secret Closet!

WP: Can DC Grow W/its 20 Somethings?

This Post opinion piece discusses the influx of new residents, and wonders whether the District can mature to meet their needs as they have and raise children. You may have noticed a bit of a baby boom in the H Street Corridor. It started on Capitol Hill, but is also happening Trinidad. I'm noticing that many people who moved to the neighborhood within the past several years (sometimes past few) are having children, and making it clear that they don't plan to head for the suburbs. On Capitol Hill, involved parents have worked together to improve the DCPS schools. We've also seen the formation of new charters like Two Rivers.

WCP: Far East Taco Grille Coming to H Street

The Washington City Paper reports that the owners of the Far East Taco Grille food truck have announced plans to open a brick and mortar location near H Street. It's going be carryout only, with grab and go options.

The Carbarn Versus the Pentacle

A reader sends along this link to a post on The Ruined Capitol that has images of both the Carbarn that used to stand adjacent to the Starburst Intersection, and the Pentacle Apartments that replaced it.

Just Out of Sight

 I'm always amazed by the spaces just beyond what we see everyday. This for instance, is the view behind a fence in the 1300 block of H Street. I spent part of Sunday walking around shooting with a friend, and we got some cool alley shots, and well as shots directly on H Street. There was something about this particular vacant lot that just struck me.

Music in the Courtyard Returns

Tickets are $15, include one drink, and allow re-entry. In the case of rain, tickets will be honored at any other Music in the Courtyard event.

Coming Soon to Union Market

Here's what Edens has planned for the Union Market building (the former DC Farmer's Market). As you can see, these are some pretty ambitious plans. They include everything from a bakery, to gourmet cheeses, to Korean fusion tacos, to a raw bar. They will have 40 vendors total, about a third of those will be there full time. The remaining two thirds will rotate (maybe using their space three or four days out of the week). I was told they hope to pen to the public by July. Washingtonian has a larger version of the image, and more info.

Reminder: Farmers Market Tomorrow

9-12pm at 13th and H Street.

Stabbing in 1900 Block of Gales

 
This is in Rosedale. Here's the police alert:

 SCI22D CONFIRMED A A stabbing in the 1900 block of Gales St NE. LOF B/M, wearing a white tank top and blue jeans. DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20120250398 Sent on: 05/23 14:19 Sent by DC Police Alert to e-mail, pagers, cell phones....powered by Cooper Notification RSAN

CP: Change of Plans at 1337 H Street

 The Washington City Paper reports that the Hilton brothers no longer have plans to open a restaurant at 1337 H Street. They have apparently sold the lease, and aren't saying who bought it. Plans change, but the other interesting bit here is something that I somehow missed the first time around. The house's occupants have held a series of arts events in the home, but one of those events got a little crazy. It started with a man named Adrian Parsons. You may have remember him from the coverage of Occupy DC hunger strikers. Parsons, who starved himself for DC voting rights, is no stranger to controversy. He once circumcised himself in public as part of a performance art piece on suicide bombers. Here's how the Washington City Paper described the ill fated festivities at 1337 H Street:

"Parsons arranged FairFairFair, a counter-counter-fair at a new art space at 1337 H Street NE. Kool Raunch staged a show in which ensemble members dressed in togas, threw red paint, and wrestled in the ensuing mess; skinned calves’ heads were also involved. A result of the chaos: Ally Behnke, the 1337 resident who invited Parsons (though she says she never agreed to hosting the performance) got evicted."

This particular property has an interesting history. Five years ago the District took action against what it says was an illegal funeral home. The business owner responded by blaming the FUNERAL MAFIA.

Highlights From the Trinidad Garden Tour 2012

The Other Side of The Fence

1100 block of H Street.

Trinidad Neighborhood Potluck & Block Party

Saturday, May 26, 2012 2:00pm until 8:00pm 1200 Block of Morse Street, NE Come one, come all! Help us celebrate an early Memorial Day and the beginning of a great DC summer! Bring a dish or items for the grills. The water should be on at the spray park so pack some clothes that can get wet. We'll have two areas with DJ set ups for anyone that wants to provide music. (records/iPods/iPhones/MP3 players) Hope you can make it!

Catching Up with The Garden

 Remember some time back when I wrote about a sex toy boutique and sexual resource center coming to H Street? Well, the owner has been making some serious progress, and wants to spread the word about her plans.  Click the image above to read more about the campaign. For those of you reading from work, the campaign video (which will NOT autoplay when you go to the campaign site) does not contain any nudity, depictions of sex toys, or anything like that. It's just a bunch of people holding up different signs while music plays. For more info about the Garden check out their website, or read this Huffington Post interview with the hopeful owner. If you do want to see not safe for work photos (no nudity) check out this BYT photo spread from a Garden party at Red Palace.

Recent Links of Interest

  The City Paper talks to the guys of Red Apron Butchery about butcher shops in DC, and Red Apron's new "commissary." The commissary is where they will break down whole animals, cure their meats, and produce their sausages. Though it isn't mentioned in the article, that commissary will be located right in the Florida Avenue Market. Unfortunately, there are no plans for a retail component at that location at this time. You can, however, snag their goods every Saturday at the farmers market at 13th and H.

Housing Complex looks at how exactly vacant properties can turn from eyesores, back into productive parcels. DC Curbed rounds up the ten least expensive properties in Trinidad (they range from around $175k to $275k). Curbed also checks out three rentals in Trinidad that you can snag for under $1,500 a month.

City Desk crunches the numbers on babies born in the District.

Have You Seen the ANC Boundaries Recently?

If you are like me, you have seen maps depicting what are assumed to be final ANC boundaries, but haven't quite committed them to memory yet. A recent conversation with a friend prompted me to take another look. I live in what is currently 5B08. On the new map, I'll be in 5D06. ANC 5B currently has 12 SMDs (Single Member Districts). Under the new boundaries, we will have seven SMDs. That's great news in my opinion. You may remember that I served one term as commissioner for ANC 5B (I chose not to run for re-election, and endorsed someone else instead). One of the major problems with ANC 5B was its size.  Look at the map below to see the current boundaries. My neighborhood concerns are very different that the concerns of people way up in some of those northern SMDs. Plus, there are twelve SMDs on this map. That means twelve different commissioners from very different parts of Ward 5 all voting on the same things, even when many of those commissioners know little about the issue/area, and are not personally impacted by the votes. That's a recipe for disaster. Up until about ten years ago ANC 5B actually had FIFTEEN SMDs. Isn't that incredible?

Fate of a Salesman Screening Tomorrow

I received an interesting email from a man by the name of Ben Crosbie. He's DC filmmaker working on an H Street focused documentary called Fate of a Salesman. Here's the summary from the film's Facebook page: "After 60 years of business, Willie Carswell and his fellow salesmen are fighting to keep their store alive on a rapidly changing street in Washington, DC."

He's still working on the final product, but you can view the work in progress tomorrow night at GWU at 7pm. A facilitator will moderate an audience feedback session after the film. Suggested donation is $10.

A New Day For Ward 5

As I'm assuming everyone has heard, Kenyan McDuffie won by a landslide last night. Though I expected him to win, I thought it might be a pretty close election. Through the hard work of a broad coalition of awesome individuals, McDuffie was able to get nearly 45% of the vote. He took home 4,085 votes out of a total of 9,175. The total number of votes in itself was impressive for a special election (especially one held on a rainy day).

I'm excited about this because it's a clear mandate for an ethical candidate for Ward 5, and one who will bring a brighter future to all of us. He leans more progressive than the other frontrunners, and can tip the Council vote in a positive way. I see that as very good news for the entire District of Columbia.

Kenyan was endorsed by Tommy Wells, and I'm thrilled to have a Ward 5 Councilmember who can (finally) work well with the Ward 6 Councilmember. This opens up so many opportunities for development on Bladensburg Road and Benning Road that build on the excitement and action already present on H Street.

I wish I could say that Kenyan swept Trinidad, but the winner in precinct 77 (my home precinct) was Delano Hunter, and Kathy Henderson won precinct 78 (where I worked yesterday). That said, Kenyan did make an impressive showing over here. Plus, the overall turnout for Trinidad was quite good, and that's terrific news. Thanks to everyone who voted.

You can read more about the results in the Washington Post.

CP: A Gas Station Grows Near H Street

Photo provided by the creators of the Shell No website

Housing Complex has the latest on that pesky gas station coming to 14th & Maryland. The developer has sought for sometime to build a gas station at that location (which was previously a used car lot). The community has pushed back hard against the idea, even launching a major campaign against it in 2008. The developers have not been the best of neighbors over the past few years, freely allowing a very noticeable homeless encampment to develop.

Recently, however, the developers obtained permits to build their station (or actually to renovate what is apparently an existing one) on that site. It may not be the most exciting use of the site, but it looks like we're stuck with it.

Some past coverage and an image from the old Shell No campaign after the jump
 

Great Video from Kenyan McDuffie for Ward 5

I love this video from Kenyan McDuffie. I think it highlights some of what I wrote in my endorsement of him the other day. On a day when some Ward 5 email lists are seeming especially race baity, it's nice to see a video about people coming together.

WP: Ward 5 Election Comes at an Anxious Time

I've been reading and rereading this article while discussing it with friends over email this morning. It's Washington Post coverage of Ward 5 just prior to our special election on Tuesday. Maybe I'm groggy from the meds, but there's a lot that strikes me as absurd about this article. Take a gander, and tell me if I'm off.

GGW: Liquor license Moratoriums, Yea or Nea?

A writer over at Greater Greater Washington objects to them generally on several grounds. The possibility of implementing such a moratorium on H Street comes up every so often. Where are people on this issue?

CP: Delta Towers II?

The City Paper reports that the Delta Towers II project is back.  Delta Towers is, of course, that tall building on Florida Avenue, just as it hits the Starburst Intersection. Delta Towers provides senior housing and services. They also have a big parking lot, and plans to construct a second tower on that site.

Here's an interesting doc from the first time they tried to build Delta Towers II. If it had all gone down as planned, construction would have begun in 2010, and the last unit would have come online a couple of months ago. This may be an earlier draft because I notice that it proposed 150 units, and the 2009 proposal that City Paper refers to is for 100 units (Delta Towers I has 138 units). This doc from 2009 (presumably) is an interesting read not only because it discusses the history and mission of Delta Towers, ut because it runs through an analysis of changes in Trinidad, and the H Street Corridor.

4 H Street Businesses Get $85k Grants

Euro Style is among the grant recipients  

Four businesses along H Street recently applied for and received $85,000 grants from the District government.

Those businesses are:

AtlasVet (1326 H Street): AtlasVet is a full service vet clinic offering primary care services. The will use the grant funds to improve their retail offerings.

Editor's Note: Playing Catch Up

Untitled, a photo by Marcin Wichary on Flickr

You may have noticed light posting recently. I've been sick, sick, sick, since this weekend. I'm still sick, but I'm going to try to get caught up on some of the stories I have neglected to post.

Action at the Ohio Restaurant

A reader snapped this quick pic of a crew painting the exterior door and window frames at the long vacant former home of the Ohio Restaurant (1380 H Street).

Black Supermarket

Walter Jamison of Black Supermarket (910 13th Street) stands in front of his candy selection


For years people had asked me how Black Supermarket got its name. One day in 2010 I asked Walter about it, and got a very interesting story that I used for my Hill Rag column. Does anyone know the answer (NO Google cheating!)?

Vote! Get Your Friend & Neighbors to Vote

Early voting for the Ward 5 special election lasts until Saturday. The polls will be open for election day Tuesday May 15th. Call 202-595-7775 if you need a ride to the polls. Turnout is expected to be low, so every vote really does count.

Why I'm Voting Kenyan McDuffie for Ward 5

Here's why I'm supporting Kenyan McDuffie, and why I think you should too. Kenyan McDuffie is the best choice to lead Ward 5 forward. He's a former prosecutor and civil rights attorney who has dedicated his life to public service. I respect him, and because I feel strongly about his candidacy, I have been volunteering with his campaign. That has been a great experience because I've been able to see the diversity of the people supporting him. Kenyan's supporters are diverse not just in age, and race, but also in class, candidates they have supported in other races, and life experience.

Kenyan McDuffie was born and raised in Ward 5's Stronghold neighborhood, but he is well versed in issues throughout Ward 5. I know this because I've had the opportunity to speak with him at length about some of  those issues. Jobs and economic development are key issues in Ward 5 and Kenyan understands that streets like Bladensburg Road present opportunities, as will as challenges. One thing that always irked me about Harry Thomas was that he never seemed very focused on the opportunities present on Bladensburg Road. It's very close to the development on H Street, and we should attempt to capitalize on that...build on it. There's been talk of creating a mini-arts corridor on Bladensburg Road, and that is not an impossible goal. If you think it is, remember what H Street looked like ten years ago.

C.A.T. Walk Boutique Opens Tomorrow

A reader just emailed me with news that the C.A.T. Walk Boutique will open at 12 or 12:30pm tomorrow. They are going into the old Sonny's Plumbing space at 10th and H. The owner also told her that the Mayor might stop by around 2pm. C.A.T. Walk Boutique sells vintage clothing. Their previous location was in the 1400 block of H Street.

CHNNA Mtg Tonight

Sorry for the late notice about this Capitol Hill North Neighborhood Association meeting. The general meeting will be May 2nd from 6-7pm at Two Rivers Charter School located at 1227 4th Street NE (Florida Ave & 4th). Tommy Wells will be speaking about the recent shooting on L street, and elections will be held for the four Delegates at Large.

Mailbag: Should I Worry About Slow Development?

Seriously, H Street is blossoming 

 A reader writes in with the following concern:

 Hi, I am moving to the H Street NE neighborhood in a few months, and am pretty excited about all of the development I read on your blog and others. Except I see a lot of articles about plans that were finalized nearly two years ago (like H Street Connection and the Maia) that haven't started development yet. So, I am wondering if we have turned the corner and development is expected in the coming months, or whether you think it will take a lot longer for H Street to reach its potential.
M.


My response after the jump.

Trinidad Garden Tour May 6th

The Trinidad Neighborhood Association presents a Trinidad garden tour Sunday May 6th. The fun kicks off with a pre-tour social at 11am at Tony's garden (11:30 Montello). The tour starts at 12pm and runs until about 3pm. Refreshments will be served along the way. Contact Laura to add your garden to the tour: 202-344-5753 or casperson.laura[at]gmail.com.

Local Food News Round Up

DSC_0150, a photo by aebivins on Flickr

Prince of Petworth reports that Shawafel (1322 H Street) is rolling out a food truck (all the cool kids have them these days). This is making me crave Lebanese food right now.

Eater talks to an owner of Watershed (1225 1st Street NE) about the restaurant's first year.

The Cooking Channel has a great video about Toki Underground (2nd floor 1234 H Street) and its amazing ramen .

The blog Jessica in Search of... also covers Toki.

Not H Street specific, but NPR does have a nice piece on restaurants that don't do reservations, or offer very limited reservations. We've talked about this before regarding Toki and Granville's. I was even considering the issue while waiting outside for an hour to score a table a Matchbox one recent Thursday. I like this article because it really breaks down the pros and cons of different policies. The author also speculates on what DC might see more of in the future.

Found Pit

I just found this beautiful grey pit bull running in front of our house on the 1000 block of 9th street. She is the sweetest dog and has a red color with a green rabies tag. She is now at the NY ave shelter and they are tracking down info from her rabies tag. Please please post and maybe someone is looking for her! Last time we posted the golden retriever's owner saw the post. Thank you!!!
Marc