Shots From Dog Days

Some photos from this past weekend's Dog Days celebration. Hope you had a chance to soak up the good weather and our neighborhood!

The 14th and U Farmer's Market:

Tom and Matty from Borderstan:

14th Street Action:

More vendors along 14th Street:

Looking east on T Street, from the rooftop of Room & Board:

14th Sreet Chess Players:

Washington Post Takes a Tour of 14th Street

In today's Weekend section, the Post reminds everyone that there is a lot of stuff along 14th Street. You know, in case you forgot.

Some nice write-ups of local businesses are included, but those selected for inclusion, and those not included (no ACKC? Point Chaud Crepes, but no Policy? No Pulp? And - gasp - not one single furniture store?) make for a someone spotty examination of the commercial scene here.

With this weekend's Dog Days celebration, anticipated awesome weather, and now a lengthy Post feature, expect a crush of people here this weekend. In other words, park your car by 6 PM tonight and don't move it...then, go and enjoy the weekend.

This Weekend: Dog Days Celebration

With temps consistently in the 90s and the humidity making a trip down the street feel like a walk through a bowl of split pea soup, what better time to celebrate the "dog days" of August? (BTW, I was curious as to what "dog days" meant, because it always seemed an absolutely bizarre phrase to me. According to my good friend Wikipedia, the term "dog days" traces its roots to Roman times. The Roman people associated hot weather with the star Sirius, or "the dog star". Hence, the hottest, most sweltering days of the year are called the "dog days". At least MY curiosity is satisfied...)

Here in Logan, the term "dog days" takes on a slightly different meaning: the 11th annual Dog Days Event, where shops, restaurants and entertainment venues throughout the neighborhood entice shoppers and diners with special deals, and sidewalk entertainment and other special events are ongoing throughout the neighborhood.

As I'm certain that many of our readership consider themselves to be champions of local businesses, weekends like the one upcoming are critical to their success in the neighborhood...so if there's a gift you've been holding off on buying, or a new restaurant you've been wanting to try, this is a great weekend to do it. Rather than simply parroting what Dog Days sponsor Mid-City Business Association has to say about it, I'll just copy the text of their email below. The 14thandYous plan to be out and about, and we hope to see you out as well. Stay cool!

DOG DAYS OF AUGUST RETURNS TO WASHINGTON
DC's Coolest Downtown Neighborhood Hosts the
Hottest End-of-Summer Weekend Event August 7 and 8

Dog Days of August, the annual cultural event which brings together over 100 stores, boutiques, restaurants and art galleries in one of Washington's most celebrated neighborhoods, announces their 11th annual event on Saturday and Sunday, August 7 and 8. The weekend will feature special events, sales, family events and restaurant deals throughout the 14th and U Street (MidCity) corridors, which comprises the area up 14th Street from Belmont Street to Thomas Circle and just off U Street from 9th to 17th Street.

The weekend is anchored by arts events including The Studio Theatre Prop & Costume Sale, the highly anticipated annual sell-off from the 2009-2010 season. In addition, meet local artists and performers at Source and join Cultural Development Corporation and Source resident organizations for family events including improv, step, and light saber workshops for all ages as well as a free showcase performance of the upcoming year at Source.

On the fashion front, independent clothing boutiques including Redeem, Nana, Junction, Lettie Gooch and Treasury Vintage will feature sales of up to 70% off on current season designer clothing and accessories as well as other sidewalk specials. Home furnishing and design shops including Urban Essentials and RCKNDY will be holding floor sample sales featuring discounts of up to 80% off throughout the Dog Days weekend. For a list of stores and offers to date click here.

Cork Market, the accompanying shop to 2010 RAMMY award winner Cork Wine Bar, will stage a donut and lemonade stand on 14th Street as well as a wine tasting and discounts throughout the store. ACKC Cocoa Bar will be hosting a tropical beach party throughout the weekend, while many of MidCity's other heralded restaurants, including Marvin, Busboys & Poets, CakeLove, Saint Ex, 1905, Rice and Policy will be offering patrons Dog Days specials on food and libations. MidCity is home to three 2010 RAMMY award winning restaurants, including Birch & Barley (winner, Best New Restaurant) and Churchkey (Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene) and Cork Wine Bar (Best Neighborhood Gathering Place).

In addition to the great sales, Dog Days will also feature art and cultural exhibits and performances from Sukio Design Co., The Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, and Twins Jazz Club.

"Dog Days showcases the incredibly vibrant destination MidCity has become," says Natalie Avery, Executive Director of the MidCity Business Association. "It brings together all of the best things about the area in one weekend. For localresidents it's a yearly tradition. For visitors, it's a great weekend to get to know one of DC's most unique, thriving, and historically rich districts." The MidCity district is home to many of Washington's most historical and wellknown cultural landmarks, such as Ben's Chili Bowl, the Lincoln Theatre and the Taylor Motors Building that is now home to neighborhood newcomer Room & Board.

Neighborhood thoughts...

Just a few short, disconnected thoughts that I've had rattling around my head for a while.  Take 'em for what they're worth...

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It makes me happy to hear jazz pouring out of HR-57's front door on Wednesday evenings, because it means the week is more than half over.  Conversely, I am less than thrilled when the Sunday Night Football crowd gathers at Stoney's.

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Events like last weekend's Mid-City Arts Festival and August's "Dog Days" event are great for the neighborhood--they bring a lot of people into the area and provide critical support to local businesses and artists.  It would be great of organizations like the Mid-City Business Association could organize more events like it--a monthly artist/gallery hop, for instance?

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ChurchKey's beer selection is awesome.  Really.  If you love beer, you must set aside time to visit this establishment.  That being said, it appears that weekends there are going to be quite busy.  Mr. and Mrs. 14thandyou stopped in on Saturday evening and, after standing around and bumping elbows with the bartenders for about the 1000th time, decided to cash out after one pint.  We can't wait to go back when it's slightly less crowded--but good for them for attracting such a crowd.

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I'm concerned about the safety and general well-to-do of the gentleman who has been living near the mailbox at the corner of 14th and R streets, particularly as the weather turns colder.  I would hope that when the temps begin dipping down to near freezing, he'll have the sense to check into the shelter across the street.

On a similar note, I wonder if the panhandler who has been singing in front of the P Street CVS has been having success with his approach?

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Speaking of the P Street CVS, I wish an employee there would have the decency to turn down the piped-in music, or perhaps turn it off completely.  Peter Cetera, Christopher Cross and Taylor Dayne played at an unreasonable volume does not improve my shopping experience.

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Is it just me, or has the house at the corner of 12th and S streets been undergoing a renovation since the dawn of time?  Ditto the mansion at the corner of 13th and S.

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The Post Office near 14th and T streets gets a bad rap because the building is ugly and poorly maintained, and the staff is surly.  But, credit where credit is due:  I must say, the last few times I have been in there I have received wonderful service from the women working behind the counter.  Which is more than I can say for many of the restaurants in this city.

A Week Later, a Look Back at Dog Days; Plus, Imminent Opening for the Mid-City Caffe

I had hoped to have a brief recap of last week's successful "Dog Days" event up sooner, but family obligations and the always-present "life" continued to get in the way.

Last week's Mid-City "Dog Days" celebration--the annual event showcasing artists, businesses and nonprofits located in the 14th and U street area--was a resounding success, featuring more participating businesses, and attendees, than ever before in the 10 year history of the event. Mr. and Mrs. 14thandyou spent a couple of hours wandering up and down 14th and U, doing some window browsing, enjoying some of the confections from local establishments (Cork's lemonade was a winner) and generally taking in the ambiance of the afternoon.

The attendance at this year's event was of particular importance for local retailers, many of whom could use the boost in sales for what has been, to date, a down year.

"There were more people in/through the store on Saturday of 2009's Dog Days Sale than on any single day of Millennium's 17 year history that we can remember," exclaimed a representative from Millenium Decorative Arts.

Scipio Garling of Big Monkey Comics noted that ""Everything put out -- and we put out a lot -- at the Sidewalk Sale sold. Every single thing. In one day!"


Area restaurants saw a significant uptick in business as well.

"We were so excited to see so many of our regulars out enjoying the day," said Cork's Khalid Pitts. "People even lined up to try Cork's lemonade."

Eric Nelson of ACKC noted that ice cream sales were certainly up at his chocolate shop. ""Dog Days was great for us at ACKC--particularly with sales of ice cream desserts. Given the heat that weekend, [it was] a huge hit."

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A small bit of news to pass along: those of you who participated in Dog Days might have noticed that the MidCity Caffe was up and running that day. Alas, it was but a soft pre-opening.

According to Caffe manager Judith Mandel, an opening for the much -anticipated second-floor purveyor of "fine coffee and pastries" is imminent. "At this time we don't have a firm date, but it is looking to be within [the next] week" she said.

As to the Dog Days experience, Mandel thought that it portends of good things to come for the Caffe. "The customers were so warm and receptive to our business and the weekend setup of Dog Days was a great medium for us to quietly host a pre-opening."

We'll be certain to alert our readers when Mid-City is officially up-and-running.

Get Ready: "Dog Days" This Weekend

This weekend, Logan, Shaw, U Street and other mid-city neighborhoods will spring to life with the arrival of the 10th annual "Dog Days" celebration. Many local business along the U Street and 14 Street corridors will be featuring sidewalk sales and offering special discounts and deals on food, merchandise and services.

In addition to the sidewalk sales, there will be many cultural and entertainment activities ongoing throughout the weekend, such as:

U Street Festival at the 14th & U Farmers' Market
Free treats for your dog at the Shaw dog park (1600 block of 11th St NW)
Music and Arts Open House and National City Christian Church
Studio Theatre's Annual Garage Sale (home accessories, clothing, collectibles and more)
Washington Improv Theater's IMPROV-A-PALOOZA: 10 straight hours of improvisational comedy
Words Beats & Life – Film Screening of Chocolate City Burning

Plus, many of the restaurants in the area will be offering special deals and treats all weekend long (a gazpacho contest at Saint-Ex? Wine and cheese from Cork? We're so there.)

So be sure to make time to stroll our neighborhood, support our local business, enjoy some food from local restaurants, and soak in all of the unique cultural opportunities that our neighborhood presents.

Additional information, including a schedule of events and a list of participating businesses and restaurants, is available at MidCity's website.