It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood for shopping, dining...and a robbery?

Well, today was certainly a lovely day. The Mrs. and I took advantage of the wonderful weather and dined al fresco on the second floor deck of Bua this evening--and tomorrow looks to be even better.

Which is good news for the businesses in the neighborhood. As it happens, tomorrow is the date of the monthly Third Thursday, where area businesses stay open later and offer special deals and discounts, with a number of area restaurants providing free treats for the browsers. Pretty much every area business seems to be participating, so there's far too many to mention here, but you can head over to the Mid City Business Association's website for more information. Hope to see you out tomorrow evening.

And, sadly, one additional way we know warm weather is here: word came through from the Alert DC system this evening of a robbery involving two women with guns at approximately 10 PM along the 1600 block of S Street. Sigh.

Last Chance to Vote for "Best of DC" 2010

Do you have a favorite Logan/Shaw/Dupont business that you would like to see recognized in the City Paper's annual "Best of DC" poll? If so, you need to hurry to get your vote in to the annual popularity contest. Voting closes tomorrow (Monday) for people wishing to cast a vote for their favorite bartender or yoga studio.

The Logan-Shaw area offers a wealth of possibilities for victory: is Longview, Plan B or Transformer the best gallery in the city? Is Garden District or Old City Green the best garden store? Is one of our area hang-outs the best coffee shop in the District? Which one of our innumerable Ethiopian restaurants is tops in the city?

Click here to go and cast your vote. If you're curious who won what last year, the 2009 poll is available by clicking here. Happy voting!

Spring must be around the corner - street sweeping to resume on March 22

My, but wasn't this just a lovely weekend. It's hard to imagine that it was only a month ago that we were in the midst of the snowiest week in DC's history. This weekend's sunny skies and near-60 degree temps seem to bring the entire city out of hibernation. Mr. and Mrs. 14thandyou took advantage of the nice weather by embarking on a casual stroll into Georgetown on Saturday, plans which seemingly were shared by half the people in the metro area. Normally, we might be a bit more averse to sharing the sidewalk with so many Virginians and Marylanders, but considering that it was the nicest weekend we've had since at least November, we didn't mind so much. Drinks and munchies at the Brickskeller (and a Caps win) capped off an enjoyable day.

Nice weather doesn't just mean more people out in the dog park and dining al fresco, it means something else to DC's residents: the start of another year of street sweeping. As in years past, residents and others will be granted a one week grace period from receiving fines for street sweeping parking violations, after which time--beginning the week of March 29--tickets will be issued. Considering the mountains of trash and other detritus left over by this season's storms, I'm actually quite excited at the prospects of the city's street sweeping vehicles coming by and sucking it all up. But street sweeping also means alternate-side parking and, most likely, a parking ticket or two for those among us who forget to move their cars.

Such is life in DC, I'm afraid. Those looking for more information about the city's street sweeping program--including the enormous amounts of gunk that gets picked up by the sweepers every year, head on over to DPW's website.

Couple of 14th Street Projects Stalled

To some, the pace of development along 14th Street shows no signs of slowing: Room and Board continues to plug away at their building at 14th and T, the Copperstone Building near 14th and N is prepared to host tenants in its rehabbed structure, and new restarants and other businesses continue to pop up all along the corridor.




















However, a few large scale projects are currently stalled, with no immediate plans for moving forward. Recently, we wrote about the problems being faced by the Central Union Mission and its efforts to find a new home in order to clear the way for a redevelopment of the massive 14th and R space. North of U Street, two additional projects are mired in the lack-of-financing quicksand, and show no signs of getting off the ground anytime soon.

Up at 14th and W, the long-awaited "14W" project remains little more than a pile of gravel surrounded by a chain link fence. The project officially broke ground in September 2008--which, for those keeping score, was right around the time the economy took a nosedive. As reported on DCMud, Brian DuBose, a spokesperson for Ward 1 councilmember Jim Graham indicated that "nothing is happening" with the project, since financing has not been obtained. The 236,000 sf apartment project was also slated to have in excess of 12,000 sf of retail space, along with a new YMCA.

While the plans for the building remain in place, it's looking increasingly unlikely that anything will move forward prior to the end of the year.

Almost across the street, the same fate has befallen the large, vacant space that once was the blighted Nehemiah Shopping Center. The Center--one of the most egregious examples of ill-advised urban development--was torn down in order to make way for the massive apartment project, which was to include over 250 units along with 17,000 sf of retail space. Unfortunately, financing problems here have also crept up and put an indefinite hold on the project.

You may recall that the lot was originally purchased by DC-based Level2 Development, the same team that is currently putting the finishing touches on View 14 at 14th and Florida. However, in 2009 they sold the development rights to Texas-based UDR in order to focus on the View 14 project.

14th and U: The Nexus of DC Nightlife?

So sayeth the New York Times. Seems the Times has trotted out their annual hey-DC-is-cool-now article which focuses, not surprisingly, on the "Mid City corridor" (roughly Logan Circle, eastern Dupont and western Shaw). The article takes a look at what the Times calls DC's burgeoning nightlife scene, and gets itself all worked up over the fact that we have themed parties here now. (Something I'm certain our Williamsburg brethren would scoff at, such things having been moved on from in 2008.)



Overall, the NY Times seems to like our hood, which is nice. They published a similar article last January, as a tie-in with Obama's inauguration. Way back then, they had this to say:

Long the cultural center for many in the city’s African-American community, U Street went into economic free fall in the 1970s and ’80s. By the late 1990s, business started to re-emerge in fits and starts. Now, dozens of clubs and restaurants stay open late, pulling crowds from all over town and even the suburbs.

And today?

The nexus of the new energy is at 14th and U Streets...recently, local, national and political events — not the least of which was the election of Barack Obama — have met and married, helping to rejuvenate a night life culture that’s uniquely D.C.

Hey, it's nice to have our hood recognized up in big 'ol New York, but maybe they could take a different angle next time? Like, how we're rivaling the Lower East Side in terms of GPB (graffiti per building). Now that would be special.

If you have a few minutes, it's worth a read.

Could Hank's Be Driven Out of Dupont?

Whenever the discussion on this blog turns from snow and graffiti removal towards neighborhood business issues--in particular, restaurants and bars--the conversation inevitably turns towards the role that the ANC and other neighborhood groups play in neighborhood business affairs. It's an argument I can honestly say has two sides.

For example, the ANC can provide a valuable service to the neighborhood and its residents by serving as a sort of "buffer" between the operators and managers of bars and restaurants in the neighborhood, and the citizens who live nearby. We have to live near these places seven days a week, the neighbors say, and thus our voice must carry great weight with those in the city tasked with granting liquor licenses and other applications. And so it is.

The tool used by the ANCs to accomplish this is, of course, the "voluntary agreement." The voluntary agreement, or VA, is somewhat misnamed, as there is little "voluntary" about it, at least from the proprietor's point of view. Restaurant and bar owners forsake the VA process at their own peril; without one in place, the ANC will almost assuredly carry their liquor license protest all the way to an ABRA hearing, where the applicant risks losing the opportunity to obtain a license entirely, likely dooming the business. And although my experience has been that applicants are generally able to negotiate an agreement that works for both the establishment and the neighborhood, there have also been occasions when the process has become unnecessarily adversarial.

Why am I bringing this up now, you ask? After all, the issue is pervasive, affecting every liquor license holder within the boundaries of the neighborhood--in other words, it's nothing new. And I would agree. But every once in awhile, an issue arises that highlights the problems when a handful of individuals in a position of authority behave in a manner that is clearly at odds with the best interests of the neighborhood. In this particular instance, the issue surrounds a popular neighborhood establishment and the process by which a VA was negotiated.

The most recent issue of Metro Weekly contains an interview with local chef/restaurateur Jamie Leeds, of Hank's Oyster Bar in Dupont and CommonWealth in Columbia Heights. Hank's, as you may know, has been one of the few new establishments to open with a liquor license on 17th Street in recent years, due to the liquor license moratorium currently in place there. A beacon of culinary indulgence amongst a sea of mediocrity, Hank's immediately established itself as a neighborhood favorite since opening in 2005. An award-winning establishment, Hank's is one of the few reasons (the other's being Trio's milkshakes and Pasha Bistro's gyros) to dine out along 17th Street these days.

In the interview, Leeds discusses her budding restaurant empire, as well as her future plans--among them, an expansion of Hank's in Dupont. And while there is near unanimous consent amongst patrons and neighbors alike that Hank's has been a positive addition to the neighborhoods, Leeds does not have fond memories of the negotiation process for the voluntary agreement that she engaged in with the Dupont ANC a group of neighborhood protesters. Here's Leeds, discussing the possible expansion of Hank's as well as her anticipation on dealing with the process again:

"...an expansion would be great. Everybody's been so positive in wanting it, in pushing me to do it. But, you know, if I come across any more resistance, it's going to be an issue. We have to amend that [D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration] "voluntary [neighborhood] agreement," and they have to agree for me to expand. It's kind of like I'm back in the same position. If we get any resistance, it'll just leave a very bad taste in my mouth. If it doesn’t enable me to expand, maybe I'll have to move Hank's altogether."

Now, let's be clear: there are a lot of ifs, ands, and buts there. There's no indication that Leeds has any intention of moving Hank's from its Dupont location. But it is nothing short of ridiculous that she should even consider doing so. The purpose of the voluntary agreement is to work out an arrangement for the proprietor to operate his or her establishment according to his or her own desires, in a manner that does not disrupt the lives of the people and businesses nearby. It is NOT a tool to extract every possible concession from the proprietor, and it is being abused if individuals such as Leeds consider the process so daunting and adversative that she leaves open the possibility of relocating the restaurant entirely if things go in that direction again.

Sadly, this is but a singular example in an ever-increasing list of instances where individuals operating within a group that has a degree of neighborhood authority has showed themselves to be out of sync with the direction of the neighborhood and its citizens. Last week, a story ran in the Current about a group of Foggy Bottom citizens--led by a Foggy Bottom ANC commissioner--who were rebuffed in their attempt to halt construction of the George Washington University project at 2400 Pennsylvania Avenue, on the grounds that the building--located in a dense commercial zone and across the street from one of the District's busiest metro stations--was somehow out of proportion for the neighborhood. Last spring, a dispute with Cafe Saint-Ex nearly led to the ANC going to court to protest a change in status for the popular 14th Street restaurant. And we know all too well the ongoing saga of the Wisconsin Avenue Giant project in Cleveland Park, which was delayed for nearly a decade by the actions of the neighborhood's ANC.

Some may read this and respond that the time has come to reform the ANC system in order to diminish the possibility that such situations could arise in the future. However, I think that is premature. As I mentioned at the beginning of this piece, I do believe that the ANC can play a productive role in the process of vetting new businesses for a neighborhood. In instances where a business is behaving as a nuisance and disturbing the neighborhood, the ANC--through the voluntary agreement--has the ability to step in and engage in efforts to force the business to behave responsibly, or risk forfeiture of their license. Such a process shouldn't be marginalized.

However, I would urge residents to play a more active role in the process. ANCs and others do not act in a vacuum; rather, they are comprised of elected officials beholden to the interests of their constituents. When a commissioner is shirking that responsibility, nothing prevents neighborhood residents from making their voices heard and working to ensure that their interests--rather than those of individual commissioners--are heard.

As far as the situation at Hank's goes, it will be interesting to watch the scene unfold. Leeds is currently in negotiations with the ANC on a voluntary agreement, which must be ratified by all parties and ABRA before going into effect. Hopefully, the process goes much more smoothly for all parties than it did five years ago. After all, there is no reason why it shouldn't.

So what's stepping into the Go mama go! space....?

UPDATE: Monday's event served as a lovely send-off to Jonathan Chudnoff and crew. Councilmember Jim Graham (pictured below, with Pulp's Frank Muzzy) dropped by, as did many area business owners, to wish him and his store farewell. (Graham mentioned that he purchased a bowl that evening in order to fondly remember the store as he ate his morning cereal. Insert the joke of your choice here.)



Nothing has been finalized yet with regards to a new tenant at the space, although Chudnoff did mention that he was looking to be out of the space by March 31--dependent upon a new tenant being found for the space. I'll keep you informed if/when I learn more to pass along.

*****

With that leading title, I must confess that I have no idea, but I hope to learn more at tomorrow evening's Mid-City mixer at Go mama go!.

The monthly mixer will be doubling as a farewell to the 14th street retailing institution, with food and wine donated by local restaurants. GMG owner Jonathan Chudnoff will of course be on hand, and I'll try to pick his brain over what might be headed our way. Rumor has it that Best Cellars was briefly interested in the location--until being turned away by leasing broker Blake Dickson. I've also heard that a Subway restaurant as well as a host of other retailers have expressed interest. Hope to find out more tomorrow...

A Blow to Shaw: Radio One Backs Out of Office Deal

Shaw residents pinning their hopes on neighborhood revitalization getting kicked up a notch with the Broadcast Center One may be waiting a while longer. It seems that Radio One--the tenant that was supposed to anchor the 100,000+ sf office project--is backing out of the deal to move from Lanham, MD into new digs at the corner of 7th and S streets NW.



Radio One hasn't yet provided a reason as to why they are backing out of the deal, but with a plummeting price in recent years it's reasonable to believe the decision had to do with profitability--or lack thereof. They might want to start thinking of an answer however, seeing as how the District ponied up nearly $30 million in incentives to bring them here.

The development team--Four Points LLC, Ellis Development Group and the Jarvis Co.--are insisting that the development will still move forward, but it's difficult to envision a project that has already been delayed moving forward without its most significant tenant. (Talks have been held to bring in the United Negro College Fund, but those are still preliminary.)

Broadcast Center One is a mixed-use development that, in addition to the aforementioned office space, will host over 25,000 sf of retail, 180 apartments and a massive underground parking garage. It is one of several projects in the Shaw/Mt. Vernon Square area to face significant delays. Roadside Development's Citymarket at O project remains on hold while financing concerns are resolved, while Marriott, JBG Cos. and the District government fight it out over the rights to develop the long-sought after Convention Center Hotel. Meanwhile, projects like the Warrenton Condominiums and Hartland Commons continue to exist more as pie-in-the-sky dreams than projects that have an actual chance at completion.

When/whether these projects ever get started is anyone's guess, but everyone can agree that these kinds of delays are frustrating.

Sweet Holy Tapdancing Christ! Polly's Has Closed!!!!

With all due respect to South Park, I kind of felt I had to go there with my title order to keep up with the local blogosphere's reaction to the news that beloved/stinky U Street institution Polly's Cafe has closed.



Polly's, located at 1342 U Street, quietly drifted into U Street lore earlier this week with a shuttering of their doors and a brief message on their website promising a personal note in the near future. There isn't a whole lot to say about this, since the announcement was (to me at least) unexpected, and I haven't received any word yet on what may ultimately fill the space.

Admittedly, Mr. and Mrs. 14thandyou weren't exactly Polly's regulars. We found the place to be merely OK, but as is typical of dive-y type places that certain longtime patrons have developed a fondness for, I didn't really get it. But it seems a lot of people did, and if nothing else Polly's was a unique, down-to-earth establishment in an area quickly becoming saturated with wine bars, gastropubs and $14 hamburgers.

And, for the record, those of you looking for a nice, relaxed, affordable breakfast/lunch spot would be well-served by heading across the street to the U Street Cafe. The brunch selections there are actually quite tasty, and unlike Polly's, it doesn't maintain that slight toilet-y smell. So, it's a winner on both counts.

SweetGreen Opens Tomorrow

The latest entry into the Logan dining scene opens tomorrow. SweetGreen, the DC-based salad and frozen yogurt shop, will be open for business as of noon tomorrow at their new P Street location, located across from Whole Foods in the Metropole building.

SweetGreen's menu consists of a variety of gourmet salads, such as "the bondi" (arugula with chicken, avocado, sweet corn, hearts of palm and wasabi peas) and "la scala" (romaine, salami, mozzarella, chick peas, grape tomatoes and chopped basil). The frozen yogurt comes in one flavor--tart--and can be dressed up with any number of combinations of fruit and other toppings. The Logan location is their fourth; other locations are in Georgetown, Bethesda and Dupont.



It will be interesting to see whether SweetGreen will be able to carve out a niche for themselves in their new location. With Pitango Gelato right next door, it's questionable how much P Street needed a fro-yo place, and the presence of Whole Foods and their salad bar presents options for diners looking to pick up some greenery. But SweetGreen's salads have drawn rave reviews, and the prospects of being able to get a healthy dinner option that doesn't involve fighting the masses at Whole Foods is indeed enticing.

Curious to find out for yourself? Stop by starting tomorrow and see what you think.

Graffiti Monster Attacking Logan

So, I don't know whether or not you've noticed, but Logan--in particular 14th Street--has been hit with a scourge of graffiti recently. Anyone who has spent time in the neighborhood knows that we get some tagging here and there--at the Zipcar lot, along some alleyways, etc. But recently, it's getting much more severe. Just strolling down 14th Street recently, I snapped the following:









Many people may not know this, but DPW can actually cite property owners for failing to remove graffiti, once the owner has been notified of it. Practically speaking however, this is one of those laws that is just hardly ever enforced. So, what can be done:

DPW maintains a website--somewhat humorously titled "Not In Our DC!"--devoted explicitly to the issues of litter and graffiti removal. DPW will send a team to a property to remove graffiti, provided the property owner requests it. Citizens can also contact DPW directly through their website to submit a request that graffiti be removed from a property. In addition, DPW offers free "graffiti removal kit" vouchers that property owners can request.

I haven't received any word on what may be responsible for the recent uptick in graffiti in the neighborhood, but whatever the source it's something those of us in the neighborhood can address.

No CB2 for 14th Street? Central Union Mission Move Delayed--Again

More and more, it's looking increasingly likely that the Central Union Mission will be staying put in its location at 14th and r streets for the foreseeable future.

As you may recall, the Mission struck a deal with developer Jeffrey Schonberger in 2006, agreeing to sell the property contingent upon their ability to find a new home. Originally, that home was to be on upper Georgia Avenue, but that move prove unpalatable to Petworth residents--and to the Mission's director, David Treadwell, who maintained that he would prefer to be downtown where the shelter's services would be in greater demand for its services.

Late in 2008, it was announced that the Mission was working on a deal to renovate and move into the currently vacant (and dilapidated) Gales School in downtown DC. However, a possible wrench was thrown into those plans when the ACLU threatened an action against the District on church/state grounds, essentially arguing that any deal by the city to allow the Mission (a Christian organization) to take possession of the school via any means other than a fair market deal or a competitive bidding process.



Throughout 2009, District leaders hemmed and hawed about how to resolve the situation. Meanwhile, in July 2009, Schonberger announced that talks were underway to bring CB2 into the Mission space once the Mission had moved into their new home, putting added pressure on both the Mission and DC to come to an agreement that would end the stalemate with the ACLU.

On January 20, 2010, in an attempt to move the process forward, the DC Office of Real Estate Services issued a solicitation for bids on the redevelopment of the Gales School into a homeless shelter, with a deadline to respond of February 16--a period of only 27 days. Sensing that something was amiss, the ACLU along with a second group, the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, filed a petition with the Office of Real Estate Services to extend the deadline to a full 60 days, arguing that the abbreviated period does not provide sufficient time for other organizations--namely, secular organizations--to respond.

So, what does this mean? Well, it doesn't mean that the Mission is out of the running for the building, but it *does* make it increasingly likely that other organizations will compile an RFP response for the coveted property, which could affect the Mission's chances of securing the winning bid. If nothing else, you can be assured that the selection process will be carefully scrutinized by all involved. If anything appears off about the awarding of the bid to the Mission, you can bet that the ACLU and other organizations will quickly get involved.

For Logan, this means an indefinite delay in the renovation of a large, key property along the 14th Street corridor. Even if the Mission is able to secure the winning bid for the Gales School redevelopment, the process of renovating the facility (which is now merely an exterior shell) into a habitable property will take months, if not years. So those of you holding your breath for the arrival of yet another chain furniture store to 14th Street might want to rethink your strategy.

The Mission is likely to wind up somewhere else eventually, but probably not for quite awhile.

News Flash: Ex-Manhattanite Finds DC Lacking

Recently, I was presented with the opportunity to peruse the always-amusing "DC" magazine from Urban Luxury, the self-proclaimed "premier luxury lifestyle publisher in the United States". What does that mean for DC magazine? Well, apparently it means an attempt to portray (and transform) DC into a smaller Manhattan.























Included in this issue is an op-ed of sorts from an ex-Manhattanite named Mimi Riesner, who has been booted out of her snug Manhattan cocoon and must now face the daunting prospects and deprivations of day-to-day life in the District. By now, we nation's capital dwellers are used to this tired argument from ex-New Yorkers. Basically, it goes something like this: wait, are you telling me I can't get a pedicure while enjoying a fine selection of tapas in the lower level of a jazz club/oxygen bar at 4 in the morning? (Currently, the answer is "no," but I'm certain Eric Hilton is working on just such a concept, provided he can get ANC buy-in.) Fortunately for us, Mimi doesn't disappoint. Among her list of grievances include our lack of 10-hour turnaround dry cleaners, our dearth of rude and reckless cabbies and--but of course--that our spinning classes ostensibly don't burn as many calories as those in NYC (here's a hint Mimi: pedal faster).

She also seems surprised and baffled by the fact that Washingtonians talk to each other (I thought we were all cold and career-driven?) and that cafe patrons actually wait patiently for their sandwich, rather than to yell at the staff.

Mimi appears perplexed that her fashion choices fail to evoke an acceptable level of awe and appreciation by relating a story about being asked by a fellow parent at her child's private school whether her "French-designed pilgrim belt buckles" (which, she notes helpfully, she paired with her Roger Vivier flats) were "functional." Such a moment provokes an epiphany of sorts for Ms. Riesner, who asks herself (for the first time in her life, we learn) whether "extremely large decorational buckles" on each toe made sense. Fortunately, she decides that yes, they do. By God, old seersucker suit-heavy DC isn't going to suck the fashionable life out of Mimi Riesner.

By the end of the piece, it seems that old DC just might be winning Mimi over, however. She seems genuinely impressed to have been able to set foot on "foreign soil" while attending an event of some sort at the Embassy of Cyprus, thinks the Mall is pretty swell, and is pleased to report that DC's cocktail party circuit is forcing her to learn new and exciting things, such as the name of the president of Pakistan. (Note to all you Wikipediers out there: I'll save you the trouble. It's Asif Ali Zardari.) In the end, Mimi is relieved to find that she just might be able to make DC work for her, albeit with a "few adjustments and a lot of patience."

Pondering the apparent influx of Manhattanites such as herself who have recently arrived in the District, Mimi asks rhetorically "Is DC ready for us?" I don't know Mimi, but you do now have me wondering how on earth I have managed for so long to tolerate an unacceptable lack of customer rage at area sandwich shops, but I suppose us Washingtonians simply have "a lot of patience." Particularly for ex-New Yorkers.

14thandYou PSA: Please shovel your walk

With more snow coming (the first few flakes of this new storm are falling as I type these words), we wanted to take a moment to implore you to *please* keep your sidewalk shoveled. Many people don't know it (and, it seems, DPW doesn't enforce it), but there is in fact a law on DC's books that requires people to clear their walkways when snow, ice or other impediments are present. That alone may not be sufficient motivation to get you to break out the shovel (nor, perhaps, the threat of being sued for a slip-and-fall in front of your residence), so instead we're going to appeal to your sense of neighborliness.

Getting around town is difficult enough without having to navigate piles of snow and slush in front of residences and businesses (Im looking at you, 7-11) whose owners couldn't be bothered to keep their sidewalk cleared. If you are physically unable to keep your walk cleared, talk to a neighbor or ask one of the gentlemen walking around our neighborhood carrying snow shovels for assistance (though they will probably charge you).

Your local friends and neighbors certainly appreciate it.

Car-o-saurus

From this past weekend's storm...