I saw the portrait below painted on the base of a street light outside of Meridian Pint over the weekend. It is on the Park Road side of the property. I definitely like it … and am wondering if there are any other street lights out there with painted portraits on them.
Below are photos from May 29th showing the current state of construction of The Avenue, which began leasing in April.
The future lobby from the interior, looking out
Progress shot of one of the building’s units
While walking along Georgia Avenue over the weekend I noticed that Bill’s Seafood Kitchen — commonly referred to as Fish in the ‘Hood, has made a significant change to its tag line. Now, one of Park View’s better kept secrets located at 3601 Georgia boldly continues to sell some of the best fresh seafood offered in D.C. under a new sign that reads: Fish in the neighborHood.
I was not the only person to notice this change. In addition to readers who sent me the heads up, the Washington Post featured a story about the change on May 29th titled Gentrification spelled out: Fish in the ’Hood renamed Fish in the Neighborhood
According to the article, “last week, Bill White, the restaurant’s owner … climbed a ladder and hung [the] new boardwalk-style neon sign that reads: Fish in the Neighborhood, with “neighbor” in a contrasting color. The new sign puts a spotlight on what remains and what has changed in th[e] Georgia Avenue neighborhood known as Park View.”
Back in April I posted about SeeClickFix and the ability to report issues needing city attention to the citywide 311 call center through it. What I was most interested in at the time was how effective it might be. Here’s what I’ve found so far.
Graffiti requests on public property are taken care of quickly, generally within two or three days. I have had two instances where the ticket was closed without any actual work being done … but was able to have the issue addressed on the second time around.
Reported dead trees are marked quickly, also within a day or two. Requests for new trees are acknowledged, but as new trees are not planted until the late fall and winter, it is presumed that it will work well.
Sign replacement requests can be on the slow side (several weeks) … but they do tend to happen. My requests to replace signs faded beyond usefulness were fulfilled as were requests to replace missing traffic and street signs.
Has anyone else used this service? If so, what has your experience been? What works, what doesn’t work?
General Logan’s tomb at the United States Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery on Harewood Road — just north of the old Soldiers’ Home
Almost two dozen communities claim the honor of having observed the first Memorial Day. With the Civil War recently over, it is likely that there were many local memorial days honoring those that had given their all for their country. Yet it is General John A. Logan who is most closely association with the holiday and given the most credit for making it a national holiday.
General Logan has this honor due to his official proclamation, as national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, to designated 30 May 1868 for the “purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion.”
Logan’s call for remembrance was issued on 5 May 1868 in his General Order No. 11.
The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war).
Logan believed that the role he played in establishing this national holiday “was the proudest act” of his life. And it remains his greatest legacy.
General Logan died on December 26, 1886. His final resting place is just inside the gates of the United States Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery on Harewood Road, just north of the Armed Forces Retirement Home. His tomb is easy to visit for anyone in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Stereograph view of General John A. Logan, ca. 1861-1865, image from Library of Congress
Z-Burger will be located in the former Tivoli Theater
Z Burger’s application for a sidewalk cafe permit at 14th Street and Park Rd, NW, was heard on the evening of May 24th by the District’s Public Space Committee (PSC). Z Burger’s pubic space application has been under review for nearly a year, first coming before ANC 1A in July 2011.
Z Burger’s application for a sidewalk cafe was approved contingent upon the following conditions (please note: this is not the specific language used by the committee, but a summation):
1) Z Burger will choose furniture that is more consistent with the furniture at other restaurants in the Columbia Heights Public Realm, subject to the approval of the Office of Planning.
2) The layout of the sidewalk cafe as applied for by Z Burger will remain the same, except for the removal of a four-top table (the middle of the three tables to the left (west) of the granite bench) and the handicap four-top table adjacent will be shifted to the left (west), in the former table’s place, allowing greater access to the granite bench.
3) Z Burger will only have a fence that runs parallel to Park Rd. There will be no fence enclosing the bench or on either the east or west sides of the cafe.
I have attached a copy of Z Burger’s plan. You will have to mentally make the modifications to the plan as approved by the PSC. The photo of the fence attached is what I believe PSC approved. When I receive a final version of the committee’s decision, including images of the fence, I will provide it.
The Park View School from the south ca. 1919
The Historic Preservation Review Board voted unanimously yesterday (May 24, 2012) to designate the Park View School a landmark to be entered in the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites, including the interior of the auditorium, and that the nomination be forwarded to the National Register of Historic Places with a positive recommendation for listing as of local significance.
Below is an excerpt from the Historic Preservation Office Staff Report on the Park View School, which sums it up nicely.
Park View Elementary is sui generis. While it is consistent with the school property subtype associated with the first municipal architect, Snowden Ashford, it is unique for its 700-seat auditorium. No other elementary school before 1949 had its own dedicated auditorium, although some had gymnasium/cafeteria/auditorium spaces. And such multipurpose rooms did not compare to this soaring space, with its balcony and remarkable, complicated trusses, clearly calculated to serve as a public meeting and performance venue. Inside and out, Park View is a superior specimen of the public elementary school.
The second in a series of weekly meetings to plan community events at the Park View Recreation Center was held last night. The meeting’s focus was on the coming Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and a later event to celebrate the Park View Family.
The ribbon cutting that will officially reopen the renovated and newly constructed basketball court, playground, athletic field, and adult exercise area is hoped to occur at the end of June, possibly on either June 23 or June 30. In any event, those at the meeting are striving to have the event on a Saturday. A lot will depend upon when the renovation work is completed but that could be as early as June 18.
Those at the meeting agreed that the ribbon cutting event should be used to launch an afternoon of smaller events that focus on food, community, and games that emphasize the features of the outdoor recreation area. While the main recreation center will close at its normal 4 p.m. Saturday time, the outdoor area will remain open to at least 7 p.m.
It is not too late to participate. The next meeting will be at the Park View Rec Center on Thursday, May 31st, at 6:30 p.m.
Finalizing the ribbon cutting event planning as well as continued planning for the Park View Family Day later in the summer or fall still need all the participation people are willing to give.
The MetroAccess Van pictured below hit a street light at the intersection of Warder and Irving Streets, NW, yesterday morning. An authority was on the scene and traffic seemed to not have been affected. Luckily, the van looks to have taken the brunt of the impact, and the street light on the southeast corner may have prevented any further damage to parked automobiles &/or houses.
Last night’s Humanities Council of Washington, D.C. program on Georgia Avenue was held at Chez Billy’s, 3815 Georgia Avenue. The primary focus of the interesting evening was on long established Black businesses along Georgia Avenue and Howard University.
After opening remarks by Howard University president Sidney A. Ribeau and Councilmember Muriel Bowser, Sylvia Robinson moderated a conversation with Maybelle Bennett of Howard University, Haile Gerima of Sankofa, Sandra Fortune-Green of the Jones Haywood Dance School, B. Doyle Mitchell, Jr., president of Industrial Bank, and Romeo Morgan of Morgan’s Seafood. Many of them spoke about their dedication to the Georgia Avenue communities, and how difficult it was for African American businesses to get established along the corridor 50 to 60 years ago.
In the case of Industrial Bank, Mitchell related a story about opening their first branch on Georgia ca. 1962. As it was difficult for Blacks to purchase real estate even at that late date, Mitchell recalled having a light skinned African American who could pass as white make the purchase for the bank.
Other themes touched upon by the speakers were concern about displacement and the need for newer residents to become familiar with the history of the corridor. In her closing remarks, Humanities Council Executive Directory Joy Ford Austin touched upon the importance of the humanities and history in helping all of us that live in Washington get to know each other and come together as communities.
As successful as the evening was, I truly hope the Humanities Council will consider expanding their focus on Georgia Avenue in the future to include an event that covers the first 120 years of its history.
A few of the many, many attendees at Chez Billy’s for the Celebration of Georgia Avenue
"The territory comprising Park View extends from Gresham Street north to Rock Creek Church Road, and from Georgia Avenue to the Soldiers' Home grounds, including the triangle bounded by Park Road, Georgia Avenue, and New Hampshire Avenue" (from Directory and History of Park View, 1921.)
Metrorail disruptions WUSA-TV – DC News Washington Business Journal
