I really like how the flower beds at the Ward 1 Senior Wellness Center are planted this year. If I know my plants correctly, it appears to be full of hollyhocks and (I think) delphinium. Maybe someone can help me out on the blue flowers in front.
Flower beds in front of the Senior Wellness Center, Georgia Avenue..
Another view of the flower beds.
Possible new bike rack sites on the 3600 b/o Georgia have already been marked for evaluation.
Last week I posted about the need for more bike racks on the 3600 block of Georgia Avenue, especially in the area near DC Reynolds and Looking Glass Lounge. Since then, I have met with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s liaison with DDOT and the owner of DC Reynolds to review the biking needs of the street. As anyone who visits the area now will see, possible new bike rack locations have already been painted on the pavers indicating where new bike racks might go.
The plan as it currently stands is to install 4 more bike racks for the time being. Because the particular type of installation for the pavers requires large holes to be drilled about 12-18 inches deep, all locations need to be cleared through Miss Utility, which has already been contacted.
In terms of rack installation time, once the locations clear Miss Utility, installation of the racks will be scheduled with DDOT. Installation of the additional 4 racks should be no more than a month.
Once these are installed, this stretch of sidewalk will be at capacity for bike racks. I have also asked DDOT about bike corrals since I know that demand for bike parking will only increase in this area. Bike corrals are going to take much longer to figure out however … and I’m not yet sure whether or not Georgia Avenue being a U.S. highway will be an obstacle or not. Still, should a bike corral be approved, I think the most promising location would be the northern-most parking space(s) on the west side of Georgia just south of Princeton Place.
I’ll provide more details as they become known. I’m grateful to those who commented on last week’s post as they were helpful during Tuesday meeting.
Here’s some street art I found on Georgia Avenue this week. One was at Georgia’s intersection with Columbia Road, and the other was just north of Kenyon Street. I wonder if there are other examples in this series — clearly by the same artist.
Bike racks near DC Reynolds and Looking Glass Lounge continue to be in high demand.
It seems like only yesterday that I was working with DDOT to bring more bike racks to the 3600 block of Georgia Avenue, but in reviewing my notes it was actually in December 2011 that this need was last addressed with additional racks installed in June 2012. Here we are nearly a year later and despite the additional racks installed last year the area near DC Reynolds and Looking Glass Lounge still doesn’t have adequate capacity for those who choose to bike to the area.
In contacting DDOT on behalf of the businesses, I’ve learned that there is a possibility that additional bike racks could be available as early as mid-June. So, I’ll be meeting with a representative of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, who is the bike rack contractor for DDOT, to walk the block next week and evaluate how many additional bike racks can be added and where.
For those who have traveled to the area frequently by bike, I’d be interested in hearing your experiences with the bike racks there. How often have you had to lock your bike to something other than the racks and, ideally, how many more racks do you think would be adequate for the volume?
Petworth Liquor, located at 3210 Georgia.
I’ve been hearing scuttlebutt lately that Petworth Liquors is looking to relocate to a new location. This seems to be in response to the recent sale of the property where they are located, or so I’ve been told. This will not be the first time that Petworth Liquors has sought a new location. Prior to being located at 3210 Georgia, Petworth Liquor was located on Georgia Avenue just north of its intersection with New Hampshire. The photo below dates to ca. 1993, and shows both Petworth Liquor and old Engine No. 24 before they were displaced by construction of the Georgia Avenue Metro station.
Prior to locating at 3210 Georgia, Petworth Liquors was located just north of the Georgia/New Hamphire Ave. intersection.
Nest DC, located at 3634 Georgia Ave., NW.
It was brought to my attention a few days ago that new signage for Nest DC had been installed near Looking Glass Lounge. This was news to me. In calling them, I learned that they are located on the third floor of 3634 Georgia (just above Looking Glass) and have been there for about two months.
According to their Website, Nest DC describes itself as a boutique property management company. After clicking on many of the links, it appears that they work with both property owners and those looking to rent a place. They have identified several neighborhoods that I would presume are where they are especially focused (although Park View is not listed among them), and even offer a design service to help owner better market their rentals.
All things considered, I’m happy to have this business in the neighborhood. It’s nice to have one less vacant commercial space on Georgia Avenue.
Before the Georgia Avenue Streetscape project, the area just south of Otis Place was a dedicated bus stop (oval). Today the bus stop is to the north (diamond).
As I was reviewing area parking back in February to determine where Zipcar could expand in the community, I noticed that there were some areas on Georgia Avenue that could support metered parking that had signage indicating that no parking was allowed. In some cases, signage was completely missing. One of those locations was on the southeast corner of Georgia and Otis Place, NW.
In looking into the situation deeper, I discovered that the southeast corner of Georgia and Otis has originally been a Metro bus stop. However, the recent streetscape project moved that bus stop to the northeast corner of the intersection when they rebuilt the crosswalks to the south. So, at the beginning of March I contacted DDOT to evaluate this location — along with a few others — to remove the bus stop restrictions at the former bus stop location and return the parking space to active usage.
Yesterday, I finally received confirmation from DDOT that at least one more space on the east side of Georgia Avenue (south of Otis) is appropriate. Furthermore, DDOT tells me that there are also 3-4 block faces of unmetered parking around this location that need to be reviewed and shop orders created.
While I have DDOT’s attention, does anyone know of any other Georgia Avenue parking issues that DDOT should investigate?
New sod, sidewalks, and bike racks at The Heights, 3232 Georgia Avenue.
Neighborhood Development Company’s 32 Thirty-Two Apartments/The Heights has reached another milestone, and one signaling the end of the project, its ribbon cutting. The ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8th, beginning at 10:00 a.m.,
If you’ve walked past the building recently, you’ll have noticed that the fencing around the building is gone, there are new sidewalks, and the parking (the area between the sidewalk and curb) has new sod, upgraded street lights, and bike racks.
Work on The Heights began in January 2012, putting the project in its sixteenth month.
The Heights at 3232 Georgia Avenue.
There is also a Website for those wanting to get more details and floor plans of the apartments in the building, named 32 Thirty-Two Apartments — taking a nod from the building’s address of 3232 Georgia.
Below is a typical floor plan for the 32 Thirty-Two Apartments.
2917 Georgia Avenue is in the process of becoming Bravo Lounge.
According to an ABRA Notice of Public Hearing that I received earlier this week — and that will be posted on the building today — the former Enterprise Theater and Jazz Lounge is in the planning process to be a new tavern called Bravo Lounge. The current owner of the building — located at 2917 Georgia and the former location of Henry R. Peters Professional Pharmacy — has been attempting to find a way to make a go of it since he first proposed to operate a liquor store there that met with stiff community opposition in June 2011.
I had the opportunity to speak with the owner, Michael Ressom, several weeks ago, and the business he described sounds like a good fit for the area. It is definitely in keeping with other nearby businesses.
According to the ABRA notice and my discussion with Resson, the tavern will serve food along the lines of finger foods. There will be a seating capacity for 38 inside the building and a summer garden along Hobart Place that seats 20. The area for the summer garden already has a new, level patio in place. They also appear to be in the process of applying for an entertainment endorsement.
The proposed hours of operation are:
Hours for the summer garden:
A new concrete patio space has already been poured along Hobart Place in preparation of the future summer garden.
I’ve enjoyed the Mussels time and again at Mothership.
Earlier today, the Washington Post published Tim Carman’s review of Mothership titled, The $20 Diner: Mothership is Park View’s new refueling zone. It’s a great review and well worth the read if you haven’t had the opportunity to dine there yet. I especially like that one of Carman’s central points is one I’ve been saying since before Mothership opened — which is:
When critics pick apart food trucks, they often focus on congested streets and kitchen cleanliness — as if there weren’t a single public servant devoted to these issues — while glossing over the larger business-incubator implications of the mobile vendors. Mothership, chef Stephan Boillon’s brick-and-mortar expansion of his El Floridano truck, is a prime example of how a small street operator can, in short order, become a grounded and gratifying member of the community.
Mothership is one of two brick-and-mortar food truck expansions that I know of in our general area. Like Carman, I agree that “[t]he city should make sure to nurture these kinds of projects, from food truck to full-service eatery.” It helps small businesses grow in the city, and without this avenue to build business we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the great restaurant Mothership has already proven to be.
So read the review, and consider giving Mothership a try. Chances are you’ll go back time and again.
"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
