Sunday, January 29, 2006

fundaraiser for north capitol

Please mark your calendar to attend the neighborhood social event of the season -- the North Capitol Main Street, Inc. Design Committee’s Third Annual Winter Blues Party and Silent Auction, to be held on Saturday, February 25, 2006 from 7 pm to 10 pm.

This is sure to be a memorable party [just ask anyone who went to the First or Second Annual Winter Blues events!] where you will be able to meet and socialize with neighbors and friends, have some good wine and great food, and bid on some cool silent auction items, all while supporting a great cause!

Party details are as follows:

What: NCMS Design Committee’s 3rd Annual Winter Blues Party & Silent Auction
Where: Social Hall, Trinity University, 125 Michigan Avenue, NE
When: 7 pm to 10 pm, Saturday, February 25, 2006
Featuring: * Silent auction
* Wine bar
* Hors d’oeurves
* Live jazz band
* Gift basket raffle
Minimum Donation: $25 at the door [$20 for individuals age 65 or older]

Purpose: To raise money for the beautification projects of the NCMS, Inc. Design Committee. Funds raised from the 2006 Winter Blues Party will be used to make additional improvements to the public parks the Committee has adopted on North Capitol Street, as well as additional streetscape improvements on North Capitol Street and at First St. and Rhode Island Ave., NW

a bakery?


i can hardly believe my eyes, but i'm reading a blooomingdale newsletter and i see

"Heller's Bakery "Branch" Coming to 1st & T Street NW"



hellers website


lets hope this really happens.

Saturday, January 28, 2006

got crack?

if you have a problem house in your hood check this out:

Operation crackdown

hot spots

Eckington/Rhode Island Avenue NE Hot Spot
Bound on the South by R & Q St. NE, on the West by Lincoln Rd, on the East
by 5th St. NE and on the North by RI Avenue NE.



link to hot spot information

Friday, January 27, 2006

mcmansions in arlington

this is a short video piece about a mcmansion in arlington.

i thought it was pretty funny.
click here for post


its what In Shaw would call crack head design

Thursday, January 26, 2006

more on street cars

this is the newsletter about the alternative transporation study.

its a pdf file.
click here

i know its not our neighborhood

but im fascinated by the progrees happening along h street ne.
read the discussion of street cars here

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

article about housing project

“We seem to be getting a dinosaur,” Isaac said, wondering aloud if it could evolve into another Sursum-Corda. “The intent is noble but we don't need to import problems. This community is already struggling. It's not solid middle-class.”

DC North article
scroll down to the second heading:
Eckington/Edgewood: Housing Headache?

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

184 unit low income housing project

there have been countless emails flying back and forth on the eckington listserve about this.

The Catholic Charities and St Martins are planning to build a low-income apartment building encompassing an entire block. The boundaries are T street( to the south), Todd Place( to the north), Summit place ( to the east) and the City Lights School. This is across the street from McKinley Tech.

Funny that in Eckington, where there is already a HOMELESS SHELTER attached to a GRADE SCHOOL ( ! ) there should also be a place to put low income housing across from a DC pulic school.

To me, its a mockery. A spit in the face of hard working and community minded people in Eckington. Why does Eckington keep getting dumped on?

Does anyone support this project thats not making money from it?


History has shown us that the construction of HIGH DENSITY LOW INCOME HOUSING in an already drug and crime plagued urban area is highly volatile. That there exists people that think this is a good idea, points to the fact that we learn nothing from facts.

Please do not take us back in time.
Please do not sacrifice the progress that has been made in this recovering neighborhood.
Please do not move forward with this project.
Please step up to the present.

this is, in my opinion, the best website discussing urban issues. Please check out
Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space





Also, Please read about the Ellen Wilson Project, a mixed income housing project in SE DC.

how wars start.

this was on a few of the neighborhoods listserves today



Today, a large group of male teenagers around 4:30 p.m. and a few adult males -- attacked a young boy in the alley. The boy was unconscious from the beating. When myself and several other adult neighbors came outside the large group moved on. I immediately called 911 as did several other neighbors.

The group disbanded and the boy lay unconscious in the alley. I pleaded with his friends to not move him until the ambulance came. He could not stand or walk on his own. They lifted him up and carried him to 1711 Lincoln Road where he lay on the sidewalk. Then later they carried him down the alley to get away before the police arrived.

After I hung up with police and fire, I ran down to the alley to check on the boy. My neighbor ran outside to give the boy some ice to put on his face. His friends were crying and carrying him down the alley -- promising to retaliate later on today.

The young boy could not have been more than 12 or 13 years old. I am still a bit shaken up from the experience.

Monday, January 23, 2006

day work

this morning i made a run to home depot and noticed a bunch of men lingering around the parking lot.

Day laborers? seems like it. Seems like a wise place to hang around looking for manual labor too.

i hadn't noticed them before today. Lately its been rare that i make a morning run to Home Depot, since i loathe the place, so i may have missed them. But i still go to giant often enough. Perhaps this is a new thing




Please note: I support the right of anyone to perform work that is legal for citizens. Much better than the sad ass con stories i get from those bumming on the streets. When begging for money is eliminated in this country, then i feel, we can deal with the sometimes controversial issue of day laborers.

Saturday, January 21, 2006

train tracks on h street

read about it on Frozen Tropics


other stuff
google map of dc crime

in addition to contractor guy, big news in the hood is the proposal to build an 180 something unit low income housing project in eckington. i'll post more about that it a bit.

Seems no one except for the catholic charities and anc rep. Cleopatra Jones like the idea. Makes me wonder how much the idea is worth to her.

Friday, January 20, 2006

news in the bloomingdale

Contractor Guy!

seems like he's mentioned often on all the discussion boards.


the story itself doesnnt matter. the bottom line is- Dont be such suckers people!
don't give strangers on the street money unless they are playing music.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

of late

i've been out of town a lot lately so havent posted much about the neighborhood.

the only things i've heard and noticed lately are

1. the rumor of a diner theatre type establishment opening on North Capitol.
2. the three presentations for the firehouse have been made and that we should hear more by the end of the month
3. crime in my alley has been crazy lately and the cops havent been around much.
4. the ATF building is gigantic.
5. h street is going to be rocking once all the stuff comes out of the pipeline there. i heard that there will be a train/trolley running along h street from union station down benning.

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

firehouse

i have heard that the presentations for the firehouse are supposed to happen next week. Seems that people representing one of the applicants were able to reschedule the original meeting so that they could get their proposal in the mix.

So there are three possibilities in the mix. as i understand it, they all include some type of "restaurant"
1. a bloomingdale resident and restauranteur.
2. a bakery/coffeeshop
3. a food court type thing. "small restaurants" is the pitch.

lets hope that whatever is chosen, it happens smoothly and quickly.

Sunday, January 01, 2006

D.C. Plans River Ferry Experiment

The District's Department of Transportation has begun considering several proposals for a commuter ferry service on the Potomac and Anacostia rivers and hopes to have a vessel on the water by next spring, officials said.


read article

local business

If you have a storefront business, or plan to open a storefront business that serves blooomingdale, eckington, or truxton, i'll post a link to it here. just let me know.