"Sunset Liquors destroying the park at 1st & Florida Ave NW"

Recall that CapitalSpace plan has been released. This is an effort by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the National Park Service and the DC Office of Planning.

Want to actually read the plan? There are references to Bloomingdale, LeDroit Park, Eckington, Truxton Circle, the McMillan Reservoir and the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) site.

Here is the link to this CapitalSpace plan document: http://capitalspace.gov/Draft_Plan/FinalDraftCapitalSpacePlan.pdf .

A Florida Avenue NW comments:

I just reviewed the March 27 Bloomingdale e-mail regarding the CapitalSpace plan and its references to “transforming small parks.” Let's hope that Bloomingdale is not defined by the Park at First and Florida NW . I don't know what community they are talking about as using that Park, it certainly isn't the residents of Bloomingdale.

With all this talk about bringing liquor establishments into Bloomingdale, I thought I might offer a sobering thought. A couple of weeks ago we had Beautiful weather. Florida Avenue and the surrounding streets were besieged by drunks. There were no seats available in the Florida Avenue Park. The alleys were full of people urinating (and using drugs). Loiterers were on every corner. Broken bottles and empty cans littered the sidewalks and Streets. People were staggering around everywhere. Sunset liquor did a land office business in single beers, nips and ice cups.

Contrast that with noon on Sunday, there were only two people in the Park, there were no loiterers on the corners, no drunks walking up and down the sidewalk, the alleys were clear and there weren’t any cans and bottles being strewn around. It was quiet, it was clean and it was nice. Why, because Sunset Liquor was closed. No source of liquor, no drunks, no problems. I believe we should be very careful about embracing liquor establishments until the existing problems caused by liquor in our neighborhood are resolved. Until Sunset Liquor disappears, Our Park will not define the residents of Bloomingdale and will continue to be a nuisance.

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale for 03/28/2010

Here is the list of Open Houses for Sunday.

Pat Mitchell: Thank you from North Capitol Main Street

See this message from Bloomingdale resident and North Capitol Main Street Executive Director Pat Mitchell:

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here: http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001Xj-HQOIjbAUERlK77OYhPLOq_GkHmVfq7oVez1EYc3SQM6wTvPH-nFXD2jxUnTnR0nVP8wO_1euRIm3sOKi1M2pkm9OhhJyu9yrj7QylC_M%3D

THANK YOU

FROM NORTH CAPITOL MAIN STREET

Carla Merritt, President LeDroit Park Development

Columbia Enterprises, Inc.

Giant Food

James W. Miller, Manager Greenebaum & Rose Associates

NoMa Business Improvement District Bruce Baschuk, Chair

The Linda Greene Group, LLC

Union Center Plaza Management Corporation

Sam Rose, Owner Washington Gas

Youngblood Capital Group

AND . . . . . . to each of you who helped North Capitol Main Street make its 5th Winter Blues Party & Silent Auction a success through donations and ticket purchases, we say simply . . . thank you for allowing us to earn your support.

We, at NCMS, will continue to give our best to improve the business environment in your neighborhoods.

armed federal marshalls at 2nd and V St NW this morning

See this Friday, 3/26/2010, message from a resident on the unit block of V Street NW:

Does anyone have any info on what was happening at the corner of 2nd and V Street NW this morning?

There was a lot of police activity with armed federal marshals.

Du Vin Osteria at 14th & Florida NW: not on my list of local retail to patronize

I like to patronize and promote local retail whenever possible.

After reading this post at the U Street Girl blog, I am not sure that I will be patronizing this Du Vin Osteria wine bar at 14th & Florida Avenue NW when it opens.

Read about it here:
http://ustreetgirl.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/removing-a-comment-from-my-blog/

and, from DCist:
http://dcist.com/2010/03/local_blogger_removes_comment_after.php#comments

back to brick sidewalks

From a resident on the unit block of S Street NW:

We have had the brick sidewalks for a couple of years now and my opinion on brick sidewalks is that they are highly overrated. If any work has to be done on piping below ground the bricks are torn up and when they are re-laid they do not match. Weeds grow in between the bricks and that is OK for those homeowners that do maintenance but too many just let the weeds grow. Shoveling snow is harder because of the unevenness. The bricks crack and break and I don't know when or if they will be fixed. It would be better if they city could use a colored concrete (cement?) and stamp to look like bricks.

Boundary Stone

A hearty crowd stopped by this evening for the open house at 116 Rhode Island Avenue NW provided by the hosts Gareth Croke, Matt Croke and Colin McDonough. Nearly everyone who attended exuded great enthusiasm.

First off, the name of the place is Boundary Stone, which sounds totally cool.

There were some three-fold handouts distributed with info about the vision for the business, a sample menu and brief bios of the Croke Brothers and Colin. There is no website yet, but they will be working on Facebook and Twitter in the short-term. I hope to scan the three-fold into a PDF and post it somewhere for everyone to see.

The interior will sport a bar of some sort, with some tabled seating elsewhere. There was chat about having mezzanine-level seating above the kitchen area in the rear. Plus, there is the option of outdoor seating in the front. The sidewalk is broad enough there to accommodate it. Above the dropped ceiling are the original tin Sylvan Theater tiles, which look great. I am hoping that they can incorporate the tin ceiling tiles into the final design.

Regarding the liquor license -- the intent is to pursue the tavern-class liquor license -- the same class of liquor license that Baraki pursued and obtained. The tavern-class liquor license makes more sense than the restaurant-class license, since the requirements for the percentage of food sales to satisfy the restaurant-class of liquor license is simply too steep of a bar to realistically achieve.

They will soon have the official ABRA liquor license application notice posted on the front window.

Note that the business has already been before the Bloomingdale Civic Association and ANC 5C to provide a courtesy advisory that they would be returning to actively solicit support for the liquor license. So there has been no "vote" yet. That will come soon. Expect the voluntary agreement process to play out.

Timetable? Perhaps the Boundary Stone will open first quarter of 2011.

Did we mention that our trio are also Bloomingdale residents?

"eat, drink, gather" open house at 116 R I Ave NW tonight

Those of you clamering for a restaurant / bar (??) in Bloomingdale better be at this open house tonight at 6:00 pm.

read me! open house at 116 R I Ave NW this Wednesday, 3/24/2010

See this message from Bloomingdale resident Gareth Croke:

Wouldn't you like to see this space -- 116 Rhode Island Avenue NW -- transformed into a place where you could eat, drink and gather with friends and neighbors? Please come and share your comments, concerns and suggestions with the partners of Bloomingdale Hospitality LLC on Wednesday, March 24th between 6pm and 8pm. Or email us at oldblooms@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing everyone and sharing our exciting plan!

OPEN HOUSE AND Q&A

116 RHODE ISLAND AVENUE NW

Bloomingdale Hospitality LLC Mission Statement:

"Bloomingdale Hospitality LLC is crafting a neighborhood establishment created to foster a warm, welcoming environment where people can gather to enjoy food, drink and the simple pleasures of music and good company. It is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission. We support our community and embrace the powerful role that business has in environmental and social responsibility. We are resolute in our desire to achieve a sustainable business and be a positive force in our community." -- BLOOMINGDALE HOSPITALITY, LLC

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for 03/21/2010

Yay, Spring! This is so much better than people slogging through the snow to go to Open Houses. Here is a list of Open Houses scheduled in and around the neighborhood for Sunday.

I have a great new listing at 37 Seaton Pl NW that will be open Sunday from 2-5pm (it's in the link above). It's priced at $535,000. and here is a virtual tour.

I also wanted to bring attention to another one of my recent listings in the neighborhood. The Urban Turf blog (www.urbanturf.com) did a If I had a Million Dollars... post on The Bloomingdale Inn!

"not all of Bloomingdale has had drug crime rooted out"

From a resident of S Street NW in ANC 5C03:

I could not let this go by uncommented. From ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti's exhortation to pull supercans off the street:

"Although we have rooted out most of the typical drug crime from Bloomingdale, we still have some."

I think John is the best of the best as an ANC commissioner, but this is a ridiculous statement. Making progress, staying on top of it, keeping thugs on the run, sure, all true. But "rooted out"? If he meant to say "typical drug crime" (which is what: sales? public use? robbery? assault? prostitution? burglary? or everyone's favorite, public urination?) has been "rooted out" of his district, let him be reminded that there are other parts of Boomingdale that remain yet unrooted.

Seriously unrooted.

seeking locksmith recommendations

From a resident of R Street NW:

We are seeking locksmith recommendations. We live in Bloomingdale and need someone to install a doorknob and change several locks throughout the house.

addressing a notice of violation of trash in the rear of one's property in the alley

See this message from a property owner in the Stronghold:

As a property owner in the Stronghold), I would like to know if anyone in the community has had experience with getting a notice of violation for trash in rear of their property. And how they were able to resolve it without paying the penalty, if so.

It is fairly clear to me that someone other than myself or my tenants chose the alley right behind the fence of my property as the dumping ground.

So two things -

1) I’m curious, if as property owner if I am responsible for this – it does appear to be in the alley, which I understand to be public property

2) Who I can contact (with the least amount of time/effort/money) to resolve.

Any help from the community is appreciated!

"Almost a 100% increase in our property tax bill"

From a 1st Street NW resident in Truxton Circle/Bates area/East Shaw/Dunbar:

I received my first half year tax bill. It is almost twice what my first half tax bill was last year. It is almost equal to what my whole tax bill was for last year (first and second half year bills combined). I thought they could only require you to pay 10% above what you paid the previous year. This is almost a 100% increase in payment. When I called the tax office they said that we are now required to pay taxes on 40% of the value of our homes due to something the city counsel had voted on last year. I don't recall hearing about our tax bills going up like this. The value of my home went down. Anyway, I think it is unfair to hit us with almost a 100% increase in our tax bill.

U Street NW resident falls into wet concrete

See this message from a U Street NW resident:

I fell into half a foot of wet concrete in front of Big Bear Cafe at lunch today because someone didn't mark the "don't walk" sign anywhere. Although I'm responsible for carelessly and hastily walking in the concrete, it wasn't something I ordinarily think about.

Please let the neighborhood know to be careful walking around because they might ruin all of their favorite clothes and shoes like I did. Construction Workers are a red flag.

Beware,

Also, I was walking on a crosswalk. What genius decided to forget the "do-not-walk-in-front-of-this" sign?!

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for 03/14/2010

The Spring Market is here but lots of Sellers seem to be staying put this year. Once again, we're seeing lots of qualified buyers out there and decreasing inventory. Here is what is being held open in and around the neighborhood on Sunday.

"I need to take some cabinets to the local dump. Where should I go?"

See this Email exchange from a T Street NW resident and John Salatti, ANC 5C04 commissioner who represents a chunk of Bloomingdale:

On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 5:45 PM

John and Scott;
Greetings gentlemen.

Hate to bother you both but have a question as I have not had a need for it before.
If we have some cabinets, wood and other stuff that we need to take to a dump....where is ours located? Are they open on Saturday and what are the hours for the week also? Would my driver`s license suffice to be able to dump some stuff there?
Thank you for your help and guidance.

From John Salatti:

I have an answer, but it is not absolutely clear. The cabinets can definitely go to the Fort Totten Transfer Station at 4900 John F. McCormack Road NE just north of Catholic University. The wood may or may not be something they will take. The transfer station does not accept "construction materials" (usually things like drywall and concrete). The transfer station is open Saturday from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm and the number there is 576-6803. Someone at that number should be able to give you a more definite answer about the wood ad anything else that you want to get rid of.

Please let me know what you learn!

Here is the URL: http://dpw.washingtondc.gov/dpw/cwp/view,A,1202,Q,517961.asp

Good luck,

John
--
John T. Salatti
Commissioner, ANC 5C04
(202) 986- 2592
"Together, Building a Better Bloomingdale"

sidewalks being redone on the unit block of Randolph Place NW -- but/not/in/brick

The message below is from a household on the unit block of Randolph Place NW. (Moderator note: the pic to the right is a generic "brick sidewalk" pic.)

The unit block of Randolph Place NW is once again having its street and sidewalk torn up -- we were told for new gas lines. This will be at least the 2nd time in 5yrs. Each time, our trees are damaged and our sidewalks are never actually repaired. I contacted Mayor Fenty and Councilman Thomas to see if we could have our sidewalks improved. Councilman Thomas told me that there was no money available for brick sidewalks, but that I could attend a Dept of Transportation meeting on Feb. 25th. Mayor Fenty also directed me to contact his Dept of Transportation point-of-contact, Mr. Jeffrey Marootian ( jeffrey.marootian @ dc.gov ).

I spoke with Mr. Marootian this morning. He was very appreciative of our frustration. The sidewalks will be replaced with concrete. The city will take preventative action to make certain that our newly planted trees will not be damaged. He mentioned that he had spoken with several residents of the unit block of Randolph Place NW in the last few days, asking that brick sidewalks not be used. So, for those 40+ residents who signed a petition a while back requesting brick sidewalks....it looks like that will not be the case. Feel free to contact Mr. Marootian if you would like to press the point.

challenging one's DC property tax assessment

From a 1st Street NW resident:

My property tax assessment went up nearly $84,600 which is a 15% increase from last year. My question -- has anyone successfully appealed their assessment and what documentation/support did you use to argue your case? The 1st of April is fast approaching.

Moderator note: The slanted "O" symbol above is the logo for the DC Office of Tax and Revenue. And now you know that!

Fedex delivery left on the front stoop -- not there ...?

From a resident at 31 Florida Avenue NW:

Wanted to let you know that a FedEx box containing $215 worth of bicycle parts (for one of my housemates) was left on the front stoop at 31 Florida Ave NW today, with a note in the mailbox saying it was behind the potted plant. When my housemate arrived this evening, it wasn't there.

Delivery people should know to leave packages hidden under the stoop in this neighborhood.

Big Bear Cafe's pursuit of a restaurant-class liquor license

What do you think about Bloomingdale's Big Bear Cafe pursuing a liquor license -- specifically, a restaurant-class (and not a tavern-class) liquor license?

Keep in mind that Aleks Duni, owner of the not-yet-opened Baraki pizza tavern at 1st & T Street NW, went through a community process -- leading to a voluntary agreement -- for a tavern-class liquor license. So Bloomingdale has already survived the voluntary agreement process for a restaurant-/tavern-class liquor license.

See this slightly edited copy of a recent post at Mari's InShaw blog regarding Big Bear Cafe at the 3/1/2010 Bates Area Civic Association (BACA) meeting.

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Big Bear Beer II

http://www.inshaw.com/blog/2010/03/big-bear-beer-ii.html

Sometime after all the youth/school related stuff at the BACA meeting, about an hour into it, we finally got to Big Bear and their general ideas of pursuing an ABC liquor license. There were two persons from Bog Bear, one being Matt Sellers, the other guy a blond barista.

Big Bear is aiming for a CR license. For those of you unfamiliar with the wonderful world of ABC licenses, a class C Restaurant license is one for places where at least 45% of revenues come from food sales. It is different from the class of licenses for bars or corner markets. There was one objection mentioned, coming from a Baptist minister, presenting his concerns about people getting drunk and hanging out in the park. This was countered by the Episcopalian church secretary reminding him of Jesus' first miracle at the wedding at Cana, turning water into wine.

There were questions about Big Bear expanding and the space they have. The bear is kind of landlocked and the space above is leased to tenants, so in the near future, nope. Maybe, years down the road. Another question was the issue of vagrants/ neighbor characters. Characters do drop by to get a glass of water and to use the
bathroom and for the most part they don't cause a problem.

The idea is Big Bear has a vibe as a cafe, hang out and they have no intention of becoming a bar, they just want to expand their food service options. I asked the barista (m) if the idea is to offer something like Teaism, and he answered in the affirmative. As far as I can tell despite having a small park area and a restaurant/bar across the street, the Penn Quarter Teaism fails to produce drunkards rolling out of its doors.

+++++++++++++

Some additional info supplied by your moderator:

Here is the definition of a Class C license from the DCRA ABRA ABC Licensee Handbook
http://abra.dc.gov/abra/frames.asp?doc=/abra/lib/abra/licensee_booklet_052609.pdf

Retailer – on-premises
(restaurant, tavern, nightclub, hotel, multipurpose facility, common carrier)
 Class C: may serve beer, wine, and spirits

Annual food sales requirements §23-2101; 25-101(43)(A); 25-101(43)(A); 25-113(b). Food sales for both class C and D restaurants must meet 45 percent of gross annual revenue or a particular dollar amount per seat: $2,000 per seat for class C restaurants and $1,500 per seat for class D restaurants.

helicopters flying overhead in the nighttime

See the text of an Email from a resident of Flagler Place NW from early Sunday morning at 12:29 AM.

i'm following up on our conversation last week about the helicopters flying overhead in the middle of the night every night for well over a month.

i'd like to know if other neighbors have complained and/or uncovered any additional information about why this is occurring and when it may stop.

as i mentioned, the noise wakes me up each night for the 1-2 hours that they fly back and forth overhead. i am seriously sleep deprived at this point. i borrowed my neighbors fan this week to help drown out the noise. otherwise, i would have had to sleep elsewhere.

it's now 12:30am and the helicopters have already started flying overhead.

what can we do about this?!

Moderator note: This neighbor has already contacted her ANC commissioner John Salatti.

request for contractor advice & referral

From a LeDroit Park resident on 3rd Street NW.

We are looking for a couple of things. First, recommendation on type of home repair assistance -- we are not sure if we need a contractor, or a plumber, or a jack-of-all-trades, or all of those? And second, we would like some referrals to people who have done good work in the neighborhood. Our issues: first, it seems we have a leaky heating vent, that's caused damage to part of our ceiling. We think we would talk to a plumber/heating/HVAC person, but assume they would not fix the small part of the ceiling that is damaged. And second, we need to get some concrete in the back releveled so rain water goes into the alley not against our and and our neighbor's ouse. Our question: who would I talk to, could we get one person to deal with it all, which would be ideal? We've had some spotty experience with contractors lately, and would appreciate some insight from other householders. Names of contractors and/or specialists in plumbing and concrete would be greatly appreciated! Alison, aaraab [at] gmail [dot] com.

Moderator note: Residents looking for contractor referrals can review the Home Services tab at the DC BACA blog here: http://dcbaca.wordpress.com/home-services/

feeding the defecating starlings on T Street NW

From a Thomas Street NW resident:

Someone at 115 T Street NW is feeding the starlings again. These people like sh*t underfoot since they let Ginger the dog into the alley to do so. Now she's fenced in when present and can't subject us to it, but they're making sure the starlings do it to us.

Maybe they'd like to squat in the alley and join them to make more of it. I hope they like a besmeared car with starling sh*t that damages the paint job. Not to mention the rats they're feeding. There was one on my back porch at high noon and one sitting in the yard. I guess the rats figure if they're being fed they're acceptable in daylight on people's porches.

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for 03/07/2010

Active listing inventory is super low, but here are open houses scheduled in and around the neigborhood for Sunday.

did your Bloomingdale property tax assessment increase this year?

From a resident on the unit block of U Street NW:

This may be of interest to the list. We received our property tax assessment last week and for the second year in a row, they have raised the taxable value of our home by the maximum 10%. There is no way homes in Bloomingdale are gaining in value 10% each year in this economy. Last year I fought the assessment and won. Sadly, I'm gearing up to do it all over again.

Overtaxing residents is not the way to make up for budget shortfalls. I'd be curious to see if others are seeing their tax assessed values raised the maximum amount as well. Hopefully everyone pays attention to those bills.

does NO ONE think that camping out in Crispus Attucks Park with kids is a fantastic idea?

It sounds like a great community-building, family-friendly activity.


Why the silence?

camping on Crispus Attucks

See this welcome message from Bloomingdale resident Mike Giordano:

Hello Bloomingdale neighbors!

I’m Mike Giordano. I live on the 100 block of U Street NW with my partner Bob and our 5 year old daughter Kayla. I’m looking for volunteers to help organize our first Camping on Crispus Attucks.

With the guidance and support of John Corea, the Crispus Attucks Park Board and John Salatti, we’re going to have a family-friendly night out in the park – similar to what the Park Service does in New York’s Central Park.

Let’s keep it simple…set up your tents, bring your portable fire pits, roast marshmallows, sing campfire songs, perhaps even tell ghost stories. Then, go to sleep by the sounds of crickets and sirens. There may be a small fee to cover the portable toilet. I’m hoping that the campers will be willing to donate marshmallows, fire wood, and such.

Worried about safety? Don't. We have the support of the local police. In fact, an officer or two will be joining us overnight.

I’ll need help with things like: signage, renting a port-a-john, creating agreements and registering campers, post-camp cleaning, potential activities and such.

If you’re interested in helping out, email me at mike.giordano.msw @ gmail.com or call me at 202/ 234- 5178.

For registration – that will begin in a month or two.

Hope you’ll join us!

Mike

V Street NW cat found

From a resident on the unit block of V Street NW:

Does anyone in the unit block of V Street know anything about a gray cat hanging around the street? It's gray and fluffy and I think it's been out much of the winter. If anyone has any information, can you please email me at malindabrent@yahoo.com? If no one claims it, I'm going to try to find it a home. Thanks.

homeowners have large electric bill increases in January?

From a resident on the unit block of U Street NW:

I am interested in knowing if other homeowners received a massive increase in their electric and/or gas bill for January.

I believe the electric bills were estimates and not actual reading. My January 2010 electric bill increased by $400 and just wondering what others had? My home is heated in the winter time by electric.

female pitt/lab mix needs to find a new home

See this 2/28/2010 message from LeDroit Park resident Maria:

From: Maria and Christian
Subject:
Neighborhood Dog Needs New Home
To:
Date: Sunday, February 28, 2010, 4:49 PM

I was approached today by a neighbor, Ms. Pamela Walker, from W St. who needs to find a new home for her dog. The dog is a 1-year old female, pitt/lab mix and is NOT fixed. She is up-to-date on her vaccinations (Ms. Walker indicated that she has appropriate paperwork.) Ms. Walker indicated that she is housetrained. Ms. Walker needs to find a new home for her dog as soon as possible, as her landlord has threatened her with eviction (she is not allowed to have dogs in her apt).

If you are able to take her dog, or perhaps know of a rescue organization that may take the dog, please contact Ms. Walker, or her daughter Keyonna at 202. 528. 4522 (this is Keyonna's phone).

Let's help to keep this dog out of the dog shelter!!

--
bloomingdale.ledroitdoggroup @ gmail.com
Committed to building a sense of community and increasing safety in Bloomingdale & LeDroit Park by establishing and maintaining a dog park at Gage-Eckington.

using tax increment financing (TIF) money to allure Costco to DC

Recall the news that the Radio One project in Shaw had been axed? http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2010/02/22/daily70.html

At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown floated a trial balloon shortly after the Radio One withdrawal announcement that perhaps that TIF money could be redirected to get Costco to come to Ward 5.

See this comment from an Adams Street NW resident:

So they want to take 6 million dollars of TIF money raised from taxing existing companies and spend it to attract a gigabucks corporation to build a big-box store and drive current merchants out of business? That's kind of putting the basket we are currently going to Hell in and mounting it on a luge!

Wouldn't it be better to spend $100,000 training people to run consumer cooperatives and start up small businesses, and give the rest back to the companies to pay their bills? Maybe just sell some lots around the Metro to builders to build houses or stores for whatever the market will pay for. Why the city thinks its politicians can decide these matters better than existing businesses has always been a puzzle to me. Why politicians think they should have large sums of money to play with has always, unfortunately, been much more clear, and undesireable.

LeDroit Park, Eckington 2010 property tax assessments decreased

Property tax assessments for 2010 have come out.

The assessments for both LeDroit Park and Eckington have decreased.

Note that Bloomingdale does not exist for property tax purposes. "North Bloomingdale" is part of LeDroit Park. "South Bloomingdale" is part of Eckington.

See here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/27513385/2011-Assessment-for-Residential-Properties

See this 2/27/2010 Washington Post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/26/AR2010022605706.html

police called over snow-shovelled "reserved" parking space incident on Thomas St NW

From a resident on the 100 block of Thomas Street NW:

After reading so many wonderful reports of neighbors acting in a neighborly way throughout the last few weeks, I have an unfortunate (unneighborly) incident to report. On Saturday morning, my husband walked out to our car to find that it had been vandalized.

A neighbor living at xxx Thomas Street NW [near Thomas & 1st Street NW] wrote in some type of black marker all over the driver's side window of our car (I won't repeat the cursing on our window).

Not only did this neighbor admit to vandalizing our car, he continued to yell at us when asked to confirm whether he did this and freely admitted the action to the police when called. He even went as far as talking about how great all the neighbors had been during the storm and using that as an excuse to vandalize our property (ironic considering we had writing all over our car window from him).

The neighbor (although I hate to even call him that) accused us of parking in "his spot." I would like to point out that while I understand that he may have put in time shoveling out "his spot," so did we (and "our spot" has been filled since we first moved our car) and many of our other neighbors (who have also returned to first come first serve parking for the same reasons).

I'd also like to note, that not only was Thomas Street continually plowed during the storm, that as of the end of last week, the only snow restricted space on Thomas Street was the entrance way to the alley, the no parking space in front of the fire hydrant and the handicapped spot. The snow has not been a problem for parking in several days.

My note to you - Beware of parking anywhere near xxx Thomas Street.


The residents of xxx Thomas Street NW didn't bother to introduce themselves (not surprisingly). We did call the police and filed a report, but I don't believe an arrest was made. The police stopped came by about an hour after we made the report, but the marker the guys had since gotten the marker (or whatever it was) mostly off the glass. The police noted that they needed to see the window to take any further action.

It seems like such a silly matter but the fact that we had to deal with this from neighbors (grown adults too) is still a bit shocking to me.

DPW resumes recycling collections

From a resident on the unit block of Adams Street NW:

I noticed that a lot of our neighbors on unit block of Adams didn't know to put their trash at the curb last week. The result has been overflowing trashcans in the alley/back yards. I did a cut and paste from the announcement in the Bloomingdale listerv newsletter and I'm circulating the note to my neighbors on the unit block of Adams. I don't know if this is something others would want to do, but it sure could help with the trash/garbage situation. I have attached what I'm putting at my neighbors' doors.

2/23/2010 8:30 a.m. Update, I just spoke to Monique of the DPW Public Information Office, she said she found out late last evening that alley pickup will resume. However, because citizens were told to put trash out front, DPW will also pick up trash from curbside.

TRASH COLLECTION – WEEK OF FEB. 22, 2010

Excerpted from an announcement in The Bloomingdale Community Email

Your neighbor at ________________

DPW RESUMES RECYCLING COLLECTIONS STARTING MON., FEB. 22

Both trash and recycling to be collected from the curb, following normal schedule. Residents are asked to use their recycling containers – blue carts and/or bins – and put the containers next to their trash containers (or dark plastic bags) at the curb. (NOTE ADDED: PUT BLEACH IN BAGS TO DISCOURAGE RODENTS.)

DPW suspended recycling collections for two weeks due to the snow; therefore, many households have more recyclables than will fit in the containers. These overflow recyclables may be put in brown paper bags or cardboard boxes and placed next to the carts or bins.

Both trash and recycling collections will follow their normal schedule. Residents are asked to put their containers out between 6:30 pm the day before their collection and 6 am of their collection day. Snow in District alleys is beginning to melt. However, not enough melting has occurred nor are temperatures forecasted to be sufficiently high to promote substantial melting to create certainty that DPW collections crews safely can collect trash and recyclables from alleys.

Linda Grant, Public Information Officer, 202/671-2375/desk
202/497-1080/cell

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale for 02/21/2010

There are still plenty of snow mountains around Bloomingdale, but at least life is returning to some sense of normalcy. Here are the scheduled Open Houses in and around the neighborhood for Sunday.

snow removal request on 200 block of Florida Ave NW

Here is a request from a neighbor on the 200 block of Florida Avenue NW:

I live on the 200 block of Florida Ave NW- the even side.

Because half of the block has rear-facing R street NW houses and the Three D car lot there is a HUGE stretch of the block that never gets shoveled every time it snows.

I would shovel myself, but I have a herniated disk in my back and am not physically able to. I am BEGGING the residents of the 200 block of R street NW who have a back entrance onto the 200 block of Florida to PLEASE SHOVEL THE WALK.

Additionally - to the owner of 3D Motors, please shovel in front of your business. In order to get to my car (I park on the 200 block of R street), I have to walk with my back to traffic in the street....I have seen people getting off the bus and being forced to stand in the middle of the street because the bus stop is covered in three feet of snow. It is dangerous, to say the least, especially at night.

snow parking wars

See this 2/17/2010 Email received from a 1st Street NW resident:

I know there has been a lot of debate on the issue. I just wanted to send you this photo as evidence that the parking wars are still going on. I personally think it is a little ridiculous people are still doing this. I would have been marginally more understanding last week, but there is no need for it this week, as much of the snow is/has been removed.

I found this sign on the unit block of V Street NW today.

Bloomingdale being invaded by starlings ??

From a Thomas Street NW resident:

A couple of years ago, I saw on television a block on Capitol Hill that was invaded by starlings. I wish I hadn't because it is scary. These starlings took the block over and pooped all over the streets, the cars, etc. If you let your dog out, you had to clean his feet before letting him in the house. I've been seeing more starlings and seagulls here in Bloomingdale and more of their poop all over my house and adjacent houses. When these birds breed, their offspring remain and breed in the same trees (at the rate of 3 birds a season) which is why they took over that block on Capitol Hill. I wondered why there were all these newcomer birds around T and Thomas Street NW when I saw a person living at ll5 T Street NW putting out food. Please do yourself and the neighbors a favor and stop this unless you want to clean your dog's feet and your car perpetually.

Starlings can survive on anything and need no food.

Open Houses scheduled in and around Bloomingdale for Valentine's Day

Despite the snowy streets, there are several open houses scheduled for Sunday.

"reserving" cleaned street parking spaces

This message is from a 1st Street NW resident.

(Try to be nice when commenting.)

1st is a PUBLIC STREET with PUBLIC PARKING, not Private Concierge Servce

I have witnessed on several occasions over the last few days of people "reserving" their cleaned parking space along 1st street, as if they have some sense of entitlement to a specific parking space. In one case, a new resident on V street pulled his car into a cleaned spot on 1st street, did more shoveling about it and then proceeded to "reserve" HIS spot with 2 wooden chairs when he was away.

I also saw a resident of 1st street come home, kindly remove those chairs and parked in the available PUBLIC PARKING SPACE.

Sadly, the V street resident, upon returning home many hours later, felt betrayed and began shoveling snow and ice upon the parked car. A Vengeful act of unkindness based upon a false premise of entitlement.

Everyone, you do NOT own a sparking space on first street or any street, even if you spent an hour digging your car out of one. There is not enough space on first street to park and really, I think if anyone has any level of entitlement, it may likely be those who pay to live on first street...a right to park near their home.

Sure, anyone can park there and everyone is welcome to park anywhere they find a space, BUT we do not have private spots, reserved spots, or metered spots. If you want your private spot, I suggest you buy a home with offstreet parking or find an offstreet spot to rent.

In all the kind neighborly news, it is really sad to see people putting chairs and white plastic boxes, and other things in spaces to reserve for them hours later. It is even sadder to see people trashing other peoples cars because they parked on a public street in a free spot that is open to anyone.

Treat your neighbors with respect. Parking is first come, first serve. If you don't want to lose your hot spot, then walk or take the metro or taxi and leave your car there. If you move your car, the space is no longer yours. And perhaps a visit from the police department for throwing ice and snow on someone else's car will make you think before you do that again, too.

mail theft on S Street NW on 2/9/2010

See this 2/9/2010 message from a resident on the 100 block of S Street NW.

I thought it right to share an experience I had this afternoon, Tuesday, Feb 9th at 4 PM.

I had just delivered some mail including a Netflix envelope to the basement unit’s mailbox and was sitting in my bay window facing the street. I noticed a male and female walk by the path to the front door. She casually scanned the front and basement doors then walked onto my property to the basement. I observed her go down stairs then quickly return to the sidewalk and hustle to catch-up to her male friend. It seemed odd that if she were a friend of my neighbor, she would have knocked on the door and I would have heard it. I heard nothing. I looked in at the basement mailbox paper holder that was now missing the Netflix envelope. Looking down S Street, I saw her discard the brilliant red Netflix envelope that I delivered minutes before. I immediately followed after her west on S Street toward 2nd Street NW. I picked up the discarded and now empty envelope, checked the address (mine) and said to the girl "Excuse me, I think that you took my Netflix by mistake." With that she handed me the CD and proceeded to make multiple unrelated excuses. I pointed out that I watched her crane her neck to look down into the basement from the sidewalk, walk back six feet to my front walk, disappear down there, reappear and now there we were. More excuses.

Key to this is remembering the email traffic about similar experiences reported on this listserv including a missing gift card, credit cards, etc. (I also found a newly torn-up Wachovia document but could not identify its owner.) Fortunately, I had my phone and took the girl's picture. You will see that she is carrying a Scrabble board game under her arm. Suffice to say it is worth 1,000 words. Her male counterpart was African American, 6'2" 200 lbs, braided hair, three quarter length black winter coat, black pants and a black skull cap/winter cap. I didn't get a good look at his face as he only glanced over his shoulder, laughed and kept walking.

I called MPD who arrived in under 10 minutes, took careful notes and saw the picture. They checked and this is mail fraud and tampering with mail. It is a federal crime and not their jurisdiction. US Postal Inspection Service was called and a case opened. I highly suggest that the people who have experienced the same contact USPIS Mail Theft Division at 877-876-2455. You will have to navigate a couple of prompts but that is just to get your locality and the right local inspectors division. Alternatively call the general USPIS number at 202.636.2303.

helping elderly neighbors with snow shoveling, etc.

See this 2/10/2010 message from an Eckington resident on the unit block of R Street NE:

As this snow gets deeper, I am of course worried about my elderly neighbors on R Street NE in Eckington. Reasoning through it, I know that two of my elderly neighbors both live with their children, so their children will help. My neighbor immediately next door is an elderly widow who lives alone. Though she does have family in the neighborhood, we are checking on her/assisting with shoveling as needed and possible.

Could you send out a note to the list to ask everyone to do the same thing, i.e. make a mental note of their elderly neighbors, what their resources are (family wise), and go over to check on them and assist with shoveling as needed? After so many days of snow, some of them may be beginning to run out of staples and/or medications. Even if they are just fine, I'm sure they will appreciate a friendly face--and it never hurts to ask
if someone could use a little help--especially since a lot of people probably have time on their hands!

more snow plowing needed in Bloomingdale ... ?

See this 2/9/2010 message from a household on the unit block of S Street NW:

My husband and I are new residents in the Bloomingdale neighborhood - hopefully. We purchased a house on the unit block of S Street NW and are supposed to be moving in this Friday, after 6 months of renovations. I'm getting more and more concerned that we are not going to make that deadline given that none of the side streets in Bloomingdale appear to have been plowed as of 11:50am Tuesday (today, right now). He and I have been making our way via Metro from our apartment over to the house everyday to shovel snow, and have not seen any improvements in our street conditions. It's slightly disconcerting considering nearby Rhode Island Ave and Florida are both completely clear. We even went so far as to flag down a plow and ask him to make a pass through that neighborhood. He said he was going off duty but would radio it in. We don't know for sure if he did, and I understand the magnitude of this storm, but if you check out this link to the DDOT Snow Tracking page (http://snowmap.dc.gov ) you can see that there are some side streets off Eckington Pl. NE that have had multiple passes. We apparently have not had a single one. Is there someone we should be contacting about this? Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.

stolen mail in Bloomingdale

Okay, there appears to be interest in stolen mail, so here is an Email that your blog moderator received today from a Bloomingdale resident:

Just wanted to add a note that on S street NW (between 1st and 2nd) we had a stolen package this afternoon. Please consider having your packages sent to work - I am currently in the process of trying to contact several outstanding orders to get addresses changed. It was left opened with insulation strewn out of the package right on the front stoop of our house in plain view, so apparently our neighbors did not notice. We happened to be at work today, but with so many people home, I'm really surprised the perpetrator is still walking right up to people's front doors to take property. Please keep your eyes open so we can stop this as soon as possible! We were considering setting up a webcam and leaving package out again but we don't have a working camera at the moment. Anyone? ;)

what to replace the closing Safeway with ?

Okay, the Safeway at 4th & Rhode Island Avenue NE is closing in March.

What next?

See this message from Ward 5 resident Debbie Smith:

There has been talk that the Safeway, located in the Rhode Island Avenue Shopping Plaza, closing on March 6, 2010. Several people in the community are considering other grocer options.

Currently, the strong interest has been, Wegman and Trader Joe's. We would like to hear your thoughts. Please email your responses to: dlsmith112@msn.com as we take this poll.

Here is a 2/7/2010 update from Debbie Smith:

Since this is our community we need to take a stand and let the decision makers know what we want as a community. If you have not had an opportunity, please take the time and vote. Results will be made available next Sunday and posted by the Moderator of the Brookland listserv. Thanks.

You need to sign into yahoo, but it's at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Brookland/surveys?id=12984788

The poll will close next Sunday and the results will be reported to the whole listserv automatically.

Safeway at 4th & RI Ave NE to close on March 6, 2010

See this article from a new story on WJLA-TV's website:

Residents Fired Up About Safeway Closing in Northeast

posted 02/03/10 6:09 pm producer: Malachi Constant
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0210/702596.html

WASHINGTON - Store
closings are nothing new in the bad economy but on Rhode Island Avenue in Northeast Washington, a Safeway store closing is causing a big commotion.

After decades of serving one Northeast neighborhood, Safeway is shutting down its Rhode Island Avenue store where reaction Wednesday was swift and emotional.

"What are we going to do if they close the Safeway down?" asked one person.

"That's just crazy!" remarked another.

One resident asked, "What is the community going to do?"

Many residents say the supermarket is the center of their community where the elderly and others push their carts to shop, pick up their prescriptions and keep up on what's going on.

ANC Commissioner Marshall Phillips is angry. Phillips said, "They're just closing us down and leaving our community and where they going to take the money they've taken from here…"

Safeway told its employees the news Tuesday.

Safeway's Craig Muckle said, "We are closing the store effective March 6th and it's never an easy decision to close a store."

Safeway say they are losing business to a new Giant built half a mile down the street. They also say the type of stores in the nearby mall are not the kind that attract customers who would also shop at Safeway and so business is down.

One woman shared her reaction to the news about the closing, saying, "I'm like, 'good God, that's sad.' This is so sad."

One resident proposed, "They should work on keeping it open for us."

"We senior citizens don't have no place to go except up to the Giant and got a catch a bus to up there. That's crazy. Lord, have mercy, Jesus I don't know. I don't know. They treating us wrong," said one senior citizen.

the closed Hot Trout Grill place emptied out

A Florida Avenue NW sent this message today:

Today, crews have been moving equipment out of the former Hot Trout Grill between the liquor store and Christina Nails at the southwest corner of Florida Ave. and North Capitol Street NW. They are moving it all into a U-Haul parked in the alley between Florida Ave. and Bates St. NW.

I tried asking one of the workers what was happening as I passed, but he did not speak English well.

Do you or anyone else know what is going on there? Is something new moving in?
The Hot Trout Grill has been closed since I moved here in August.

seeking referrals for a structural engineer

See this request from a Rhode Island Avenue NW resident:

I'm looking for a structural engineer to survey a planned basement dig, reinforce 1st floor supports, and create plans to file with the city for my basement remodel.

I did try to contact an engineer from a previous posting but they're not answering.

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale for 01/31/2010

Open houses scheduled in and around Bloomingdale for Sunday.

Yoga District: Family Yoga & Community Playtime

See this message posted by Bloomingdale resident Angela Robinson:

BloomingdaleKids, partnered with Yoga District, are pleased to bring you...

BloomingdaleKids

Family Yoga & Community Playtime
@ Yoga District, 1830 1st St., NW DC

Yoga 1:30-2:15pm,
one class pass per tot

($10 or less).

Playtime 2:15-3:15pm, by donation.

Sundays starting Feb. 7th, except Feb. 28. Feel free to come to one or both events!

Family yoga is a supportive, playful, and active yoga class for parents/guardians and their tots (crawling to 24 months). Tots become more confident in their moving bodies with yoga! As a tot's mobility increases, classes offer poses that encourage and support their physical explorations.

During this yoga class, crawlers and walkers playfully practice yoga postures while they are standing, sitting up, walking, and jumping with the assistance of their parent(s) or guardian. Parents/guardians also get to do a little yoga, but no yoga experience or flexibility is required.

All guardians/parents present will be asked to participate, as observers can distract tots, and there's no reason to not join in! Space permitting, we ask that you purchase one class pass ($10 or less) per tot. Two guardians/parents can come with one tot. Only if we reach capacity will we limit one guardian/parent per tot so that we can make room for as many tots as we can handle!

Click here (https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/asp/home.asp) to make a reservation (Please first purchase a pass and then scroll to Sunday's classes to make the reservation. Please make the reservation and pass purchase under the parent/guardian name). Mat rentals are available for $1, and we offer free mat storage if you have your own mat.

This class will be lead by two courageous, joyful mothers: Jayanti, a long-time yoga teacher for both youth and adults, and Chere, a teacher-understudy and long-time Yoga District intern!

We recommend that all participants wear clothing that moves with them and provides comfortable coverage.

Everyone is welcome to join us after class for a by-donation Community Playtime, where families from the neighborhood can meet and play! Toys will be provided, but if your little one would like to bring his/her own, please avoid heavy toys and art supplies (planned art activities with appropriate preparations will be announced in the future). Each family will be responsible for their own clean up. Please note that no shoes are allowed in the studio beyond the entry benches, so wear your favorite socks! And donate what you like - a few dollars goes a long way for Yoga District's shoestring budget! No need to reserve a spot- just come! Playtime ends promptly at 3:15pm to prepare for the next class.

Please note that youth without a participating and responsible guardian/parent cannot participate in the class nor playtime, and no day care services are offered. Parents/guardians will remain responsible for the safety of their tot at all times.

If you have additional questions about community playtime, please contact Mikaela Seligman at: mikaela.seligman @ gmail.com.

http://www.yogadistrict.org/
202-265-YOGA (9642)

to-open-soon Beau Thai restaurant seeks zoning assistance

See this message from a Randolph Place NW resident:

I have it on good authority (namely, the future owner/operator of the restaurant) that an authentic Thai restaurant will come close to us in Bloomingdale, just slightly west on the corner of R St. and New Jersey Ave., N.W., a couple of blocks from Big Bear Cafe due west on R...

The restaurant is going to be called Beau Thai. [Moderator note: it was mentioned back in October at the DC BACA blog here: http://dcbaca.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/two-new-restaurants /].

She is aiming for an early March opening. She is a veteran in the Thai food business (and a relative of the operator of Thai X-Ing on Florida Avenue NW).

She will at first only have take-out service, as her zoning appears to be restricted to that for the time being (take-out was apparently grandfathered-in through prior use of the, very nice, building). She told me that what she really wants to do is a full-fledged sit-down Thai restaurant, however.

I believe she will need our and our ANC Commissioners' support, as well as that of the Shaw community of course. I don't see why anyone would not want to support more sit-down restaurants. If anyone can help provide advice in this regard (re-zoning for commercial/restaurant use), I'm sure she will be happy to hear it -- I will update the listserv with her information to contact directly, once things are finalized on her end.

Also, does anyone know whether NCMS would be a source of any grants or other support for this welcome business addition, even though it's a few blocks away from North Capitol Street? If not, any other leads for similar organizations that would cover this location along NJ Avenue N.W.?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is an update: Washington Business Journal reporter Missy Frederick spotted this blog enty and wrote about it here at her blog: "Beau Thai to Bloomingdale?"

http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/top_shelf/2010/01/beau_thai_in_bloomingdale.html?ana=e_du_pub

Rustik Neighborhood Tavern coming to 1832 1st Street NW

Prince of Petworth scooped me.

A new bar is coming to Bloomingdale.

No, this is not Baraki at 1st and T Street NW.

This would at 1832 1st Street NW -- the dark green space between Yoga District and the rear of Bloomingdale Wine & Spirits.

For more info, visit the blog posts at PoP here: www.princeofpetworth.com/2010/01/bloomingdale-to-get-a-neighborhood-bar-really.

I suspect that the new business owner will go through the voluntary agreement process for a tavern-class liquor license like Baraki did.

I look forward to meeting the new business owner.

man exposes himself on V Street NW last night

See this Sunday night, 1/24/2010, message from a 1st Street NW resident:

At about 9:10 pm tonight I, was walking the dogs down V St towards Flagler NW.

When I was about a third the way down the block, a thin young black man with long braids and a dark jacket crossed from the north to the south side of the street in front of me and walked up on to the steps of the house in front of the one where the two nice guys with the dog and the great xmas tree decorations live. I didn't recognize the guy and something felt off about him. I had my two big dogs with me so I didn't think much of it... It was just a slight twinge that something was off.

When I was about two houses down from him I said, "How you doin?'" as I say to everyone. He said it back.

When I stepped about fifteen feet closer I passed a large bush that had been blocking the fact that his pants were down and his c*ck was out.

I called him lame and a couple of other things, got home and called the cops.

By 9:40 pm, there were 3 cops in my livingroom taking a statement.

They said they'd seen someone who fit the description. They just left to go look for him.

Nothing like this has happened to me before when walking the dogs.

I suspect if he's done this to me, then he's done this to others.

This same neighbor sent along this additional comment this morning (1/25/2010):

I found this doc
http://www.uplink.com.au/lawlibrary/Documents/Docs/Doc81.html when trying to make sense of things and, though I'm no expert, this guy did not seem like a 2D (or one of the ones that is excessively violent).

He seemed more in the 1 B. He had an edge, he deliberately walked across the street to put himself in my path...he put down the cigarette he was smoking...it looked like a guy leaving his break to go back to work... but he seemed really self-contained. I never once thought he would approach me or follow me and I felt comfortable enough to tell him in a very disappointed, but not hysterical, angry or frightened tone...that "that is so lame". He didn't respond positively or negatively...But that might have just been the dogs. In fact, I was so cool through the event that the Dogs didn't even bark and when we are walking on a
rainy night they usually have hair triggers for strangers. I didn't even get scared till I got home.

The thing that worries me is that I saw the cops drive by my house and go down V towards Flagler and then they came to interview me five minutes later. They said they'd seen someone who fit the description which means, if it was the same dude...he just stayed on the street where he flashed me for another 20 minutes after it happened. If that is the case he was looking for another mark.

One final thing...
The guy was young, he looked college age or just older but he did not look like he was a student. He just had a different edge... He also was very well kept. He was clean, put together, orderly...he didn't look like he was drunk or on drugs and he very deliberately made eye contact...which would make sense considering the description above of what he was trying to get out of the exchange... the temporary high of frightening a girl walking alone on the street at night that would validate his low self esteem.

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for 01/24/2010

Here are open houses around the area scheduled for Sunday.

welcome facade improvements at the Sylvan Theater building

Great to see the facade of the former Sylvan Theater building near 1st & Rhode Island Avenue NW get spruced up!

donating a used car

From a resident of the unit block of R Street NW:

Does anyone have recommendations on donating a used car so that the charity actually gets whatever value there is and not 90% to a middle-man organization?

unappealing Bloomingdale commercial space for sale

You may have seen this commercial property at 81 Seaton Place NW, whose side abuts the rear of 1821 1st Street NW.

According to neighborhood legend, this building used to serve as a transfer station of sorts for the Washington Star newspaper. I do not know when it stopped being used for newspaper distribution.

During the past decade, the second story was added. Rather ugly.

The property is presently an active listing. You can see Suzanne Des Marais' listing from Saturday, 1/16/2010, here: http://mrislistings.mris.com/Matrix/Public/Portal.aspx?k=252400X2J6R&p=DE-99315428-2

The list price is $239,000.

Ove the weekend, I met the current listing agent. In the photo on the right, you can see the listing agent checking on the property from the alley side. He was meeting a man who is shopping around for salon space.


Here is the entry for this C-2-A-zoned property from the DC real property sales database:

Address: 0081 SEATON PL
SSL: 3110 0136
Neighborhood: ECKINGTON
Use Code: 41 - Store-Small 1-Story Class 3 Exception: No
Tax Type: TX - Taxable Tax Class: 002 - Commercial
Homestead Status: ** Not receiving the Homestead Deduction
Owner Name: BAYVIEW LOAN SERVICING LLC
Mailing Address: 4425 PONCE DE LEON BLVD; CORAL GABLES FL33146-1837
Sale Price: $82,960
Sale Date: 10/28/2009

interior demolition work at 1821 1st Street NW

There have been reports of interior demolition activity at the one-story commercially-zoned (C-2-A) former "antique store" (wink wink) at the northeast corner of 1st & Seaton Place NW in Bloomingdale.

Here are some pics of the building in its current state.

What are the plans for the building?

No one seems to know for sure.

The property was purchased in October 2009 by Yong C Choe.

Here is the abbreviated entry for this property sale from the DC real property sales database:

Address: 1821 1st St

SSL: 3110 0137

Neighborhood: ECKINGTON

Use Code: 41 - Store-Small 1-Story

Homestead Status: **Not receiving the Homestead Deduction

Owner Name: Yong C Choe

Mailing Address: 1821 1ST STREET NW; WASHINGTON DC 20001-1073

Sale Price: Not Available

Sale Date: 10/09/2009

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for 01/17/2010

New listings are picking up quite a bit as the new year starts off.

stolen mail

From a resident on the unit block of U Street NW in Bloomingdale:

It looks like someone stole my mail and is signing up for credit cards in my name. They also probably stole my credit card statement out of the mail.

jonesing for referrals for chimney sweeps

A LeDroit Park resident on Elm Street NW has this request:

I would like to solicit referrals for chimney sweeps.

I already got one and fear there was a lot of upsell, total estimate was nearly $10,000 stating it required to basically be torn out and rebuilt.

jonesing for a few pest control service referrals

A 1st Street NW resident has this request:

I'm wondering if anyone might have any recommendations of good exterminators in the area.

I've been experiencing a problem with mice and would like to have it taken care of by a reputable professional!

Bloomingdale Kids Yahoogroup

This message is from Bloomingdale resident and mother Angela Robinson:

Parents, have you joined the Bloomingdale Kids Yahoo Group yet?

Bloomingdale Kids was started last May for Moms and Dads with kids of all ages (or on the way) in/near Bloomingdale. It's a means to connect and build friendship, support and a stronger community for our children in a secure environment. We’ve organized play dates, had a clothing swap, and share great information on parenting, area events, schooling, and more. We’re also organizing some parent-child yoga classes and beginning organized efforts to work with our neighborhood schools. We’re already 80 members strong. We hope all of our parents will want to be part of another great thing happening in Bloomingdale.

So sign up today and be in the loop!

TO SUBSCRIBE please email: BloomingdaleKids-subscribe@yahoogroups.com with your name, street address and parentage to confirm residency in/near Bloomingdale. (For privacy, only the Moderator can access member information.)

Moderated by Bloomingdale resident and mom, Angela Robinson.


You can visit our site at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BloomingdaleKids/. (Not to be confused with Bloomingdale Moms, a Google group for new/expectant mothers.)

? what to do with a lost dog in the cold weather?

See this late Saturday morning, 1/09/2010 message from a Bloomingdale resident on the unit block of Rhode Island Avenue NW:

I wanted to alert you that there is currently a dog sitting at the corner of First and Rhode Island, NW right in front of Windows Cafe. It is clearly someone's dog that is lost and it is just sitting there waiting for its owners to pick it up. The dog doesn’t have tags on it, but it has a leash, so it clearly not a stray. It's a mid to larger size that is darkish brown and kind of a mix between a retriever and bulldog. It's certainly not dangerous and was very playful so no need to worry. I was hoping you could send something over the listserve so that the owner could find their dog? I would hate for it to be hit by a car or for Animal Control to take it away.

A resident of the 100 block of T Street NW sent this reply:

To the person submitting a tip to you at 11:09PM on a freezing cold night about a stray dog -- horrible! I can't believe this person decided it was better to just leave the dog out there and send you an *email* rather than really do anything.

I know they probably had good intentions, or maybe they are just not "dog people," but they should have either taken the dog in for the night or called Animal Control. In these frigid temperatures, just leaving it there likely means the dog is now dead. Also given the location it may have later been hit by a car. I wish I'd seen the dog while I was out walking my dogs last night, because I would have certainly given him shelter for the night, but unfortunately that corner is not on my route.

I'd just like to let this neighbor know that instead of emailing you (meaning no one will see the notice until the next day), if they actually cared about the safety of the dog, it would have been in the better to have called Animal Control, to mitigate the risk of the dog getting hit by a car or freezing to death.

I sure hope that dog is OK. I would personally feel *terrible* leaving a friendly dog out in this weather to freeze or get hit by a car.

North Capitol Street cloverleaf feasibility study has been released

DDOT has just released its "North Capitol Street Cloverleaf Feasibility Study."

The study is posted at the website of the DC Office of Planning

If you want to just read the executive summary, go here: http://www.planning.dc.gov/planning/frames.asp?doc=/planning/lib/planning/north_capitol_street_study/1north_capitol_report_web.pdf

If you want to read the entire study, then go here: http://www.planning.dc.gov/planning/cwp/view,a,1354,q,645949.asp

Two blogs — WashCycle and GreaterGreaterWashington — have commented on the just-released DDOT study.

You are invited to click on the links below to the two blog posts to see what they have to say about the North Capitol Street study.

From the WashCycle:

North Capitol Street Cloverleaf Feasibility Study
http://www.thewashcycle.com/2010/01/north-capitol-street-cloverleaf-feasibility-study.html

From GreaterGreaterWashington:

North Capitol study recommends parkway and boulevard
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=4559

Open Houses scheduled in and around Bloomingdale for 01/10/2010

As agents, buyers, and sellers settle back into post-holiday life, there's definitely more activity this week. Open Houses for Sunday can be seen here.

If you're not a subscriber to the Bloomingdale listserv, you're missing ten years worth of real estate data showing the ups and downs of the market, specific to the neighborhood.

North Capitol Main Street's call for auction items

See this message from Garry Clark, Executive Director, North Capitol Main Street, Inc.

North Capitol Main Street
CALL FOR AUCTION ITEMS
Winter Blues Party and Silent Auction
Saturday, February 27, 2010

A Call for Auction Items

North Capitol Main Street (NCMS) is proud to present our 2010 Winter Blues Party and Silent Auction on February 27, 2010, benefiting programs to revitalize and support commercial businesses located within the service area. NCMS needs your donations to help make the Winter Blues Silent Auction and Fundraiser a success! Donating auction items is a great way to support the programs and activities, like the Clean and Safe Sentinels, and encourage commercial revitalization for neighborhood serving businesses. For business-owners-this could be a great opportunity to promote your business! For everyone, it's tax deductible!*

PLUS, item donors will have their names entered into a special drawing for a FREE prize to be given away one week following the Winter Blues Fundraiser.

Hot items include travel and vacation packages, certificates to local restaurants, sporting and event tickets and other attractions and opportunities; original artwork, jewelry, and certificates for goods and services--fitness classes, spa treatments, etc. Themed gift baskets (stuff for guys, wine drinkers, gourmet food lovers or lovers of specific cuisine, or relaxation goodies) can be good sellers, too! RecognitionFor your donation, you will receive:

Acknowledgement on the auction bid sheets
Listing of your donation and name on the NCMS website
Listing in the Silent Auction Catalog, distributed to every attendee (if confirmed by print date)

To Make A Donation
Please complete the Silent Auction Donation Form and fax, mail, or email it to NCMS Executive Office at (202) 269-0014, 1703 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002, gclark@ncmsinc.org.

Donation form link:
http://www.ncmsinc.org/winterblues/silentauctiondonation.pdf

North Capitol Main Street is a non-profit organization, so your contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. *You might want to contact an advisor for details, but we'll be sure to give you a receipt to document your contribution.

Getting Your Item to the Auction
Please send/bring/arrange for pick up of your item(s) to the NCMS Executive offices as soon as possible or no later than February 15, 2010, along with a copy of the donation form. We will photograph your item and list your name in our Silent Auction Catalog.

Please contact Garry Clark at the North Capitol Main Street offices during business hours 9-5 pm at (202) 905-6039 or gclark@ncmsinc.org .

Open Houses scheduled in and around Bloomingdale for 01/03/2010

I expect to see quite a few new listings surface over January. So far, though, not a whole lot of new stuff and just a couple of Open Houses scheduled for Sunday.