Remembering
National Police Week ends tomorrow and if you have not yet walked by the National Law Enforcement Memorial (on E st nw between 4th and 5th) we highly recommend you take the opportunity to do it today if at all possible. Seeing all those in-memory-of wreaths is a somber reminder of the men and women who died in the line of duty. Maybe take a few minutes to think about that deputy from your hometown who recently lost his life, or just to pay your respects to those who protect and serve.
Who’s Your Granddaddy?
Have you ever wondered about your family history? When did your family first land on American soil or are you distantly related to George Washington or Kevin Bacon or European royalty? This Saturday, you can participate in an all-day seminar led by genealogy expert, John Colletta, on using the various resources available from public records and historical societies to learn more about your ancestry.
Saturday, May 18
9:30am-4:30pm
S. Dillon Ripley Center
1100 Jefferson Drive, SW
For more info and tickets, click here.
Penn Quarter Link Roundup: Heard In The ‘Hood
Video: Candlelight vigil for fallen officers – the 2013 vigil is tonight (see link below)
Follow PQ Living via Facebook here and Twitter here. Our Flickr tag is pqliving.
Here’s what we were reading recently about neighborhood news in DC. Have something to add? Leave it in the comments!
Have any tips? Send them in confidentiality to: pqliving [at] gmail.com
Penn Quarter Restaurant Recipe of the Week - Charlie Palmer Steak (101 Constitution Ave NW) is a delicious restaurant with a great wine list and no corkage fee for 2 bottles of American wine any night of the week. Check out this recipe for their Seared Salmon and Wild Mushroom Ragout. [Seared Salmon and Wild Mushroom Ragout - Charlie Palmer website] & [Charlie Palmer Steak DC corkage policy]
Mount Vernon Triangle - We liked the nut bar at the City Vista Safeway (5th and L St NW) when it opened but it got scant use once the store was open. It’s now gonzo. (The wine tastings didn’t last long either for that matter but that’s the evolution of a grocery store.) We learned that other changes are coming too to the “Sexy” Safeway. [The Triangle]
H Street NE - Speaking of groceries, more details on the H Street Giant at 3rd and H St NE can be found here. Of note, they have garage parking and the store is 41,000 square feet. That’s big! [H Street Great Street]
Chinatown - Tom Sietsema writes up Daikaya (705 6th St NW) and has good things to say about the Japanese eatery. [WaPo]
Penn Quarter - It’s the 2013 National Police Week this week and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) has events running all week long. If you haven’t been to the candlelight vigil for fallen officers, we recommend going as it’s really an event to behold. It takes place tonight at the NLEOM between E and F Street and 4th and 5th Street NW starting at 8 pm. You will not see another annual event in DC like it. [NLEOMF] & [2013 National Police Week homepage] & [NPW Schedule of Events]
Federal Triangle - The National Aquarium, one of DC’s relatively unknown and free tourist attractions, may be moving out of it’s Commerce Department home at 14th and Constitution Ave NW. [WaPo]
Penn Quarter - Formerly Galileo III and Butterfield 9 (we miss that place!) the space at 600 14th St NW will become MXDC, a modern Mexican restaurant. [Washington CityPaper]
Penn Quarter Crib of the Week - The Mather Studios Crib of the Week from last week’s installation of this column went under contract. The good blessings continue! Fortunately we’ve got another great Crib of the Week for you. This week’s installation is in a converted rowhouse at 1123 6th St NW. It’s Unit #201, has 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a deck, and 2 parking spaces. It’s listed at 1867 square feet for $849,000 under MLS number DC8078074. [Redfin listing - 1123 6th St NW, Unit 201]
The Most Underused Park In DC?
Is there a park in DC as centrally located yet criminally neglected as Pershing Park (roughly 15th and Pennsylvania Ave NW)? Across the street from the Willard Hotel, the Treasury Building (and sort of the White House), and City Hall (well catty-corner anyway), how is it that this space isn’t used as an arts or farmers market each weekend?
Researching this post we found that the City Paper wrote an article on this very topic last summer, noting that the ice rink hasn’t worked in years and that it all comes down to a fight (surprise) over money. Which is a shame, because imagine the crowds a weekend market could achieve at a location like Pershing Park. Sure the park is small, but you wouldn’t need to offer much initially. How about the extremely popular donut vendor from the holiday market? Add a few local artists, a handful of food vendors (and food trucks parked around the perimeter) and you have all you need to see if the idea would succeed.
If success was proven, just across the street is Freedom Plaza, where you could expand the weekend market offerings. We suspect the dynamics between the Feds, DC, and vendors makes this harder than in other cities. But as it stands how, Pershing Park is a disgrace in the heart of the city.
A Rose is a Rosé
Technically, it’s late Spring and we’re supposed to be enjoying the warmer days of approaching Summer. While Mother Nature seems to be playing a cruel trick on us with another week of rain and low temps, it’s time to take matters into our own hands. Why not go ahead and start the Summer rituals to get in the mood? One of my Summer rituals is to switch my standard wine order to Rosé.
One of my favorites (because it’s lovely and because I visited the vineyard years ago) is Le Murmurium. It’s just what a good Rosé should be, light, dry and crisp. And just to sweeten the deal, it’s less than $15 a bottle.
Penn Quarter Link Roundup: Heard In The ‘Hood
Photo above: Del Campo Restaurant (777 I St NW) Grand Opening party
Follow PQ Living via Facebook here and Twitter here. Our Flickr tag is pqliving.
Here’s what we were reading recently about neighborhood news in DC. Have something to add? Leave it in the comments!
Have any tips? Send them in confidentiality to: pqliving [at] gmail.com
Penn Quarter Restaurant Recipe of the Week - We always enjoy the food at Zaytinya. Check out this recipe for their Shrimp with Dill (or Garides me Anitho). [Zaytinya Shrimp with Dill recipe - Washingtonian Recipe Sleuth]
Downtown - The redevelopment of the historic Franklin School is back on the radar. Combine this with the RFP to restore Franklin Park and we think it could add up to a smashing central park experience for DC. [Washington Business Journal]
Downtown – What was the National Museum of Women in the Arts before it was a museum? It was DC’s Masonic Temple and the Streets of Washington does a great job profiling the history of the building back to its inception. (The a great place to host parties or weddings too!) [Streets of Washington]
Downtown - Bolt Burgers signs up for (part?) of the retail space in 1010 Massachusetts Ave NW. [Washington Business Journal]
Penn Quarter - If you’ve walked on lower 7th Street NW you may have noticed activity at Clara Barton’s 19th century office next to the St. Germain salon. Here’s an look inside the space at what’s going on. (Hint: It’s a restoration that is now moving along with an opening planned in the fall of 2014!). [Engaging Places] (Hat tip: Streets of Washington tweet)
Penn Quarter – Some great interior photos (not renderings) of Ashok Bajaj’s “nopa” restaurant are posted here. This space has been repurposed in a jiffy! We hear the opening is this week… [REVAMP]
H Street NE - Need another grocery store option? The Giant at 3rd and H St NE is open and it’s open 24/7. There’s an artisan bread bar, an olive and cheese section, and lots of beer and wine in addition to the usual Giant food shopping experience. Still no nut bar competition for the CityVista Safeway though… [The Hill Is Home]
Penn Quarter Crib of the Week - Our Clara Barton Crib of the Week from last week’s installation of this column went under contract. It must be the good juju we bestow! Fortunately we’ve got another great Crib of the Week for you and we’ve toured this tier a number of times. This week’s installation is in Mather Studios 916 G St NW. It’s Unit #501, has 2 bedrooms, and 2 bathrooms, is listed at 1244 square feet for $715,000 under MLS number DC8067793. [Redfin listing - 916 G St NW, Unit 501





