RSS FeedCupping: La Colombe
There’s a new breed of coffee shop popping up around DC that are more focused on quality, sourcing, and savoring the experience. Providing blends and single origin fair trade coffee, industrial chic design and a hipster chic clientele, La Colombe (Blagden Alley, 924 Rear N St., NW) not only makes a great cup of joe, but also provides a quintessential, much-need neighborhood gathering spot. Want to learn how to appreciate the nuances of different coffee blends? Then stop by for one of their public cuppings (guided tastings) Fridays at 11am.
Penn Quarter World Cup Watch Party Today At 4 pm – National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum
We’ve got World Cup fever here at Penn Quarter Living and we heard from the Smithsonian about a Penn Quarter watch party worth writing about. The National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum will be hosting a watch party in the Kogod Courtyard under the glass ceiling today at 4 pm as the US takes on Belgium in the first game of the knockout round for both teams. A 9′ by 16′ screen will display the big game! Enter the museum(s) from F or G St NW between 7th and 9th Streets and admission is free, of course! Details follow below:
Two Smithsonian Museums Will Host Official Viewing Party for the 2014 World Cup Match: USA vs. Belgium
Fans Can Watch at the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Kogod Courtyard Tuesday, July 1
Soccer fans have another venue to watch the USA vs. Belgium 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil match in Washington, D.C. The National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum together with the Embassy of Belgium, the Washington, D.C. mayor’s office and the Downtown DC Business Improvement District will host an official viewing party in the museums’ Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard. The match is scheduled to air Tuesday, July 1, at 4 p.m.
Fans are invited to attend the free event and dress to support their team. The event will take place in the museums’ indoor courtyard designed by Foster+Partners with its undulating glass roof.
This viewing party has been approved by FIFA and ESPN and is supported by the Smithsonian’s Office of Facilities Engineering and Operations.
Visitors can follow the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum on social media and let the museums know if they will be there and which team they support using #WorldCupDC.
The two museums are located at Eighth and F streets N.W., Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Information: (202) 633-1000
What Is It Like To Live In Penn Quarter/Downtown DC?
We often get asked what it’s like to live in what is arguably the highest density part of Washington DC. (It’s mostly awesome, by the way!) When we moved to Penn Quarter/downtown DC about nine years ago, there were still vacant lots, flat top parking, and old school grocery options in or near the neighborhood. We even had a brothel! Now, the brothel is gone, the neighborhood is almost fully built out, and restaurants, theaters, and museums are flourishing. The Washington Post put out two pieces on living in Penn Quarter/downtown DC both of which snapshot what it’s like to live here.
One article profiles Wendy Reiger, news anchor on NBC’s channel 4 affiliate, who recently moved into CityCenter rediscovering DC. We sure enjoy Casa Luca’s tap wine by the glass too!
The other article highlights the neighborhood generally. In contrast with this article, we feel that the general proximity of the new CityVista (5th and L St NW) and Waterfront Safeways (4th and M St SW) make them reasonable local grocery store options. Both are within a fifteen minute walk (or walk/Metro) for many downtown residents and both have easy parking if you wish to drive. Also, the high end condo sales data is inaccurate as one condo in 1010 Mass (1010 Mass Ave, NW – PH 103) cleared for $1.875 million earlier this year.
For comparison, here’s the residential map for downtown/Penn Quarter from 2007. The neighborhood has changed and improved, and we still really enjoy living here.
Foodie Radar: RAMMY Winners
The 2014 RAMMY Awards were celebrated on Sunday at the Convention Center. Congratulations to all of the winners, but especially to our Penn Quarter spots!
Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year: Fiola (601 Penn. Ave., NW)
Chef of the Year: Haidar Karoum, Proof (775 G St., NW), Estadio and Doi Moi
Restaurateur of the Year: Michael Babin, Neighborhood Restaurant Group (owners of Red Apron Butcher and The Partisan (709 D St., NW) among others)
Regional Food and Beverage Producer of the Year: Red Apron Butcher (709 D St., NW)
Photo (right): Tuna Carpaccio at Fiola