RSS FeedDC Link Roundup: Heard In The ‘Hood
Photo: City Year volunteers doing warm up in Market Square
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There was a lot going on this last week and here’s what we were reading about neighborhood news in DC. Have neighborhood thoughts? Leave them in the comments!
Penn Quarter – The ramen noodle restaurant from the owners of Sushiko that will be built on 6th Street NW across from the Verizon Center now has a name…Daikaya which means House of Big Pot. And, no, it’s not what you’re thinking. [The Triangle]
Shaw – An update on the anticipated opening of Rogue 24, a restaurant in Blagden Alley in Shaw. Each seating from owner/chef RJ Cooper, former Chef de Cuisine at Vidalia, will be a “24 act performance.” The concept looks very cool! [Renew Shaw]
Penn Quarter – Do you like to laugh? If you do, you’re in luck because a comedy club is on tap to open at 8th and E St NW in June. It will be called Riot Act…very appropriate name. [WaPo] & [Riot Act website] & [Riot Act Twitter] & [Riot Act Facebook]
It’s Official…Penn Quarter Is No Longer Sketchy
The once-sketchy Penn Quarter downtown gets more vibrant yearly.
We got a nice chuckle out of this USA Today article sprinkled with words like “hopping,” “hot,” and “multi-faceted.” The broader point of the text, that Washington DC has become more cosmopolitan, was not lost on us, and it is nice to see recognition on that front. It ticks off a number of hotspots all across DC and puts in a good word for our neighborhood.
When we moved to Penn Quarter there were still flat-top parking lots around, construction zones everywhere, and many more ‘For Rent’ signs in retail bays than you see now. This is a nice affirmation for the businesses that took a pioneering chance and rode the construction of our anchor tenant in the 1990s (then the MCI Center, now the Verizon Center) sufficiently navigating the economic waters in the following years; Jaleo and the District Chophouse come to mind. Of course, we miss some of the victims such as Olsson’s Bookstore, Kemp Mill Records [YouTube] and the Popeyes chicken walk-up window but such is the cost of progress and the business cycle as we know it.
More importantly, we now know that our “hot ‘hood” is no longer sketchy.
CityCenter DC To Break Ground April 4!
It has been a long wait, but we’re finally starting to see the City Center development plans turn into reality. And, Penn Quarter’s resident population is set to expand by a couple thousand residents (rough estimate)! As the WaBizJo reports, developer Hines-Archstone has officially taken control of the 10-acre old convention center site, bounded by NY Ave and H St NW and 9th & 11th St NW, and announced that they will break ground on April 4th, 2011.
This announcement also implies, importantly, that Hines-Archstone has also gained significant investment dollars to make the project happen. That’s a refreshing note after witnessing several neighborhood projects failing to get started in years past due to lack of funding.
Conflicting reports: In an earlier WaBizJo article, Hines-Archstone said that they would complete the entire 10-acre project in one phase. However, the Hines-Archstone website notes that the northern part of the lot would be completed in phase 2. That portion of the lot would contain a hotel. There was also a mention of adding grocery store to the northern portion of the lot as ground floor retail, but no deal has been announced.
PQ Farmer’s Market Opens Today For Season (8th St NW)
Springtime must be approaching in Penn Quarter because this afternoon marks the opening of the FreshFarm Farmer’s Market located on 8th St NW between D and E Streets. The market runs between 3 pm and 7 pm on Thursdays and will go until December 22 this year. Rob Weland, the chef from local restaurant Poste Brasserie, will be on hand to do a cooking demo from 4 pm to 5 pm. All the usual fresh veggies, meats, flowers, bakery, and dairy products will be available. Who is your favorite vendor?
Bon appetit!