RSS FeedDC Link Roundup: Heard In The ‘Hood
Shaw – What are your neighborhood New Year’s resolutions? [Renew Shaw]
Columbia Heights – Botox spotted in CH. Is DC turning into LA? [New Columbia Heights]
Penn Quarter/Chinatown – Law firm leases more than half of the 700 6th Street NW office building next to Gallery Place and the Verizon Center. [WaBizJo]
LeDroit Park – Please welcome a new neighborhood site focusing on LeDroit Park to our DC Neighborhoods link list. LDP lies immediately to the north of the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue NW and Florida Avenue NW. [Left for LeDroit]
Mount Vernon Triangle – The (Mount Vernon) Triangle neighborhood site has a new look…congrats! [The (Mount Vernon) Triangle]
PQ Building Permit Update
We haven’t done this in a while, so here is a recap of December’s approved permits in the Penn Quarter:
614 I St NW becomes an apartment building
12/9/2009
B0907421
614 I ST NW
Building Construction Alteration and Repair
INTERIOR RENOVATIONS AND ADDITION WHICH INCLUDES MEP. CONVERSION FROM ROOMING HOUSE TO 4-UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING.
Zara expansion into the basement?
12/16/2009
B1001126
1025 F ST NW
Building Construction Alteration and Repair
NEW T.I WORK WITHIN HISTORIC BUT EMPTY/ GUTTER OUT BASEMENT (B1) AND LEVEL 1 (1F) , ADDING ONE HANDICAP LIFT AND REPLICATING HISTORICAL COLUMN CAPITALS AT EACH COLUMN AT 1F. CONVERTING EXIST. FIXTURE STORE INTO A NEW WOMEN SPECIALTY RETAIL STORE; […]
Grand Hyatt lobby renovation
12/17/2009
B1001507
1001 G ST NW
Building Construction Alteration and Repair
RENOVATION TO EXISTING GRAND HYATT GUEST RECEPTION LOBBY AS SHOWN ON THE ATTACHED DRAWINGS. INTERIOR WORK ONLY
1535 9th St NW goes green
12/3/2009
B1001578
1535 9TH ST NW
Building Construction Alteration and Repair
INSTALL A FLUSH MOUNTED ROOF SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM CONSISTING OF 16 SUN POWER 225 WATTS MODULES 1 SUNPOWER SPR 4000W. Panels not to be visible from 9th Street ROW.
Signs for the pretzel and crepe kiosks
12/15/2009
SG1000048
701 7TH ST NW
Building Construction Sign
SIGNS ON EXTERIOR KIOSH [sic] (20 . A COPY OF SHOP DRAWING IS ATTACHED.
Szechuan Gallery kitchen upgrade
12/16/2009
B1001989
617 H ST NW
Building Construction Alteration and Repair
INSTALL UL300 WET CHEMICAL KITCHEN HOOD FIRE SUPPRESSION-SZECHUAN GALLERY RESTAURANT. Interior work only.
Some work going on in the 624 I St NW house
12/23/2009
B1002193
624 I ST NW
Building Construction Alteration and Repair
ALTERATION/REPAIR-DEMOLITION PLANS FOR INTERIOR SPACE
Awning Up, Window Boards Down
Just before the new year we noticed workers putting up an awning at the soon to be opened Fro-Zen-Yo (self serve frozen yogurt shop) at 1006 F street. This shop should be opening soon, although we’ll probably wait until this arctic blast is gone before we’ll stop by to try them out.
Just next door to Fro-Zen-Yo is Souvenir World (1004 F street) which has been closed up for the last few weeks. The windows have been papered over and a black plastic sheet has covered the main entrance. It looks like some major cosmetic work is going on, which seems odd as this location opened just a few months ago.
Finally, we’re hopeful that there may finally be movement on the Waffle Shop front. The windows which have been papered over for more than a year are now clear. Any chance that the Waffle Shop will finally make the move to its new location?
Free Reusable Grocery Bag Roundup
Over the weekend, we all began to deal with DC’s new 5 cent tax on plastic or paper bags at grocery stores. Fortunately, many area grocery stores are lending a helping hand to residents by offering free reusable bags to us late adopters – for a limited time. Leading up to Jan 1, Safeway, Giant and CVS were all touting their free reusable grocery bag giveaway programs. CVS gave out a few bags in November & December. However, given this blogger’s experience over the weekend shopping at several grocery stores, some of those grocers failed to fully deliver on their promise.
To those that have not had the pleasure of shopping at several local grocery stores, we will summarize all of the giveaways in glorious detail below. As always, please feel free to chime in on your personal experiences!
The summary of free reusable grocery bag giveaway programs (some facts taken from DCist’s post referencing Tommy Wells’ blog – Ward 6 council member):
- Harris Teeter (1631 Kalorama Rd NW) – 1 free bag after $20+ purchase during the month of January
Our experience: scored a free bag after $20 purchase
- Safeway (CityVista / 5th & K St NW) – supposedly giving out free bags
Our experience: nada – we hate to admit it, but we never made it into this Safeway over the weekend, but observed everyone walking out with just regular plastic bags as early as Saturday morning
- Safeway (1747 Columbia Rd NW) – supposedly giving out free bags
Our experience: nada, cashier said they ran out of bags after giving some out on Friday and Saturday
- Giant (1414 8th St NW / O St Giant) – unlimited free bags to bag your entire purchase until Jan 7th
Our experience: free unlimited bags for our entire purchase, several large boxes of bags line the front of the store waiting to be distributed
- Trader Joe’s (1101 25th St NW) – 1 free bag per purchase until the 7th (?) or possibly the 16th?
Our experience: 1 free bag upon purchase
- CVS – supposedly giving out free bags
Our experience: nada, we didn’t query any individual CVS, but only observed plastic CVS bags from customers leaving several downtown locations. Perhaps their November/December distributions were all that were planned.
- Whole Foods (1440 P St NW) – no known/announced program
And now for our bag ratings:
Giant Bags
Size: slightly shorter than the Trader Joe’s and Harris Teeter bags
Liner: reinforced bottom, not insulated
Embarrassment score: 0 – green color, neutral pattern
Trader Joe’s Bags
Size: same height as Harris Teeter bags
Liner: no reinforcement on bottom of bag, not insulated
Embarrassment score: 0 – white color, neutral Trader Joe’s logos
Harris Teeter bags
Size: slightly wider than the Trader Joe’s and Giant bags
Liner: reinforced bottom, not insulated
Embarrassment score: -500 – gaudy Redskins promotional bag containing phrase “where redskins fans shop for groceries” Update (1/7/2009): As of the night of 1/6, Harris Teeter was giving out green colored bags without an Redskins logos or colors!
Free reusable bag WINNER: Giant – an easy choice since they are giving away several bags during a single transaction and the bags are of equal or higher quality than competitors. Also, there is no embarrassing aspect of the bag print and deisgn.
Have you scored any free bags from area Safeways? Had a different experience? Please leave your comment.