PQ Installation Of Textile Museum Unravels

That’s fine with me. Just go to the Bead Museum. How about a grocery store mini-mart type thing.

Given what I presume would be a very limited base of visitors for a museum like this, this is not surprising. Can’t say I would have much interest in going to a textile museum. Or a bead museum, for that matter. Now a button museum, on the other hand, that’s a different story.

So what’s going to fill the space?

Ben,

I think the two candidates for the space are either a new asian fusion place or a trendy tapas restaurant.

Either way, that would be a new and unique addition to the neighborhood.

Given that Douglas Development now controls that space it will be a chain, because they charge outrageous rents and the chains are the only ones that can afford it.
re: grocery – I have to say I fail to see why at least one grocery chain does not see how much money they could make at that location, given the walk by traffic of tourists, office workers, and residents – they could make a mint on prepared food sales! I wish I had interest in being a grocer – I’d open up a place myself!

This entry had me in stitches…

Chef- That was funny.

Like most PQ residents, I’d love to see a grocer. Even just small store that sold some prepared foods and some staples.

“I think the two candidates for the space are either a new asian fusion place or a trendy tapas restaurant.

Either way, that would be a new and unique addition to the neighborhood.”

LOL

Oh, I thought they were moving the whole Museum to 7th Street, offices, exhibitions and all. Just an expansion though, eh. They have a nice unique, niche space in Dupont. Not quite ready for the big time, yea.

According to the article in the post, the construction cost went up 90% from $4.2 million to $7 milllion. It was evidently too big an commitment for a buling they didn’t own.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/17/AR2008061702365.html?sub=AR

Here’s a thought. How about instead of a new, trendy, small plate restaurant, you get an old, boring, big plate restaurant? Like maybe some meatloaf and mashed potatoes or some spaghetti and meatballs or a nice plate of chop suey?

Yeah, I thought so. Too unsophisticated. Well I say the more sophisticated the palate, the greater the need for simply prepared meals: a plain roasted chicken, some unadorned al dente pasta, some nice banana pudding. Mmmmm….pudding. Aw yeah.

#10, there is the Lincoln House Restaurant, Harry’s (and Harriett’s) in the hotel Harrington. Capital Q has great chicken, mashed potatoes (I had that for dinner last night in fact) and banana pudding.

I’d say PQ has a decent number of big plate places, especially is you include chains like ESPN Zone, Clyde’s, Chef Geoff’s, etc.

What we need is a lint museum. It can have lint activities for kids (“Now, children, shape this into a snowman…”), lint art (think of the variety of colors and textures!) and lint clothes in the gift shop (cheap, but one-time use only and stay out of the rain!). We don’t need no stinking grocery store or fancy-smancy restaurant; gimme lint!

Save our landfills! Bring in a lint museum!

#11, the “big plate” places you mentioned all serve over-priced slop. I think #10 was referring to places that serve quality food.

I’d love to see a grocery chain take that space. A Trader Joes would be AWESOME. Their stores have traditionally not been very big. I’ve been to a very small T/J’s in Alexandria. I was really suprised how small it was. If they can fit a grocery store in a shoebox over in VA, why not the adequate space in the (formerly) to-be Textile Museum?

A walkable neighborhood should *ideally* include a grocery store for the people who live there. I agree with Chef and PQer.

And, the tounge-in-cheek comment about the neighborhood needing the new addition of a trendy asian fusion or tapas restaurant – LOL!!!

Bye, neighbors!

#15 – you’re about 2 years late with the grocery store comments…been there, done that.

#15, I’ll pipe in with #16 and add that we are getting a grocery store. It’s called Safeway. For all of these people calling for a “specialty” grocery store, I wonder how many times they’d traipse down to, say, a Trader Vics when they could go to a large, full grocery store with lower prices nearby?

Pity the poor specialty grocery that moves into this space; we’ll be reading its obit right here on PQ Living a year later.

And the voices clamoring for a specialty store will blame it on the failed grocer. I can hear them now: “The last thing we need is another overpriced specialty market in the neighborhood!”

Do not dare tread into this neighborhood, Trader Joe’s or Balducci’s; your cheer-leading chorus will abandon you faster than you can say “steaks on sale at Safeway!”

#17 – I disagree that the cheer-leading chorus would abandon the specialty/small/higher priced grocer for cheap prices MANY blocks away. All the residents from G St and south would probably go to the location on 7th between E and D due to proximity – I think convenience is valued in DC. Plus – many people that would spend money at the location do not even read this blog. They just happen to pass by because they work downtown, or are at the courts, or are tourists – that likely won’t walk as far as the Safeway. I think the right store at that location is a money maker waiting for someone to do it. Yes, I could be wrong, but I just don’t think I am.

Oh, CityLiving, is this all just flamebait? Isn’t it interesting that pretty much any real estate-related post on this blog inevitably devolves into a discussion about a grocery store? And that you continue to discuss it?

Could that mean there’s a real need in this area for a grocery store that isn’t 3/4 of a mile from 7th & D? The fact is that 5th & K isn’t truly walkable for the majority of buildings in Penn Quarter (and if you live in Mt Vernon Square, just be happy you’re now going to have two full-service grocery stores and let those of us who live in PQ try to make our neighborhood better).

But enough about a grocery store. After over two years of this blog’s existence, talking about it in this forum hasn’t had much effect. Too bad, since it’s clear from the discussions here that there’s a real need (desparation?) for grocery downtown, and 5th & K ain’t downtown.

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