ANC Approves "Pillar of Fire" Memorial for Whitman Walker Site at 14th and S

At the August meeting of the ANC, the Commissioners unanimously approved the proposed "Pillar of Fire" memorial for the Whitman Walker site at 14th and S Streets, now the District Apartments under construction.  It is a sculpture with 360 layers of cut and polished float glass post-tensioned into a steel base and then into a concrete footing.  The multi-faceted piece will catch the light from many directions and will be nocturnally illuminated to reveal slowly changing colors to represent an abstraction of the rainbow flag (see the illustration above).  The Historic Preservation Review Board and the ANC asked that a permanent memorial be placed at that corner to remember what was there before the JBG Companies purchased the property for redevelopment.

For those of us who have lived here a long time, we will always remember the Whitman Walker Clinic at this location.  And for our new residents, this memorial (along with the accompanying plaque) will help inform them of the history of this corner in our neighborhood.  We welcome this creative addition to our Arts District.

Ted's Bulletin Slated to go into District Apartments Building

Ted's Bulletin is coming to the District Apartments building at the corner of 14th and S Streets.  Its capacity is approximately 185 patrons and will feature comfort food and breakfast all day long.  It will not have a sidewalk cafe and will feature a bar inside.  This restaurant is also owned by the group that owns the Matchbox restaurants, one of which is coming to the next block at 14th and T.  Perry Smith, Managing Director, is excited to be investing in our neighborhood and looks forward to support from us...so get ready to enjoy their signature pop tarts!

Merlot's Masterpiece Opens in our Arts District

Merlot's Masterpiece has opened in the 1500 block of U Street in our Arts District.  Here you can sip on a glass of wine and snack on some cheese and crackers while you learn how to paint a masterpiece!  Owner Raiguel Brown met recently with residents from Caroline Street and me to discuss her business.  She has had a lot of interest shown by DC residents who want to take advantage of this opportunity to learn to paint.  She contracts with a local artist to instruct her customers 15 at a time for a nominal fee of approximately $50 per session.    At at the end of the session you can take home your new piece of art!  She is in the middle of applying for her liquor license.  You can visit her website to learn more.  We wish her best of luck in her new business in our neighborhood!

Dog Days are coming to our neighborhood this weekend.  Bring your shopping dollars and get some great values at our local merchants.  Support our vibrant neighborhood!

Visit the Dog Days website to find out more about the deals and freebies being offered this weekend.

Our Favorite Restaurants Close Until Next Year

Our favorite restaurants in the neighborhood...Utopia, Coppi's, and DC Noodles...have closed for the construction of the Louis apartments.  They will all reopen in a year.  For those who have lived here for a long time, Utopia was our first restaurant when all the buildings were boarded up at the corner of 14th and U.  Then came Coppi's and now we have DC Noodles.  We look forward to the renovation of the buildings that house them.  The required 55 foot setback from the U Street facades for the Louis apartments building will preserve the historic townhouses.  We look forward to a refurbished Utopia, Coppi's and DC Noodles!

Post Office Opens at Reeves Center

Today I am pleased to announce that the T Street Post Office is OPEN at the Reeves Center after several months of renovations to the vacant space.  Post Office Boxes are now available for customers to pick up their mail.  I look forward to supporting this Post Office location and I think the hundreds of new residents that are coming to all of our new buildings along 14th Street will also use this facility.  Thank you to the DC Postmaster for listening to us and keeping a Post Office in our neighborhood!

July 4: No Trash Pick-up or Parking Enforcement

The DC Department of Public Works will observe Independence Day, Wednesday, July 4, and most DC city services will be suspended, including parking regulations and trash pick-up However, the Nationals will play home games at Nationals Park July 3-8, and parking regulations in that neighborhood will be enforced daily, including July 4. Vehicles violating these restrictions will be ticketed and towed.

Other parking regulations, including expired meters, residential parking and street sweeping, will be suspended for the holiday.

Sanitation services will be suspended for the holiday and will resume Thursday, July 5:

• In once-a-week trash and recycling collection neighborhoods collections will “slide” to the next day, so Wednesday’s collections will be made Thursday, Thursday’s collections will be made Friday and so on.
• In twice-a-week collection neighborhoods, normal collections will be made Monday and Tuesday; however, Thursday’s collections will be made Friday and Friday’s collections will be made Saturday.
• Street sweeping will be suspended Wednesday, July 4 so motorists will not need to move their cars that day.