Right now I’m just posting on whatever the Bloomingdale blogs are posting.
Anywho, the Yoga District is hoping to open its Bloomingdale studio sometime in late October. I translate that to mean November or December as I don’t underestimate the things that will get in the way (DCRA?).
The website for Yoga District is pretty good. You can reserve classes on-line and there are a variety of classes for different levels. The fees seem reasonable and you can buy passes. Not really clear if you can buy passes for someone else and give them as a gift.
First Street NW is getting all nifty and stuff. There is Big Bear, and Windows (with its new fancy-schmancy menu), add the Yoga studio and you’ve got yerself something there. If you could throw in one vintage consignment clothing shop you will complete the hipster vibe.
Come on Bloomingdale, you know I love you.
PS- I’m not ignoring Baraki, I’m just not sure what vibe it’s aiming for.
Tag: business
Let no one call you easy
Eckington, don’t go crazy and give away your right to demand things just because you want a new establishment. IMGoph over at Bloomingdale (for now) has a good post on the Baraki bar, pizza joint, whatever that is looking for an ABC license. Which is fine, but reports so far have not had the owners approaching the ANC or any of the people with an official voice in protesting the license. The protests are not so much from being against such an establishment but rather wanting the owners to talk to the community and selling neighbors on the concept. IMGoph states it best when he writes:
humbly coming before the neighbors, looking to become a neighbor yourself, would do them well here in bloomingdale. i hope the owners are listening.
A little neighborhood buy in wouldn’t hurt.
Another thing, according to the post Shiloh had spent $40K on protesting Queen of Sheeba. [bites tongue]
Pluleeeze buy this and open my fantasy French Restaurant
Just hitting Redfin today is 1700 New Jersey Avenue for 1.2 million. It can be a restaurant, with an apartment above and outdoor seating.
So if you happen to have a million, please, please, please, please, pretty, pretty please with sugar on top buy this and open my fantasy French bistro. That or my fantasy tandoori carry out. Or a fantasy wine bar. And since we’re talking about my fantasies, throw in my fantasy trophy husband while we’re at it.
Yes, the picture is old, but I don’t want to anger the MRIS gods.
Please buy it and open something nice. I beg you.
5th St Hardware Now Open
After work I stopped by the newest hardware store at 1055 5th St NW, near Shaw (on the other side of NY Ave, so not Shaw) to see if I could find a cable do-hicky-thingy. Thing with businesses that just open up is that there are more staff people milling about than customers and no I don’t need any help, just looking. This cramps my style of leave me the heck alone until I need something shopping. It will get better once people realize it’s there and the surrounding condos are filled with folks who need light bulbs, hooks, Meyer’s cleaning solution, buckets, flower pots, suet, and bolts… okay maybe condo people may not need the kajillion different bolts and actual hardware they have stocked on the second floor.
I got my cable thingy, as well as some garden wire and some citronella candles. It doesn’t have the same vibe as Logan Hardware, but as I said, it’s still new.
In praise of business
Richard Layman’s Blog Rebuilding Place as well as DCist both posted the email sent out by Politics and Prose regarding a bench outside the independent bookstore targeted by ANC Frank Winstead. The first part of the email struck me as oh so true:
Every once in a while we get an abrupt reminder that we live in a jurisdiction where small business is not respected or encouraged. When we first opened across the street, there was no government agency that could advise us on what we needed to do. Then, after we made the applications we needed to, we could not get an occupancy permit, no matter how many times we called or went down to the office responsible for that. The process simply stopped somewhere in the Office of Regulatory and Consumer Affairs. We were fined and we started over again, but the certificate was never issued at our first location.
I’ve heard the grumbling of another small business owner, who is in the TC, about how they’d love to add more servies and amenities, but taking time off to get the run around from DCRA isn’t worth the trouble. Apparently change for the better (and in some cases, the worse) requires a permit. It would be helpful if things given by local businesses and enjoyed by the community were supported by the city and our political leaders.
Also another strain of thought that has occurred in this blog’s comments and some local listservs regarding small business. Some of you out there have a disdain and just plain hatred of business, regardless of the size. Businesses are no more evil than your regular Jo on the street. Many of them provide a service that is wanted and needed in the community. Small local business can be great neighbors, providing benches, free used coffee grounds, a place to meet and gather, and sponsorship for community, artist and non-profit ventures and events.
When someone asks what’s around here, in that what’s so great about this place kind of way, I point to the businesses. I mention the quickie mart, the dry cleaners, the coffee shop, the organic bodega, the liquor stores (the good and the mediocre ones, not the scary ones) and the bakery. The only non-business things I point out are the metro stations and the bus stops. I’m not sure what category to put the farmer’s market in, as I gather the farmers do drive in to make some profit, but the organization of putting on the farmer’s market is something else. I should mention there was one non-profit I use to point to, Chain Reaction, a wonderful bike sales and repair shop. It went “out of business”.
I am grateful for those business that have opened up in the past few years, and appreciative to those older businesses that have become more customer friendly (taking down the Plexiglas, unblocking/cleaning the windows). Also I welcome any new business that may want to take up residence on North Capitol or at the corner of R and New Jersey.
Catania is ours
It was nice to see a smiling picture of Nicole in today’s Washington Post Food section, and yes “gentrified locals in Bloomingdale” can enjoy her buttery goodness, when they cross Florida Avenue to get to her as she is in Shaw, more specifically, Truxton.
I’m not going to talk up the croissants because I don’t need the competition. However the muffins are good, and filling. For the past few weeks she’s had blueberry only. When the cranberry comes back, I will pounce on those. The muffins are moist and go well with a nice glass of milk. You can enjoy them throughout the week by wrapping them in plastic wrap and stuffing them in the fridge.
The remains of the day
I only glanced at the Sunday paper and some other articles relating to the anniversary of the 1968 riots and noticed something. Furniture stores, drug stores, and liquor stores were looted and burned. It seems the only thing to bounce back from the riots quickly were the liquor stores. Correct me if I am wrong, but between 1970 and 2000 wasn’t the easiest thing to buy in Shaw was something, anything, that could get you smashed quickly?
When I first moved to Shaw (after bouncing around the metro area), beer and wine, or read 40ozs and MD 20/20, was available every two blocks. Now, sorta yes, sorta no. The Bates market, has been shuttered for a while, but it is no longer selling anything. The liquor store on 4th and Florida is transitioning and sells a selection of wines you can cook with.** G&G on New Jersey sells no alcohol. But there are still several old style liquor stores in the hood with the scratched up Plexiglas and 90-100% of the merchandise behind it.
So 10-20-30 and 40 years after the riots, you still have liquor stores. I can’t remember if it was DC or some other post riot city where a black businessman was interviewed. To bring business back to the black community he…. opened a liquor store. I could only shake my head. So though very flammable, liquor is what remains when the fire has died down.
**I don’t believe you can cook with Boone’s Farm. Actually, I don’t think anyone in their right mind should drink Boone’s Farm.
Jolly’s Mommy in the Post
If you knew Jolly, he was the wheezing slow walking chicken bone finding beagle of Richardson Pl. Well his mommy (who is also the mommy of a child and another child to be) got featured in the Post magazine. I’m trying to figure out how I missed the article completely, so thanks Scott Roberts.
Though the family has just recently relocated for a great new job for Ben, Lyric is still running her house staging business Red House Staging here in DC. Lyric loves what she does, and it is wonderful to see that it is possible to create a career that brings you joy.
Timor has more stuff now
Ran into the Timor Bodega and noticed that the shelves are bigger and have more stuff on them. Kim Wee is carrying some basic spices, more cereals, ricemilk, soymilk, and a bunch more organic things. If you haven’t ventured over there, give it a try. The weekday hours are short, 4PM to 9PM, but the weekend from 9:30AM to 8 (SAT) or 6 (SUN) is a better time.
Capital Market: Sam Wang Produce Inc.
Sam Wang Inc.
300-A Morse St., NE
202 544 5162
No Retail Sales After 3pm
Takes: Cash Only
Description: Sam Wang has a selection of fruits and vegetables. Usual products include lemongrass, garlic, coconuts, avocados, apples, oranges, lemons, limes, onions, potatoes, apples, tomatoes, and ginger. Regularly, but not always, you may find bananas, mushrooms, curry leaves, mint, snow peas, green beans, pears, grapes, mangos, shallots, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, thai basil, thai eggplant, squash, bok choy, and cucumbers. Outside of its produce room there are pallets of corn and olive oil. The 3 liter tin of olive oil runs about $11-$12. There are rarely any signs denoting price or item description. Prices are significantly cheaper than that of a regular supermarket. Some items have a short shelf life (lemons, asparagus, etc), so limit yourself to things that last fairly long (coconut, garlic, onions, etc) or things you will use that week.
Extra:When leaving present your receipt to one of the gentlemen at the entrance. If you are not sure who to present it to, walk slowly holding out the receipt.
LINKS:
Capital City Market: The Series
Capital City Market Blog
Frozen Tropic’s posting where Sam Wangs is mentioned, with photos.
Richard Layman’s Mention of Sam Wang with Pictures.