New Gallery Coming to Upper Ninth Street

The Washington Business Journal reports that a $400,000 green renovation to a building in the 1900 block of Ninth Street will provide the Shaw area with a new gallery in early 2010. Bill Basiliko purchased 1916 Ninth Street, Northwest -- a century-old row house that's housed a salon for the past twenty years -- in January and is about to commence construction to convert it into a gallery. The gallery will be called Basiliko and will feature work by local artists.

Buy Me: 1600 Eighth Street, Northwest

Thanks to Paul for pointing me to this online listing advertising the sale of 1600 Eighth Street, Northwest (MLS No. DC7146640). Shiloh Baptist Church is to be commended for putting this property and caddy-cornered 1543 Eighth Street, Northwest up for sale with an eye towards funding the church's plans for its Ninth Street properties.

According to the listing, the asking price for 1600 Eighth Street is $450,000 (the same price the church is asking for 1543 Eighth Street; I think it sounds like a reasonable price). The property is described as a three story, federal style, four bedroom, three bath shell built in 1905.

Here's to hoping someone awesome purchases this notable property soon and realizes its great potential!

Buy Me: 1543 8th Street, Northwest

Thanks to ML for the tip that Shiloh Baptist Church's Eighth Street properties now sport Long and Foster for sale signs! I happily and sincerely applaud the church for its decision to sell these properties for the purpose moving forward with their their plans for their Ninth Street properties. I look forward to working on this new chapter in church/neighborhood life.

I could only find one online listing -- the listing for 1543 Eighth Street (the property on the southeast corner of the intersection of Eighth and Q Streets, Northwest). I will post a link to, and information from, the other listing (1600 Eighth Street) as soon as I find it.

The listing for 1543 Eighth Street, Northwest (MLS No. DC7145831) can be found here here. The asking price is $450,000 for this historic four bedroom, three bath house. The property is described as follows:

Wonderful and unique architecture in a location that makes sense. Approx 5 blks north of Convention Center, approx 2 blks to Metro at Rhode Island Avenue and 2 blks to the soon to be revitalized O Street Market and other anticipated retail developments. Convenient to many downtown amenities. Shown by appointment made with owner through agent. Perfect corner to renovate to your tastes.

Despite the property's current condition, I think $450k is a reasonable (or at very least non-laughable) asking price. Good job, Shiloh, and good luck selling this beautiful-bones property!

Fresh Grocer Considering Howard Town Center Development

Hat tip to DCist for spotting this report in the Washington Business Journal that Philadelphia-based The Fresh Grocer is considering opening a store in the planned Howard Town Center project. Wouldn't this be a great addition to the Shaw/LeDroit area?

Jazz at Florida Avenue Closer to Reality

The Washington Business Journal reports that the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development chose the proposed Jazz at Florida Avenue to be a recipient of stimulus funds. The Jazz was one of ten projects to receive such funds and was selected from a pool of twenty two. You may recall that I wrote about this exciting project-in-the-pipeline last month.

In related news, Banneker Ventures recently updated its website to include a project page about the Jazz at Florida Avenue, with the above image of the same. Banneker describes the project as follows:

The Jazz @ Florida Avenue is a mixed-use development to include 130 apartments, 20,000 square feet of retail space and underground parking. This transit oriented development is located on the 700 and 800 blocks of Florida Avenue, NW at the entrance to the U Street corridor and Howard University's main campus. Conveniently located just 1 block from 2 Metro rail stations (Howard/Shaw - Green Line and Cardozo/U Street - Green Line), this $40M project will have everything that a tenant is looking for-upscale rental units, fitness facility, party room, rooftop deck, restaurants, and much more. Designed by the award winning architect firm of Torti Gallas + Partners, The Jazz will me a model for sustainable development projects and is being built to meet the 2008 Green Communities Standards.

The development company states that construction should begin next summer, with lease-up expected to begin in Fall 2011.

Friday Is the Deadline for Green Home Makeover Applications

Friday (August 28, 2009) is the deadline for applications to receive CarbonFreeDC's Green Home Makeover. Families in the Shaw (or Deanwood) neighborhood have just a few days left to apply for a green home makeover by CarbonfreeDC! To learn more and print an application, families can go to carbonfreedc.org

As mentioned previously, CarbonFreeDC will select twenty families in the Shaw and Deanwood neighborhoods and will invest $1,000 worth of green enhancements—of the family’s choosing—in each house. They will also provide an energy audit (worth $500) and dozens of hours of donated time by professionals and experienced volunteers.

Weekend Shoutouts

There's always a lot of cool stuff to do in Shaw on the weekends. Tonight (August 21), for instance, bring a picnic basket, a blanket, friends, and the kids for an awesome evening of jazz at Bundy Park (400 P Street, Northwest). From 6:30 to 8:30, Brazilian jazz by DC Choro Ensemble will set the tone of the summer evening fun as we all relax under the stars as a community after a long, hot week of work.

In the event of rain, the fun will be postponed until this Sunday (August 23) from 4-5:30.



Jazz on the Green
Friday, August 21
6:30-8:30 pm
(Rain date: Sunday, August 23, from 4-5:30)



Any other notable things going on in or around Shaw this weekend? Let us know in the comments!

Design: Backyard Renovation

Since moving into our house a few years ago, we've been working on our backyard (you may recall that I inquired into landscape design resources a while ago -- we ultimately decided to design it ourselves). After several stops and starts, delays and distractions, we are finally -- basically -- finished! I'm happy to share our results.

Before
As background, when we purchased the house, our backyard lacked versatility and was aesthetically barren. In short, it was not a place to linger. There was a large, awkward and ugly maroon concrete back stoop that took up a lot of space and served little purpose. The compressor for our air conditioner took up valuable square footage while making the space uninviting, loud and uncomfortable. There was no deck on the side of the house, thus rendering the space (and the exterior side doors otherwise connecting to the same) useless. The yard itself was covered in tan-colored pea gravel and contained no greenery. The exterior sconces were too small in scale for the house. Finally, the color palette of the paint scheme was dreary.

The backyard was not completely useless, of course. It provided us with off-street parking, a valuable asset in the city. It also provided the perfect area in which to let our dog out.


The Design
We wanted to create a multi-functional attractive space that was an extension of our indoor living area. We wanted to have an area for outdoor dining, for lounging, for cooking, and for gardening. At the same, we wanted to maintain the ability to park in the backyard and to have an enclosed outdoor are for our dog. Aesthetically, we wanted a modern, monochromatic, lounge-like look.

Construction-wise, the plan we conceived was to build a new, more linear stoop and two connecting planters (one running on the back wall of our house and one along the side wall of the neighboring house) in the rear yard. The stoop and planters would be capped with blue stone and faced with stucco to match the material of walls of the back of the house. The planters would be of a height and depth to function as additional seating. Along the side of the house, we planned a wooden deck.

In addition to the construction elements, we planned to replace the backdoor with a single-panel French door, which would allow light into the back of the house and create a better sense of flow between the indoors and outdoors. We decided to move the air conditioning compressor to the roof to free up some space and to make the backyard more pleasant to the senses. We decided to replace the construction grade, tiny sconces with more substantial, modern looking ones. We decided to add landscape uplights for some night time drama. We also decided to replace the pea gravel with a different stone -- small gray/white marble -- to better compliment our color scheme (the pea gravel had proven to be practical, low-maintenance and eco-friendly, but they weren’t thrilled with its color). Finally, we planned a new paint scheme to compliment the new blue stone.

To accessorize the space, we decided to acquire three large planters to place against the side wood fence. We sought to acquire dining and lounge furniture that echoed the grays, blacks and wood of the overall design without looking too matchy matchy. We also planned to incorporate climbing hydrangea, several evergreen shrubs and trees, flowering bulbs, and annuals in the backyard. The Result
We hired a contractor to do a lot of the skilled work (e.g., building the planters, stoop and deck), but put in a fair amount of sweat equity in executing the project (e.g., painting, re-grading the yard, planting everything, etc.). Adding everything up -- from the construction costs to the furnishings -- we spent about $10,000 on the backyard. We've already really enjoyed using it and think we'll have a lot of fun using it for years to come, so we call it money well spent. Below are some photos of the final product.

Watering Street Trees

Inspired by Bloomingdale (for now)'s recent posts on trees dying due to the generally dry conditions since June, I just ordered two tree gator slow-drip watering systems for the street tree in front of my house and for another young tree down the block. The gator bag delivers a high volume of water directly to the root system of a newly planted tree with no run-off or evaporation over a 9 hour period (of course, it needs to be re-filled regularly for ongoing effectiveness). Having been a frequent requester of street tree replacement through the city's online service request, I would hate to see these new trees die due to a lack of watering.

Shiloh Applies for Building Permits for 1533 Ninth

I frequently review the DCRA's permit database on various properties to see what's going on where. Today, I found that last week (on August 5, 2009), Shiloh Baptist Church applied for building permits for its long-vacant property at 1533 Ninth Street, Northwest. This move -- coupled with the impending sale of Shiloh's Eighth Street properties -- hopefully signals that the expansion/renovation plans we saw earlier this year are moving closer toward becoming a reality.

Weekend Shoutout: All-Day Breakfast at D'vine Cravings on Saturday

Chatman's D'Vine Bakery & Cafe has started serving breakfast on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The all-day breakfast menu includes Belgian waffles, southwest breakfast wraps, French toast, cheese grits, and a basic eggs, toast and meat combo. Of course, Mrs. Chatman's popular BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich will also be available for the non-breakfast minded.


Chatman's D'Vine Bakery & Cafe
1239 Ninth Street, Northwest
202.249.3258

AirPhotosLive Over Convention Center

Yesterday walking home from work I noticed what looked like someone gliding down to earth using a parachute above the convention center. It turned out to be a camera in the sky on a kite-like device deployed by AirPhotosLive. Among other services provided by the company, AirPhotosLive takes aerial photographs of places for the purpose of producing architectural marketing photography. I wonder what they're taking these photographs for?!

New Restaurant Coming to Sixth and R

The CCCA Blog reports that a new casual sit-down and carry-out eatery is going to open at the corner of Sixth and R Streets, Northwest (the former home to Chain Reaction Bikes). To be called The Toque Cafe, it will offer a menu "that is both varied and simple based on wholesome and healthy Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine."

Exciting!

CarbonfreeDC To Help Green Shaw

This is a pretty cool announcement from CarbonfreeDC:

On July 22, CarbonfreeDC won 1 of 5 $20,000 grants from National Geographic and Sun Chips in the Green Effect competition. From over 2,500 entries, CarbonfreeDC's Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover proposal won over the judges, even becoming Frito-Lay VP Dave Haft's favorite submission.

The Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover aims to help 20 deserving families green their homes and lower their energy bills with energy-efficient upgrades, weatherization, water conserving enhancements and much more. As part of the project, CarbonfreeDC will host educational workshops in the selected neighborhoods to help others take action in their own homes.

CarbonfreeDC is excited to announce the DC neighborhoods of Deanwood and Shaw have been chosen to be a part of the Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover. Thanks to Pastor and Mrs. Newell of the New Covenant Evangelistic Center and Commissioner Sylvia C. Brown for their compelling nominations that lead to our decision to choose these neighborhoods. Now we will go about the process of choosing 20 deserving homes from these neighborhoods to receive the green makeover treatment.

CarbonfreeDC also just rolled out a revamped website, CarbonfreeDC.org, with the following new features:

*The Extreme Green Neighborhood Blog: See their latest announcements and updates. Learn about sponsors and see new pictures or videos.

*The Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover Proposal: Learn about their plan to green 20 homes in Deanwood and Shaw.

*The Extreme Green Gala: If you're as excited about this as they are, join them on October 9th to celebrate and support CarbonfreeDC and the Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover.

*Partnerships Page: CarbonfreeDC is looking for local businesses & groups interested in helping with this project in return for good karma & great promotions.

You can also keep track of CarbonfreeDC's progress on Twitter.

Washington Post Reports October Groundbreaking for Convention Center Hotel

On Sunday, the Washington Post reported that construction of the $550 million convention center hotel is on track to begin in October. The hotel is designed to enliven Ninth Street with a hip, urban convention district, with street-level retail, white-cloth restaurants and a bar.

From SMS: National Night Out in Shaw Tuesday, August 04, 2009

From Shaw Main Streets:

Join neighbors and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department on Tuesday, August 4, 2009, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM for central Shaw's observance of National Night Out. This is the 26th year that communities nationwide will gather at the same time to promote public safety.

The fun starts at Lincoln Westmoreland II on the 1700 block of 8th Street, NW, between R and S Streets, next to the 8th and R Streets, NW, Shaw-Howard University METRO Station entrance, with free hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, snow cones, ice cream, cold soft drinks, and water; free bicycle raffle; music; a Dog Days competition, with prizes for Shaw canines; and much more.

Also included will be displays of information on neighborhood history, health, legal, employment, and senior services, etc.

Co-sponsored by Metropolitan Police Department Police Service Area 308, ANC 2C01 Commissioner Alexander M. Padro, and Shaw Main Streets. Supporters include Bread for the City, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, Emmaus Services for the Aging, Friends of Watha T. Daniel Library, Lincoln Westmoreland Apartments/Edgewood Management, Log Cabin Liquors, Modern Liquors, ONE DC, Safeway, Shaw Community Ministries, United Planning Organization Shaw Community Service Center, Wagtime Pet Spa and Boutique, and Washington Convention Center Authority.

For more information, contact Shaw Main Streets Executive Director Alexander M. Padro at 202-365-6892 or Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Micah Pate, PSA 308, at 202-671-0672.

Placemaking in Shaw

Earlier this year, I attended a fascinating conference hosted by Project for Public Spaces entitled How to Turn a Place Around. One of the course hand-outs was a booklet entitled How to Turn a Place Around (available here), which I highly recommend to anyone interested in the subject of urban revitalization and in the subject of placemaking. The course aim was to educate on how to create a successful public space -- be it a park, a street, a neighborhood, a waterfront, a planned community, or a city. As I've had a few months to think about the conference, I plan to do a series of posts related to my experience and takeaways from the course.

Thinking About: Fourteenth Street Galleries Should Move to Shaw

On Friday, the Post reported that rising rents on Fourteenth Street are calling into serious question whether the cluster of galleries on the street can remain in place. In particular, notable art purveyors G Fine Art, the Curator's Office, Adamson Gallery, and Hemphill Fine Arts are all located in1515 Fourteenth Street, Northwest, and, after years of paying subsidized, under-market rent, face unprecedented rent hikes.

I think there is a strong business case for these galleries to move a few blocks east to re-establish themselves in the 1200 or 1300 block of Ninth Street, Northwest, or in the 1000 block of Seventh Street, Northwest in Shaw. Proximity to the convention center, the metro and two circulator lines, several white table cloth restaurants (and others in the pipeline), downtown Washington, and to their current Logan Circle client base make Shaw a desirable locale for the galleries. Rents in Shaw are lower than on Fourteenth Street, while the buildings exude character. Additionally, there are several available spaces clustered together that could mimic the synergy the galleries have on Fourteenth Street. For example, on Ninth Street, there is a fantastic space with great street frontage adjacent to Long View Gallery's upcoming new location at 1234 Ninth Street; The Nine has a fantastic, large new ground floor retail space; the second floor of The Exchange is available; and the former home of Long View Gallery at 1302 Ninth Street is now available.