Thinking About: Carter G. Woodson Memorial Park Design

With funding committed, 2010 should bring us a redesigned triangle park honoring Dr. Carter G. Woodson. The new park will be designed by the Department of Parks and Recreation, which is awaiting the transfer of dollars from DDOT to begin the design process.

The artist designing the sculpture of Dr. Woodson created a conceptual park design (which can be viewed here), but the conceptual design is not likely represntative of what's in store. Personally, the conceptual design does not do it for me, as I do not think it relates well to the neighborhood or creates an inviting place. Below are my ideas on what I would like in the new park design.

Regarding orientation and flow, I think the sculpture of Dr. Woodson should be oriented toward the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue and Ninth Street for maximum impact. I think there should also be easy and clear flow from the historic Woodson home in the 1500 block of Ninth Street into the park, so the park entrance at the corner of Ninth and Q Streets and the view of the sculpture from that intersection should be significant.

Regarding the park content, I think the park should be an educational experience relating to Dr. Woodson. I think it would be neat to have quotes of Dr. Woodson inscribed in stone and inlaid into the paving throughout the park. I also think the park should be a beautiful natural space, with lots of trees, bushes and flowers.

Regarding the design, I think the park should be well lit with attractive lamp posts throughout, landscape and path lights and a spotlight on the sculpture of Dr. Woodson. I do not think benches should be in the park, but seating could be accomplished through low retaining walls. Landscaped berms behind the retaining walls would keep the park a safe and open green space. The paving and walls should be made of smooth stones for a sleek and natural but monumental look.

Below are some renderings of what I have in mind.

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.

Thinking About: Improving Shaw Recreation Field

Although it is fairly well used, I think the Shaw Recreation Field (bounded by Shaw Middle School, Rhode Island Avenue, 11th and R Streets, Northwest) could be a much better place and asset for our neighborhood. Below is a run-down of what I see as the problems with the current park and what could be done to fix the problems. I *believe* that the field may be due for a makeover when Shaw Middle School is overhauled, so maybe dreaming now of what we want isn't too pie in the sky. There are also some short-term solutions that could enhance the park without significant investment.

Present Conditions
In terms of amenities and uses, Shaw Recreation Field (the "park") includes a skate park, two basketball courts, a large field (used mostly for soccer), and a dog park, all of which are in constant use. There are no running or walking paths and no games available in the park. There is no ongoing programming for park activities, such as tournaments or concerts. Finally, there is no neighborhood group that maintains or watches over the park as a whole (the Shaw Dog Park group is very active and a good steward of its area, however).

Aesthetically, the park has no landscaping apart from some trees and grass. There are no flowers or shrubs. An asphalt parking lot takes up potential recreation space and acts as a physical buffer between the school and the park. There is no public art in the park. There are no banners and limited signage identifying the park.

The park lacks connectivity and flow. There are no clear primary gateways or entrance points to the park. There is no access to the park from 10th Street to the north. There are no paths within the park.

Proposed Solutions
I think the park’s layout should be realigned to accommodate additional uses, particularly uses that compliment the adjacent middle school. It would be great to add paths such that runners and walkers could traverse pleasant, measured loops. It would be nice to add volleyball courts and/or additional competitive sports areas. It would also be nice to have other game areas throughout the park – like a chess area, tetherball, four square, and the like. An amphitheater – perhaps where the large concrete plaza and temporary library is today – would also be a neat addition.

The park could benefit from programming. Concerts, performances and/or group exercise would bring additional patrons to the park. Food vendors – particularly on the weekend – could enhance passive use of the park (e.g., reading a book in the shade, people watching, etc.). A neighborhood group that could tend to flower beds and generally be stewards of the park would also be great.

As I’ve said before, I think it would be nice to re-open 10th Street between Rhode Island and R Street to vehicular traffic. Short of that, however, I think the pedestrian connection should, at very least, be restored by placing a path through the park. The park also needs clearer gateways and entrances.

Public art – perhaps a signature sculpture at 10th and Rhode Island Avenue – throughout the park would be a nice enhancement. Flower beds and landscaping would also make the park a more enticing place. Park branding – through entrance signage, street pole banners, and wayfinding signs – would also make the park more inviting.

What do you think would make Shaw Recreation Field a better place in Shaw? I’d love to hear your suggestions for short term, minor improvements and long term, money-no-obstacle dreams.

Thinking About: Activity Districts within Shaw’s Commercial Corridors

Shaw’s commercial corridors are generally defined as Seventh and Ninth Streets between K Street and Florida Avenue/U Street . The corridors possess -- or are in very close proximity to –- several very significant anchors that bring many people to our main streets daily, such as the convention center, the 9:30 Club, and the Giant grocery store. Additionally, several significant projects are on the drawing boards for our commercial corridors, including the Broadcast Center One development and the CityMarket at O Street redevelopment. Many locales salivate over the idea of having the draws we already have. These anchors (and planned anchors) present incredible opportunities for business and development recruitment and marketing.

In order to capitalize on our assets, I propose thinking about Shaw’s commercial corridors as possessing several distinct districts of activity based on the corridors' various anchors. I think we should use such informal characterizations as guidelines in how we promote, design and recruit in the different areas. Of course, I do not mean to imply that a district should possess just one use or cater to just one particular patron, but I aver that we should build on and enhance the major draws of each unique district within Shaw’s commercial corridors. Note that I am mainly focused on the non-residential uses and aspects of development within the corridors.

In future posts, I will analyze each district individually. But as a jumping off point, I thought I would share my breakdown of the activity districts, derived from the anchors in each, and see if you agree with my assessments.

Districts of Activity Along Shaw’s Commercial Corridors
Hospitality District - The biggest anchor of this district is, of course, the convention center, with its main entrance on Mt. Vernon Square. Several existing hotels – including the Renaissance, the Henley Park, and the Eldon – serve the convention center and help define this area as a hospitality district. This area will truly become a hub for conventioneers when the planned hotels are built (the Marriott Marquis Convention Center Headquarters Hotel (to be built in the block bounded by Ninth Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and L Street), the two smaller Marriott hotels (to be built in the 900 block of L Street), the Douglas Development hotel (to be built on Seventh Street or New York Avenue), and the four star hotel on the old convention center site’s northeast corner).

Neighborhood and Specialty Retail District – Anchored by the O Street Market’s Giant grocery store, this district features neighborhood-oriented retail, stores and cafes. With its proximity to and overlap with the convention center, this district also features hospitality oriented businesses, specialty retail, restaurants, and cafes.

Education, Recreation and Health District – Several notable public institutions serve the community in this district, including the Shaw Middle School, Seaton Elementary School, the (temporary and under-construction) and the Watha T. Daniel Shaw Neighborhood Library. This district also boasts the Kennedy Recreation Center, several public recreation fields (Shaw Recreation Field, Seaton, and Bundy), and a dog park. Bread for the City is expanding its medical clinic in this district.

Office District – Major office space is planned in the forms of the Broadcast Center One development and the Wonderbread Factory redevelopment.

Entertainment/Nightlife District – Two significant draws to this area are the 9:30 Club and Town Danceboutique. This area is part of the bustling U Street Corridor district and boasts other smaller nightlife options, like Nellie’s and DC9. Additionally, this area has a vibrant restaurant district, including a notable hub of Ethiopian restaurants. The Howard Theatre will be another anchor to this area.

Thinking About: Support for Vacant Property Tax Rate

The Washington Examiner ran this article today about the D.C. Council being "poised to roll back the tax rate on vacant property that it doubled only six months ago." As you may recall, "The District’s Class 3 nuisance property tax rate was raised from $5 to $10 per $100 of assessed value as part of the fiscal 2009 budget and applied to 3,609 parcels citywide. The goal of the tax increase, implemented in October, was to spur the rehabilitation of 'unimproved or abandoned' real estate."

Ward Two Councilmember Evans is apparently one of the councilmembers against the tax. The Examiner reports that Evans believes "The Class 3 rate has never been effective and should be abolished, said Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans, finance and revenue chairman. Fines and liens are better ways to tackle nuisance properties." Evans stated “We can’t point to one house that was fixed up as a result of this approach."

I am a big proponent of the Class 3 tax rate on vacant properties and on the recent increase in the same. In particular, I think the Class 3 tax dis-incentivizes holding onto vacant property for speculative investment's sake and gives owners an incentive either to sell or to put their properties to good use (surely, e.g., Shiloh's membership is opposed to so much of their money going to holding costs for the church's extensive vacant property portfolio in Shaw and will someday demand change). I also do not think six months is a sufficient test period for determining whether the recent tax increase is working, and think the council should wait at least another year to study its impact further.

Fines and liens are not enough to address the problem. It seems fines are generally the result of neighbor complaints about a particular property. Neighbors already bear enough of the onos of vacant properties by living next to them (e.g., dealing with trespassing vagrants, graffiti, and trash); they should not also have to be watchdogs for the city to keep irresponsible owners in check.

Responsive to Mr. Evans's claim, I think I can cite several previously vacant properties (all in the 1500 block of 8th Street) that have changed hands recently and are under rehabilitation currently -- most likely a direct result of the tax and/or tax increase. It would be great to compile a list of previously vacant properties that have been sold recently and are now under renovation/soon to be under renovation as a result of the vacant property tax to present the council. Please feel free to email me any such properties you know of (slumhistorique at yahoo dot com) or leave addresses of such properties in the comments.

Thinking About: Overhauling the Seaton and Shaw Middle School District

With a handful of D.C. public schools slated for an overhaul in the near-ish future (though the school system's facilities master plan is still very rough at this point), I've been thinking about how Seaton Elementary, Shaw Middle School, their associated athletic fields and parks, and surrounding roadways could be reconfigured to better compliment the neighborhood. Below is my take on it.

The Problems
1. The area's street grid is interrupted by the athletic fields adjacent to Shaw Middle School. As a result, there is a lack of connectivity both east and west and north and south, as Q Street essentially dead ends at Rhode Island Avenue and the 1600 block of 10th Street is non-existent.

2. Shaw Middle School is unattractive and dated in appearance. The building sits back from Rhode Island Avenue and does not contribute much of a presence to the urban streetscape. It has a large, dated-looking concrete terrace along Rhode Island Avenue.

3. Seaton Elementary School is also dated looking, uninviting and unattractive. The building sits slightly askew to Rhode Island Avenue and does not contribute much of a presence to the urban streetscape. It has a large, purpose-less concrete terrace in front and a small, fenced off lawn.

4. The athletic fields at Shaw Middle School and Seaton Elementary, though well utilized, are not very inviting or attractive.

My Proposed Solutions
1. Reconstruct Q and 10th Streets through the athletic fields of Shaw Middle School.

2. Reconstruct the athletic facilities, including the skate park, in the new footprint of Shaw recreation park. Make pedestrian paths through the park connecting the 1600 blocks of 10th Street and 11th Street. Install better landscaping, lighting and fencing.

3. Construct a dog park in the new, larger triangle park created by the re-alignment of Q Street.

4. Demolish and reconstruct Shaw Middle School such that it fronts and runs parallel to Rhode Island Avenue and the newly created 1600 block of 10th Street. Design a rounded corner at Rhode Island Avenue and 10th Street that pays homage to the Asbury Dwellings structure.

5. Create an additional athletic field -- and potentially a track -- along the 900 block of R Street for Shaw Middle School.

6. Demolish and reconstruct Seaton Elementary School such that it fronts and runs parallel to Rhode Island Avenue.

7. Improve the Seaton athletic fields and courts with better landscaping, lighting, fencing, and entrances

Thinking about: Upping the Ante at 11th and Rhode Island

The intersection of 11th Street and Rhode Island Avenue has not yet experienced the renaissance enjoyed by its surrounding Shaw and Logan Circle neighborhoods. The intersection is framed by a triangle park and three shabby looking (though seemingly well-trafficked), low density businesses: a laundromat/carwash, a cab company/auto repair shop, and a liquor store. For the most part, renovated, well-kept buildings abut these three businesses.

I think this intersection is not living up to its potential. Located just two blocks off of Logan Circle, this land is too valuable to be dominated by surface lots and low rise structures. I think that the parcels should be built out to the sidewalks and that three or four level structures should replace the existing one level structures currently. I think additional retail should be added to the ground floor mix (I envision this intersection as a hub of business activity for the area) with residences above.

Here are a few renderings of what kind of density I’m talking about.

Thinking About: Room and Board

The Washington Business Journal reports that furinture retailer Room and Board is scouting for a D.C. location. They seek a 35,000 square-foot, free standing building to buy in D.C. that’s an "older building with character." They do not want to be in Georgetown; 14th and U Streets and Dupont are apparently the current areas of interest.

Wouldn't it be cool if Room and Board would set their sights on lower 9th Street? I think 1314 9th Street would make an awesome furniture store and is primely located near downtown, the convention center, Logan Circle, and amidst a lot of neat local businesses like Long View Gallery, Maruka and be bar.

Thinking About: Public Art

There's something really neat going on in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood currently: the Inaugural Foggy Bottom Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit (read more about it here). Twelve large-scale modern sculptures (selected from 21 entries) have been installed on the lawns of twelve homes in the neighborhood. The exhibit will be on display for six months; artist-led tours will be offered on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 11 a.m.; brochures may be picked up at each sculpture site for a self-guided tour; and educational programs and lectures will be announced during the span of the exhibit. What an awesome way to engage the community, attract visitors, and support the arts!

I often think about how great it would be for our neighborhood to have more public art -- be it temporary like some of the displays on 14th Street and this Foggy Bottom exhibition, or permanent. I would love to see something analagous to the Foggy Bottom exhibit in Shaw. And I would love to see more sculptures and murals along 7th and 9th Streets.

Thinking About: Rusty Light Posts

An article in today's Post about the introduction of historically inspired, aesthetic-improvement oriented "Washington Globe" streetlights in neighborhoods all over the district got me thinking about a lot of the light posts throughout Shaw (or at least the ones I see most regularly on 9th). It seems that many could look a whole lot better if only they'd get a good sanding and a coat of paint. Has anyone else noticed how many of our light poles are faded and rusty? While new Washington Globe lights might improve the area's visual appeal and brighten the streets at night (possibly to the dismay of neighbors, who will apparently be blinded by the light pouring in from these things according to the Post article), I think a good paint job would do wonders.



Mari's post pointed me to the WaPo article.

Thinking About: The Teeter Effect

As a North Carolinian, I took for granted Harris Teeter grocery stores: they're clean, well-stocked (fresh, beautiful fruits and veggies, awesome delis, great meat departments, outstanding wine/beer departments, a variety of all the essentials and more), well-staffed, and generally pleasant shopping experiences. Since moving to D.C., I have relished the few opportunities I've had to grocery shop at Teets out in Virginia.

As reported elsewhere, the District's first HT finally opened today yesterday in Adams Morgan. Boo-yah. Another one is set to open on the Hill soon, and yet another is planned for NoMa. I don't know if any of these Tajma Teeters will ever be a routine grocery stop for me, but it's exciting to have them in the city, and hopefully they will inspire other grocers (Safeway and Giant) to take a hard look at how they do business.

That said, I've had positive experiences at the Shaw Giant lately. While the store has some definite shortcomings due to its limited space (e.g., the produce department is woefully lacking, the place is generally unattractive and uninviting), I've not encountered lines stretching to the back of the store lately and have generally experienced helpful people at the checkouts.

Thinking About: Howard Law School

The Howard University Law School has a great reputation and an impressive alumni roster, confers an average of 185 Jurist Doctorate and Master of Law degrees annually, and employs a faculty of approximately 50 full-time and adjunct professors. Interestingly, the law school is not located on the main campus of Howard, but in the Van Ness area of D.C. Sometimes referred to as Howard's "West Campus," the site of the law school (which had previously been home to the now-defunct Dunbarton College) was purchased in 1974.

I have visited Howard Law School's campus. It really is a beautiful setting, with beautiful gothic buildings and a stunning new law library. Law schools don't typically need to be located in close proximity to their undergraduate counterparts, and I think space is a at a premium on Howard's main campus near Shaw. Nonetheless, I lament that the law school isn't located in or around our neighborhood.

Thinking about: Restaurants and Loving Cork

One of my dreams for Shaw's main streets is that they will be lined with more great, interesting restaurants like Vegetate, Etete, and Corduroy. In addition to enjoying trying new foods and dining out, I would love to see more restaurants because I think restaurants significantly drive revitalization and give a wonderful buzz to the streetscape. I also think existing restaurants benefit from the addition of new restaurants and the corresponding patrons, attention to the area, and vitality that they bring.

Every time I encounter a charming spot serving up delicious food, I picture where such a restaurant would fit neatly in our neighborhood. For instance, I recently ate at this awesome little cuban restaurant in the East Village called Cantina. I can totally see a Cantina-type restaurant in one of the newly renovated retail spots of the Exchange or across from the Convention Center on lower 7th (wouldn't a great Cuban restaurant be an awesome addition to our food scene?) .

On Friday night, I found another restaurant that I can totally picture on one of our main streets: Cork. If you haven't had the pleasure to check this 14th Street newcomer out, you must. The atmosphere is really neat and the food is spectacular. Among the many stand-out dishes we tried (small, share-able plates seems to be the M.O.) were the duck confit, the potato and leek gratin, and the red wine braised lamb. I've been wishing for a wine bar in central Shaw for a while now, dining at Cork gave clarity to my vision!


Cork
1720 14th Street, N.W.
202.265.CORK

Thinking about: The New Shaw Library

Tomorrow night is the third of four meetings hosted by the DC Public Library seeking community input on the new Shaw library. I’ve yet to make any of the meetings and am hoping I can cut out of work in time for tomorrow night’s. All who can should attend to influence this community asset-in-the-making.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what kind of library I’d like to see built on the site of the old library bounded by 7th, 8th and R Streets and Rhode Island Avenue. Here are a few of my ideas:

1. The library should meet the needs of the neighborhood. This is obviously a no-brainer, but I figured I should start with this point. The library must cater to the diverse needs of the surrounding Shaw neighborhood – from fulfilling school children’s reading and research requirements to engaging seniors through educational and computing activities to providing meeting spaces for community groups.

2. The library should engage the streetscape. No blank walls. Interesting lines. Large windows that provide cool vantages into this space. A retail spot—like a coffee shop or café—would generate additional foot traffic and could provide a great place to read your latest checked out book.

3. The architecture should be post-card worthy. Were we to create a post-card of the Shaw neighborhood, we should be proud to place a picture of this public building on it for all to see. The design should memorable, beautiful, unique, and symbolic of the neighborhood.

4. The library should serve a special research niche. In addition to normal library functions and holdings, I think it would be neat if our library could be the repository for materials relating to the 1960’s riots. Longtime neighborhood residents could even contribute – either through recorded interviews or actual tangible artifacts. I think it would be a real jewel to our neighborhood to have such a collection that could draw a nationwide audience.


Third (of 4) Watha T Daniel/Shaw Library Planning Meeting
6:30-8:30 pm, Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Interim Library
945 Rhode Island Ave NW

Happy Monday

I hope you are in the comfort of your home and not at work on this brisk MLK Monday morning. The following is a rundown of some of the things on my mind today:

+ Chatman's D'vine Cravings's soft opening is today. I spoke with the proprietors on Saturday, who said the originally announced opening was delayed due to the DCRA process.

+ Sadly, a fire yesterday displaced the residents of 1535 9th Street. Thankfully all people and animals made it out of this painstakingly renovated row home unharmed.

+ The official ReNew Shaw vehicle got a parking ticket for not having angle parked/backed in last Sunday during church hours on 9th Street (something that I've never seen enforced before and that I figured wasn't required but simply allowed during those hours). Fair enough; I didn't move the car when I woke up on Sunday morning to accommodate the greater density that the temporary angled parking allows. I wonder, however, if cars that remain angled after the time period were likewise ticketed, or if other cars in clear violation of safety-oriented parking mandates (e.g., double parking next to Scripture Cathedral, parking in no parking zones close to the corners, etc.) were likewise ticketed.

Sorry for my silence of late. I haven't been sick or on vacation or anything, but have instead been loaded down here at work. I'll try to resume posting regularly soon.

Thinking About: D.C.'s Cabs

Before getting to the substance of today’s post, I must confess a bias: I don’t like D.C.’s taxi cab system. Compared with the taxis of London (where the cars share a uniform look, are meticulously clean, and are driven by knowledgeable, attentive drivers), D.C.’s cabs serve as poor ambassadors of our Capital. Compared with New York's metered fare system, D.C.'s zone system can make for expensive travel. That many drivers speak on their cell phones during the entirety of rides is understandable (I can imagine it gets boring sitting behind the wheel all day) but not very professional. Finally, I have no idea what to make of the numerous cab companies trolling our streets: U.C.C. Cab, Grand Cab, Pan Am Cab, Anacostia Cab, Freedom Cab, Red Top Cab, Silver Cab, and Consolidated Cab are just a few of the many companies (it seems they all call themselves “associations” rather than companies) I witnessed on my walk to work today.

All that said, on Friday night I was refused service from in front of Whole Foods to my home in Shaw (roughly a six block venture; also known as easy money for the cabbie who picks me up). This is not the first time I’ve been refused service back to my home, and the M.O. of the cabbie was similar to prior experiences: cabbie pulls over to my hailing self, with the doors locked and window down cabbie asks where I am going, I tell cabbie the cross streets, and cabbie says no and pulls away. On Friday, I yelled about the impropriety of him refusing me service, yet he whisked away unpersuaded.

I jotted down the cab company on his rear passenger door (Silver Cab) and the cab number (I’ll withhold pending my complaint’s resolution). I looked online today for instructions on how to file a complaint with the D.C. Taxicab Commission (available here) and am going to submit a complaint in writing. I’ll let you know if I have any success. Perhaps if we are more diligent about reporting these incidents, cabbies will be less inclined to refuse service.

After being refused service, another cab picked me up and happily took me home. He was incredibly nice, engaged me in conversation, and told me to report the guy who’d refused service.


I had a great weekend and hope you did too. Happy Monday!

Thinking About: Washingtonian and Shaw

I really love Washingtonian Magazine and its online presence. Although some critics allege that it's geared more towards the bridge and tunnel crowd, I find a lot of D.C.-based inspiration from and use of its content. An anonymous commenter recently pointed me to a brief renewshaw.com shoutout (technically it was a remakingleslumhistorique.blogspot.com shoutout) in their June print edition, which was a fun source of blogging affirmation. With Washingtonian on my mind presently, I figured I'd make three totally unrelated Washingtonian observations:

First, in the July issue (which is on newsstands now and includes their annual Best and Worst poll), they interview real estate guru Ken Johnson, of DCmud.blogspot.com and DCRealestate.com to pick a few of his favorite—and least favorite—Washington-area neighborhoods, condo buildings, and more. Notably, Ken opines that Shaw is one of the best neighborhoods--in terms of value--in which to buy property right now (along with Petworth and Logan Circle, the latter requiring "less patience" than the former and Shaw; I'm guessing Ken means that Logan's already pretty much there in terms of widespread renewal and is probably more expenseive as a result).

Second, I love Washingtonian's online search engines, but they need a lot more Shaw content (I'll leave the rant about Shaw's grouping with U Street--but not Logan and/or not being designated as its own individual neighborhood apart from U Street or Logan--for another day). For example, their Restaurant Finder doesn't cover most (any?) of the lower 9th restaurants such as Vegetate, Chan's Mongolian Grill and Tokyo Sushi, Queen of Sheba, and Old Dom. Their brand new Happy Hour Finder, which is concededly a work in progress seeking additional content, misses a few notable Shaw happy hours, like those of Old Dominion and Vegetate. I'm sure a few emails to them would remedy this quickly, so peruse their searches soon and drop em a line on what they're missing!

Finally, I also love Washingtonian's various guides, like their Cheap Eats Guide. Shaw wasn't overlooked in the Cheap Eats guide (Etete and Oohhs & Aahhs, a place I've never been, made the list). While opinions on these types of lists always differ, I think we have a lot of awesome cheap eats in and around Shaw that didn't make the cut.

Major DDOT Infrastructure Upgrades Coming to 14th Street

DDOT has initiated a study for a major streetscape overhaul for 14th Street between Thomas Circle and U Street, potentially including “repaving the streets and sidewalks with brick, installing historical lighting, and other improvements to enhance the historic character of this major part of the Logan Circle area and to make it compatible with the historic designation and the arts overlay zoning which is already in place” according to ANC2f Chairman Charles Reed. DDOT will hold a public meeting tomorrow night (Wednesday, June 20th from 6 to 8pm) at the Source Theater (1835 14th Street, NW), to provide information and to seek public input at this early stage of the planning process. The project envisions a major infrastructure redevelopment of 14th Street.

I definitely think that 14th Street needs the contemplated streetscape improvements, especially as the street becomes more and more of a regional commercial destination (not to mention its new place as a residential destination). As I’ve said before, Shaw greatly benefits from the prosperity on our western border, and that prosperity is further indication of the movement of widespread renewal in the city. Fourteenth Street is a dining, entertainment, and retail hub, and enhancing the patron’s experience through an attractive streetscape is a great thing.

That said, am I off base in thinking that central Shaw is being overlooked by DDOT in terms of plans for streetscape improvements and in terms of basic maintenance? For example, Q Street between 11th and 14th is currently receiving a major overhaul (an overhaul that includes new brick sidewalks), yet the sidewalk on the south side of Q Street between 8th and 9th Streets has been missing—constituting a muddy mess—for about 2 years now despite neighborhood complaints. Are you aware of other roads and sidewalks in Shaw that are not getting the needed attention by DDOT? Do you think other jurisdictions unfairly garner too much attention from DDOT at our expense?

Major streetscape projects--such as that proposed for 14th Street--can have a detrimental impact on businesses during construction, so it's probably best that our still-fragile retail vibrancy not be subjected to such a project now. I think a great opportunity was lost when the streetscape improvements around the convention center were not continued north of N streets on 7th and 9th Streets. Doing so at that time would have made walking north on these streets more inviting and appealing to convention-goers while not disrupting the businesses that established themselves soon after the opening of the convention center. Apart from such major improvements, it would be nice to see DDOT implement some relatively minor improvements throughout central Shaw, such as traffic calming measures (especially on the busier numbered streets, like 9th and 11th), sidewalk restorations (if not widenings, like on the 1300 and 1400 blocks of 9th), and historic lighting throughout.

As the squeaky wheel gets the oil, I encourage you to continue reporting—and following up on--all problems to DDOT through the D.C. Service Request Center. As tomorrow night’s meeting about 14th Street certainly affects Shaw, attending it could be very interesting.

DDOT Public Meeting Regarding Improvements to 14th Street
Wednesday, June 20th from 6 to 8pm
The Source Theater
1835 14th Street, NW

Thinking About: Shaw Neighborhood Markers

I think it would be cool to have neighborhood markers placed at strategic locations around Shaw announcing one's entrance into our historic neighborhood. I have seen such markers in other historic districts around the country, and think they serve an important role in reinforcing a neighborhood's identity and in exuding pride in the same. I envision bold, permanent structures--made of brick or granite--placed preferably--but not necessarily--in landscaped medians (which could be added as traffic calming measures). On the image above you can see a few mock-ups of what I have in mind. I have also indicated a few intersections that may serve as good spots for such markers--such as Rhode Island at 11th and by the Convention Center--on the map above (uploaded originally by Mari here).

On a somewhat related subject, I love seeing the "Shaw Historic District" discs on utility poles throughout the area, and would love to see more. I think they give visitors a positive view of our neighborhood.