The X2

One of my favorite, most beloved traditions from 15 years living in Mount Pleasant was the Bancroft Elementary PTO Holiday Tree Sale . I didn't even really do the tree thing before moving to DC, but the school sale was obviously for a great cause and if I *did* buy a tree in December, it was only from Bancroft. This was one of many small, regular traditions I loathed to leave behind when moving across town. The past (nearly) two years in Carver have seemingly flown by and I have a whole new set of neighborhood gems, quirks, and traditions to learn and am happy to add this one to the list: The Miner Elementary Holiday Greenery & Bake Sale is this weekend. From the organizers: ​"Buy your holiday trees, wreaths, and garland while supporting the Miner Parent Teacher Organization at the same time! Our second annual Holiday Greenery and Bake Sale is here!  Friday, December 1 from 5-8pm Saturday, December 2nd from 9am-2pm Pre-orders are closed now but we have...

ABRA placards ( PDF ) are up for Allure Lounge at 711 H Street NE. Most recently home to a tax preparation company, 711 H is a storefront in a high foot traffic area near 8th and H; an intersection with several cross town bus routes and a DC Streetcar station. 711 H is between Shoe City and Po Boy Jim. Allure is seeking a class C tavern license, including entertainment endorsement, for a venue with 200 seats and total occupancy load of 400. Proposed hours --including operation, entertainment, and alcohol sales-- are Sunday - Thursday 11AM to 2 AM and until 3 AM on Friday and Saturday.

Holiday themed shows coming up at Atlas Performing Arts Center . Atlas is located at 1333 H Street NE. From the organizers: Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show is the most vibrant holiday celebration in town! This fun, family-friendly performance will have you stomping your feet and clapping your hands to energetic beats from Step Afrika! and special guest, DJ Frosty the Snowman. Over the last six years, this internationally-renowned percussive dance company has created a contemporary holiday tradition at the Atlas, featuring friendly, furry characters, pre-show instrument-making workshops, photo ops, and even a dance party. Why celebrate the holidays sitting still when you can step with Step Afrika!  Family ticket packages and group rates available by calling  202.399.7993, ext. 2 .  12/15-30 -   Buy tickets Peter Pan . This holiday season, Andrew Earle Simpson performs a fairy-dust sprinkled original score for the beloved silent film, Pete...

Solid State Books is coming to H Street NE. We've known this for a while now and I'm still excited for them to bring an exciting new retail element to H Street. The bookstore will be in the same building as the Apollo apartments, Whole Foods, We Work, Daily Rider, and V Street restaurant. The bookstore will open soon enough. However starting *tomorrow* and running through the holiday season, the owners have decided to open a pop up book store nearby. From the organizers: "We're so excited to bring you a Solid State Books Holiday Pop-Up this Friday, just a few doors down from our permanent location at 600 H Street NE. While progress continues at the main store down the block, we're busy packing all we can into this space, and will have books, cards, totes, and many other gifts for every book-lover on your list!" Solid State also announced that they will offer a children's story time hosted inside the Apollo apartments. Dates and times TBD, b...

One DC built environment issue I have yet to fully figure out is why east-west travel is so difficult. Natural north-south barriers like Rock Creek Park combine with man-made ones like train yards and an awkward street grid to make cross town travel more difficult than it needs to be. It's frustrating that each major east-west route is so susceptible to bottlenecking or congestion. One of the more recently problematic east-west thoroughfares has been H Street NW near the Capitol Crossing project. Here, in just a few blocks' span, H Street crosses or runs parallel to Massachusetts Ave, 4th Street, 3rd Street, and an interstate highway, 395. The intersections here have always been a mess, but add to that a total reconstruction of H Street and Mass Ave in conjunction with decking over the interstate, and simultaneously building 2.2 million square feet of office, retail, and residential buildings adjacent to the intersection. This has been the scenario for the last ~two years...

501 H Street NE is a new 6 storey apartment building nearing completion with 28 rental units. The building includes three levels of retail. And yes, retail is the real focus here, with a whopping 22,000 sq ft of it, including a two-level open atrium near the entrance. Hopefully the brokers get creative; I could see a whole host of diverse tenants working in that space. And not just bars & restaurants.  The retail space isn't *quite* ready for its close-up, but the apartment units are already leasing. I still can't accept the reality of apartment prices in DC, as the units here range from $1,991 per month for a 575 sq ft studio to a $3,344 per month 1,123 sq ft 2 BR unit. It's all very disappointing, but expected nowadays. How has the inventory crept up with no corresponding let down of rates for new buildings. I don't know. But the units appear to be nice and the location is great.  315 H Stree t just topped out at eight floors and the builders are movi...

Khepra's Raw Food Juice Bar looks poised to move, but not far. The all-vegan raw foods restaurant opened at 402 H Street NE in 2011. Signage indicating a new storefront recently went up at 408 H Street NE. This is between Fare Well and Hot Yoga Capitol Hill. A recent Facebook post mentioned the move would happen in 2018. Good luck Khepra's! Bar Elena, the new venture replacing shuttered Boundary Road, has moved forward to the point of hiring staff. The New American style ( I had to look it up ) restaurant looks to distinguish itself by including a cache of video games and pinball machines, an idea I love. Bar Elena  has posted job listings as recently as Oct 29, including a note saying they were "opening VERY soon." Stay tuned! 414 H Street NE. Read more:  Boundary Road has Closed to be Replaced by Bar Elena (Frozen Tropics)  Replacement H Street Bar Aims to Double Its Drinking Space (Eater) New Restaurant With Arcade Games Will Replace Bounda...