The X2

Last week we looked at three new restaurants coming to H Street NE. There are other new businesses on the way outside of the food service type, so I'll be keeping up with those as well. First up is a reopening of sorts. The Pursuit Wine Bar is relocating to 1025 H Street NE after 5 years at 1421 H (now the home of Ella Grace). Pursuit was always a chill, relaxing place for a glass to me, based on the few times I visited. I haven't acquired the square footage counts, but the new space looks to be much larger and is a coveted corner spot. The renderings also indicate one of those big wall windows that would allow you to sit at the outside bar and order from the inside bartender. I love those. I have exclusively been a client of Freed Bodyworks pretty much since they opened and that won't change anytime soon. Super, high praise shout out to their staff, comfortable & inclusive setting, and yes, the therapeutic bodywork and other services. Amazing place and I'...

920 H Street NE Tear-down and constriction has recently enveloped the property at 920 H Street NE, the former site of Park's Hardware. The store closed four years ago and the property has remained vacant since. The new project will result in a 10 unit apartment building named Ashton Park . The units range from a 471 sq ft studio to a 1,220 sq ft 2BR. There will be 3,600 sq ft of retail on the ground and basement levels; apparently being designing to snag a top restaurant or bar. The owners also seem to be catering to a transient audience of renters, offering what they describe as "hotel-like" amenities, providing some fully furnished units, and offering leases as short as two-months in length. They even call the studio a "hotel suite." Interesting concept. Delivery unknown, but I'm guessing early 2020.

The Big Idea : Why Hotel, Kitchen Cray, Chase Bank, and CorePower Yoga area coming to H Street NE. The Lucille and 501 H, two new-ish residential buildings, are getting their first retail tenants. The Lucille is a 9-unit condominium building located at 1301 H Street NE. Vinyl signage just went up on the first floor signaling the arrival of Kitchen Cray , a Maryland-based restaurant and catering outfit. It's known for being run by chef JR Robinson of Hell's Kitchen fame. The website describes the menu as "prepared ... for every taste." Main courses include chicken & waffles, catfish & grits, and lobster mac. Signage up for Kitchen Cray. A few blocks west is 501H, a 28-unit apartment building located at, well, 501 H Street NE. Douglas Development recently released the list of retail tenants for the space: CorePower Yoga , Why Hotel, and Chase Bank. CorePower Yoga is the only business of the three that has signage up at the moment. Why Hotel ...

Dirt is being moved at the site of Flats at Atlas Phase II in Carver Langston; at least for utility works.  The original Flats at Atlas building opened in 2012 with 257 units and 3,450 square feet of retail. The new building, Phase II, is located at 1676 Maryland Ave NE, just east of the current site. There is an empty lot there at the moment. A joint venture with Kettler & Westbrook Partners acquired the current building and the adjacent lot for $95,000,000 almost exactly three years ago. Phase II is expected to add another 325 units and be 5 stories tall, with no new retail. This second building has always been planned to accompany the original building, so many of the amenities like on-site parking deck were built to accommodate the total number of apartments. They will also share the circular drive area on Maryland Ave.  I have yet to see renderings or a site plan for Phase II, but there was an ANC meeting about two years ago outlining the outer rim la...

If you live in Atlas, Trinidad, or Carver Langston, you won't need to go far for holiday shopping. This amazing pop-up shop just opened at 417 H Street NE. This is a v cute space on the second floor above Sidamo Coffee.  The Pop-Up Collaborative  features about 20 women and minority owned brands. Products range from candles, to kid & adult clothes, shoes, body & skin care, jewelry, artwork, , handbags, and a whole bunch more. Please support this place! The pop-up is open Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm to 7pm, every week until December 24th.  In addition, one of the vendors (and the organizer of the pop-up) -- Shea Yeleen -- is hosting an ugly sweater party this Saturday at 7pm in the space. I've been waiting to debut a sweater (really a sweatshirt) I got last year, so.... yeah. It may make an appearance.  Support this pop-up! 

Hempburger / 408 H St NE Hempburger has signage up at 408 H Street NE. The restaurant looks to be a derivative of Khepra's Raw Food Juice Bar which is currently just a few doors down at 402 H Street NE. About a year ago, we noted signage at this address indicating Khepra's was actually relocating (link) . So, it's not exactly clear if Khepra's is moving or if they are just opening the Hempburger location and keeping the current resto open. We'll see.  Here's the menu for Khepra's . They're all raw, all vegan, all the time. And yes, they serve a hempburger! Updates as they come. 1350-1352 H Street NE ABRA placards (111354) are up for 1350-1352 H Street NE. They're requesting a Class C Tavern licence under the trade name O2. The request is specifically for: "A tavern that will be open for private events for specific occasions such as weddings, art exhibits, banquets, and other events. The tavern is requesting an Entertainment En...

The first retail tenant for the Constellation on H condo building will be a liquor store. ABRA placards (111599) are up for a Class A liquor store that is listed under the trade name "Cheers DC!." Constellation on H is a triangular shaped, 28 unit condo building bordered by H Street NE, Florida Ave, and 14th Street. The address is 1402 H Street NE. It's not clear if the liquor store will comprise the entire retail space which, at 4,900 sq ft, takes up most of the first floor. The builders of Constellation took care to add concrete pads to the north side of the building and the retail pitch materials showed outdoor seating as an option, so you have to wonder if they were looking to score a restaurant or cafe. As long as they carry Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, I'm good! Good luck Cheers DC.

Rendering courtesy of KGD Architecture . Delta Towers --located at the Starburst intersection of Florida Ave, H Street, Bladensburg Rd, and Benning Road, NE-- is gearing up for a major expansion. Fences are already up around the perimeter of the property, presaging a significant transformation and addition of residential units to the H Street corridor.  There are 179 new units slated for "Fortitude at Delta Towers" as part of a nearly $1 billion bond issue via DCHFA (PDF) All units in Fortitude will be for seniors and all units will be affordable as each will leased at a maximum of 30% AMI. From the DCHFA press release  (PDF): "The redevelopment of Delta Towers is $96 million project. Delta Towers is a 100 percent affordable senior community with all units leased at a maximum of 30 percent AMI. Thirty of the apartments will receive LRSP subsidy and 18 will be designated as permanent supportive housing with housing assistance payments via the DC Housing Autho...

Several multifamily residential buildings are being constructed on H Street NE and are in various stages of completion. Here's a mini-update on the build-out status of four of the more prominent projects. The Coda on H is a 112 unit apartment building located at 315 H Street NE. There are studios, 1BRs, and 2BRs. Sample rent: a 536 sq foot 1 BR on the 5th floor, facing H Street, is currently online for $2,122/month. The current range for available units is $1,800 to $4,345. The ground floor still needs work, but they are currently accepting leases. This building is walking distance to Union Station and also has an eastbound DC Streetcar stop at the front door. 7,000 square feet of ground floor retail is planned. Avec on H (and no, I'm not a fan of any of these names) is currently the largest residential building under construction on H St NE at 420 units. It spans two city blocks from 8th to 10th Streets. Just based on the eye test, it appears that they are a little o...

Douglas Development is redeveloping an existing building at 1151 Bladensburg Rd NE into offices and retail. The development will be 18,000 square feet, with roughly an even split between office space and retail. The retail portion will be divided into two separate spaces, similar in size. The office portion will occupy two floors on the southern part of the structure. There is a parking area planned for the roof of the building, accessible through the alley. All told, there will be 17 off-street parking spaces on site. I previously heard this property was going to be converted into residential, but looks as if those plans have changed. Renderings of 1151 Bladensburg Rd NE via Douglass Development . The last operating tenant of 1151 seems to have been Lin's Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Columbia Wine & Liquors, which closed shop some time before I moved to the neighborhood.  1151 Bladensburg is the first building I took a photo of after moving to C...

The Daily Rider bike shop reopened last week in the Apollo apartment building at 600 H Street NE. They were previously a few blocks down at 1108 H (now a spin studio). Daily Rider has a stylish selection of city bikes, some sportier bikes, accessories, and a repair section. The hours are weekdays 10 AM - 7 PM, Saturdays 10-6 and Sundays 12-6. Good morning H Street! pic.twitter.com/QER1cFRrT9 — The Daily Rider (@TheDailyRiderDC) February 2, 2018

ABRA placards are up for Truth Hookah and Cigar Lounge. The address is 1220 H Street NE, just west of SingSing Karaoke and Sticky Rice. The traded name is listed as "Truth Hookah/Cigar." and they are seeking a Class C Tavern licence allowing for live entertainment, dancing, and cover charge. Total occupancy load would be 198 with 95 seated. No summer garden or sidewalk seating are requested. 1220 H Street was built nearly 100 years ago, in 1920, and has 2,526 square feet on two floors. Truth Hookah and Cigar has a Twitter account and have shared some pre-construction photos already. They indicate a Spring 2018 opening.

Happy New Year! Here's to a healthy, fun, and productive 2018. About this blog: By keeping up with and documenting changes along the X2 bus line --the good, the bad, and the... questionable-- it helps me figure out where the city and our neighborhood are heading. It's more than a hobby and I'm the kind of person that loves to observe change over time, especially in the built environment.  With all the bleak and disheartening news emanating from a certain NW address, it helps to focus on the local things, even stuff like restaurant openings & closings, long term transit/infrastructure projects, and far-from-reality proposals for apartment buildings with ground floor retail. All that goes to say that not every post is groundbreaking news, but it is our news. I'll keep trying to make the posts interesting and relevant. As always, for more timely news, more photos, and #hottakes, Twitter is the place I share most often . Here are some openings and coming-s...

High end sneaker and streetwear retailer  A Ma Maniére looks to open on H Street NE. Signage was just installed above the entrance to 1214 H Street NE. A Ma Maniére is one of a bevy of high end fashion retailers from James Whitner. I love his story of opening specialty stores in mid-sized cities like Orlando, Charleston, and Tallahassee as opposed to going straight to New York and LA, whose markets are already full of high end stores. Here is a cool write up on the whole story in Complex. A Ma Maniére is definitely top of the line carrying the like of Off-White, Alexander Wang, and Maison Margiela. 1214 H has been in a long state of reconstruction after being purchased for nearly $1,000,000 in June 2015. This property had been a vacant property for some time even beofre that. It's  listed as having nearly 2,000 square feet  of rentable space, but it's not clear if the store will encompass one or two floors. Probably both. The store is clearly not clos...

Conrad from the southwest corner of 10th and I (Eye) Sts NW. City Center is mostly known for its retail components; a collection of stores selling everything from $2 cups of coffee to $140,000 electric cars. Apartments, condos, and thousands of square feet of office space fill out the rest of the spaces. One thing missing though is a hotel. Not that the area is lacking; the Grand Hyatt, Marriott Renaissance, and Marriott Metro Center are less than a block's walk. But soon the development will have its own. The Conrad will be a 360 room hotel run by Hilton and located at the corner of New York Ave and 10th St NW.. The name is inspired by Conrad Hilton, founder of the franchise. Conrad is one of the top Hilton Brands, behind only Waldorf Astoria. And it will join several other Hilton brands already in DC including Canopy, Garden Inn, DoubleTree, Hampton Inn, and Homewood Suites. The new hotel will be the 38th Conrad worldwide. Bryan Voltaggio (Range, Lunch Box, Volt) ...

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...

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...

315 H under construction a few weeks ago. MRP Realty is working to bring 115 new living units to 315 H Street NE. This 8 storey, 90,000 square foot structure is across the street from Giant grocery and only a few blocks downhill from Union Station. An eastbound DC Streetcar station (currently out of service) is located on the same block. Capital Bikeshare is less than a block away as well.  There will be ~6,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor, which MRP expects to attract, at least, one restaurant tenant. The residential units will be a mix of studio, JR 1BR, 1BR, and 2BR. Eight per cent of the residential gross floor area is dedicated to inclusionary units. In this case that will equate to 12 affordable units including 4 studios (337 sq ft!), 3 junior one bedroom units, 3 one bedroom units, and 2 two bedroom units. The  affordable units are dedicated to households with an annual income of 80%, 60%, and 50% of the area median income and will exist as lon...