The X2

Turning Natural opening this past weekend and was a among a slew of new additions in around the Atlas District. This is the third location for Turning Natural  (1380 H Street NE) and the second in DC. They make fresh juices and smoothies to order, have a selection of sandwiches and soups, and apparently coffee from Zeke's. Here's the menu . Coffee service wasn't up and running when I went in last weekend, but I saw the equipment and Zeke's bags, so A+ for Turning Natural if that is indeed the case. The new juice bar opened on Saturday and for now the hours are Monday - Friday 7 AM - 8 PM and Saturday 10 - 6, but they may offer Sunday hours eventually (probably sooner than later). I love this place so far and was a big fan of the MLK Ave location, so if this is even just  repeat of that, I'm good! Further west, a new combination coffee shop, restaurant, and grocery is open in Trinidad. Yes, I'm totally late to this game, as Old City Mar...

Sephora will occupy a first floor space across the street from Zara, H&M, and Madame Tussauds. Signage is up for a Penn Quarter iteration of Sephora, the Paris-based beauty and cosmetics store. Sephora has many locations in the U.S., but currently just one in DC -- in Georgetown. The Penn Quarter store will occupy 1,000 square feet in a corner retail space at 1000 F Street NW , a recently renovated office and retail structure from Douglas Development. I can't say when exactly Sephora will open, but based on the eye test, likely sometime this summer or early fall. Eventually it will be joined at 1000 F by GRK Fresh Greek, a fast casual Mediterranean restaurant.  In nearby City Center, Tesla looks close to opening a showroom and salesroom in another prime corner retail spot. Tesla Motors is a California based automaker with a focus on electric powered cars and home power systems. The new showroom will be located at 909 H St NW. No word on opening date, but they are l...

Ted Leo, Priests, and a whole slew of other amazing artists are playing music and otherwise performing at the Black Cat tonight for NO THANKS : A Night of Anti-Fascist Sound Resistance in the Capital of the USA. NO THNAKS is a benefit for Casa Ruby and ONE DC, two needed, local organizations in these uncertain times. This night is a two-fer of sorts with two mainstage-worthy shows on the same night. NO THANKS is actually on the mainstage and on the Backstage is the Solidarity Cabaret , a burlesque that will benefit Collective Action for Safe Spaces (full disclosure, I'm on the Board of Collective Action for Safe Spaces). Two shows, one venue, three great organizations. Do it!

A few months ago, I was surprised to learn that Metro was adding a second bus route that would serve National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. National Harbor is a mixed-use real estate development geared towards hotels and entertainment. It comprises about 2 square miles and is adjacent to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge on the Maryland side of the Potomac. The existing route ( NH1 ) connects National Harbor to the Southern Ave Metro station on the DC border. The new NH2 route appears to offer a slightly faster route from here in Carver Langston. Last week I decided to try it out. The NH2 bus arrives at National Harbor by way of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and makes stops in Virginia including King Street Metro station, which was my connection. Here's the whole journey in Storify form, but the bottom line is the trip from Carver Langston to National Harbor took 1 hour and 18 minutes from boarding the X2 bus to hopping off the NH2 at the casino, which is the first stop at National H...

The Wydown opened at 600 H St NE over the weekend, bringing coffee, pastries --and eventually adult beverages-- to the new Apollo apartment building. This is the second shop for Wydown, which operates a coffee-only venture on 14th Street NW.  The S Street shop is attached to the lobby for the Apollo apartment building and the two spaces are really one, as customers of the coffee shop are allowed to venture into the atrium space that serves as the entrance to the Apollo. There is plenty of space to sit inside the coffee shop, too. Great to have another quality coffee shop on H that is walkable from Carver Langston. The shop was open 8 AM - 7 PM on the weekend, but I'll update with the regular hours when available. Good luck Wydown! Our new shop in @TheApolloDC is open! Come by. Photo and fantastic design by Edit Lab @realstreetsense pic.twitter.com/3Ld25ZWNpj — The Wydown (@thewydown) December 17, 2016