Reasons to Be Car Free in DC: Bicycle Sharing

Capital Bikeshare station in Columbia Heights

Last week the popular transit program Capital Bikeshare introduced a rewards program that encourages users to ride bikes from full stations to empty ones. This is a good sign. The Reverse Riders program came about because so many bike docks in residential areas are emptied each morning as users ride to work and other destinations. 

Bicycle sharing programs are rare in the United States and DC has the largest as of this writing. Capital Bikeshare has close to 14,000 annual members and grows each week. Users can purchase memberships and rent bikes from designated stations around the District of Columbia and Arlington County, Virginia. 

Members can rent bikes for up to 24 hours, but the system is designed for short trips; no more than a couple of hours at most. The first 30 minutes of a rental incur no cost. Pricing increases from $1.50 for up to an hour all the way to $70.50 for 24 hours. Obviously bikes are rented for a variety of reasons; but to me, I feel that work commuting and leisure riding are the top two reasons for rentals. 

Capital Bikeshare uses a ratio of 1.5 available docks to every 1 bike in the system. In a perfect world, this would provide bikes at each station for checkout and empty docks for bike return. It doesn't always work this way though.

Stations can have a variable number of docks and stations in work centers tend to be larger. The combination of DC topography (hilly in places, mostly flat downtown), travel patterns and popularity have resulted in sometimes lopsided station availability. That is to say, that during morning rush hour, stations in residential areas may be empty or close to empty and stations downtown tend to be full or near full. Hence the Reverse Riders program. CaBi is working to manage these usage trends. The program launched in September of 2010. Let's see where we are in September 2011. I suspect the system will be much improved.

I love Capital Bikeshare. DC has been building bike infrastructure pretty aggressively for the last 10 years. This is huge feather in that hat. It gets people who may not have ridden before onto bikes and gives residents a healthy and green alternative to the sometimes unreliable Metro. It is another Reason to Be Car Free in DC. Check out the others!

Love it? Hate it? Join the conversation on Twitter @The42BusDC

Friday Fun Post: 90s Redux

A little cautionary tale from one of the first ladies of hop hop MC LYTE. Have a safe holiday weekend!

Thrive DC at White House Market

Here's a cool event happening today. 

Thrive DC will be at the Freshfarm  Market by the White House to announce a cool partnership with DC based Zipcar. You can of course attend the market and pick up some local, good-for-you vegetables. But in addition you'll be able to sign up and help Thrive DC with it's mission: providing wide ranging, diverse services to DC's homeless population. 

Thrive DC is working with Zipcar to deliver donated goods to where they need to be across DC and you can volunteer to help out as well. Not sure of the details regarding logistics, but Zipcar will encourage members to use its cars to deliver donated materials and food to Thrive DC locations/offices. If you're interested, ask about the arrangement at the market.

You can also bring items that Thrive DC consistently needs: travel sized toiletries, new unworn undergarments and new unworn socks. Enjoy the market and help out a great DC organization as well.

The Freshfarm Market at the White House is located at 810 Vermont Ave NW, b/t H and I Sts. It happens on Thursdays from 3-7PM. Visit with Thrive DC and Zipcar from 4-6PM.

Photos: 3000 Block of Mount Pleasant St NW

Photos: 16th and Newton NW

Friday Fun Post: 90s Redux

While some kids I knew were busy explaining why Green Day were sell-outs, I was blasting this album and enjoying every second of it. 1994's Dookie got me through many a boring summer day and long late night drives home from work. Yes, Kerplunk was a great album, and MTV could ruin the coolness factor of some great underground bands. But how could you say no to this album. And this song! Here's Green Day with Basket Case. Have a great weekend!

Bike to Work Day is Tomorrow

Bike to Work Day! Friday May 20, 2011. This is every day for a lot of us. Capital Bikeshare has done a lot to make biking to work a more common occurrence here in DC. But even without the bike sharing program, causal cycling is on the rise in District and the city has been on a 10 year venture to improve bike infrastructure; both by innovating and borrowing ideas + best practices along the way.

Bike to Work Day is not a event exclusive to DC. It's national, taking place all this week. Regionally, Maryland and Virginia (suburbs of DC, at least) are taking part.

All the info you need is here, on WABA's Bike to Work Day page. For those wanting to join a convoy from Mount Pleasant to Freedom Plaza, the info is here (PDF). Basically, just meet at Lamont Park by 7:30AM. At that time the convoy will depart. You'll take Columbia Rd and 18th St through Adams Morgan, then T St to 17th, to the White House, and finally down 15th St to Freedom Plaza. For everyone else, there are 25+ convoys. Of course you can ride on your own, too. Ride safe! Have a great day!

Jazz in the Garden is Back

Sculpture Garden

If you know me, you know that one of my favorite DC traditions is Jazz on the Grass, officially known as Jazz in the Garden. The scene is decidedly DC and attracts regulars who work downtown, but also, due to its location, tourists, actual music fans and many many scene-and-be scene folks.

Jazz in the Garden takes place at the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden at 7th St and Constitution Ave NW. On summer Fridays the Garden is packed --and I mean packed-- with revelers, mostly imbibing in the famous NGA sangria, wine, imported beer, or other beverage; purchased on site of course. Outside alcohol beverages are verboten. Remember that. Don't wanna get yourself kicked out. Seen it happen. Yep. Don't do it.

Anyway, it's gotten almost too popular to always fully enjoy. Unless you're there really early, it is very difficult to get a decent seat, on the grass or otherwise. Forget securing a seat on the fountain; impossible. But I still go. Too much fun with friends!

The first Jazz in the Garden is on Friday May 27. It's each Friday at 5:00PM-8:30PM, rain or shine. The last Jazz is September 9. In a change, this year the Garden will remain open to visitors until 9:30PM, an hour after the music ends. The event is free.

Bring some crackers, some fruit and a blanket. I'll get a pitcher of sangria. See you there...

PS, the first few performers of the season: 

May 27
Origem
Brazilian jazz

June 3
DC Jazz Festival presents Mark Prince
progressive jazz

June 10
Deanna Bogart

blusion or blues fusion

June 17
John Lee

guitar fusion jazz/rock

June 24
Sheila Ross
jazz vocalist

Mount Pleasant Youth Art Walk Ends May 31

Student art in Nana's front display window.

The Mount Pleasant Youth Art Fair and walk is happening right now and will continue through the end of May. Student and youth artwork is on display at venues on Mount Pleasant Street NW between Park Rd and Hobart St. The artists are from schools and after-school programs in and around the neighborhood; including Bancroft Elementary, Rosemount Center and Bell Multicultural High School. 

Pictured to the left is student artwork in the front window of Nana (3068 Mt P St N). It is among 11 venues displaying works. The others include Dos Gringos, El Pollo Sabroso, Past Tense Studio and Heller's Bakery. Here's a cool poster with the full list of stops on the art walk (PDF). Stop by one of the venues (patronize the business if you can) to support this tradition that's more than a decade old. This fair is sponsored by the Mt. Pleasant Business Association and the Friends of Mt. Pleasant Library. Enjoy!

Mount Pleasant Music Festival Returns

Four Horsemen perform at 2010 Mount Pleasant Music Festival

The Mount Pleasant Music Festival is coming back to Lamont Park! Last year, the festival --organized by Mount Pleasant Main Street-- bought out residents on a beautiful early May Saturday. The music was pitch perfect and it was sooooo great seeing Lamont Park active all day long (farmers' market early, music later). 

Mark your calendars. This year the festival will take place on Saturday June 11. It will begin at 3:00PM and end at 7:30PM. The farmers' market will still operate 9-1. The tentative bands are Midnight Hike, The Jones, Oxymorons and more. Radio CPR's DJ Wanako will return to the turntables. And other fun activities are coming together as we speak.

Great news! Oh yeah, it's free! More details to come.

McCormick Gets Some Color

Completing the aesthetic transition from the old Mount Pleasant Super Market, McCormick Paints has finally erected permanent signage. Add it to the eclectic and wondrously varied retail we have in our great neighborhood. Funny that a paint store was housed in such a nondescript, plain white building. A little color can't hurt it, eh. McCormick is located at 3124 Mount Pleasant Street NW.

Night Scene

Mount Pleasant St NW

Guerrilla Ads are Reminder of Caps Loss

Guerrilla marketing for NHL games

Have you seen these? They started popping up on DC sidewalks during the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. The number one seed Washington Capitals won the first round, but were defeated 4 games to 0 in a best-of-seven series in the second round. The cable sports channel Versus televised some of the games. It is lesser known than ESPN, or Comcast Sports Netowork, but is national in scope. 

These guerrilla marketing-type, sidewalk advertisements seem a little too limited for any significant impact. There were 3 first round games in DC. And at the most, there would have been 4 second round games here. Because of the Caps futility, there were actually only 2 games at the Verizon Center in that round. So, a total of 5 games were played in DC. And Versus didn't carry all of those games.

For all the work the spray painters put into it, DC residents had less than 5 chances to turn on Versus and actually see the Capitals play at home in the playoffs. Also, not that a Caps fan can't branch out, but I'm betting a lot of folks were less interested in watching the playoffs once the Capitals aren't around. Which leads me back to the sidewalk advertisements.

I've seen them around the city. Way up here (on Park Rd NW), on F Street near Verizon, and on U Street (where this photo was taken). They appear to be spray painted through a stencil directly onto the sidewalk. And it has rained several times --occasionally heavy rain-- over the adverts and they don't appear worse for the wear. My main questions are 1) Who's behind this? Versus? Comcast, or another cable carrier? 2) Is it legal? 3) Can the originators please remove them?

I don't even really care if it was legal, it was fun idea. But now that the Capitals players have packed up for the season, the ads just need to go away. We've already got the punchless Nats and Wizards to fret over. The last thing this city needs is a daily reminder of what could have been for the Caps in 2011. So sad.

Farmers' and Flea Markets Make for a Swell Weekend

Late fall scene at Mount Pleasant Farmers' Market

Finally...... the farmers' market..... has come back..... TO MOUNT PLEASANT! Yes, tomorrow is the first day of the best farmers market in the city, the Mount Pleasant Farmers' Market. Happens every Saturday morning, now until November 19. I can't wait. I still remember the last items I bought in 2010: a  few pink lady apples and a quart of apple cider. 

What will I get tomorrow? Who knows, just want to be there thinking about the start to real spring in DC, a beautiful time of year. The Mount Pleasant Farmers' Market is tomorrow May 7, from 9:00AM until 1:00PM. The location is Lamont Park at the corner of Lamont and Mount Pleasant Sts NW. See you...

*     *     *

Also tomorrow, just 4 blocks from the Farmers' Market, is the Positive Force Punk Rock Flea Market and Skill Share. That's a mouth full, but basically, it's like it sounds: a market made of DIY vendors and talented folks willing to share their knowledge and skillz with you (word is Warm and Fuzzies will be there!). Afterwards, a show with three DC bands: Deleted Scenes, Foul Swoops and America Hearts (I believe from Mt P?). The flea and skill share start at 12:30PM and the music starts at 2:00PM. The location is St. Stephens Church at 1525 Newton St NW (at 16th). That's two awesome events on one day. Have a great weekend!

Memorial Wednesday: James Buchanan

Washington has one. Lincoln, yes. FDR has a one. Jefferson, too, of course. Wilson has a whole house dedicated to his presidency. And Eisenhower is getting his memorial soon. You may not have known, but Buchanan is on that list, too. James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States, has a memorial in DC; just like some of the more well known and revered holders of the office. 

Buchanan is known mostly for1) presiding over the U.S. as the states slipped into the Civil War and 2) being the only President who never married. His bungling of the slavery issue and general reluctance to address tensions between the north and south tainted his presidency; arguably more than any other one-termer. 

His presidential statue is on what was supposed to be "The Avenue of Presidents." 16th Street NW has been envisioned as many things; the Prime Meridian, Embassy Row and the Avenue of Presidents among others. The Buchanan statue was finished in 1930, but was actually included in the original plans for Meridian Hill Park. The park's construction lasted from 1912 until 1936. It was donated by the President's niece and sculpted by Hans Schuler. It remains as the only presidential statue to grace 16th Street. The others are downtown on the National Mall. 

Buchanan's statue is located on the lower level of Meridian Hill-Malcolm X Park in the southeast corner, only steps from the 15th St entrance.

Flying Fish Coffee & Tea Opens

Great neighborhood news this weekend: Mount Pleasant now has a new coffee shop! Flying Fish Coffee & Tea opened its doors to the general public on Saturday morning and was snagging passers-by as well as those eagerly awaiting this moment, like myself. This isn't a review, just a notice! 

They're new, but the product that I'm most interested in is pretty basic: a good hand-poured coffee. When fully stocked, they'll have teas and other coffee drinks like iced coffee, lattes, cappuccino, chai and more. But during a visit on Saturday afternoon I found myself at a nice wooden table enjoying an Indonesian coffee in a cute Flying Fish mug with a cool demitasse spoon holder on the side. Good show, good show. Very homey feel and nice staff & owner. 

I'm not the read-a-Kindle-and-lounge type, but you can do that here if you like. I believe they offer free wifi as of yesterday as well, if you're into that sort of thing. Two plush looking arm chairs look right out onto Mount Pleasant Street. And a number of two-tops join a small wooden community-like table inside the narrow storefront at 3064 Mount Pleasant St NW. 3064 was formerly home to the Express Business Center. As of today, Flying Fish is open 7-7 on weekdays, 8-8 on Saturdays and 8-7 on Sundays.

The other Mount Pleasant spots I go to for coffee are Dos Gringos and Heller's Bakery.

I want this place to succeed and help make our main street more lively. It joins Ercilia's Frugalista, Mayflower, Golden Scissors, Nana, 24 HR Laundromat and Mt Pleasant Auto Repair to form a nice first impression as an entrance into our fair village. Not one empty storefront on that block, the 3000 block of Mount Pleasant. Pretty neat. Count on seeing me there again, soon. Good luck Flying Fish!