The Cheap Art Sale: A Benefit for Neighbors’ Consejo

Take a few minutes out of this coming up weekend to lend a hand to a great local organization. Neighbors' Consejo, like many area nonprofit service organizations, is worse off than it was even a year ago. Their funding has been drastically cut and they are trying to raise thousands of dollars before the end of the calendar year to continue doing the work they do.

Neighbors’ Consejo provides bilingual and multicultural services to the homeless, addicted, and low-income residents of the Mount Pleasant, Columbia Heights and Adams Morgan neighborhoods. Programs include street outreach, counseling, case management, vocational services, addiction treatment, and other advocacy programs that promote civic engagement and develop leadership skills.

This weekend we can help Neighbors' Consejo, which is LOCAL to Mount Pleasant at 3118 16th Street NW. The event being held is called the Cheap Art Sale. That's cheap as in affordable, not cheap in quality.

The sale is on this Saturday December 5, 1PM-5PM. The location is La Casa, at 3166 Mt Pleasant Street NW.

All art will be priced at $100 or less. The artist are from all over DC, with some from right here in Mount Pleasant. Works of art will include photography, prints, screen printed clothing, jewelry, paintings and more. At least half, and in some instances, all of the artists' proceeds will go to Neighbors' Consejo.

You can use the sale as an opportunity to pick up a unique holiday gift. You're pretty much guaranteed to find a one of a kind item.

Organizers will also be taking donations at the art sale, if you would like to donate without buying anything. You can also donate funds on their website (http://www.neighborsconsejo.org).

Yes, I will be there, help me pick out some art!

Friday Fun Post: Real World DC Trailer + Poll

Real World XXIII: Washington DC - MTV Shows

poll by twiigs.com

Happy Thanksgiving

Enjoy the weekend.

A Death in the DC Sports Family: Abe Pollin, 85

Abe Pollin passed away yesterday. He is most known for being the owner of the NBA's Washington Wizards. Pollin was the longest tenured NBA owner and was revered as a dedicated man who wanted to and did succeed at the highest levels; in a region without the sports cachet of an LA, New York, or even Boston. Pollin gambled, and again succeeded, by bringing the Wizards, then the Washington Bullets, to downtown DC from suburban Maryland in 1997. At the time, no one knew what would become of DC's dying Chinatown district. He built the MCI Center (now Verizon Center) against his own wealth. The results could not have been better.

The area around the Verizon Center is a poster child of what was envisioned under the "sports stadium affect on lagging downtown" phenomenon of the 1990s. The trend was a reversal of the previous 25 years or so of urban development in which stadiums were placed in the suburbs, following the money and parking.

The Verizon Center works precisely because it is where the money is --East End DC-- and there's no need for much parking. It's right above a Metro stop with direct links to Alexandria, Silver Spring, Bethesda, uptown DC, Silver Spring and anywhere else ridable on three Metro subway lines. The strategy worked. Verizon Center is now but a component of Penn Quarter, Chinatown, Metro Center and Downtown DC. The sports venue is the Sears to a mall development; the anchor for all the other activity around it. Whether the teams win or not. By the way, the Wizards were victorious last night, albeit by one point. So, here's to Mr. Pollin.

Below, a repost of of my ode to Verizon Center from early last year. I stand by all of what I wrote at the time; it was and is a true asset for this part of the city.

REPOST: Verizon Center Turns 10, Celebrates Again

This is a REPOST. It was first posted on MAY 21st 2008. None of the events are current. It's in conjunction with the post above regarding the death of Abe Pollin, financier of the Verizon (MCI) Center and former owner of the Washington Wizards. This post is from nearly TWO YEARS ago.

Hockey fans, get ready. A year after the Washington Capitals thrilled area sports fans with an amazing late season run into the playoffs, the Verizon Center will host the men's NCAA hockey championship--the Frozen Four. It's the hockey equivalent to the Final Four and March Madness. The organizers predict that the event will have a $10,000,000 impact on the Washington area. Much of it will go directly to owners and workers in local hotels, food establishments, museums and entertainment businesses. We see a bump like this whenever outside $$$ are bought into our local economy system via sports. None of this would have been possible without the Verizon Center.

At 10 years old, the Verizon Center is not the newest arena of its kind. Its not the largest, it doesn't have the most seats, and it isn't home to a championship team, at the moment. On the inside, its looks like most other NBA and NHL arenas. They are much harder to differentiate from each other than say, a baseball stadium, or even some NFL stadiums. The Prudential Center in Newark is almost identical to the Verizon Center in every way. The experience you have, for example, seeing a college basketball game or a Bon Jovi concert would be practically identical in either arena. Except for one aspect: the experience you have coming and going to the arena. I've been to both venues. Here's what's around the Pru Center: absolutely nothing. We went to a concert at the Pru Center this February and parked 2 blocks from the arena for $10. On the way there was nothing. Not a person on the street (who wasn't going to the show) and nary a restaurant, gas station, hotel, convenience store, condo, rowhouse, or office building. On the way back to the car we took a different route and passed one dive bar that looked pretty cool, but it was the only sign of life we saw. We ate fries inside the arena. That was dinner.

Contrast that to Gallery Place and the immediate areas around the Verizon Center. Since the arena's opening 10 years ago, the surrounding neighborhood has seen a sonic boom of development. Apartments, condominiums, restaurants of the lunch, fast food and fine dining type, clothing stores and even pay-for-experience museums have inhabited the area. Like Near Southeast, development may have been inevitable even without a sports stadium/arena, but surely it wouldn't have come with such a fervor or quickness. I dare say that the Verizon Center saved PQ/Gallery Place/Chinatown, if not from desolation, at least from becoming a boring, bland landscape of boxy, identical office buildings, ala Roslyn, or parts of K Street and the West End. Comparatively, I think a project like NoMa will end up being a staid, boring, urban office park. The development there will be manufactured in too strict of a cannon and too managed. Sounds strange to say, but if you treat the completion of the Verizon Center as a starting point, the development in that area has come fast, but it's been organic. It may be hard to replicate in NoMa or Near Southeast.

Development around Verizon Center has even helped usher in the name "Penn Quarter" as the name that should be used to refer to what is becoming its own neighborhood. The moniker may eventually replace Chinatown and Gallery Place as a place name for the area. While the "Gallery" (National Portrait Gallery) has reopened, its no longer the only cultural institution or Museum in that area. And the only time I hear the word "Chinatown" used for that area is when one is referring to the Metro stop. Few locals refer to the area as Chinatown. Visitors form New York and SF even mock the name, comparing it to their solid and historic neighborhoods of the same name, but larger scope. A single name will help the area grapple with its new identity, whenever it becomes clear, what that identity actually is. Verizon Center helped with that identity. Of course, one of my favorite blogs, Penn Quarter Living used to be named Gallery Place Living.

I can't say that Verizon Center single-handedly saved that part of downtown from complete abandonment. But there is no way that Madame Tussuad's, Newseum, Museum of Crime and Punishment, Urban Outfitters, two Starbucks, Fado's, City Sports, Bed Bath and Beyond, La Tasca, Matchbox, Harman Theater and a 14 screen Regal could have ALL been successful if they individually put down roots in what was Chinatown. Verizon Center, the home of three major league professional sports franchises and one nationally powerhouse university men's basketball team, spread the wealth around east-downtown DC over the last 10 years and looks to be set for the next 10. And, the original team's owner paid for it, unlike the Nationals and "their" Nationals Park.

Verizon Center celebrating its 10th birthday all year and holding another celebratory event today. The Taste of Ten Luncheon will be held in the arena on the main concourse, F Street side. The Luncheon is $10.00 with all proceeds going to Washington Sports & Entertainment Charities. In a nod to development spurred on by the Center, the admission gives you the opportunity to sample foods from several of the over 25 PQ area eateries who are participating. Includes many local faves, including, Zaytinya, Zola, Matchbox, Jaleo, Rosa Mexican and the Source. Advance tix are not available, just bring cash to the event; its 12-2pm today.

Photos: DC from Arlington Cemetery

Coffee/Riot: Chinatown Coffee Company

Coffee shops, cafes, whatever you prefer to call them, DC has its fair share of spots that serve up the caffeinated, addictive beverage in some form or another. Some are bakeries, others more restaurant-like, and others are straight up coffee shops. I've taken on task of chronicling some of my favorite coffee spots in the city, on a quest to show what's unique and cool about them. If you have suggestions, go bananas. I'm not much of a hater or complainer so I'll mostly be heaping praise and being posi. Previous Coffee/Riot posts: Sticky Fingers, Baked & Wired, Dos Gringos, M.E. Swing, Grape and Bean, Crumbs & Coffee, Open City, Tryst, Ebenezers Coffeehouse, Bourbon Coffee.

Chinatown Coffee Company

...opened in late July on the corner of 5th and H Streets NW. The rather utilitarian corner (GAO government building, nondescript hotel) has gotten more lively recently with the opening of a few new restaurants and now Chinatown Coffee.

Everything about Chinatown Coffee has impressed me so far. Start with the employees. I love coffee. I appreciate people who love coffee. Their employees are so nice and friendly and can describe in detail the qualities and tastes of the coffee in play that day, each of the specialty drinks they serve and have no problems giving recommendations. I trust that whatever is being served at the time is going to taste fantastic.

Consistency is sometimes a degraded virtue, but not at this place. The soy latte is just phenomenal every time I order it no matter who is barista-ing (not a word, eh. well, it's a verb now. barista-ing). That will keep me and others coming back every time.

The decor is spartan, but warm, with a deep orange covering the walls and dark furniture along the the edges. No gimmicky abstract art or tattered couches. Lots of sharp angles, cold metal and a "here we are, this is our craft" open layout to the espresso machines, work and register area. Not many areas for mass gathering, but there are a few spaces up front to fit a group of four comfortably. A nice contrast from the clean and finished orange walls to the patches of exposed brick and unfinished spaces that appear around the shop.

There is a full menu of coffee products from lattes, drip coffee, french press and much more. Yes, I have had the soy latte about, I don't know, a dozen times so far. It's great! For the vegans, they're using the Pacific Barista Series Soy Blender milk. It's not sweet, doesn't burn and makes foam like dairy milk. That means in the hands of a trained professional, get ready for a sublime soy latte.

The winter months are nearly upon us. I can see myself hitting this place up for a small coffee (under $2 after tax) to start me up in the morning or get me through a tough afternoon. All coffee signs point to yes for this place. Keep up the good work.

Chinatown Coffee Co. is located at 475 H Street NW. It's open 7 days a week. 7a-8p on the weekdays, 8a-8p Saturday and 8a-7p on Sunday (fall schedule).

Maoz Veg is Open!

Maoz Veg, the European falafel eatery, is open in Dupont. The first U.S. store opened in Phila, PA five years ago.

On a whim I decided to walk on M Street yesterday to check on the progress and my luck!, it was open. The first day. I've been waiting for this day for a long time and they didn't disappoint. The falafel was great and you get a good meal for the money.

Single falafel pita was $4.95; that's five falafel balls crammed into a pita pocket. Perfect salad bar with fixings including beets, cooked cauliflower + broccoli, tomato, cucumber, red cabbage and more. Others on line were ordering one of the four combo meals (combination of falafel pita or salad and drinks plus fries).

Other food choices: salad bowls, Belgian and sweet potato fries, vegan rice pudding, seasonal soups, and three smaller sized pita sandwiches; including a vegan sandwich named the Verde.

There is bench seating inside and 5-6 individual seats outside in a small recessed patio area. I will be going again!

Moaz hours are 11AM-11PM Monday through Thursday, 11AM-3AM Friday + Saturday and 12PM-9PM on Sunday. The address is 1817 M Street NW. Between Farragut and Dupont Metro stations and on the 42 bus route (M Street stop).

Ritmo Latino Now Closed

A surprise to me, if there ever was one. Ritmo Latino is closed. The music, book and DVD store closed yesterday. By late last night all the merchandise was gone and the shelving and fixtures were being removed. If you can't see in the photo, the handwritten sign says "Out of Business." I have no idea why they closed, but the easy answer is probably 'the economy?' Apparently they've closed nearly 20 stores across the U.S. this year. Ritmo Latino was located at 1775 Columbia Rd NW.

I've shopped there on occasion and profiled them a while back with some other music stores (Why the 42 Bus is Music to Your Ears). Columbia Rd has been wrecked with closures over the last year, but three of those storefronts were recently filled with the new CVS space and another with a cellular phone outlet.

Ritmo still maintains a website, but it has little relation to the Columbia Road store. It is a web front for the other remaining Ritmo stores nation wide. So, maybe they'll live on as a web only business. If I find our more, I will report. Sad to lose a storefront along the 42 bus route though, for sure.

Apartment Houses: Embassy

The Embassy Apartments are located in the southern part of Mount Pleasant on Harvard St NW. Across from Rat Park and the Argonne Apartments. Several years ago the tenants fought off a condo conversion, and although I've never been inside, I understand it's as beautiful on the inside as out.

Final Farmer's Market This Saturday

A massive THANK YOU to the Mount Pleasant farmer's market vendors and organizers. For nearly seven months a year they provide fresh food from nearby farms (and kitchens) at great prices. I've been 85% of the weeks this year? Something like that. Loving the collards and chard lately. And apple juice. Also made regular purchases of grapes, fresh baked vegan bread, arugula, cauliflower, beets, huge peaches and red potatoes. All grown at one of a dozen or so farms located within 125 miles of DC.

Along with a few new vendors, new this there was a bike repair station and clinic. Live music was played almost every week and generally Saturday morning was a good chance make that regular appointment to see friends who live in the neighborhood. And those who come here from outside of the neighborhood.

The Dupont Market, which is year round, will have to hold me over until next year. The Mount Pleasant Market runs from the first Saturday in May until the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Till next year.

Thank You Dupont Circle

Thank You Dupont Circle for a wonderful Sunday afternoon. To the painter who practiced her craft, talked up strangers, and sold a few pieces while we watched on. To the fixed gear biker; you looked so lost until we realized you were just waiting for your girlfriend. To the family of the polka dotted two year old who ran around, fell down, cried, got back up and did it all over again. Thanks.

To the older fellow sitting next to me with the ginormous headphones on and corduroy sports coat. To the single dad with the baby wrapped in a snuggie, that was great. I know it wasn't actually a snuggie, but it looked like a snuggie. To the group of bakers and cooks who literally had a potluck right in front of us, thanks. To the couple taking their engagement photos; not sure why you liked having complete strangers in your photos, but you liked like you were in love.

To the chess players who are there every Sunday, thanks. To the Photography 101 student, the Art Foundation 101 student and the "this art class is just my electives requirement" student. To the late summer hold out weather and setting sun. To the guy playing 60s pop on a huge old speaker and record player thank you. To the catty girls in Saturday night going out clothes, we love you. To stroller walkers, dog walkers and power walkers, thanks. To my friends who took it all in, talked about our favorite TV shows, people watched, judged from afar, laughed at ourselves, recalled memories, and lamented the summer's end, thanks.

I love DC. More days like yesterday please.

New Signage at Busy Intersection

Late last week the city placed two new stop signs in the intersection of Lamont and Mount Pleasant Streets NW. The new signs are in the middle of the street and add another layer of safety precaution for drivers, bikers and pedestrians who all share the busy corner.

Mount Pleasant Street carries north-south traffic at all hours, Lamont is the terminal for the 42 bus, and has H buses stop on either side of the intersection. Mount Pleasant Street is so wide at this point, maybe drivers were missing the normal (albeit HUGE) stop signs on located on the sidewalks? At any rate, the new signs are right in the middle of the street, so if there was a problem before, hopefully this goes toward fixing it.

Friday Fun Post: DC's Wale + Lady Gaga

DC's most hyped hip hop artist the last few years has been Wale. I've been a big fan of his mix tapes and now he has a major release out with some national cache. Lady Gaga barely appears on this video for the song "Chillin", but shes at least a household name. Pretty cool seeing all the DC sites; they're what you probably expected. Nothing new there. Below the new video, my favorite Wale song; a remix of Justice's D.A.N.C.E. His new album, a "debut," was just released. Its called Attention Deficit. Wait... what were we talking about....?

Chillin


W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E

SAAM and NPG, G Street

Help! I Need a New New Year's Gig

Dear You,

Help! Save your generation! Or at least save me.... What should I do for New Year's?

I've been obsessed about it lately. I want to do something big this year. Last two years I've spent the critical hour at house parties in Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant. Here's a song summing up what happened at the last one--


--Ok, moving on....

Before that a show at Wonderland. And here's a photo snapshot of that night.

Year before that, a dance party on H Street NE --yes, pause for photo--
















And before that, spent over a campfire in McLean (don't ask). Prior to that, I don't remember. So, I've stayed über local, but low key and not crazy. I believe I was in bed at pretty much normal partying hour each time. And nary a hangover.

Don't get me wrong, I love staying close to home and doing it small time. It's cheaper, and I generally want to remember what I did and savior the memories outside of un-facebookable party photos. And I am a little accident prone.

I've never traveled outside of my home city to celebrate New Year's. Never. But something about this year makes me want to break out of the routine and do something different. If I do stay in DC, which for different reasons is looking more and more likely, I need to decide what to do. Staying home with a glass of wine and the TV is probably the only option I'm ruling out.

What are the epic yearly parties? Any clubs or bars actually throw a great party? (I've heard Peaches O'Dell at the Black Cat is worth it) And ANY chance there is something cool happening right here in good ole' Mount Pleasant? Hmmm, I guess I could make something happen here... but I digress. Back to other O.P.P. (other people's parties).

So... keep on the look out. And pass the good ones my way please. I have a feeling it'll be a last minute decision, but I want to have all the options, good and bad, at my feet.

Thx a million in advance,

Me

ps, i tell you this because as an artist, i think you'll understand

7-11's Private Label and Return of the Black Rooster

***The Black Rooster has a following as strong as any small time pub I can think of. The well known and well worn locally owned bar on L Street closed recently when the owner of the building decided not to renew the lease agreement. But all you BR fans should keep you heads up. The bar is being saved. The Current Papers have the full scoop, but essentially DC council member Jack Evens intervened and worked some personal magic. He's partnering with the federal government, who operates the building, to keep the BR in its place. The Black Rooster website acknowledges as much and should be open again soon. Pretty cool.

***7-11 now has it's own private label wine. Virginians and Marylanders have been able to buy semi-no-name cheap alcohol from 7-11 for years. Now they can buy semi-named cheap alcohol from the 24 hour convenience store; under their new Yosemite Road label. The 7-11 store in Mount Pleasant and other DC stores don't sell alcohol and likely won't anytime soon. H/T to WBJ.

Cool Parkour Video

Year's ago, at the end of MTVs heyday I saw a "news" story on what was then knows as "freestyle walking." This was maybe, 10 years ago? Little did I know that it has grown into a full blown genre of activity called parkour, or freerunning. Essentially, its the free and efficient movement of humans over around under, and through obstacles the built environment. Using the world around you and changing it's purpose by how you interact with it.

Parkour is sort of hard to explain in words, but luckily there are lots of videos like the one below that show off people doing it. It mostly happens in urban settings. I've seen people engaging in it at Malcolm X-Meridian Hill Park and other places, but I don't know if there is a dedicated group here in DC. Probably so, as there is a dedicated group for almost every societal sub culture somewhere in the DC area, however small. The video is a preview of the movie, My Playground, by Danish film maker Kaspar Astrup Schröder. Enjoy.

MY PLAYGROUND - PREVIEW from KASPARWORKS on Vimeo.

10th and G May Be Back on Track

Special tip o' the hat to SWDC Blog for this news. The corner of 10th and G Streets NW had been occupied by the First Congregational United Church of Christ. In November of 2007 the church came to an agreement with developer PN Hoffman to raze and replace the church with a new worshiping space as well as an office building, totaling over 150,000 square feet. The site is in the middle of downtown, next to the city's main library and two blocks from the Verizon Center.

For financial reasons, including the lack of a main tenant for the office space, the development of the land has stalled. It has literally been a hole in the ground for quite some time, now two years after the original deal was made. Recently a new company has stepped up and taken over PN Hoffman's stake in the project, worth $85 million. That will free up PN Hoffman to pursue it's endeavors in Southwest DC. The new developer, Skanska USA will complete the building project without securing a main tenant before hand.

Good news for the corner and the church, which has been worshiping at another city church since their original building was torn down. First Congregational United Church of Christ will occupy about two floors of the new building and have dedicated parking in the underground lot.

Judiciary Square

Lunch Fever: More Street Food Please

Due diligence update: I went to Moaz Vegetarian after work yesterday an no, they weren't open. Looks close though, although that's a relative term. I don't know enough about opening restaurants, but I do know that if there aren't tables and chairs you can't serve food. Unless you run a pizza joint in AM. Anyway, as soon as I know, you'll know.

As for lunch in general, I'm obsessed. I work downtown an I'm always looking for new lunch options. I've tried upscale (Rasika), downscale (Safeway) and everything in between.

Three different veggie burritos choices, Chipotle, Qdoba and California Tortilla.

There are more places downtown to get good pad thai tofu than there are places to get a good coffee. Royal Thai, Absolute, Kanlaya, Thai Chili, and that's just on a two block stretch.

DC isn't known for great delis, but there are some deli-like establishments like Phillips and 1791.

I've even gotten a little creative and picked up lunch at a museum; National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery of Art, Newseum, etc.

Tried all food courts; Reagan Trade Center, National Eat Place, Union Station.

And all the places that defy description; Camille's, Market 2 Market, Clyde's on the Walk (RIP).

We have heaps of options.

Then there are the carts, the street food establishments. Last year, I went a little bananas over the cart options in Penn Quarter. There were several carts, all of which offered a vegan option and set up pretty close to each other. Now, not so much.

So here's the deal. I've never had food from the Fojol Brothers. But I want to. The offer vegetarian and non-vegetarian options and I hear good things. I really want them to come to Penn Quarter, Chinatown, Metro Center, where ever, as long as its downtown, say, east of the White House. I'll travel for good food.

If you haven't seen these guys, they drive around a silver van playing themed music and sporting mustaches. That's not a fair representation, but it's close. You can go to their website and request that they visit your neighborhood, so I did that. You should do the same, where ever you are. But especially if you work downtown. Then tell me if they make an appearance. Here's to making great lunch a priority.

Video: Zombie Walk in Mount Pleasant

The Lamont Street Halloween Festival was well attended this year, but not quite at the levels of the last two or three years. The rain and a Saturday holiday kept those away who on a weekday may have seen this as the "main event." Many came early and there was still a decent crowd into the night. A puppet-shadowbox show with live music accompaniment was awesome. Both players and the audience of young and old paid no attention to the smattering of drizzle. Good time had by all.

About halfway through the night a gaggle of zombie walkers came through; a yearly tradition at this point. This year they departed from the usual moaning and groaning to perform a choreographed piece, to Micheal Jackson's Thriller, natürlich. You may have to use your imagination on the video; the sounds of Thriller wane in and out as the only speaker provided was from a small boombox being carried around. I think you know the words.

This is one of the funnest yearly events in the neighborhood and here's to next year. Cheers.

Zombie March on Lamont Street from The 42 Bus on Vimeo.