DC Libraries Are #1, Native Foods Closes, and Other News

Our Library System is Awesome

Before the streetcar travesty, DDOT was really my favorite DC agency. Then, DC Water moved into the top spot, mostly because of that poop-to-electricity thing. But, now DCPL has jumped to number one based on, well, a lot of reasons.

1) The staff recommendation and new book sections at MLK Library are on point. I've never been led astray. Never! This is how I was introduced to Margaret Atwood, Octavia Butler, and Scott Sigler; all recent favorites. So, go, accept a recommendation, and find a new favorite author.

2) You can get your passport processed! If you're getting a passport for the first time (not renewing), you can get it processed at MLK! Details listed here, but the basics are that they have office hours on Tuesday-Thursday [3p-7p] and Saturday [10a-3p] at MLK Library, located at 901 G St NW.

3) Basement shows. Y'all, you need to make it to one of these show. Too many good bands to list, but suffice to say DCPL has invited some of the most talented, entertaining, and smart musicians working in the District right now. These bands typically play weeknight shows in the basement of MLK Library in conjunction with the ongoing development of the DC Punk Archive. Anyway, go ahead and read this related article The Evolving Politics of Punk in the Nation's Capital.

4) A bunch of other cool offerings! They even made a video highlighting some of the best library programming. Music by DC/Mount P band Puff Pieces!

Native Foods Closes

Native Foods failed to survive just one calendar year in DC. I'm actually shocked they didn't. The all-vegan fast casual restaurant closed both DC locations (Penn Quarter + Dupont) last week after opening in the fall of 2014. I honestly thought they would clean up, especially at the Penn Quarter location. I'm definitely not an industry expert, so I can't say why exactly they closed, but according to company execs quoted in this Washington Post article, the DC stores just weren't meeting expectations.

I had more than a few experiences at both locations with botched food orders and extraordinary wait times. But, I also enjoyed many sunny outdoor lunches and made nice with the super friendly, hardworking staff. Apparently the company gave little to no notice of closing to local employees, which is quite disappointing. I'm definitely thinking of them this holiday season. Good luck y'all.

New Metro GM Opens Up

Paul Wiedefeld, the new General Manager of WMATA, participated a really, really good Q&A chat with our friends over at Greater Greater Washington. Wiedefeld was surprisingly open about his initial impressions of Metro, overview of how he'll manage the agency, and how important it is to him to improve service, safety, and regional cooperation. This gave me a bit of hope, as I have recently developed a disappointing and low expectation for Metro management. Read the transcript here.

Mount Pleasant History Presented

Whoa. This is really cool. DC Public Library is hosting a series of talks, at our very own branch, which will explore the history of Mount Pleasant and surrounding areas. I feel like many of you already know so much about DC history, but this series will give a complete picture of how the neighborhood came to be. 

The first session, "Mt. Pleasant: A Historical Overview," is March 6 at 6:30PM at the Mount Pleasant Library. This whole series is titled "Know Your Neighborhood" and is comprised of four presentations. In addition to Mount Peasant's history, the other presentations will focus on Meridian Hill, Columbia Heights, and Rock Creek Park. From the organizers:

"Wednesday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library

Mount Pleasant started as a post-Civil War country village, but most of the neighborhood we know today was built after the streetcar arrived in 1903. Historian Mara Cherkasky will use maps and images to take you back to Mount Pleasant's origins and allow you to see how it developed as it did. Cherkasky has written several accounts of Mount Pleasant's history and has led numerous walking tours of the neighborhood.

Know Your Neighborhood is an ongoing series of programs exploring the history of D.C. neighborhoods, a collaboration between DC Public Library's Washingtoniana Division and neighborhood libraries.

For more programs in the series, visit dclibrary.org/knowyourneighborhood ."

Be a Part of Mt Pleasant Library Renovations

This Tuesday March 11, help the DC Public Library system remodel the Mount Pleasant Branch Library. Well, not literally, but give them your two cents. The DC Public Library system is soliciting input from Mt P residents from 6:00pm-8:00pm this Tuesday at the Library. The address (you should know this!) is 3160 16th Street NW, at Lamont St. Hopefully the planned renovations won't be similar to those of the Shaw's Walta T. Matha Library. Shaw's Library was closed, then torn down, not to be rebuilt any time in the near future. They now check books out of a double-wide trailer.

Mount Pleasant Library is a Carnegie Library, opening its doors in 1925. Its also the home of any special, congressional, presidential and local elections. The library is located in the eastern third of the neighborhood between Mt Pleasant Street and the busy 16th Street corridor.