I finally had the opportunity to visit the great bar Wisdom located at 1432 Pennsylvania Ave. SE on Friday night. I was happily surprised to see that the place had a very chill atmosphere and most importantly the drinks were terrific. I feared that it was going to be a bit pretentious but fortunately I couldn’t have been more wrong. It just feels like a regular neighborhood bar along the lines of a slightly upper scale Red Derby. For those who want to check them out they’re having an absinthe tasting on Tuesday.

I’m also told that the nearby Trustys is a terrific bar. Anybody ever check either of these spots out before?

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You gotta love old school nicknames.

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I thought I knew all of DC’s Universities but stumbled upon this one on Sunday. Their small Web site says:

” International Graduate University, a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational institution, founded in 1967, licensed to award graduate degrees by the District of Columbia, and approved by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans benefits, and provides I-20 Visas for students who apply and are accepted for admission with the application form presented in this website.”

They are located at 1325 D Street, SE. But when I asked some neighbors about it they said they thought the school was closed. I called the number listed and got an active voicemail so perhaps they are still open. Anyone familiar with this school? They did have an interesting lawn decoration:

Sadly they stopped shoveling their sidewalk half way…

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I’ve long been a fan of the Botanic Garden located right near the Capitol building. These wind turbines just make it that much cooler. There’s even a computer monitor that shows you how much energy it is capturing though one of them was broken on Sunday… Still very cool though…

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Just noticed this big countdown sign in front of their embassy located at 501 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. And actually the whole building is pretty sweet. But are there any other winter Olympic fanatics out there? I seem to recall some folks said they too were psyched in a random reader rant and/or revel. If so, what’s your favorite event?

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This fence from Columbia Heights is arguably the greatest fence in the city. I admire it every time I pass it walking down 13th Street. I though it looked especially cool against the white snow on Sat.

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Can’t remember if I’ve shown this one before but obviously the logo is pretty sweet. It’s from Chinatown.

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I thought the wood siding on this rowhouse from the Hill (SE) was pretty unusual. Looks great though.

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Looks like we’re getting a bit more snow than initially expected. Which of course makes for some more sweet snow photos. The fantastic one above is from PoPville flickr user dullshick.

Submit your photos via email or to the PoPville flickr pool here.

And have fun in the snow!

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Photo by Jessie Cohen, NZP photographer

But remember we’ll still have the Red Panda. From the National Zoo Web site:

“January 30 (If the Zoo is closed due to inclement weather, the event will be held January 31)
11 a.m-3 p.m.

Come wish Tai Shan a fond farewell!

Tai Shan, the Zoo’s four-and-a-half-year-old giant panda, leaves for China on February 4 to be part of the breeding program that will help sustain giant panda populations in the wild. Giant pandas are endangered—only about 1,600 are left in the wild. Since his birth on July 9, 2005, Tai Shan has delighted millions of people from around the world.

Join us at the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat to celebrate Tai Shan and the Zoo’s ongoing commitment to giant panda conservation. It’s your chance to come say goodbye to Tai Shan and learn about how the Zoo worked to conceive, raise, and care for Tai Shan, as well as its other pandas, Mei Xiang, and Tian Tian.

The day will feature a variety of wonderful panda activities and giveaways:

* Panda keepers will be available to answer questions and talk about the Zoo’s giant pandas at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. At 1:30 p.m., keepers will present Tai Shan with a special celebratory cake prepared by the Zoo’s Commissary.
* Panda interpreters will answer your questions about giant pandas, conservation, and the Zoo’s role in conserving endangered species.
* Zoo reproductive scientists will talk about panda reproduction, and all the work that went into Tai Shan’s conception and birth.
* Zoo veterinarians will talk about how they care for these rare bears every day.
* Zoo nutritionists will talk about what it takes to feed a bear that eats primarily a few very specific species of bamboo.
* Kids will have an opportunity to make a card for Tai Shan or to celebrate their favorite Tai Shan memory at the FedEx Card Delivery Station. Your card will travel with Tai Shan to China via FedEx.
* The Tai Shan Travel Timeline, sponsored by AAA Mid-Atlantic, will feature a travel TripTik, so you can see what route Tai Shan will take when he travels to China. Zoo conservation biologists will talk about conservation efforts taking place both here and in China. The first 500 people to visit this area will receive a commemorative Tai Shan photo postcard.
* The LAND O LAKES® Butterstick Tribute will showcase photos of Tai Shan since his birth. (When Tai Shan was born, like all giant panda cubs, he was about the size of a stick of butter. This earned him the affectionate nickname “Butterstick.”)”

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Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

“Dear PoP,

Last week, on the evening of Wednesday, January 20th, a thief broke into three locked lockers in the men’s locker room at the Columbia Heights Washington Sports Club (WSC) location sometime around 7:30. As you know, it was a PoP reader who alerted us to the same type of theft in July. I had my wallet and suit pants stolen and I no longer assume that anything I leave in a locked locker at that location is safe. It looked like a bolt cutter or crowbar was used to pry my lock off.

To add insult to injury, the entire situation was mishandled by staff from the very beginning. The acting manager on duty that night said he would file a police report on behalf of the victims. That turned out not to be true. Initially my calls were not returned and it was only when I began to complain about how poorly I was being treated as a customer that I had my concerns addressed. I was initially offered three free personal training sessions for my trouble, which I found insulting given that the value of my stolen goods was at least $520, and that I had a lock on my locker. They then offered me one free month of membership and reminded me that they are not liable for damaged or stolen property under any circumstances. Whoops, I guess I should have read the fine print when I signed the membership contract.

Besides informing the gym that I am canceling my membership, there is nothing more I can do in this situation. I did, however, want to mention this incident so all your readers are aware that security is still poor at the WSC Columbia Heights location. I’ve heard from two separate sources that there are 8,000 members at this particular gym. I guess with that much revenue pouring in the loss of one member is just minor collateral damage in the effort to get more and more members without adequately protecting existing members. I’ve gone back a number of times since the theft and see no change in security procedures. For example, many times there is no attendant in the locker room.

It’s disappointing that the management of the club is so poor because the location is convenient, but I cannot in good conscience continue placing my trust in WSC to improve security or cap their membership to better manage their club. I just wish I could have had the chance to stop this criminal like the reader who confronted the thief back in July. From now on, I will go to the gym closer to my workplace and exercise there.”

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This apartment is located at 1323 Clifton Street NW:

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The Craigslist ad says:

“Beautiful 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo available for one year lease in a recently renovated upscale building. Security features include an alarm monitoring system and video entry.

The unit is lightly furnished with a couch and two chairs in the living room, and tv; dresser and queen bed in the bedroom. It features ample storage and a balcony overlooking the courtyard. There is also access to a small roof deck.

There are hardwood floors in the living spaces and carpet in the bedroom. The contemporary kitchen features marble countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a dishwasher. There is also a washer/dryer in the unit.”

More photos here. Does $1600 sound reasonable?

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Photo by PoPville flickr user JosephLeonardo

“Dear PoP,

We recently moved in to a place with a working but unmonitored alarm system. I’ve called the big national monitoring services — ADT, Brinks/Broadview, et al — for quotes but I’m also curious about the signs I see around the neighborhood in front yards and alleys from lesser known companies. Are they local? Perhaps local agents of the big national firms? Can your readers recommend any of them? I could cold call but I trust your readership more.”

I use ADT and have been very happy with them. A buddy of mine has used them in Brookland and twice the alarm thwarted attempted break ins. Who do you guys recommend?

While we’re on the topic, allow me to share a disturbing email sent by a reader:

“Just wanted to let you know about a friends house that was robbed at gunpoint on Monday with them in it! Needless to say they are pretty shaken up about it, but I also thought you might be interested in posting something so other people can be on the lookout in that area for any suspicious activity.”

They included a link from Borderstan that says on Mon. Jan. 25th, in the 1200 block of W Street NW:

“According to police, three residents of the block were robbed inside their home at gun point by three intruders. One of the residents was taking garbage outside when he or she was approached by one of the assailants who asked, “Is this where the party is?”

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A few unrelated cool shots today. Above of the “Capitol Power Plant” is from Rukasu1. Below is another great sunset shot from sciascia. And at the bottom is a great sky from Tyrannous

Submit your photos via email or to the PoPville flickr pool here.

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This home is located at 1605 5th Street, NW:

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The flier says:

“ROW-HOUSE IN SOUGHT AFTER SHAW LOCATION!FP, HARDWOOD FLOORS IN LR/SEPARATE DR. ALL BATHS RENOVATED-TOP OF LINE, KOHLER, CERAMIC TILE, NEW VANITIES, LIGHT FIXTURES, BRAND NEW MAST. SHOWER W/ JETTED TUB, STATE-OF ART KIT. RENOVATION-GRANITE COUNTER, NEW CABINETS, NEW SKYLIGHTS, NEW ENERGY-STAR RATED ROOF-WARRANTY, PRIVATE ENCLOSED PATIO, 1 BLOCK TO SHAW METRO, WLK TO FARMERS MARKET”

More info and photos found here.

I told you if a mini-house goes for sale in DC I will inevitably find it… What do you think of the renovation on this one? Does $424,900 sound reasonable for the 2 bed/1.5 bath?

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