Looks like it’s actually split into apartments but it struck me because of the double bay windows.

“Dear PoP,

What is the building on the east side of Sherman Ave NW at Park? It has a cutout of a red rooster on a weathervane over the door. Normally I don’t have a problem identifying the local cock in my neighborhood, but this one eludes me a bit.

On an unrelated note, does anyone know if there is anything to be done about random car alarms going off? I live at Iowa and Arkansas NW and for the past two nights, from 1:30am or so until 8am a car alarm goes off for about 20 seconds every 30 or 45 minutes. Is anyone else hearing this? Aside from a sledgehammer is there anything one can do?”

For car alarms we had a lengthy discussion here.

The building at Sherman and Park comes up in a Dear PoP every year or so.

I learned they have a great Web site that says:

“NationHouse was founded in July 1974 in Washington, D. C. NationHouse grew out of the student activism of Howard University community in the late 1960s.

We are one of the oldest independent Afrikan centered schools in the United States and in the DC metropolitan area serving the specific needs of children of Afrikan heritage from pre-school to twelfth grade. Today, NationHouse continues to serve families in the development and enculturation of responsible youth who are committed to their families, their community and their Afrikan culture/heritage.

Currently, NationHouse maintains three fully functioning programs. Watoto School, serving pre-kindergarten through fourth grade students and Sankofa Institute, for fifth through twelfth grade students, are the major programs. The Afrikan Youth Organization (AYO) provides after school activities for students.

Our graduates from Sankofa Institute, eighth grade and twelfth grade have gone on to be successful students at their matriculating high schools and colleges respectively. Amongst our alumni, we have, successful mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, doctors, future lawyers, teachers, musicians who have graduated at the top of their class…. Our graduates have attended B. Banneker H.S., Howard University, U.D.C., Hampton University, Spelman, Morgan State University, Coppin State, Cheney State University, etc…

True to its dedication to the preservation and transfer of Afrikan heritage, NationHouse has counted within its community families from all over Afrika and the diaspora; from Ethiopia, Azania, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Liberia and Gambia; the Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Jamaica; from Los Angeles to Miami, New Haven to Chicago and back again; from Anacostia and the Gold Coast, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia; and from all economic strata – professionals, students, and the unemployed. The common thread has been conscious will to protect, preserve and transmit our unique cultural heritage to our children and the broader world community.”

From emails:

“Local 16, and a group of friends calling our organization Do Good, Feel Good DC (DGFG), will host an event called Friday for Haiti to benefit Oxfam America’s Haitian Earthquake Response Fund. The cause is especially personal to DGFG because one of our members was born in Haiti and his family is among those in need of help. One-hundred percent of the proceeds generated from the $25 admission price and 10 percent of the evening’s bar tab will go directly to Oxfam America.”

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=252016704930&ref=mf#/event.php?eid=252016704930&ref=mf

http://act.oxfamamerica.org/goto/dogoodfeelgood

http://dogoodfeelgooddc.com/About_Us.html

“A dedicated group of Washington, DC’s leading EDM producers and DJ’s have joined together to raise support for the relief effort in Haiti. On Sunday January 24th at Modern in Washington, DC will be a very special benefit event “Funkin’ 4 Haiti.” 100% of the door proceeds from this event will be donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross. This is going to be a real party with a purpose!

Fort Knox Recordings and Blisspop have teamed up to present a line-up of epic proportions. DC’s Finest EDM Producers & DJs have all dedicated time from their busy touring schedules to raise funds for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Performing at “Funkin’ 4 Haiti” will be DC’s own globetrotting talent NADASTROM, FORT KNOX FIVE, JOE NICE, WILL EASTMAN and STYLUS CHRIS. This line-up of A-List dj’s will help the event raise thousands of dollars for the International Red Cross.

“Funkin’ 4 Haiti” will take place on Sunday January 24th, 2010 from 9:00 PM to 2:00 AM at Modern in Georgetown. Modern has generously agreed to donate a portion of the bar sales from the evening. Modern is located at 3287 M St NW. A minimum donation of $10 will be collected at the door, patrons will be encouraged to donate more.”

Nerd Nite after the jump. (more…)

I’ve always been curious about this building located at 1701 Park Road, NW in Mt. Pleasant.

View Larger Map

The Craigslist ad says:

“On-site Laundry, On-site Manager, Exercise Room, Bicycle Storage, High-Speed Internet, Hardwood Floors, Microwave, 9′ Ceilings”

You can find more info and photos here. Does $1100 sound reasonable for this efficiency?

“Dear PoP,

I am being given my grandmother’s lovely old grand piano. It needs some fairly extensive repairs, and of course I will need a regular tuner. And I need to move it long distance from NC. Recommendations for piano repair, tuner, and/or movers? I have gotten a number of reasonable-sounding quotes for movers, but I don’t know of any that have used them. Anyone had bad experiences with local piano people? Has anyone used Georgetown Piano for repairs?”

We had a discussion on moving companies here.

and

“Sometimes you report on street cars development in H St but can you please find out the schedule for street cars along GA ave? Last I heard Phase 1 street car development (H St/Anacostia/Georgia Ave) will be complete by 2011, but how is that possible when they haven’t even put in rails for GA Ave? Me and my roommates all just really want this project to happen for our peeps in Petworth, so if we’re informed, maybe we can work on making sure it happens?”

You can read about the planned streetcar phases here. But if memory serves, they still have to decide how these are going to be powered, with overhead wires etc.

These great shots are from fromcaliw/love. Can’t believe I’ve never spotted the door from above before…

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

This condo is located at 1102 R Street, NW:

View Larger Map

The flier says:

“THIS IS A 10! BRIGHT, SPACIOUS 2 BR/2 BA TOP FLOOR CORNER UNIT IN BEAUTIFUL CONDITION. HARDWOOD FLOORS, RECESSED LIGHTING, HANDSOME KITCHEN WITH SS APPLIANCES, LARGE CENTER ISLAND, GRANITE COUNTERTOPS, DESK AREA, W/ D. BEDROOMS HAVE BAY WINDOWS, W/ W CARPETING, CUSTOM SHADES. 6 UNIT BUILDING COMPLETELY RENOVATED IN 2005.”

You can find more info and photos here.

I think the photos look pretty nice but I was still a bit surprised at the asking price. Does $519,000 seem reasonable?

Photo from PoPville flickr user Crosb

You can talk about whatever is on your mind – quality of life issues, a beautiful tree you spotted, scuttlebutt, or any random questions/thoughts you may have. I’ll open this thread every Monday and Friday. Anything good happen this week?

In real life, hipchickindc is licensed as a real estate broker in the District of Columbia, and as a real estate salesperson in Maryland. Unless specifically noted, neither she nor the company that she is affiliated with represented any of the parties or were directly involved in the transaction reported below. Unless otherwise noted, the source of information is Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS), which is the local multiple listing system. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Featured Properties: 1505 Emerson St NW

Original List Price: $875,000.

List Price at Contract: $699,500.

List Date: 10/09/2009 and 8/26/2009

Days on Market: 178

Settled Sales Price: $699,500.

Settlement Date: 1/21/2010

Seller Subsidy: $0.

Bank Owned?: No

Type Of Financing: FHA

Original GDoN Post is: here.

Recent Listing is: here.

This detached 16th Street Heights property was featured as a Good Deal or Not (GDoN) in September, when it was listed at $725,000. A reader by the name of crin was the first to rightfully declare that the property would sell in the high $600’s. There was a bit of debate over the condition, but this is an absolutely immense house, with a wraparound porch, and a 10th of an acre lot (more than three times the size of downtown city lots, or twice the size of a big Petworth lot), and it’s not far from Rock Creek Park. Transfer history shows the prior sale in 1998 at $308,500., and at $290,000. in 1992.

16th Street Heights is a tricky neighborhood to price given the range in the size of houses, condition, and, of course, location. For buyers seeking detached houses, it’s a great spot to be looking, especially for brave souls interested in taking on a few home improvement projects. Currently, there are detached homes on the market in this neighborhood ranging from just under $400,000. to over $1,000,000. The highest price paid for a detached single family house in 16th Street Heights in 2009 was $815,000. Somebody got a steal of a deal on a foreclosure on 13th Street NW back in March ’09 for $190,000.

Here are all of the sold listings from 2009 for detached single family houses in 16th Street Heights, as well as current active and pending sales, ordered from lowest to highest list price.

Irish Coffee, originally uploaded by Carlos Porto.

Back in July we had a great discussion about some of your favorite summer drinks. Given the foul weather tonight it got me thinking about what were your favorite winter drinks? Last winter, Robyn suggested a few places to get hot drinks around town. I’m curious about what are your favorites to make at home. Is there anything better than a classic Irish coffee?

Photo from PoPville flickr user Jess J

“Dear PoP,

I read with horror the reader account of Saturday’s brawl on the metro. I wanted to share the below story, not to attempt to diminish the extremely troubling aspects of that incident, but rather for some balance as we consider our city and the folks who call it home.

As I was walking along the red line platform at a crowded Gallery Place station last night, I noticed a small cluster of folks standing at the base of an escalator. One of them called out to me. He was one of four or five teenagers huddled around a mid-30′s blind man. It quickly became apparent that the man was trying to get to MLK Library. But he was disoriented, and the kids themselves were confused about which of the three station exits would be best for him to take. After I consulted with them, we realized that he should proceed up the escalator directly in front of him. One of the teenagers imparted this information to him and got him pointed in the right direction.. This is where I thought the story would end. But as the disabled gentleman took his first steps forward, he stumbled and seemed no less confident than before. Without hesitation, one of the kids put a comforting hand on his back. Another said “We got you.” And then, I watched in awe, as the entire group selflessly detoured in order to escort him all the way to his destination.

The teenagers’ clothes, hairstyles and speech patterns could all be fairly described as “urban.” But their behavior showed that the stereotypes we sometimes accept don’t always capture our common, simple humanity. I want to publicly thank those kids for reminding me why I love living in the urban core of our city.”

Congrats to KR with:

“Capitol Hill Basement Studio, featuring Full Bath with unbelievable views. Inquire within.”

And perhaps because I’ve been drinking, Stephanie’s cracked me up:

“Has anyone seen my loofah?”

Amazing. It takes you a while to realize that it is not actually a grandfather clock. This was done by my friend Sean from Scenic Artisans. He writes:

“This is from Cleveland Park. The story with this is that the client had a plastic clockface on that wall, but always envisioned a grandfather clock. Since it is a tiny landing, that was impossible. We got to talking about it and came up with the thought to paint a wooden clock casing around the plastic clock she had. Initially we talked about a very realistic and accurate trompe l’oeil version, I drew out a full scale version, did some faux wood samples to show her color, and this is what we decided on.”

This gem was sent in by a reader.

This one is from the side of Good Libations liquor store at the corner of 5th and M.