This rental is located at 1240 Evarts St NE:

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The Craigslist ad says:

“Immediate occupancy. It’s Home! First Floor: Living room: high ceilings, half bath extra large kitchen, back yard and the breakfast room (bay windows and EXCELLENT natural light). Second Floor: The Master Bedroom (Jacuzzi with marble tile throughout). Second bedroom, full bath and Den/home office. Hardwood floors throughout!
Attic: EXCELLENT storage space!!!
Basement: Another great storage space and is where the full size washer & dryer are located.”

The reader writes:

“I’d be curious to see what readers think about the neighborhood (Brookland, basically, but closer to RI Ave). Looks like a very pretty street, but I don’t know the neighborhood first-hand. The house looks spacious and nicely finished, but the price is maybe a bit high for the area?”

What do you guys think of this area – does $2375 sound reasonable for a whole house here?

Photo by PoPville flickr user Wayan Vota

“Dear PoP,

I noticed tonight that MPD floodlights (you know, the ones that are towed behind a police van) have gone up at 13th and Randolph. I poked around the MPD website trying to find out specific information about when/why these specifically might be put in place but cannot find anything. I’ve only ever noticed them in front of buildings that have, uh, crime problems (such as the low-income housing by the 7th and R Shaw metro entrance) and am wondering what’s going on. Do you have any idea why these might have been placed at 13th and Randolph?”

It my understanding that there are a few reasons as to why MPD Floodlights could possibly be deployed. First if there has been a serious crime such as a shooting. In that case the floodlights are used as a deterrent to discourage retaliations. Floodlights can also be deployed if MPD receives some sort of intelligence that a crime or beef between crews is about to heat up. Thirdly they can be deployed to an area that sees repeated crime such as a string of muggings. In my observation the most common deployment seems to come either after a shooting or in territory that is disputed between rival crews/gangs. I’m sure there is a boring template answer but that’s my basic understanding.

As for 13th and Randolph I have not heard anything specific regarding that location.

I naturally have a bit of a soft spot for frogs… Couple of great shots from PoPville flickr users Carly & Art. The shots were taken from the arboretum.

Submit your photos to the PoPville flickr pool here. Follow PoPville on twitter here.

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“Dear PoP,

I recently heard that what I thought was a welcomed new residential building is intended to be a boarding house once the renovation is complete. This is the large gutted red-brick building across from the playground near the corner of P and 6 St: 605 P. St.

Here is a link to the petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/605p/587602937/taf. There was a hearing last night with the local council member at the JFK community center at the corner of P and 7th at 7PM.

This could be a huge set back for the Shaw neighborhood and those nearby.”

Wow, they set up a whole Web site about this property.

City Paper’s Housing Complex reports:

“DCRA director Linda Argo—who said that there appeared to be much “confusion” over the process. She dispatched chief building inspector Dan Masoero to last night’s meeting of the Convention Center Community Association, where over the course of a 30-minute sparring session, he firmly told neighbors that the developer was fully within his rights and inspectors had found no problems on the site.”

Photo from PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

From a Vince Gray for Mayor press release:

“I strongly support streetcar development, and remain committed to seeing it become a reality here in the District of Columbia. I’ve visited Portland, Oregon, twice in recent years, seen first-hand the positive economic impact and transportation impact on communities, and I am firmly committed to a new streetcar system in the District which brings about similar benefits to our city.

But we owe it to ourselves to have a well thought out planning process. We can’t afford the Mayor’s approach of “build now and plan later,” which only results in poor outcomes and much higher costs in the end. There needs to be proper planning, comprehensive transportation and engineering work, which is why we allocated $5 million to complete the planning process. Streetcars aren’t scheduled for completion until 2030, and over the next year, we’ll do the kind of planning that’s necessary to give us the most efficient use of our dollars.

I have full intention to move forward with streetcars, however, while we do the planning over the next year, we can take some of the dollars for desperately needed and more immediate capital projects, like renovation of middle schools, while our dollars are dwindling. This approach, which passed Council by a vote of 11-2, will allow for better collaboration and cooperation with residents, business owners, and other stakeholders, and result in a much stronger streetcar system in the end.”

This home is located at 1337 10th Street, NW:

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The flier says:

“Extraordinary one-of-a-kind Victorian in the heart of DC. Large public spaces with many original details, skylights and unique updates. Commercial-size kitchen. Two outdoor patios Space currently configured as 12 bedrooms with 9 full baths. Located near the DC convention center, just minutes to downtown.”

You can find more info here and a Mouse on House tour with lots of photos here.

This property jumped out at me for a couple of reasons. First I just featured it as Garden of the Day last week. As I’ve said many times, I love to get to see inside some of the places I’ve coveted from the outside.

This 12 bed/9 bath is yours for $4,000,000.

“DC-inspired recipes” are written by Laura from Lauralicious In DC.

After hearing debate about proposed DC soda taxes, I thought, why not try making home-made soda?

An easy way to make a homemade soda is to buy flavored syrup and just add it to seltzer water. As in, peach syrup+seltzer=totally refreshing.

You can also go one step further and make your own flavor base by using fruit and/or herbs and simple syrup. For example, here’s my recipe for Mango-Lime Soda.

Mango Lime Soda
-Fresh or frozen mango
-Simple syrup, such as Lime simple syrup (also useful for mojitos and margaritas!)
-Lime
-Seltzer water
-Blender or food processor

1. Cut a mango into chunks, or defrost frozen mango in the microwave.
2. Puree it as fine as you can using a food processor or blender.
3. Add spoonfuls of the mango puree and simple syrup in a 1:1 ratio to the bottom of a glass, depending on how tall your glass is (2-3 small spoonfuls worked for me).
4. Squeeze a lime slice into it.
5. Top off with seltzer water.
6. Garnish with lime.

Any kind of fruit that can be blended easily can be used. You could also personalize it with herbs like basil or mint, or other ingredients like agave nectar or balsamic vinegar.

Any of you have any other favorite recipes for homemade fizzy drinks?

Central is located at 1001 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. I’m gonna have to add this to my special occasion restaurant list… You can see their menus here. For those that have had the good fortune to eat here – are there any must order items? How would you say this place ranks among DC’s “special occasion” restaurants?

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“Dear PoP,

I was curious if you knew what happened last night outside Sweet Mango Café around 8:00pm.

I was just getting off the metro last night at 8:30pm and noticed crime scene tape blocking off the peninsula just outside Sweet Mango, where the large ventilation fan is. There was blood on the ground, as well as a number of bloody napkins; it was clearly an active crime scene. My fiancé had passed the area around 7:30pm and it was quiet, so something clearly happened in that hour.

When I walked by to go to work this morning, the blood was still outside on the sidewalk, even though the crime scene was no longer active. I’m not seeing anything about this incident anywhere and was hoping you could provide some insight?”

MPD reports:

“At approximately 8:15 hours, a Robbery gun occurred in the 3700 block of New Hampshire Ave., NW. While canvassing for the suspect, Third District officers stopped the suspect. The suspect was positively identified and placed under arrest.

Great teamwork from both the Third and Fourth District officers!

Lt. Mike Whiteside”

Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

Thanks to all who sent links to the below report:

Greater Greater Washington is rallying the troops:

Last night, Council supporters and DDOT officials went to sleep with the understanding that the final budget negotiations had preserved the streetcar.

The line had been approved by the Committee on Public Works and Transportation last week, but the final proposed Budget Support Act removes it and returns funding to some of the Great Streets streetscapes which DDOT said they could backfill with federal funds.

Gray’s office is saying that the program isn’t “cut” because the budget hasn’t been voted on. It’s true that this proposal is a substitute amendment to the budget, which has to be approved by Council, but since Gray is the chairman, it’s essentially the baseline that they’ll be using to modify today, and unless the Council overrides this part to reinstate streetcars, they’re cut.

Photographer and blogger Josh Yospyn shot illustrator Elizabeth Graeber for the WORN Magazine blog.  Elizabeth Graeber is one of the member artists of Project Dispatch.  Subscribe to Elizabeth here.

Elizabeth Graeber © 2010 Joshua Yospyn

A reader wrote in suggesting this property in Eckington be nominated for this week’s horse’s ass award. The work this reader put together is incredible. He compiled all of his research in PDF format here:  329 Rhode Island Ave NE

The reader writes:

“My Eckington neighbors and I have been battling the owner of 329 Rhode Island Ave NE (a 6 story boarded up building that has stood vacant for 12+ years). It’s been on a “watchlist” since 2000 (http://www.dcwatch. com/mayor/ 000314.htm). Last year, it magically caught fire a day after it was placed on the tax sale list, and burned for 3 days since the firecrews couldn’t extinguish the tar roof. You also featured video of the blaze on your website… And now the building owner has collected his insurance money, but the building still languishes and the owner gets even more exemptions from vacant and blighted property taxes.

DCRA has been unwavering in their dedication to giving exemption after exemption to the building owner, since he always says he’s trying to renovate it, or sell it. However no work is ever done on the building, and there certainly isn’t any MLS listing the building as “for sale.”

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Danny Harris is a DC-based photographer, DJ, and collector of stories. In September, he launched People’s District, a blog that tells a people’s history of DC by sharing the stories and images of its residents. Every day, People’s District presents a different Washingtonian sharing his or her insights on everything from Go Go music to homelessness to fashion to politics. You can read his previous columns here.

“I got home on November 30, 2009 after being incarcerated for 21 years, 6 months, and 20 days. See, I was married to a beautiful girl, Hafsa, who gave me a beautiful daughter, Ruqqiya. We had a beautiful life together. But, my daughter died of cancer at nine. Two years later, a man murdered my wife. So, I found the person who killed her and I killed him. I do not regret killing him at all. If I had my way, I would dig him up, bring him back to life, and kill him again. I will say this again, so that I am being real clear. I would dig him up, bring him back to life, and kill him again. I have no remorse whatsoever because he took away something very precious from me. You see these cracks in the sidewalk, that is how my heart feels every day. I don’t think that I will every marry again. She was the only one who made me happy.

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From Pennsylvania Ave on Saturday afternoon. Your captions in the comments and winner (PoP t-shirt) announced Friday.

Ed. Note: If you haven’t entered for a chance to win free tickets to a screening of a Bruce Springsteen concert, shown at the Atlas on H St, NE you still have time to enter.

The Fridge, “an art gallery, performance space, music venue and classroom”, is located in the Rear alley behind Barrack’s Row (Eastern Market Metro) at 516 8th Street SE. They had a circus celebration on Sunday so if you saw a dude on stilts you’re not going crazy…

You can find upcoming events here.

You can’t miss the space with these great murals: