From an email:

The Capitol Riverfront BID will be hosting a National Cherry Blossom Festival Family Fun Day in the brand-new Yards Park on the river.  The event will be on Saturday, April 2 from 11 am – 4 pm.

Celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival, the start of baseball season and the beginning of spring at the Yards Park, the centerpiece of a new Washington, DC waterfront destination.  Like no other public space in the region, the Yards Park brings unique opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and the river.  The 5.5-acre park is the size of about four football fields and features a ¼ mile boardwalk and waterfall.  It is the centerpiece of the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood and The Yards development.

The FREE Family Fun Day will include:

• Lantern making for kids and adults
• Kids crafts and activities including boat making kits and a moonbounce
• Sake tasting and a Japanese beer garden by Mie N Yu
• A variety of sushi and Japanese cuisine available from Nooshi Sushi
• Trapeze School demonstrations and performances at 1:15 and 2:15
• Martial Art performances by Hapmudo at 12:30 and 1:45

The new clothing stores keep on coming to the U Street, NW area. Earlier in the week we learned about Match Clothing coming to 1526 U St, NW and now just east of 9th St, NW at 809 Florida Ave, NW we have Robin’s Nest coming soon. Stay tuned for more updates as opening dates are announced.

Do you like the mix of retail and restaurants hitting the U St/Florida Ave, NW corridor?

March 28, 2011

Thanks to a reader for sending a heads up that the fire engine red has been painted over.

Below is what it looked like a few weeks ago (I can’t find our previous post):

March 19, 2011

And here’s what it looked like in Nov. ’10:

November 19, 2010

If you have any fun or interesting animal/pet photos or news please shoot me an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say what neighborhood you’re from or upload to the PoPville flickr pool with your pets name and neighborhood. I can’t guarantee I’ll get them all posted but I’ll do my best.

Photo of Winnie the hamster by PoPville flickr user arleneivana

Photo of “Edgar in LeDroit Park” by PoPville flickr user Karaatsea

Photo of Quincy, lord of the manor, Columbia Heights by PoPville flickr user skocchi614

This rental is located at Connecticut at Cathedral Ave, NW:

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The Craigslist ad says:

“Check out these beautiful studio APT wall to wall hardwood floor, high ceilings fans plenty of sun light, lots of closet space walking distance to the National Zoo & Adams Morgan. If you are looking for convenience, this is it! These units are available in for immediate move in. The rent is $1350/month plus ELECTRIC.

Security Deposit $500
Application Fee $40
Cat fee $300 one time only
Parking $170/month”

$1350/month plus electric sound right for a studio at this location?

Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

“Dear PoP,

In light of your popular post about the Porter Road speed trap:

While riding the E bus across to Friendship Heights, I noticed a construction crew working on eastbound Military Road near the eastern side of the Rock Creek Park ravine. The backhoe was making what looked like a single car length cut in the curb and were preparing to pave the grass over with a patch of concrete. The small construction site had the same size and orientation as the existing speed camera setup on westbound Military just past St. John’s College Prep, where a marked or unmarked police car with camera setup sits just past a 25 MPH sign. (For reference, this is the same thing that was installed on both directions of North Capitol Street near the Irving Street cloverleaf in the past year or so.)”

Heads up!

You can see a full list of red light cameras here and speed cameras here.

Photo by PoPville flickr user Pixilista

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

Photo by PoPville flickr user philliefan99

“Dear PoP,

Snapped this shot this morning. I was gone over the weekend – what did I miss?”

That’s pretty cool – anyone know the story? Was it part of the Yemen protest?

Photo by PoPville flickr user Collin David Anderson

This home is located at 103 8th St, NE:

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The flier says:

“This dazzling jewel speaks to the character/charm of this 1890′s Stately 3 story Victorian. From the cupola to the English bsmt. this richly endowed home gleams from western light & is blessed w delightful location, equal distance to Stanton & Lincoln Parks & short strolls to Eastern Mkt. or Union Station metros. Excellent spaces to entertain!”

You can find more info here and photos here.

The reader writes:

“Okay – What I am missing in this listing? Why is this place so cheap? There are some realtor notes that the say only kitchen is in the English basement, no yard, and no parking. But, truly, for that price I will add another kitchen and get over the lack of parking and yard.”

What do you guys think – is $489,500 for this 3 bed/2.5 bath the “best deal ever”? What do you think it’ll actually go for?

From a press release:

H Street Corridor’s newest addition, Toki Underground, is proud to announce its grand opening on April 1. Come and experience Chef Erik Yang’s vision of bringing the hip alley streets of downtown Taipei to District diners.

The menu is based on Yang’s own family recipes and his experiences working at ramen shops in Taipei. The restaurant seats 25 diners, who will experience Hakata-style ramen and dumplings made from scratch. The restaurant will offer an extensive list of unique sakes, Asian microbrews, hand-crafted cocktails, and popular Asian soft drinks.

Toki Undergound is located at 1234 H Street NE in the heart of the H Street Corridor and is open seven days a week.

I stopped in last night for some photos and the place looks amazing. The attention to detail is freaking spectacular. The space is pretty small so be prepared for lines/wait I’m guessing 7 days a week… Though I hear that in the future it may be possible to order some Ramen downstairs at the Pug. You can see their menu here. Those options at the Pug would be sweet.

More photos including the drinks menu after the jump. (more…)

I got a little panicked last weekend when I saw the Wilson’s sign was gone (see photo above). Fortunately it appears to just be the sign. Wilson’s is located at 700 V Street, NW just off Georgia Ave, NW. I’m intrigued by the breakfast options – anyone go here for breakfast/brunch? Seems like a good deal:

And here’s the rest of the menu:

Any fans? We originally looked at them back in Dec. ’08. I feel like this place should be more popular.

Installation in Anacostia by Ben Skinner. Photo by Beth Shook.

At Last: Joyce Y-J Lee at Hamiltonian Gallery: This small exhibition of new works by Hamiltonian fellow Joyce Y-J Lee packs a punch. Inside the gallery entrance, pastel vanitas drawings devolve into pixelated versions of themselves, preparing visitors to juggle past and present while drawing them toward Lee’s provocative large-scale “projection painting” that lends the show its name. All of the works were executed during the artist’s stay in a small mining community near Death Valley and employ themes of mortality and rebirth to link traditional modes of representation to contemporary mediums and spaces. On view until April 9. Metro: U Street-Cardozo.

Try a Little Tenderness as Painful as It Seems at Honfleur Gallery: Eponymous blogger the Jealous Curator brings work by Canadian conceptual artist Ben Skinner to Anacostia, turning abandoned storefronts along MLK Jr. Avenue and Good Hope Road into backdrops for his cryptic vinyl phrases. The exhibition culminates in two floors of photographs, paintings and amusing mixed-media panels made of everything from glitter and acrylic to candy sprinkles. On view until April 8. Metro: Anacostia.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

“Dear PoP,

I have a major issue with bed bugs and am looking for some guidance. I live in a rowhouse with a boatload of roommates, and I discovered bugs in my room late last last year. About two and a half month ago, I hired a great pest control company to come have one of those bed bug-sniffing dogs inspect the house. We had bugs in my room and one other.

I know it’s DC law that, in a single-family rented unit, tenants have to pony up to get rid of bugs, but I figured the property owner would have a vested interest in at least helping solve the problem. Ha. No such luck. Property management basically said, “sucks to be you.” No pun intended. Anyway.

I’d read all over the place that chemical treatment requires multiple rounds and isn’t as effective as “thermal remediation” (you know, where they bring in giant heaters and essentially bake the room.) So, I swallowed hard and footed the bill to have the two rooms treated. Cost? $1300. That was with a discount, mind you. I’m fresh out of school, so this was NOT easy to afford.

Long story short, I found a live bug ON ME yesterday. I have no idea how they came back because believe me … the pest control company treated the holy heck out of my room. My guess is that they’re coming from one of the adjoining townhomes, in which case, I may NEVER be able to get rid of them. The two rooms in our house that had bugs aren’t even adjacent at all; the only thing they share in common is a wall that connects to one neighboring house. I saw a pest control van outside that house not too long ago. If they sprayed pesticides, it could’ve sent them scattering back over my way.

I can afford one more round of extermination, but I want it to be my last one — maybe getting a moving van treated instead of the room. There’s no point treating my room again because they’ll just come back. And my landlord seems to have NO desire to help.

So, what can I do? Is this grounds to terminate a lease? I still have three months left on the lease, and it’s almost cheaper to swallow the rent than have to pay for rounds upon rounds for treatment that probably won’t work. This is driving me insane. I’m desperate (and darn near broke.)”

Terrifying. What do you guys suggest – is this grounds to terminate the lease? Does anyone have experience successfully removing bedbugs from their homes/apartments?

We spoke about one reader’s experience with bed bugs here and Tony’s battle with them here.

I am very happy to report that at long last you will soon be able to drink a Public Ale from DC Brau – DC’s first brewery in over 60 years. I spoke with Meridian Pint general manager Drew Swift who shared the great news. Friday April 15th will be a huge launch party for DC Brau’s Public Ale. The party will be called “Tax Relief Day” and from 5-8pm you’ll be able to sample the Public Ale for $4 a pint and from 8pm through the rest of the night for $5. There will be multiple kegs including, of course, on all the table taps. Commemorative t-shirts celebrating the historic event will be available as well. For the rest of the weekend DC Brau’s Public Ale will be available exclusively at Meridian Pint (11th and Park Rd, NW). And starting Monday keep your eyes peeled for Public Ale throughout the city.

Ed. Note: Meridian Pint is a PoP advertiser.

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From MPD:

Last night, Monday, March 28, 2011, about 10:15 pm, a 47 year old Silver Spring man was shot and killed near the intersection of Bryant St. and Downing St., NE.

Officers were on the scene quickly. Homicide detectives arrived and the case is still an open investigation.

I do not have much information to share with the community at this point, but as I get more, I will keep you updated with any information the detectives believe can be released without compromising their investigation.

If anyone has any information about the case that you feel is relevant, please call 202-727-9099.

Andy Solberg
Commander, 5D