Thanks to a reader for sending a tweet from ANC5C03 commissioner Hugh Youngblood:

“Engine Company 12 team withdraws #ABRA application; seeking new operator. Anyone interested in a #BloomingdaleDC restaurant opportunity?”

Engine Co 12 Firehouse is located at 1626 North Capitol Street, NW. We last spoke about it in May 2011 when we learned of the delayed opening. We also spoke about it briefly when we learned Shaw’s Tavern was denied a liquor license.

So, think a new restaurant operator will jump at the chance?

This condo is located at 1824 North Capitol St, NW:

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The listing says:

“In the heart of Bloomingdale. Unique condo w/ spacious rooms, bamboo floors, granite counters and stainless steel appliances. Washer/dryer. Entertain on your large landscaped private patio. Sip wine from your wine chest. Living space bathed in natural light. Double sinks, jet tub in Master bath. Enough storage for all your stuff. Close to 2 metro stops. Also available for rent, $1850.”

This 2 bed/2 bath is going for $350,000.

North Capitol Street

The Promise Bridge is on North Capitol Street connecting Bloomingdale and Eckington. Kinda reminds me of the love locks bridges in Paris. Not sure if the promise locks will be as popular.

Love locks in Paris

It’s more spectacular with a bright blue sky in the background but this is one of top 10 favorite in the city.

And top 50 favorite doors:

This rental is located at 163 Adams Street NW:

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The listing says:

“Vacant*Fully remodeled modern 2 bedroom english basement unit near Howard University*Separate Electricity and $30/mo for water*Secure storage area for bikes, etc. under porch”

This 2 bed/1 bath is going for $1,500/Mo.

Photo via SnitchEye’s Facebook page

This awesome news comes from the In Shaw blog:

“We came in late to the BACA meeting, but just in time to hear of a proposed wine bar to come to 3rd and Florida. So if everything works perfectly there could be a new wine bar by the end of Spring, or sometime in Summer 2012.”

SnitchEye’s Facebook page says:

“SnitchEye Wine Bar is an original concept bar that hopes to open its doors in 2012. We hope to cater to the the tee shirt and jeans crowd who seek to enjoy good and affordable wines in a non stuffy setting. Stay tuned for updates. SEE YOU AT THE SNITCHEYE!”

More info as it becomes available.

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This home is located at 127 U St, NW:

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The flier says:

“Elegantly restored Victorian feat: 3-BR, 2.5BA, formal LR, DR & Parlor, , hrwd flrs. , french doors, orig. gas FP mantel, skylight, wainscoting , deep floor plan, MBR w/ walk in cedar closet, exposed brick, new kit with granite counter. In Law suite w/ sep kit, , 7ft. ceilings, front & rear entrances. This is a must see! Too many features to list!”

You can find more info here and photos here.

This 3 bed/2.5 bath is going for $712,000.

Very cool to see this retail space get filled with a good group. Studio 85 [Ed. Note: careful if you hit the link, music plays] is located at 53 Florida Ave, NW in Bloomingdale. Their website says:

Tammi, Tamika, & Tiffany are sisters who were born & raised in Washington, DC. As kids they were always taking their creativity to new levels, whether putting on homemade fashion shows in their moms closet or turning the whole house into an amusement park! The three have always kept in touch with their creative side and it was always encouraged by their artist father, and there fashion forward mom. So working in a creative field seemed to be fate for each sister.

Studio85 came to be one morning at a coffee house, in their parents hometown of Lancaster, South Carolina. They were singing songs, making jokes, & somewhere the idea of making funny names for nail polishes came about, and that’s how they came up with idea of creating this line.

The name “Studio85″ just seemed to flow with the women. They knew they wanted a studio and CEO Tiffany was born in 1985, completing their artistic semi-circle. Once the company name was decided, the three narrowed down the hundreds of names & color combinations to develop the now exclusive S85 Nail Gloss.

With their love for the arts, and their eager ambition to make all things possible these sisters are looking forward to presenting you with all things art and apparel with, Studio85.

This home is located at 129 Florida Ave, NW:

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The flier says:

“BEAUTIFUL REHAB! HOME FEATURES 10FT CEILINGS MAIN LEVEL, GOURMET KITCHEN WITH STAINLESS APPLIANCES/GRANITE TOPS, EXPOSED BRICK, GORGEOUS WOOD FLOORS, TILE BATHS, DESIGNER LIGHTING! GREAT LOWER LEVEL 1 BEDROOM/1 BATH APARTMENT WITH SEPARATE ENTRANCE (WILL HAVE CFO)! FULLY-FENCED REAR YARD WITH GATE FOR VEHICLE!”

You can find more info here and photos here.

This 4 bed/3.5 bath is yours for $615,900.

Hipchickindc is a licensed real estate broker. Her latest business venture can be seen here. 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 Property: 2200 1st St NW
Legal Subdivision: LeDroit Park
Advertised Subdivision per 1st Listing: LeDroit Park
Advertised Subdivision per 2nd Listing: Bloomingdale
Original List Price 1st Listing: $975,000.
Original List Price 2nd Listing: $929,900.
List Price at Contract: $929,900.
List Date 1st Listing: 05/13/2011
List Date 2nd Listing: 09/09/2011
Days on Market 1st Listing: 87
Days on Market 2nd Listing: 45
Settled Sales Price: $899,000.
Settlement Date: 12/16/2011
Seller Subsidy: $0.
Bank Owned?: No Short Sale? No
Type Of Financing: Conventional
Original GDoN post is: here.
The listing can be seen: here. The virtual tour for the 2nd listing of the property can be seen here and the pictures used to market the property for the first try can be seen here.

Per the disclaimer at the very top of this post, I am hereby disclosing that I was ultimately the listing agent that sold this property. Prior to my listing, during the time that PoP profiled the home as a Good Deal or Not (GDoN), it was listed by another agent with another company. The property had originally been listed during the Spring market.

Following the previous listing, we took it off the market for about a month to freshen the listing. It came back on in September with a new set of professional photos (see link above) and a lot of enthusiasm. I am especially proud of this listing as it represents the highest sale for a home in Bloomingdale or LeDroit Park since 2007.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

Back in July ’11 I shared some scuttlebutt saying that a new Thai restaurant was coming to Bloomingdale at 1832 1st St, NW (next to Yoga District.) I’m happy to report that construction has begun:

I’ve learned that it will be a sit down Thai and Japanese restaurant called Aroi. If all goes according to plan they hope to complete the renovations and open in May 2012. Stay tuned.

This rental is located at 64 Randolph Place NW:

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The PoP listing says:

“Great home on a beautiful tree lined block with brick sidewalks in hot Bloomingdale. Loads of light, space and charm. Lots of original woodwork, hardwood floors, backyard space perfect for entertaining. Blocks to metro, restaurants, shops and more. Near Howard U.and the U Street.”

$2,400 sound right for this 3 bed/3 bath?

From an email:

“I work at a local non-profit youth/community bike shop (Phoenix Bikes) and wanted to I wanted to alert you to something your readers might be interested in this weekend:

Phoenix Bikes is having our annual sale of refurbished bikes this Saturday, December 3rd @ Big Bear Cafe (1st and R St, NW). All of the bikes we are selling have been donated by people in the DC/MD/VA area and are worked on by young people and volunteers in our mentoring program. Each bike has been tuned up and checked out by a bike mechanic, and is ready to ride. All of the proceeds from the bikes sold will go back into our youth program.

We will have over 40 bikes for sale including mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrid bikes, single speeds and cruisers.”

Photo by PoPville flickr user nairdaecartal

“Dear PoPville,

Ward 5 is currently being redistricted and Bloomingdale is “chopped up” under this new plan. This plan splits Bloomingdale into two ANCs and leaves the majority out and it drastically reduces any influence on how the McMillan develops. It also creates an “artificial seat” for a new ANC commissioner which is highly believed to be a political reward for Councilmember Thomas’s longtime supporters, Robert Brannum and Berry Daneker. During several Meetings with the Councilmember we were told that our concerns would be properly addressed, however we just found out that he had already submitted the current plan to the DC council way before we were told that he would address/and fix any issues. Many believe that this is a political move to weaken the voice of Bloomingdale, but all the majority wants is to keep Bloomingdale united. At this point we are desperate and asking for help from residents. Please take action, otherwise we will pay the consequences until the new redistricting takes place, 10 years from now.

Issues: Redistricting takes places every ten years after the census data is collected. Bloomingdale currently is contained within one ANC commission and contains three single member districts (SMDs). John Salatti, Hugh Youngblood and James Fournier are the ANC commissioners that represent these SMDs in the larger ANC. Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas Jr has proposed redistricting plans that will divide Bloomingdale. In addition, he has not developed these plans in a transparent way or adequately responded to citizens’ concerns. Some believe his goal is to weaken Bloomingdale — a sliver of NW that is in his largely NE ward.

Impacts on Bloomingdale: The Thomas plan would split Bloomingdale into two Commissions and make it more difficult for Bloomingdale to speak with one voice about issues of concern, particularly the future development of the McMillan Sand Filtration site. Issues related to the site include traffic through Bloomingdale (Imagine DCUSA without metro access and a handful of roads in and out.), flooding, types of businesses that go in, and access to green space. If McMillan shifts to an ANC that divides Bloomingdale and includes the Armed Forces Retirement Home, Catholic University and gated communities on Michigan Avenue, Bloomingdale’s ability to influence how development unfolds at McMillan (which most residents support) will be drastically reduced.

Actions Needed:

First Action: Email your concerns to Councilpersons Harry Thomas Jr, Michael Brown, Jack Evans, Phil Mendelson, David Catania and Vincent Orange at hthomas@dccouncil.us, mbrown@dccouncil.us, jevans@dccouncil.us, pmendelson@dccouncil.us, dcatania@dccouncil.us, vorange@dccouncil.us.

Second Action: Attend the Redistricting Task Force meeting on Monday, November 14 at 6:30 pm at 185 Bladensburg Road, NE, 5D Headquarters and register your concerns in person.

Third Action: ( MOST IMPORTANT) Attend the City Council meeting on redistricting on Tuesday, November 29 at the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, and register your concerns.

Want to know more? Email commissioner John Salatti at John.Salatti@gmail.com”

Back on Sept. 26 a reader asked for an update on Bacio Pizzeria coming to 81 Seaton Pl, NW in Bloomingdale. At that time we learned they’d be opening in about six weeks. And they were true to their word! Thanks to everyone who sent emails about the opening. According to their Web site initial hours will be:

“Monday thru Friday: 4pm – 10pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11am- 10pm”

You can see their menu here.

We’ll come back for a proper judging after they’ve been open a bit.