From Alden Leonard. Contact him at alden[AT]borderstan.com and follow him @aldenleonard on Twitter.

DCist reported Monday that Councilmember Marion Barry has withdrawn his opposition to finalizing the H Street NE streetcar project. The initiative, which will place trolley-like cars along the up-and-coming H Street commercial district, was put in limbo last week by Barry’s disapproval of the final $50 million contract needed to complete construction.

Don’t bet on streetcars for Borderstan. (Luis Gomez Photos, file photo)

Those involved with the project feared Barry’s opposition would delay a planned July 2013 inauguration of the streetcar system, and are no doubt breathing a sigh of relief at this news.

The last DC streetcar line stopped running in 1962, and their return is perhaps one of the city’s most covered public works topics in recent years. In addition to the H Street line, The DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) has started construction of streetcar service in Anacostia, with service expected in fall 2012.

The original streetcar system plans called for lines on 14th and U S Streets NW, with plans showing a 14th Street line that would connect to lines on K Street NW and U Street NW. However, the U Street Streetscape work underway makes no provisions for streetcars, nor does the dormant 14th Street upgrading. In other words, don’t bet the house on streetcar tracks in Borderstan any time soon.

Not to say Barry is against progress, of course. In a statement released this week, Barry defended his now-ceded stance on streetcars, saying the projects puts undue emphasis on “newcomers” and take funds from the most neglected parts of the city (including his own Ward). “I am attempting to protect the tax-payer,” Barry insisted.

Get an RSS Feed for the P&G Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

The $1 taxi fuel surcharge ends today. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Alden Leonard. Contact him at alden[AT]borderstan.com and follow him @aldenleonard on Twitter.

According to WTOP, beginning June 20 DC taxicab riders will be spared the fuel surcharge enacted over one year ago to compensate for high gas prices. The $1 per trip charge was imposed in March 2011 but will be suspended.

Officials will continue to monitor gas prices and change enforcement of the surcharge as they deem necessary, Taxicab Commission Chairman Ron Linton said.

Get an RSS Feed for the News Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

Architect's rendering of the proposed residential-retail complex at the southwest corner of 13th and U Streets NW. (Courtesy JBG Cos.)

From Alden Leonard. Contact him at alden[AT]borderstan.com and follow him @aldenleonard on Twitter.

Heads up for those interested in what’s going on with U Street’s next big development!

Tomorrow night, Washington developer JBG Cos. will host a meeting to discuss their proposed design for the development at 13th and U Street NW. The meeting will begin at 7 pm at Cork Market on 14th Street NW. JBG Cos. is asking for community feedback  before their meeting with the ANC’ 1B’s design review committee on June 18.

The developer’s original plans were for a hotel, but that concept was met with opposition from area residents. Instead, the southeast corner of 13th and U will be a residential-retail complex. (See No Hotel for 13th and U, Project Will Be Residential Says JBG.) JBG Cos. is also the main developer of the Louis at the southwest corner of 14th and U Streets NW; demolition work has been completed and digging is underway.

The Details

• Meeting Date: Wednesday, June 13
• Time: 7 to 9 pm
• What: Design, focusing on JBG’s application to the Historic Preservation Review Board
• Location: Tasting Room above Cork Market at 1720 14th St NW (just north of S Street)

Get an RSS Feed for the Business Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

From Alden Leonard. Contact him at alden[AT]borderstan.com and follow him @aldenleonard on Twitter.

Last week the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) released a statement commending the D.C. Council for its approval of a partial extension of alcohol service hours at D.C. restaurants, bars and hotels. The measure, which will allow later alcohol service on holiday weekends (and a few other instances), will take effect this fall.

(Luis Gomez Photos)

In the winding road that led to this compromise, the RAMW consistently lobbied for more liberal bar service hours, arguing that easing these restrictions would generate revenue for the city and raise its global profile. Amidst a near-collapse of the initiative last month, RAMW and other hospitality industry interests flexed their muscle to get the proposal on the books.

So when you wake up especially disoriented on some future Sunday morning, you’ll know who to thank.

Get an RSS Feed for the News Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

From Alden Leonard. Contact him at alden[AT]borderstan.com and follow him @aldenleonard on Twitter.

The Washington City Paper has posted its list of the area’s most valuable restaurants, and Borderstan’s cuisine is well-represented. Don’t confuse this for a simple “best restaurants” list — rather, it is a diverse survey of the places where your money is best spent.

How do the folks at WCP make such a distinction?

Each food contributor is asked to respond to the question, “What makes your dining experience valuable” in his or her own way, and the results are appropriately diverse: some selections are noted for their ambiance or vibe, while others are featured strictly for their food and/or price point.

Borderstan restaurants offer great options. (Luis Gomez Photos)

Borderstan inclusions are:

1. Taylor Gourmet
2. Great Wall Szechuan House
3. Bar Pilar
4. Standard
5. Blind Dog Café
6. Sundevich
7. Little Serow
8. Sushi Taro
9. Smoke & Barrel
10. Estadio
11. Obelisk
12. Komi (of course)
13. Brasserie Beck made the list as well, and although it lies beyond the borders of, um, Borderstan, I’m giving it a nod because it’s a personal fave.

Note that five restaurants on the list are on 14th Street and three more are on 17th Street NW. Get eating!

Like reading Borderstan’s Food & Drink stories? Get an RSS Feed for the F&E Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

Fathom Creative hosted the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Saving Places." (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Alden Leonard. Contact him at alden[AT]borderstan.com and follow him @aldenleonard on Twitter.

On Wednesday evening the National Trust for Historic Preservation hosted its “Saving Places” event to announce its 2012 list of America’s Most Endangered Places. The event, which took place at the superbly cool Fathom Creative on 14th Street NW, celebrated 25 years of the list and highlighted local leaders and innovators in the fields of urban development and historic restoration.

The core of the event were the “micro talks” given by professionals who are creatively “saving” old and interesting places across DC. Representatives from the Dupont Underground and LivingSocial spoke about honoring the history of a building in its renovation, while Dan Miller, president of web upstart Popularise talked about the importance of grassroots participation to the future of urban planning. Speakers from ARCH Development, Capital Pixel, the Rainbow History Project, and PGN Architects also made short presentations.

Social media was a common thread between the different projects and professionals featured at Saving Places. Event organizers kept busy live-tweeting remarks by president Stephanie Meeks and posting Instagram shots of guests enjoying wine and conversation. The Trust even turned Fathom’s expansive roof deck into a “Twitter Garden,” where attendees responded to featured questions and interacted with Saving Places (#savingplaces, #hashtag, #) speakers.

Event organizers, speakers, and attendees, most of whom had gained prominence (or at least an invitation) through a blog or Twitter presence, underscored the role social media has in historic preservation and urban planning. Each speaker made clear that our newfound voice gives us a responsibility to help protect the places that make up our collective history. As Nikki Peele of LUMEN8 Anacostia put it, “these historic buildings are the bookmarks of our story.”

In case you were wondering, that was the most tweeted line of the night.

Like Borderstan’s News stories? Get an RSS Feed for the News Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

DC not the best city for new ideas. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Alden Leonard. Contact him at alden[AT]borderstan.com and follow him @aldenleonard on Twitter.

The Washington Examiner reports that the District has earned a lackluster grade in friendliness to entrepreneurs.

In a new survey by the Kauffman Foundation and Thumbtack.com that asks small-business startups to grade their city’s stance towards upstarts like theirs, DC received a D+. Worse yet, the city earned an F for ease of starting a business. The survey shows that DC’s regulations, training programs, health and safety measures, and overall friendliness towards small business make it a difficult environment for entrepreneurs.

This poor rating is in spite of a strong economy in the District, which has continued to grow amidst a national recession. In the same survey, DC ranked second in the nation for its economic health.

TBD reminds you to brace yourself for tourist season. According to the American Public Transportation Association, DC is poised to welcome about 8.3 million visitors this summer, ranking second behind Chicago (which expects about 11.1 million tourists).

The report also notes that a majority of tourists will use public transportation to get around. Walk to the left, stand to the right!

Like Borderstan’s News stories? Get an RSS Feed for the News Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

National Trust for Historic Preservation will celebrate 25 years on June 6 with special presentations at Fathom Creative on 14th Street NW.(Luis Gomez Photos)

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is hosting an event on June 6 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the its annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. In addition to announcing its 2012 list of endangered places, the event will include an interactive video and photo exhibit exploring a quarter-century of inspiring preservation stories.

Perhaps of most interest to Borderstan readers, the event will feature “micro talks” by preservationists from across DC, including reps from Dupont Underground, Rainbow History Project, Popularise, CAS Riegler Development Company and Capital Pixel, all of whom will discuss how they’re getting people to see underappreciated places in a new light.

“Preserving Nation,” which will take place at Fathom Creative on 14th Street, is sold out, but keep an eye out the following week for a write-up of the event.

Like Borderstan’s News stories? Get an RSS Feed for the News Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

From Alden Leonard. Contact him at alden[AT]borderstan.com and follow him @aldenleonard on Twitter.

Last week the DC Council passed Mayor Vincent Gray’s 2013 budget proposal with an unusual absence of tax increases. Final approval is scheduled for June 5.

DC bars will be able to serve alcohol one hour later on selected holidays. (One Photograph A Day)

The Council chose spending cuts rather than tax hikes to close its projected $172 million budget gap. Still, council members made sure to assemble a quarter-billion dollar “wish list” of additional spending should tax revenue exceed projections for the coming fiscal year.

As the Washington Blade’s Mark Lee points out, in true DC tradition, it did not occur to councilmembers to plan to reduce business or personal income taxes in the District, where they are the second and fourth highest in the country, respectively.

Of note, the DC budget partially implements Mayor Gray’s now-famous proposal for a one-hour extension of alcohol service period at city restaurants, bars and hotels, as a way of generating tax revenue and balancing the District budget.

Although the Mayor’s original proposal failed to pass the Council, Chairman Brown’s compromise was approved — providing for later service hours on the night before all federal and DC holidays, Friday through Sunday preceding Memorial Day and Labor Day, and New Year’s Eve and July 4 when they fall on a Monday.

Amidst their relatively rare instance of tax moderation, DC officials relished the comparison between itself and neighboring Maryland, which this week approved a series of tax hikes. “Thank God Maryland keeps raising their taxes, one of these days they’re going to catch up to us,” Brown quipped.

Like Borderstan’s News stories? Get an RSS Feed for the News Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

Friday's Bike to Work Day brought out a record number of riders last Friday. (Luis Gomez Photos).

From Alden Leonard. Contact him at alden[AT]borderstan.com and follow him @aldenleonard on Twitter.

If you noticed more bikers out and about last Friday morning, the cause may have been more than just the beautiful spring weather.

The Washington Examiner notes that Friday marked annual Bike to Work Day, and DC officials estimate that 12,700 people participated. This number sets a new record for the event, with twice as many riders as it had five years ago.

“The dramatic growth of this event is an indicator that area commuters view bicycling as a viable commute alternative that can fit into their daily routine,” said Nicholas Ramfos, of sponsor Commuter Connections (do you think he actually talks like that?).

The popularity of biking in the District should come as no surprise to our readers, who have seen use of Capital Bikeshare surge in the two years since its launch. According to TBD.com, Capital Bikeshare has logged a grand total of two million total trips to date.

As long as they stay off the sidewalks, bike away!

Like Borderstan’s News stories? Get an RSS Feed for the News Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.