Streetcar planning tweaks (Luis Gomez Photos)

By Michelle Lancaster. You can follow her and let her know your news on Twitter @MichLancaster. Email her at michellel@borderstan.com.

Greater Greater Washington has reviewed all the plans for the streetcar network and has a few suggestions for the transit agency, in addition to the tweaks already made by DC Department of Transportation.

Adams Morgan and U Street are part of the proposed lines in Corridor 6 — which would help the extortion fees for cabs out of Adams Morgan late at night, and the complaints from your friends that the Green Line/U Street is somehow inconvenient.

How the plans interact with the bike lanes will be something to watch in our area. Also, for those of you fighting for parking spaces for your cars, you should note the plans indicate the authorities are aware that ‘refinement’ of existing street parking is necessary, yet also a ‘challenge.’

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14th and R Streets NW: The Central Union Mission will be moving to the former Gales School at 65 Massachusetts Avenue NW by October 2012. In July the DC Council finally approved lease terms for the Mission to take over the former public school building, a historic property.  Alturas LLC purchased the property at 14th and R and will turn it into office and retail space. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Mike Kohn. Email him at mike@borderstan.com or find him on Twitter @mike_kohn.

Get to Know the Folks at Greater Greater Washington

Since we’re all trying to find a happy hour to go to, here’s an idea. The folks at Greater Greater Washington are setting up a time for you to join them for drinks in the near future as part of their regular series of happy hours. Check it out tomorrow, August 23, from 6 to 8 pm downstairs at the Laughing Man Tavern at 1306 G Street NW. They’ve even got drink and $4 app specials!

Sneak Preview of MLK Memorial

Tomorrow will give you a chance to get a sneak preview of the newest memorial, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial before it officially opens to the public on August 28. No, not everyone can go check it out, but you’ll be able to get a special look because Mayor Gray announced it to be D.C. Resident Day. The Post has the full scoop on the full events for the memorial. Don’t worry, Gray officially scrapped his plan for requiring you to get a ticket for tomorrow’s festivities.

Give Wisely

In case you’re looking for a cause to support, DCist tells of two that are worthwhile. Certainly the more admirable of the options is the D.C. Central Kitchen‘s effort to open a second kitchen, their Nutrition Lab. But if transportation is more your cup of tea, then think about helping the Dulles Rail Expansion, which is somehow in need of more money.

DHS Making Strides

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is “implementing changes to enable the government to focus its resources on high-priority immigration cases involving crime and other public safety concerns.” In other words, they’re going to focus on cases that are actually causing problems for the community, rather than whatever comes around. Notably, immigration cases in which one member of a same-sex couple is facing deportation will be dropped, allowing same-sex couples to remain as a unit in the states (Immigration is part of DHS). Read the full story from MetroWeekly.

Weekend Awesomeness

What did you miss while you were out doing fun things? On Saturday, a plethora of volunteers went out as part of the DCPS Beautification Day to clean up D.C. public schools. I saw a bunch of folks at Ross Elementary, all of whom were doing a great job to make the school shine. And speaking of shining, yesterday was National GoTopless Day, which did have a happening in the District by the Reflecting Pool. How could you miss that?

Subway is open at the northwest corner of 14th and U Streets NW, directly below Lost Society. Dunkin’ Donuts will open in the space to the north. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Tom Hay. Questions for Tom? Send him an email. You can follow him on Twitter @Tomonswann

Hank’s Oyster Bar Set to Open Expanded Space

Well over a year after first announcing plans to enlarge Hank’s Oyster Bar at 1624 Q Street NW, chef and owner Jamie Leeds says the newly expanded space will open on August 16. Leeds faced months of regulatory protest hearings over her efforts to expand the popular Dupont Circle dining spot. The newly expanded restaurant will include a private dining room on the second floor and additional outdoor seating. DCist has some preview photos and a overview of the new menu items.

Read the full story

Furioso Development has their sign up at 1525 14th Street NW for the six-story office building slated for the spot. With two levels of underground parking, the building will be nestled between Posto restaurant on the south and Great Wall Szechuan House restaurant on the north. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Tom Hay. Questions for Tom? Send him an email. You can follow him on Twitter @Tomonswann.

Honest-ly, D.C.

In a town that is often under a political microscope in terms of honesty, rank and file, Washingtonians are now also being measured on the standard of conduct. Honest Tea, the maker of the popular line of iced teas, has set up an unattended pop-up shop in Dupont Circle as part of their nationwide experiment to find the most honest city. Payment of $1 for each bottle of iced tea is collected on the honor system. As of this writing, D.C. was doing pretty well with a 92% honesty rating.

Read the full story

Check out our updated Local Resources Page at the top of the landing page.

From Matt Rhoades

ATM Skimming Warning on P Street

You know the warnings you see at ATMs? The ones that tell you to cover the key pad when punching in your pin number… to make sure no one is watching from behind? Or maybe you’ve read about those devices that thieves put on ATM machines that read your card information and steal your PIN?

MetroWeekly has a story about an ATM on the 1400 block of P Street NW: “Wachovia, a Wells Fargo company, is asking customers of that P Street branch in the heart of one of the District’s de facto gay villages – or anyone who may have used the ATM at the location in recent weeks – to check their account records for fraudulent activity. ‘I can confirm that there was a skimming incident at this location that has been discovered and is now being investigated,’ says Aimee Worsley, a Wachovia spokesperson.”

Read the full story

Chain-link fencing has gone up around the former Whitman-Walker building at 14th and S NW. The facade will remain and be part of the new residential-retail development. (Luis Gomez Photos)

District Condos at 14th & S

Chain-link fencing has gone up around the former Whitman-Walker site at 14th and S NW — which should be the next step toward demolition of the block on the west side of 14th from S north to Swann St (the Whtman-Walker building facade will be incorporated into the development). The District Condos project will have 125 residences and 18,000 square feet of ground floor retail. Developers have a target completion date of spring 2012. See 14th & S Project to Be Named “District Condos” for more details.

Thursday Benefit for Freedom to Marry

Partner Perfect is sponsoring a Freedom to Marry event tonight at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams store at 1526 14^th St. NW. All proceeds benefit Freedom to Marry, which works for same-sex marriage rights.

DC Jewish Film Festival Opens Thursday

The Washington Jewish Community Center at 16^th and Q NW kicks off their Jewish film festival tonight. It runs through Dec. 12, and tickets can be purchased in advance. Two films are already sold out, so move quickly!

How to Fix the Liquor License Process

Greater Greater Washington has some thoughts on how DC could better handle voluntary agreements and liquor licensing. Given the months-long process Hank’s Oyster Bar has gone through, it seems clear that the existing system is not working as efficiently or smoothly as it could. We’ll see if ABRA (and the DC Council) pays any heed.

Best Bars 2011 Voting at Washingtonian

It’s time to reward your favorite local watering hole by voting in Washingtonian’s Best Bars contest. Personally, Bar Pilar’s Bloody Mary is up there in our book.

Speaking of Bars, DC9 Reopens Dec. 15

After a hearing today, ABRA came to an agreement with DC9 and the bar can open its doors on Dec. 15, Washington City Paper reports. Several security provisions are in place and another hearing will be on Jan. 19, when the coroner releases the autopsy report.

• 14th and You reports on their Friday-night outing to HR-57 to hear Antonio Parker. Yes, HR-57 is located right here in Borderstan at 1610 14th Street NW.
• From Greater Greater Washington: Lewis calls out the antis: Roger Lewis criticizes neighborhood opponents for their vociferous opposition to the Wisconsin Giant and to the Tenley-Janney public-private partnership. He writes, “Some residents of the District cling to a suburban mentality. This mentality, coupled with government mismanagement, can obstruct desirable redevelopment. Living in cities means accepting and even embracing change.” (Post)

• Read the full story

If you read this blog, you know that Greater Greater Washington is one of my favorite blogs. Yes, it’s wonky (that’s its purpose after all), but founder David Alpert and his team do a great job at providing intelligent and analytical pieces dealing with urban issues and metro planning. And, no, I do not read every article from top to bottom. I pick and choose. Do not be intimidated by some of the postings—they can feel a bit intimidating if they’re on topics about which you don’t know the details. So, if you follow GGW, you will like this piece on Alpert and GGW at “The Blogger Beat” at Washingtonian.com.

DDOT will implement Alternative 5 on 15th Street NW north of Massachusetts Avenue. (Image: DDOT courtesy of TheWashCycle.com Web site.)

Two great postings today at Greater Greater Washington… one on the plans for the Whitman-Walker property on 14th Street NW between S and Swann NW… and the other on DDOT’s traffic flow plans for 15th Street NW (Borderstan postings here and here).

Read the full story

From Greater Greater Washington (a favorite of mine) today:

• Sex and the City: why women and families matter – “A recent study at Cambridge University says that urban development projects tend to cater to men. Poor transit systems and lack of schools and daycare near workplaces, it found, restrict women’s ability to balance work and family. How do cities in the United States cater to men and women? In particular, does the physical, social, and economic structure of the DC metropolitan area disadvantage women?” Go to post.
  
• Metro staff propose service cuts – “At yesterday’s Finance Administration and Oversight working meeting, WMATA chief John Catoe and Chief Financial Officer Carol Kissal discussed potential “service adjustments“, i.e. service cuts, in order to close the remaining $73M budget hole for the 2010 fiscal year, which starts July 1.” Go to post.