Christmas shopping, done  locally. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com. 

When making your list and checking it twice this season, be sure to keep local businesses in mind. Shopping local stores not only supports fellow neighbors and store owners, it also keeps money in DC’s local economy.

Think Local First, a DC-based nonprofit dedicated to growing a sustainable local economy, is encouraging residents to think outside of the (big) box (stores) when selecting gifts. To help shoppers, the organization took all the guess work out of “where to find what” with their Shop Local Gift Guide.

The free-to-download guide includes everything from home decor, to tools, gym memberships, art and pet gifts, and offers ideas for stocking stuffers, office gift swaps, gifts for kids, gifts for parents and the perfect gifts for “him” and “her.”

Local Borderstan Stores in the Guide

• Logan Hardware (1416 P Street NW)
• Foundry (1522 U Street NW)
• Pleasant Plains Workshop (2608 Georgia Avenue NW)
• Riptide Partners (1530 14th Street NW, Second Floor)
• Skynear Designs & Gallery (2122 18th Street NW)

You don’t have to limit yourself to the stores in the guide — they are suggestions to get your gift-giving wheels turning. Here are some other neighborhood stores to consider for unique and personal gifts.

For the Person Who Has Everything

The Foundry, Lettie Gooch and  Boundless Yoga. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.

On Thursday, November 8, Think Local First and Live Green will sponsor a Locals Unplugged event, From Passion to Profit- How Three Local Women Left Big Box to Start their Own Businesses. The two-hour-long panel will take place at 8 am at Ben’s Chili Bowl (1213 U Street NW).

Throughout the event, Theresa Watts of Lettie Gooch, Kim Weeks of Boundless Yoga and Yvette Freeman of The Foundry will discuss how they got started, how they manage their successful businesses and where they see their businesses going in the future. The morning series includes a continental breakfast, a speaking session, a Q&A session and networking opportunities.

Tickets to the event are $15 for Think Local First members, $20 for students and nonprofits and $25 for non-members.

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Eat Local First will host two events on Thursday, including a locally sourced cocktail reception and a panel on local businesses. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.

Eat Local First is in full swing this week. Tomorrow — Thursday, July 19 — the DC-based campaign will host two events: one to discuss the benefits of local food businesses and another to celebrate the art of local cocktails.

A Panel on Locavore Business

From 8 to 10 am, Eat Local First will convene a local panel to discuss how businesses are growing, sustaining and adapting to changing consumer behavior. “Locals Unplugged: Transforming Business for the Locavore” will take place at Busboys and Poets (2021 14th Street NW). Tickets range from $15 to $20 and can be purchased online.

Panelists for the event include June Blanks of Bodega, Ellen Kassoff Gray of Equinox/Watershed and Caesar Layton of Arganica.

The Art of Local Cocktails

If you’re looking to cool down from the high temperatures of the week, stop by Tryst at the Phillips (1600 21st Street NW) on Thursday evening for a taste of locally sourced libations.

The cocktail party, featuring Honest Tea-based creations, starts at 5 pm and goes until 8 pm.There is a $10 suggested donation at the door for 2 free drink tickets. A portion of the sales benefit the Eat Local First campaign.

Eat Local First Week runs July 14-21. (Courtesy of Eat Local First)

About Eat Local First/Think Local First DC

Eat Local First is a campaign of Think Local First DC, a non-profit organization that works with independent businesses, consumers and policymakers to grow a sustainable local economy in DC.

Borderstan.com is proud to be a sponsor of Eat Local First 2012 and a member of Think Local First DC. For more information on the week’s events, visit our previous post on Eat Local First Week.

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Eat Local First will host an Urban Garden Tour and After Party on July 17 from 5 to 8 pm at OLD CITY green.

From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com

On Tuesday, July 17, Eat Local First will host an Edible Urban Garden Tour to showcase some of the best sustainable and edible gardens in our city. The tour, intended to be educational and inspirational, will take place from 5 to 8 pm at OLD CITY green (9th and N Streets NW).

Participants are encouraged to set-up a self-guided tour (bike, walk or drive) of the gardens, meet with the gardeners and ask questions.

Following the tour, Eat Local First will host an after party at OLD CITY green, featuring food, beverages and bluegrass music from the Sligo Creek Stompers. The after party starts at 8 pm.

Tickets to the tour and after party are $20 and are available for purchase on the campaign’s website.

Eat Local First is a campaign of Think Local First DC, a non-profit organization that works with independent businesses, consumers and policymakers to grow a sustainable local economy in DC.

Borderstan.com is proud to be a sponsor of Eat Local First 2012 and a member of Think Local First DC. Look for more information in the coming days on events in the Borderstan area.

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From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com

Eat Local First is a week-long series of events ending this Saturday, July 21. (Courtesy Eat Local First)

Eat Local First, a DC campaign supporting the local food movement, is hosting a weeklong series of culinary conscious events throughout the city. The week kicked off Saturday and ends with the Farm-to-Street Party this Saturday, July 21.

The week’s Eat Local First events will focus on the benefits of sourcing from local farms, eating local restaurants and supporting the organizations and people that make locally-grown food more accessible to District residents.

The Week’s Lineup in Borderstan

The entire week includes 13 total events, six of which take place in the Borderstan area starting tomorrow. You can purchase tickets for all events online.

• Tuesday, July 17: The Edible Urban Garden Tour and After-Party at OLD CITY green (9th and N Streets NW) from 5 to 8 pm.
• Wednesday, July 18: A Bigger Future for Local Food – Industry Panel and Reception on local food at the The Phillips Collection Auditorium (21st and Q Streets NW) from 3 to 7 pm.
• Wednesday, July 18: Live Green’s Summer Bash at Local 16 (1602 U Street NW) from 6 to 9 pm.
• Thursday, July 19: Locals Unplugged: Transforming Business for the Locavore at Busboys and Poets (2021 14th Street NW) from 8 to 10 am.
• Thursday, July 19: Locally Sourced Cocktails with Tryst at The Phillips Collection (1600 21st Street NW) from 5 to 8 pm
• Saturday, July 21: The Farm-to-Street Party at 13th and V Streets NW (between 13th and 14th Streets NW, entrance at 13th) from 1 to 7 pm.

Farm-to-Table Restaurant Week

Farm-to-Table Restaurant Week is also part of Eat Local First events this coming week. It celebrates local, independent restaurants in Washington, DC that source food locally. Dine at these restaurants this week and enjoy Farm-to-Table menus, featured local entrees or discounts on local food. There are eight participating restaurants, with four of them in the neighbhorhood — 2100 Prime, Busboys and Poets, Eatonville and Darlington House.

About Eat Local First/Think Local First DC

Eat Local First is a campaign of Think Local First DC, a non-profit organization that works with independent businesses, consumers and policymakers to grow a sustainable local economy in DC.

Borderstan.com is proud to be a sponsor of Eat Local First 2012 and a member of Think Local First DC. Look for more information in the coming days on events in the week’s events in the Dupont-Logan-U Street area.

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The top business story of the year was U Street Dirt: “NOT Ballston” for 14th & U in June. (Luis Gomez Photos)

Following are the top local business stories each month on Borderstan in 2011. The top story each month was the one that was read by the most readers. The writer’s name is next to each story. Note that in November there was, essentially, a three-way tie.

Top story for the year in terms of reader views? The winner was U Street Dirt: “NOT Ballston” for 14th & U in June, followed by 14th & R NW: More Condos Coming to Logan Circle in March, and Results on U Closing After 15 Years; VIDA Plans $13 Million Renovation in February; all three stories were by Tom Hay.

And remember: Think Local First by supporting locally owned independent businesses.

• January: Local Business: What’s in Store for 2011? (Tom Hay)
• February: Results on U Closing After 15 Years; VIDA Plans $13 Million Renovation (Tom Hay)
• March: 14th & R NW: More Condos Coming to Logan Circle (Tom Hay)
• April: 14th & R Verizon Building Sold; Mixed Use Planned (Tom Hay)
• May: ANC 2B Votes to Protest “Post Office” Liquor License Application (Tom Hay)
• June: U Street Dirt: “NOT Ballston” for 14th & U (Matty Rhoades)
• July: Apartments for 15th & V, Tortilla Coast License Protest and More (Tom Hay)
• August: Business: Condos, Apartments, Pedicures, Pixie’s, The Pig (Tom Hay)
• September: 14th Street: PULP Gift Store to Close Doors in November (Matty Rhoades)
• October: PULP Finds Local Buyer: “Miracle on 14th Street” (Matty Rhoades)
• November: Developer Changes Course: Rentals Not Condos at 14th & S NW (Tom Hay); Think Outside the (Big) Box: Shop Local on Small Business Saturday (Ashley Lusk); and AYT Auto Service, Institute Leaving 14th Street at Year’s End (Matty Rhoades) Note: There was essentially a three-way tie in November for most popular business story.
• December: Decorate Your Tree Top to Bottom (No Travel Required) (Matty Rhoades)

The residential, retail and YMCA project on the 1300 block of W St. NW will soon get underway. (Luis Gomez Photos)

Perseus Project at 14th & W NW to Begin

The U Street Neighborhood Association reports that the long-planned residential, retail and YMCA project from Perseus Realty at the northeast corner of 14th and W St. NW will soon get underway: “The approximately 300,000 square foot project will have 231 rental apartments, an all-new 44,000 square foot YMCA facility, and over 10,000 square feet of ground-level retail space.”

Thursday Fundraiser for Think Local First

Think Local First is holding a fundraiser from 6 pm to 9 pm on Thursday at Local 16, 1602 U St. NW: “All donations goes to Think Local First DC, a non-profit that works with independent businesses, consumers and policymakers to grow a sustainable, local economy in Washington DC.” There is a $10 suggested donation. Be sure to watch the video, “12 Days of Local,” promoting local businesses —you will see quite a few familiar faces from Boundless Yoga, Pulp, Busboys & Poets and more.

ANC 1B Meets Thursday

The December meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B will be Thursday, Dec. 2 at 7 pm in the 2nd Floor Conference Room of the Reeves Municipal Center at the northwest corner of 14th and U Streets NW. The agenda and more information is online. The southern districts of ANC 1B cover the U Street neighborhood.

Urban Essentials Celebrating 10th Anniversary

Urban Essentials at 1330 U St. NW is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a sale through Dec. 15 — up to 30% off they say.

Downtown Holiday Market Opens Friday

The 6th annual Downtown Holiday Market opens Friday and runs through Dec. 23; hours are noon to 8 pm each day: “Located across from the Verizon Center (601 F Street) and Gallery Place-Chinatown metro, the 6th annual outdoor bazaar is bigger and better than ever, with more than 150 local artisans and exhibitors.” This year’s focus is environmental sustainability.

Get Borderstan Posts in a Daily Email

You can now receive an email each evening with the day’s posts on Borderstan. Go to the landing page and look for Subscribe underneath the Follow Borderstan header at the top of the right navigation bar. Next, click on Subscribe to the feed via email and enter your email address. You will receive an email in your In Box asking you to verify your email address. Your daily email will include the link and text of each post for that day.