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

VIDA’s U Street rooftop pool. (Courtesy of VIDA)

What’s better than a rooftop pool? How about a rooftop pool with a menu designed by a Top Chef.

VIDA’s U Street Penthouse Pool is getting a makeover — to it’s members-only food and beverage menu. Top Chef Masters contestant Michael Schlow is making over the menu to include appetizers, small plates, salads, artisan sandwiches and healthy juices, smoothies and shakes.

The facility even designed a new prep kitchen to prepare the new menu.

Not a member but still interested in using the space? The Pool Club can accommodate groups of up to 299 and is available for private functions.

VIDA’s Pool Club is located at 1612 U Street NW. For more information, visit the website.

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Want to write about your neighborhood? Borderstan.com is looking for contributors interested in volunteering some of their time (note that this is not a paid position). We are especially looking for general news writers. Are you in and about Borderstan — the Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods?

Interested in Food? Fashion? Shops? Neighborhood Politics? Development? Music? Sports? ANC’s? Learn more about our site in this July article in the Washington Post Local Living section, “D.C. bloggers work to stand out in a crowded pool of news sources.”

In 2009 Washingtonian magazine named Borderstan as one of the best neighborhood blogs in the metro area. In 2011 readers of the Washington Blade voted Borderstan “Best Local Blog.” In 2012, Borderstan made the ballot of Top 5 Local Blogs in the Blade‘s reader poll. In the Washington Post’s Express Night Out’s Best of DC 2012, Borderstan made the ballot of Top 5 Neighborhood blogs, and finished third.

Borderstan.com was nominated two years in a row (2010 and 2011) in The Washington Post‘s D.C. Tweeps contest in the Favorite DC-area blogger category (@borderstan).

Interested in being one of our contributors? Shoot me an email at luis[AT]borderstan.com. – Luis Gomez, editor

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U Street is by anokarina from the Borderstan Flickr pool.

Photos of the Day are pulled from the Borderstan Reader Photos pool on Flickr.

Today’s photo, U Street is by anokarina. The photo was taken March 14.

If you don’t already have a Flickr account, you will need to sign up for one, and then join the Borderstan Reader Photos group. Already a Flickr member? Join the group! You can submit up to five photos per day in the Borderstan reader pool. We are looking for photos from DC’s Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods.

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From Cody Telep. Follow him on Twitter @codywt, email him at cody[AT]borderstan.com.

Crime news from Dupont-Logan-U Street.

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested a suspect for stealing a cell phone from a woman’s purse on the morning of March 16, according to a post to the Third District Yahoo! group. The incident occurred just after midnight at the bar at the Brixton, 901 U Street NW.

In a similar incident on the evening of March 16 in Adams Morgan, a suspect was arrested for stealing multiple cell phones at Grand Central, 2447 18th Street.

The MPD has a number of tips on pickpocket prevention and being aware of your surroundings to avoid robbery victimization. These include men carrying their wallet in a front pocket or a jacket pocket instead of a back pocket.

Pockets that can be zippered or buttoned shut also make it more difficult for pickpockets to grab your possessions. Putting a rubber band around your wallet can make it easier to detect a pickpocket in action, because the rubber band rubbing against your pants will create friction.

Police encourage women to avoid carrying their wallets in their purse and instead keep their wallet or any valuables in a zipped pocket on their person. If possible, women should also carry a small purse or handbag that can be easily held. Purses that have zippers or snaps also create a bigger challenge for pickpockets.

For women who are wearing a purse with a strap, keeping the strap diagonally across your body (instead of on your shoulder) helps keep the bag in front of you, which makes it harder for a pickpocket to strike from behind. Most importantly, do not leave any valuables unattended on a table or bar, even for a moment, as pickpockets and thieves only need a few seconds to steal your possessions.

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The U Street corridor just west of Ben’s Chili Bowl. (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 Borderstan heard that Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor moved into the neighborhood, Kim Vu predicted that she would love it. In fact, he even predicted some of  her favorite spots — all in jest, of course.

However, Vu’s predictions were not that far off. On February 2, The Washington Post published an article on Sotomayor and her affinity for her new U Street neighborhood.

The article details Sotomayor as being a frequent customer at a “green eatery” chicken place, Tacos El Chilango and at the Greek Spot. She bumps into her neighbors while taking out her recycling and contributes to building potlucks.

Sotomayor told The Washington Post’s Supreme Court correspondent last month that U Street reminds her of New York, the article reports.

“U Street is the East Village,” said Sotomayor to The Washington Post. “The East Village has been developing in the last 10 or 15 years, and I’ve often said if I was going to buy an apartment now, it probably would be in the East Village. So what did I do? I came to Washington and established a home in the East Village.”

Among some of Vu’s predictions for the Justice’s favorite neighborhood sports were Veritas, Bar Pilar, Shake Shack, Churchkey and Estadio.

Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.

Want to write about your neighborhood? Borderstan.com is looking for contributors interested in volunteering some of their time (note that this is not a paid position). We are especially looking for general news writers. Are you in and about Borderstan — the Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods?

Interested in Food? Fashion? Shops? Neighborhood Politics? Development? Music? Sports? ANC’s? Learn more about our site in this July article in the Washington Post Local Living section, “D.C. bloggers work to stand out in a crowded pool of news sources.”

In 2009 Washingtonian magazine named Borderstan as one of the best neighborhood blogs in the metro area. In 2011 readers of the Washington Blade voted Borderstan “Best Local Blog.” In 2012, Borderstan made the ballot of Top 5 Local Blogs in the Blade‘s reader poll. In the Washington Post’s Express Night Out’s Best of DC 2012, Borderstan made the ballot of Top 5 Neighborhood blogs, and finished third.

Borderstan.com was nominated two years in a row (2010 and 2011) in The Washington Post‘s D.C. Tweeps contest in the Favorite DC-area blogger category (@borderstan). Borderstan Food Editor Alejandra Owens (@frijolita) was also nominated the last two years as favorite DC-area food blogger.

Interested in being one of our contributors? Shoot me an email at luis[AT]borderstan.com.

Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.

H &pizza opening at 1250 U Street NW. (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. 

U Street will soon be home to another popular eatery, H &pizza, which is currently has a location next to Taylor Gourmet on H Street NE.

The pizza place, which serves up pies like the Moonstruck (mushroom truffle, goat cheese, mushrooms, fig marsala, red pepper chili oil and crushed black pepper) and the Grecian Market (red chickpea, mushrooms, broccolini, artichoke, kalamata olives, pickled red onion and feta cheese), will take over the space currently occupied by Quiznos at 1250 U Street NW.

While the owners behind the establishment are remaining quiet about details like menu options, hours of operation and seating capacity, we do know that they are aiming to open up sometime this spring.

As always, we’ll keep you in the loop as we find out more information.

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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. 

Lincoln Theater on U Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)

The the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities announced last week that it will put the Lincoln Theatre up for lease this January. Potential operators interested in leasing the theaer must submit letters by January 18.

The historic U Street theatre, 1215 U Street NW, has struggled to maintain an owner and turn a profit for some time. The Comission on the Arts and Humanities took over the theatre last January after the city ended its contract with the U Street Theatre Foundation.

This past July, Mayor Gray announced that the city was seeking a new operator for the Lincoln Theatre, but the Washington Business Journal reports that the RFP, released in August, did not generate any quality proposals.

Now, instead of leasing the Lincoln to an operator, the government will lease the Lincoln to a commercial entity or nonprofit for a period of five to 10 years, with one five-year option, the Washington Business Journal reports.

Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.

Want to write about your neighborhood? Borderstan.com is looking for contributors (this is not a paid position). We are especially looking for general news writers. Are you in and about Borderstan — the Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods?

Interested in Food? Fashion? Shops? Neighborhood Politics? Development? Music? Sports? ANC’s? Learn more about our site in this July article in the Washington Post Local Living section, “D.C. bloggers work to stand out in a crowded pool of news sources.”

In 2009 Washingtonian magazine named Borderstan as one of the best neighborhood blogs in the metro area. In 2011 readers of the Washington Blade voted Borderstan “Best Local Blog.” In 2012, Borderstan made the ballot of Top 5 Local Blogs in the Blade‘s reader poll. In the Washington Post’s Express Night Out’s Best of DC 2012, Borderstan made the ballot of Top 5 Neighborhood blogs, and finished third.

Borderstan.com was nominated two years in a row (2010 and 2011) in The Washington Post‘s D.C. Tweeps contest in the Favorite DC-area blogger category (@borderstan). Borderstan Food Editor Alejandra Owens (@frijolita) was also nominated the last two years as favorite DC-area food blogger.

Interested in being one of our contributors? Shoot me an email at luis[AT]borderstan.com.

Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.

The Brixton at the corner of U and 9 Streets NW. (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. 

Ladies and gentlemen  it’s time to pull-out your tweed jackets, pull-up your best cords and wheel-out your most vintage looking bicycle, because this Sunday, November 4 is the annual DC Tweed Ride.

This weekend’s prim and proper bike ride is the tradition’s fourth. Following the ride, a very festive (and British) party will be held at the Brixton (901 U Street NW). Here’s what you can expect:

• Dandy Wellington and his six-piece jazz band will play on Brixton’s outdoor rooftop
• Brixton will serve a small plate buffet along with some Gin Punch
• Burlesque from “Tansy”
• A performance by the Fidgety Feet Dance Team

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