Capital Bikeshare station at 15th and P NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Michelle Lancaster. Follow her and tell her your news on Twitter @MichLancaster or email her at [email protected].
Don’t get mad at me, I’m just reporting what TBD found when they analyzed Capital Bikeshare‘s demographic data. The data indicates most Bikeshare cyclists have no helmets, are mostly white and are in their mid-30s. If you take that and compare it to a Washington City Paper piece that evaluated if there was truth beyond the stereotype, you may see an archetype emerge.
Then again, the majority of rental cyclists are women, which doesn’t match up with the perceived gender gap. So while there may be something to the idea that all Bikeshare-ers are of Courtland Milloy’s “myopic little twit” category, it’s far from an accurate portrayal of the cyclist population.
Cheers to Capital Bikeshare for their amazing numbers, and to enduring political correctness.
Work is underway on The Aston at the southwest corner of 14th and R Streets NW. The building is slated to have 31 condo units plus ground-level retail. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Michelle Lancaster. Talk to me on Twitter @MichLancaster.
U Street Gets Upgraded Sidewalks…
While it may create some havoc, the project to repair some of the sidewalks and pedestrian areas along U Street is still welcomed by area residents. Greater Greater Washington has a good timeline of the project and some DDOT designs in their detailed piece today. Pay particular attention to that 16th Street, U Street and New Hampshire Avenue redesign — as someone that used to play Frogger on that particular intersection, I particularly enjoy the idea of ‘plazas’ to avoid getting stuck in the middle of the road.
From Michelle Lancaster. Talk to me on Twitter @MichLancaster.
When we found out that Harry Jaffe had moved to the Borderstan area, we knew he’d be perfect for one of our Q& A profiles of interesting residents. A blunt, combative journalist and columnist for local media (some assuredly call him a gadfly and cynic), he currently writes for The Washington Examiner and Washingtonian magazine. His specialties are the D.C. government, crime and the local media itself (he writes a column on The Washington Post called “Post Watch”). Jaffe is currently known for his prolific stories and columns on crime and the DC police.
Along with WRC-TV reporter Tom Sherwood, Jaffe co-authored Dream City: Race, Power and the Decline of Washington, D.C. in 1994. As Washingtonian describes it, the book “remains the definitive tale of Marion Barry’s rise and fall, from 1965 to 1994.” You really should read it.
Here’s Jaffe in his own words: he talks about moving to Borderstan, the journalism business and some of his colleagues in the media — and Marion Barry, too.
Longtime D.C. journalist Harry Jaffe and his wife moved to the Borderstan area in 2011. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Borderstan: Housekeeping chores! Thanks for agreeing to be on the ‘other’ side of the desk, Harry! Let’s start with the basics: what brought you to D.C. and when?
Jaffe: I arrived here in 1978 to work as a press secretary for Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy. I lasted less than a year on the “flak” side of the news game before I switched to States News Service and then a host of news outlets, including Regardie’s Magazine and then Washingtonian.
Borderstan: What has kept you in D.C. as a journalist?
Jaffe: I have always preferred local reporting rather than covering national politics; it’s more of a contact sport where you write about people and places that you can see and feel. I have been lucky enough to find news outlets in D.C. that will pay me to write about the local scene.
Borderstan: How did you end up in our neighborhood?
Jaffe: Call it a typical story of downsizing: I had raised my three daughters in Chevy Chase, D.C.; once they had moved on to college and such, I was in the market for a smaller homestead. I had lived in the Dupont Circle neighborhood back in the early 80’s, but moving back was not an option. Way too expensive. So my wife and I searched for a neighborhood where we could walk to stores and bars, which had bike lanes, where the architecture was genuine. Then she found a great place at a good price.
Follow Borderstan on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr. Get RSS feeds for latest posts.
From Alejandra Owens
Sunday Clothing Swap for Martha’s Outfitters
Martha’s Outfitters at 2114 14th Street is a community thrift store where all the proceeds go toward supporting Martha’s Table, which serves meals to those in need as well as running youth programs. On Sunday the Proper Topper (a favorite boutique) is holding a clothing swap from noon to 4 pm in their Georgetown sister store. Whatever items are left will be donated to Martha’s Outfitters. Those who clean out their closets will be rewarded with discounted Winter accessories!
Readers Say Rhee Won’t Stay
Our Borderstan poll of the week asked, Will Michelle Rhee remain as DC Schools Chancellor? Voters said she won’t be around under a new mayor: 78% said she will leave. More specifically, 66% want Rhee to stay but think she will leave… 12% said that Rhee will be leave and that’s just fine with them… 21% think Rhee will stay and that will be make them happy… while 1% want Rhee gone but think she will end up staying on as DC Schools Chancellor.
Find Us at the 17th Street Festival
This is going to be a fun weekend! Yes, we’re facing another heatwave (hopefully the last), but don’t stay inside. Borderstan will be at the 17th Street Festival partying it up with bands, our favorite shop owners and of course, our pets. Look for our table.
Battle Between Food Truck and Restaurants
Be sure to read Washington City Paper’s Inside D.C.’s Food-Truck Wars, which examines what’s going on in DC between the proprietors of food trucks and traditional “brick and mortar” food establishments. The new trucks popping up in town are great for consumers, but tough on the owners of certain types of eateries.
More Milloy
The Washington Post’s Courtland Milloy serves up more opinions that make many Washingtonians… crazy? He ponders why so many think Vincent Vincent Gray would fail? (Read the comments if you dare.) See Borderstan post on his first column on the subject of Fenty’s defeat: Courtland Milloy: “Get Off My Lawn.”
DC Central Kitchen’s Vans Are Vandalized
TBD.com reported that several of DC Central Kitchen’s vans were spray painted with red paint X-ing out their logos and a number of them suffered smashed mirrors and windows. A gathering of devoted Twitterati raised the fundraising bat-signal and by close of business several were calling for matches to donations and a few even doubled their money. DC Central Kitchen reported via Twitter Thursday morning that 24 hours had yielded $2,400 in donations. Another great showing by residents to bolster the community!
Hispanic Business Ownership Surges in DC
Washington Business Journal reports a 54% surge in Hispanic business ownership in the district.
