A compromise on a controversial plan to redevelop a building along P Street NW seems in the works.
Neighbors gathered last night for a special meeting of Dupont Circle’s ANC 2B to share concerns and ask questions about a plan to turn a building at 2147-2149 P St. NW into a mixed-use development with apartments and space for a shop or restaurant.
Developer Valor in April filed plans with D.C.’s Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) to add two floors to the building to make way for eight residential units and space for a ground-floor restaurant. The property currently houses Moroccan eatery Marrakech and its nightclub, Aura Lounge.
The developer has asked the BZA for a zoning variance that would allow it to move forward with its plans. The project must also gain the blessing of D.C.’s Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB).
Neighbors who live in nearby condominiums and apartments are resistant to the idea as planned.
“The developer’s plan would accommodate many more additional residents that the neighborhood could reasonably handle and worsen its existing noise, parking, delivery and waste management problems,” wrote one Dupont resident in an email to the BZA last month.
Another local who lives in the Dupont West condominium wrote in an email that “the new development would completely block the present view of Rock Creek and Georgetown as well as cutting off the light source for these units.”
“We would be permanently harmed by this addition because approval of the variances would set a precedent for future such projects,” the resident added.
A new Indian restaurant is set to open near Dupont Circle.
An offshoot of Richmond’s Lemon Cuisine of India will arrive in the former Crios space at 2120 P St. NW in about a month, according to an assistant manager with the company.
Signs for the forthcoming restaurant went up some time within the past week.
Lemon Cuisine of India serves a menu that includes dishes such as chicken tikka masala, lamb biryani and goat mushroom curry. The eatery was named by Style Weekly readers as Richmond’s best Indian restaurant in 2014 and 2015.
h/t to Jeff Rueckgauer for the heads up
It’s now a little harder to find Tex-Mex food near Dupont Circle.
Crios Modern Mexican, the restaurant that once served margaritas and tacos at 2120 P St. NW, is now closed according to a notice on the eatery’s website:
We are sorry to announce that due to unforeseen circumstances, Crios will be closed at this location. Thank you for your patience as we transition to a new location hopefully still in the neighborhood. In the meantime, please join us next door at our sister restaurant Scion where a lot of our wonderful staff can still be found! We look forward to having you join us again when we relocate!
As specified in a Facebook post, the restaurant closed about three weeks ago “to make room for a new tenant.” (more…)
Though Pitango Gelato closed its location at 1451 P Street NW last week, the company’s CEO is plotting a comeback in Logan Circle.
“Basically our lease was up, we moved our equipment out and we are looking for a larger location,” Pitango Gelato CEO Noah Dan told us. “We are in discussions a with few landlords in the area, but nothing is ready for announcement yet.”
Our lease is up on P St. We are scouting bigger locations & will be back soon. We <3 our #logancircle peeps! https://t.co/HYNelBs9uS
— Pitango Gelato (@PitangoGelato) January 9, 2016
Though Dan said the company’s gelato sales “remain strong,” he added that the location “took a hit on the beverage sales in [the] recent year” and was disadvantaged by its limited seating.
When asked whether the frozen dessert shop felt the heat from nearby Dolcezza (1418 14th St. NW), Dan had this to say: “People know the difference between our product and a factory dipping store.”
Where do you think Pitango Gelato should open its next store? Weigh in by leaving a comment below.
Peruvian street food and pisco sours star at Nazca Mochica, Dupont Circle’s newest bar and eatery. The forthcoming restaurant officially opened its downstairs bar at 1633 P Street NW last night.
While diners munched on made-to-order ceviche and steamed buns filled with pork belly, bartenders were busy slinging pisco and yuzu sours.
The bar and restaurant is a collaboration between Houston chef Roberto Castre and co-owners Robert Preston and Walter Lopez.
Preston, who lived in Dupont Circle for 16 years, said the neighborhood is “rich, fertile ground” for D.C.’s growing Peruvian restaurant scene.
“We want to educate people that Peruvian food is more than just pollo a la brasa,” Preston said. “It has so much more to offer, with its Chinese and Japanese influences.”
When fully opened later this month, the bar and restaurant will span both floors of the building on P Street.
“As we start expanding our dishes, [diners] will be able to see more, particularly when we open the second floor,” Preston added.
Preston said the bar will also soon begin serving brunch at 10 a.m.
“Mimosas, some Peruvian breakfast and lunch style sandwiches, a couple egg dishes,” he said. “We haven’t quite finalized it.”
Nazca Mochica is open from 5-11 p.m. daily.
Princesses, superheroes and even a little Kim Jong Un descended on Logan Circle in search of candy and other treats this weekend.
About 400 kids and adults marched from Logan Circle NW to Stead Park as part of the 5th Annual Little Goblins Parade on Saturday afternoon. Most of the little revelers and their parents spent much of their time on the 1400 block of P Street NW, where Whole Foods, Number Nine and other businesses handed out Halloween goodies.
“It’s unique and different,” Number Nine general manager Ben Gander said of the parade as he handed out cookies to trick-or-treaters. “It’s fun to see all the kids in costumes.”
Joelle Myers, a co-founder of the parade, said the trick-or-treating, costumed children and entertainers from the Blue Styles Brass Band made the afternoon “magical.”
“The parade grows in different ways each year and at the core it’s community building and bringing families together, highlighting what an awesome neighborhood Logan Circle is to raise a family,” she said.
Have photos you want to share with us from the parade? Send them to @borderstan. We might feature them on our site.
Goblins hungry for candy are plotting take over Logan Circle next weekend, all in the spirit of Halloween.
The 5th Annual Little Goblins Parade will fill the streets with children with their parents on Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. The crowd will begin its slow march at Logan Circle, then walk along the 1400 block of P Street NW. (Click here to view the full parade route.)
Employees from businesses along the block will hit the sidewalks and pass out candy to participants aged anywhere from 12 months to 10 years old.
Parade organizers Joelle Myers and Evelyn Boyd Simmons have planned the event together since its inception and have watched it grow every year. This year, they’re expecting a crowd of about 400, including kids, parents, grandparents and dogs.
Executing an event of this size takes the collaboration of community organizations, area businesses and key sponsors like TD Bank and Whole Foods. Volunteers and the members of the Metropolitan Police Department also help the parade run smoothly.
“This is an event that has been growing and evolving right along with the community,” Simmons said. “Our goal is to have it become institutionalized and a tradition in Logan Circle.”
One of the most significant changes made this year is that the parade route will be reversed. Marchers will gather in Logan Circle around 12:45 p.m. and end in Stead Park, where activities and live entertainment will keep the festivities going at Stead Park.
“With dance groups and music, this year we really wanted to have entertainment for kids, by kids,” Myers said. “It’s amazing to see how the community comes together, so we changed the entertainment to maintain the interest of everyone who attends.”
No matter how big the parade gets or how much it changes as the years go on, Myers and Simmons hope to keep their original purpose in mind.
“It’s a great way for kids and their families to really enjoy Halloween,” Myers added. “That’s just something we really want to continue bringing to the community and making it better and better.”
Myers said that she’s searching for five more volunteers to “wrangle” goblins, hand out candy at Whole Foods and Lululemon on P Street and generally monitor the crowd. Click here for more information on how to volunteer.
Photos courtesy of Little Goblins Parade
The organizers behind this year’s Little Goblins Parade in Logan Circle are on the hunt for volunteer “goblin wranglers.”
During the parade, which begins on Oct. 24 at 1 p.m., little ones dressed in colorful costumes will walk from Logan Circle to the 1400 block of P Street NW in search of treats. With candy in hand, the tiny revelers will move on to Stead Park in search of music, dancing and games.
Volunteers will ensure parade participants traverse the route safely and happily. Those who want to help out can contact event organizer Evelyn Boyd Simmons via e-mail.
Photo via Facebook.com/LCCA.D
Beauty retailer and spa Bluemercury is now open on P Street.
The store opened its doors in the former Pacers Running space at 1427 P St. NW last Friday.
Though the retail portion of the store is open for business, its spa — which will sell skincare, waxing and makeup application services — will open in two weeks. According to a sales associate at the store, a grand opening event is in the works for early October.
While there are currently no sales or discounts associated with the opening, the company is celebrating its 16th anniversary by giving gift bags full of larger-than-sample-sized products to customers for every $150 they spend in-store or online.
Though plenty watched the GOP primary debate at local bars last night, one of the liveliest crowds gathered at beloved P Street NW gay bar Number Nine.
Walking up the steep steps, away from the hip, dimly lit first floor crowd and pumping music, a loud buzz emanated from the bar’s second story as patrons waited for the debate to begin.
“Figured it’d be a bit entertaining to watch in here, of all places,” said U Street corridor resident Phil Ryan. “You always get a good reaction.”
As 7 p.m. crept closer, the crowd milled around the increasingly busy bar, casually glancing at the four television screens for any sign of the candidates.
“This is the most D.C. thing,” said one man about the irony of a mostly-liberal bar watching a political event from the opposite aisle.
That liberalism showed when smiling candidates took the stage, introduced by FOX News debate moderator Megyn Kelly.
While Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Chris Christie received a round of resounding boos, it was business magnate and political troll Donald Trump who, possibly in jest, earned cheers and applause from one side of the elbow-brushing room.
It was soon clear that many in attendance were there solely for Trump’s antics.
For instance, when Trump raised his hand indicating he would consider running as a third party candidate, the entire floor erupted in a unified “Whoa.”
“I knew we’d all laugh at Trump,” Ryan said. “I mean, that’s part of the reason we’re all watching this.”
Cackles and shocked “ohs,” erupted from the crowd after Trump stood by calling Rosie O’Donnell a “fat pig,” and when Trump bashed politicians “who get in bed with lobbyists of special interests,” one man shouted, “if they’re hot!”
But even Trump’s awkward demeanor and brash misogyny couldn’t quite keep the crowd’s full attention, even in the first hour. As questions bounced from Trump to Dr. Ben Carson, the previously silent and attentive crowd grew increasingly louder and more distracted.
And while some clearly awaited the funny moments, others seemed to agree on a few of the candidates’ points. For example, after Kelly asked Christie about entitlement programs, a silence fell over the room, and one man turned to his friend and said, “that’s … legit.”
It was clear Ohio Gov. John Kasich won the crowd over, at least for a moment, when he said: “If one of my daughters happened to be [gay], of course I would love them and I would accept them.” Throughout the night, Kasich continued to elicit applause and cheers for his comments on equality.
Final verdict? Unknown. But as the crowd thinned out onto P Street, Ryan said that whoever earns the GOP nomination, it won’t be Trump.
“He’s just trolling,” Ryan said.
(Updated at 4:26 p.m.; the incident happened close to the Shaw/Logan Circle border and the article was changed to reflect that.)
A man struck another man with a metal pipe and was then arrested near the border of Shaw and Logan Circle yesterday, say D.C. Police.
Justin Johnson, 29, is suspected of approaching a man and hitting him in the arm with a metal pipe on the 1000 block of P Street NW around 2:18 p.m. yesterday.
Johnson was arrested at the scene, say authorities. Police did not know if the victim was transported from the scene to a hospital.
A D.C. Fire and EMS representative was not immediately available for comment.
Information on the suspect’s lawyer wasn’t immediately available.
Photo via Google Street View
DC Meet Market. (Luis Gomez Photos)
DC MEETMarket is on this weekend, Saturday, June 1 . They will have more than 40 local vendors at the corner of P and 15th Streets NW in the Saint Luke Episcopal Church parking lot.
DC MEETMarket is a monthly outdoor market located in the heart of Logan Circle. Held on the first Saturday of every month from April to December.
Come out this Saturday from 11 to 5 pm. Enjoy the market and buy local.
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DC Meet Market. (Luis Gomez Photos)
DC MEETMarket is on this weekend, Saturday, May 4. They will have more than 40 local vendors at the corner of P and 15th Streets NW in the Saint Luke Episcopal Chuch parking lot.
Want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? DC MEETMarket has you covered featuring a Mariachi Band and also a spotlight on Honest Tea a sponsor of the DC MEETMarket.
Come out this Saturday from 11 to 5 pm. Enjoy the market, buy local and celebrate.
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From Luis Gomez. Catch his photos at One Photograph A Day. Follow him on Twitter @LuisGomezPhotos.
DC MEETMarket is at 15th and P Streets NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
The DC MEETMarket returns this weekend, Saturday, April 6, and the neighborhood party is bringing food, music and culture to the heart of Borderstan.
The community-driven event will take place on the corner of 15th and P Streets NW from 11 am until 5 pm. Self-described as a community market “where culture and neighbors collide,” DC MEETMarket meets on the third Saturday of every month at the same location.
For more information on the free and local event, visit the DC MEETMarket Facebook page.
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From Allison Acosta. Email her at allison[AT]borderstan.com.
Gina Schaefer and Marc Friedman. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Eleven years ago Gina Schaefer and her husband, Marc Friedman, had the somewhat unconventional idea to open a hardware store that would serve local customers doing home improvement projects.
The couple, then residents of Logan Circle (now living in Shaw), wanted to fix up their condo with locally purchased goods rather than have to drive across the city (or the suburbs) to get home repair supplies.
In March 2003, Gina and Mark opened Logan Hardware at 1416 P Street NW. Little did they know that their dream to open a local hardware store would start them on their way to a small empire of nine urban Ace hardware stores from DC to Baltimore.
Beginning this week, customers will be able to purchase items from the new Made in DC program which spotlights locally made merchandise.
Since opening Logan Hardware, their stores have employed more than 300 people, made 300,684 house keys, mixed more than 42,000 gallons of paint, and served more than one million customers. Logan Hardware’s most popular item: light bulbs.
On March 2, Logan Hardware hosted a 10th Anniversary celebration to show their appreciation for local residents with a 20 percent- off discount throughout the store and a raffle that benefited House of Ruth and Jubilee Jobs.
Made in DC Program
Beginning this week, customers will be able to purchase items from the new Made in DC program which spotlights locally made merchandise. The first products come from local crafter Tina Seamonster, who is offering up altered DC flag and cat, dog and bike magnets, DJ cat tote bags, zombie magnets and more.
Also new in the store: Look for spring flowers for your garden, a new line of nostalgic candy and sodas and an expanded pet section that includes Bully Sticks, Blackstone dog food, and more.
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