What *IS* Up With All The Stolen Cars?

A good post over at 14th & You draws attention to an unexpected uptick in the number of stolen cars in the neighborhood. Though homicides and muggings tend to get the lion's share of attention in our neighborhood forums, property crimes like theft of and theft from autos are the vast majority of our local crime.

Do any of our local PSA officers reading (I know there's a few of you!) have any information to share?

Blagden Alley / Naylor Court Picnic Tomorrow

The annual Blagden Alley / Naylor Court picnic is tomorrow!

Saturday, August 23, 2007
Historical, Brick-Paved
Naylor Court
6:00pm-9:00pm

Details, including a map, can be found here, on the BaancBlog!

Happy Birthday, Bens!

Dear Ben's Chili Bowl,

Congratulations on turning fifty! Thanks for the invitation to your awesome party, too! We'll be sure to stop by!

Happy Birthday!

Your Friends in Logan Circle

Shaw Library - Will We Ever Get A Say?

The Watha T. Daniel Shaw Library has been closed for years now, with a temporary facility opening up only a year or so ago. In the meantime, the DC Public Library have been bandying about plans for a new library. Unfortunately, the plans have been changing for the worse, and despite outcry from the community, it is unclear that things are getting better.

For example, check out the changes made to the plans, made over the course of six months, with virtually no community input. Gone is the modern library building to serve the fast-growing Shaw/Logan community, and in its place is another concrete bunker - exactly what the community has said the do not want.

On Saturday, the Library Dynamos held a Speak-Out/Read-In to educate the community and build grassroots support for a better library. ANC 2C02 commissioner David Chapple has a good round-up of the event at his blog.

In the meantime, the DCPL has scheduled the final public meeting for the discussion of the new library. Given the importance of this issue, and the controversy surrounding the current design, let's hope we can convince them to work a little harder on it. Please show up and lend your voice!

Watha T. Daniel Shaw Library Public Meeting
Thursday, September 4, 2008 from 6:30-8:30 pm
Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Interim Library
945 Rhode Island Avenue, NW

Former Dakota Cowgirl/Hamburger Mary Location

Via 14th & You, the Post has some information on what's going into the 14th Street spot former occupied by Dakota Cowgirl (formerly Hamburger Mary) and Ramrod (formerly Titan's). It turns out, like the former occupants, there's going to be two places. The downstairs will be called Birch & Barley, and something called ChurchKey will be upstairs. Both sounds quite beer-ish, so that's a good sign.

Also: "500 labels, 100 styles and 50 draft beers" is a big win in my book. They're hoping to open in October.

Cafe Salsa

Logan Circle is getting a new Mexican Restaurant. A very welcome addition! I snapped this photo on the building currently being renovated next door to the Verizon Behemoth, across the street from the Whitman Walker clinic, and kiddy-corner from the Central Union Mission.

I'm sure this will be discussed at the upcoming ANC meeting, as the petition mentions sidewalk cafe hours until 3AM on weekends, and this location is right across the street from a big residential complex.

National Night Out 2008

And let's not forget about National Night Out! This annual event is a great opportunity to come out and meet your friends, neighbors, and local MPD officers. This year, the Third District will be holding its official event at the Kennedy Recreation Center, at 1401 7th Street NW, from 5:00 until 9:00 PM. The flyer doesn't really say, but usually things are picnic/potluck style.

Or, you can join the national kickoff down at the mall, beginning at 4:00 PM.

Borderstan - Public Safety Meeting on Wednesday

For our neighbors who live in Borderstan (roughly encompassing the northwestern portion of Logan Circle that borders the Dupont Circle neighborhood), there is a public safety meeting this Wednesday, August 6th, at 6:00 PM.

Want your concerns heard by those who can help?

Then join your Borderstan** neighbors and city officials at a public safety meeting to discuss the problems and suggest solutions.

When? Wednesday, August 6th at 6:00 p.m.

Where? 15th Street Presbyterian Church (15^th and R Streets NW)

Who? DC Councilmember Jack Evans (Ward 2), Assistant Chief of Police Diane Groomes, Commander George Kucik (3rd Police District), ANC Commissioners Charles Reed (ANC 2F-01), Jack Jacobson (ANC 2B-04), Borderstan Residents and Neighbors

We'll discuss and address neighborhood concerns about crime in the area we've come to know as Borderstan. Please invite your neighbors and friends.

Logan Circle is Ranked Second Most-Walkable Neighborhood

If you live here, you probably know it already. Still, it's nice to see it in a arbitrary list on somebody else's web site. WalkScore.com has ranked Logan Circle the second most-walkable neighborhood in the District, and #30 overall. The District itself ranks seventh, which is pretty dang good!

I found this site over a year ago, and this blogger's house ranked 97 out of 100. Checking again, we've gone up a point! Huzzah!

Whole Foods on Half Paycheck?

What do you think of when you read "Whole Foods"? Do you think of it as a place to find a good bargain? Probably not. With the nickname "Whole Paycheck", even among those who love the place, our neighborhood green grocer doesn't exactly have the reputation as a bargain-hunter's paradise.

And they're aware of it. Nationwide, the company is trying to fight its image as a over-priced. Have you seen evidence at the P Street location? I haven't really, but perhaps I'm not looking for the right things.

Rising Gas Prices - ZipCar Raises Rates

I got an email from ZipCar yesterday, announcing (without the usual peppy flair that comes with their emails) that they are increasing driving rates due to the ever-increasing cost of gasoline. The importance of car sharing services to the ability of Logan Circle residents to live without a car at all cannot be understated. It fills that gap for those times you just have to drive to Bowie, MD. (Four years and counting, for this blogger!)

• Weekday hourly reservations increase by $0.25 per hour and 24-hour weekday reservations increase by $2.


• Weekend hourly reservations increase by $0.75 per hour and 24-hour weekend reservations increase by $5.


• The incremental mileage charge (i.e. fee for miles over 180 per day) increases by $0.10 per mile.

Though I'm too lazy to do the math at the moment, that rate increase seems far below the percentage increase in gas prices over the last six months. That's not too bad, although I'm sure it will hurt some more than others.