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.

Central Union Mission - Still Scouting for a New Home

The Central Union Mission, currently located on the corner of 14th and R, is in the middle of a move-and-redevelop process. They sold their property to a developer, and obtained property and zoning up on Georgia Avenue. The neighborhood, though, has been less than enthusiastic about a homeless shelter in an area they hope to see go through a growth spurt in the future - although it didn't seem to hurt our neck of the woods much!

Still, the Post is reporting that the Mission is looking and options for property closer to downtown, since more of the homeless population seems to be deeper in the city. I'm not sure where they think they're going to go, but let's hope they find a home soon. They're scheduled to move out of their current location in 2009.

Third Public Meeting - 14th Street Study

The third public meeting of the 14th Street Transportation and Streetscape Study is scheduled for tomorrow, February 19th, at 6:30pm, at the Studio Theater Atrium.



This is the big one. The study will be present its recommendations - that is, what they plan on doing, as well as what would be ideal, given unlimited time and budget. Please come out and participate, and let them know if there is something you don't like! This could be your last chance!

PDF version

Cork About to Open

Taking over the location on 14th Street, formerly occupied by Sparky's Espresso Café, is a new wine bar and restaurant called Cork. They are supposed to be opening on the 29th of this month. It should be clear from this photo of a private party going on inside that things are definitely falling in place for that to happen. I, for one, am looking forward to it!

Bike Lanes on 14th Street

One of the items being considered by the Fourteenth Street Transportation and Streetscape Study is the reconfiguration of 14th Street itself. How many bike lanes? One way or two way? Turn lanes? Close the street entirely and turn it into one giant pedestrian walk? If you weren't at the meeting, take a gander at the take-out menu they provided, and the associated posters. You'll not only find out I made up that last option (about closing the street), but you'll get a really solid idea about what options are being tossed around.

One possibility that wasn't on the list, but was sort-of hinted at by a picture at the bottom of the poster, was the reconfiguration of 14th Street bike lanes on the curb side of the parking lanes. I'm fairly enamored with the idea, as I cannot count the number of times I've seen a bicyclist nearly murdered by passing cars. Worse, the bike lanes turn into impromptu parking lanes, forcing the bikes out into the street anyway. I have to imagine a buffer of steel between the bikes and the traffic would be a welcome relief for anyone riding the corridor.

The idea isn't without precedent, either. The New York Times City Room blog reports that New York City is experimenting with this exact idea on 9th Avenue. The picture is great, and there's also a link to a presentation by the New York Department of Transportation on their plans.

Now, I'm not a biker, I'm a walker. So I'd be really curious to hear opinions from the bicyclists in the neighborhood. Would a buffer like this be a good thing, or just a waste? Drop me a note, or post a comment, with your thoughts. I'm the LCCA representative to this study, so I would certainly appreciate the advice.

Fourteenth Street Meeting Follow-Up

The Fourteenth Street Transportation and Streetscape meeting last night, at National City Christian Church was quite a success! It was really less of a meeting, and more of an informal mingling, information bazaar, and feedback generator. It was pulled off quite well, and was exactly the kind of public participation that gives me confidence the project will end up a success.

Upon arrival, I received a sort-of "take-out menu", which was collected in a drop-box at the end of the evening. The menu was divided into sections, according to the type of proposed improvement or change, such as type of tree cover, material for sidewalks, or signage on the street; boxes provided a place to rank my preferences from most desirable to least. Did I prefer my sidewalks brick, London pavers, concrete, or cobblestones? Is the configuration with turning lanes better than that with bicycle lanes? What do I think about public art: permanent, functional, or transient?

You might think I was overwhelmed, but large poster boards surrounding the room offered detailed explanations and diagrams for each of the options; and experts were always hovering nearby, always eager to explain the pros, cons, and facts regarding a particular choice. I found myself asking questions and getting good answers from virtually everyone present.

Hopefully they'll post the menu on their site - and if they don't, I've sent a message to the project leader requesting it so that I can post it here. More input can only be a good thing, and it will help disseminate the plans and options for the future.

Fourteenth Street Meeting Tonight

Tonight is the second public meeting for the Fourteenth Street Transportation and Streetscape meeting. This ongoing study is intended to produce a plan for a long-term plan dramatically affecting the length 14th Street, from Thomas Circle up through Florida Avenue. If you are interested in helping guide the future of our neighborhood, this is an extremely rare chance to make a huge direct impact.

2nd Public Meeting
September 25th, 2007
7:00-9:00 PM
National City Christian Church
5 Thomas Circle NW
Washington, DC 20005

Come on out and have your say!

The Future of 14th Street

There have already been numerous announcements, postings, and emails about the 14th St. Streetscape Study, but here's one more in case you missed it:

DDOT is performing a study on the 14th Street corridor, ranging from between 13th Street to 15th Street, from Thomas Circle up to Florida Avenue. (See the map here.) A major part of this study is community involvement and comments obtained through public meetings, and the first meeting is scheduled to be held next Wednesday, June 20th.

Share Your Vision for the 14th St. Corridor

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

6:00pm - 8:00pm
Source Theater

1835 14th Street NW

Washington, DC 20009

This is the first of four meetings, and will "outline the project, discuss existing conditions and develop a shared vision for the future of the corridor." The next three meetings have yet to be scheduled.