Wonderbread Factory looking good in Shaw.

Tougher times in 2011:

From MPD:

This evening [Tuesday] at approximately 10:00 pm, we had a shooting in the 1300 block of 6th Street, NW.

Over the past 2 weeks there have been shootings in the area even with my uniformed police officers nearby. I have increased my uniformed and plain clothes officers due to recent violence. However, these criminals have no regard for public safety or law enforcement. We are asking for the public’s assistance.

In every shooting a dark colored vehicle has been observed by witnesses and officers fleeing the area.

Please report any suspicious activity, vehicles, and subjects to the Metropolitan Police Department on 202-727-9099.

@Presence_Is_Now tweeted it was a “drive by shooting at 6th & N NW”

A reader sends word:

I wanted to let you know that a new restaurant is going in at 606 Florida Ave, NW (next to Bistro Boehm) in the old Reese’s salon … I asked what it was going to be and the owner? said it was going to be a seafood restaurant.

More details when they become available.

From LongView Gallery’s website:

Introducing the all-new Long View Gallery, expansion to be complete in October 2013. Featuring nearly 9,000 square feet of superior interior with flexible floor plans, adjustable lighting and 2500 square feet of gated, outdoor patio space. Long View Gallery has all the smart tech to raise your next event to an art form, for corporate occasions, life celebrations and all sorts of hip happenings.

Back in March we learned the Right Proper Brew Pub has leased the space next to the Howard Theatre in Shaw. At that time they were still fundraising and explained:

We want to create a neighborhood gathering place that makes and serves well-priced delicious food and amazing fresh beer; we want to help our neighborhood thrive by investing in the community and its residents; and we want to anchor Washington, DC on the map as a destination for craft beer.

The liquor license application says:

Full Service Tavern with a Brew Pub serving Pub Fair and house made beer with a full service food menu in a family friendly environment.

The seating capacity is 115 with a total occupancy of 155. They hope to be open Monday through Sunday 11:30 am – 1:00 am.

And the copper window borders are looking sweet:

From MPD:

At approximately 2:00 pm this afternoon [Ed. Note: notice sent yesterday], officers responded to a report of gunshots in the area of the 1900 block of 7th St, NW. Witnesses report that a suspect was involved in a verbal dispute with the occupants of a vehicle, when the suspect shot at the vehicle. The vehicle drove away from the scene and the suspect fled southbound from the location on foot. The responding officers canvassed the area for the suspect, but they were unable to locate him. A weapon was recovered in the vicinity.

The suspect was described as a black male with a medium complexion, thin build, approximately 30 years old, with dreadlocks, wearing a white shirt and black jeans. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact MPD at 202 727-9099.

Dysfunction Junction chronicles the most forlorn, baffling, and wonderful crossroads of our fair city. The column is written by Ben Ball, a transportation nerd in his spare time. He lives in LeDroit Park. Ben previously wrote about Colesville Road/16th St/Portal Road.

This intersection isn’t that bad…yet.  Just wait a few years, though.  Those triangular lots (the ones that got Jim Graham into all that trouble) will soon be developed into mixed-use buildings.  A block south, Progression Place is almost done.  A few blocks north, the still mythical (but fully subsidized) Howard Town Center would add further density.  Once all this happens, there are going to be a whole lot more people in this area.  And if there’s anything that this series has shown, it’s that DC has a hard time adjusting existing infrastructure to a sudden influx of development.

The future here looks bright.  The present?  Not so much.  First of all, there’s that CVS that Howard University owns (let the debate resume).  I’m sure the CVS parking lot made sense when it was built, but now it’s very much out of place in an increasingly transit-oriented area.  The fact that it often features more ne’er-do-wells than cars seems to indicate that redevelopment would make sense.  (Assessed value:  $3.8 million, which seems awfully low for such a large and prominent lot.)

There’s a very noisy music war going on at this intersection.  On the southeast corner, Central Communications blasts go-go and beat-centric jams.  Not to be outdone, the nearby Gospel Spreading Bible Bookstore likes to pump out inspirational tunes.  I always feel bad for the poor flower shop people, who are caught in the cacophonous crossfire.

For a very long time, the Douglas Development-owned building on the northeast corner sat vacant.  Strangely enough, the tenant they eventually found is exactly what this intersection already had – a pharmacy.  With Howard University Hospital just up the street I guess there’s plenty of demand, but it still seems strange.  I find it incredibly adorable that they plastered a huge picture of the owner (in a bow tie!) on the windows of this place, but those window coverings have the unfortunate visual effect of making the place look either boarded up or closed.

This area is set for a restaurant boom in the coming year, with Mediterranean tapas, a Thai place, a bar or three, and a brewpub all on the horizon – and that doesn’t even count all the Progression Place restaurants. Meanwhile, the demise of Italy Pizza and the Capoeira Spot means that even more change is probably in store.  With all of this happening at once, those sidewalks are starting to look really skinny, and the traffic which courses through this area is only going to get more congested.  They are building it, and we will come.  Now is the time for DC to take a long hard look at getting this intersection ready for prime time.

I always enjoy finding firebox conversions. We’ve seen a few plantings before.

I thought this one from Vermont and T St, NW looked especially awesome.

From Duffy’s:

Thanks to the Brainchildren we have elected to high office the DOD will begin Furloughing pretty much all civilian employees each Friday starting July 12th. So when life hands you a lemon…Thursdays just became Fridays Duffy’s will help you kick off your first furlough weekend with a Hour you can afford:

4pm to 7pm
$1 Miller Lite, Sam Adams, Sam Adams Summer, PBR, Tecate

Our entire Menu will be 1/2 Price until 7pm!

Back in March we learned that a new Mediterranean restaurant, Dunya, was coming to 8th and Florida (just east of 9th and U St, NW). We knew there would be a summer garden but I didn’t realize a roof deck was also in the plans. A very happy surprise. Looks like it has potential: