Modell’s Sporting Goods coming to the former City Sports in Chinatown this Spring

by Prince Of Petworth February 9, 2016 at 10:22 pm 28 Comments

715 Seventh Street, NW

Scuttlebutt confirmed for the Chinatown City Sports space. Anyone hear what might be coming into the 19th Street City Sports space?

JohnH

Sports Authority just declared bankruptcy. City Sports just closed. This doesn’t seem like a wonderful idea.
- sproc
  
  As awful as I’ve always found Modells stores (cheap crap, clueless staff), they seem to have a pretty secure hold on the bottom of the market.
- M
  
  Sports Authority isn’t in bankruptcy, though there is a chance it could file.
bll

I wish we could get a more full service, one stop shopping, sports store, like Paragon Sports in NY. I don’t need to buy a team t-shirt, I need to find a place to get our tennis rackets re-strung and then grab a new pair of running sneakers.
- C.
  
  A-M-E-N. Minus the tennis racquets, I think the REI in NoMA will be a godsend to this city regarding its lack of outdoors/sports retailers.
  - bll
    
    that’s what I’m hoping with the REI. Yes it won’t fulfill all my needs, but at least I can do several things at once–and no, not just six different versions of a nats hat for everyone in my family.
pstreet202

do they really have to put the “coming soon” sign in Chinese as well? We should just call the area Gallery Place now, it’s a joke at this point to pretend like there’s still a Chinese influence.
- sproc
  
  What does it matter? If nothing else, it’s a nice nod to tradition. Do signs in Spanish or Ethiopic annoy you too?
  - LittleBluePenguin
    
    Just FYI, the predominant and official language of Ethiopia is called Amharic. I don’t believe there is such a language as Ethiopic. But I second your point on “Why does it matter?”
    - sproc
      
      You’re absolutely right on the language, but the script is called Ge’ez or Ethiopic.
      - textdoc
        
        I always think It’s such an interesting-looking script — very squiggly!
    - LittleBluePenguin
      
      Ah! Thanks, didn’t know that! Learn something new every day, I guess!
  - pstreet202
    
    Making Starbucks have their sign in Chinese is only a nod to rich chains pushing out the old Chinese businesses and residents.
- textdoc
  
  I think it’s part of the “settlement agreement” or something that businesses in Chinatown are required to put the names of their stores in Chinese (as well as English).
  .
  I agree with Sproc — it’s a nice nod to tradition/history.
- anon
  
  Chinatown exemplifies DC. Chinese signs by government mandate and not market demand.
  - Anon
    
    The market in Chinatown includes tourists from all over the country. They looooove the Chinese signs.
    - anon
      
      Point taken. An example of a government policy that drives tourism. A side effect or intended? This still feels more like disney than an actual immigrant area where businesses have to speak the language to get the customers.
    - pstreet202
      
      except for tourists expecting a real Chinatown
  - Dan
    
    Thanks, Obama.
- divebar311
  
  Hmmm, do you really know anything about why the buildings have Chinese lettering?
  http://planning.dc.gov/page/chinatown-design-review-procedures
  Every developer and retail/office tenant that does construction in the Chinatown neighborhood not only has to have their plans reviewed by the Chinatown but Chinatown conducts permit reviews at DCRA.
  -The Wah Luck House on 6th and H. Read up.
  -Metro PD Asian Liaison Division was previously housed on 7& H Street and recently moved to 3rd and Indiana
  
  I’m sure there’s more but just dropping a bit of info so you can re-think that comment. Happy Hump Day!
  - pstreet202
    
    I know why they have the lettering, it just seems silly at this point since most Chinese businesses or residents have been priced out or left on their own. Wah Luck house is on its way out unfortunately, and multiple Chinese businesses have closed on H st have closed in past months. That Metro PD Asian Liaison office must be a cushy job at this point.
- Philippe Lecheval
  
  Actually, that’s Garrery Prace.
  I’ll be here all week.
textdoc

Tangential, but does anyone else think that the Chinese signage for the Regal Gallery Place movie theater looks like they got someone to write the Chinese name with a Sharpie and then just blew it up to a large sign?
- I Dont Get It
  
  There was an article, I think in the City Paper a few years ago that provided that literal translation for some of these signs and some were quite humorous. If only this website had someone who is known for her Google Foo!
  - textdoc
    
    ;) I’m not really finding anything that matches — apparently Hooters chose Chinese signage that mean “Owl Restaurant,” but I don’t see much other coverage.
    .
    http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/25312/the-fake-issue
    http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2011/11/15/more-disneyfication-coming-to-chinatown/
    .
    I also ran into a title that reminds me why I’m glad I didn’t stay in academia:
    “Revitalizing Chinatown Into a Heterotopia: A Geosemiotic Analysis of Shop Signs in Washington, D.C.’s Chinatown”
    
    .
Gallery Place NW

Modells bought the lease from City Sports which expires in about 3-4 years!!! After which the property will NOT renew it or offer a new one!!! The space was to be leased to another company (name hasn’t been public) once C.S. announced they would moving out of the space!!!
- Anon
  
  ZOMG! WILL IT BE AN APPLE STORE?
- Diogisdaddy
  
  Nine exclamation points worth of solid info.

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