Author: Prince Of Petworth

Dear PoP – Laundromutt Rocks

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoP,

After last weekend frolicking in the wilds of Virginia followed by a solid week of rain, the dog was in serious need of a bath. But with no hope for a warm day for a backyard hosing, and the certainty of Sasquach sized hair clogs in the bathtub, I remembered seeing a self-dog-wash place near Adams Morgan and decided to give it a try.

It was truly life changing! Remember that scene in the Wizard of Oz where they come in all bedraggled from the journey and get all buffed and brushed so effortlessly?

Raised metal tubs, aprons, warm water, shampoo, towels, blow dryers (too scary for my dog, but a nice option) plus friendly helpful staff. Basic wash for a mid-size dog is only $16.00, with discount for first-timers. This was truly one of those “where have you been all my life!” moments. Would be great to see them open a branch in CH or Petworth, but meanwhile the trek to Adams Morgan is well worth it.

http://www.petmaclaundromutt.com/dogwash.html”

How often should one generally wash a dog?

Dear PoP – Cheapest Wings in DC Sadly Not Honored

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoP,

I was at Adams Mill last night and, once again, they failed at first grade math when posting their wing specials on their sidewalk sign. Apparently, you can buy 3 wings for a little more than a penny. Unfortunately, the bartender didn’t want to honor their posted wing special. Then again, I was at Adams Mill.”

Hahaha. Good catch. But 35 cents is still a pretty good deal for wings, yeah? Were the wings any good? If you’re looking for good wings, lots of folks liked the new spot – WingHouse located at 715 Euclid Street, NW. But where’s the best wings served by a bar?

If You’re Interested in DC’s Street Car Developments – DDOT has Scheduled a Series of Meetings

By Prince Of Petworth

I know the rails have started to go in on H Street, NE. (Pictured above is an old school line from Georgetown.) Any predictions on when they’ll go live? How did they resolve the overhead wires debate?

Press release from an email:

“The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is embarking on a public outreach tour to all eight wards of the District to engage residents and businesses in the implementation of improvements proposed for the transit system for the city, including streetcars.

DDOT will be holding a series of open houses beginning later this month to present the findings of the DC’s Transit Future study. DC’s Transit Future studied short-term and long-term surface transit improvements for the District, potentially including additional limited-stop bus services, bus rapid transit (BRT) and streetcar services. The open houses will focus on DDOT’s proposed streetcar network.

DDOT initiated the study in 2004 as a joint effort with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). It included a comprehensive public outreach program and a multi-corridor Alternatives Analysis that evaluated modes of transportation (bus and streetcar) and an implementation schedule for transit improvements in the District. The Interim reports of the study recommended a number of improvements, many of which DDOT has already implemented, such as bus improvements on Georgia Avenue/7th Street, 16th Street, and the Metrobus 30s Line with the launch of express services.

DDOT has already initiated construction on two streetcar lines, and the open houses will give District residents an opportunity to hear about the current progress and view updated plans for future streetcar lines and other exciting transportation investments across the District. Schedule after the jump. (more…)

Good Deal or Not? New Construction Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home/condo is located at 3350 17th Street, NW:


View Larger Map

The flier says:

“Level 2 BR, 2 bath unit. Has access directly to parking and garages. Parking is available for purchase. Fabulous newly created condo with granite counters and flooded with light. Quiet street and affordable pricing.”

More info and photos found here.

I always enjoy finding new construction/buildings that we’ve previously judged from the outside. What do you think of the look from the inside? This particularly unit is a 2 bed/2 bath going for $448,000. Sound reasonable?

It might be worth noting that many of the other units in this building are already under contract.

Random Reader Rant and/or Revel

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user LGography

You can talk about whatever is on your mind – quality of life issues, a beautiful tree you spotted, scuttlebutt, or any random questions/thoughts you may have. I’ll open this thread every Monday and Friday. So anything good happen to you this weekend?

Baker on Being an Endangered Species (By Danny Harris)

By Prince Of Petworth

Danny Harris is a DC-based photographer, and collector of stories. In September, he launched People’s District, a blog that tells a people’s history of DC by sharing the stories and images of its residents. Every day, People’s District presents a different Washingtonian sharing his or her insights on everything from Go Go music to homelessness to fashion to politics. You can read his previous columns here.

“I’m 76-years-old. I was born in this neighborhood and lived here all of my life. I’ve seen a lot of changes on H Street, some for the better and some for the worse. But, I have lived with them. I just go with the flow because I know I can’t do nothing about it.

“In my days, I’ve seen a lot of good changes, but a lot of wrong changes too, especially now. I’ve seen people forced out of their homes so others can move in. Since they rebuilt H Street, we basically lost our rights and now we have to fight for them. And why? We grew up here. Basically, everybody here is struggling, except the owners of those establishments on H Street.

“These clubs, restaurants, and places for carry out, they don’t help the neighborhood at all. They should have opened restaurants where anyone can enter, a place that fits the old and the new. But, it’s not like that, we can’t afford these places. You know what I’m saying?

“And, the police are coming around all of the time now that these places are here and harassing us. We ain’t doing nothing but hanging out, been doing that for 30-40 years with no problems. We around every day, some of us work and some of us don’t, but we don’t bother nobody.

“At night time, the streets are flooded with nothing but white people. I guess we get our time during the day and they get their time at night, except that we get harassed during the day by the police, too. At night, I go in the house and let them enjoy the street. If I am out here at night as a black man, I am like an endangered species. It don’t bother me, but that is the change that I see.”

Read more about the development of H Street NE here.

Do You Consider Pleasant Plains Part of Columbia Heights or an Independent Neighborhood?

By Prince Of Petworth

I know we’ve touched on this issue before and neighborhood identification can be contentious. But the Washington Post had a great article in the “Where We Live” section titled, The District’s Overlooked ‘Bull’s-Eye’. The article starts:

“District residents and community groups are working to get one Northwest neighborhood some recognition — because few people even know it exists.”

It lists the boundaries as:

“Park Road NW to the north, Florida Avenue NW to the south, Warder and Sixth streets NW to the east, and Sherman Avenue NW to the west. (The civic association extends the western boundary to 14th Street.)”

Now, I have friends and acquaintances who live within these boundaries and identify themselves as Columbia Heights residents and quite frankly I’ve gotten into some conversations with folks who are outright offended if you suggest they live in Pleasant Plains rather than Columbia Heights. I know there are tax boundaries, and city designated boundaries, and the like but I’m not interested in those designations. Rather I’m curious what neighborhood folks within those boundaries feel most connected to. I know for real estate purposes it may be tempting to insist that one lives in a more recognizable neighborhood name.

So how do you guys identify this neighborhood? Distinct and independent of Columbia Heights or rather a sub section of Columbia Heights?

Have You Turned Your Furnance on Yet?

By Prince Of Petworth

While the above photo was taken last March, it got pretty damn cold this weekend. So a reader sent in a great question that I enjoy wrestling with:

“Have you fired up your heat yet? I’m still holding out.”

I am sad to report that I did indeed fire up the heat this weekend. Though I only put the thermostat to 60 degrees… Are there any other holdouts or has everyone also fired up their heat after this weekend? For the hold outs – how cold does it have to get before you turn on the heat? And while we’re on the subject – what temperature do you put the thermostat to while you are home?

JJ’s Philly Cheese Steak to Open Friday!

By Prince Of Petworth

This is the former 14U coffee shop located at 1939 14th St., NW. I was lucky enough to run into one of the owners this weekend who said that they were going to open this Friday for sure. It’s possible they may have a soft opening on Wed. or Thurs. but they promised me they’d be open by Friday. They were also nice enough to let me take some sneak peek photos of the inside. Get ready for a taste test on Friday.

More photos after the jump (more…)

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