Author: Prince Of Petworth

Weekend Picks

By Prince Of Petworth

I don’t know if you’ve all been to Tryst on 18th Street in Adams Morgan lately but there is an incredible photography exhibit on the walls. The artist is Joshua Cogan. The photographs are definitely worth checking out. They’ll be up until January.

Bloomingdale Holiday Art Market:  “Buy handmade this holiday season from local indie artists and designers!”

At Big Bear Cafe (1st and R St NW)

Sat. Dec. 20, 4-9pm

And for the ladies (from a reader):

Title: Georgetown Running Company at Chevy Chase presents “Ladies’ Night”
Who: Georgetown Running Company at Chevy Chase
What: Ladies’ Night – a night of fashion, food, fittings, and friends
Where: 4461 Willard Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD (near the Friendship Heights metro)
When: Saturday, December 20, 5-7pm
Why: Join the Georgetown Running Company at Chevy Chase for Ladies’ Night. Experience the latest in winter running clothes while getting fitted for the perfect sports bra and running shoes. Talk with experienced runners, massage therapists, podiatrists, and nutritionists – even learn the importance of yoga for runners.

Ladies’ Night is also a meet and greet for the DC and Maryland community. Enjoy delicious food and drinks from local restaurants, pamper yourself with samples from area salons, gain information on local gyms, and more!

Be sure to arrive early – the first 20 customers will receive a free t-shirt. There will be some awesome door prizes, free giveaways, free gift wrapping, 20% off all apparel and shoes, and a chance to meet other active people in your area. Men are welcome to attend, especially if they are shopping for a gift!

For more information on the event and our partners, check out http://www.runwashington.com/news/dec08ladiesnight.html

Or, call the Chevy Chase store: (301) 215-6355.

If you have an event you’d like featured in weekend picks send an email to [email protected]

Judging Buildings

By Prince Of Petworth

I’ve also liked this building located at the corner of 16th and U. Does anyone know it’s history?

Sneak Peek: Next Door (The New Spot From The Folks at Ben’s Chili Bowl)

By Prince Of Petworth

Last weekend I stopped into the new spot from the owners of Ben’s Chili Bowl located right next door (and aptly named ‘Next Door’) at 1213 U St NW. I spoke briefly with one of the owners, Nizam. He described the new spot as a place that everyone’s been asking for, primarily, the ability to get a half smoke and a beer. But it is much more than that. The space is very warm and comfortable and a bit more upscale than the original shop next door. Nizam was sure to explain that “we love Ben’s exactly like it is”. He explained that the new spot is “a chance for the second generation to do something ourselves while paying tribute to Ben’s and keeping Ben’s exactly the way it is.” He also emphasized that Next Door will be a comfortable spot with the same atmosphere as the original Ben’s. “It’s not going to be a trendy place it is going to be about service, friendliness and fun”, said Nizam. It is possible that the spot may host some live music or become a destination spot to watch “the game”. While the menu is not finalized, in addition to the traditional Ben’s fare, you’ll likely be able to find wings, nachos, bigger burgers, salads and the possibility of “getting some veggies”. Nizam explains, “we don’t want to be ‘bougie’ high end, everything at Ben’s is tasty we it to be the same thing here”.

I have to say I’m super excited about this development that is supposed to open before the New Year. The prospect of some chili cheese fries with a beer is nearly bringing tears of joy to my eyes. A couple more photos after the jump. (more…)

Good Deal or Not? Possibly A Good Deal Edition

By Prince Of Petworth

This home is located at 1840 15th Street, NW.


View Larger Map

The flier says:

“LARGER THAN IT LOOKS. Beautiful fascade w/ fabulous brick detail. Untouched in years! Original mouldings & doors, but the house NEEDS EVERYTHING. .. essentially a SHELL. 10.5′ ceilings 1st flr & 9.5′ ceilings on 2nd. 3BR/1BA up (2 big BRs & 1 decent size), LR, DR & sep eat-in kit. Large yard. 2-car PKG. Partial bsmt under LR/DR & crawl space under kit. Front entrance to bsmt. AS-IS. Broker/Owner.”

You can find more info but sadly no here.

So I’m very curious about this one. The location seems to be amazing. The house looks super fresh from the outside. And the price is $594,777. That seems really reasonable, yeah? But it’s been on the market for 280 days. And there are no interior photos. So what do you think is it a good deal or not so much because it probably needs tons of money to renovate?

Random Reader Rant and/or Revel

By Prince Of Petworth

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 week?

Hampden’s Miracle on 34th Street by Nichole

By Prince Of Petworth

I was in Baltimore this past weekend for the Ravens game (I’m a Ravens fan from Pittsburgh who lives in DC – it’s complicated.) and after suffering a disappointing defeat, my friend and I left the game looking for some cheer. Luckily, we were a cheap cab ride away from Baltimore’s own brand of cheer: 34th Street in the Hampden neighborhood.

The Miracle on 34th Street as it’s come to be called is a Christmas tradition in Baltimore, and one that I’ve missed. (I called Baltimore home on and off in my early 20s and sometimes I really miss it. I’m a blue collar girl at heart and Baltimore is comfort food for me. Of course, there’s a reason existing on mashed potatoes and mac n’ cheese alone is inadvisable and I’m very happy living here and visiting from time to time.) This year it was just what I needed to put me back in a good mood after the game.

About 25 houses on one block participate, and some even let folks inside for a peek. On Sunday there was someone selling hot chocolate, an appearance by Biker Santa and a group of Japanese tourists. If you find yourself in Charm City before January 1, you should definitely make a stop in Hampden. Not just for the lights, but maybe the meatloaf at Cafe Hon, or a burrito at Holy Frijoles (which doesn’t serve alcohol on Sundays), or an afternoon of shopping the Avenue before hitting 34th Street after the sun goes down.

Friday Question of the Day

By Prince Of Petworth

From the Post’s DC Wire:

MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski was mugged outside of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Georgetown this morning while waiting for a car to pick her up for her co-host duties with Joe Scarborough on the show, “Morning Joe.”

The assailant demanded $20 but she told him she only had $6. “I was very scared for a short period of time,” she said this morning. She said she was right outside the hotel doors about 4:55 a.m., right under the heat lamp, when the assailant, who had been hiding behind a bush, said: “Give me your money and you won’t get hurt.”

Brzezinski said she couldn’t tell if the assailant had a weapon but his hands were in his pockets.

She gave him what she had, $6.

Now far be it from me to judge someone in a situation like this but I’m curious what others would’ve done in this situation. I think she probably did the right thing by giving what money she had. I’m trying to think what I would’ve done in this situation. I suppose it’s a bit like war and you don’t know how you’d respond unless you are actually in the moment. But I think I’d probably have walked/ran back to the hotel. It seems odd to me that the mugger would ask for $20. Don’t muggers say “give me all your money”? Or steal whatever valuables the victim has? Just seems a bit odd that he would only ask for $20. But like I said, unless in the situation, it has hard to tell just how threatening the situation was. Nevertheless for the Friday Question of the Day I’m curious to know what you would’ve done in this situation? Would you have complied? Walked/ran back to the hotel? Some have blamed the hotel for not providing proper security – do you think the hotel is at any fault?

Good Deal or Not? Revisited by Hipchickindc

By Prince Of Petworth

In real life, hipchickindc is licensed as a real estate broker in the District of Columbia and Virginia, and as a real estate salesperson in Maryland. Unless specifically noted, neither she nor the company that she is affiliated with represented any of the parties or were directly involved in the transaction reported below. The source of information is Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS), which is the local multiple listing system. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

2230 13th St NW: This home was featured here as a ‘Good Deal or Not’ on September 15th, 2008.

List Price: $798,425.

List Date: 11 September 2008

Days on Market: 9

Settle Date: 31 October 2008

Sold Price: $798,425.

Subsidy to the Buyer: None

Multiple offers: No

Here is the listing from MRIS for the recent sale. To see pics of the renovation, make sure to click on the camera icon at the upper left after you open the link.

Here is the link to the listing from MRIS for the investment purchase in 2007.

What people may recall about this property when it was featured as a GDoN is that it was highlighted as a “Green Renovation”. Shaughn White, who developed the property and is also a licensed real estate agent with Coldwell Banker, was kind enough to fill me in on some of the details.

The process of the renovation took a full eighteen months, which is lengthy, especially for an investor. Shaughn explained that it was time consuming because of the attention to detail with regard to the efficient systems, as well as the finishes, to make the home attractive. He did a tremendous amount of research to create what he described as a truly green build.

Some of the features that he included were: Continues after the jump. (more…)

Photo Archives Caption Contest Winner

By Prince Of Petworth

A lot of good ones this week, especially with the “carbonite” theme but I had to go with this one from Drewlove:

“Annoyed by the little girl next door’s unceasing “Mary had a Little Lamb” chants, Darth Vader once again employed his carbon freeze technique so he could finally get a %#@! nap.”

Please email me directly so I can get you a t-shirt.

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