3714 14th Street, NW
Dear PoPville,
There is a new Quickcash pawn shop opening on 14th street by Red Derby. A business like this will encourage petty crime as there will be a new place to sell stolen property. Is there a way to keep a business like this from opening?
Thanks to a reader for sending an update about the “upscale grocer” coming to the new Capitol View building at 14th and Belmont St, NW. The reader speculates that it could be David’s Natural Market or The Natural Market. More info as it becomes available.
Decoy and Murals DC paint a wall (or two) from katie cleary on Vimeo.
From Albus Cavus:
“Katie Cleary, a film maker sent us this documentary about DECOY painting 13th st and Park rd NW. Artist Alicia Cosnahan aka DECOY created that mural as a part of MuralsDC Program in Summer 2012. Her website is www.decoyink.com”
Thanks to a reader for sending word about the new spinning studio at 14th and Florida Ave, NW. From Peloton’s website:
“The word “peloton” refers to the main pack of riders in a road race. There is nothing haphazard about the creation of a peloton – it is intentional and strategic. We have chosen to incorporate peloton into our name because the energy in each class will come from the instructor and from each cyclist alike.”
2217 14th Street NW
Dear PoPville,
I’m writing in for 2 reasons.
1) A public service announcement to help spread the word that Clifton Street is now one-way traffic only going from 13th toward 11. A move that makes eminent good sense given the semi-permanent construction at Cardozo HS. And
2) To encourage other residents who may have also only found out about the change when they were issued a parking ticket for being parked the wrong way on a one-way street to write in to Councilman Graham and complain about the lack of communication from the city on this change to residents in the area.According to my conversation with the construction crews at Cardozo this morning, the one-way signage was posted Tuesday afternoon (2/12). I received a ticket for being parked the wrong way on a one-way street at 7:52am Wednesday morning (2/13). And there were many many other cars in the same boat. This morning when I discovered my ticket (and only narrowly avoided a second citation) there were still several cars parked the way we have parked on Clifton for years–now the wrong way.
As far as I can tell, there was no attempt to inform residents in the area of the change. I even checked with my building management this morning to ask if they had been told. They assured me no attempt had been made to inform them, and by proxy the hundreds of people who live in their buildings immediately on the corner of the affected street, of the change. No email, no posted notice, no warning. Just a ticket.
I appealed my ticket on the DMV website (I’m unhopeful), and also wrote in to Councilman Graham asking that ALL the citations that happened with this unnotified change be overturned. In the end, it’s not a huge fine, but I was pretty indignant about it, so I’m exercising a little catharsis here and inviting others to join me. If several people write in, it might actually make a point.
A reader sends a great experience he shared with yelp about the Columbia Heights Giant:
Look, you’re not on yelp to look for a review of this grocery store, because you know what to expect when you go into any chain supermarket; that’s how these stores are designed. The effusive purple and yellow of Giant is ubiquitous; it permeates the aisles, the uniforms, and the signs throughout the store. You know where to find jelly, magazines, and the occasional rib-eye (but only if it’s on sale). You have your Giant card memorized and can probably find seven different means of egress in the event of a fire. Sure, each individual store is different: longer lines in some places, uninformed staff in another, but if you need groceries, and this joint is within walking distance, you’re going here, because the entire neighborhood does. Now, this isn’t the best stocked Giant I’ve ever been to, nor are the deli workers particularly fast about their meat slicing, but I am writing this post specifically to relay a story of customer service done right.
Continues after the jump. (more…)
Photo by PoPville flickr user KJinDC
From MPD:
Robert Jeter, 19, and Davon Watkins, 18, both from Washington, D.C., were each sentenced today to 12 years in prison for carjacking one victim and committing an armed robbery against another victim within a matter of hours, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.
Jeter and Watkins pled guilty in October 2012 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Gerald I. Fisher sentenced them to seven years in prison on the carjacking charge and an additional five years for the armed robbery.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendants approached the carjacking victim at about 10:30 p.m. on June 21, 2012 as he was walking from his car in a parking lot behind 1400 block of Irving Street NW. Watkins put a gun to the victim’s head while Jeter took the victim’s wallet and cell phone. Watkins then demanded the victim’s car keys. Watkins and Jeter then got into the victim’s car and fled the scene.
About six hours later, at about 4:15 a.m. on June 22, 2012, Jeter and Watkins approached the armed robbery victim as he was walking on Mount Pleasant Street NW. They knocked the victim to the ground, put guns to his head, and took his wallet and cell phone.
About 15 minutes after the armed robbery, police spotted the car taken in the earlier carjacking. The defendants ultimately abandoned the car and fled on foot. They were apprehended in the 1100 block of Clifton Street NW. The armed robbery victim’s cell phone was found in the center console of the stolen car. Fingerprint and DNA evidence analyzed by the D.C. Forensics Laboratory tied Jeter and Watkins to the stolen car.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the efforts of the detectives, officers, crime scene technicians, and forensic analysts who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Barlotta, Vivien Cockburn, Bridget Fitzpatrick, and Jonathan Kravis, who investigated and obtained the indictment in the case.
3475 14th Street, NW
A reader sends word:
Heads up – DC Fish Carry Out [where MPD had previously found large quantities of crack cocaine] on the corner of 14th and Otis closed, it looks like they are planning on turning it into a Mexican restaurant… I live nearby so I’ve been hearing a ton of construction, I asked the guys inside today and they told me about the restaurant. They said it should be open in a couple weeks.
3124 Georgia Avenue, NW
A new restaurant is coming to the former Tax Services storefront at 3124 Georgia Ave, NW. A liquor license application posted out front says:
“A new full scale restaurant serving Asian & African inspired food, with an atmosphere for lounging and listening to DJ music or Live Bands. Entertainment with a cover charge. Total number of seats is 99. Summer Garden seating is 18.”
Sounds promising! More info as it becomes available.
1400 block of Park Road, NW
Two years ago we noted that the completed Park Road facade improvement project looked awesome. I think it’s now time the ratty banner can be removed…
