Thanks to a twitter user for the heads up. I spotted the artist working on it today and it turns out it is one of my favorite muralists – Joel Bergner. You can see a profile I did on Joel here. I’ll be sure to update when it is completed.
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Columbia Heights
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Thanks to all who sent emails about the new Peruvian Style Chicken & Steak place. While it wasn’t open when I walked by today they did have a new “coming soon” sign up. I didn’t even know it was going to be called Senor Chicken. That’s a freaking awesome name. Thanks also to a reader for sending these photos. It is located on Park Road a bit west of 14th Street, NW. But from the photo below – it really does look like it’ll open soon. Stay tuned…
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Congrats to the owners of Pete’s Apizza (14th and Irving by the Columbia Heights metro). From an email:
“We just got word that Tom and Joel have been invited to the Treasury Department to attend a small business roundtable with President Obama, who is expected to mention Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza in a speech about federal efforts to increase lending to small businesses. Pete’s is being held up as an example of a business benefiting from an SBA program meant for small businesses.”
Very, very cool. Congrats again!
“Dear PoP,
just wondering if you had heard anything about why there were a bunch of news trucks at the corner of 13th and clifton this morning….?”
I wonder if was related to:
“There seemed to be an extroardinary amount of police, firetrucks and ambulances in our area last night (on 11th between Park and Spring) and my roomate (on her way home) saw a man pull a gun on 14th and Monroe. Was it something in the air last night?”
I didn’t see anything in the police reports regarding those two locations. Any readers know what’s up at either of those spots?
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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?
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At first I just liked like the look of this rowhouse on Euclid Street in Columbia Heights but after looking at it closely there is some extraordinary brickwork. I really like these little touches, check out the cylindrical bricks:
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“Dear PoP,
Pretty packed for Friday afternoon, lots of laptoppers, pokers and prodders, one of the guys from Starbucks, and even saw the owners of Pete’s Apizza stop in to welcome the Tynan owners.
Clean (well, on opening day one would hope), well stocked, and the staff were friendly. Had an Irish Coffee to set the early start to the weekend off right!”
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Above’s photo is from the Library of Congress, and shows the Arcade Market, which used to stand on the site that is now DCUSA. Press release from an email:
“A neighborhood that began as an elite suburb on the high ground above Washington has since hosted every group of people that ever influenced Washington’s cultural life. This story and many more are told on Cultural Tourism DC’s Cultural Convergence: Columbia Heights Heritage Trail. On this self-guided walking tour, 19 poster-sized street signs combine storytelling, photography, and maps to lead residents and visitors through old and new Columbia Heights, introducing the people who changed the world with technology, ideas, literature, laws, and leadership.
The Columbia Heights Heritage Trail’s official unveiling and neighborhood celebration will take place Saturday, October 24. Councilmembers Jim Graham and Mary Cheh will join Cultural Tourism DC and the Columbia Heights Heritage Trail Working Group for the 1 pm ceremony on Civic Plaza (14th Street and Park Road, NW). WAMU’S Kojo Nnamdi will emcee and celebrated DC author Marita Golden will speak about how the Columbia Heights neighborhood influenced her writing. Continues after the jump (more…)
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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. Unless otherwise noted, the source of information is Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS), which is the local multiple listing system. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
Featured Property: 3700 13th St NW
Original List Price: $549,999.
List Price at Contract: $498,999.
List Date: 10/01/2008
Days on Market: 313 (this may be a record for a settled GDoN-R)
Settled Sales Price: $475,000.
Settlement Date: 09/30/2009
Seller Subsidy: $11,000.
Bank Owned?: No
Type Of Financing: Conventional with $95,000. (20%) down payment.
Original GDoN Post is: Here.
Recent Listing is: Here.
Perseverance, a good solid price reduction, and dwindling inventory finally resulted in a settled sale for this upper Columbia Heights property. Located just a tad over half a mile from DC USA (referred to in the listing as “USA Mini Mall”), my buyers in this price range would consider this close in. It looks like the Seller invested in several updates since it was purchased during the pre-Target era back in the 1997 for $139,000. Someone noted in the “Good Deal or Not” (GDoN) comments that being an end unit was not an advantage, but I find that people like the extra windows and not having an immediate neighbor on one side.
The original GDoN post ran last November, shortly after the house was first listed. With the combination of insanely low mortgage interest rates and the looming deadline of the Federal First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit, Fall 2009 is finding us in a very different market than the same timeframe in 2008.
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By the time you’re reading this Tynan Coffee & Tea will be open at 1400 Irving Street, NW in Columbia Heights. I was able to get a sneak preview of the spot Thursday evening while the finishing touches were being completed. They have recently updated their Web site and you can see their menus here. Currently their hours are Monday – Friday 6:30am – 8pm and Saturday – Sunday 8am – 8pm. Those hours could change based on customer demand. In addition to coffee and tea you’ll also have the option of getting beer and wine. There is free Wifi and the seating capacity is 52 indoors. In the warmer months there will be some outdoor seating as well. While Friday is their soft opening on Saturday they will have their grand opening from 8am – 8pm though from 10am – 2pm there will be a sampling of free 8oz brewed coffee so you can check out the spot.
More photos after the jump. (more…)