Mount Pleasant

A Historic Village – with an Equally Historic Library by Tina

By Prince Of Petworth

What better way to experience the history of our wonderful neighborhood in a single afternoon than a stroll along the Mt. Pleasant Heritage Trail, huh? Well, since it was about ten million degrees out on Saturday, I’m going to have to complete the second half of the trail on another day, but allow me to welcome you to the first of what will be a multi-part post on the stops along the way.

Before I went along my merry way, I picked up a trail booklet at Pfieffer’s Hardware. You can find out where else to get one, or download it from the web here. I spent a little time reading through and learned quite a bit of interesting information about good old Mt. P. Did you know that Mt. Pleasant originally extended as far east as 7th Street? Me neither! It wasn’t until 1903, about 40 years after Mt. Pleasant came to be, that electric street cars began running on Mt. Pleasant Street, businesses started sprouting up, developers started building houses and apartment buildings and Mt. Pleasant began to morph into the neighborhood I know and love today.

Moving along…The trail starts at 16th and Mt. Pleasant Streets and runs north along 16th to Newton, then west on Newton and down 19th Street all the way to Adams Mill Road, back east on Park Road and south on Mt. Pleasant Street, back to where you started from, all with 17 stops along the way. I had originally envisioned this as a 17 part series with a post about each stop, but as I made my way along I realized that might not be too interesting. Who knows if I’ll be able to hold your attention better this way – but I’ve decided to tackle this 3-4 stops at a time and highlight one or two of my choosing. So, here we go… Post continues after the jump with more photos. (more…)

Tina Visits Ercilias Restaurant in Mt. Pleasant

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo credit to to “Angela N.”

When I first moved to Mount Pleasant last summer I spent some time scoping out the main drag and was pretty excited to see all the different restaurants lining the street. I had just moved down the hill from Cleveland Park – which is also full of options – but this was totally different. There are no less than 15 restaurants on Mount Pleasant Street, many of which offer some assortment of Mexican and or Salvadoran food. This is my favorite kind of food, so I was anxious to try these places out, and my friends and I talked about organizing our own “Mount Pleasant Restaurant Week.” I’m not quite sure what happened, but this never actually got off the ground. I think I ate a few pupusas, maybe a taco or two, and then found my favorite joints and didn’t do a whole lot of exploring. So, as you may be beginning to notice, “our intern in Mount Pleasant” has decided to use this experience as an opportunity to conduct her own neighborhood restaurant tour. In the next few weeks I’ll try and switch things up a bit, but on the whole you can expect a lot more of these. This week – Ercilia’s!

Right at the intersection of Mount Pleasant and Irving Streets, Ercilia’s Restaurant is home to some delicious, authentic, and pretty cheap Salvadoran and Mexican cuisine. Oddly enough, they offer Italian fare as well. I’m not really sure how that fits into the selection but unfortunately I don’t speak very good Spanish, and the man behind the counter didn’t seem to speak very good English. So, the notion that people like spaghetti and meatballs might have to be enough of an explanation for that one.

I settled on three beef tacos and my friend chose a bean and cheese pupusa and a vegetarian taco. Even though they weren’t too busy, we did have to wait kind of a while for our food to be prepared. This was a little annoying, but if you don’t have someone to chat with, there’s a pretty good chance that you will become enthralled in whatever telenovela or Spanish talk show is playing on the TV set. Or maybe you can ponder why it’s June and the place is still decorated with Christmas stockings?! Anyhow, aside from the long-ish wait, I’d say the food was really good and the options are plentiful. I wasn’t blown away, but we both left satisfied and with our bellies full!

It’s Time To Play Good Deal or Not?

By Prince Of Petworth

I thought this was a really interesting one as it is a condo in what looks like a more traditional home rather than a building. The location is 3423 Brown St, NW #201 zip code 20010. It is located between Meridian and Monroe just west of 16th Street. It is a one bedroom, one bathroom. The remarks from the flyer say: “Stylish 1BR in heart of Mt. Pleasant, oak floors, modern kitchen, updated bathroom, high ceilings, pet friendly, 7-10 minute walk to metro…” It also says there are photos online but I don’t see the web address so if someone finds it please post in the comments. The price is $305,000 and condo fees are $120 monthly. Sounds pretty sweet, yeah? So good deal or not?

Beautifying Lamposts

By Prince Of Petworth

This is on the corner of 17th and Kenyon. I ran into a landscape architect, Peter Chase, who decided to plant sunflowers around the base of the lamppost. I’ll have to go back in a month or so to see how it turns out. I think it’s cool that people take the initiative to beautify public spaces.

Tina Checks Out Burritos Fast in Mount Pleasant

By Prince Of Petworth

This was a big weekend for me. I finally made the jump from group living and moved into my very own apartment. Technically I am no longer a resident of Mount Pleasant, but I’m not far from the official border line, and will continue to consider myself as such. I love this neighborhood, and home is where the heart is, right?

Anyhow, in honor of my last night in the ‘hood (and because I was in a bit of a rush to make it to IKEA before it closed) the boyfriend and I got ourselves a couple of burritos and a tamarindo from Burritos Fast. It’s an unassuming little joint among the Laundromats, liquor stores and other restaurants lining Mount Pleasant Street. They’ve got a pretty sweet little wooden sign hanging out front though. I wonder if it meets PoP’s standards for a cool city sign?! The menu is limited to a choice of a burrito or tacos, and you choose between meat or chicken or the two vegetarian options. Then you tell the person behind the counter what you want and they make it right there in front of you. Inside there are only a couple of tables and a window counter, so we decided to take our dinner across the street for a little makeshift picnic in Lamont Park. Conveniently there were two guys having a guitar jam session right next to us, so we even had a little background music – reason #278 why I love Mount Pleasant. Story continues after the jump. (more…)

3145 Mt. Pleasant Street

By Prince Of Petworth

Wow, my jaw dropped when I saw what this building looks like now. It is a reminder of just how devastating that fire was. It really was a miracle no one was injured. Does anyone know the time frame for when the building will be rebuilt and when the tenants can move back in?

Mt. Pleasant Annual Yard Sale Looking for Donations and Volunteers

By Prince Of Petworth

From a reader:

“Mark your calendar and start cleaning out your attic and basement! Tell all your friends!

Saturday, June 14, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm is the Annual HMP Yard Sale to be held once again at 3303 18th St. (the corner of 18th and Park Road).

This is our biggest fund raiser of the year and it is also one of the most environmentally friendly and fun ways to get rid of your (former) treasures and to stock up on some new ones. This is recycling at its best. We will be offering HMP merchandise and refreshments for sale as well. Join your neighbors for a really exciting day of treasure hunting!”

Details after the jump. (more…)

Tina Visits Mount Pleasant’s Farmers Market

By Prince Of Petworth

A few weeks ago I wrote about a couple of the grocery options in Mount Pleasant. I love that I live in a neighborhood that’s got some flavor and one where I have more options than Giant and Whole Foods. However, there has been more than one occasion when I was in need of some produce in a pinch and the selection at Bestway or International Progresso was looking a little less than fresh. That’s why I get a little giddy come spring when the Mount Pleasant Farmers’ Market opens up just a stone’s throw from home. May 3 was the first official day of the season and they’ll be open every Saturday right in the heart of Mount Pleasant (at 17th, Lamont and Mt. Pleasant Streets) from 9am -1pm until November 22.

I haven’t been to too many of the other area Farmers’ Markets, but I do like that this one is not only closer to home, but also that it seems to be a bit more intimate than the markets in Dupont Circle and Penn Quarter. It seems that the “neighborhood-y” vibe Mount Pleasant’s got going on spills over into the market as well. Everyone’s just happily milling about (sometimes to the sounds of live music), soaking up the sun, and checking out the goods. And goods there are!

The great thing about the Farmers’ Market is that it changes just a little each week. Through November there will be a revolving door of fresh seasonal items including apples, eggs, plants, organic meats, berries, squash, cider, baked goods, bread, honey, jams, tomatoes and much much more. This week I picked myself up a couple jars of preserves from Kathy Audia of Audia’s Farm in Howard County, MD. I’ve yet to tap into the Bumble-Berry, but the Persimmon-Peach was superb! Story continues after the jump with lots more photos. (more…)

“Quoth the Raven” by our Intern in Mt. Pleasant – Tina

By Prince Of Petworth

The Raven needs no introduction.

Ah, The Raven. For many, that phrase elicits little more than memories of High School English class, and that creepy bird taunting a young man over his lost lover, Lenore. For a few (perhaps a few more these days) The Raven has become symbolic of another love lost; the home away from home, the dark corner all your own, the dumpy little dive bar untainted by the masses. The Raven has seen it’s way through more than a few changes since 1935, most recently the building has been under construction to create some new affordable housing. But it’s still here, and it doesn’t look to be going away any time soon, as the management company (www.mannadc.org) doesn’t have any plans to get rid of the place.

Some friends and I stopped in for a couple drinks last night and I spent some time chatting with the bartender, Sam, who was just about as nice as could be. Like the dutiful “reporter” I am, I asked Sam what he likes best about The Raven and he told me it was the old school pictures behind the bar. Forgive me if I’m getting it wrong, but I believe the story goes something like this: A few years back a young woman moved to DC and came looking for The Raven at the insistence of her Grandfather (or maybe her Dad?) She stopped in for a chat with the bartenders and they got to talking about the place, and it’s history. When she reported back that The Raven was indeed still alive and well, Gramps sent some pictures of himself and his buddies hanging out at the Raven back in the 40s. And there it is, a little slice of history right on the wall!

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