We first heard about the West End Cinema in August. Thanks to a reader for sending the heads up that they open tomorrow. They are located at 2301 M Street NW. Their Web site says:

We. Love. Movies. We love them. From summer blockbusters to offbeat indie dramas, we want to see them all. But here in Washington, we realize that all those art house, off-the-beaten-path kinds of films can be hard to find. The reason for this is simple: there just aren’t enough art house, off-the-beaten path kinds of theaters to show them. That’s where we come in. We rallied a team of dedicated film buffs around us, found a deserted theater just begging for a makeover, and brought West End Cinema to life. We show independent, foreign, and documentary films, especially ones that we feel offer new intellectual and cultural perspectives to our audience.

The films themselves are obviously the point, here, but as we all know, great amenities can really be the cherry on top of your Sunday night at the cinema… or better yet, the olive in your martini. West End Cinema offers a full bar and a wide range of concessions, from popcorn to baklava to gourmet sandwiches. And yes, yes, we also have candy.

The first film being shown is Howl with James Franco. If anyone checks them out be sure to send me an email and let me know what you thought. The place sounds very very promising.


I tweeted about this on Friday (you can follow me on twitter @PoPville here) because I was so psyched but it deserves proper Monday morning discussion. The description from the alcohol application says:

“NATURE OF OPERATION
Movie Theater with concession stands serving food & beverage service.

HOURS OF OPERATION AND SALE/SERVICE & CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES FOR INSIDE PREMISE
Sunday through Thursday 10 am – 12 am and Friday & Saturday 10 am – 2 am”

So movies and food and beer. Sounds awesome! I wonder if it’ll be like the Arlington Cinema and Draft House? Though after the alcohol license came out the owner sought to reassure his neighbors:

Note that even though the address is 2301 M St, NW the location is actually on the 23rd St, NW side on the lower level. We’ve spent a lot of time pining for a new movie theater, it’s nice to finally share news of a new one. And it’ll serve alcohol!


Marcel’s is located at 2401 Pennsylvania Ave, NW. Anyone ever do the seven course meal? Any must order dishes? For those who have eaten at both do you prefer Marcel’s or their other restaurant, Basserie Beck (1101 K St, NW)?


I thought this one was pretty interesting because I can’t remember seeing glass and stone ever being combined like this before. It’s located near 24th and L Streets, NW. Do you think the combination works? Overall – thumbs up or down?


I was blown away by the green roof on the gas station but the whole building is pretty sweet. It’s located around New Hampshire Avenue and M Street, NW. It’s looks a bit familiar but I can’t remember if we’ve judged it before. I never thought I’d speak highly of a gas station… But what do you think about the whole building as well, thumbs up or down?

A few more pictures after the jump including different angles and a potential best spot for a morning cup of coffee or mojito. (more…)


One of the fun things about wondering around DC is just randomly bumping into historical sites. 2425 L Street, NW is where the Rush-Bagot agreement was signed. “The treaty provided for the demilitarization of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. A plaque also stands at the former site of the British Legation in Washington, D.C.”

And when I googled the address it turns out there’s a condo for sale here…


A friend of mine swears by this place located at 1143 New Hampshire Ave NW. I know they are not exactly like an independent coffee house but how would say they rank compared to Qualia, Peregrine, Big Bear, Mid City, Filter etc? While we talked about the best Latte in town here for this one let’s just say a regular brewed cup.

On a side note, would you say this is the best coffee to use if you brew your coffee home?


Well this looks pretty cool. According to their Web site:

“Pangea is Greek for “all lands”. Pangeamarket.com, supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), brings together traditional high quality handicrafts made by artisans in developing countries. This is the first time that most of these products have been available for purchase online and in our Washington, DC store. Come in and purchase these beautiful, fair trade crafts, jewelry, home décor, accessories and more, learn about the products’ origins and know that your purchase helps create sustainable livelihoods for artisans in Asia, Africa and Latin America.”

The store itself is located at 2121 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW and you can take a tour here. The building itself (IFC HQ) is also pretty sweet:


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