I’m looking forward to the arrival of ‘Shoes Plus Knife Sharpening’…
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Petworth
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Not sure if you all had a chance to check it out but when I stopped by it was absolutely popping. A very interesting mix of art, jewelery, pottery and crafts. Also a great opportunity to meet some of your neighbors. This was the 3rd annual fair, let’s hope it sticks around for many more years. I think a big ups is deserved by Kera from Domku for doing a lot of the organizing. Check out more photos after the jump. (more…)
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For the expats abroad. It’s starting to get some serious foundation. It seems like the two cranes have been working nonstop. But what I am more excited about is what it will bring to us. Check out the Mocha Hut below. This is from the U Street location. We are going to have a similar set up very soon. I dare say it is going to be dope sky.
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I had the opportunity to speak with one of the owners, Matt, tonight and I’ll be meeting with him for a longer discussion this weekend. But he did ease a lot of my concerns and I wanted to share them with you before I do a full post on the change of ownership next week.
- It was very important to Josh and Rob [the sellers] that Temperance remain a Petworth neighborhood bar.
- Temperance has a different kind of license so there will continue to be a low key feel. I.E. There are not likely to be dance parties breaking out with live music and DJs.
- They are not trying to replicate Wonderland at Temperance Hall. In other words Temperance will not become a Wonderland annex or outpost.
- They are still going to keep the same decor, feel and ambiance with a slight change to the layout which will include the addition of some more booth and upholstered seating.
- The name Looking Glass Lounge is not set in stone although it will probably be renamed that at some point.
- They understand the importance of the “neighborhood” bar and believe sincerely that the current patrons will be very happy in the future.
I also spoke with Dan Searing the general manager who assured me he will be staying on as general manager which I think says a lot about the new owners. Much more to come next week but I think any fears that Temperance will simply become a Wonderland II have been put to rest.
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My sources are telling me that our beloved Temperance Hall has been sold to the owners of our beloved Wonderland Ballroom. Crazy! I’m still digesting the news but I’m thinking things will probably stay the same. My source did not know if they were keeping the staff but my guess is they probably will. General Manager Dan Searing has done a fantastic job and of course Scott and the new bartender Eric have been stellar. It seems to me that they won’t want to fix what’s not broken. That’s my hope anyway. So what do you guys think, is this good news, bad news, or everything will stay the same anyway so it doesn’t really matter?
UPDATE: Temperance Hall to Change Name to Looking Glass Lounge
DCist spoke to the owners of Wonderland who confirmed the name change. They also said that the place “will have a slightly different feel.” Now I’m starting to get worried.
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Pictured above is Shaka King, 43, the owner of Shaka King New York, located at 825 Upshur St., NW. Perhaps you are like me and have walked by this store dozens of times. It is well worth your while to stop in the next time you are walking by. This store is an anchor of Upshur St., and has been open for 7 years. Mr. King describes his clothing as “contemporary sportswear that has a metropolitan feel with a European edge.” His explained that what makes the clothing accessible is that “it has more of an American feel with a slight European aesthetic.” I asked Mr. King where he got his inspiration. He replied, “it comes from all over but it started with old black and white films and today I get the inspiration from the fabric itself.” Prices range from $75-$800.
Mr. King had been living in New York City for 25 years and had been doing a lot of trunk shows in DC and his customers kept asking him when he was going to open up a store? Lucky for us none of the 15 property owners King reached out to returned his calls. Fortunately a friend of his knew of this particular property on Upshur St. and the rest as they say is history. It is possible that a new fashion corridor may open up elsewhere in the city that is heavily recruiting Mr. King, nevertheless, he hopes to keep his Upshur St. Boutique open for years to come as it is his flagship store.
King told me that many of his customers try to keep his existence a secret so that they can be the only ones sporting the Shaka King style. Well the secret is out now… More photos after the jump. (more…)
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Look no further than Beveragemania on Upshur. Let me add another note about Beveragemania here. They are awesome! They are the nicest most friendly proprietors I’ve ever encountered. They treat you like you are a part of the family. I was taking this photo and one of the workers came out and said, “c’mon would you like a coffee, a cup of tea?”. But in such a friendly, it’s hard to explain. Anyway, if you need a quick egg nog to go you know where to get it.
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Apparently we’ve been passing some history on many of our walks to the metro. There is a plaque that says this firehouse used to house engine company 24 and was built in 1911. Back then the engines were pulled by horses but this station was the first one in DC to be fully motorized. Georgia Ave. represent. Anyway, this firehouse moved in 1994. I’m not really sure what it houses today. See the plaque after the jump. (more…)
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I saw they recently received a grant from the ANC. And certainly there window looks pretty cool but I’ve never seen it open. Anyone know a contact, I’d be happy to interview them? They are located on Georgia Ave not too far south from Taylor St.
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So remind me what the Oromo Center is again?