2210 14th Street, NW between W and Florida Ave

Grady’s is finally here!! All the details from the owners:

“Grady’s is a comfortable and inviting spot with excellent food that we’ve created for our neighbors.

The neighborhood around 14th and Florida has grown rapidly over the last 5 years. The goal of Grady’s is to provide a warm, friendly and comfortable neighborhood restaurant for our local residents that may not be interested in the frenzy or trendiness that much of 14th St. has to offer. For Grady’s, the Chef is designing approachable seasonal menus featuring local ingredients with a focus on steaks and wild game meats.


first floor bar courtesy Grady’s

The downstairs bar itself is originally from a ghost town in Nevada and was painstakingly moved here piece by piece. The upstairs bar is a laid back scene with darts and tables that are ideal for poker, if that kind of thing should ever break out. The Bar program features old and new. Mostly local craft beers are on tap and in bottle/can but customers will find familiar brands too (for instance Budweiser is on tap) New and classic cocktails feature many of the ingredients that would have been found behind the bar when it was first built. (more…)


This rental is located at 1833 Swann Street, NW. The Craigslist ad says:

“$1695 / 1br – 500ft2 – 1BR/1BA Near Dupont Circle (1st Month Free)!

1833 Swann St NW #1, Washington, DC 20009
$1,695/mo

KEY FEATURES
Bedrooms: 1 Bed
Bathrooms: 1 Bath
Parking: On-Street
Lease Duration: 1 Year (See Details Below)
Deposit: $1,695
Pets Policy: Cats & Dogs OK
Laundry: Shared
Property Type: Apartment

DESCRIPTION (more…)



1512 U Street, NW

Merlot’s Masterpiece opened in the former Habitat space back in 2012.

“Merlot’s Masterpiece creates experiences for people to get together through paint and wine. No experience is required. Meet new people or bring friends.”

Updates when we learn what becomes of the space.



1933 9th Street, NW just south of U Street/Florida Ave

Riide electric bikes opened up here back in November 2015. Riide’s current address is now listed as 500 Penn Street, NE.

Breather’s website says:

“Breather is a growing, on-demand network of beautiful meeting spaces in Washington DC. Reserve a space for as much time as you need. Rent an office space by the hour or get an entire day of productivity. It’s up to you. Breather spaces are private, professional, and beautifully designed for your next off-site, client meeting, or temporary office space.”



1405 T Street, NW. Photo by Rey Lopez

From a press release:

“The team at Colada Shop kicks off the new year with numerous novel Cuban favorites.  Paying homage to the Caribbean way of doing coffee, food, cocktails and social lifestyle, Colada Shop is a casual café and eatery where guests come for the quality of offerings and the unmatched hospitality.


Avocado Tostada, photo by Maya Oren

The new menu items offer bold flavors that combine traditional and modern Cuban techniques that celebrate the spirit of the island and tell the story of Cuban culture with every sip and bite.  Guests can anticipate delicious bites such as Avocado Tostada (fresh avocado, pickled onions served on a Cuban-style bread) priced at $6.50 or the quintessential Elena Ruth Sandwich (roasted turkey, cream cheese, and strawberry jam layered on a sweet roll) priced at $9.98. (more…)



11th and U Street, NW

“Dear PoPville,

I was so sad when Bohemian Caverns shut down and was really hoping someone with an understanding of how special that place is would buy and revamp it. Since closing in 2016, it sat with paper blocking the windows and the victim of tasteless graffiti. In the past few weeks, however, there has been signs of life to that building. Someone is clearly testing paint colors on its exterior and the paper has been removed from the windows. There is even an old desk in the window advertising for sale (although no info on how to buy it). Anyone know what is going on with the building? Would love to get it back!!”



14th and T Street, NW

From a press release:

“Cafe Saint-Ex is starting 2018 with a fresh slate. The 14th Street restaurant and bar, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, recently underwent a facelift in the main dining room with bigger changes behind the pass, naming Joel Hatton its new executive chef.

“We’ve been long-time fans of Chef Hatton and his Southern-style comfort food,” says co-owner Jonathan Fain. “14th Street has changed a lot since we started, and we’re excited to grow and change with the neighborhood to continue to be a destination people seek out to have a fun night out with delicious food in a relaxed atmosphere.”

Chef Hatton joined the Saint-Ex team just before the new year having most recently headed up the kitchen at the recently shuttered 1905 Restaurant & Bar. Prior to that, he was the opening chef at Shaw’s Tavern and the long-time executive chef at Leopold’s Kafe in Georgetown. A native of North Carolina, his menus have a definite Southern flair with all the flavors of home. (more…)



1346 Florida Ave, NW

From an email:

MINT Clubs & Studios announced the opening of its new facility, MINT Studios at historic Manhattan Laundry. MINT Studios features its expanded Power Playground and Coach by Color Cycling classes.

MINT Studios offers you more explosive classes, less drama in state of the art facilities. The new studio is equipped with showers, bathrooms, changing rooms, keyless lockers, and the usual amenities at MINT.”


looking east towards La Colombe and Maydan



2012 9th Street, NW

I took 24 photos of the light fixtures alone. And this was just a pre-preview but I couldn’t stop marveling. Folks familiar and who were fans of the OG Chez Billy (RIP) on Georgia Ave in Petworth will be very, very pleased. Gaslight reminds me a lot of how Chez Billy looked like when they first opened. Not exactly of course, here we have a serious 1920s Art Deco vibe.

Before we get to all the photos, which really don’t do the space justice but will give you a taste, a few details. The Hilton brothers, most know by now, are the crew behind Marvin, Gibson, El Rey, Satellite Room, Brixton and more. Joe Reza is the force behind American Ice Company (and more.) So you know the place is gonna look good. But I spoke to Joe briefly yesterday who was actually most excited about the food. The chef will be Brendan L’Etoile from Chez Billy Sud and he’s excited about oysters. I am excited that he is excited about oysters. Joe says there won’t be reservations but it’ll be like the first floor of Bar Pilar when they first opened. You find a seat and you’ll get good service. It’s casual but not too casual and both the food and service are expected to be “exceptional” according to Joe. Ed. Note: I’ll be posting the menus in full as soon as I get them. Anyway, they’ll be opening in “a few weeks” so as I said, this is just a pre-preview – stay tuned for proper preview photos and an exact opening date soon. In the meantime:

23 light fixtures and lots more photos after the jump. (more…)


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