U Street

Crossroads Trading Coming to 14th and U Street, NW

By Prince Of Petworth

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Former Mila Discount store at 2015 14th Street, NW

A reader sends word that a Crossroad Trading Co. is coming to a space around 14th and U St, NW. An email to Crossroads confirms that they are coming to 2015 14th Street, NW “later this Fall.”

This is the former Mila Discount space on 14th just north of U Street. Crossroads Trading website says:

Crossroads is a new and recycled fashion retailer that has been serving its fashionable and environmentally conscious customers since 1991.

We are headquartered in Berkeley, California, and our first store opened in San Francisco on Fillmore Street. Today we have 29 retail locations that span the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Chicago and New York. And we’re always looking for new, fashion-savvy locations.

Buy – Sell – Trade – Consignment

We provide opportunities for our customers to:

Buy name-brand and designer clothing at a greatly discounted price
Sell gently used clothing for cash or trade
Consign high-end designer items for cash
Keep clothing out of landfill

We specialize in high-quality, name-brand clothing at exceptionally reasonable prices. Think Marc Jacobs, Coach and Banana Republic for a fraction of their original retail prices.

Because we buy most of our merchandise directly from our customers, each store directly reflects the neighborhood it’s in. This makes every store unique to its market.

We are recognized for the high quality of recycled merchandise we sell and have won over 80 “Best-Of” awards.

Updates as they get closer to opening.

Wed. Afternoon Rental Option – U Street

By Prince Of Petworth

2120 Vermont Avenue Northwest

This rental is located at 2120 Vermont Avenue, Northwest:

The listing says:

“Extremely sunny condo with large floor to ceiling windows on front of building, hardwood floors, granite counter top w/ island, stainless steel appliances, dishwasher, microwave, washer/dryer in unit, walk-in closets, roof top deck with lounge chairs & BBQ, fitness center, garage parking space. U St METRO 1-2 blocks away. Agent will provide application.”

You can see more photos here.

This 1 bed/1 bath is going for $2,300/Mo.

Piola Launching “No Limit” Pizza Brunch this Saturday

By Prince Of Petworth

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2208 14th Street, NW

From a press release:

“Piola, which specializes in Italian-style thin-crust pizza, will premiere its “No Limit” Pizza Brunch this Saturday, August 17 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. In addition to unlimited wood-fired pies, brunch-goers can also opt to add bottomless sparkling drinks and sangria.

Brunch offerings at the 14th Street restaurant, which opened to the public in June, currently include over 10 pies that range from classic Italian combinations like the Capricciosa (tomato sauce, mozzarella, ham, artichoke and mushrooms) to international varieties such as the Breakfast in Beirut (“zaatar” and olive oil, served with “labneh,” olives, tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh mint) and plays on traditional brunch fare like the Cancun (tomato sauce, mozzarella, onions, smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers). Those looking for something stronger than coffee can indulge in unlimited sangria and sparkling drinks like bellinis, house-squeezed orange juice mimosas, rossinis and Aperol Spritz – a classic Venetian cocktail made with orange liqueur.

Brunch will be served Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Guests can enjoy unlimited pizza for $15.95 ($7.95 for kids) and add bottomless sangria and sparkling drinks for an additional $15.”

Ted’s BULLETIN Opening at 14th and Swann St, NW on Monday, August 19 at 7am

By Prince Of Petworth

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1818 14th Street, NW

Ed. Note: Earlier this week we took a look inside, check it out here.

From a press release:

“matchboxfoodgroup is excited to announce its latest expansion of Ted’s BULLETIN (1818 14th Street NW; 202.265.8337) will open for daily breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday, August 19 promptly at 7am. The new Ted’s will bring classic dishes served up in a 1930’s atmosphere to the District DC development located on the corner of 14th & Swann Streets NW.

The restaurant replicates the dining experience at its original location on Capitol Hill, seating 160, twice as many guests, in an expanded dining room that includes counter seating, large booths and multiple banquettes. Named after the late father of sibling business partners Mark Neal and Ty Neal, the real Ted was known for his hospitality and often offered soup and sandwiches to postal workers, neighbors and visitors that stopped by his home. Executive Chef Jacob Hunter will dish out Americana comfort foods like grilled cheese made with nostalgic Wonder Bread and served with Ted’s favorite tomato soup, meatloaf with mingo county ketchup glaze, and satisfying breakfast plates served all day, every day. Unique takes on the old standbys will be present on this menu as in Capitol Hill, including Drew’s peanut butter bacon burger, named for partner Drew Kim, and eggplant parmesan burger.

A spacious bar provides additional counter seating with additional seats facing the window, perfect for people watching. It sits opposite an expanded bakery where Pastry Chef Rebecca Albright will produce Ted’s award winning homemade Pop-Tarts and a new menu of unique gourmet donuts from scratch. Multiple entrances including an oversized rotating door provide ease of service, whether looking for a quick grab and go pastry and coffee, a leisurely cocktail or full service meal.”

Amazing Photos of U Street from 1991

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photos courtesy of Laura

“Dear PoPville,

When I moved my wife and two-year-old to 13th and T, across the street from the Whitelaw Hotel (the Whitelaw’s much-faded neon sign is still in my garage, no reasonable offer refused) U Street was a trench underneath which a subway line was allegedly being built. In one of the pictures, there’s a sign listing the businesses still open, I think it’s optimistic — I think we were down to Ben’s, Leon’s shoe repair and maybe a beauty shop. The street was so desolate, even the drug dealers and the homeless didn’t hang there, and you almost felt safer there than in the populated parts of the neighborhood, even though my father was once slapped in the face by a stranger because “all white men are faggots.”

Needless to say, my parents, and my in-laws thought we were crazy, and it did take a lot of squinting and gin to see something other than continued, inexorable decline peppered with random violence and some of the ugliest hookers in the history of the world’s oldest profession.

I have to go cranky old geezer for a moment on some of the PoP complaints about today’s Columbia Heghts, Petworth, Eckington, etc. Kids these days have it so easy. ;) It’s not just that the whole hipster economy springs up much faster in gentrifying neighborhoods today than they did back then — and then, as now, I’d rather have a cool bar within walking distance than a grocery store. It’s that real change seemed so much less inevitable then than it does today — we lost money on our house when we moved to Denver for two years — and there were a lot of long “holy shit, what have we done?” nights.

But, what the hell. We bought a real house for $200k, so there’s that. And had seven rich years with a diverse cast of characters, watching a fascinating and unique transformation, of which we claim some small part. (I missed living on the edge, but when I suggested Columbia Heights when we moved back from Denver in 1999, my wife announced “we’ve done our time” and so we moved to Mt. Pleasant instead).

One day early on, a friend and I went out to take some shots of the neighborhood (it’s too bad we didn’t have Pablo and PoP’s cadre of camera talent around back then to document the decline and nascent rebirth of U Street), and a couple of days ago she stumbled across these shots and passed them along for your perusal.

Irving (nee “T”) Streete.”

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More photos after the jump. (more…)

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