Woodley Park

Happy New Year, Happy Monday: Giant Panda Cub Born at the Zoo!

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user ashleykalena

Panda pregnancy watch update from the National Zoo:

As panda cam watchers may have noticed: from Mei’s behavior and the sounds we’re hearing, we have a giant panda cub!

As far as we can tell, the cub was born at about 10:46 p.m. on September 16. According to chief veterinarian Suzan Murray:

“Mei Xiang is behaving exactly the same way she did when Tai Shan was born. She is cradling her cub closely , and she looks so tired, but every time she tries to lay down, the cub squawks and she sits right up and cradles the cub more closely. She is the poster child for a perfect panda mom.”

We believe there is only one cub. If the cub is to have a twin, we should know by sunrise.

For now, the only way animal care staff will monitor the cub is using the web cams. Our goal is for Mei Xiang to raise this cub naturally. With Tai Shan, it wasn’t until he was about two weeks old that Mei walked away from him briefly and our veterinary team was able to give him a brief well-cub exam.

Panda Pregnancy Watch, Panda House Now Closed to Visitors

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user ep_jhu

From the National Zoo:

We are still in full panda pregnancy watch and the panda house is now closed to visitors. Mei is especially sensitive to noise, so we keep the panda house as quiet as possible to reduce possible noise-related stress. Virtual Zoo visitors can see Mei Xiang and Tian Tian on the panda cams. Tian Tian will also be in his yard during the day from early morning until about noon.

Mei has been less interested in food lately. She has almost completely stopped eating bamboo; she mostly just shreds it for her nest now. She chooses to not eat much of the produce we give her—like pears and sweet potatoes. These are signs that we are approaching the end of a pregnancy or pseudopregnancy. Over the holiday weekend, keepers started to see her cradle some of her toys and begin body licking. She will most likely spend more time doing those things as we get closer to the end of a pregnancy or pseudopregnancy.

Although Mei has been sleeping a lot more, she continues to diligently build her nest. It is much larger than it was last week. She dragged two very large bamboo stalks into her den. They are so big that they stick out into her indoor habitat, which makes cleaning in the morning more challenging.

Tues. Afternoon Rental Option – Woodley Park

By Prince Of Petworth

This rental is located at 2818 Connecticut Avenue, NW:


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The listing says:

“This luxury apartment has a large gourmet kitchen with granite counter tops, Maple hardwood floors, designer carpet, IPOD Docking, professional JenAir Gas cooking, FisherPaykel Refrigerator, Porcelanosa Tile, full size laundry and concierge on site. True Luxury located in Woodley Park close to Red Line Metro. $45 app. fee and 1st months rent made out to L&F. Section 8 welcome.”

This 2 bed/2 bath is going for $3,200/Mo.

Tues. Afternoon Rental Option – Woodley Park

By Prince Of Petworth

This rental is located at 2938 28th Street, NW:


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The listing says:

“An elegant residence in such a charming environment in the heart of Washington DC…surrounded by beautiful landscape that will be maintained by owners. Granite,Warm wood floors,Walking distance to Metro, shops, restaurants, National Zoo park, Rock Creek park- Ample natural lights throughout the residence. Perfect choice for relaxing days while moments away from active and energized life style.”

This 3 bed/3 bath is going for $4,700/Mo.

More Info on Ace Hardware Coming to Woodley Park

By Prince Of Petworth


2616 Connecticut Ave, NW

On Monday we learned that an Ace Hardware would be taking over the former CVS space at 2616 Connecticut Ave, NW. From a press release:

Ace Hardware signed a lease Thursday, June 21 and is set to open mid-August 2012 at 2616 Connecticut Avenue in the former CVS space.

Woodley Park Ace is the sixth D.C. metro location for local entrepreneurs Gina Schaefer and Marc Friedman – the couple has three more stores in Baltimore that round out their retail group known as “A Few Cool Hardware Stores.” The 3,800-square-foot space will be built out using Ace’s new “express” model, which caters to stores that are less than 4,000 square feet.

It’s a perfect fit for the smaller storefronts along this section of Connecticut Ave. “For years, residents have asked us to open in Woodley Park, but it was never a good match for Ace’s typical urban store model, which requires a larger footprint,” said Schaefer, who first opened Logan Hardware in 2003. “We know the new model and the location’s proximity to metro and bus lines will be perfect for this bustling community. Neighbors can pop in on their way to and from work and quickly get what they need.”

The size won’t hinder the group’s product offering, which caters to customers looking for a little bit of everything. The store will house more than 20,000 products, including basic hardware, lawn & garden, plumbing, patio furniture & grills, pet supplies, and more. Customers will also benefit from a menu of specialty services like key cutting, tool rentals, paint matching and blade sharpening. Like all of the “cool hardware stores,” Woodley Park Ace hopes to become the community’s home-maintenance hub.

“We can’t wait to join the other businesses on Connecticut Ave. and meet all of our new residential neighbors and, of course, their dogs!” Schaefer said, noting that Woodley Park Ace is a dog-friendly establishment.

Ace Hardware Store Coming to Former CVS Space in Woodley Park

By Prince Of Petworth


2616 Connecticut Ave, NW

Back in April the CVS Shuffle occurred when CVS moved from 2616 Connecticut Ave, NW to corner of Connecticut and Calvert Street. Thanks to a reader for sending the heads up about an Ace Hardware moving into the former CVS space at 2616 Connecticut Ave, NW next to McDonald’s. According to their Website:

“We’re looking to open the doors mid-August”

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