quality of life

Friday Question of the Day – Do You Agree With Old City Green?

By Prince Of Petworth

Old City Green is located on the southwest corner of 9th and N St, NW.

Dear PoPville,

We here at OLD CITY green wanted to let you know about some recent developments in our journey as a small business and community gathering space. As you may have heard, we were recently informed that we are losing our lease on this space at the end of August. We had been verbally told in the winter that we had two years on the lot, but a month later that was changed to just a five month lease.

Although our landlord (Douglas Development) has been very kind over the years and has gone out of their way to help us stay afloat, this short notice has a negative impact on our survival as a business and community green space. Douglas Development and CAS Riegler are joining forces to start developing a 5 story condo/mixed use building on our spot beginning fall of this year.

We have been essentially left out of the conversation, unable to compete with the multi-million dollar project slated to take place. Moving plants and beehives in the middle of summer takes its toll. Ideally, a green business would relocate in the off season to minimize loss. Having to move before Christmas, means 30% of our yearly revenue is at stake. We very much want to stay in the neighborhood as we feel that we have become a community space that is more than just a retail store. However, we are struggling to find an affordable place to buy or rent.

OLD CITY green has been called the green beating heart of the community, and as of yet our green heart has no place to go. OLD CITY green has not only provided product, but has become an educational and neighborhood gathering space as well.

Here are a few examples of how we have been a part of the community over the years:

-“Best New Shaw Business” 2009 Shaw Main Streets
-Washington City Paper’s “Best Garden Store” of 2011
-“Shaw Community Partner Award” 2011 Shaw Main Streets
-Approx. 4,000 flower bulbs over a period of 4 years planted in Shaw tree boxes during our annual “Tulip Planting” event
-4 Easter egg hunts, 8 movie nights, and a Halloween haunted garden event for neighborhood kids
-Employing teens from the neighborhood
-Teaching nutritional health and local food education in DC high school
-Teaching 12 gardening and nutrition workshops for clients at Bread for the City
-Hiring local musicians to play on site for our neighbors and customers
-Educational field trips for DC schools
-Free workshops (Seed bomb making, herbal tea, fall vegetable planting, native landscaping)
-Hosting neighborhood garden tours
– A certified Butterfly Way Station
-Offered approx. $30,000 in discounts and free product to neighborhood gardeners, local businesses and DC non-profits
-Hosted a Community Supported Agriculture program for about 100 Shaw households for three years running
-Member of “Live Green” and “Think Local First”
-Worked with non profit organizations such as Bread for the City, DC Greenworks, Casey Trees, City Blossoms, and the Neighborhood Farm Initiative
-Hosted fundraisers for So Others Might Eat, N St. Village, Shaw Main Streets, DC Children First,Metro Teen Aids, and Wangari Gardens
-Supporting and working with other local small businesses such as Chatman’s Bakery, Seasonal Pantry, Longview Gallery, Wagtime, Azi’s Cafe, etc.
-Hosting volunteer teams for beautification of the neighborhood
-Donations of labor, time and product to local churches such as Shiloh Baptist Church with Seaton Green, Salem Baptist Church, and The Immaculate Conception

We don’t write this to victimize ourselves, but we feel that we are an example of a bigger issue going on here. Large condos are popping up all over the place, perpetuating the “building up, not building community” problem of gentrification. If developers are going to build more condos and apartments and bring in more people, there needs to be a place for people to go to for their “green” and other specialty item needs. As local, independent businesses are pushed out of the inner city, the systemic response is to go to the big box stores (Home Depot, Costco, Target, WalMart), which take money and good paying jobs away from the local economy.

There will be a public hearing about our lot on June 26th at 9:30 in 220-S, 1 Judiciary Square, 441 4th St., NW.

It’s not easy being green,
The OLD CITY green team

Dear PoPville – How Do We Get an Organized Clean Team?

By Prince Of Petworth

Dear PoPville,

I’m constantly shocked at how dirty the U St. area between 15 st and 7 st gets with trash. It seems to be mostly caused by the foot traffic and draw of the local businesses/bars. How do we do something similar to the “golden triangle” or “waterfront” where they have greeters and people who help keep the area clean. Is that something the local residents and businesses pay for?

Dear PoPville – Sherman Circle Getting Street Lights – Should It?

By Prince Of Petworth


Sherman Circle, intersection of Illinois Avenue, Kansas Avenue, 7th Street, and Crittenden Street NW

Dear PoPville,

I just saw two workers putting little orange flags in the ground in Sherman Circle. They said they are going to install “21 street lights.” I’m not aware of any problems in Sherman Circle since the terrible homicide a couple of years ago, and I think Sherman Circle is pretty much perfect as it is, so I worry that it will look like a Christmas Tree after this is done. Does anybody know how bright the lights will be? How many other (traffic circle) parks around the city are lighted? I know there was demand for this a while back, but I spend a lot of time in Sherman Circle, and it doesn’t seem necessary anymore. I wonder what PoPville thinks?

Frightening Dog Attack on the 1100 Block of 8th St, NE

By Prince Of Petworth


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From the MPD-1D listserv:

I wanted to pass this message along not only in my capacity as PSA 104 Citizen Co-Coordinator, but also as a concerned neighbor. Tonight, my wife and I were walking with our 9-month-old son and our dog. As we rounded the corner on 8th St NE, at 8th and L, we were immediately spotted by an extremely large dog who then charged us from nearly 10 houses away. This and another dog were off leash, sitting on the porch of a house in the middle of the 1100 block of 8th St NE. The dog was white in color, probably 120 pound American Bulldog (it made our St. Bernard mix look small). Fortunately, after kicking, screaming, and (stupidly) pulling the dog off of our dog, we were able to escape the situation. A number of neighbors and passersby also rushed to assist.

It was brought to my attention by responding MPD officers that this is not an isolated incident for this address. The owners of these dogs have been cited multiple times, but unfortunately the dogs are still there (perhaps more unfortunate that the owners are still there).

So, my messages are to 1) avoid this block if you are walking your dogs or children; and 2) if you experience anything remotely like this incident, please call 911, regardless of whether you or your dog were hurt. In this case, it is very important that there are multiple incidents on file in trying to deal with a problem property and irresponsible pet owners.

Dear PoPville – What Are Effective Responses to a Litterer?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

Dear PoPville,

In light of the recent assault at 14th and W Streets by a man who had been asked to pick up his litter, I suggest you open a thread on how to address someone who has thrown trash on the ground. I simply say, “Hey, I respect you and wouldn’t throw my trash in front of where you live. Would you mind returning the same respect to me, and put that in a garbage can?” Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but this line has worked on each of three occasions when I’ve used it. It prevents what is a simple appeal to civic duty from sounding like a command.

Outdoor Pools Open for Memorial Day Weekend! Regular Schedule Starts June 18th

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

From a press release:

[On Friday] Mayor Gray will officially Kick off the 2012 Summer Pools Opening Kick-Off and open the new Rosedale Community Center.

Mayor Gray will officially Kick Off the 2012 Summer Pools Opening at Rosedale Community Center. DPR has 19 outdoor pools, 11 spray parks and 5 Children’s Pools that will be open starting Memorial Day Weekend. The Mayor will also unveil the new Rosedale Community Center with new pools, a new gym, new activity rooms, a new artificial turf field and more.

You can find a full list of DC’s outdoor pools here. While pools will be open this weekend, please note regular hours begin June 18th.

You can see the popular Banneker Pool’s [2500 Georgia Avenue, NW] schedule here and all other pools here.

Record Number of Travelers Visit Washington, DC in 2011

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Faucetini

From a press release:

The District of Columbia welcomed a record 17.9 million visitors in 2011 — a number that tops the District’s previous record of 17.4 million total visitors, set in 2000. Newly released data from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) show the nation’s capital welcomed 1.8 million overseas visitors in 2011, a 4.1 percent increase over 2010. When added to the 16.1 million domestic visits in 2011, the nation’s capital welcomed more visitors than ever last year according to Destination DC, the District’s official convention and tourism corporation.

Holy cow that’s a lot of tourists, I had no idea the numbers were that high.

In other news, metro escalator lines faced record congestion…

A breakdown of the visitors after the jump. (more…)

Clean Teams Returning to Ward 1

By Prince Of Petworth

From Council Member Jim Graham:

I am pleased to announce the Ward One Clean Teams will soon be back in full force in many of our neighborhoods – – covering a total 38 blocks throughout the Ward. I worked hard to get the funding back into place for this important service. I want to thank Mayor Vincent Gray, Chairman Kwame Brown, and Harold Pettigrew, Director of the Department of Small and Local Business Development for their help in re-establishing Clean Teams.

We have missed these services – – and value this work in our neighborhoods.

We are giving people a chance to rebuild their lives with jobs, while fulfilling this useful purpose. Charlie Whittaker successfully competed for this contract, and again has the supervision of this service. His able services are much appreciated.

Please look for Clean Team members in the neighborhoods below starting in the next few weeks. (Adams Morgan has had no lapse in their green team cleanups, due to a different source of funding, part private and part DC gov.)

Georgia Avenue — Georgia Avenue, NW from Irving Street, NW to New Hampshire Avenue, NW (Node 1, Pleasant Plains : Petworth, (10 linear blocks);

U Street — U Street, NW from 9th to 14th Streets; and the northside from 14th to 17th Streets, NW (6.5 linear blocks);

14th Street MidCity —14th Street, NW from S Street, NW to Florida Avenue, NW (5 linear blocks);

14th Street Columbia Heights —14th Street, NW from Columbia Road, NW to Spring Road , NW; and Park Road, NW from 14th Street, NW to Hiatt Place, NW (11 linear blocks)

11th Street —11th Street, NW from Kenyon to Monroe Streets, NW(3 linear blocks)

Mt. Pleasant— Mount Pleasant Street from 16th Street, NW to Park Road, NW (3 linear blocks)

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