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Photo by PoPville flickr user ep_jhu

Going to the Movies is written by Mount Vernon Triangle resident Catherine Taegel.

Ever since the creation of Instagram, when I watch an indie movie I’m often reminded of a #nofilter picture. There tends to be a lot of nature – trees, fields, and water – all with the sun artfully peering through and reflecting off of various objects. There also tends to be young love and friendships explained through those classic close ups that create tension.

There’s a reason Instagram was bought for $1 billion by Facebook and why the independent movies who can do it right immediately become a beautiful picture you can’t, and don’t want to, stop watching. Set and filmed in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, “The Kings of Summer” manages to hit all the right notes. It’s a beautiful cinematic experience that manages to stay relatable by never taking itself too seriously.

The film is a broad cast of characters that effortlessly revolves around Joe Toy (Nick Robinson), a sixteen-year-old boy whose home life is less than ideal. His family is clearly still grieving from the loss of Joe’s mother and with his sister living away from home, he’s left with just his dad (Nick Offerman) whose general demeanor is cloudy on a good day. He constantly pushes the boundaries, desperate for independence and to be seen as a man.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

12th and Jackson Street, NE

Following in the footsteps of Bloomingdale’s Big Bear Cafe comes an epic ANC/Neighborhood fight over the proposed liquor license for Brookland’s Finest. This is the new spot from the owners of The Pug (H St, NE), Solly’s (U St, NW) and Sova (formerly of H St, NE). On the Brookland listserv a huge debate has started over the decision of ANC 5B to protest the liquor license for Brookland’s Finest:

An fyi that during last night’s ANC 5B regular monthly meeting, ANC 5B voted in support of a resolution to protest of the alcoholic application of Brookland’s Finest Bar & Kitchen.

Individual persons wishing to formally testify or comment about this alcohol license application may do so at the 4PM August 14, 2013 ABRA Protest Hearing wherein all comments & protestants will be formally heard by the ABC Board.

For those who are unfamiliar their liquor license application, it says:

“Tavern serving American food with a seating capacity of 75 and total occupancy load of 99. Summer garden with 40 seats.”

We looked at their proposed menu here.

A change.org petition has already been started to support the restaurant:

The Brookland neighborhood is sorely underserved with regards to sit-down, family friendly restaurants. The restaurant Brookland’s Finest will fill this need, and take over a blighted property that has been an eye-sore for some time. In addition, the business will create jobs, and serve as a gathering place to further establish a sense of community. Without a liquor license, it will be very difficult for the business to operate profitably.

Brookland’s Finest partner Tony T writes the Brookland listserv:

I’m Tony, one of the proprietors of Brookland’s Finest. I want to first extend a huge thank you to those of you who have reached out with your support and encouragement. For those of you who haven’t seen any of my previous emails, or received a flier from me, I have lived at 1016 Kearny St for over 10 years with my wife, and we now have three children ages 6, 4, and 2. We have done our best to reach out to the immediate neighbors on Kearny, Jackson, Irving, and 12th streets. On all those fliers, I’ve included my phone number and email adress. Except for basic letters of encouragement, I believe I’ve responded to all questions I received. I am more than happy to meet with any individual or group who has concerns.

After the BNCA meeting, at which I addressed many of the questions being posed here, a group of 12th street residents decided to get together to create a concise list of concerns we can respond to. The ANC protest has unfortunately brought lawyers into the equation so now a lot of our communication will have to be sent to the law office. Hopefully next week we will meet with the group from 12th street. We have tried to be as open and available as possible. We did go door to door to those households on 12th, Kearny, Jackson, and Irving and distributed fliers about the BNCA meeting as well as an introductory flier about our business.

I will freely admit that i’m not the most tech savvy person so I sometimes am not sure which list serv my messages come from . If I missed an email from you, my apologies, but please get in touch again and we can arrange a time to sit down and talk.

I want to stress that I am pursuing this business as a fellow resident of Brookland and father of three young kids. I love this neighborhood and would like to bring a nice establishment here where we can eat and socialize with our neighbors. I live one block from the location and understand the concerns many of you have.

Thanks for your time.

Updates as the process moves forward.

Ed. Note: For those who are frustrated – remember, Big Bear ended up getting their liquor license.

From a press release:

Adult Swim is a weekly Summer pool party held every Sunday at the Capitol Skyline Hotel (10 I Street SW, Washington DC), hosted by Liquid Lifestyle. The Grand Opener is happening Memorial Day Weekend, Sunday, May 26th from 11am-6pm. These highly anticipated South Beach-style pool parties feature the best local DJs, celebrity appearances, fashion shows, live musicians, dancers and surprise entertainment.

And if a giant pool, dance music and bottle popping isn’t enough, the party also features an all-day barbeque with burgers and hot dogs, blow-up pool toys, 6 bars throughout the pool deck, and al fresco atmosphere that transports Washington’s young and hip crowd to the tropical beaches of Miami.

Free admission until 1pm with RSVP by texting your full name to 202-RESERVE, then you will receive a text confirmation to show at the front door. After 1PM or without RSVP, cover charge is $20. Exclusive table packages are available by reservation only and usually sell out about a week in advance. Table reservations are made by calling 202-737-3783 or 703-577-8500 or 703-597-3941.

Policy’s 3rd Annual Crab Festival:

Policy in conjunction with Blue Moon Brewing Company, is gearing up for its 3rd Annual CrabFestival over Memorial Day Weekend, Sunday, May 26 from 12pm -5pm.

Blue Moon Brewing Company, which is running a summer Campaign of “Blue Moon, Blue Craband Old Bay Seasoning”. They are taking over the taps, with Blue Moon, Blue Moon Agave Blonde, and two very exclusive, never tasted in the United States and the only place in Washington DC to have these special craft brews; Raspberry Cream Ale and Honey Grand Cru with Ginger. All Beers will be sold for $5 per glass and $15 Pitchers of Blue Moon and Blue Moon Agave Blonde. Sorry, the two exclusive beers are only sold by the glass.

Policy will trade in their black cloth napkins for rolls of paper towels and silver ware for wooden mallets. Transforming the diner-like dining room, graffiti tagged lounge and three outdoor patios into a pop up crab house for the day. For $35 per person, you can indulge in all you can eat crabs and tradition sides like Hushpuppies, Corn on the Cob, Cole Slaw, Hot Dogs and Policy Wings.

To purchase tickets in advance, visitwww.policydc.com and click the shopping cart tab and follow the directions. Limited tickets available at the door.

Photo by Rick Reinhard

Mount Pleasant Spring Shop Hop
This Saturday May 18th

Mount Pleasant Street….All day long A Parade. One of DC’s Best Farmers Markets. A preview of Each Peach Market, a new artisan food store set to open this summer, A Karate Demo and an outdoor Kettlebell Class in Lamont Park. Singha Saturday at Beau Thai.

It’s Mount Pleasant’s annual Spring Shop Hop with local shops and restaurants offering some great deals and fun specials in DC’s most eclectic neighborhood.

As you stroll the corridor, you can watch Bancroft Elementary School’s marching band lead a parade (10:15 AM), enjoy some youth artwork displayed in shop windows and at the newly renovated Mt. P library, get your bike fixed, eat some homemade ice cream , get your fitness on with the DC Self Defense Karate Association and That Yellow Gym in Lamont Park (2PM) and much more.

Visit Mtpleasantdc.com for more info and a listing of specials brought to you by the Mount Pleasant Business Association

Celebrate Memorial Day at President Lincoln’s Cottage, and enjoy the rare opportunities to take a free guided historical tour of the USSAH National Cemetery and to picnic on the grounds of the Soldiers’ Home!

President Lincoln’s Cottage will host an array of activities on Memorial Day, May 27th 2013, to honor the men and women who have served in the U.S. military. Family-friendly activities include guided tours of the first National Cemetery, commemorative ceremonies honoring veterans at multiple locations, picnicking opportunities on the grounds of the Soldiers’ Home, and tours of President Lincoln’s Cottage, the seasonal residence of the Lincoln family during the Civil War.

Registrations requested; visit www.LincolnCottage.org/MemorialDay2013 to register and learn more information. The wreath-laying ceremony, cemetery tours, and access to picnic grounds are free of charge. Regular fees apply for tours of President Lincoln’s Cottage.

Twenty-Five Miles to Go @ Marx Cafe:

Marx Cafe
3203 Mount Pleasant Street Northwest
Thursday, May 16th
10:00pm – 1:30am | FREE!

All vinyl soul, funk, R&B, disco, and soul jazz spinning into the late night for your listening and dancing pleasure. Enjoy the friendly confines of Marx Cafe in the heart of beautiful Mount Pleasant.

See all of tonight’s and the week’s events here.  To add your event, click the events tab up top and then click “add an event”.  You can add concerts, museum/gallery exhibits, fundraisers, sporting events, bike rides etc. You can add anything you think will be of interest to PoPville.

Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with Branford Marsalis This Friday, May 17 at 6PM:

Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club is pleased to announce a very special event — The Grand Re-Opening ribbon-cutting ceremony which will be held this Friday, May 17th to coincide with the 75th Anniversary of the theatre’s historic building, the Bethesda (Boro) Theater. Following the ceremony which will include legendary jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis, he will take the stage for this special evening.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony which will include remarks from local dignitaries and Marsalis, will begin promptly at 6 pm, followed by a reception and cocktails from 6:30 pm-7:15 pm. Dinner service begins at 7:15 pm, and the performance begins at 8:30 pm. Tickets are available through the Bethesda Blues & Jazz website www.bethesdabluesjazz.com or at the Box Office, which is open from 10 am – 6 pm, Monday through Friday.

Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club is the DC metro area’s newest concert venue, serving excellent food & drink seven nights a week. Top entertainment spanning many genres is presented in an intimate, elegant, and acoustically superb setting that seats 500 patrons. Housed in the historic Bethesda Theatre, Bethesda Blues & Jazz offers live music, monthly dance nights, and a 40′ Art Deco bar and lounge area. For dinner, the Club serves up a blend of Continental and Creole/Cajun cuisine; dishes such as beignets, gumbo, crab cakes, gnocchi, and prime rib are lovingly crafted with only the freshest ingredients.

Since opening its doors to the public on March 1st, Bethesda Blues & Jazz has enjoyed a warm welcome from the Washington area community and exceptionally positive feedback from guests. Beginning with its opening weekend, which featured Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Bethesda Blues & Jazz has sold out many of its shows. This early success continued with two nights starring the rising Country vocalist Maggie Rose and a Saturday evening with Doc and Chou Chou Scantlin & The Imperial Palms Orchestra. The Club has made a name for itself in the local jazz scene with its house big band, the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Orchestra, which plays every Monday.

More recently, Bethesda Blues & Jazz has welcomed to the stage the Motown greats Leonard, Coleman & Blunt of Temptations, Platters, and Drifters fame, as well as the exceptional jazz pianist Keiko Matsui for the S&R Foundation’s Spring Fundraising Gala, a unique performance of “Gia Mora is Einstein’s Girl,” featuring Gia Mora and Charlie Barnett, and an evening with the fabulous blues vocalist Janiva Magness. After her performance, Janiva commended the Club as “a beautiful new venue that knows how to treat the artist and the audience.”

The Club, which is located at 7719 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda, is adjacent to the Cheltenham Garage county parking lot and is a block and a half walk from the Bethesda Metro.

See all of tonight’s and the week’s events here.  To add your event, click the events tab up top and then click “add an event”.  You can add concerts, museum/gallery exhibits, fundraisers, sporting events, bike rides etc. You can add anything you think will be of interest to PoPville.

The Ever-Changing Metropolis: DC Then, Now, and Tomorrow:

RFD
810 7th Street Northwest
Tuesday, May 14th, 2013
7:00pm – 9:00pm | $9

The District of Columbia as a city means different things to different people. To some, it’s home and always has been. To others, it’s just a brief stop-over on a journey of public service. But regardless of which DC you belong to, the city is always changing.

Once sought out neighborhoods are losing their cool, while those that have struggled in recent years are emerging as tomorrow’s hot spots.

Join Georgetown Professor Brian McCabe and ANC Commissioner Marc Morgan as we explore DC’s past, try to tackle some of the concerns of the present, and speculate on where we might be going in the future.

Tickets: $9 Advance, $13 At-the-Door
BUY AT: http://www.wanderingmindssociety.com/#!the-ever-changing-metropolis/c1wnz

See all of tonight’s and the week’s events here.  To add your event, click the events tab up top and then click “add an event”.  You can add concerts, museum/gallery exhibits, fundraisers, sporting events, bike rides etc. You can add anything you think will be of interest to PoPville.

Shortcut to Europe: European Union Embassies Open House:

Saturday, May 11th, 2013
10:00am – 7:00pm | FREE!

Enjoy authentic music, dance, food, film, and art from 28 distinctive nations along with a rare behind-the-scenes look into the European Union embassies. Complimentary shuttle buses transport visitors along the embassy routes. Participating embassies include: Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, United Kingdom, Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, France and the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Delegation of the European Union, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Republic of Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden. Admission is free, no reservations required, and complimentary shuttle service is provided.

See all of tonight’s and the week’s events here.  To add your event, click the events tab up top and then click “add an event”.  You can add concerts, museum/gallery exhibits, fundraisers, sporting events, bike rides etc. You can add anything you think will be of interest to PoPville.