Link roundup

NoMa BID announced that the NoMA Famers' Market starts today from 3-7 p.m. at 1200 1st St NE.

East City Art has this piece on Open Studio DC (1348 Florida Ave) another arts venue that opened recently on the 1300 block of Florida Ave.

Gallery O on H (1354 H St) is participating in DC Jazz Fest's Jazz in the Hoods project and will have a full day of performances & feature Tacos Impala catering each of the next two Saturdays from 3-9 p.m. 

WP Food Critic Tom Sietsema continues to sing praises for Ethiopic (401 H St) making it his top recommendation for Ethiopian in DC ("I love, love, love Ethiopic").  Ethiopic's facade upgrade is moving along nicely as well.  We really like the new color they selected to paint the building and we're looking forward to dining next to the new windows along the north and west sides of the restaurant when the project is completed.  Ethiopic remains open while the contruction continues.

CraftBeer.com touted Granville Moore's & Smith Commons as two of DC's best spots to enjoy craft beers.

Smith Commons (1245 H St) is celebrating the SAVOR Beer Fest with another round of brewer-food pairing events this week. 

Greater Greater Washington reports on the DDOT Bikeshare expansion meeting, quoting a proponent of the proposed new stations on H Street and listing the most popular of the proposed stations as including both of the stations proposed on H Street (at 6, and at 10th/11th) and also at the Northeast Branch Library (7th & Maryland NE). 

The Washington Times had this piece on the newly renovated Engine House (1341 Maryland Ave) & The Station (525 9th St).  We haven't been inside either, but the exterior and landscaping work looks great and the pictures suggest the units are very nice new residential units.

What the Hill had this piece on the Kingman Island Bluegrass & Folk Festival, which is coming up on Saturday, June 11, from 1-8 p.m.  

Tru Orleans (400 H St) posted some photos of their terrific iron work along their second floor patio area.

Reminder DDOT public meeting on where Bikeshare should expand tonight

What:              Public Meeting for the Expansion of Capitol Bikeshare
When:             Wednesday, May 25, 2011, 6 – 8 pm
Where:            441 4th Street, NW, Room 1107, Washington, DC

Why:               Everyone agrees H Street needs more stations since the one at 13th & H is emptied every morning & full every night and DDOT is considering new stations at 10th or 11th & H and at 6th & H, but they wont happen unless folks weigh in to demonstrate support.  Attend the meeting or send an email in support of more stations in your neighborhood to ddot.bikeshare@dc.gov  

Bikeshare has proposed a variety of expansions on and near H Street including at 6th & H and at 11th or 10th & H as well as just south of H Street near Stanton Park, but has proposed more stations than they will be able to build.  Accordingly, they're holding a public meeting to see which stations have the strongest support.  Currently, there is a sizeable gap between the H Street stations at 3rd & H and the one at 13th & H and there isn't another near H Street location to the south until you go south to C Street at 13th St.  If you enjoy bikeshare and want to see more stations in your neighborhood and on H Street, this is the time to weigh in.  Additional nearby stations are particularly important to the success of the program as it increases the reliability of the program by enhancing the likelihood that an open dock or an available bike will be available to you at times when other nearby stations are full ("dockblocked") or empty ("NoBi") both of which seem to happening too often at the 13th & H station.  Take a look at the map and send your comments to ddot.bikeshare@dc.gov or better yet, plan to attend the public meeting today, Wednesday, May 25, at 6 p.m., at Judiciary Square and tell DDOT we need the additional stations under consideration on and near H Street.  

Link roundup

Frozen Tropics reported that the Pug (1234 H St) is opening for lunch on Fridays and will be open all day to preview the new lunch menu on Memorial Day.

The Hill is Home celebrated its second anniversary.  Congrats to a great neighborhood blog!

The Sherwood Neighborhood Volunteers held a clean up and planting at the Sherwood Recreation Center (640 10th St NE).  THIH's Sharee Lawler says the recent landscaping work is looking good.

Capitol Hill residents are gathering this evening at Lincoln Park to rally to keep Capitol Hill together in opposition to a rumored redistricting proposal to split the neighborhood (and Rosedale) along 17th Street, leaving the eastern parts of the area in Ward 7.  The rally starts tonight at 5:45 at 13th & East Capitol. 

Young & Hungry at the City Paper attempted to recreate the popular tater tot dipping sauce from Sticky Rice (1224 H St).

TBD has this piece on Swampoodle, the neighborhood (largely the area immediately behind Union Station near H St & North Capitol), behind the play, now playing at the Uline Arena (200 blk M St NE). 

Life's Randonmess to the Fullest has this piece on their first visit to Toki Underground (1234 H St) and Washington Life drops by as well.

Here's how I'd redraw DC's wards to reflect existing neighborhoods & statutory guidance

This seems like the most reasonable solution to the need to redraw DC's ward boundaries to increase the populations in Ward 8 and Ward 7 and decrease the population in Ward 2. 

It's very difficult to understand why anyone on the redistricting committee would consider placing Eastern High School -- "The Pride of Capitol Hill" which is the only high school in Ward 6 and is fed by most Ward 6 middle schools -- or the Rosedale Recreation Center, which is also undergoing a substantial renovation, outside of Ward 6.  Both are important parts of the community and both have received substantial attention from their immediate neighborhoods and the Office of Councilmember Wells in recent years.  If the proposal to draw an arbitrary line across 17th Street comes to fruition, thus severing Capitol Hill and Rosedale between two Wards, you can expect a lot of angry current and former Ward 6 residents will make their voices heard when Michael Brown & Yvette Alexander are on the ballot next fall and you have to wonder if Ward 6 will find one of its own to fill one of DC's citywide elected seats, as NW and East of the River seems to have done with great success.

In an ideal world, I'd add Kingman Park back to Ward 6 and shed far western edge as well, but Ward 7 needs to grow, not shrink, and there are too many other reasons to avoid more changes than are necessary at this time.

Support keeping Capitol Hill and Ward 6 whole?  Signs these two petitions and attend tomorrow's rally at Lincoln Park.

Rally to keep Capitol Hill together in Ward 6; Rally Tuesday, 5:45 p.m., at Lincoln Park

As you may have heard, DC is in the midst of the redistricting of its Ward lines and recent reports suggest that the 3 member Redistricting Subcommittee is prepared to recommend lopping off the eastern parts of Ward 6 and adding them to Ward 7, which needs to increase in size due to its relatively reduced size in the recent census.  The latest report is that 17th Street will become the arbitrary dividing line spliting the area on the east side of the street from the rest of Capitol Hill and Ward 6.  Among other things, using this dividing line would place Eastern High School ("the Pride of Capitol Hill") outside Ward 6, which is the Ward that encompasses Capitol Hill.  If you agree that this plan makes little sense, you may be interested in attending a rally in Lincoln Park on Tuesday evening or contacting the Councilmembers who serve on the redistricting subcommittee whose info is listed in the below annoucement. 

Join your friends and neighbors for the Rally to Keep Capitol Hill Together Tuesday, May 24, 2011. 5:45 p.m. — meet at Lincoln Park (plaza at 13th & East Capitol Sts. SE). Be ready to march to the Rally for Ward 6!


Contact DC Councilmembers on the Redistricting Subcommittee by Wed, May 25, 2011. Call or email the Councilmembers below to let them know your concerns:

• The schools, businesses, and community organizations on the Hill are tied together. Ward 7’s distinct neighborhoods have different priorities and interests.
• After all the work we have poured into improving schools (like Eastern High School), they will fall into the hands of a Councilmember who will struggle to represent them from across the river.
• Don’t let us become a community divided. If “contiguous” and “compact” are keywords to redistricting, Capitol Hill and Hill East fit the bill — keeping neighborhoods like ours intact should be a key part of the process.

Michael Brown (I-At-Large), Co-Chair. Phone: 202-724-8105 Email: mbrown@dccouncil.us

Co-Chair Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Co-Chair, Phone: 202-724-8058 Email: jackevans@dccouncil.us

Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) Phone: 202-724-8064 Email: pmendelson@dccouncil.us

If you have questions, contact Brian Flahaven, ANC 6B09 Commissioner, at brianf6b09@anc6b.org or 202-658-9447.
To learn more about the redistricting issue, visit DC Council’s redistricting website for additional information on the process: http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/redistricting2011info. Keep Hill East united with the rest of Capitol Hill in Ward 6

Capitol Hill Cleaning Services ("We Clean DC Green") Now Open at 517 H Street

Capitol Hill Cleaning Services ("We Clean DC Green") is now open at 517 H Street NE -- the building which was home to the Kwame Brown for Council Chair campaign last fall. 

The business describes itself as follows:

We have been providing services throughout the Metropolitan area for over six years. We have serviced hundreds of homes, government and private agencies. 

We are the first DC based janitorial service to offer

“CERTIFIED GREEN” cleaning to the district by the Green Clean Instiute. Our service professionals clean with respect to your property, time, privacy and the environment.

Our mission is to provide quality, affordable service to the people of our city while providing jobs for the city and to reduce toxic waste into the environment. We believe that it is our responsibility to serve our clients by offering green techniques, green products, and a green agenda.

Capitol Hill Cleaning Services (517 H St)
Green Cleaning for your business or home
http://www.cleandcgreen.com/
caphilcs@hotmail.com
(202) 459-4442

Sherwood Neighborhood Volunteers Planting at Sherwood Recreation Center this Saturday, 10 am

Join the Sherwood Neighborhood Volunteers for their next work session at the Sherwood Recreation Center (640 10th St NE) this Saturday morning, beginning at 10 am. 

The group joined with 70 neighbors to plant 16 trees around the park and arranged for others to be planted in the tree boxes in front of the Recreation Center earlier this year and plans to devote this session to planting a new bed of bushes and tending to the existing flower beds that line the entrance. 

http://SherwoodVolunteers.wordpress.com/
twitter: @SherwdVolunteer

TommyWells H Street Office Hours at SOVA tomorrow, 8-9:30 a.m.

Reminder that Councilmember Tommy Wells hosts his monthly H Street community office hours tomorrow morning at SOVA. 

Please join Councilmember Tommy Wells and your neighbors at Sova Espresso & Wine (1359 H St) on May 19, 2011 for our H Street NE Community Office Hours from 8am - 9:30am.  We look forward to seeing you there!  If you have any questions, please contact our office at 202-724-8072. 

Swampoodle at Uline Arena (old Washington Coliseum at 3rd & M St NE) starts this weekend

Swampoodle, a play exploring the NoMa neighborhood’s intriguing history, debuts at the historic Uline arena May 21. Swampoodle is a daring and innovative look into the past, a tailor-made spectacle created by The Performance Corporation and Solas Nua, both Irish arts and theatre organizations. Purchase tickets.

Uline Arena hosted The Beatles’ first-ever North American concert and witnessed dozens of historic sporting, entertainment and political events, like Malcolm X’s address to an audience that included the leader of the American Nazi party. The arena is located on the site of DC’s forgotten Irish-American neighborhood, Swampoodle, which now comprises much of the rapidly growing NoMa neighborhood. The show combines the glamour of old-school show biz with the grit of an Irish ghetto to create a fantastic adventure.

The show previews on Friday, May 20, with additional performances on May 21, 24, 25, 26, 27 & 28, at 8.30 p.m.  Tickets are available online for $25.

Link roundup

The Washington Post highlighted one of the up and coming musicians to pass through the Rock & Roll Hotel recently in a feature on James Blake's recent sold out show there.

DC Urban Turf found it's Deal of the Week -- "A Capitol Hill Renovation Project" -- just south of H Street at 623 F St NE.  There are a couple other ongoing renovations on F Street we've enjoyed watching recently at the corners of 5th St (604 5th St, which looks incredible) and at 10th St (SE corner), which we're looking forward to seeing when finished and on the market soon. 

Metrocurean -- perhaps DC's foremost food blogger -- tried Toki Underground and said she's "sort of in love" with it.  She particularly recommends Toki's hot endorphine sauce with your ramen.

The Hill is Home's Sharee Lawler says SOVA (1355 H St) is more than just a coffee shop, it's a community gathering spot that is "comfortable, spacious and welcoming to everyone" and therefore is "one of [her] favorite spots on the Hill."  We agree -- and we enjoy SOVA both for coffee, tea, meetings, and reading, and for a glass or wine or cocktail in the evening with or without Thursday night bluegrass.

Councilmember Tommy Wells passed his budget recommendations through the Committee on Transporation & Public Works (which he chairs).  Greater Greater Washington has a quick review of various items in it including bikeshare expansion and a proposal to install performance parking on H Street and immediately surrounding it.  The plan would allow the meters on H Street to vary the rates based on the time of day and amount of demand for parking, change the parking between G St to the south & I St to the north by allowing one side of each street to install red resident only parking signs, and devote the funds to a set aside neighborhood improvement fund.  This type of plan is already in place over on the other side of the Hill and funds from it were used to purchase various items and improvements, like bike racks and big belly solar powered trash compactors.

The Hill is Home's Nichole Remmert explains how Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill (410 H St) has become part of her life as she just completed 60 sessions there in 60 days.

The Washington Examiner talks with Smith Commons' Chef Frederique DePuie and touts him (and presumably the rest of the Smith Commons team) for establishing fine dining along H Street and expecting the corridor to "gentrify into D.C.'s newest, best-food part of town."   The story goes on to compliment Smith Commons on its attractive appearance saying that it "exudes the same kind of upscale charm you might find in Penn Quarter or even Georgetown."

The Washington Post's Tom Sietsema had some nice things to say about Watershed (1225 1st St NE) after his first visit.  Sounds like their shrimp & grits are a must order.

PoP has a brief update on Shwafel (1322 H St) which is bringing quality, affordably priced Lebanese food including Shwarma & Falafel to H Street for lunch, dinner or late night dining.

DC Urban Turf has the first listing from newly renovated Engine House (1341 Maryland Ave) building.  Station Place (525 9th St) is also ready to go and offers similar high quality units in a beautifully restored historic building as well.

Smith Commons toasts to the neighborhood & kicks off ACBW tonight w/ complimentary bar snacks for H Street & Capitol Hill residents

American Craft Beer Weeks at Smith Commons May 16-22

Toast to the Neighborhood Monday, May 16, 6-9 pm

Featured Brews from Oskar Blues // Lyons, Colorado http://www.oskarblues.com/   @oskarblues

·       Mama's Little Yella Pils (Pilsner 5.3% ABV)
·       Dale's Pale Ale (Pale Ale 6.5% ABV)
·       Ten Fidy (Imperial Stout 10.5% ABV)

Beer Guide:   Jens Piferoen of Hop and Wine  Paired Beer Bite:  $1 Oysters all night

Event Detail:           Join the H St. original dining room and public house – Smith Commons – for the kickoff of American Craft Beer Week and a ‘Toast to the Neighborhood.’  From 6-9pm stop by, try a brew, and get to know folks that have zip codes and an appreciation for great beer in common. Residents from the 20002 or 20003 zip codes with proof of address enjoy 3^rd floor exclusive access with complimentary bar snacks from 6-7pm with a pint purchase.  

Location/format:                   3rd and 2^nd floors. Cash bar.

East City Art roundup: 4 H Street openings tonight @ Evolve, Conner Contemporary, G Fine & Industry Gallery

Four H Street corridor openings tonight -- details below courtesy of East City Art. 

Over in the H Street corridor, Evolve Urban Arts Project will showcase the colorful and bold paintings of Lindsey Applebee in an exhibition entitled Shenanigans.  Evolve Urban Arts is located at the Pierce School Lofts at 1375 Maryland Avenue, NE.

G Fine presents world renowned artist Barbara Probst who uses radio-controlled shutters for multiple cameras resulting in photographs that are seen from multiple angle and perspectives.  The event takes place from 6pm to 8pm. G Fine Art is located at 1350 Florida Avenue NE.

Next door, Conner Contemporary Art hosts several concurrent exhibitions including three emerging *gogo project artists at their 1358 Florida Avenue NE location.  The opening runs from 6pm to 8pm.

Upstairs, above Conner, Industry Gallery will present Flexible Love, flexible accordion-like made of recycled materials that can be shaped in as many ways as you can imagine.  The opening runs from 6pm to 8pm.  Industry Gallery is located at 1358 Florida Avenue NE.

H Street Bakes launches Saturday 10 am-3 pm @ Argonaut featuring Granville Moores Exec Pastry Chef Kim Moffat

Local Chefs Team Up for H Street Bakes; Pop-up Bake Sale on H Street, NE

On May 14, four local chefs unite for the debut of H Street Bakes, a pop-up bake sale on the patio of The Argonaut (1433 H St).

Kim Moffatt, Executive Pastry Chef at Granville Moore’s, had a dream: to open a co-op bakery on H Street, NE. But, with the current construction and steady rising lease rates, it was clear that the temporary pop-up model might be the most effective way to get started.
Moffatt is one of several attendees of Street Talk, a series of informal conversations about the future of H Street economic development moderated by entrepreneur Joe Englert and Julia Christian, Executive Director of CHAMPS – Capitol Hill’s Chamber of Commerce. Moffatt shared her co-op bakery concept at a recent Street Talk session and after lengthy discussions on local business incubation, partnerships were formed, plans were made, and H Street Bakes is now a reality.
H Street Bakes kicks off Saturday, May 14 from 10am to 3pm on the Argonaut, 1433 H Street, NE. Moffatt will be joined by 3 fellow chefs: Faith Sleeper, Amber Yankulov and Tiffany Coln, all of whom are local to the Capitol Hill/H Street NE area of DC.

“The beauty of the pop-up model is that it provides the opportunity to test out your product and business model and really get the kinks out,” says Julia Christian, CHAMPS Executive Director. “Starting a business is not an easy process. When you’re dealing with so many variables—neighboring development, demographics, buying power, spending patterns—it can be very difficult to predict what will work and what won’t. The advantage of the pop-up business model is that it serves as a low-risk beta test, allowing prospective business owners to see firsthand and address issues and concerns before taking the next step and investing significant resources in a permanent storefront space.”

For more information, follow @capitolhilldc and @HStreetBakes on Twitter and connect on Facebook by searching “H Street Bakes.”

DDOT Public Meeting on Bike Share expansion Wed. May 25, 6 p.m. @ Judiciary Square

Bikeshare has proposed a variety of expansions on and near H Street including at 6th & H and at 11th or 10th & H as well as just south of H Street near Stanton Park, but has proposed more stations than they will be able to build.  Accordingly, they're holding a public meeting to see which stations have the strongest support.  Currently, there is a sizeable gap between the H Street stations at 3rd & H and the one at 13th & H and there isn't another near H Street location to the south until you go south to C Street at 13th St.  If you enjoy bikeshare and want to see more stations in your neighborhood and on H Street, this is the time to weigh in.  Additional nearby stations are particularly important to the success of the program as it increases the reliability of the program by enhancing the likelihood that an open dock or an available bike will be available to you at times when other nearby stations are full ("dockblocked") or empty ("NoBi") both of which seem to happening too often at the 13th & H station.  Take a look at the map and send your comments to ddot.bikeshare@dc.gov or better yet, plan to attend the public meeting Wednesday, May 25, at 6 p.m. 

DDOT to Host Public Meeting for Capital Bikeshare Expansion in the District
Proposed Locations for New Stations will be DiscussedThe District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is preparing to expand Capital Bikeshare throughout the District and is hosting a public meeting on Wednesday, May 25 to solicit input from the community on the proposed locations for new stations.

Starting this summer, DDOT is planning to expand the current system with 25 new stations and 250 new bikes.  The expansion is set to be completed by Fall 2011.

At the meeting, DDOT officials will provide an update on the expansion plan, explain the process for evaluating new stations, share the feedback that has been received from the community about the potential locations for new stations, and solicit additional feedback from the participants.

A listing of the proposed station locations and a printable map is available online at ddot.dc.gov/capitalbikeshare Comments may be submitted via email to ddot.bikeshare@dc.gov

Capital Bikeshare is a bikesharing program developed through a partnership between DDOT and Arlington County and operated by Alta Bicycle Share, Inc. Capital Bikeshare offers four different membership options: Annual ($75), Monthly ($25), 5-Day ($15) and 24-hour ($5) for access to a fleet of 1,100 bicycles located at over 110 stations across the District and Arlington. Additional information about Capital Bikeshare is available at www.CapitalBikeshare.com

What:              Public Meeting for the Expansion of Capitol Bikeshare
When:             Wednesday, May 25, 2011, 6 – 8 pm
Where:            441 4th Street, NW, Room 1107, Washington, DCThe meeting location is in close proximity to the Judiciary Square Metrorail Station on the Red Line and accessible via several bus lines.

For more information please contact Sandy Castor at (202) 671-3499 or sandy.castor@dc.gov

Ward 6 State of the Schools meeting this Sat. 5/14, @ Eastern High (1700 East Capitol St NE) w/ Tommy Wells & Chancellor Kaya Henderson

What is your role in school reform?

Ward 6 State of the Schools Meeting

Saturday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. @ Eastern High School

Ward 6 Residents,

The work of improving our schools is too hard for anyone to do alone. The path to improving DC Public Schools is one that includes participation of the entire community.

Every community member has a role to play in this effort. Our schools and community are interconnected, and it is the community as a whole, not just the schools, that help our children succeed.

Take the first step in working to improve your neighborhood schools by joining us at the Ward 6 State of the Schools meeting, to strengthen partnerships between DCPS, our families and our community, and to open lines of communication to discuss new ideas and new strategies for helping children achieve success.

At the State of the Schools meeting you will have the opportunity to:

• Learn more about Ward 6 schools.
• Interact with school leaders.
• Meet fellow community members.
• Share your ideas on how to improve Ward 6 schools.

The Ward 6 State of the Schools meeting will take place on Saturday, May 14th from 10am to 1pm at Eastern High School, located at 1700 East Capitol Street, NE. Please join Tommy Wells and Acting Chancellor Kaya Henderson to learn more about the state of the schools in your community.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, May 14th.

Childcare and food will be provided.

Please share this invitation with your fellow Ward 6 residents. (download flier)

For more information, contact Bryant Sewell at 202-274-1506

American Craft Beer Week events @ Smith Commons 5/16-22 w/ DC Brau, Bells, Great Lakes, BYT, Thrillist, CityStream & more

Smith Commons (1245 H St) is hosting a full week of events in celebration of American Craft Beer Week from May 16-22.  Many of America's best craft breweries -- from Bell's in Michigan, to Great Lakes from Cleveland, to DC's own DC Brau will be hosting events and bringing some of their very best speciality beers, such as the Bell's Hopslam and Great Lakes Christmas Ale.  If you love quality craft beer or you love H Street, you're going to want to make it to at least one of these events.   

Smith Commons hosts special features every night, like Tap Takeovers, themed Beer Dinners for men and Cocktail Beer nights for women, interactive events, Brewmaster Seminars, a Beer Brunch and luscious giveaways that are more than a pint glass.

Tap takeovers, beer dinners, beer cocktails, beer brunch, and giveaways including more than your typical pint glass.  Featured pints are available for $5 throughout the week and each event will have a special paired bite to accompany the day's featured brews. 

Smith Commons hosts special features every night, like Tap Takeovers, themed Beer Dinners for men and Cocktail Beer nights for women, interactive events, Brewmaster Seminars, a Beer Brunch and luscious giveaways that are more than a pint glass.

Monday: Toast to the Neighborhood with Oskar Blues (Colorado) -- complimentary bar snacks for residents of zip codes 20002 and 20003.

Tuesday: Bell's Brewery (Michigan) -- including a keg of cult favorite & hard to obtain Bell's Hopslam

Wednesday: Dogfish Head (Delaware) -- with Michael Craig of Men's Grooming (resevation req'd)

Thursday: DC Brau (Washington, DC) -- including their first offering the Public Ale, the just released Penn Quarter Porter, and perhaps something new.

Friday: Great Lakes Beer Co. (Cleveland) -- including a keg of the extremely popular Christmas Ale -- with a complimentary 6 oz pour for Bikeshare users.

Saturday:  BrightestYoungThings BYT Beer Brunch with Flying Dog Brewery (Maryland) -- Flying Dog flights, beermosas, brunch items paired with each Flying Dog Pint

Sunday:  Kick the Kegs -- enjoy whatever's left of the specialty kegs that were tapped earlier in the week with pints available at the discounted $5 price. 

More details after the jump

Ward 6 Schools meeting this Sat. 5/14, @ Eastern High (1700 East Capitol St NE) w/ @TommyWells & Chancellor Kaya Henderson

What is your role in school reform?

Ward 6 State of the Schools Meeting

Saturday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. @ Eastern High School

Ward 6 Residents,

The work of improving our schools is too hard for anyone to do alone. The path to improving DC Public Schools is one that includes participation of the entire community.

Every community member has a role to play in this effort. Our schools and community are interconnected, and it is the community as a whole, not just the schools, that help our children succeed.

Take the first step in working to improve your neighborhood schools by joining us at the Ward 6 State of the Schools meeting, to strengthen partnerships between DCPS, our families and our community, and to open lines of communication to discuss new ideas and new strategies for helping children achieve success.

At the State of the Schools meeting you will have the opportunity to:

• Learn more about Ward 6 schools.
• Interact with school leaders.
• Meet fellow community members.
• Share your ideas on how to improve Ward 6 schools.

The Ward 6 State of the Schools meeting will take place on Saturday, May 14th from 10am to 1pm at Eastern High School, located at 1700 East Capitol Street, NE. Please join Tommy Wells and Acting Chancellor Kaya Henderson to learn more about the state of the schools in your community.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, May 14th.

Childcare and food will be provided.

Please share this invitation with your fellow Ward 6 residents. (download flier)

Link roundup

The Washington Post says H Street is a leading area in DC's growth with flocks of well-education, young adults rapidly coming to DC to live, work, and play, noting that DC's population of 20-34 year-olds grew 23 percent over the past decade and now constitutes a third of the city's overall population.  The piece highlights a lobbyist who says he likes hanging out on H Street and a Howard Law student who identifies Smith Commons as one of the reasons he loves living in DC.

A Nesting Experience has this nice piece with great photos of a fun dinner at Smith Commons (1245 H St).

Smith Commons (1245 H St) launched their Sunday brunch service over the weekend.  Smith Commons is now open for brunch on Saturday and Sunday starting at 11 am.  They've also opened the upstairs "Public House" for all night "Smith Hour" (happy hour pricing) on Monday evenings from 5-10 p.m. and have been offering $1 oysters during this time as well (note that only the bar menu is available for dining in the upstairs Public House space). 

Eat More Drink More touts Inspire BBQ (650 H St) as a "hidden gem" with "some of the best BBQ in DC right now."

The Hill is Home has advice from Frager's Garden Center on what to plant in the tree box in front of your house. 

Capital Spice checks out Watershed (1225 1st St NE).

TastingTable has the details on a cool new cocktail menu featuring beer and cider cocktails at the Queen Vic (1206 H St).  We had a terrific meal at the Vic last week -- our list of early favorites here includes the burger and fish n chips, and whatever is on special -- most recently Nettle Soup and a bone in pork chop. 

Richard Layman takes on a WAMU article that he says overstates the role the Rock n Roll Hotel played in H Street's revitalization and offers a more detailed history of the early work that led to H Street's ongoing renaissance.

WBJ says Tru Orleans (400 H St) is still hoping to open soon and identifies Andre Miller, formerly of Rush's Chris, as executive chef, and Brad Howard and Hans Christensen as investors in the Cajun/Creole restaurant.  The construction seems to be humming right along with permanent signs already installed and attractive iron work going up around the second level over the past few days. 

Upcoming shows at HR-57: Wed/Thurs jam sessions; Antonio Parker & Thad Wilson Q'tets this wkd

HR-57 (816 H St) has the following shows scheduled this month in addition to their weekly jam sessions ($8), which occur each Wednesday & Thursday from 8:00 p.m. til 12:00 a.m.

Weekend Calendar:

May 6, 13, 20, 27
Antonio Parker Quartet

May 7, 28
Thad Wilson Quartet

May 14
AJ Parham (jazz vocals)

May 21
Rhyminic Accent

Ward 6 Meeting on DC Redistricting Thurs, May 5, 7 pm at Potomac Ave metro

Live in Rosedale or Hill East and worried you might be redistricted out of Ward 6?  Live in Kingman Park and want to be added back to Ward 6?  Be sure to attend tomorrow's Ward 6 redistricting meeting. 

Join the Ward 6 Democrats on Thursday, May 5th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, for a public meeting on the District’s re-districting plan for Ward 6

Every 10 years, the District must redraw ward boundary lines in an effort to maintain a roughly equivalent population in each ward. According to the 2010 Census results, Wards 7 and 8 must add population, while Ward 2 needs to reduce population. But while Wards 5 and 6 aren’t required to move increase or decrease their population, both wards border the three wards that need to grow and shrink. The result? The boundaries of Wards 5 and 6 likely need to be changed so that Wards 2, 7 and 8 meet the legal requirements.

To help ensure that Ward 6 residents are able to have their voice heard, the Ward 6 Democrats have invited the three co-chairs of the Council’s Special Committee, as well as Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells, to attend a public meeting on the District’s redistricting plan for the Ward. We’ll share detailed Census data and maps, and facilitate a discussion about the community’s reaction to any proposed changes to the ward’s boundaries.

Thursday, May 5th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Friendship Public Charter School / Chamberlain Elementary (gymnasium)
1345 Potomac Ave, SE (across from Harris Teeter)
Metro accessible: Potomac Avenue Station

RSVP: http://bit.ly/W6DemsRedistricting

What’s the overall Re-Districting timeline?

The Council has created a Special Committee on Redistricting to develop and propose a new ward map. The Special Committee is co-chaired by Councilmembers Phil Mendelson, Michael A. Brown, and Jack Evans. Below is a timeline of their scheduled work:

Monday, April 25, 2011, 6:00 pm
John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Council Chambers
Public hearing to receive public comments and recommendations.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011, 10:00 am
John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Council Chambers
Public hearing to receive public comments and recommendations.

Mid-to-Late May 2011
Special Committee will propose and vote on a new ward boundary map and then hold a public hearing to review and hear feedback from constituents.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Council will hold its first vote on a finalized ward boundary map. The second and final vote will occur either in late June or early July.

Ward 6 Public Meeting

Thursday, May 5th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Friendship Public Charter School / Chamberlain Elementary - gymnasium
1345 Potomac Ave, SE (across from Harris Teeter)
Metro accessible: Potomac Avenue Station

RSVP: http://bit.ly/W6DemsRedistricting

Ward 6 Budget briefing/town hall with Mayor Gray: Sat. May 7, at Miner Elementary (601 15th St NE)

Ward 6 2012 Budget Briefing with Mayor Vince Gray.

Saturday, May 7, 2011, 3:00 p.m., at Miner Elementary School (601 15th St NE)

Food drive at H Street Farmers' Market this Saturday

Bring pantry goods to donate to a good cause this weekend at the H Street Farmers' Market (625 H St), Saturday from 9 a.m. - noon. 

Capital City Symphony: Symphony Stories: Sunday, May 8, 5 p.m. @ Atlas Performing Arts Center

The Capital City Symphony presents SYMPHONY STORIES Sunday, May 8, 2011, at 5 p.m., at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St).  This is their final season concernt. 

An exploration of the influence of art and stories on classical music, featuring Ravel's "Mother Goose Suite" and Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition."

The concert will include a slide show of new art work inspired by the names fo the movements of "pictures at an Exhibition," provided by members of the Capitol Hill Art League: Geoff Ault, Anne Bouie, Kay Fuller, Eileen Leahy, Aina Nergaard-Nammack, MM Panas, Sarah Porter, and Jacqueline Saunders.

Tickets: Adult $25; Senior $16; Youth (16 and under) FREE.  

More Details at capitalcitysymphony.org or 202-399-7933.

Link roundup

DCStyleisReal has a write up on HR-57 (816 H St).

Washington Flier has this piece by David Hagedorn (who writes a monthly feature in the WP Food Section) touting Smith Commons (1245 H St) as one of the best "out of the way" places to visit in Washington.  We think Hagedorn captures Smith Commons well saying: "The space is ultra-chill: three levels of exposed brick, hardwood floors, cascading duck curtains, loungy areas commingled with dining spots, a fireplace here, a patio there, an upper-level view onto the goings-on below.  The crowd matches the décor, a nice mix of not-overly-young professionals obviously thrilled to have a neighborhood place suitable for sophisticated adults."

Smith Commons also announced that they are hosting a DC Food Bloggers happy hour tonight and that they are now open on Mondays in the upstairs Public House where it is happy hour all night with the usual bar menu and happy hour specials as well as $1 oysters.

What the Hill has this nice write up on the Art for Life Studio just north of H Street at 931 11th Street NE. 

The Argonaut (1433 H St) posted some photos and explained their patio garden & beautification project.  It looks great and we're looking forward to tasting some of it soon!

The Wilson Quarterly (from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars) has this piece from Rosedale resident Sarah L. Coureau on her experience living in Rosedale for the past year and getting to know her neighbors.

The Rosedale Citizens' Alliance launched a "Hands off Ward 6" campaign and asked residents to sign a petition to support keeping the Rosedale neighborhood with Capitol Hill within Ward 6 after Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander expressed interest in having the neighborhood added to Ward 7 as part of DC's redrawing of its ward lines.

Curbed has this post about Engine House (1341 Maryland Ave) and The Station  (525 9th St) two new condo developments in a former Fire Engine House and a former Police SubStation just south of H Street.  It looks like Engine House is ready to hit the market, but the Station appears to be a few weeks behind with interior work ongoing.  Both projects look terrific from the street and the Curbed piece has some nice interior photos showing that these projects involving suplussed DC property will add great vibrancy and beauty to their immediate surroundings.  We'd like to see more of these repurposings of vacant DC buildings around town that restores the historic beauty of some of the old buildings. 

Ward 6 Meeting on Redistricting of DC's Ward lines: Thurs, May 5, 7 pm, at Friedship Public Charter School (Potmac Ave SE)

Ward Six Democrats DC Redistricting Plan Public Meeting Thursday, May 5, 7:00-8:00 PM. Every 10 years, the District must redraw ward boundary lines in order to maintain a roughly equivalent population in each ward. According to the 2010 census results, Wards 7 and 8 must add population, while Ward 2 needs to reduce population. But while Wards 5 and 6 aren’t required to increase or decrease their population, both wards border the three wards that need to grow and shrink. The result? The boundaries of Wards 5 and 6 will probably be changed so that Wards 2, 7 and 8 meet the legal requirements. To help ensure that Ward 6 residents are heard, the Ward 6 Democrats have invited the three co-chairs of the Council’s Special Committee, as well as Councilmember Wells, to attend this meeting on the redistricting plan. They’ll share detailed census data and maps, and facilitate a discussion about the community’s reaction to any proposed changes to the ward’s boundaries. Friendship Public Charter School, Chamberlain Elementary (gymnasium), 1345 Potomac Ave, SE (across from Harris Teeter). All are welcome.  More details follow.

H Street Street Talk tonight at the Argonaut from 6-8 p.m.

If you've been wanting to participate in the ongoing discussions about the future of H Street, but have been unable to attend one of the Wednesday afternoon sessions, tonight is your change to participate in the Joe Englert & CHAMPS organized meetings.  All are welcome at the Argonaut tonight from 6-8 p.m. 

What do YOU want to see on H Street? Do you dream of craft markets and artisan stalls? Really got a craving for a hot dog stand? Wish there was a place to buy a bike? What’s YOUR vision?
For the last five weeks, these questions have been the starting points for informal salon discussions of how H Street business owners, stakeholders and neighborhood residents envision the future of H Street, NE economic development.

The possibilities are endless, but are more easily achieved when we come together as a community to support a shared vision. Everyone is invited to be a part of the discussion; Street Talk is completely open to the public and is meant to be casual in nature.

In an effort to include as many as possible in these informal discussions, an evening session of Street Talk will be held Monday, May 2 at the Argonaut. Stop in anytime between 6 and 8pm, have a beer, and jump into the conversation. Street Talk was initiated by H Street entrepreneur Joe Englert with support from CHAMPS – Capitol Hill’s Chamber of Commerce.

DC Dining's Don Rockwell: Atlas Room is best resto in NE or SE DC, incl all of Capitol Hill

DC's most discerning foodie, Don Rockwell or DonRockwell.com weighs in heavily in favor of the Atlas Room (1015 H St) calling it "not only the best restaurant in the Atlas District, but it's also the best restaurant in all of Northeast or Southeast DC, including everything on Capitol Hill." 

We had another terrific meal there recently and enjoyed some of the new spring menu items that Rockwell recommends in his review.  Congratulations to Matt, Bobby, Mark and Chris on the continued well-deserved praise.