Link roundup

Steuart Development breaks ground on 360º H Street today.  The groundbreaking is not a public event, but the Mayor & Councilmember Wells are expected to participate.  The development will bring a Giant grocery store and over 200 residential units to the now vacant lot on the north side of H Street between 3rd and 4th Streets.  This is a big deal. 

Hessman Entertainment (@EventsonHSt) put on a terrific Bastille Day celebration at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St) with guitar virtuoso Stephane Wremble.  Stay tuned for the next event from Hessman, a resident of the neighborhood. 

HR-57 (816 H St) hosted an awesome performance by the Chuchito Valdes Quintet.  He'll be back again in the fall, and there'll be lots of terrific performances between now and then.  We were lucky to catch this show and the Bastille Day fest and they were probably the two best performances we've seen on H Street or anywhere else recently.  Check HR-57's website for more details and remember that you can BYOB.

The Hill checks out Queen Vic (1206 H St), which is one of our favorite new spots.  We recommend the fish n chips, burger, and whatever's on special.  This place is a real gastropub and the food is every bit as good as the drink. 

The Hill is Home has a similar guest review that also concludes that this isn't your average pub, because the food and drink are damn good.  The reviewer also mentions our favorite draught beer on their list: the Bellhaven Scottish Ale. 

Eater has a preview on Tru Orleans (400 H St), which opened Friday.  It looks terrific. 

Express has a nice piece on Khan's (1125 H St).  Khan's has added a nice outdoor patio and a full prepared appetizers menu in recent weeks and we've heard good things about both.

Ward 6 ANC lines are being redrawn and the Committee now has a blog website http://w6tf.blogspot.com/

Tru Orleans (400 H St) opened over the weekend.  Thrillist has a nice preview.  We haven't been yet. 

Scott Kubly the DDOT employee overseeing the streetcar program announced he was leaving the government (h/t CM Tommy Wells).  Lydia DePillis follows up at Housing Complex noting that Kubly also oversaw the Circulator Bus and Capitol Bikeshare (though another individual runs that program).  Kubly explains his departure is a sign that the streetcar program has made substantial progress with a  contract for two additional cars going before the Council a request for proposals for streetcar operations and maintenance recently completed.

The New York Times notes the changing population demographics in the District with a focus on the H Street neighborhood.  The piece unfortunately picks up on an angry individual who did not property taxes and whose property was listed for the annual tax sale of unpaid property tax bills from previous years.  The piece ends with an interesting note from Anwar Saleem who is the H Street Main Street Executive Director & owner of a hair salon on the 1000 block of H Street: “Do you want to sell what you want, or do you want to sell what people want to buy?” he said. “If you change your attitude, guess what? It will change your pocket.”  According to the story, Saleem is changing the name of his salon to Salon on H in an effort to do that latter.