Many Chinatown Buses Shut Down

Planning on skipping town this weekend via Chinatown bus?  You may want to make sure the outfit is still in business...

One ticket seller, nine active bus companies, 13 companies already ordered to stop running, and three companies attempting to apply for operating authority were part of a federal operation that has shut down companies including Apex, and New Century Travel - each with stops here in Chinatown.  As of writing, Apex was still selling tickets on its website.

Ray LaHood called the companies "fly-by-night," and accused them of having "very, very poorly equipped buses."  "We want people to know when they get on a bus that it's safe," LaHood told WTOP this morning.  "This is just the beginning.  The investigations continue and we may do more shutdowns in the future."

You can listen to the full WTOP story here.

New "Cocktail Lounge" coming to Penn Quarter

Prince of Petworth reports that a new Cocktail Lounge is coming to Penn Quarter at 6th and F Streets, next to the new Fuel Pizza.

The venue will feature light food service as well as music--both recorded and live.   It will hold about 45 people and will charge a cover charge for entry.

This should be an interesting addition to Penn Quarter, particularly on nights when there are no events at the Verizon Center (which is all too rare).

Daikaya Makes Moves

Finally, a bit of progress at Daikaya.

The ramen shop was originally slated for February 2012, but developers hit a road block while trying to get permits for the restaurant.

This weekend we noticed some structure coming to the property, and an odd sign - can anyone translate?

12p UPDATE:  Commenters over at Prince of Petworth say that the posting, roughly translated, says "Our deepest apologies for disturbing you.  Safety is our number one priority, and we would greatly appreciate your cooperation."  We appreciate authenticity but we'd be quicker to forgive any disturbances if we could in fact read the sign...

City Center Names First Retail Tenant

We have been pleasantly surprised by the fact that City Center continues to beat the announced deadlines.   They're already one month ahead of their construction schedule, and last week we were told retail tenants would be announced "in about a month."

Another deadline beat: within just days, we now know at least one retail tenant: the Washington Post reports this morning that Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House will get a 17,000 square foot lease.

This is not Del Frisco's first foray into DC: the more casual Del Frisco's Grille will be opening in the old Les Halles space on July 14th.  Washington's Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House will be the tenth nationwide - joining locations in New York, Las Vegas, Boston, Charlotte, Philadelphia, and several in Texas.  

Hours have been set; it looks as though the Grille will not be open for lunch on weekends, which is disappointing for those of us who live here.  Lunch will be served 11:30a-3p Monday through Friday.  Dinner will be served 5p-11p Monday - Thursday; 5p-12a Friday - Saturday and 4p-9:30p on Sunday.

Summer is Here!

And here's how you know:  Jazz in the Garden is back!  Every Friday, from now until August 31st, you can head over for the free concert series from 5p-8:30p.  Last year, we wrote about the increased enforcement of the no-alcohol rules - and we believe they'll still be searching bags for your secret stash.

We know we're a Penn Quarter blog, but we think that The Yards Park Friday concert series is a better deal.  The music is better, it's on the river, the crowd is more fun, and you can bring whatever you like.

If you're not into packing a picnic, Yards Park always has a good selection of food trucks on hand for the concerts - for example, tonight is Buzz Bakery (cupcakes), Stix (kebobs), and local favorite Frank by Red Apron (gourmet hot dogs).  Churchkey will also be on hand with Port City Optimal Wit, Oskar Blues Mama Little Yella Pils, Lost Rhino MIG and DC Brau Hells Bottom (those are all beers, if you were wondering).   Plus - it ekes a few more weeks out of the summer and ends on September 14th.

At the Market Today

We don't need to remind you about the long weekend - but maybe you do need a reminder to pick up some Memorial Day staples at the market today.

From Evensong Farm, beef and three kinds of pork sausage; from Garner's Produce, English and snap peas, Yukon Gold potatoes, summary squash and Savoy cabbage; from Mountain View Farm, strawberries and mizuna; and from Sand Hill Farm, broccoli.

Plus - Juliette Tahar from Healthy Living will be cooking up a storm ("Can't wait to demonstrate how easy and delicious cooked radishes are.  Better yet with their tops," she tweeted.)

No excuses - the hourly forecast shows only a 10% chance of rain from 3-7 (market hours, but you knew that).

Local Vine Opens with a Sale

Local Vine Cellar has opened, and though they don't have lunchtime sandwiches, we hope they can help to fill the void left by Zola Wine & Kitchen suddenly closing last week.  Indeed - this helps - to celebrate the opening, owners David and Diane Shott are passing along a discount now through June 30th.

Everything (artisanal wine, beer and spirits) will be marked down 15%.  We're told that most things are priced at $20 and under.

Hours are Mon-Fri 11:30a-7p; Saturday 1p-6p.

Beach Bar Gets a Delivery

Eighty tons of sand arrived at the New York Avenue Beach Bar this morning.

We love the twitpic shared by @NYAveBeachBar - check out the jet-ski in the back!

The bar will be "opening soon" at 7th and New York Ave NW. They expected a Memorial Day opening, and from what we've seen, we think they can make it...

10:15a UPDATE:  They are "for sure" opening on Friday!  A fabulous start to the holiday weekend, we say.

Offerings at City Center

The Washington Post has a great write-up today on more movement at City Center (CCDC).  In addition, CCDC's website has been updated some to give us some more insight into what will likely be a hub of our city.

Food
We've talked about the Eataly speculation for City Center before, but today the article references a number of  vendors and "gourmet charcuterie merchants" expected.  Indeed, the same firm that built out food markets in Grand Central Station in New York and Faneuil Hall in Boston has recommended a similar structure here for CCDC.

Commercial Tenants
CCDC has already begun announcing commercial tenants - law firm Covington & Burling (currently located at 12th and Pennsylvania) signed a letter of intent a few days ago - and retail leases should be announced in about a month.  A VP of the development has indicated that they're targeting international clothing stores like Uniqlo and Top Shop, as well as established domestic retailers with boutique brands (like Ralph Lauren's Rugby or J. Crew's Madewell - interestingly enough, J. Crew is popping up on F Street in August and Ralph Lauren has been rumored for that same block).

Apartments and Condos
As expected, CCDC bifurcates housing into 458 apartments and 216 condos.  By this fall, a sales center will be available for more information - move-in is projected as fall 2013.  So far, parking information indicates public parking only.  Though we know apartments and condos come with parking spots, we wonder if there will be a resident-only lot or entrance.  As CCDC gets more built up, that's certain to be a huge selling point.

Check out the video:

Cheap Date

Looking for fun activities to pass the time before Memorial Day?

Some great deals for a cheap date night in and around Penn Quarter today:
50% off tickets to see Woolly Mammoth's Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play from AmazonLocal; and
50% off Kushi from Living Social.

Mass Court's New Retail

We've long known that Carving Room will be coming to the retail bays at Mass Court - but we missed the recent news that the bistro will be joined by FAI Pizza and a dry cleaner, all to open late summer.  We believe those leases (4,370 square feet total) closes out all of the available retail at Mass Court.

Our crude Google translating skills tells us that "Fai" means "you do" in Italian - we wonder if the concept is make-your-own?

Is Spike Moving In?

We've been thinking about the Zola Wine & Kitchen space for a couple of days now.  We know it was bought on Tuesday, and store employees have been telling people that it was bought by a "famous DC chef," with a few properties already in the area.

To us, that immediately implied Jose Andres, and we've already made our guesses about that.

But we remembered an old news item today - that Spike Mendlesohn had plans to open a steak frites place this summer.

Spike's sister Micheline, who was the one who leaked the tidbit to the Washington City Paper (via a letter to Michelle Obama, oddly enough) back in February, indicated that it will not be a fast-casual spot like Good Stuff and We, the Pizza.  The space at Zola Wine & Kitchen would fit the bill pretty perfectly, and Penn Quarter hasn't been saturated in the steak frites market like it has with some other cuisines.

In terms of other DC celebrechefs, Michel Richard stands out - but to our knowledge he has no public plans for expansion within the district.

We'll mull it over this weekend and see if we can't get any more supporting evidence for our theory.  Any theories of your own, readers?

5:15p UPDATE:  Thanks to some intel from one of our amazing readers, we're told that scuttlebutt around Zola Wine & Kitchen on Wednesday was that the space will be used as the permanent location for Minibar (this makes sense, with the open kitchen).  Perhaps Andres decided he needed the entire America Eats building for his offices (the previous plan was that Minibar and office space would split the building).  The rushed transaction is probably to accommodate for America Eats' closing on July 4th of this year.

Tel'Veh Opening Next Week

The wine bar housed at 401 Massachusetts, Tel'Veh, is set to open on Monday (though no reservations are available yet).

Tel'Veh is outfitted with high-tech wine dispensers - insurance that your bottle is stored at just the right humidity and temperature - important for an establishment that boasts 300 bottles and 48 by-the-glass selections.  The plan is to grow the cellar to 800 bottles with exotic wines you won't be able to find elsewhere.

Washingtonian has a look at the food selection served at the bar, but doesn't mention that Tel'Veh will be open as a cafe for breakfast starting at 7a.  "Tel'Veh" is in fact derived from the Turkish term for the residue at the bottom of a coffee cup - so we're betting they do coffee well.  The wine bar will stay open until 2a.

Seating is for 60 inside and 40 outside - great for the weather that's finally upon us.  Paired with Carving Room, the "urban-deli-retro-gastro-pub" coming to the Mass Court building at 3rd and H, and the recently opened Sixth Engine, NoMa is turning out to be quite the food destination.

View New NoMa Restaurants in a larger map

Art of SpYn Targets August Opening

Art of SpYn reached out to let us know that the planned studio opening date is August 2012.  About a month ago, we guessed that their opening would be concurrent with neighbor J. Crew, also opening in August.

Class listings are also up for their spin and yoga offerings - here's our favorite:

TAS Lite:  A little too much indulging over the weekend?  Sleep in and then come take our TAS Lite class to help you detoxify and get ready for the week ahead.  We promise you a challenging workout that pushes just the right amount after a long night.  Free coconut water after class to replenish your electrolytes and restore your mo-jo.

Today at the PQ Market

As promised, we're back with an update on what's at the Penn Quarter market today ($2 off at the White House market was alluring but Penn Quarter will always have our heart!)

Today: Anchor Nursery's rhubarb, Clear Spring Creamery's camembert, Evensong Farm's spring chicken, Garner's Produce's broccoli and English peas, Red Apron Butchery's porchetta, and Soupergirl's spring barley soup.

3-7p today, as always.

PQ's DMV

The Georgetown DMV is closing temporarily due to construction in the Georgetown Park Mall - and the temporarily-relocated office will be here in Penn Quarter.

Beginning June 4th, you'll be able to stand in line in misery at 301 C Street NW, where the DMV's current adjudication offices currently are (you can contest your ticket from the 9th Street Tunnel speed camera - still there, by the way - while you're renewing your license!).  The hours will be Monday to Friday from 8:15a to 4p.

Take note - Georgetown DMV closes May 19th, and your only option in the two week interim before the Penn Quarter DMV opens will be the Penn Branch and the Southwest Service Centers.

No wonder on when the Georgetown DMV will reopen.

What's Next at Zola Wine & Kitchen

So: what's next for Zola Wine & Kitchen?  As of last night, they had sold all of their wine and had closed the shop for good.  Though the 50% off sale was due to come to an end tomorrow, the demand for cheap wine in Penn Quarter was simply too much!  (We spotted lots of happy customers leaving with full cases of wine, so it wasn't much of a surprise.)

Zola Wine and Kitchen has said that they were bought out on Tuesday morning by a restaurateur, and Prince of Petworth has some intel that the buyer already has space in the area.

We can't immediately put in a good guess.  Surely Jose Andres has tapped out the market here - unless he's trying to time a new opening with the close of America Eats on July 4th, hence the haste of the sale?  (America Eats will become an 18-seat Minibar and the corporate offices for Andres' Think Food Group.)

Mike Isabella?  Reservations have certainly been hard to come by at Graffiato, but we have to think that with Bandolero opening in Georgetown on May 24th, it's not him.  Bharet Malhotra from CoCo Sala?  We know it's not the folks from Wagamama by the speed at which this deal was transacted, that's for sure.  We'll keep an eye on it.

White House Market

We feel a little bit like we're cheating on the Penn Quarter farmers market by reporting this, but we thought we'd give you a heads up that today at the White House farmers market (on Vermont between H and I), you get $2 of "market dollars" back when you spend $10 on produce.

Plus - Chef John Snedden from Rocklands BBQ will be grilling up some asparagus at noon for the chef demonstration.

The White House market runs today (and every Thursday) from 11a-2:30p (remember that Penn Quarter market starts at 3p, so it's very feasible to hit both - and we'll be back later with today's PQ market specials!).

March Madness Returns

It was announced today that the Verizon Center will play home to the East Region of March Madness again next year.  Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games will be on March 28th and March 30th, 2013.

Georgetown Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lee Reed is "happy to bring this great event to our city for Georgetown fans and others who love March Madness."

Selection Sunday is only 306 days away...!

More News on BASIS

There's a great article in yesterday's Washington Examiner about BASIS, the charter school that will be opening on 8th Street between D and E come the fall.

We've known for some time that the curriculum will be more rigorous than standard DC public or private education, and the article confirms that: ("We tell D.C. parents that it will be brutally hard," [the founders] acknowledge.  "But when they graduate, their children will be among the best-educated in the city.")

What we didn't know is that students will have enough credits to enter college by the 11th grade - and they then spend all of senior year off-campus working on a senior project.  ("It deals with senioritis perfectly," the founders noted.)

The article reports there are still about 30 spots left in the 500-person class if you are still interested in enrolling your child.

Zola Wine & Kitchen Closing

Effective immediately, the kitchen at Zola Wine & Kitchen has closed.  It all seems very sudden - they still even have their planned lunch specials for the rest of the week online - but no word yet on why they're shuttering.  The shop will remain open until their final close on Friday, and everything is 50% off until then.  We will absolutely miss having them in the neighborhood.

MAY 16 UPDATE:  If you have a gift certificate to Zola Wine & Kitchen, it will be honored at Zola, Potenza and the Potenza wine shop.

Restaurants by Design

Now that the AIA's District Architecture Center has opened in Penn Quarter, it's a natural fit that the National Convention and Design Exposition is being held here in DC.  Architects from all over will be descending upon the Convention Center Thursday through Saturday.

Architecture DC has released a list called "Dine and Design DC," which introduces out-of-towners to restaurants in (our) area.  Each restaurant gets a rundown of the architecture firm that designed it, design notes, and dine notes.  Where applicable, it notes if the architecture has won any awards (as Zaytinya did in 2003, taking home the award for Excellence in Interior Architecture).

Even for the less-design-inclined, it's worth checking out pages 41-54 of the magazine.

Eat a Burrito, Help the Farmers Market

Tonight between 5p and 8p, Chipotle will be donating 50% of all sales at their DC stores to FRESHFARM Markets as part of an initiative to help increase access to high-quality, locally grown food through producer-only farmers markets. The program is called "Raising Green for Green's Sake."

The closest Chipotles are on 7th in Chinatown, at CityVista, and at Union Station.

Cell Phone Recycling

If you missed last month's chance to donate your old cell phone, you're in luck: there's another chance to recycle tomorrow.

You can bring any old cell phones, regardless of condition to tomorrow's EcoWomen meet up at Teaism (7th and E NW) between 6p and 8p on Tuesday.  EcoWomen is partnering with Earthworks for their Recycle My Cell Phone campaign.  EarthWorks gets the working parts to partners who can refurbish other phones, and disposes of the rest of the phone in a way that keeps harmful chemicals out of landfills.

Monday Updates

Happy Monday morning, Penn Quarter!

First up:  we've got some news via the Washington Post about Protein Bar - build out will take about $800,000 and two months - we're to expect the healthy eatery in "mid-July."  A second store is already in the works for Ballston, and the two ventures will provide 80-100 jobs for locals.

Also: if you went looking for District Taco over the weekend, you likely found it was closed for the weekend. (But reopened this morning.)  DCist reports that they are still working out some details but expect it to be seven-days-a-week.  Soon.  We'll watch it come Friday.  More good news: their beer license is on the way.

Explosion at the National Building Museum

According to reports from firefighters, there was a propane tank explosion a few minutes ago at the National Building Museum's kitchen. One person sustained injuries: burns to their hands and face.

Thankfully, the fire has already been put out.

An UPDATE from the fire department reveals that the injuries are life-threatening and the person has already been transported to the trauma center.

The explosion occurred during an event currently going on there - 100 Bowls of Compassion - to benefit Miriam's Kitchen.

Market Today

Flowers for Mother's Day!

Chef demonstration from 701!

Broccoli!

8th Street between D and E, until 7p.

The Penn Quarter Real Estate Market

According to a report prepared by M Squared Realty, the average-sold price of Penn Quarter real estate is down 8% from last April.  Comparing Q1 2012 to Q1 2011, it's down even more: 13%.

It bears noting that due to Penn Quarter's small geographic area, it's a small sample size: just 4 condos each April, and to our knowledge, the figures don't account for differences in square footage of the condos sold.

Check out the full report here, and M Squared's video tour of Penn Quarter:


View Penn Quarter and over 3,000,000 other topics on Qwiki.

Pulling Off a Last Minute Mother's Day

Mother's Day is Sunday.  If that realization made your blood pressure rise and your pulse quicken, fear not.  There are still ways to pull off a very respectable celebration here in Penn Quarter!

You'll want to get on a restaurant reservation right away.  Our number one choice - hearing the Howard University gospel choir at The Hamilton - is sold out, but there are a few options still remaining if you're looking for a table for 4 for brunch on Sunday:

As for presents?  There are, of course, a plethora of retail options here in Penn Quarter.  May we suggest Mia Gemma for your mama, or maybe Coup de Foudre for your wife?

We also love the idea of donating to a cause for the mother in your life.  For example, you can make a flower donation to the National Mall in your mom's name.  It's $1 per daffodil or tulip.  You could give her your gift over a picnic lunch from Cowgirl Creamery on the mall.

Or what about heading to the Farmers Market today (details on what will be available coming soon!), picking up some ingredients for a homemade brunch, and a donation to some of their nonprofit partners?

Get to it!  Your mothers deserve it!

iPhone Thieves

Gallery Place earned itself the dubious distinction of being the number nine most dangerous metro station this year - and not without reason.  Yesterday morning, a woman was emailing on her iPhone at the station when a thief grabbed it straight out of her hands.

This is not an unusual occurrence, necessarily, and it absolutely bears noting that you should be careful while in the station.  But the reason we're reporting on this particular instance is because of the happy ending.

The woman chased the thief down the two flights, where the two circled the escalator bank for "two or three minutes," according to the testimony she gave NBC4.  Her cries for help were heard by a metro worker, who tackled the thief to the ground and got the phone back.  This is the second time this month that good samaritans have come to the aid of larceny victims.

While we love the happy ending of this story, Metro says riders should call police rather than take matters into their own hands.

Check out NBC4's report here:

View more videos at: http://nbcwashington.com.

District Taco Opening!

District Taco will be "open for testing" tomorrow and hope to be open for official business by Friday.

If you want to be a tester tomorrow, follow them on Twitter, then tweet them a time between 9 and 5, and they'll let you know if you've got yourself a spot!

Go welcome them to the neighborhood this week - they can be found at 1309 F St. NW.

4:05p UPDATE:  

BASIS Ranks High

BASIS Tucson, an arm of the Arizona-based charter school network, was ranked the #1 charter school in the country and the #6 overall high school.

So why do we care?  BASIS' next move is to 8th between D and E: the charter school's first expansion out of Arizona is right here in Penn Quarter. Work is still being done on the building, but BASIS DC expects to serve grades 5-8 starting in September.

BASIS has released a before-and-after shot of how the building will look come September:

BASIS come fall                                     Existing building

Speed Camera

A reader just tipped us off to the speed-camera-trap in the South-bound 9th Street tunnel under the mall.  The camera, along with a police officer, are hidden just around the turn.  The posted speed limit there is 35 - beware!

UPDATE:  Another tipster told us the camera and officer were there yesterday, as well.  Keep an eye out, morning commuters.

Afternoon Pick-Me-Up

Free Haagen-Dazs ice cream?  Don't mind if we do...

Downtown Neighborhood Association Meeting Tonight

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has a pretty hefty schedule this evening for their monthly meeting.

From President Nanette Paris:

"Our next meeting is a must-attend for downtown residents.  On the agenda is Randy Boe from Monumental Sports & Entertainment, who will talk about the revised legislation proposed for the Verizon Center signage.  This revised legislation is due to community feedback earlier this year.

"...[R]ead the revised proposed legislation and see a visual presentation.

"Please come to this important meeting to voice your opinion on the revisions.  It is critical to have representative community involvement in legislation that will permanently shape the character and feel of our downtown hub.

"Also at the meeting will be a representative from the DC Office of Planning, and our PSA 102 representatives from the MPD to discuss crime and other issues in our neighborhood.  Learn what has been going on.  Being aware of neighborhood goings-on is a key to safety." 

The meeting is tonight at 6:30p at the Calvary Baptist Church.

Bacon Bar

Bacon!  

Chef Geoff's love of bacon has been translated to a bacon themed special menu that will be available every Wednesday and Thursday.  Making appearances: BLTs, pork belly, bacon wrapped shrimp, even bacon-themed desserts like chocolate bacon caramel corn. 

The menu premieres tomorrow - check out the full menu here.

District Taco Set to Open

District Taco has passed all inspections and is ready to open - they'll be training staff for a few days and we can expect them to open shortly.  Congrats!

A twitpic from @DistrictTaco with the caption "Finally!!! It is done!!!"

Getting Around This Weekend

It's a big weekend.  The Phillies are in town (games 7:05p tonight, 1:05p tomorrow, and 8:05p on Sunday).  The Rangers are in town (game 12:30p tomorrow).  The Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo.  Taste of Mount Vernon Triangle.  The Race for Hope (which will close down the usual 5K route on and around Pennsylvania on Sunday morning from 5a to 11a).  Did we mention there was major metro track work?

Washington Post's Dr. Gridlock has an extensive article on navigating all of this weekend.  No matter where or how you're going, you're bound to be affected by sports fans, drunk people, or track work.  We grumbled too - but just remember you're the lucky one: you can walk to all of that.  Happy Penn Quartering!

Cintucky Derb Mayo

How to celebrate a very festive day:

• The Derby.  Both the Nats and the Caps games should be done by post-time (6:23p), so we'd be any sports bar worth its weight (and we've weighed in on this in the past) will be showing the Run for the Roses.  Hill Country has a special menu for the day, also.  If you're looking for something a bit fancier, we recommend Bonnets and Bowties at the Willard.  $75 gets you two juleps, an all-you-can-eat buffet, some giveaways, and prizes for the best hat and bowtie.  
• Cinco de Mayo.  Looking for the best marg in town?  Thrillist identified Penn Quarter as the best place to do a "margarita tour."  They suggest taking a pedicab but as a PQ resident, you know your way around well enough to stumble between:

• Hill Country's Kreuz margarita;
• Jose Andres' personal favorite marg at Oyamel (they'll have a live band from 1p-5p);
• the Coco de Mayo at Rosa Mexicano (they'll also have live music and giveaways);
• Ceiba's margarita de casa (Ceiba is also offering $5 raffle tickets for an all-inclusive trip for two to Mexico to celebrate - margs and street food are also only $5); and finally
• Topic the Margarita at PS7's.
• As a bonus, we also suggest the margaritas at Zengo.
• (As a double bonus, you'll be hungry after all of that drinking - stop by California Tortilla and get a coupon for a free taco).

This could be the only day of the year that sombreros go with seersucker.  Live it up!

Ralph Lauren in PQ?

Greater Greater Washington reports today that the Equitable Building at 915 F Street (nee The Fifth Column, Club Bounce, Platinum Nightclub, Museum of Arts and Sciences, etc.) is getting closer to sale.  You may remember that back in January it was OK'd for a pop-up, and Douglas Jemal reports that retailers are interested in the space, specifically Ralph Lauren.  If true, this would be Lauren's second location in the District - the other on Wisconsin in Georgetown (and the third if you count Rugby).

Ralph Lauren would join Anthropologie, Lou Lou, Mia Gemma and the forthcoming J. Crew on that block, and of course Zara, Forever 21, Macy's, Guess, American Apparel, and H&M all just a block or two away.  We could hit 1.1 million square feet of retail far before 2018 if we keep this up!

Market Thursday

The goodness coming from the folks at Penn Quarter Market today is just overwhelming:

You've got until 7p - you know what to do.

Downtown Playground

Downtown DC Kids has been working hard to make our neighborhood more kid and family friendly - and we are pleased to report they are making great strides.

Yesterday, the DC Committee on Libraries, Parks, Recreation and Planning, chaired by Councilmember Tommy Wells, unanimously approved budget recommendations that included funds for a playground.    It's been suggested that Carnegie Library, Seaton Park or the National Building Museum lawn house a kid-friendly playground or climbing structure.

Still, the funding is not currently guaranteed - the budget must be approved by Mayor Gray and other councilmembers - and Downtown DC Kids wants your help.  Check out their post on how you can get involved.

The Mall: Redesigned

The competition to redesign the National Mall has come to a close, and the results are in.

By 2016:

• Constitution Gardens will soon feature an ice rink and a glassed in restaurant;
• The area surrounding the Washington Monument will be built up, a bit like an amphitheater; and
• Union Square will get a reflecting pool all of its own.

We're excited for the changes, but given the mall-rehab has already begun, four years seems a long way away...

Reports of Gas/Smoke Inhalation at Fairfield Inn

Reports from the DC Fire & EMS and the DCPD are coming in about the strong smell of gas at the Fairfield Inn at 5th and H NW.  Additionally, DCPD reports that five people have been treated for smoke inhalation.

Vehicular and pedestrian traffic has been stopped in the area:

3:30p UPDATE:  DCPD reports that the area is now clear.

More on the Beach Bar

It's already starting to look like the quintessential DC summer (Friday is supposed to hit 89!), so to say that we're looking forward to the New York Avenue Beach Bar is an understatement.

The space has already begun to build out, and we're told it's only a couple of weeks away now.  We know that hours will be Tues - Thurs 12p-2a; Fri - Sun 12p-3a.  If you see the 80 tons of sand arrive, let us know!