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UPDATE, NOV. 9: This meeting is now going to be on Nov. 17, still at 6:30 pm at 200 I St., SE. It was rescheduled from its original date that turned out to conflict with a public safety meeting
Original post:
There's not much detail at this point, but a public meeting has been scheduled on Oct. 27 at 6:30 pm at 200 I Street to discuss the DC Housing Authority's plans for the block known as Square 767, bounded by 2nd Place and 3rd, I, and K Streets SE.
This block, part of the Capper/Carrollsburg Hope VI redevelopment footprint, is the location where DCHA is looking to sell a portion of the land so that an as-yet unnamed developer can build a market-rate condo building. Such a plan would seem to mean that the necessary affordable rental units on that block would be confined to whatever non-condo project is also built on that block, a notion has had neighbors expressing much concern since it was first revealed nearly two years ago.
There's no agenda or materials yet released, so look for a more detailed post once DCHA makes those items available.
 

* BARDO RIVERFRONT, AGAIN: Last week a new "placard" was posted for an alcoholic beverage license application for Bardo Riverfront, the proposed combination outdoor brew pub and family-friendly riverfront park at Florida Rock.
This is Bardo's second attempt at the ABC process for this site (the first placard having been rescinded just a few weeks after a filing in August), and is now technically the fourth time that the notion of a large outdoor activity/party/drinking/whatever space has been attempted at this spot across from Nats Park.
This application is for a Retailer's Class D Tavern license (as opposed to a Class C Tavern license last time), and is described thusly: "Outdoor Beer Garden. Beer made on premise. Food Trucks to supply food. Total number of Summer Garden seats: 700. Total Occupancy Load: 750. Brew Pub Endorsement."
As to why Bardo's application earlier in 2015 never made it all the way through after being announced back in March, one might want to read this transcript from the April hearing at the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to see the many (many) concerns raised by the board and by MPD, which clearly is not supportive of any venture of this type in this location. (And I can't not highlight the comments from Commander Jeff Brown of MPD about how the "applicant here says it's going to be cornhole bean-bag toss, which I'm not even going to pretend to know what that is, but I think I'll be safe to say that it's not very popular.")
* DOCK 79 FLOOR PLANS: While the potential Bardo Riverfront footprint is on the western, later-phase portion of the Florida Rock site, construction is progressing on Dock 79, the 320ish-unit residential building at the east end of the property (seen above from across the Anacostia River at Poplar Point). The project's web site and Facebook/Twitter accounts having been active for a while, and there are now virtual tours available of studio, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom units, as well as the roof.
* JUST BECAUSE: Like that photo up top? Here's the same spot, more than 10 years ago.
Comments (8)
More posts: bardo, dock79, Florida Rock
 

The abacus has been dusted off, my fingers are sore from being used as calculators, and I've now tabulated the responses to the 2015 JDLand reader poll.
I applaud the 380 of you who responded (even if that's less than 10 percent of the site's unique visitors during the time the nine days the poll was running, so boo to the other 3,000 or so visitors who passed).
Let's get right to the headlines, before taking a deeper dive. And of course you can look at the full numbers yourselves, should you wish. (While keeping in mind that this is of course not in the least bit scientific.)
Favorite Lunch Spot: TaKorean
This was the closest of all categories, with TaKorean edging out next-door neighbor Sweetgreen by all of two votes, though together they only accounted for a little less than 30%of the vote. Third place went to Nando's Peri-Peri, with Cornercopia landing in 4th place and pretty much every other option in the neighborhood (and some not in the neighborhood, ahem) getting at least a couple votes.
Favorite Dinner Spot: Osteria Morini
This category's top vote-getting shouldn't really be a surprise, but Chef Michael White's Italian restaurant in the Lumber Shed pulled away from the competition, with 37% of the vote and 85 more votes than second-place finisher Bluejacket. And after only a few weeks in operation, Due South took 3rd place. followed by a tie between Agua 301 and Nando's Peri-Peri.
Favorite Drink Spot: Bluejacket
This category was even more of a runaway victory, as the highly regarded brewery received 44% of the vote, and about 100 votes more than Justin's Cafe, which took second place with 13% of the vote. The neighborhood's other brewery, Gordon Biersch, took third place, and Agua 301 finished fourth. (Lots of votes for some variation of drinking alone at home, though, which perhaps means the neighborhood needs an intervention.)
Looking Forward To: Whole Foods
It wasn't a resounding victory, but when forced to choose, about 29% of respondents indicated that the new Whole Foods at New Jersey and H is the next development of most interest to them, with 24% wanting Half Street north of the ballpark to get built and 20% itching for the Showplace Icon movie theater to open.
As for the other questions I asked, here's a few bullet points hitting the highlights:
* It may shock you, but it absolutely does not shock me that more than 68% of respondents were male. Definitely kind of a guy thing to be interested in photos of buildings getting built.
* Nearly two-thirds of readers are between the ages of 25 and 44. (I remember being between the ages of 25 and 44!)
* Despite my thoughts to the contrary, only 33 respondents reported owning a dog. Which mainly serves as the clearest indication that I don't have anywhere near the neighborhood readership I ought to.
* About 63% of respondents reported themselves as being neighborhood residents. And of the 55% of that group who then answered, the own/rent breakdown was 64%-36%.
* I appreciate all the sucking up by the 75% of respondents who choose "JD's witty reportage" as one of the parts of the site that is of most interest.
* Only a smidge more than 16% of those who responded said they primarily get word of new content from Twitter or Facebook. This is still Web 1.0 territory! (Mailing lists/RSS feeds and visiting the site a few times a week account for about 60% of that vote.)
* Yeah, yeah, "Navy Yard." BAH.
Feel free to check out the report and then add your own analysis in the comments.
And, to be serious for a moment, a lot of you wrote a lot of really nice things on your questionnaire, and for that, I thank you most sincerely. (And a few of you didn't, but oh well.) It's great to know you are out there and are getting some use out of all of this. And I'm resolved to perk things up a bit in return.
Three people have been chosen to as winners of JDLand t-shirts, and have been notified. (But if you want to buy one, they're $12, and are still available in S-M-L-XL.)
Comments (10)
More posts: JDLand stuff
 

* LOWER LAS PLACITAS: Capitol Hill Corner reports that the owners of Las Placitas told ANC 6B that they hope to open in their new location at 8th and L Streets SE on Nov. 1. The space will have 40 seats inside and another 38 along the building's north side.
* 'CAPERS: Excerpts from the one-woman play "'Capers," about how residents of Capper/Carrollsburg dealt with the housing project's demolition, is being performed tonight (Oct. 15) at 7 pm at 400 M St. SE, hosted by the Arthur Capper Carollsburg Community Village. You can also catch the entire play four nights next week at the Forum Theatre in Silver Spring.
* DSS BARRY CEREMONY: The Display Ship Barry isn't actually leaving just yet, but on Saturday Oct. 17 the Navy is holding a departure ceremony at 10 am inside the fences of the Navy Yard. See the announcement for details, including how to get into the base if you wish to attend. It was announced in February that the ship will be dismantled and removed from its home along the Anacostia Riverwalk.
* WATCH. BOX.: A "watch box" (guard shack) that stood as part of the sentry post at the Navy Yard's 8th Street entrance from 1853ish until 1905ish and was passed through by Abraham Lincoln just hours before his assassination has been restored and formally ribbon-cut on Oct. 8 after its return earlier this year from a 110-year stay at Indian Head. (Though unfortunately it's on display on a portion of the grounds that most of us will never see.)
* SODOSOPA: South Park took on gentrification last week, with the new neighborhood of SoDoSoPa, the Lofts at SoDoSoPa, and the Residences at the Lofts at SoDoSoPa. And there was this: "What this town needs is a Whole Foods. It will instantly validate us as a town that cares about stuff." (And yet you people still refuse to adopt my new name for this neighborhood, Near Capitol Ballpark River Yards, #NeCaBaRY.)
* BRIDGE BEFORE AND AFTER: DDOT's historic photos Tumblr recently included a shot from 1966 of the early construction of the downriver 11th Street Bridge span. And I realized I have a photo taken from a very similar location as the span was dismantled in 2012 and its offspring was built. (The piers remain in the water, though, as the potential underpinnings of the 11th Street Bridge Park.)
 

Looks like the Washington Business Journal caught the first glimpse in the wild of the 383-unit residential project at 909 Half Street, now that the permit for building above ground level has been approved.
(And is it really all that different from my rendering?)
No official comment or additional info to be had at this point; however, maybe now that it's out there the development team of Ruben and Related will catch up with the party and pass along some tidbits.
 

Credit for the season-appropriate image goes to the unknown resident at Onyx along L Street, who graciously put out mums and Halloween decorations in a location where the JDLand camera could see them. If you're a reader, thanks!
It's beginning to feel a lot like autumn, and so it's a good time to look at the lineup of the neighborhood's Halloween-themed events, which are conveniently scheduled the weekend before Halloween, since the big day itself is on a Saturday this year.
* PUMPKINS IN THE PARK: On Oct. 24 from 11 am to 1 pm, the free Pumpkins in the Park event returns to Canal Park for its second year, with pumpkin painting, face painting, a moonbounce, and music from Rainbow Rock.
* WHARF PUMPKIN PALOOZA: If you feel like stretching your legs a bit, you can wander over to the Gangplank Marina Park at 6th & Water Streets SW for Pumpkin Palooza, on Oct. 24 from noon to 4 pm. "Create your own 'pumpkin' at the Wharf's waterfront art studio while listening to the Wil Gravatt Band." Plus, Grillmaster Bufus will be manning the King Ribs shack.
* BARKTOBERFEST: Halloween goes to the dogs with the Washington Animal Rescue League's Barktoberfest, on Oct. 24 from 1 to 5 pm at the corner of 1st and N Streets, SE. There's dogs, there's dog costumes, there's bocce, there's shopping, there's food trucks, there's beer. Tickets start at $10 for non-drinking guests, then go up to $35 in advance ($40 at the door) for general admission, or the $50 VIP unlimited-tastings ticket.
* GREAT PUMPKIN PARTY: The Waterfront Church is hosting a free Great Pumpkin Party on Sunday, Oct. 25 from 4 to 6 pm at the Courtyard by Marriott at 140 L St. SE (2nd floor). Candy, face painting, cookie decorating, "jumpers" (?), games, and more.
Also, if you're already looking past fall and toward winter, the word is out that the Canal Park Ice Rink will have its grand opening for the season on Saturday, Nov. 14. And, on Dec. 5 and 6, the holiday-themed Parcel Market will return to Canal Park.
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More posts: Events
 

The 2015 JDLand Reader Poll is entering its final hours, as I will stop accepting entries at 11:59 PM EDT Tuesday, Oct. 13 (a little more than 24 hours away as of this writing).
If you haven't yet taken the moment or two to fill it out (WAAAAAAH), you may not realize that it gives you the chance to vote for your favorite lunch, dinner, and drink spots in this neighborhood--and also gives you the chance to declare on your preferred name for the neighborhood, what your favorite amenities are, and what upcoming projects you are the most excited to see completed.
There's also a couple of demographic-type questions to help me better know my audience, because I can't pass up the opportunity to be nosey.
You can also enter yourself in the random drawing for a coveted JDLand t-shirt, which wlll tell everyone you pass on the street and at the gym that you are one of the tens of people getting news and snark from this little outpost of the web.
I originally said that I'll give away t-shirts to two random poll respondents, but if I get a big response during these final few hours, I may up the count. So make it worth my while!
I'll then take a little time to digest the results, and will then post the winners and the other details.
If you've already responded, thank you so much!
If you don't fill it out, just remember that you are breaking my heart and making me question whether I should even continue blogging. No pressure.
LATE UPDATE: With less than three hours to go, one of the Favorites categories has only a one-vote margin between the top two. Make sure your voice is heard!
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More posts: JDLand stuff
 

There's a milestone of sorts right now in the Holes report, as the current lineup of excavations for six developments-to-be are all now in the vertical construction phase. (The seventh technically-underway project, Skanska's spec office building at 99 M Street, does not appear to have broken ground, either ceremonially or literally.)
The longest serving member of the holes lineup, 800 New Jersey (aka the Whole Foods Building) continues its slow (did I mention slow?) progress toward reaching ground level on its western side, having hit that milestone on its eastern edge a number of months ago. Meanwhile, the list's first runner-up, 1111 New Jersey (which I suppose someday I'll have to start calling The Gallery at Capitol Riverfront) is pouring concrete and rebar-ing at last. (Do not underestimate the intricacies of excavation and construction near a Metro station.) Here's 800 and 1100, both captured a few days ago:
Then there's the as-yet-unrendering'ed residential project at 909 Half Street, as well as the hole that will sprout both the Residence Inn hotel and F1rst apartment building along 1st Street south of M, all of which were started within weeks of each other in the spring and none of which are small:
Lastly there's the Homewood Suites project at 50 M Street, which despite only going down about two floors has lagged behind its spring cohorts, but which now has a partial concrete floor and some columns, though with a dirt floor still partially in evidence. (See my previous comment about the intricacies of excavation and construction near a Metro station.)
Given how I am getting jolted by the skyline changes from a mere two new skeletons (at Florida Rock and 801 New Jersey), imagine the joltings that are on tap for 2016 as these additional projects rise out of the ground. The image below may help prepare you (and me), with my having marked the locations where the view is going to change.... (UPDATE: Dang it, I had the F1rst and Residence Inn locations swapped. The image is correct now.)
 

As someone who has, shall we say, a pretty firm grasp on the plans and locations for new buildings in the neighborhood, I admit to a jolt here or there when skeletons arise and become visible--especially in spots at which I hadn't yet imagined seeing them.
With the residential buildings at Florida Rock and 801 New Jersey now in the showy above-ground portion of construction, I got jolted quite a few times during a four-hour walk around the neighborhood on Sunday to catch up on photos.
Here's a few images that perhaps might jolt you too, starting with the one above, looking directly at Dock 79 from the DC Water bridge along the Riverwalk, which also should be compared to this view from just before the final demolition of the concrete plant. And while there's this one that I've been waiting to see, looking east along Potomac Avenue from South Capitol Street, with work on the top floor now underway, there's also the "surprise" view from the Yards Park (click to enlarge):
Dock 79 is also quite visible now when looking south along 1st Street, and even from New Jersey and M (in person, not with a wideish-angle lens!).
As for 801 New Jersey, it hasn't risen more than a couple floors, but it's still starting to show itself at locations other than the intersection of New Jersey and I--like along K Street, at 1st and at 2nd Place (I've added a small helpful pointer in case you aren't seeing it). It's going up a total of 13 floors, so it's only going to get more noticeable from more locations.
Of course, if a favored view is being eclipsed by this "progress," my sympathies. At least someone thought to take "before" photos.
(PS: The Reader Poll will be closing soon, so hurry up and vote. Tell us your favorite haunts around the 'Hood, and tell me a little about yourself. Pretty please? There may be a coveted JDLand t-shirt in it for you!)
 

On the east side of 5th Street SE between K and L, the new Capper Community Center's construction is proceeding apace, now with an expected completion date of late winter (or, one might, say, early spring) 2016.
Since a lot of you may not remember the original building, I'm providing this photo progression, from June 2006 to right after demolition in March 2007 to now:
There hasn't yet been an announcement of who the center's operator will be, and hence the types of programming that the center will offer, but in the meantime, it's still a fresher tableau than what was there before....
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More posts: Community Center
 

* PACERS RUNNING: I can't do much more than repeat what the tweet says, that Pacers Running is opening at the Boilermaker Shops at 3rd and Tingey Streets SE on Wednesday, Oct. 21, joining Wells Cleaners, GNC, EVO Furniture, and Unleashed by Petco as non-food retail at the Yards.
* B-DUBS: The latest BID newsletter says that Buffalo Wild Wings "anticipates" opening its location on Half Street SE just south of M Street on Monday, Nov. 16. The BID also says that the first 100 guests will each receive 52 coupons good for once-a-week orders of snack-sized traditional or boneless wings. The restaurant's space is in the ground floor of the 55 M Street office building, just south of the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro station entrance.
 

It was back in June that we saw the first hints of the six-story green-glassed undulating LEED-platinum building that DC Water is proposing for its new headquarters, to be built on top of and surrounding the existing red brick O Street Pumping Station. (No, not the historic main pumping station.) This location is also immediately to the south of the planned Showcase Icon movie theater, which you can as the top-right "Development by Others" box in the site plan.
This week, in advance of the project's Oct. 26 hearing, additional documents were filed with the Zoning Commission, and of course I can't resist drawings depicting bright sunny vistas with shiny new structures, so here's a big pile of views, starting with the ones that most people will see, looking east and west along the bridge between Diamond Teague Park and the Yards Park (click to enlarge):
Next up are the wider views, from above the Anacostia River (left), the Yards Park (center) and from the interesection of 1st and Potomac, a view which shows the plans to extend Potomac Avenue one block eastward, which is also visible in the from-above view along with general concepts of the expansion of Diamond Teague Park and also where Forest City will be putting residential buildings across from the ballpark:
This last batch shows a closer street-level view from the new Potomac Avenue extension (with the movie theater building immediately to the rear), from a new behind-the-security-fences plaza at the foot of the building that most of us will never set foot on, a rooftop view, and then the cute little combination guard house/covered bike parking on the north end of the site.
The project received the unanimous support of ANC 6D at its September meeting, albeit with having secured a letter from DC Water stating that the agency "will take any and all reasonable measures to prevent our employees from parking on residential streets," a concern given that the plans have only 20 on-site spaces. Steps include a $75 transit subsidy, negotiations for additional off-site parking spaces, and "maximum flexibility" for telework and alternative work schedules when there are events at the ballpark. DC Water also pledges to have the displays in the building's public lobby "to share community news, [and] advertise Yards Park or Capitol Riverfront BID events."
You can check out my DC Water page for more views of the footprint, and also read my previous post on the HQ for more details.
Comments (13)
More posts: DC Water (WASA), zoning
 

I did not attend last week's meeting on the plans for Virginia Avenue's streetscape once construction on the tunnel is completed, but detailed notes taken by DDOT have been posted. And there are some items that caught my eye:
* TREES: It's reported that 176 trees have been cut down as part of the tunnel construction, and that there will be approximately 305 new trees planted once the work is done. DDOT's preferred species include oaks, elms, and honey locust, and the planting scheme is such that it is expected to provide 50 percent "canopy coverage" after 20 years, 10 percentage points higher than the required minimum.
* PARKING: "The design team recognizes that parking is a critical issue for the neighborhood, and will ensure that the number of parking spaces in the neighborhood remains the same. DDOT will explore the possibility of providing additional parking."
* I STREET: Plans to have the 400 block of I Street end in a stub east of the church have apparently been shelved: "Based on community feedback, the connection of I Street to the 400 block of Virginia Avenue has been restored." As seen in this revised image.
* MORE VIRGINIA!: My personal favorite out of all of this: "The Architect of the Capitol will complete their construction project in 2018, and has indicated willingness to reopen Virginia Avenue between South Capitol Street and 2nd Street SE." This would also "enhance" connections to Garfield Park, allowing for passage in locations other than just the skate park-area under the freeway.
* TWO-WAY: Once construction is over, the 800 blocks of both Virginia Avenue and L Street SE will be converted to two-way traffic.
* LIGHTING: Replacement streetlights will be LEDs, which emit a whiter light than the current streetlights. There are apparently LED streetlights now installed on 1st Street near the ballpark as a test case for the city, and the "fixtures specified for Virginia Avenue will be similar to the first series of lights on the right hand side of First Street moving away from M Street."
* VIRGINIA AVE. PARK: The final post-construction design of Virginia Avenue Park is actually the responsibility of the Department of Parks and Recreation, and there will be a "design charrette" to discuss the park's future on Oct. 15 at 7 pm at the Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Ave., SE.
Go ahead and read the notes for more details (and you can even see all the comment sheets handed in by the attendees). And the most recent designs for the streetscapes are here, plus you can check out my look at the initial designs.
 

A few readers have written to ask about some activity this week on a portion of the old trash transfer site at 2nd and I . While there's always the hope that something exciting is in the offing, my sources tell me that in fact it's just WC Smith setting up a new construction staging for the apartment projects in the block just to the north.
I'm also hearing that the new section of I Street at the north end of this block could be opening by the end of the year, but, ahem, We Shall See.
This block, for those of you just joining us, is actually part of the Capper redevelopment footprint, and there are eventually plans for a 320ish-unit mixed income residential building there, along with ground-floor retail. There is currently no timeline for that, however.
(I had originally thought that perhaps a parking lot was going in, but I should have remembered that parking lots on any of the Capper redevelopment footprint actually require zoning approval first.)
And so since this post is so boring, how about taking the few extra minutes you might have used to ponder it to fill out the reader poll?
 

The long-planned Yards marina, spanning much of the waterfront of The Yards from the pedestrian bridge east to the border with the Washington Navy Yard, is moving forward, Forest City is announcing today.
On-site work is set to begin within the next few weeks, with completion expected in spring 2016. (Fabrication of some of the marina's components has apparently been underway off-site for a few months now.)
There will be approximately 50 slips, half of which will be "designated for short-term transient use" (i.e., less than 10 days), and the other half will be for long-term use on a seasonal contract basis. As for sizes, Forest City says that most slips will be able to handle boats up to 60 feet long, but that "there will also be limited dockage for boats up to 125 feet in length." Slips will have electrical outlets and water supply hookups.
And the marina won't be just for boat owners: there will also be a water taxi dock, a "paddler dock" for kayakers and other "human-powered watercraft," and an "education dock for use with river-focused experiential instruction." The walkways and dock surfaces will be floating concrete structures.
The marina was designed by Moffatt & Nichol and is being built by Bellingham Marine.
 

Near the northeastern edge of the footprint of the Yards, on the southeast corner of 5th and M, stands the old Gun Assembly / Broadside Mount Shop building, also known as Building 202, built in 1941 and waiting its turn as the next historic building in the neighborhood to be "adaptively reused."
When plans to redevelop the old Southeast Federal Center into The Yards were unveiled, Building 202 was included in the lineup of the project's first phase, and was said to be on the boards to be redeveloped by PN Hoffman as a 270ish-unit condo building. But other than some very basic renderings and a few tentative dates that quietly came and went, the building has remain untouched.
But perhaps that is about to change, as the Washington Business Journal is reporting that "numerous developers have approached Forest City about buying and redeveloping" the 215,000-square-foot building, prompting the decision to now actually market the site for sale, with offers due on Oct. 15. ("Price not disclosed.")
(This second image of Building 202 was taken from the roof of the old Capper Seniors building in late 2007, shortly before its demolition and long before Twelve12 and its Harris Teeter arose next to 202.)
The building is described as having potential "as an industrial loft-style office space, a boutique hotel, high quality condominium units or cultural use." The sales flyer also mentions the central atrium that "extends the full height of the building" and that 202 is part of the Washington Navy Yard Historic District, which means that any buyer will have quite the steeplechase of approvals to get before doing anything to the building. (One would also imagine that Forest City would want any future plans for the building to fit in with the rest of the tableau at the Yards.)
As for PN Hoffman, the developer did not forsake the Yards--the company purchased the "Parcel O" site at 4th and Tingey last year and is moving forward with a 130ish-unit condo building on that site, with a new Forest City rental building planned immediately to its south. Both buildings are expected to begin construction early in 2016, and in fact just today a reader alerted me to a new sign on the lot announcing "Condo Sales Spring 2016/PN Hoffman."
 

One of the things that makes me sometimes fail at posting tidbits is that there just aren't necessarily any good photos to go with the items, and then I lose the will to continue. So I'm now making an executive decision that I'll just hit the archives for calendar-appropriate photos when necessary. Hence, this completely unrelated photo from Oct. 6, 2012, showing the demolition progressing at the old trash transfer station. I actually find it hard to believe it's only been three years.
* GARBER GREET: DC council at-large candidate and neighborhood alumnus David Garber returns to #NavyYard today (Tuesday, Oct. 6) for a meet and greet at the Big Stick at 20 M St. SE starting at 6 pm.
* RIVER RIDE: As part of Mayor Bowser's FitDC health and wellness initiative, there will be an eight-mile bike ride through Anacostia Park on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 2 pm. If you haven't ventured across the way to use the eastern part of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, this might be a nice introduction to it. (Those of us already familiar with it are now just tapping our toes waiting for the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens segment to open, hopefully next year, though I now see "Fall 2016" as the date.)
* AGUA ATTENTION: It isn't technically neighborhood news that Zest Bistro on 8th Street SE has apparently closed its doors, but within the statement about the closure is the tidbit that the owners "look forward to the opportunity to focus solely on our most recent venture, Agua 301."
* POLL PESTERING: C'mon, you know you'd rather click a few radio buttons and checkboxes on the JDLand Reader Poll than work! Plus there's at least one tight race in one of the Favorite Lunch/Dinner/Bar categories, so every vote counts.
 

Just a little photo offering of how things look near the intersection of 4th Street and Virginia Avenue SE today, where actual excavation for the new Virginia Avenue Tunnel is just getting underway.
Above Left: Looking east into the fresh excavation from 4th. Above Right: Looking west from 5th, with the excavation at left and a "scenic" vista directly ahead.
Above Left: The actual excavation, just east of 4th. Above Right: The view down 4th from north of the freeway. Watch for daytime road closures over the next few days/weeks of 4th from here to I Street.
Above: There's a reason the houses in the 300 block of Virginia Avenue are referred to as "front-row residences." (Though note that this is not tunnel excavation, but work on the temporary sidewalk and driveway in this block.)
 

The gray weather of the past few days has seemed to take a bite out of everyone's energy level (except apparently for Max Scherzer), and with October now not offering the lure of playoff excitement in the neighborhood, I found myself wanting to come up with some content that might inject a bit of a spark around these parts.
I last ran a poll in 2011, but while there are some similar questions, the neighborhood is a very different place from just four years ago--so I figured why not find out a little more about favorite haunts and activities while at the same time getting some sense of who exactly JDLand's readers are.
I often say that blogging can very much feel like whistling into the wind, or talking into a phone when you aren't 100 percent sure someone's on the other end of the line, so it really does help me to know who is out there--are you a bunch of millennials Bikesharing over to Sweetgreen for some healthy eats, or a bunch of commercial real estate workers lunching on the information I post, or a bunch of Nats fans who only visit the site during baseball season? (All that and more, I imagine.)
I also decided to use this poll to finally answer the question that has nagged at me for years--is it in fact true that every Near Southeast resident owns a dog?
And if just taking a couple minutes of your time to help me out isn't enough motivation, I'm going to give away JDLand t-shirts to two random poll respondents. That right there should really do the trick.
I'll leave it up for a few weeks, then crunch the numbers and post the results.
But don't wait until the last minute! Go ahead and fill it out right now. Pretty please. With sugar on top. (And no ballot-box stuffing!)
If you run into any errors, let me know.
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A few more tidbits to pass along after the multiple head smacks I visited upon myself upon realizing I should have included them yesterday:
* VAN NESS AND TEETER: If you'd like to support your old/new neighborhood elementary school while shopping at your still-sort-of-new neighborhood grocery store, you can participate in Harris Teeter's Together in Education program by linking your VIC card to Van Ness Elementary by using the account number 3472, either by telling a cashier or using an online Teeter account. Then shop for the various Teeter house brands and Van Ness will receive 5 percent of your purchase prices. (And you can link up to five schools to one VIC card if you have multiple loyalties.)
* NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE: CSX announced late last week that it launched a Neighborhood Guide web site for the Barracks Row and Capitol Riverfront neighborhoods, in order to "promote area businesses to the hundreds of construction personnel and project staff who will be working in the neighborhood during the 30-42 month tunnel-reconstruction project."
* TRUCKEROO ENCORE: The Fairgrounds folks have added one more Truckeroo food truck festival to the 2015 calendar, on Friday, Oct. 9 from 11 am to 11 pm. Hopefully it will have stopped raining by then.
* CRIME FEEDS: You may have noticed that the crime reports on the JDLand home page have gone silent of late--MPD apparently transitioned to a new back end, which has resulted in reformattings of both the e-mailed and downloadable reports that I had spent numerous hours building parsers for, so now I have to rewrite those. At least I get three hours of most every day back after Sunday....
 
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