Kieran Healy teaches sociology at Duke University. Hat tip to Joshua Kertzer for drawing my attention to this new release.
V.w.verweij
Shared posts
11 Aug 02:00
Numerous environmental groups, businesses, state, and local officials are supporting a lawsuit against the oil and gas industry for its destruction of Louisiana's wetlands.
Oil and Gas Have Laid Waste to Louisiana's Coast
by Sarah Hodgdon, Guest Writer
Numerous environmental groups, businesses, state, and local officials are supporting a lawsuit against the oil and gas industry for its destruction of Louisiana's wetlands.
11 Aug 01:56
Alarming numbers of dead and dying bottlenose dolphins are showing up on beaches from New York to Virginia, and no definitive cause has been identified yet.
Unusually high numbers of dead bottlenose dolphins are washing up on east coast of US
by Derek Markham
Alarming numbers of dead and dying bottlenose dolphins are showing up on beaches from New York to Virginia, and no definitive cause has been identified yet.
10 Aug 17:54
Your Afternoon Animal Fix
by Prince Of Petworth
V.w.verweijBEATRICE
If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please shoot me an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood. Your photos will go into the queue (usually 3-4 weeks wait) and will be posted in the order I receive them. If you’ve already entered your pet and would like to do so again – that’s no problem – just space the entries out a bit.
“Beatrice, an American/English Bulldog rescued through Mutts Matter in 2011, celebrates her 2nd birthday in her Columbia Heights home.”
“Lola from Columbia Heights”
“Madame Secretary- H Street”
10 Aug 04:19
sure venus is hot, but mercury?? dang, son
V.w.verweijThe last panel is what I think every time I watch pro sports
| archive - contact - sexy exciting merchandise - cute - search - about | |||
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August 9th, 2013: I don't do this intentionally, but some of my comics work really well when you replace the last panel with something else. One year ago today: my quest for a printable comic nobody will ever use... continues – Ryan 
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10 Aug 00:04
Morning Notes
by ARLnow.com
V.w.verweijAw man Dave Grohl was next to my building.
Dave Grohl Spotted in Shirlington – Foo Fighters frontman and Northern Virginia native Dave Grohl was spotted strolling through Shirlington with his family Thursday night. [Washington Post]
Growth at Arlington Pediatric Center –The number of newborns treated at the Arlington Pediatric Center (601 S. Carlin Springs Road) last year jumped by 270 percent compared to one year prior. The increase was credited to the fact that infants born at Virginia Hospital Center without a designated pediatrician are automatically provided care at the nonprofit center. VHC, meanwhile, has seen an increase in birth rates in recent years. [Sun Gazette]
National Night Out Tomorrow — Arlington County Police will participate in National Night Out tomorrow. “Arlington County residents will join their neighbors, police officers and other community leaders” at six events across the county. National Night Out is intended to raise crime awareness, strengthen neighborhood ties and enhance community partnerships with law enforcement. [Arlington County]
Courtesy photo
10 Aug 00:03
Your Afternoon Animal Fix
by Prince Of Petworth
If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please shoot me an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood. Your photos will go into the queue (usually 3-4 weeks wait) and will be posted in the order I receive them. If you’ve already entered your pet and would like to do so again – that’s no problem – just space the entries out a bit.
“My basenji, Macy, of Adams Morgan in colder, less humid days.”
“Callie from Queen’s Chapel”
“Baby Kea rocking some Lost Rhino Brewery swag in Parkview. Get it girl.”
09 Aug 18:15
Big Friday Restaurant News: Columbia Heights Getting a TGI Friday’s
by titan
From today’s DC Register comes word that a TGI Friday’s will replace a liquor store in Columbia Heights, just across from the Ruby Tuesday. Now all they need is a Cheesecake Factory and a Crate and Barrel:
09 Aug 16:11
Pain is a man with a name.
V.w.verweijWhere did this come from?
Achewood strip for Friday, August 9, 2013
firehose, Snipergirl and -1 others like this
09 Aug 12:48
Petco, coming to DCUSA soon, is hiring!
by Andrew W
Woof! Petco, the big pet food and accessory retailer, is opening soon in DCUSA, and they're hiring! The place will be on the Irving Street side of the building, below where DSW opened.
And they're hiring! Councilmember Jim Graham posted this on local listserves.
As mentioned before, I hope this doesn't affect local businesses like Claws and Paws at 11th and Lamont (aka Mr. Larry's.)
Dear Columbia Heights Community Partners - DC USA is preparing for the upcoming arrival of Petco on the first floor of the new Irving Street addition (near Hiatt Place) where DSW Shoe Warehouse has already opened on the second floor.
Petco has all levels of new employment opportunities for people who enjoy working with pets.They are currently looking for employees for the following positions:
Store ManagersPetco Sales AssociatesCashiersGrooming AssistantsAquatics SpecialistsDog TrainersStock AssociatesStylists
Please direct candidates to complete profiles and employment applications for the new positions for the new DC USA Washington, DC store in ZIP CODE 20010 athttp://www.petco.com/ and scroll down the home page to the bottom of the page and look for the CAREERS SECTION.
If you have questions, feel free to give me a call on 202-232-4047.
Sincerely,Dave SteinDirector of Building OperationsDC USA3100 14th Street, NW Suite 303BWashington, DC 20010202-232-4047
06 Aug 22:16
Dear PoPville – Craigslist Apartment Search Headache
by Prince Of Petworth
Photo by PoPville flickr user Rich Renomeron
“Dear PoPville,
Can anyone explain the demise of craigslist as a good source for apartment rental listings? Over the years, I have found great apartments in places like Brooklyn and Albany, but now, having recently returned to D.C., I have been foiled. So far I have found hundreds and hundreds of fake, inappropriate, or overly commercial listings, but very few legit, owner-posted ads. I am spending hours flagging posts instead of inquiring about potential new places to call home.
Is this just a bad time to be looking for an apartment in D.C.? I am well aware of the recent real estate boom that has caused what I consider to be false inflation of prices, but I figured that there are always options, no matter what the market. Also, full disclosure: I am on a tight budget, so perhaps there are real listings for those who have more money throw at rent.
Are there any other listing services that have replaced craigslist? Or are folks just able to rent their apartments so quickly that there’s no need to advertise? I am completely blindsided!
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.”
04 Aug 19:00
When it comes to sneaking reptiles onto airplanes, animal smugglers can sure get creative.
Man tries to smuggle turtle onto plane by disguising it as a hamburger
by Stephen Messenger
When it comes to sneaking reptiles onto airplanes, animal smugglers can sure get creative.
04 Aug 18:59
A great example of modern use of indigenous materials, from a very progressive heritage organization that mixes old and new.
Old is new again as modern Danish house is clad and insulated with seaweed
by Lloyd Alter
A great example of modern use of indigenous materials, from a very progressive heritage organization that mixes old and new.
04 Aug 18:59
It was once extinct in the wild, but it has been reintroduced to its habitat, though in limited numbers. This breakthrough should help it survive.
Rare Przewalski wild horse gave birth thanks to artificial insemination for first time ever
by Michael Graham Richard
It was once extinct in the wild, but it has been reintroduced to its habitat, though in limited numbers. This breakthrough should help it survive.
03 Aug 23:07
Help Wanted: Bricklayers for the Capitol Extension (1853)
by Ghosts of DC
This is so cool. Montgomery C. Meigs placed an advertisement in the Daily Evening Star on August 1st, 1853, exactly 160 years ago today. Meigs was seeking skilled bricklayers to help in the expansion of the Capitol Building.
advertisement for bricklayers in 1853
If you want to see a great photo of the Capitol under construction during that time, check this one out from 1858.
Source: Library of Congress
The post Help Wanted: Bricklayers for the Capitol Extension (1853) appeared first on Ghosts of DC.
03 Aug 19:31
oliviatheelf: girlpacific: visceralmilk: dogjournal: BELOVED...
by areshoekiddingme
V.w.verweijLEAH
MANTEARS
BELOVED MOUNTAIN GUIDE DOG PASSES AWAY - "Tillie hiked the mountain as often as 10 times a day and stayed loyal to whatever group she started out with."
Tillie, a 13-year-old Border Collie mix was discovered wandering around Berea College in Kentucky when she was a puppy. She quickly became a fixture around the Indian Fort Mountain Trails and accompanied hikers on their hikes. She was subsequently adopted by the Deaver family. Sadly, Tillie recently passed away due to illness. Read more from the Richmond Register:
Tillie made an impression on the many who visited the Indian Fort Mountain trails over the years as she could almost always be seen waiting at the bottom of the mountain to accompany hikers up the trail.
“My name is Tillie. I am not a stray. I live next door. Let’s go for a hike,” the tag on her collar said.
Ten years ago, Tillie found a home with Ron and Bhana Deaver, who reside on the edge of the Berea College forest next to Indian Fort Theater on KY 21. That’s when Tillie’s career began as the unofficial Pinnacle guide dog.***
In June, the Deavers announced Tillie had an invasive growth in the lining of her bladder. News of Tillie’s condition spread fast, and hikers began hitting the trails to catch a glimpse of the famous dog.
Tillie touched many lives and her presence will be missed on the trails. Click here for the full story and here for Tillie’s Facebook page. (Top photo by Crystal Wylie)
Goodnight sweet prince
03 Aug 19:06
Make Two-Ingredient Pizza Dough for a Fresh Pie When You Want It
by Adam Dachis
We love two-ingredient recipes because you can make awesome food quick and easily. We've made ice cream, but you can make it a party with pizza. This incredibly simple pizza dough recipe only requires self-rising flour and Greek yogurt for a fresh pie in minutes.
Cary Renquist, Jaime and one other like this
03 Aug 19:05
The Case for Replacing Family Dinners with Family Breakfasts
by Laura Vanderkam
By dinnertime, your family is tired, in a bad mood, and often not together. The mornings are another story—and can bring all the benefits of supper, with none of the pain. Plus: waffles! Fast Company's Laura Vanderkam lays out why family breakfasts are superior to family dinners.
03 Aug 19:03
"We don't want animals in captivity or enclosed in any way," says Costa Rica's Environmental Minister.
Costa Rica announces plans to close its zoos and release animals from captivity
by Stephen Messenger
"We don't want animals in captivity or enclosed in any way," says Costa Rica's Environmental Minister.
03 Aug 09:17
Let's Dance! On Your Friday Open Thread
by huh989 on Hackerspace, shared by Walter Glenn to Lifehacker
V.w.verweijShared for the Pup video
It's Friday. That means it's time to share what you know, ask what you don't, and generally partake in some insightful conversation. Right here, right now! Ask questions, offer advice, discuss productivity tips, or just chat about whatever's on your mind.
We're coming to you from Hackerspace, the commenter-run playground for Lifehackers. Drop by Hackerspace any time you want to share your tips, how-tos, or just talk it out with your fellow readers. Want to be an author here? Shoot us a line on the comment thread below.
Here's another cute dog.
Image: tumblr
03 Aug 04:33
We're hooked on these slingshots and hooks made out of left-over tree bits.
Tree hooks and magnets bring nature into your home
by Bonnie Alter
We're hooked on these slingshots and hooks made out of left-over tree bits.
03 Aug 04:28
Boost Your Brain and Memory by Singing
by Melanie Pinola
Of the many memory hacks and techniques available to us to boost our brains, this one might be the most enjoyable: Learn a new song and sing.
01 Aug 01:06
The Vice President and Too Many Dudes in One Car
by Ghosts of DC
V.w.verweijBros this is not how you have a party.
This is a super awkward situation. How many guys are in this car? This is a photograph of Vice President John Nance Garner, one of FDR’s three VPs, crammed in a car with a lot of other men. It was taken around 1939.
Vice President John N. Garner and others in automobile
Source: Library of Congress
The post The Vice President and Too Many Dudes in One Car appeared first on Ghosts of DC.
31 Jul 21:55
Photo
by areshoekiddingme
V.w.verweijAnd people were still mad that Rue was black, even though she is explicitly described as such in the books.
31 Jul 01:04
me at Babette
by areshoekiddingme
V.w.verweijI'm gonna let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen.
me at Babette
31 Jul 00:53
Your Afternoon Animal Fix – Rest in Peace
by Prince Of Petworth
“Our french mastiff, Julius, looking very patriotic on the Fourth of July in Bloomingdale. I meant to submit this photo earlier. Julius recently passed away, so I guess now is as good a time as any.”
“This is Walter Rabbit, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge unexpectedly this morning. We’ll miss his funny hops and his love of chewing apartment walls.”
“This is Sammy previously of Petworth. He passed away in mid July and is missed terribly by the people and other cats in his life.”
23 Jul 02:09
Your Afternoon Animal Fix
by Prince Of Petworth
If you have any animal/pet photos you’d like to share please shoot me an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with ‘Animal Fix’ in the title and say the name of your pet and your neighborhood. Your photos will go into the queue (usually 3-4 weeks wait) and will be posted in the order I receive them. If you’ve already entered your pet and would like to do so again – that’s no problem – just space the entries out a bit.
“This is Jasper Jingle Jones of Mt. Pleasant getting his Uncle Sam on.”
“This is Rue from Cleveland Park. Her full name is RuePaw, after the fabulous RuPaul!”
“Tenley the Great Dane from Kingman Park”
23 Jul 00:53
A few weeks ago, the New York Times published a piece about bikes in Amsterdam, basically framing things in such a way that the message was more or less "there's too many bikes in Amsterdam."
Amsterdam to New York Times: No, we don't have too many bikes! (video)
by Michael Graham Richard
V.w.verweijThere's too many cars in New York
A few weeks ago, the New York Times published a piece about bikes in Amsterdam, basically framing things in such a way that the message was more or less "there's too many bikes in Amsterdam."
19 Jul 23:22
by Omari Daniels
Interested in your child taking up dance lessons? Well, I'd have to give you directions since Columbia Heights does not have a studio up here. Cleaners? I believe one used to be at the intersection of 13th and U Street across from what is now the Dunkin’ Donuts, but nothing up here. Sorry.
Radio Shack? Bed, Bath and Beyond? Lime Fresh? Have to head up to either Tenleytown or Wheaton Plaza for your shopping needs. Oh, and waiting for the last Yellow Line of the night to take you up to Fort Totten so you can transfer to the Red Line? Or hoping the Rush Plus service will guarantee you a quick visit to Prince George’s Plaza? Sorry, kid, but this Yellow Line terminates at Mt. Vernon Square. And what the heck is Rush Plus?
Wait, come back! I’m not finished! Don’t turn away- look at it! It’s barren, isn’t it? Who indeed would choose to move here after graduating from college? Bet the giant price tags of Georgetown, Foggy Bottom or Dupont Circle look pretty appealing.
But this is what it was: Columbia Heights in a primitive state. You made the most of what you had and spent your money elsewhere.
However, I’m not always an unfair cynic when it comes to discussing my hometown and its overnight development. Given Metro’s still-relevant track record with delays while they continue to improve the Metro experience at the expense of your patience -- paraphrasing, but you get the point -- I did not expect Columbia Heights to flourish anytime soon. I have been proven wrong before: both Franconia-Springfield and Glenmont, two stations under development for as long as I could remember, opened after a long wait. Soon enough, the same happened with Columbia Heights.
And then someone hit the Fast Forward button on what you folks call a DVD player, but we refer to it as a high-tech VCR.
September 18th, 1999: Columbia Heights Metro station opens for the Green Line. With that brought new visitors to the area, but still nothing to call Columbia Heights a neighborhood where you’d want to live. The tourist still doesn't mark Columbia Heights on their places to visit, not because it’s not a booming residential area, but because it’s lacking in DC paraphernalia.
But if the living adverts in The Express are an indication of anything, a nearby Metro station means apartments and homes. And with apartments and homes come businesses. And with businesses come jobs.
The idea of a Best Buy, Target or anything resembling a mall or shopping center in my neck of the woods still baffled me. Why here? There’s no market for a shopping center here since most folks shop elsewhere. No way could you get the popularity and demographics of, say, Georgetown or Foggy Bottom. No offense to residents of either of those areas- they’re fantastic places, but they’re also easy targets for an unsuccessful attempt to be snarky.
Another far off dream that would take years to come to fruition.
In his 2008 piece, entitled “A Rapid Renaissance in Columbia Heights,” Washington Post writer Paul Schwartzman started off by saying “To stand at 14th Street and Park Road in Northwest Washington is to behold a new world created at whiplash speed.” Whiplash is the correct word. Someone at DC USA saw something in Columbia Heights worth developing, but again, having a Metro station has to factor into that. Would stations like Gallery Place, Pentagon City, Silver Spring or Clarendon be as popular as they are if they were not surrounded by restaurants, apartments or bars and movie theaters? Doubtful.
The same I will say for Columbia Heights. Prior to around 2005 and 2006, the Metro station just provided a means to get from Point A to Point B, not to set up shop. Sure, the Tivoli Theater had a brief jolt when it reopened in the mid-2000s, before it housed the Z-Burger, but few businesses could open here and thrive unless they appealed to the base demographic living here at the time: a demographic that continued to find business elsewhere and handed its money to downtown DC or sought entertainment in Maryland or Virginia. That drove money away from Columbia Heights, so how indeed could such an area flourish if the few residents have no reason to invest?
You put a shopping center here, some apartments there, here a bar, there a restaurant, everywhere another car blocking the intersection at 14th and Irving and you get the Columbia Heights of today. The game changed and more folks flocked to the area.
Now the neighborhood is not flawless. We still had the shooting at the IHOP last March. Heck, just two Saturdays ago, as I walked home, I saw a group of women get robbed by a man who they said had a gun. He ran off toward towards the church at the end of 16th Street. Point is that despite the neighborhood’s development, the mixing bowl of races that have diversified what used to be a predominantly Black population; Columbia Heights still has a lot of the crime that makes people hesitant to move into these areas.
I’m reminded of native Washingtonian Dave Chappelle’s 2000 comedy special, “Killin Them Softly,” when he talked about leaving DC in the 1980s. Whites would look from their binoculars, afar in Virginia, and conclude that DC was still a dangerous place to live. Now folks ride their bikes and jog through Columbia Heights at night, take their dogs for walks, stop by FroZenYo for an afternoon treat before heading downtown to hit the clubs. Hint-hint, nudge-nudge, say no more, folks. You know what to do.
What’s happening in Columbia Heights is a trend I’ve seen expand throughout most sections of Northwest DC. When locals of the “Chocolate City” becoming more of a Swirl City, it’s evident just looking at whose moving into the neighborhood. The city that they and I have known for years is changing, but in my opinion, not for the worst. More money remains in the city and the District begins to look like a whole rather than just downtown symbolizing the District of Columbia.
Columbia Heights is having its identity reshaped rather than removed altogether. I’ll admit it’s a prettier sight to see businesses bustling rather than signs telling me that Columbia Heights Metro station will be coming soon. Folks stick around here now. I’ve stuck around since 1998 and have enjoyed the neighborhood’s evolution. Despite having next to nothing to draw folks in, for me, it was a good enough place to live then and it’s a better place to live now.
Just not better than Georgetown or Foggy Bottom.
Guest post: Columbia Heights in 1998 and today
by Andrew W
 |
| 14th, Kenyon & Park in 2002 by Michael Wilkinson |
Columbia Heights? It’s great now, but no one used to live here!
Ridiculous assertion, but not an unfair one. To introduce myself, I’m one of those rare District people called locals. Yes, believe it or not- there are people who live in D.C. who are from here and did not just assimilate after graduating college, making them bona-fide experts of every nook and cranny of the city. We are indeed a rare breed.
Columbia Heights today is a bastion of shops, a dance center, restaurants and an increasingly diverse neighborhood, but this area did not always appear as vibrant. In fact, you could almost call it a ghost town. Don’t believe me? Well, a snarky local coming down on the optimistic tourist could make for a very grumpy read.
So let’s read.
I moved out to Columbia Heights with my folks in the first half of 1998 to start middle school at St. Augustine Catholic School. Folks lived along Irving or the surrounding streets, but driving through or riding the 52/54 bus through Columbia Heights meant passing giant holes in the ground, accompanied by “Coming Soon” signs. Two separate Green Lines existed at this time, with one going from Anacostia to U Street/Cardozo and the other from Fort Totten to Greenbelt. The Columbia Heights and Georgia Avenue/Petworth Metros were just far off dreams.
Try and see it, or what would have been. No Target or Best Buy, no Z-Burger, no bars next to a convenient IHOP. You’d have to trek to Gallery Place or Foggy Bottom for your Chipotle fix. Want to take your kids out to the fountain at the Columbia Heights Civic Plaza? Have to make the trek up 14th street until you reached the pool at 14th and Colorado. On the off chance you wanted to move here, you couldn’t look up and see folks partying on the terraces atop The Heights. Children played in the vacant lot on Irving just east of 14th, which is now Victory Heights. Ridiculous assertion, but not an unfair one. To introduce myself, I’m one of those rare District people called locals. Yes, believe it or not- there are people who live in D.C. who are from here and did not just assimilate after graduating college, making them bona-fide experts of every nook and cranny of the city. We are indeed a rare breed.
Columbia Heights today is a bastion of shops, a dance center, restaurants and an increasingly diverse neighborhood, but this area did not always appear as vibrant. In fact, you could almost call it a ghost town. Don’t believe me? Well, a snarky local coming down on the optimistic tourist could make for a very grumpy read.
So let’s read.
I moved out to Columbia Heights with my folks in the first half of 1998 to start middle school at St. Augustine Catholic School. Folks lived along Irving or the surrounding streets, but driving through or riding the 52/54 bus through Columbia Heights meant passing giant holes in the ground, accompanied by “Coming Soon” signs. Two separate Green Lines existed at this time, with one going from Anacostia to U Street/Cardozo and the other from Fort Totten to Greenbelt. The Columbia Heights and Georgia Avenue/Petworth Metros were just far off dreams.
 |
| Victory Heights, 14th and Irving. Used to be a spot where kids played. Now for adults. |
Interested in your child taking up dance lessons? Well, I'd have to give you directions since Columbia Heights does not have a studio up here. Cleaners? I believe one used to be at the intersection of 13th and U Street across from what is now the Dunkin’ Donuts, but nothing up here. Sorry.
Radio Shack? Bed, Bath and Beyond? Lime Fresh? Have to head up to either Tenleytown or Wheaton Plaza for your shopping needs. Oh, and waiting for the last Yellow Line of the night to take you up to Fort Totten so you can transfer to the Red Line? Or hoping the Rush Plus service will guarantee you a quick visit to Prince George’s Plaza? Sorry, kid, but this Yellow Line terminates at Mt. Vernon Square. And what the heck is Rush Plus?
 |
| Facade on Irving Street, 2006. Later part of DCUSA. Kyle Walton |
But this is what it was: Columbia Heights in a primitive state. You made the most of what you had and spent your money elsewhere.
However, I’m not always an unfair cynic when it comes to discussing my hometown and its overnight development. Given Metro’s still-relevant track record with delays while they continue to improve the Metro experience at the expense of your patience -- paraphrasing, but you get the point -- I did not expect Columbia Heights to flourish anytime soon. I have been proven wrong before: both Franconia-Springfield and Glenmont, two stations under development for as long as I could remember, opened after a long wait. Soon enough, the same happened with Columbia Heights.
And then someone hit the Fast Forward button on what you folks call a DVD player, but we refer to it as a high-tech VCR.
September 18th, 1999: Columbia Heights Metro station opens for the Green Line. With that brought new visitors to the area, but still nothing to call Columbia Heights a neighborhood where you’d want to live. The tourist still doesn't mark Columbia Heights on their places to visit, not because it’s not a booming residential area, but because it’s lacking in DC paraphernalia.
But if the living adverts in The Express are an indication of anything, a nearby Metro station means apartments and homes. And with apartments and homes come businesses. And with businesses come jobs.
 |
| DCUSA today |
Another far off dream that would take years to come to fruition.
In his 2008 piece, entitled “A Rapid Renaissance in Columbia Heights,” Washington Post writer Paul Schwartzman started off by saying “To stand at 14th Street and Park Road in Northwest Washington is to behold a new world created at whiplash speed.” Whiplash is the correct word. Someone at DC USA saw something in Columbia Heights worth developing, but again, having a Metro station has to factor into that. Would stations like Gallery Place, Pentagon City, Silver Spring or Clarendon be as popular as they are if they were not surrounded by restaurants, apartments or bars and movie theaters? Doubtful.
The same I will say for Columbia Heights. Prior to around 2005 and 2006, the Metro station just provided a means to get from Point A to Point B, not to set up shop. Sure, the Tivoli Theater had a brief jolt when it reopened in the mid-2000s, before it housed the Z-Burger, but few businesses could open here and thrive unless they appealed to the base demographic living here at the time: a demographic that continued to find business elsewhere and handed its money to downtown DC or sought entertainment in Maryland or Virginia. That drove money away from Columbia Heights, so how indeed could such an area flourish if the few residents have no reason to invest?
You put a shopping center here, some apartments there, here a bar, there a restaurant, everywhere another car blocking the intersection at 14th and Irving and you get the Columbia Heights of today. The game changed and more folks flocked to the area.
 |
| You know the Giant at 14th and Park? Would you believe that a Giant used to exist where the Allegro Apartments stand right now? It happened. |
Now the neighborhood is not flawless. We still had the shooting at the IHOP last March. Heck, just two Saturdays ago, as I walked home, I saw a group of women get robbed by a man who they said had a gun. He ran off toward towards the church at the end of 16th Street. Point is that despite the neighborhood’s development, the mixing bowl of races that have diversified what used to be a predominantly Black population; Columbia Heights still has a lot of the crime that makes people hesitant to move into these areas.
I’m reminded of native Washingtonian Dave Chappelle’s 2000 comedy special, “Killin Them Softly,” when he talked about leaving DC in the 1980s. Whites would look from their binoculars, afar in Virginia, and conclude that DC was still a dangerous place to live. Now folks ride their bikes and jog through Columbia Heights at night, take their dogs for walks, stop by FroZenYo for an afternoon treat before heading downtown to hit the clubs. Hint-hint, nudge-nudge, say no more, folks. You know what to do.
What’s happening in Columbia Heights is a trend I’ve seen expand throughout most sections of Northwest DC. When locals of the “Chocolate City” becoming more of a Swirl City, it’s evident just looking at whose moving into the neighborhood. The city that they and I have known for years is changing, but in my opinion, not for the worst. More money remains in the city and the District begins to look like a whole rather than just downtown symbolizing the District of Columbia.
 |
| Like everything else, here used to be nothing but empty space. |
Just not better than Georgetown or Foggy Bottom.
19 Jul 23:10
You may remember a few months ago when I posted about Winston the Skateboarding Dog -- a local bulldog, he rides around the neighborhood on his skateboard. Questlove of the Roots was in town a few months ago and spotted Winston, snapping his picture on Instagram. I dubbed him the coolest dog in Columbia Heights (or maybe the world.)
A bit ago, Winston's owner James Turner got in touch with me and agreed to answer a few question about Winston, how he learned to skateboard, and more. Thanks to James, and enjoy everybody!
How long have you had Winston? How did you find him?
Winston is seven, but don't tell him, and originally from Colombia, South America. He has three daddies and multiple uncles. His original owner passed Winston's care to Bruce Arnold and myself. After 20 years, I had little interest in a dog, but Winston quickly changed that opinion. Even as a puppy he had huge personality. Bruce lives at 1st and U St, NW, where Winston spends most of his time.
Winston is well socialized and believes he has multiple homes. So spoiled that he will sometimes decide he wants to stay where he is visiting and pick him up later, especially with one of his Uncles with a pool.
How did you discover his skateboarding talents?
One evening, Bruce was over and we saw a skateboarding bulldog on TV. Thinking no one is smarter than Winston, we rushed to Target to get him a Spongebob skateboard. He immediately took to it, did not really know what it was, but he was determined to figure it out. Within a few weeks he was able to push himself along and to ride. His talents improved over time, he got better skateboards, and now his own custom-built.
You said he prefers the skateboard to walking, can you tell us more?
Skateboarding isn't his only sport. He loves playing ball -- well, taking the basketball or soccer ball and pushing it around. Bruce had taken him to the area near DCA, while getting out of the car and grabbing the skateboard, Winston saw a soccer game, ran onto the field and took the ball and began pushing it around. Needless to say, it stopped the game and certainly got attention.
Winston the Skateboarding Bulldog returns: an interview with his owner!
by Andrew W
V.w.verweijLEAH THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT
A bit ago, Winston's owner James Turner got in touch with me and agreed to answer a few question about Winston, how he learned to skateboard, and more. Thanks to James, and enjoy everybody!
How long have you had Winston? How did you find him?
Winston is seven, but don't tell him, and originally from Colombia, South America. He has three daddies and multiple uncles. His original owner passed Winston's care to Bruce Arnold and myself. After 20 years, I had little interest in a dog, but Winston quickly changed that opinion. Even as a puppy he had huge personality. Bruce lives at 1st and U St, NW, where Winston spends most of his time.
Winston is well socialized and believes he has multiple homes. So spoiled that he will sometimes decide he wants to stay where he is visiting and pick him up later, especially with one of his Uncles with a pool.
One evening, Bruce was over and we saw a skateboarding bulldog on TV. Thinking no one is smarter than Winston, we rushed to Target to get him a Spongebob skateboard. He immediately took to it, did not really know what it was, but he was determined to figure it out. Within a few weeks he was able to push himself along and to ride. His talents improved over time, he got better skateboards, and now his own custom-built.
You said he prefers the skateboard to walking, can you tell us more?
Skateboarding isn't his only sport. He loves playing ball -- well, taking the basketball or soccer ball and pushing it around. Bruce had taken him to the area near DCA, while getting out of the car and grabbing the skateboard, Winston saw a soccer game, ran onto the field and took the ball and began pushing it around. Needless to say, it stopped the game and certainly got attention.
I know Questlove from the Roots took a photo of Winston, have you had any other celebrity interactions or publicity?
Bruce and friends had stopped by Palace Five to get Winston's skateboard tuned-up. Just happened that Questlove was in the area. Did not know it was him until saw his posting. Videos and photos are the norm when he is out. Being the ham he is, he will almost stop and pose.
And how can somebody each teach their dog to skateboard?
Bulldogs, center of gravity, are naturals for all types of boarding. Some say it is just another way they find to avoid exercise and ride around.
Winston was fortunate to also have a trainer, aka walker, who takes him boarding with a focus on improving his skills. Devin Miller, (brighterdayscollective.com, see banner photo,) is fabulous with Winston, and don't trust just anyone with the little fella.
I would suggest medical insurance not just for the usual problems but also sports injuries. Winston jumped while boarding and sprained wrist, (see picture) which took him out of commission for 8 weeks (and was he cranky).
The injury was last summer. He's now pawing through brochures for Alaksan Cruises.
Bulldogs, center of gravity, are naturals for all types of boarding. Some say it is just another way they find to avoid exercise and ride around.
Winston was fortunate to also have a trainer, aka walker, who takes him boarding with a focus on improving his skills. Devin Miller, (brighterdayscollective.com, see banner photo,) is fabulous with Winston, and don't trust just anyone with the little fella.
I would suggest medical insurance not just for the usual problems but also sports injuries. Winston jumped while boarding and sprained wrist, (see picture) which took him out of commission for 8 weeks (and was he cranky).
The injury was last summer. He's now pawing through brochures for Alaksan Cruises.