Stoddert Rec Center

The Stoddert Recreation Center construction finally has begun after much planning and debate. Sadly, the entire field has been fenced in, the baseball diamond demolished, and some big old oaks threatened. Neighbors look forward to the completion of this long-term project and the restoration of some green space to congregate.

There has been an ongoing informal debate between those who support the rec center and what they see as great value to the neighborhood, and those who feel it will cause congestion, destroy the park and come at a great expense for the benefit of a small number of people. There are valid arguments to both sides, but once the construction is done it will be an attractive addition to the neighborhood.

Downloand pdf's of updated plans and renderings at the school's website at:
http://www.stoddert.org/RecCenter/reccenter.html

Glover Park Farmers Market

The Glover Park Farmers Market has been open for business for 3 weeks now - each Saturday morning, at the location of the Georgetown flea market across from the Social Safeway. Patrons have given it rave reviews for freshness, variety and the friendliness of the vendors. Stop by on a Saturday morning.

You can get updated info on vendors, weekly entertainment and more at the Farmers' Market website: http://www.dcgreens.org/

Wisconsin Overlook club

An illegal nightclub has been operating in Glover Park for a while now. The internet is abuzz with advertisements for all-you-can-drink dance parties at "Wisconsin Overlook", a club operating under the radar of DC and Glover park officials, and unlicensed to operate any business let alone serve alcohol and charge admission. The club is located in a new residential/commercial building at 2136 Wisconsin that has had a hard time attracting new tenants. It appears that the owner is 2 years in arrears on sky-high property taxes and the property has been flagged for a DC tax sale in September.

DCRA, ANC3B and the GPCA have done nothing to stop them, probably because they haven't applied for any business or liquor license, permit, or zoning variance so it seems no official has been paying attention. Yet, they all have attacked Town Hall relentlessly as they tried to legally navigate all these hurdles to operating their business.

Ceviche Closes; Kitchen Opens

Ceviche, the restaurant that opened to fanfare in Glover Park last year, has abruptly closed its doors as of the beginning of 2009. Apparently the concept just didn't work for the location and business was not so good. Ceviche had replaced the Austin Grill, a mainstay in Glover Park for many years. Ceviche's owners have not given up though - they have opened a new restaurant called Kitchen which will have a southern theme in its food and decor. Seems the food will be cheaper, the chairs are from the Salvation Army and the barstools are John Deere tractor seats. Is this a commentary on the Glover Park clientele??

Interestingly, Ceviche was tied to Gin & Tonic nearby (having the same owner) and apparently served as its kitchen for any food. Since Ceviche closed, Gin & Tonic has been ordering takeout from Z-Burger and serving their food at inflated prices. Strange. When it opened Gin & Tonic was touted as a restaurant serving traditional American tavern food, but they apparently serve no food at all and have no kitchen, so it is really just a bar with a Z-Burger take-out option for drinkers who get the munchies and don't want to stroll next door to Z-Burger. I wonder how that affects a restaurant's operator's license and liquor license in DC......

Originally posted 1/27/09

Water Main Break on Manor Pl

A water main broke at Manor Place and 37th st. causing 'Class 4 rapids' down the hill, tearing out some asphalt, opening a sink hole and causing low water pressure for many residents and no water for some. The main is repaired, but as a result of the damage the road will be closed at least for a week for repairs. A secondary break occured on Observatory Pl. and a gas line broke as a result of the water main break.

See article at WJLA News 7 online. http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1108/572683_video.html?ref=newsstory

Originally posted 11/25/08

Surfside, Busara, & ZBurger, Oh My!

Surfside
Work is well under way at Surfside at 2444 Wisconsin. The restaurant should be open for business in July.

Z-Burger
The popular burger joint (think Five Guys) with a location in Tenleytown plans to open a store in Glover Park in August at 2414 Wisconsin. Expect these store to sprout in various locations in the DC metro area in the next few years.

Busara
This critically acclaimed Thai restaurant that has been in Glover Park for at least 15 years will unfortunately close pretty soon. Rumor has it that the owner of the Mendocino Grill in Georgetown will take the space and open a new restaurant. No further details or timeline at the moment.

Good things are happening with Glover Park's streetscape and restaurant scene! Vacant and shoddy storefronts are finally dispappearing and being replaced by establishments that will draw neighbors as well as people from in and around the city.

Originally posted 6/16/08

Gin & Tonic Tavern to Replace Grog & Tankard

The Grog and Tankard, a mainstay bar/music venue in Glover Park for four decades was closed last fall due to a devastating fire at the neighboring strip club JP's. They will not re-open. Latin Concepts, the organization that owns Ceviche nearby, has agreed to buy the space and plans to open a restaurant/bar called Gin & Tonic Tavern. Insiders have tagged it as a "classic American tavern". Renovation work and opening dates are yet to be determined.

Originally posted 6/16/08

Glover Park Restaurant Update

Glover Park has three new restaurants for residents and others to enjoy:

Shanghai Tea House
2400 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Opened a few months ago in the space vacated by a photography shop below Heritage India. Patrons I have heard from have raved about it: bubble tea, good full selection of lunch and dinner items, all at very reasonable prices. Traffic is light since it is new and not really advertised much (I've gotten no flyers and seen no print ads) which means you can have the place to yourself and not feel crowded.

Surfside
2444 Wisconsin Ave. NW
David Scribner (Dahlia's, Jetties) plans to open Surfside, a casual restaurant in the vacant space formerly Apollo Market. See the full story from January 21. Construction is well under way. No target opening date firm yet.

BreadSoda
2233 Wisconsin Ave. NW (former My Bakery & Cafe location)
BreadSoda will open very soon. See January 21 story for more details. Sandwiches, salads, coffee, wine, 14 beers on tap, and pool tables.

Originally posted 5/2/08

JP's Strip Club Gutted by Fire

JP's, a long controversial strip club in Glover Park, was gutted by fire early this morning. The 2-alarm blaze attracted over 100 firefighters and resulted in extensive damage to the establishment as well as some damage to each of the adjacent businesses. JP's has recently been the target once again of neighbors' concerns over having such an establishment in their neighborhood. The recent re-application for renewal of their liquor license and the flaming gasoline attack on an employee of Good Guys - a strip club across the street - have re-energized the complaints and efforts by some residents of Glover Park to compel the Advisory Neighborhood Commission try to oust them from the neighborhood. The ANC subsequently backed approval of their liquor license renewal last month.

Wisconsin Avenue, a major commuter artery into downtown DC, was shut down for most of the morning rushhour, creating chaos on the side streets through the neighborhoods and snarling traffic for miles. Allegedly, a natural gas pipe inside the building broke and caught fire.

Originally posted 1/22/08

Bourbon Owner to Replace My Bakery & Cafe

Bill Thomas, the owner of Bourbon restaurant (2348 Wisconsin Ave), is planning to open a new restaurant in space currently occupied by My Bakery & Cafe at 2233 Wisconsin Ave. My Bakery has struggled to attract an evening/dinner crowd in the basement of the office building at the south end of the neighborhood, somewhat away from the foot traffic and not visible from the street level. The meals are great, the baked goods are wonderful, but it seems that the volume of business cannot support such a high-rent area.

Bill Thomas believes he can make a deli succeed in that location. He plans to have a beer/wine license, serve a good beer selection on tap, and set up a billiards area in the large space. Another key to succeeding in this location in to set up an inviting outdoor space that catches the eye of pedestrians. My Bakery efforts fell short of such an attractive outdoor area. Mr. Thomas - like any good businessman/restauranteur considering the neighborhood - would like to expand the liquor license to allow service until 1am or 2am. Many restaurants rely on late night liquor sales to support the business. Finally, Glover Park does have a great market for the lunch crowd during weekdays with all the office space surrounding that location. Targeting this market will also be a key to success.

Originally posted 1/21/08

Surfside Grill

The Apollo market, a deli at 2444 Wisconsin Ave. NW which closed last year, reportedly will be replaced by a new restaurant. David Scribner, the restauranteur behind Dahlia's in Spring Valley and Jettie's in Foxhall, plans to open Surfside in Glover Park. It is expected to be a casual and quick spot to eat, but more upscale compared to a deli, with seating for 50-60 in addition to a carry-out focus. Surfside is expected to apply for a beer/wine license. One more vacant property down, maybe half a dozen to go!

Originally posted 1/21/08

Kelly Ferguson

Kelly Ferguson, a Glover Park neighbor and popular dog walker and pet sitter, died suddenly at home on December 23rd. She will be missed by many friends, colleagues and clients here in Glover Park. Kelly was passionate about her pets and wanted to help me get more pet pictures on the Glover Park website.

Here is the text from the Washington

Post:http://www.legacy.com/WashingtonPost/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=100275673

Kelly J. Ferguson
FERGUSON KELLY J. FERGUSON On December 23, 2007, Kelly J. Ferguson, beloved daughter of Robert P. Ferguson. M.D. and Diane Ferguson (nee Strickland); dear sister of Mike Ferguson and his wife Kathy; dear aunt of Charlie Ferguson. Also survived by numerous aunts and uncles. She was born in Ithaca, NY, where her father was a student. She was raised in New York City, Long Island, New York, Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Bloomfield, CT, where she was valedictorian of the Bloomfield High School Class of 1986. She was an accomplished flutist in numerous school musical groups. She attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island where she graduated summa cum laude in 1990. Besides her family, her two great loves were show business and animals. She interned on the television show, Late Night with David Letterman and moved to Los Angeles where she worked in production roles in movies and television. After 9 years in California, she returned to the east coast to be closer to her parents. She worked in law in Washington, DC, before moving to her true calling, working with dogs and cats and a variety of other animals. She formed her own animal care company, Creature Care. A Remembrance Service will be held at a later date. The family suggests donations in Kelly's name to an animal rescue org. Recycled Love, P.O.Box 6476 Baltimore, MD 21230 (RecyledLove.org).Published in The Washington Post on 12/27/2007.

Originally posted 12/28/07

Massage Parlor Raided

A "massage parlor" long suspected of harboring a prostitution ring was raided on December 27th and multiple arrests were made. The Venus Spa was located in the basement at 2352 Wisconsin Ave. below the Shade and Shutter Shack across from Whole Foods. Strange how this "business" operated for so long without incident when many neighbors knew exactly what was really going on behind the shaded windows and security camera.

Originally posted 12/28/07

December 5th Snow

Tuesday evening 12/4 the weather experts assured us that we would get no accumulation of snow in the city on Wednesday morning. Wednesday morning was a commuter's nightmare with accumulated snow and ice on the roads creating treacherous conditions. No streets in Glover Park had been salted or sanded and multiple accidents occured. Some of the most dangerous places were hilly areas, like Manor Place and 37th St. where a five car pileup began with a vehicle sliding down the hill into a parked car, then every car behind slid into the car in front, until there was no more room to slide. The street was closed for much of the day. A number of fender-benders also occured at Benton St. where it meets Tunlaw Road. This slight downslope was a sheet of ice, causing even very slow-moving cars to slide into the cars in front of them, and through the stop sign onto Tunlaw.

Snow continued to fall all day with about 4 inches of accumulation by nighttime, resulting in another disastrous morning commute on Thursday with many side streets gridlocked with sliding cars and buses spinning their wheels. Some cars could not navigate even the slightest incline due to the layer of ice on many streets. By midday Thursday, the ice melted and most streets were clear. The city then sent out it's salt trucks in Glover Park to salt clear streets, leaving the terribly corrosive salt everywhere yet apparently having no effect whatsoever, since the ice had melted hours ago.

Originally posted 12/9/07

Good Guys Controversy Heating Up

The controversy over the existence of Good Guys and JP's, two strip clubs in the neighborhood, has been heating up recently.

First a little background:

Good Guys and JP's have operated in Glover Park for many years, to the dismay of many residents who do not wish to have such establishments in their neighborhood. Knowing this, the owner of Good Guys has attempted to be a good neighbor by donating money and having employees volunteer at various Glover Park events. They do contribute more than most other businesses in the neighborhood. When Mama Maria's, the Italian restaurant next door, closed for business earlier this year, Good Guys announced plans to purchase the property and expand its operations into the space. A small group of residents submitted a formal protest to the DC government, but the protest was rejected on a technicality and the efforts seemed to evaporate for a few months. Then just a few weeks ago an employee of Good Guys was viciously attacked, mutilated and almost killed by a disgruntled patron. This horrible crime sparked a renewed effort by residents to voice their opinions about ousting the strip clubs from the neighborhood.

Recent events:

Two recent events have brought this issue to a crossroads. First, the Advisory Neighborhood Commission is considering opposing the renewal of their liquor licenses which are currently up again for consideration. Liquor license control is an effective method of influencing the type of businesses and how they operate in the neighborhood, and of course, a bar would be out of business without one. Second, the previously filed protest, which was rejected, has been submitted to the DC Court of Appeals for reinstatement. The Court of Appeals might issue a decision in the next few days. Both issues have made the owner of Good Guys quite nervous about the future. Allegedly, he has approached a small group of residents who tend to be vocal and influential at the ANC3B monthly meetings and has offered a deal to them. He allegedly proposes that if these few individuals will support his application for liquor license renewal (i.e. not voice opposition at the ANC meeting) he will drop his plans to expand into the Mama Maria's space. Instead, he would propose to expand to the second floor of his establishement, thus doubling patron capacity anyway. He also allegedly has threatened that if he is opposed but gets his license anyway, he will accelerate plans to purchase the property next door and move into the Mama Maria's space. It is not certain at this point how the group of residents will respond to the proposal and threat.We are quickly approaching a crossroads in the coming days and residents' attention and response could determine the future of these establishments.

Originally posted 11/27/07

Good Guys Controversy Heating Up

The controversy over the existence of Good Guys and JP's, two strip clubs in the neighborhood, has been heating up recently.

First a little background:

Good Guys and JP's have operated in Glover Park for many years, to the dismay of many residents who do not wish to have such establishments in their neighborhood. Knowing this, the owner of Good Guys has attempted to be a good neighbor by donating money and having employees volunteer at various Glover Park events. They do contribute more than most other businesses in the neighborhood. When Mama Maria's, the Italian restaurant next door, closed for business earlier this year, Good Guys announced plans to purchase the property and expand its operations into the space. A small group of residents submitted a formal protest to the DC government, but the protest was rejected on a technicality and the efforts seemed to evaporate for a few months. Then just a few weeks ago an employee of Good Guys was viciously attacked, mutilated and almost killed by a disgruntled patron. This horrible crime sparked a renewed effort by residents to voice their opinions about ousting the strip clubs from the neighborhood.

Recent events:

Two recent events have brought this issue to a crossroads. First, the Advisory Neighborhood Commission is considering opposing the renewal of their liquor licenses which are currently up again for consideration. Liquor license control is an effective method of influencing the type of businesses and how they operate in the neighborhood, and of course, a bar would be out of business without one. Second, the previously filed protest, which was rejected, has been submitted to the DC Court of Appeals for reinstatement. The Court of Appeals might issue a decision in the next few days. Both issues have made the owner of Good Guys quite nervous about the future. Allegedly, he has approached a small group of residents who tend to be vocal and influential at the ANC3B monthly meetings and has offered a deal to them. He allegedly proposes that if these few individuals will support his application for liquor license renewal (i.e. not voice opposition at the ANC meeting) he will drop his plans to expand into the Mama Maria's space. Instead, he would propose to expand to the second floor of his establishement, thus doubling patron capacity anyway. He also allegedly has threatened that if he is opposed but gets his license anyway, he will accelerate plans to purchase the property next door and move into the Mama Maria's space. It is not certain at this point how the group of residents will respond to the proposal and threat.We are quickly approaching a crossroads in the coming days and residents' attention and response could determine the future of these establishments.

Originally posted 11/27/07

Glover Park Blog!

Glover Park is a wonderful neighborhood in Washington, D.C. just north of Georgetown, west of Wisconsin Avenue, and cradled by the serene forested parklands of Glover-Archbold Park and Whitehaven Park. Read about the neighborhood at www.GloverParkDC.com

Originally posted 11/26/07

Vacant Properties

Update on vacant properties on our commercial strip: The bank at 2440 Wisconsin has been demolished and Adams Investment Group is rebuilding a retail/office building (see rendering). 5200 s.f. is currently available for rent. Mama Maria's at 2313 Wisc. is closed and vacant. Apollo Market at 2440 Wisc. is closed and vacant. The laundromat at 2414 Wisc. remains closed and vacant. Half of the old Blockbuster location at 2332 Wisc. is still vacant, with a drycleaners planning to open soon. Studio Infinity at 2200 Wisconsin is closed and the street level space is vacant.

Originally posted 9/14/07

Mama Maria's

After many years of talk about the possibility of closing Mama Maria's, a neighborhood Italian restaurant at 2313 Wisconsin, it has finally become a reality. In the past, Good Guys next door had pursued the purchase of this restaurant to expand it's strip bar into the space to add a dining area. The future for the space is uncertain.

Originally posted 8/14/07

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