Sprig & Sprout Vietnamese Restaurant Opening Soon!

Sprig & Sprout, a Vietnamese pho and sandwich shop, is opeing soon in the former Margarita's Mexican Restaurant space.  Margarita's closed a couple of years ago and the space has been vacant ever since. Sprig and Sprout will feature pho (a rice noodle soup) and rice dishes, as well as banh mi sandwiches. They also will offer egg rolls as appetizers. Soup or sandwiches will have choice of tofu or meat, including pork belly, brisket, flank steak, tripe, chicken and more. The planned opening is any day now (early November) but no announcement yet.  Below is a partial menu - click on it for larger version:

Leaf Collection in Glover Park

City leaf collection in Glover Park begins 11/19.  The neighborhood will get at least two leaf vacuums. The Department of Public Works has instructed residents to put leaves in the treebox area between the sidewalk and the street, not in the street itself, as that can cause a hazard for cars, buses, bikes and pedestrians and will clog sewer drains. The deadline for the first vacuum is Sunday 11/18, for collection between 11/19-12/1.  The deadline for the second vacuum is 12/16, for collection 12/17-12/29. If necessary, we might get a third vacuum between 1/7-1/12. Now of course if they don't come until the end the period, then those leaves in the treebox area will get blown out all over the place after a couple of good storms, but this is the schedule. They have asked for leaves only - no limbs, rocks, dirt, etc... which could damage vacuum equipment.  Can you imagine being one of the rakers who rakes miles and miles of leaves into the street ahead of the vacuum truck? I dread just raking my own tiny square of lawn.  These guys work hard....

Farmers' Market

The Glover Park farmer's market closes for the season on 11/17/12 - only two more Saturdays this year! Make sure to come by and browse or buy. Lots going on there these days.  See website for events at: http://www.dcgreens.org

Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy thankfully spared Glover Park from the worst of its wrath. Most residents were expecting widespread power outage, considering we seem to lose power every time the wind blows. It ended up being nowhere near the devastation of the 15-minute derecho storm earlier in the summer. Scary winds peaked for a few hours Monday evening, and a couple of trees came down on Tunlaw Road and W Street, but according to PEPCO outage records only about 100-150 residents lost power and most were back up and running the next day.  The W Street tree did fall on two houses causing significant damage to roof and porch, but did not appear to be a devastating loss and the city had removed the tree within a couple of days. The storm moved north well before Halloween and the hoards of trick-or-treaters were able to enjoy cold but pleasant weather going house-to-house on Wednesday evening.

Mayfair & Pine Open for Business

Mayfair and Pine, a new restaurant in Glover Park, has opened in the space formerly occupied by Town Hall at 2218 Wisconsin Ave. Town Hall had moved up the street to the former Busara location last year. View their website, including reviews, menu and photos at: http://www.mayfairandpine.com/ or at the www.GloverParkDC.com restaurant link at http://www.gloverparkdc.com/restaurants.html  Labeled as a "gastropub", the space largely retains the ambiance of Town Hall and has been getting positive reviews on Yelp.

Shepherd's Pie is nice - lighter and simpler than one would normally expect; spinach dip is excellent.  Kids are welcome, and they have daily specials. Wait staff very attentive and knowledgeable. Interesting draft beer and wine choices. Weekday attendance has been light so go grab a table of your choice and spread out!

Liquor License Moratorium

Glover Park’s ANC voted to extend the 16-year-old Liquor License Moratorium, while conceding a modification allowing two more licenses. The intense debate will continue to rage over whether the neighborhood should seek to attract businesses or risk continued vacancies with shuttered store fronts. Those opposed to lifting the ban worry about noise and drunken misbehavior, while those in favor see the potential to add to the diversity and vitality of our commercial strip.

Glover Park Resident Explorer Documentary

Glover Park resident explorer and environmentalist Robert Hyman has produced a documentary film after returning from an expedition to the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve in Honduras. Link to video here: http://skyshipfilms.com/paradise-in-peril

Paradise in Peril Film Description


The Río Platáno Biosphere Reserve, Honduras – home to the highest level of tropical biodiversity in Central America, homeland of the Pech and Miskito Indians, and keeper of hundreds of unexplored archeological sites – is in danger. Non-indians are invading the Reserve from all sides, poaching endangered wildlife and fish, slashing and burning ancient forests to sow pastures, and forcing indigenous inhabitants off their ancestral lands. Paradise in Peril follows an expedition organized to document the destruction of this UNESCO World Heritage Site and collect testimony from the native peoples who rely on the Río Platáno for survival. Fewer than 400 individuals have ever completed this strenuous expedition from the rivers headwaters to the Miskito coast of Honduras.
Please go to http://skyshipfilms.com/paradise-in-peril  or http://vimeo.com/skyshipfilms/paradise-in-peril
to see this short documentary.

Stoddert Field Fencing Removed

The fencing around Stoddert Field finally has been removed after two years of being sequestered during its reconstruction, in tandem with the construction of the Stoddert Rec Center which was completed last year. The baseball/softball diamond has been completely re-built with dugout fencing, benches, backstop and a nice level infield. Unfortunately, the extensive engineering effort to improve drainage at the dugouts and home plate seems to have failed, as that corner remains swampy. Stoddert Field's new turf is amazing - let's hope it holds up to the onslaught of soccer games! The new field backs to a new Stoddert Community Garden, which was created by the efforts of many volunteers led by Glover Park residents Lauren Biel and Sarah Bernardi. This will be a great addition to help children learn about gardening.

The baseball diamond remains fenced but hopefully will be opened shortly so softball and Little League baseball can resume.

Chipotle to open in April!

Chipotle, the popular burrito chain, is planning to open a store in Glover Park in the long-vacant former Pizza Hut space next to the Post Office. at 2338 Wisconsin Ave.

See Chipotle's website: http://www.chipotle.com

And they are hiring now for the Glover Park location: http://www.simplyhired.com/job-id/w7vuwhibai/new-restaurant-jobs/

Update on Glover Park Property Values

Glover Park houses continue to maintain their value despite the prolonged downturn in the economy and the real estate market nationwide. The chart below shows average rowhouse sale prices, number of annual sales, and percent change year-over-year for the past seven years. No, we are not seeing the double-digit (or even single-digit) gains in average property values that we experienced back in the first half of the decade, but we are not seeing the painful drops in property values that have upset the lives of so many homeowners in the region and across the country. Average prices in 2010 are roughly at the same level compared to the height of the market in 2005; and we've been creeping up ever so slightly since a modest drop from 2005 to 2006.












Why have we fared so well relative the region and the nation? There are a number of reasons:

- The obvious reason is the strong federal jobs market here in DC. While other cities are seeing entire industries decimated, Washington continues to attract qualified homebuyers accepting or keeping federal jobs as well as private sector jobs linked to the operation of the federal government.

- Our neighborhood has seen a bit of a demographic shift in the past 10+ years in which more and more families with small children are staying put rather than moving to the suburbs as soon as their kids are old enough to walk. Also, more and more families with children are buying houses in our area and sacrificing some space for a shorter commute and a vibrant urban (or less suburban) lifestyle.

- Glover Park continues to be a popular rental area near universities and for new workers who view their well-paying jobs as potentially transient and wish to rent instead of buy. Rents have risen significantly since 2000 and rental houses are in great demand, which buoys property values.

- Move-up mobility has decreased due to the tight credit market and lack of equity to roll over, so more and more homeowners are staying put longer. One of the most striking statistics from the chart above is the roughly 40% drop in annual turnover of houses (down to 30 houses in 2010). With a tight supply, and steady (unfrenzied) demand, prices levels will be maintained.

- Rowhouse foreclosures and short sales are rare. We’ve seen a couple of instances in the last few years, but they have not had any noticeable impact on property values. The condo market in the neighborhood has seen more short sales and foreclosures with a bit of an impact on their respective buildings in the short term, but still nothing like the experience of most of the rest of the region and nation.

- The run-up in the market through 2005 sparked a renovation boom. Owners flush with equity or cash from home equity loans felt secure in spending money to do major home renovations, and sellers often felt these renovations could get a good return on re-sale. Back in the 80's and 90's seeing an opened-up kitchen with extended granite counters and stainless steel appliances was a rarity, but now it is commonplace in the neighborhood. This trend helped to raise the average home price.

Will prices rise when the economy finally recovers? I don't have a crystal ball, but much of the eye-popping rise in prices in the early part of the decade was due to the lending free-for-all, in which you could get a mortgage if you could simply prove you had a pulse. The credit market has gone to the opposite extreme now, and it is difficult even for many qualified buyers to finance a purchase. These changes are likely to loosen somewhat in the years to come, but we will not be back to the free-wheeling days until our collective memory is erased and we forget about the crisis. It will happen again - it always does - but considering the magnitude of the economic disaster this time, that will not happen again for a long time to come. The good news is that as long as we don't experience some other major unexpected economic shock, we can feel secure in the value of our Glover Park properties.

Glover Park Neighborhood Signs

Glover Park has two new neighborhood signs now installed along Wisconsin Avenue! One is at Calvert Street, which you see driving south, and the other is just below W Place, seen driving north into the neighborhood. Neighbors have long discussed the possibility of adding the signs as a visual enhancement and identity for the neighborhood, similar to the Palisades neigborhood signs installed along MacArthur Blvd. years ago. The signs are tastefully done and represent the typical streetscape of the Glover Park neighborhood with old brick and painted rowhouses along a tree-lined street.

Glover Park Farmers' Market 2010 Season Opening 5/8/10

The Glover Park Farmers' Market, which was hailed last summer as a valuable addition to the neighborhood, is soon starting its second season on Saturday, May 8th 2010. It will run every Saturday from 9:00-1:00, rain or shine, through October 30th.

The location is the Hardy Middle School parking lot (where the Georgetown Flea Market is held) across from the Social Safeway at Wisconsin and 34th Streets.

Info from those managing the market: "The Glover Park-Burleith Farmers’ Market is a producer-only market, featuring local fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, bread, eggs, plants, cut flowers, handmade soap, pasta, gelato and more. Live bluegrass music, local fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, cut flowers, gelato, plants, bread and more. Dogs are welcome. WIC coupons accepted."

Kudos to Lauren Biel and the others who have worked tirelessly and selflessly to make this market a success, hopefully year after year.

Link to Glover Park Farmers' Market website

Stoddert Elementary Buy-a-Brick Fundraiser

Stoddert Elementary School in Glover Park has had construction of it's new facilities underway for over a year now and is attempting to raise money for school services through a Buy-a-Brick Fundraiser before construction is complete. Donors can receive an engraved brick to be installed as part of the school construction project near the entrance to school and new recreation center.

Standard bricks (4"x8") are a $75 donation, and family/class pavers (8"x8") are $275K. See their website to donate online and reserve your brick, but act fast before construction is complete!

Link to Buy-a-Brick online

Angelico Pizza in Glover Park

Angelico Pizza will be opening soon at 2313 Wisconsin Ave., replacing the italian restaurant Mama Maria's which went out of business last year. Angelico Pizza has a store in Tenleytown and seems to be following the lead of Z-Burger in expanding from Tenley to Glover Park, considering the market possibilities in the neighborhood. Angelico is also planning to open restaurants in the active H Street and U Street corridors. Liquor license application is pending.

Pizza Hut Closes

The Pizza Hut store next to the Salvadoran Embassy has closed. The store primarily was used for delivery and take-out, though also had a couple of chairs for diners. No word yet on what will replace it, though it is currently another vacant and papered-up eyesore. How about another drycleaners??