It’s all about the neighborhood
Don't let the rain earlier get you down. The Petworth Community Market and the 14th and Kennedy St Community Market are both open and hopping with vendors and residents.
Stop by the Petworth Market and visit Meat Crafters for a fresh sausage or get some fresh (and washed by the rain) produce and a cup of coffee. (I even got to meet Princess Leia... the dog.)
See two galleries and read more after the break:
Read MoreResidents who live around the 14th and Kennedy Street Farmer's Market (located on Saturday mornings on the 5500 block of Colorado Ave NW) met last night to talk about some concerns that have been raised among residents.
I didn't get an exact headcount, but it was a crowded event of around 40 or 50 people in the basement of 1365 Kennedy St NW. All the residents were local and from (in order of what I heard) Colorado Ave, 13th Street, Jefferson, Longfellow, Nicholson, Kennedy and 16th Street. The meeting went really well, was very low-key and was a great example of people getting together to talk through concerns.
Read more after the break and see a photo gallery from the meeting:
Read MorePic courtesy of Flickr user Danny Huizinga
Tomorrow is Shoot Off Fireworks At All Hours Like a Maniac Day -- I mean, Independence Day.
If you're looking for things to do, here's two!
Starting at 12 noon, there's a Ward 4 Block Party at 800 Ingraham St NW at the Truesdell Education Campus. The Mayor's Office is holding a series of block parties around the city(#FRESH Fourth of July Block Party). There will be music, activities, food and "good times with leaders from the Executive Office of the Mayor and the Metropolitan Police Department."
Later in the day, you can head over to the Armed Forces Retirement Home and enjoy a day of events sponsored by the Friends' of the Soldiers Home. Staring at 4pm and ending at 9:30pm when the fireworks end, you can enjoy a community softball game at 4:30, kids events like face painting, carnival games and trout fishing, food trucks (hella yes to DC Ballers, Captain Cookie and Lemongrass, my local favs - I'm already hungry), an Anheuser Busch Beer truck (say what?) and lots of music. Parking is $5. At the end of the evening you can watch the national fireworks from downtown with a clear view from the field.
Or you can stay home cause it might rain. But what kind of patriot would you be then?
Tonight was the first Sherman Circle Social, a gathering of neighbors who live near and around Sherman Circle. What first started out as really nice weather suddenly became a huge downpour or rain right at 5:30 -- right when the Social was supposed to start. I arrived a few minutes early and huddled in my car watching the drenched people on bicycles yell at drivers as they all tried to share the road. And then, just as suddenly, the rain stopped, the sun came out and the Social was on. Read more and see a photo gallery after the break:
Read MoreI’m pleased to say that local realtor Yianni Konstantopoulos has become a sponsor of Petworth News. I met Yianni back in the Spring when he reached out to me wanting to get to know each other. We’ve since become friends and have spent many an hour talking over a coffee at Qualia and a beer at Chez Billy about the neighborhood.
It was during one of our talks that Yianni became a sponsor of the Celebrate Petworth Festival, and has been really supportive of local events. It was actually Yianni's initial sponsorship that gave me the confidence of moving to a separate website for this blog. Yianni is really passionate about local real estate and doing more with both buyers and brokers in the Petworth area. He's a great guy to know. Read more about Yianni and his business after the break:
Read MoreI'm really happy to say that the Washington Post has extended an offer to publish articles from Petworth News on their website in the All Opinions Are Local section.
I accepted (obviously) and signed an agreement with them a week or so ago. This is pretty cool, and means greater exposure for our neighborhood and the blog. I mentioned this agreement in the podcast I just did, so I figured it was time to announce it here too. Read more about the agreement and an FAQ after the break:
Read MoreThere are many ways to help your neighbor, especially if getting a balanced meal for a child is a problem. To help, the DC government has a program called DC Free Summer Meals Program (FSMP) that offers free breakfast and lunch to all persons under age 18 who stop by the Petworth Rec Center (8th & Taylor NW). They serve meals Monday through Friday.
The program runs June through August with most sites opening June 22 and closing August 22. Meal times and dates vary by location.
Hunger doesn’t take a summer break.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), known in Washington, DC as the DC Free Summer Meals Program (FSMP), provides reimbursement for free nutritious meals and snacks served to children 18 and younger. These meals help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school.
When school is out, the meals served as a part of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program are not available, and due to families' limited budgets, or other circumstances, children will often miss wholesome meals. The FSMP fills this gap and parents benefit from some help in stretching their food dollars and by knowing that their children are receiving healthy meals in a supportive environment.
The Free Summer Meals Program has served over 1 million meals to children and youth in the District of Columbia in the past three summers.
Don't miss the new Sherman Circle Social from 5:30 to 6:30. The weather should be great, and they'll have some lemonade and paper cups. Feel free to bring stuff to share if you'd like.
Kids are most definitely welcome!
Please share this with neighbors that may not be on the listservs or read Petworth News!
ANC 4C's July 2015 meeting is on Wednesday, July 8th at the Petworth Library in the Community Meeting room on the lower level. The meeting will begin promptly at 6:30pm.
DRAFT AGENDA – July 8, 2015 Community Meeting
1. Call to Order (6:30pm)
2. Roll Call and Introduction of Commissioners (6:33pm)
See the full agenda after the break:
Read MoreMy friends at 4Site Studios, a web and video firm in Columbia Heights, invited me to a casual conversation over beer and recorded a podcast about neighborhood blogging and what it takes to build a "digital community" in their Digital Engagement 4Cast series.
If you're interested in learning a bit more about me, hearing how Petworth News came about, my obsession with metrics, what I think about when I write and more, you can find the podcast on iTunes (it's 4Cast #8).
I find myself thinking a lot (and writing a lot) about what it means to live in a neighborhood. I’ve talked about the Petworth Dance Project, the Jazz Project, Socials, trash clean-ups… residents coming together to meet and hang out. People enjoying their neighbors. And now I think I can add the Petworth News Shindig as another great example. That’s pretty awesome.
I think last night’s Shindig was pretty successful. I estimate about 70 people came by over the... Read more to see a huge photo gallery...
Read MoreCourtesy Google Maps
The Petworth Post Office (4211 9th St NW) finally has its close date. USPS has been saying the location is going to close for a couple of years, but the date hadn't been known until now. It's shutting down on July 28, 2015.
That part of 9th Street (just around the corner from Upshur) has Lighthouse Yoga, Red Sun embroidery, Marshall March funeral home and El Torogoz restaurant.
According to a few residents commenting on the Popville.com website, "the District has signed a long lease to build a Community Outreach Center. They’re going to occupy the entire building and will open at the end of the year. The Post Office has to move sometime in the coming months but he doesn’t know where they’re going to go."
It'll be interesting to see what does happen to that space. Something that serves the needs of residents with housing, jobs, etc., would be great -- especially if it brings more foot traffic to that area, helping both restaurants and retail.
Source: Popville, listservs
Will paint and pylons keep drivers from zipping around Grant Circle, nearly running over pedestrians and driving with a little more sense of calm and respect? DDOT thinks so.
Over the past couple of weeks, ANC 4C Commissioners Joe Martin and Kathleen Crowley, along with several residents including myself, have contacted DDOT looking for clarification on the status of the Pedestrian Safety Plan (see my prior article) for Grant Circle. This plan called for some rather large changes to the Circle, including eliminating... Read more after the break and see the proposed solution from DDOT:
Read MorePetworth News, a neighborhood blog on local news, information & events about the Petworth area in Washington DC.
Petworth News is a news site about Petworth area neighborhoods in Washington DC, written by Drew Schneider and other amazing contributing writers. It features facts and objective reporting, as well as an occasional subjective point of view and opinion.
Volunteer with the Friends of the Soldier's Home!
