Downtowner DC
By • July 12, 2017 0 587
$2 Million for Food & Friends
The nonprofit Food & Friends has received two million dollars from Fleur, Sidney and Phyllis Bresler and the Bresler Foundation. The gift was announced June 19 at the organization’s annual Chef’s Best Dinner & Auction. The Bresler family was honored at the event for their 20 years of support for Food & Friends, which provides meals, groceries and other food-oriented services to D.C. residents with serious illnesses.
D.C. Tops in Energy Star Buildings
For the third year in a row, D.C. has topped the Environmental Protection Agency’s annual ranking of U.S. cities with the most Energy Star-certified buildings. The 2017 list ranks metropolitan areas according to the number of buildings that earned an “Energy Star” certification in 2016. To be certified, a building must outperform 75 percent of the buildings like it nationwide, earning an Energy Star score of 75 or higher on a 100-point scale. Los Angeles held the number-one spot until D.C. swooped in and took it away. The Energy Star buildings in D.C. helped the city save $167 million in total energy costs.
Nadeau Proposes Grants, Loans for Small Businesses
District Council member Brianne Nadeau is pushing a bill that she hopes will help local small businesses. If passed, the bill would provide up to $50,000 a year in grants and loans. Nadeau is concerned that the cost of doing business in the District has become incredibly expensive, Fox 5 reported. D.C. is also one of the most expensive places to live in the U.S., with the median rent at $2,700 per month.
D.C., Baltimore Drivers Just About the Worst
Drivers in D.C. — and in Baltimore — have earned a title that is nothing to be proud of: among the worst in the nation. WTOP reported that Allstate tracked insurance claims, number of years between crashes and collision likelihood in 200 metropolitan areas, comparing these and other data to national averages. The safest drivers, in Kansas City, Kansas, are likely to crash every 14.9 years, about four years less than the national average. D.C. drivers crash every four years, earning them the 197th spot (Baltimore was 199, beating only Boston). Are you due?
Sushi Gakyu Opens on New York Ave.
D.C. is home to a new sushi restaurant: Sushi Gakyu. The restaurant is the brainchild of master sushi chef and Kikisake-shi (certified sake sommelier) Yoshi Ota. The New York Avenue eatery gives patrons an upscale dining experience with traditional and modern sushi, sashimi and other Japanese fish dishes. Ota, who also owns Yuzu Japanese Dining in Bethesda, has practiced sushi-making for more than 30 years in the U.S. and Japan.
Care for Some Lobster With Your Latte?
Luke’s Lobster, a restaurant that aims to “serve sustainable seafood straight from the source,” and modern and industrial coffee joint Compass Coffee signed a lease at 800 17th St. NW last month. The lease puts the eateries right off Farragut Square downtown. Luke’s, founded in New York by Mainer Luke Holden, also has a Georgetown location on Potomac Street.
