Latest News

Kelly Byrnes • August 17, 2015

Local business professionals will gather July 21 for an open house presented by Summit Commercial Real Estate. The event, sponsored by Georgetown Professionals as part of their monthly happy hour occurrences, will be held at 3255 K Street NW, formerly the Cycle Life building.

Beginning at 6:00 p.m., the evening will feature food and beverages provided by Rockland’s Barbeque and Grilling Company. The event presents an opportunity for community outreach by teaming with DistrictGolf, a non-profit organization that supports veterans through their “Hit with Heros” program, which they launched this year.

Georgetown Professionals offers opportunities for sponsoring events to coincide with their monthly Happy Hour gatherings, and reach out to over 2,000 local professionals as well as over 600 firms in the greater D.C. area.

Peter Murray •

The Metropolitan Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit has arrested 41 men since July 14 for soliciting prostitution in Northwest D.C.

Starting in January, the MPD unit has conducted a number of sting operations at hotels around Thomas Circle not far from the city’s old Red Light District on 14th Street NW. Police lured johns online with fake advertisements, giving the men men hotel room numbers and arresting the ones who showed up.

Police were spurred by reports of street prostitution from local businesses and churches around Thomas Circle and along the bustling 14th Street corridor downtown. Prosecutors in the District have increasingly focused on prostitution cases of late in an effort to battle human trafficking.

The arrests come after Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans proposed new legislation that would crack down on johns by allowing police to tow and boot their cars. The “honey, I lost the car” bill, as Evans dubs it, is meant to embarrass johns and decrease prostitution in the city. He said recently there has been an “enormous increase in street prostitution” in the city.

His proposal comes from a long line of ideas the District has experimented with to crack down on prostitution since the early 1990s. Other ideas tested out by the city government to put a damper on prostitution include banning right turns on certain streets and starting a “John School” to shame and frighten men caught soliciting prostitutes.

Robert Devaney •

The Sovereign, a bar and bistro to be located at 1206 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Georgetown, will open in the late fall, according to owner Neighborhood Restaurant Group. The restaurant will be in the building which once housed the famed Champions Sports Bar and later Blue Gin in an alley on Wisconsin Avenue, just north of M Street. The space has been vacant for almost four years.

“The two-story bar and bistro will be comprised of an 84-seat first floor dining room and 47-seat bar on the second floor,” according to the restaurateurs. “Known for his award-winning beer lists at Birch & Barley, ChurchKey, Rustico and more, beer director Greg Engert is curating and creating a Belgian beer list unlike any other at the Sovereign alongside a menu of classic Belgian cuisine from executive chef Peter Smith.”

“There is substantial talent behind this operation,” said investor and business partner Greg Talcott, who has been a Georgetown restaurateur for decades and was involved with Blue Gin and the Third Edition. Working with Mike Babin of NRG on some of the details to finalize plans for the bar and bistro, Talcott said, “Getting the process completed has taken a long time.”

The company noted its own serious authenticity: “The Sovereign will showcase the widest array of drafts and bottles from the very best Belgian brewers. With 50 drafts and 200+ bottles, the beer program will feature the work of Belgian brewers who embody the standards, techniques, and innovative spirit that underpins the fabled Belgian brewing culture.

“Just as the Sovereign will be championing brewers that use simple, true recipes and let technique and patience yield complex flavors, so will the menu feature rustic ingredient-driven dishes of Belgian cuisine, which draws from French, German and Dutch cooking traditions. Executive chef Peter Smith of PS7 and Vidalia has developed the menu –which will be available throughout the restaurant and bar– by combining his French training with experience gained while traveling through Belgium with Engert.”

The new place looks like it will be more than beer heaven. It will include many old-world favorites, such as Dutch-style mussels, anchovies and pickled onion or gruyere with caraway seeds. Expect old-world wines as well.

Georgetowner •

Grace Church 22nd Annual Bach Festival

July 5th, 2015 at 03:00 PM | $20 | Event Website

Visit Georgetown’s historic Grace Church to experience Bach’s most iconic works as they come alive. Starting Sunday, July 5, at 3:00 p.m., the festival will include a series of concerts for $20 admission, concluding on Friday, July 10, with a final concert at 7:30 p.m.

Address

Grace Church; 1041 Wisconsin Ave NW

Pink Martini

July 10th, 2015 at 08:00 PM | Event Website

The self-described “little orchestra” has become an international phenomenon, “mixing glamour and sophisticated easy listening with multilingual songs and the unexpected” (The Guardian)—see them on tour for hits like “Sympathique,” “Amado mío,” “¿Dónde estás, Yolanda?” and more.

Address

Filene Center; 1551 Trap Road; Vienna, VA 22812

House + Walking Tours: Tudor Place and the Civil War Home Front

July 11th, 2015 at 10:00 AM | $8-$15 | press@tudorplace.org | Tel: 2029650400 | Event Website

Civil War brought uncertain times for Tudor Place and surrounding Georgetown. Learn in a unique house tour how owner Britannia Peter Kennon saved her family home by boarding Union officers. See where they dined, learn what they ate, and hear about the landlady’s special precautions to avoid charges of espionage. After breaking for lunch on your own, join the expert guided walking tour of historic Georgetown.

Address

Tudor Place Historic House and Garden; 1644 31st Street NW

National Ballet of China

July 14th, 2015 at 08:30 PM | Event Website

Fusing classical western ballet with traditional Chinese dance, this spellbinding performance tells the story of star-crossed lovers through luscious costumes and poetic staging.

Address

Filene Center; 1551 Trap Road; Vienna, VA 22812

Author Debriefing: The Billion-Dollar Spy

July 15th, 2015 at 12:00 PM | FREE | lhicken@spymuseum.org | Tel: (202) 654-0932 | Event Website

While getting into his car on a February evening in 1978, the chief of the CIA’s Moscow station was handed an envelope by an unknown Russian. Its contents stunned the Americans: details of top secret Soviet research and development in military technology that was totally unknown to the United States. From David Hoffman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Dead Hand, comes the riveting story of the CIA’s most valuable spy in the Soviet Union.

Address

800 F Street, NW

Jane Austen Film Festival Presents: Emma

July 15th, 2015 at 07:30 PM | Free | marketingintern@dumbartonhouse.org | Tel: 2023372288 | Event Website

There is no shortage of outdoor movies to choose from in Washington, D.C., this summer, but what sets the Jane Austen Film Festival apart is the picturesque backdrop of Dumbarton House, which The Georgetowner calls “a perfectly historical fit” for the romantic stories of the author. Dumbarton House will host the 4th Annual outdoor film series screening popular adaptations of some of the most beloved Jane Austen novels. Bring a blanket, bring a date, bring friends and family and come watch under the stars!

Address

2715 Q St NW

Cheers or Jeers

July 15th, 2015 at 07:30 PM | $10 | media@dcshorts.com | Tel: 202.393.4266 | Event Website

For 12 years, the D.C. Shorts Film Festival has presented the best short films from around the globe. Now, watch the ones that did not make the cut in an interactive evening of jeering in misery — and cheering for victory.

Address

Penn Social; 801 E St NW

Robert Devaney •

It takes the mayor to get some Georgetowners up and out early on Saturday morning.

Mayor Muriel Bowser brought her FitDC initiative to Ward 2 and Georgetown July 25 at Jelleff Recreation Center on S Street NW.
Bowser walked into the Jelleff parking lot, joined the group waiting for her arrival and started the line dance with Ward 2 FitDC coach Aimee Stoltz. After the warm up, officials and neighbors took a 1.5 mile walk on the east side of Georgetown along R Street and P Street that circled back to Jelleff.

Along with Department of Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt, M.D., and Keith Anderson, director of the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, Bowser encouraged everyone to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Bowser also discussed D.C.’s Billion Steps Challenge, which is like the Let’s Move! initiative, begun by first lady Michelle Obama. It is a citywide effort that encourages all D.C. residents to get active by collectively walking one billion steps. This challenge serves as a unique platform that will allow the FitDC coaches to encourage and motivate participants to get out, move more and make healthier choices resulting in better health outcomes. 
[gallery ids="102159,132932,132927,132921" nav="thumbs"]

Kelly Byrnes •

Benetton, the major fashion retailer that expanded across the U.S. during the 1980s and 1990s, has now dwindled down to one American store following the sudden and quiet closing of its Washington, D.C., store in Georgetown.

Last week, the store, located on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street NW, was abruptly boarded up with no explanation of its closing. The brand’s name has also been removed from the building’s exterior wall.

Though the Italian-based company still has an international presence—particularly across Europe and South America–the Georgetown closing signals the end of Benetton’s era in the American fashion industry, as its New York City store is now its lone retailer in the country.

The dwindling number of American stores can be attributed to popularity of discount clothiers and the underperforming teen-apparel market. Famous retailers, such as J. Crew and Abercrombie & Fitch, are closing stores. Wet Seal, which used to be across the street from Benetton in Georgetown, has closed most of its stores.

Benetton was a giant of children’s fashion, largely in part to its United Colors of Benetton clothing line. The collection boasts vibrant, colorful pieces and had garnered attention through the use of eye-catching yet somewhat controversial advertising, which aimed to promote social awareness. At its peak, the brand had more than 500 stores in the U.S.

The Georgetown Benetton at 1200 Wisconsin Ave. NW was one of the first to be opened in the U.S. by retail marketing expert Iraklis Karabassis, who brought the popular, hip fashion house to White Flint Mall, its first ever spot in America. Head of IK Retail Group in Georgetown, Karabassis opened more than 100 Benetton stores in the U.S. and Canada. He sold his Benetton operation to the Benetton Group in 2008.

It is rumored that the Japanese retailer Uniqlo, which will open a Tyson’s Corner location next year, could become the next occupant of the three-story space, which once housed the National Bank of Washington.

Kelly Byrnes •

Mayor Muriel Bowser plans to sign the “Sale of Synthetic Drugs Emergency Amendment Act of 2015” into law July 10.

The new legislation will authorize local police and government officials to “take swifter and stronger action against businesses that sell synthetic drugs,” according to a press release from the mayor’s office. The illegal substances, which are known by street names like “Spice,” “K2,” “Kush,” and “Scooby Snax” have had sales traced to gas stations and liquor stores.

The city has experienced a rise in overdoses of various synthetic drugs, and officials fear that the effects of the drugs can lead to a spike in homicides and other violent crimes.

Synthetic drugs appear to have played a part in the July 4 metro stabbing that left one man dead, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Authorities believe the suspect in the attack, 18-year-old Jasper Spires, had synthetic drugs in his system at the time. The drugs can contribute to violent, erratic behavior and an altered mental state of those who consume it.

Bowser will be joined by District Councilmembers and law enforcement officials at the signing.

Robert Devaney •

The iconic sign for the old Georgetown Theater returned to its proper place July 29, as workmen from Jack Stone Signs re-attached the metal structure to the former movie house at Wisconsin Avenue and O Street NW.

The red-letter day for the sign’s relighting is Sept. 23 — literally and actually — as the letters will be aglow in neon-red.

Architect Robert Bell bought the old theater property in October 2013 and is renovating the building at 1351 Wisconsin Ave. NW for retail and residential use. The theater’s neon sign, which display the illuminated word, “GEORGETOWN,” was hauled away last September and re-done at Jack Stone Signs, which originally manufactured it in 1950.

“Restoring the neon Georgetown sign has been a project of mine for seven years,” Bell told the Georgetowner. “It’s extremely satisfying as an architect committed to contextual architecture to help restore this historical building and its iconic neon sign as a vital part of Wisconsin Avenue and Georgetown. This restoration with its new mixed use building and garden will revitalize the heart of historic Georgetown.  More simply, this is fantastic, and I am looking forward to celebrating lighting the neon sign on the equinox, Sept. 23.”  

Architect Robert Bell and his plans for the rejuvenation of the old Georgetown Theater property were the subject of a Jan. 15, 2014, Georgetowner cover story. [gallery ids="102160,132918,132913,132923" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

Using DC by the Book — The App

July 30th, 2015 at 07:00 PM | Free | julia.strusienski@dc.gov | Tel: 202-727-0232 | Event Website

Join the Georgetown Neighborhood Library for a class on using the app element of DC by the Book, a DC Public Library resource designed to connect you with literature set in Washington, D.C.

Address

Georgetown Neighborhood Library; 3260 R St. NW

Middleburg Summer Sidewalk Sale

July 31st, 2015 at 10:00 AM | Tel: 540-687-5152

Middleburg, the quaint historic town in Virginia’s horse country, is cleaning out its closets and storage areas and moving onto the sidewalks, July 31 – Aug. 2, for the 9th annual Summer Sidewalk Sale. The sale, sponsored by the Middleburg branch of Union Bank & Trust, the Town of Middleburg, and the Middleburg Business and Professional Association, will be held on Fri. and Sat. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sun. as posted by shops. Look for balloons outside participating shops and restaurants!

Address

The Town of Middleburg; 12 North Madison Street; Middleburg, VA 20117

Pretty Chic Boutique: Garden Party

July 31st, 2015 | Free | Tel: 202-333-5477| Event Website

From French boutique labels to vintage high-end brands and elegantly modern Turkish jewelry, don’t miss Pretty Chic’s Summer Sale & Garden Party on Friday, July 31st. Wine and cheese will be served while you peruse racks of très chic vintage clothing for only $20. Everything inside is 50% off unless it’s consignment.

Address

1671 Wisconsin Ave. NW

“Above and Beyond: The Ultimate Interactive Flight Exhibition” Opening

August 1st, 2015 at 10:00 AM | Free | Tel: 202-633-2214 | Event Website

“Above and Beyond: The Ultimate Interactive Flight Exhibition” opens at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Aug. 1. Made up of 20 dynamic displays and immersive experiences, the exhibition focuses five key themes that define flight and space travel represented in five immersive “galleries” – Up, Faster, Higher, Farther, and Smarter. Designed primarily for kids ages 7 – 12, but open to visitors of all ages, the show features a multi-touch timeline, an immersive video experience and interactive simulations and design activities. Sponsored by Boeing, the exhibition will travel to several U.S. cities and international locations.

Address

Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum; Independence Ave at 6th Street, SW

Tony & Joe’s Seafood: Tacos and Tequila Tuesdays

August 4st, 2015 at 10:00 AM | Free | Tel: 202-944-4545 | Event Website

Tuesdays are the new Friday with ‘Taco and Tequila’ Tuesdays at Tony & Joe’s (3000 K St. NW). Back by popular demand, the lunch deal includes two tacos, with your choice of chicken, steak or fish, and a house margarita for $15. Offer is good at the bar only.

Address

Tony & Joe’s Seafood; 3000 K ST NW

Robert Devaney •

The partial collapse May 1 of the Watergate parking garage was caused by human error, according to D.C.’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. It determined that workers had put too dirt on top of the three-story structure and that the added weight caused the the collapse. It then issued notices of infraction to the Grunley Construction Company, which is working on the $125-million renovation of the Watergate Hotel, next to the garage, and to the Chapel Valley Landscape Company. The two fines — “for exceeding the allowable loads on top of the structure” — by DCRA are $500 each.

The collapse hurt two persons, prompted the evacuation of the office and other buildings and a massive D.C. Fire Department response along Virginia Avenue NW. It destroyed or damaged about 30 vehicles parked in the garage. Broken water pipes flooded businesses.

Grunley Construction and Developer EuroCapital Properties for the hotel responded to press inquiries by saying their investigations are still undoing.

Closed since 2007, the Watergate Hotel is slated for a fall 2015 reopening.

The Watergate complex, known for the 1972 burglary that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, lies along the banks of the Potomac River next to another Washington landmark, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.