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Robert Devaney • August 7, 2015

Developer EastBanc presented its designs for a five-story, red-brick boxy building at Pennsylvania Avenue and M Street at the monthly meeting of the Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E June 29. The site provides an eastern gateway to Georgetown.

Plans call for a 70-seat ground-floor restaurant, eight 2,000-square-foot rental apartments and roof top space. Also situationed next to M Street, the near-triangle of land abuts Rock Creek Park. It currently holds a Valero gas station and auto repair garage and lies across from the Four Seasons Hotel.

According to EastBanc, construction could begin by next summer on the property, which it bought for $4 million in March.

While the commission approved demolishing the gas station and welcomed a re-invention and re-use of the property, several balked at the designs, perceived as boxy, bland and blocking open space.

Commissioner Jeff Jones, who summed up the feelings of some in the commission and in the neighborhood, told meeting attendees and EastBanc presenters of the planned construction: “I feel like this is an opportunity. It’s a blank space. I like authenticity in Georgetown as far as all the different types of architecture that we have. I’m OK with a modern building here. This is almost pedestrian-like.”

“We struggled a lot with the building,” EastBanc’s Anthony Lanier said. “It’s a building that grows on you over time. … It’s a very difficult building to understand, and it’s a very difficult site to build on.”

Victoria Rixey, who spoke for the Citizens Association of Georgetown at the meeting, gave the design faint praise: “We feel that this building speaks to the architecture of the West End. This is sort of a ’60s style where you have the concrete slabs with the brick infill, and we feel it belongs better in that neighborhood.”

Besides aesthetic criticisms, EastBanc has more hurdles for the 7,400-square-foot property at 2715 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. (It contracted with well-known Portugese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura for the design.)

The Old Georgetown Board reviewed EastBanc’s demolition request and design concept July 2. In September, the D.C. Zoning Commission will designate the property’s category, which stills calls for at least three parking spaces. Also, there is a 50-foot height limit for the structure.
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Gary Tischler • August 6, 2015

Thinking of the novelist E.L. Doctorow and the actor and musical performer Theodore Bikel, who passed away this week at the ages of 84 and 91, respectively, the phrase “larger-than-life” comes to mind, for different reasons.

Doctorow built a prize-winning literary career that was both critically acclaimed and popularly embraced, with novels that often emerged transformed as films and theater works.  Bronx, N.Y.-born Doctorow lived a literary life—he wrote 12 novels,  several books of short stories and a book of  essays on literature.

He was a teacher or a “writer-editor-professor,” as one bio summed up. His was a life attached and garnished with honors—the National Book Critics Circle Award for his novels “Ragtime,” “Billy Bathgate” and “The March” and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for Fiction.

This kind of literary life is the fodder for the work of critics, academics and literati, but it did not stop there. His novels not only made best books lists but also bestseller lists—and were embraced by the public, either in and of themselves or as popular works on stage and screen.  His output and works were a more than modest achievement, they would put him reputation-wise in the ranks of great American novelists when that  phrase was still resonant of a desired achievement among writers, although it may be less so today. 

With Doctorow, there’s a feeling of a man who worked stubbornly, often inspirationally at his craft in a way that did not require celebrity or fame. But his works—the novels—were something else again. They had heft, an epic feel to them, without being of great length in terms of words and pages and even actual, physical weight.  You could carry all of them in a grocery bag without risking a stroke.  But their effect and result was a kind of intricately familiar waltz conducted by his creations—some of them historical figures—with the factual tropes of historical eras and actual events. 

These relatively slim volumes embraced and riffed on the execution of the Rosenbergs, (“The Book of Daniel”),  America’s coming of age during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt (the amazingly thick and elliptical “Ragtime”), the depression-era New York World’s Fair as a quasi-boy-coming-of-age piece (“World’s Fair”),  a boy’s dangerous infatuation with gangster Dutch Schultz (“Billy Gathgate”) and Sherman’s ruinous (for the South) to the sea (“The March”), among others.

In those novels, fictional characters mixed it up with historical characters,  in ways that seemed plausible, but were often fictionalized and in so doing, managed to capture the spirit of an age, a decade, a time in ways that seemed richly packed with everything the times contained.  They played on what the reader knew and what he didn’t know. These novels were a form of enticement, the work of the carny barker with a spiel of bright shiny promises and elusive meanings.  There was music in those novels.

“Ragtime” was the most emblematic, characteristic of Doctorow’s works. It fairly sang with a changing, robust, dramatic times without being overly dramatic or operatic.  Here was the striving American family, dreaming big dreams, but unsettled by the changing times. Here were the beginnings of the movie industry. Here was Houdini, the injustices of child labor, immigrants coming ashore full of energy. Here was anarchism, a black man running afoul of already settled Irish immigrants, busting with steam and bigotry.  The book seemed to contain almost every rising wave of the times covered in a style that was sharp-edged. It had the feel and emotional impact of a flowing thread made up of a series of short poems and songs.   Carl Foreman turned “Ragtime” into a masterful film (with Norman Mailer in a bit part, James Cagney in his last role as a New York City Police Commissioner, Donald O’Connor as a song-and-dance man, among the large cast).  “Ragtime” would later become a Broadway musical—twice—including a ground-up production from the Kennedy Center.

Theodore Bikel—who appeared frequently in Washington, D.C.—in road companies of “Fiddler on the Roof” and in plays at Theater J—may not have a “Ragtime” equivalent in his career (although “Fiddler,” even though it was originated by Zero Mostel, would certainly qualify), but his entire life and career was bigger than life. 

Born in Vienna, Bikel made his first appearance as Tevye the Milkman (non-musical) in Tel Aviv. His first film was “The African Queen” (Bogart-Hepburn) in 1951, and he had an Oscar-nominated role in Stanley Kramer’s “The Defiant Ones.” He spoke nine languages and could perform in 24 languages with an accent in hundreds more. He often played Germans and Russians.  He performed Tevye more than 2,000 times, probably a record for the part.  He was married four times. 

He created the role of Captain von Trapp in the original Broadway music production of “The Sound of Music” opposite Mary Martin. He appeared in 2005 in a highly praised production of “The Disputation” at Theater J in downtown D.C. 

He described himself as a liberal Jewish activist. He appeared in the Frank Zappa film, “200 Motels.” On television, he was in “The Twilight Zone,” “Gunsmoke,” “Law and Order,” Mickey Spillane’s “Mike Hammer,” “All in the Family,”, “Columbo” and “Charlie’s Angels” and numerous versions of “Star Trek.”

Saying all that—Bikel’s CV includes a memorable role in “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming,” and training at the Royal Academy in London, a small part in “A Streetcar Named Desire” directed by Laurence Olivier.

There was another whole career: Theodore Bikel was also a folk singer, playing the guitar, singing Jewish folk from Russia and songs and protest songs. He was co-founder of the Newport Folk Festival (with Pete Seeger, Oscar Brand, George Wein and Harold Leventhal) and took the stage in 1963 with Seeger, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary and the 21-year-old Bob Dylan.

He was a long-time civil rights activist. One could go on and on. 

The life, the music, the parts, the sum of it all, the passion, the liberality of feeling and the largeness of soul made Theodore Bikel: bigger than life its own self. Ditto for Doctorow. 

Kelly Byrnes •

Be on the lookout for Peetniks on M Street.

Peet’s Coffee & Tea, a specialty coffee and tea company that started the artisan coffee movement in Berkeley, Calif., in 1966, plans to expand to Georgetown, landing at the busy intersection of 33rd and M Streets NW. The new location will be the seventh shop in the greater Washington, D.C., area in addition to the restaurants and retailers that carry the coffee to brew and sell.

Last year, Peet’s said it was opening 23 new stores in a phased rollout across the D.C. market. Its D.C. flagship store opened in April 2014 at 1701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, steps from the White House. According to the company, Peet’s “entry into D.C. will become the company’s second largest retail market outside of California and its biggest East Coast retail footprint.” In addition, Peet’s is the official coffee of the Washington Nationals.

The Georgetown Peet’s will join a host of other nearby coffee joints–both local and national names—though there is no word on when the doors will open to the public.
 
Next to the now-shuttered Rhino Bar and across from Georgetown Cupcake, the corner spot at 3299 M St. NW previously housed Red Fire Grill Kabob, which closed in 2013. It looked like the building might become a clothing store, but Sandro, a Paris-based fashion label for women and men, pulled out of its lease on the property a few months ago. Before its closing four years ago, the Indian restaurant Aditi was there for 23 years. The building has stood empty for two years.

Georgetowner •

Wait Wait…Don’t tell Me!

July 23rd, 2015 at 08:00 PM | Event Website

Watch comedians, journalists, celebrity guests, and more compete in NPR’s award-winning current events quiz show, hosted by actor and playwright Peter Sagal, for their chance to win a coveted prize from scorekeeper emeritus Carl Kasell.

Address

Filene Center; 1551 Trap Road; Vienna, VA 22812

Summer Sights and Sounds

July 24th, 2015 at 05:30 PM | 0 | isobel@taapr.com | Tel: 2026258370 | Event Website

The Shops at Wisconsin Place will be holding the final installment of the Summer Music Series. Guests are invited to join us on the plaza to enjoy food and beverage items from select restaurants, sing along with Luke James Shaffer, and “Enter To Win” raffle prizes.

This event will also feature a variety of beautiful Nepali art pieces created by local artists. The silent auction of the artwork will benefit PHASE Worldwide in bringing relief to the areas recently struck by disaster in Nepal.

Address

The Shops at Wisconsin Place; 5310 Western Avenue; Chevy Chase MD 20815

Walnut-Themed Food Truck Visits The Yards Park

July 24th, 2015 at 06:00 PM | FREE | chelsea.michael@edelman.com | Tel: (312) 233-1312 | Event Website

California Walnuts teamed up with Chef Devin Alexander (New York Times bestselling author and chef from “The Biggest Loser”) to bring a giant walnut food truck to Washington, DC on July 24 with a mission of inspiring consumers to experiment with walnuts and enjoy them in entirely new ways.

Chef Alexander will celebrate the culinary versatility of walnuts by handing out free samples and demonstrating how to prepare her new summertime dessert recipe: the Chocolate Vanilla Walnut Grahamwich.

Address

The Yards Park; 355 Water Street SE

Divas Outdoors: Classic Films Under the Stars

July 24th, 2015 at 07:00 PM | $20, $10 for members | Tel: (202) 686-5807 | Event Website

The evening begins with picnic spreads across the lawn, all vying for the top spot in the best picnic spread competition. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs, and creative and delectable picnics inspired by the sophisticated setting at Hillwood.

The evening also includes strolls through the splendid gardens and the opportunity to tour the special exhibition, Ingenue to Icon: 70 Years of Fashion from the Collection of Marjorie Merriweather Post.

Around 8:45 pm John Water’s 1988 film “Hairspray” will begin.

Address

4155 Linnean Avenue, NW

Cupcakes of Georgetown Walking Tours

July 25th, 2015 at 01:00 PM | $25 | marketingintern@dumbartonhouse.org | Tel: 2023372288 | Event Website

Join Dwane Starlin, member of the Guild of Professional Tour Guides, for a delightful walking tour of Georgetown- with history and cupcakes! The tour will begin at Dumbarton House and make stops at Baked & Wired, Sprinkles, and Georgetown Cupcake to pick up our pre-ordered cupcakes, meaning you get to skip the long lines! Enjoy your treats as you learn about Georgetown – DC’s most historic neighborhood. The tickets includes one cupcake from each shop.

Address

2715 Q St NW

4th Annual Beer Fest presented by Drink the District

July 25th, 2015 at 01:00 PM | $35-$50 | ilovebeer@drinkthedistrict.com | Tel: 202-618-3663 | Event Website

On Saturday, July 25th, Drink the District presents 4th Annual Beer Festival.Participants will have access to tastings of 75+ American beers and wines while enjoying DC’s best food trucks, lawn games and musical entertainment.

With two 3-hour sessions to choose from, participants can celebrate from noon until night!

Find tickets at drinkthedistrict.com

Dates and Times

SaturdayJuly 25th

Session 1: 1:00 -4:00pm

Session 2: 6:00-9:00pm

Admission

$35.00 Online/ $50.00 Door

Address

The Block; 500 New York Ave, NW

Neon Trees

July 20th, 2015 at 07:00 PM | $25.00 | Tel: 202-265-0930 | Event Website

The pop band plays music from its latest album, “Pop Psychology.”

Address

9:30 Club
815 V St. NW

Georgetowner • July 27, 2015

Timeless elegance and dramatic design come together harmoniously in this unique “custom villa,” tucked away in Falls Church, Virginia. 3208 Valley Lane boasts more than 7,000 breathtaking square feet of historic and elegant architectural design, seated upon a beautifully landscaped half-acre lot. The 6-bedroom and 5.5-bath property includes a main house, as well as a separate legal rental unit. One enters the home through a bronze and glass front door leading to an enchanting oversized foyer. Water cascades down the fountain in the center of a hall adorned with travertine and marble treads and baseboards, truly a spectacular sight. Fine details seem to mark every room of the house. There are six fireplaces throughout, all with carved mantels. Each room in the house, including bedrooms; have well designed custom built-ins. The gourmet kitchen features heated slate floors and top-of-the-line appliances and sunny windows stretching the length of the room. There are private views from every axis of the home, proving that the exterior is just as beautiful as the interior. Extensive stone work, exposed aggregate and slate patios all wrap around the home set upon a beautifully landscaped half-acre lot. For more information, please contact JD Callander at 703-606-7901 or at www.newNOVAhome.com.”

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Georgetowner •

After pleading guilty to videotaping 52 women taking a ritual bath at Kesher Israel synagogue and being sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison, Barry Freundel will head back to the D.C. Superior Court July 31 in a bid for a lesser sentence.

The rabbi’s attorney, Jeffrey Harris, has argued in a motion to the court that Freundel should have been sentenced for one act of video voyeurism rather than for each women he videotaped. His current sentence is 45 days in prison for each of the 52 women he videotaped. Harris made the same argument about the sentence during the rabbi’s May 15 sentencing hearing, but Senior Judge Geoffrey M. Alprin and prosecutors did not accept it. Alprin will preside over the July 31 hearing, and prosecutors have notified Freundel’s victims about the recent legal developments. The Washington Post reports that “In several filings with the court, Harris and prosecutors have sparred over the legality of the sentence,” calling the new argument “unusual.”

To further his motion, Harris said that Freundel is in isolation at D.C. Jail for 23 hours a day due to threats made by other inmates. Sentencing guidelines on voyeurism cases require that Freundel serve at least 85 percent of his term.

Freundel was arrested in early October and charged with videotaping six nude women as they prepared to purify themselves in a ritual bath known as a mikvah. Ultimately, the rabbi plead guilty to charges of videotaping 52 women. But prosecutors say they found evidence of Freundel recording almost 100 other women. They are unable to bring charges on those allegations because the alleged crimes fall outside the three-year statute of limitation for voyeurism.

Read more about the initial charges here, and Freundel’s sentencing here.

Kelly Byrnes •

Police have arrested a suspect in the July 4th stabbing death of a 24-year-old D.C. man in the NoMa-Gallaudet Metro station.

An arrest warrant was issued for Jasper Spires for first-degree murder while armed, following the stabbing, which occurred around 12:50 p.m. Saturday as a Red Line subway train was pulling into the NoMa-Gallaudet station in Northeast D.C.

The victim, identified as Kevin Joseph Sutherland, had no signs of life at the scene, according to fire and emergency service personnel.

A 2013 graduate of American University, Sutherland was served as a secretary in student government and was a former Congressional intern for Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.).  

“[I] am absolutely heartbroken by the tragic loss of intern, staffer and wonderful friend, Kevin Sutherland. I’ve known few as selfless and decent,” Himes tweeted July 5.

Sutherland was employed at New Blue Interactive at the time of his death. The company expressed its sympathies over his passing in a statement made on its Facebook page: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family during this difficult time.”

Authorities believe the attack was random, though it comes just a day after Spires, 18, was released from policy custody for a June 2 robbery. According to Superior Court records, the incident had been amended from a felony charge to a misdemeanor.

Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier said she is unsure why the initial charge against Spires had changed. “We are going to look into that investigation and see what happened. It seemed like a solid case. Obviously, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be looking at it as well,” Lanier told the Washington Post. 

Georgetowner • July 22, 2015

After decades of being labeled a local legend, a Martin’s Tavern booth is now confirmed to be the official spot where future President John F. Kennedy popped the question to Jaqueline Bouvier.

Ambassador Marion H. Smoak revealed that he was enjoying a cocktail in the restaurant the night of the proposal. “After the senator proposed, and she accepted, the news ran through the restaurant. That night we didn’t know his future and what it would bring. In hindsight, it was great fun to witness a part of history,” Smoak said.

For years, Martin’s was said to be the place of the proposal, though only from reports of the staff working at the time. Smoak’s account put skeptics to rest in time to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the proposal June 24.