News & Politics

Robert Devaney • January 23, 2012

In September 1981, the Shops at Georgetown Park opened to much fanfare: 100 stores (including 128 condominiums), such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Garfinckel’s, Ann Taylor, Scan Furniture, Conran’s, Davisons of Bermuda, Mark Cross and Godiva Chocolatier. With such memories, any longtime local walking through the 30-year-old place in 2012 is saddened by its fall.

Today, none of those stores remains. Indeed, few remain in the 317,000-square-foot shopping complex at 3222 M St., N.W. Leases have expired, and others are set to expire Jan. 31. Consumers’ reaction to the now-disliked concept of an enclosed urban shopping mall are to blame, just as are a few of Georgetown Park’s business decisions through the years. A slow economy seems a minor factor here, but a legal fight between developers Herb Miller, whose Western Development Corp. created Georgetown Park, and Anthony Lanier of Eastbanc over the property do not help, either.

Not even angels could save it. A la Charlie’s, the Georgetown Angels — owners Heidi Kallett of the Dandelion Patch, Stephanie Fornash Kennedy of Fornash Designs and Kassie Rempel of Simply Soles — held events and launched promotions to gain exposure for the shopping center. They will be soon gone, too, as the mall is emptied to be prepared for renovation.

The new landlord of the property, Vornado Realty Trust is vague about its bigger plans, because it is still finalizing new arrangements. A Bloomingdale’s store coming? Heard about that often, but do not know. Hmm, how about a Target? Perhaps, New York’s hip food shop Eataly showing up here? Mere speculation.

Advisory neighborhood commissioner Bill Starrels, whose district includes the shopping complex, sums it up: “We are all hoping that these persons from New York will not just restore Georgetown Park but also bring it into the 21st century.”

“They took something wonderful and destroyed it,” says Alex Shirazi, vice president of Rush Hour Printing & Graphics, a Georgetown Park tenant, whose lease extends through March. A sales rep visiting him Jan. 12 said she was shaken by the sound of the fall of a panel onto the canal-level tiled floor, according to Shirazi. Janitors quickly cleaned up any mess. No one was hurt; no one else was there.

Also, on the canal level, the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles still operates its Georgetown branch, but it has put out a request to lease new space elsewhere. With entrances on M Street, J. Crew, Sisley and Intermix have locked their back doors to the mall, even as the original Clyde’s Restaurant leaves open its back entrance to the M Street level. In a bit of irony or carelessness, Georgetown Park’s website incorrectly lists many stores as they existed a year ago or more and are now gone.

Meanwhile, life goes on as usual in Georgetown Park’s condos. And for all its collapsed empire of retail, a kind of renaissance — indeed, a redesign and reconstruction — is anticipated for the Shops at Georgetown Park. The neighborhood’s merchant space remains a gold mine.
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Robert Devaney •

A new year brings new schedules, new meetings and new officers at the Georgetown Business Association, which will meet Wednesday, Jan. 18, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at The Georgetown Club, 1530 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. With complimentary light fare and refreshments, the reception is free to GBA members; $25 for non-members. It is a good opportunity to meet old and new friends and business colleagues. RSVP to Karen Ohri at Karen@georgetownfloorcoverings.com

The Georgetown Business Association is a non-profit membership organization committed to maintaining and improving the climate for conducting business in Georgetown. Its prime goals are to connect Georgetown businesses with potential customers, other businesses and Georgetown and D.C. leadership and to advocate on behalf of the Georgetown businesses and professionals.

The GBA’s 2012 officers are

— Rokas Beresniovas, HSBC Bank USA, president

— Riyad Said, Wells Fargo Advisors, vice president

— Karen Ohri, Georgetown Floorcoverings, treasurer

— Janine Schoonover, Serendipidy3, secretary

Robert Devaney •

The Citizens Association of Georgetown will meet Wednesday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m., at the City Tavern Club (3206 M St., N.W.) to honor well-known Georgetowners who have been interviewed for CAG’s Oral History Project. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m.

These residents have recorded their recollections about life in Georgetown in one-on-one interviews with CAG’s oral history volunteers. The following will be honored for documenting the “living history” of Georgetown:

— Catherine Bowman, leader and unofficial historian of the black community

— Barry Deutschman, pharmacist at Morgan’s whose clients swear he knows everything

— Kay Evans, insider in the fabled Georgetown journalism world and widow of the syndicated columnist Roland Evans

— Georges Jacob, last surviving founder of the famous French Market on Wisconsin Avenue

— Margaret Oppenheimer, long-time resident, who along with husband Franz, raised three sons on O Street

— Frank Randolph, lifetime Georgetowner and renowned interior designer

— Don Shannon, 40-year Los Angeles Times foreign correspondent and 50-year Georgetown resident
Annie Lou Berman will introduce the program with a summary of the project. The interviewees will talk informally about their memories of growing up in or moving to Georgetown, pursuing careers here, raising families, building business, entertaining, renovating houses — and more.

The City Tavern Preservation Foundation, which recently marked its 50th anniversary of the purchase of the historic City Tavern by the City Tavern Association, is hosting the CAG meeting and reception. As the City Tavern Preservation Foundation is hosting this special meeting, please RSVP to cagmail@cagtown.org or 337-7313 if you plan to attend.
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Georgetowner • January 17, 2012

DC DMV’s ticket amnesty program is drawing to a close. All open parking, moving violation and photo-enforcement tickets issued prior to January 1, 2010, qualify for amnesty. During the amnesty period, all late penalties on eligible tickets are waived.

Pay your amnesty tickets online at www.dmv.dc.gov, over the phone (866-893-5023) or in person at DMV Adjudication Services, 301 C Street, NW, 8:15 a.m. – 5:00 p.m, Monday-Friday. If you are unsure of what you owe, visit www.dmv.dc.gov and click on ticket amnesty to complete an online request form.
Don’t miss this opportunity! The program ends on January 27, 2012.

Robert Devaney •

A big, new restaurant requires a big ribbon cutting. The Hamilton got one with Mayor Vincent Gray and D.C council members and Clyde’s corporate officers Jan. 9. Flanked by D.C. Council chair Kwame Brown and Ward 2 council member Jack Evans, Mayor Gray held the big scissors at the center of the downstairs live music stage.

The Hamilton, Clyde’s Restaurant Group’s new 37,000-square-foot restaurant at 14th and F Streets, is making the scene in no small way. It is as big in space and in time as the ambition of the first Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, whose federal department is but a block away with the White House nearby.

The same goes for the food and the music. Under the care of executive Brian Stickel, the menu is an expansive mix: steaks, seafood, salads, munchies, muffulettas and burgers, too. It changes for the time of day, there is a breakfast, brunch and lunch menu and more. There is an Eggs Hamilton on the late night menu. It will be the first Clyde’s joint (the original opened 1963 in Georgetown) ever to serve sushi. And, as in 24/7, the Hamilton which opened Dec. 18 never closes?

In keeping with the restaurant designers of Clyde’s, the artwork is custom, the woodwork perfection and the look and details contemporary but classic. Check out the Lady Liberty hanging lamps. The Hamilton is in the old Borders space, where before that was the flagship of Garfinkel’s department store. It is the 15th Clyde’s restaurant; Old Ebbitt Grill, owned by the group, is one block away on 15th Street.

A lot of patrons can show up: first floor restaurant areas, 400 seats; upstair Loft private dining room, 80 seated/100 standing; live music seating, 260 seats, 100 bar stools. Downstairs, the sound-proofed, high-tech music space has its own menu for “quiet food,” such as sliders, pizza or sushi. [gallery ids="100453,115393" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

Water Street Gym Supports Georgetown Ministry Center

January 12th, 2012 at 04:33 PM | trish@waterstreetgym.com | Tel: 202.812.5050

Water Street Gym is celebrating their one year anniversary at their new location by giving back to the community. Help with their effort to support Georgetown Ministry Center and the homeless in Georgetown by bringing any unwanted warm winter coats to the Water Street Gym (3255 K Street, NW, Georgetown Waterfront above CycleLife) from now to January 31st.

You can also organize an internal drive at your place of employment or business and email trish@waterstreetgym.com for a scheduled pick-up. 202.812.5050

Address

3255 K Street, NW,

Georgetown Waterfront above CycleLife

MLK- The Making of a Holiday

January 13th, 2012 at 06:00 PM

Join On The Potomac Productions and Destination DC for a private screening of “MLK- The Making of a Holiday” at L2 Lounge on Friday, January 13,2012 at 6pm.

“MLK: The Making of a Holiday” highlights the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King and the popular movement that led to the passage of congressional legislation to create a national holiday in his honor. The one hour film, co-hosted by actors LeVar Burton and Marla Gibbs, features exclusive interviews with Coretta King and Stevie Wonder.

Address

3315 Cadys Alley Northwest
Washington D.C.

1K Wine and Beer Walks

January 14th, 2012 at 02:00 PM | 35-40 | info@crystalcity.org | Tel: (703) 412-9430 | Event Website

Get ready to lace up your walking shoes and sip your way to the finish line, but you won’t find energy drinks along the way. Instead, walkers can sample more than 30 different wines as they make their way through a fun, indoor course at the Crystal City Shops during the one and only 1K Wine Walk. The event returns on January 14th and 15th, 2012. Walkers can tap into extra fun with the inaugural 1K Beer Walk the following weekend.

Address

2200 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA, 22202

Quis Custodiet

January 14th, 2012 at 07:00 PM | $25.00 | tinabarksdale@yahoo.com | Tel: 315-212-1901 | Event Website

The Examiner called Artistic Director Robert Bettmann’s last piece “An example of artistic craftmanship”, and the company’s new work, Quis Custodiet, includes videos by renowned local artist Tim Tate as well as choreography by Bettmann. The dance explores the issue of Security through the performance of intersecting narratives, including a re-telling of the biblical stories of Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel. What do we do to keep ourselves safe as nation, and as individuals?

Address

Woolly Mammoth Theatre

641 D Street NW Washington, DC 20004

Corcoran offers FREE Admission to ’30 Americans’

January 16th, 2012 at 10:00 AM | FREE | Event Website

Join the Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design on Martin Luther King Day, January 16 when the Gallery will honor Dr. King and celebrate the landmark exhibition 30 Americans with FREE admission and additional promotions:

Chef Todd Gray of Todd Gray’s Muse has prepared a special MLK brunch for Sunday January 15 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Please call (202) 639-1786 for reservations

All visitors on MLK Day will receive a two-for-one voucher to the Gallery to use before February 12, when 30 Americans closes, allowing visitors to come back and bring a friend for the price of one!

30 Americans (October 1, 2011–February 12, 2012) is a wide-ranging survey of work by many of the most important African American artists of the last three decades. Selected from the Rubell Family Collection, the exhibition brings together seminal figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and David Hammons with younger and emerging artists such as Kehinde Wiley and Shinique Smith. Often provocative and confrontational, 30 Americans focuses on artistic community as well as issues of racial, sexual, and historical identity in contemporary culture. For more information on 30 Americans, please visit www.corcoran.org/30Americans.

Address

Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design

500 Seventeenth Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006

Georgetowner •

Metro is accelerating its efforts to improve safety and return the system to a state of good repair. Their new track maintenance approach to major weekend track work involves temporarily closing individual stations or clusters of stations at a time and substituting buses for rail service. While it isn’t the most preferable thing to have the metro running sluggishly through the weekends, it’s a pretty decent way to go about it all things considered.

Metro says that the benefits to this new approach are that trains will operate more normally outside the work zone and with fewer delays, necessary track work will get done faster, and fewer customers will be inconvenienced by track work at a given time.

Shuttle bus service between the closed tracks are free.

This weekend, Metro will be shutting down the Orange and Blue line between L’Enfant Plaza and Eastern Market, which put the Federal Center and the Capitol South stops out of commission.

With metro delays and the surprisingly nice summer weather, this might be a good time to sign up for Capital Bikeshare!. Happy travels!

Georgetowner • January 13, 2012

Throughout the city, there are many places to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Check out the list below for places in Georgetown and all over the city. There is still time to make plans.

The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown (3100 South Street, NW) is offering two dinner options in the Fahrenheit Ballroom. For the 5:30, 6:00, and 6:30pm seatings, guests can choose from a three-course menu for $75 per person. After 8 p.m., a four-course menu for $125 per person is offered.

Cafe Milano (3251 Prospect Street, NW) is offering an a la carte menu until 9 p.m. and then a prix fixe menu, along with two DJs and a band. The prix fixe menu is $125 per person and includes one glass of sparkling Italian wine but excludes all other beverages, tax and gratuity.

Bistro Francais (3124 M Street, NW) invites you to ring in the New Year with with chef Gerard Cabrol and a special 3-course prix-fixe menu ($59), a complimentary glass of champagne and noisemakers before midnight. www.bistrofrancaisdc.com

Puro Lounge (3276 M Street, NW) hosts a New Year’s Eve party starting at 7p.m., including great music with Guy Robert Jean, DJ music after 10:30 p.m., favors, raffle and many more surprises.

Sequoia (3000 K Street, NW) is offering a special five-course New Year’s menu, live entertainment (Radio King Orchestra), and a champagne toast at midnight. For more information, visit www.arkrestaurants.com/sequoia_dc.html

L2 Lounge (3315 Cady’s Alley, NW) is hosting New Year’s Eve Havana Party. Live telecasts of New Year’s Eve celebrations happening across the globe will be projected throughout the lounge. Havana beats to be performed by a live bongo drum musician playing in synch with L2’s in-house DJ. Breakfast will be available from 1 to 3:30 a.m. No entry fee for L2 Members plus five of their guests present upon check-in; $50 per person for non-members. Table reservations being held in reserve for L2 Members; non-members may send their requests to be put on the waiting list to memberservices@l2lounge.com.

Kafe Leopold (3315 Cady’s Alley, NW) offers an unforgettable New Year’s Eve dining experience featuring a decadent Austrian-inspired menu and NYE specials, prepared by the chef, while listening to live jazz music performed by Amy Bormet. Guests will be provided a complimentary party favors and noise makers to ring in 2012. Call 202.965.6005 to make reservations.

Mate Lounge ( 3101 K Street, NW) knows how to throw a party. Enjoy two hours of sushi and Latin fusion cuisine, a midnight champagne toast, party favors and fabulous live DJ set to set the tone for a fabulous year. To party with friends, book a VIP table for six people, and enjoy a bottle of Absolut vodka as well as a bottle of champagne to toast 2012. Sushi and Latin fusion cuisine buffet and party favors also provided. For table reservations (parties 7 or more), contact farees@latinconcepts.com or 202.361.1666. Pre-sale tickets, $35; regular, $45; table service for six persons, $350.

Sea Catch Restaurant (1054 31st Street, NW) is offering a “New Years Symphony” menu, featuring five courses for $60. For an additional $25, guests can add a wine tasting including four wines.

Bourbon Steak (2800 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW) is offering guests executive chef Adam Sobel’s special six-course tasting menu priced at $175 per person — with an additional $95 including wine pairings. The menu will be filed with luxe dishes such as Osetra caviar sandwich with toasted blini and fried quail egg, Chinese roast squab with foie gras steamed bun and plum sauce and Grilled bison tenderloin with black truffle gnocchi and toasted hazelnut. Dessert will see sweets, such as pineapple in all forms from confit to soup to sorbet, and the rich Bourbon Steak brownie with bourbon cordial and chocolate creameaux. The restaurant will offer two seatings for New Year’s Eve. The first seating will be available from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and will offer a three-course menu for $90 per person. The second seating will be available from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. — www.bourbonsteakdc.com

Peacock Cafe (3251 Prospect Street, NW) There are some reservations available for our festive annual NYE prix fixe dinner. First seating is from 6 to 7:30 pm, three courses and a glass of bubbly for $50 (not incl. tax & tip). A la carte options also available at the first seating, and all night long for bar patrons. Second seating brings late night excitement and takes place from 8 to 10 p.m.; four courses include a glass of bubbly plus party favors and festivities at midnight for $65 (not incl. tax and tip). All night, Moet & Chandon will have a special price of $64.88 ($20.12 off list price). Please call 202-625-2740 to make your reservations; credit card confirmation required.

Citronelle (3000 M Street, NW) will be offering two dinner seatings for the evening, with the first seating at 5:30 p.m., and the second starting at 8:30 p.m. This year will feature a special New Year’s Eve package on Dec. 31, including an overnight stay at The Latham Hotel, parking, and a continental breakfast.

For more locations in Georgetown, visit Georgetown BID

Outside of Georgetown, There Are Many Other NYE Parties to Attend

Newseum (555 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW): Make the Headliners Ball an even bigger story, and add dinner at The Source by Wolfgang Puck and lodging at Hotel Monaco. There’s no better place to count down to 2012 than D.C.’s top museum and party venue. The Headliners Ball features the best in food, drink and entertainment for an unforgettable New Year’s Eve celebration. One-of-a-kind cocktails and food from Wolfgang Puck, entertainment from the area’s hottest party band, Round Midnight, Dance jams with DJ Scientific Beats and access to Newseum exhibits.

Countdown to midnight and 2012 on the 40-foot by 22-foot high-definition video screen.

The Headliners Ball at the Newseum offers a choice of three packages — $195 per person; $180 for Newseum members; includes an open bar (8 p.m. to 2 a.m.), light snacks and a champagne toast at midnight. For more information, please call 202/292-6100.

Eden Lounge: For those looking to party down in class, I Street hotspot Eden Lounge (1716 I Street, NW) is hosting the End of The World 2012 New Year’s Eve Party in our nation’s capital this year. Located in the heart of Washington, Eden is D.C.’s own oasis under the stars. The hotspot has attracted A-list celebrities, such as David Arquette, T.I., Nas, Alex Ovechkin, LMFAO, Jay Sean and Wale among others. For party-goers who want to flash some real cash, Eden is offering a slew of baller packages. The Ultimate End of The World Package for $5,000 includes VIP Admission for 40 Guests and a private VIP section. To bring in the New Year with cheers, guests will receive 24 bottles of Moet and Chandon Imperial Rose Champagne and 10 bottles of premium liquor. For those with a more reasonable budget, the venue is offering VIP Packages of both $1,000 and $750, including VIP admission for 10 or eight guests. All New Year’s Eve packages with bottle minimums also include complimentary bottles of champagne. Individual tickets are also available for purchase for $30. To reserve a table or for more information, visit www.EdenDC.com or call 202-491-2165.

Josephine: Celebrate New Year’s 2012 in style at the newly enhanced Josephine Lounge at 1008 Vermont Avenue, NW. Josephine wowed the D.C. party scene in October with its chic brand new modern decor and redesign expanding the venue’s usable dance and mingling space. The hotspot has hosted celebrities such as Sean Penn, Will.i.am, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and Spike Lee. D.C. party people are invited to dance the night away to music by DJ N’dys from Miami’s famous Set nightclub. The DJ recently remixed the song “Missing You” by the Black Eyed Peas. VIP Packages start at $1,000 for 10 guests and bottle and champagne numbers depend on package deals. Individual tickets can be purchased for $40 and $75 for couples. To reserve table packages, visit www.josephinedc.com or call 202-347-8601.

Public: Join high-energy Dupont Circle favorite Public Bar (1214 18th Street, NW) for an evening of vibing and imbibing this New Year’s Eve. Public will be offering tables for up to 10 guests starting at $800, including champagne and bottle service. Individual tickets can be purchased for $80. Happy Hour prices will be offered, 8 to 10 p.m., and an open bar will be available to all guests from 10p.m. to 1 a.m. An appetizer buffet will be served from 10 p.m. to midnight for hungry Public partygoers. To reserve table packages or purchase tickets, visit www.PublicBarDC.com or call 202-223-2200.

Lost Society: U Street boutique steakhouse Lost Society (2001 14th Street NW) will be hosting a special New Year’s Eve feast to ring in the new year. With a unique and sophisticated ambiance, the lounge has already attracted celebrities such as Sean Penn and Tara Reid. DJ’s Gavin Holland and Chris Burns will be spinning on the decks starting at 9 p.m., with dinner served at 7:30 p.m. Table reservations start at $250 and tickets can be purchased in advance for $25 with three guaranteed top shelf cocktails. For more information, visit www.lostsociety-dc.com or call 202-618-8868.

Robert Devaney •

The new year clean-up has begun. The Department of Public Works is now collecting Christmas trees and wreaths to be picked up curbside through Jan. 14. Remove all decorations and place the greenery in the treebox space or in front of your home now or by Jan. 9. Please do not put the trees in plastic or cloth bags. Trees collected between Jan. 3 and 14 will be recycled. Any trees not collected by Jan. 14 should be set out with your trash to be picked up as space in the trash trucks allows over the following weeks.

The fall leaf collection program continues through Jan. 14, and every neighborhood in the District will have its leaves collected. DPW will collect leaves at least twice from residential neighborhoods by “vacuuming” the leaves residents rake into their treebox spaces.

Also, DPW will collect bagged leaves from the treebox space or the alley in neighborhoods with rear trash and recycling collections. Bagged leaves will be placed in the landfill. By collecting leaves, DPW reduces potential accidents and injuries resulting from slipping on wet leaves and prevent catch basins (storm drains) from clogging and causing street flooding during heavy rains.

Robert Devaney •

Your sweet wait is over! On Thursday, Jan. 5, at 10 a.m., Pie Sisters of Georgetown will open its doors at 3423 M St., N.W.

With ovens, coolers and counter ready for action, Allison, Cat and Erin Blakely will feed the town’s new taste for pies, sweet, creamy and fruity — and a savory one, too. “People are excited,” Allison said. “They have been so nice.”

Flavors include apple caramel crunch, pecan, key lime and banana, coconut or chocolate cream. The shop will sell pies in three sizes: the $4-“cuppie,” seven-inch ($14 to $16) and nine-inch ($35) pies, but return the glass plate for $5 off next purchase — which appears irresistible. There are chairs and tables in front of the shop with a coffee counter as well.

Bakers, businesswomen and parishioners of St. John’s Church, the Blakely sisters hail from Great Falls, Va., two having gone to Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington and also played college basketball. Allison worked at the State Department and finance section of NBC in New York; Erin at BCBG Max Azria. Cat still works at the State Department.

Already known around town for their pies for weddings and social and charitable events, the Blakely trio said they chose the site because of its closeness to Georgetown University and its visibility — you can’t miss it turning off Key Bridge from Virginia — and that “the location is not too small and not too big.” Erin added: “We’ve had Georgetown students contact us for part-time jobs.”

Pie Sisters of Georgetown is at 3423 M St., N.W., one of the shops along Regency Row: 202-338-PIES (7437) — www.PieSisters.com