WSC: More Expensive, Still Crappy?

There's some chatter over at one of my favorite places, the CH News Forums, about Washington Sports Club raising rates. Sure enough, we're all paying an extra $3 now.

Some people say the WSC sucks - overcrowding, not that clean, crappy customer service. I will agree that the customer service is generally pretty bad. I've complained about a class before, worried that the instructor was SO BAD that people were actually going to get injured, and the gentleman in charge of their classes couldn't care less.

But you know what? I don't hate WSC. The treadmills work and I like spin class even if most of the bikes need a tune-up. And, that extra three bucks still leaves it a bazillion times cheaper than Results.

I guess we may as well learn to love it... then again, if CH got another gym, I'd probably quit and switch.

Countdown Columbia Heights: Favorite Bartenders

Today we are counting down our favorite bartenders in Columbia Heights. This was difficult - as we love anyone who controls our access to cold beer on a warm day - but these five folks are always there for us.

*Now as we made this list, we had a debate about whether an owner can also be a bartender. For the purposes of this list a bartender is one who tends the bar regularly, even if he or she is also an owner or manager.
*Also, you know Sheena from Looking Glass/Wonderland? We do, and we love her, but we counted her as Looking Glass which is of course in Petworth. Sorry Sheena!

Countdown Columbia Heights: Favorite Five Bartenders

5. Bill, Commonwealth (Bill made me feel better after I dyed my hair a dramatic color. That's a good bartender.)
4. Suzanne, Ruby Tuesday (Sure, she has to make the drinks by the Ruby Tuesday book, but it's a good book and she does a fantastic job.)
3. Dalton, The Heights (Saturday brunch isn't the same without a Dalton Special Bloody Mary, which isn't on the menu - but should be.)
2. Dan, Room 11 (We were lucky to steal him away from Petworth and happy to have him picking our wines.)
1. Soren, Wonderland (Sundress Party? He's there, in a dress. Columbia Heights Day? He's there, pouring beer as fast as he can. Damaged hand? Oh you thought this would stop him - but no! Soren is always there for your alcoholic indulgences, making him our favorite bartender in Columbia Heights.)

Disagree? Make your own list in the comments section.

Civic Plaza Fountain Untarped

Our civic plaza fountain is looking lovely and Justin over at ReadySetDC was lucky enough to wander by as they were testing it. Check out his pictures here: http://readysetdc.com/2009/09/04/photos-of-columbia-heights-plaza-fountain-testing/.

VA Beach Express Bus Stop on 14th Street

Did anyone else see the tour bus on 14th Street earlier this week? If not, it's about to become commonplace. The Virginia Pilot reports on a new express bus service between Virginia Beach and Washington, DC, will have a stop in Columbia Heights

"Sprinterbuses leave from the Wesleyan Commons Shopping Center on Wesleyan Drive in Virginia Beach.

New York tickets are $35 one-way and $60 round-trip. The bus stops at 34th Street between 6th and 7th avenues, near Penn Station and Madison Square Garden.

Washington tickets will be $20 one-way and $35 round-trip. The bus will stop at 14th and Irving streets near the Columbia Heights metro station."

Civic Plaza Under Construction, But Already Working

This is the image of the Columbia Heights Civic Plaza at Park Triangle on Sunday night. A small jam band had formed near the Rita's entrance and tons of families and friends were lounging around on the newly constructed structures circling the fountain.

Despite the construction all around - from the torn up streets to the guy who had been toiling all weekend under a tarp doing work on the fountain tiles - the civic plaza is already working as a great community meeting place. I'm pretty excited for the final result.

There'll be Nerds

Don't deny it. DC is a town full of nerds, geeks, and wonks. That is why Nerd Nite is finally bringing its show to the Wonderland on Saturday, Sept. 26. Or as the organizers describe it: "Nerd Nite; it's like the Discovery Channel with beer."

Here's the line-up:

*Presentation #1:
The Neurobiology of Zombies
by Jeremy Kay

Description: Zombie mind control is real! Some types of parasites have the ability to turn their hosts into zombies that serve the needs and whims of the parasitic invader. I'll give some more examples of real-life zombies and delve into the neurobiology of how a parasite can control the behavior of its host.

Bio: Jeremy is a postdoctoral fellow in neuroscience at Harvard. His professional work concerns vision, but he thinks parasite mind-control is far more interesting. His interest in zombies is purely academic. Really. Like, your brain will totally not get eaten if you show up. We promise.

*Presentation #2:
by Seth Cain
I’m not telling you, but it involves the elimination of human waste in space. Yep, I said it.

*Presentation #3:
Vaccines Are Helpful, But Making Them Is Gross
by Rebecca Blank
Description: Vaccines. We’ve all had them (well, ideally all of us). They keep us healthy even though they may make our arms and/or buttocks sore. But since they’re in the news, there are also a lot of misrepresentations of them. Rebecca will dive into the history of vaccines because you probably want to know that some methods involved taking pus from cow's lesions and injecting it into humans. Or that there once was an actual Cooties vaccine which we should all have been immunized against in childhood if our friends were nice enough to provide us with. Oh, and she’ll talk about the real science behind them, besides just recounting the icky details.

Bio: Coming soon (Rebecca currently has the swine flu – seriously – so she’s currently focused on fever reduction instead of bio writing)

Music and mental hygiene and Cold War film footage by indie rock supergroup Overlord (http://www.myspace.com/overlordisnotmetal) which features former Nerd Nite presenter George Pasles on vocals and lead guitar, current Palomar (http://www.myspace.com/palomar) bassist and former Nerd Nite presenter Sarah ‘Brockett’ Brockett, part-time Palo keyboardist Tris McCall, and past drummer Matt Houser. And Kerry too.

More information is on the Nerd Nite website or its Facebook page.

Columbia Heights Pizza Battle

The Washingtonian Pizza Pool is in the final four. Councilmember Jim Graham weighed in on the CH listserv in favor of Red Rocks in their last battle, but now where will Councilmember Graham fall as Red Rocks takes on Pete's Apizza? It's a Columbia Heights pizza battle for the ages. One can't live while the other survives... or something. I think that's a Harry Potter prophecy.

Anyhow, I'm sorry Columbia Heights, but you must choose. Vote here. You have until noon tomorrow. May the pizza be with you.

Arrest in 14th Street Murder

WUSA Channel 9 is reporting on an arrest in the 14th Street murder of a 48 year old woman over the weekend. A 17 year old has been arrested and charged as an adult. Read the story here: http://www.wusa9.com/rss/local_article.aspx?storyid=90474.

Has anyone heard any more about the Park Street shooting? Someone asked in the comment section. All we know is what 3D put out on the listserv.

Sunny Saturday Perfect for Columbia Heights Day

I knew Columbia Heights Day was going to be big this year, I just didn't know it was going to be this big. The new Harriet Tubman Elementary Field was a great addition, as was the separate performance area with bleacher seating. And there were plenty of things to do, especially for families. But what I liked best was that much of the soccer field was open so people could just hang out. Or play with hula-hoops, which was my favorite.

The festival seemed to be a boon to local businesses, as well. As activities were winding down on the field, I stopped by Red Rocks, Room 11, and the Wonderland -- all of which were packed. And I have heard the same about The Heights (before they closed) and Pete's Apizza.

Check out our photos from Columbia Heights Day below. And did you hear a sheep escaped from the petting zoo? Someone caught it on video.



Sheep on the loose!


Also, we and a few others were tweeting from the festivities.



How did the after-dark events go? Let us know in the comments below.

Activity at Thai Tanic II

As we learned at Columbia Heights Day, Thai Tanic II is hoping to open the second week of September. From the look of it - that seems wholly possible.

There are tables inside and even on a Sunday night, it was bustling with activity and people doing work inside the space. The sign is lit up and ready to go and judging by the doors and sidewalk space, looks like outdoor seating will be available.

Anyone Get Social?

Anyone tried Social yet? It's been open two whole days! Someone must have. If you made it over there, share your thoughts in the comments section.

There's also a lively discussion about it over at the CH forums. And here's the Yelp page.

Violent Night in CH

According to MPD's Jacob Kishter there were two shootings last night in the neighborhood.

A woman was fatally shot around 9:35PM on 14th and Harvard.

Another shooting occurred on the 1400 block of Park Road at 3:20AM. Two men were shot.

Anyone with info is asked to call the Metropolitan Police Department on 202-727-9099.

No Water Closes The Heights

BREAKING: A water pipe break in Kenyon Square has shut down The Heights, which was already suffering from no A/C today. So if you were craving a bloody mary or the steak salad, go somewhere else.

Thai Tanic II Opens Second Week of Sept.

Live from CH Day, the guys from Thai Tanic II tell us they are opening
the second week of September in their new location at the Allegro.
They are also serving up some great Thai iced tea.

Just saw Sergio, one of the CH Day directors, and told him they
knocked it out of Harriet Tubman field this year.