Got Power?

Lots of power outages reported by Pepco. Our area is in the 1000-5000 customers out. You can check out the map here: http://www.pepco.com/home/emergency/maps/stormcenter/.

Free parking at DCUSA for residents Friday - Monday

The DC Department of Transportation announced on its Twitter feed that DC residents will be able to park for free at DCUSA after 10 pm Friday to noon Monday.

The District has also declared a Snow Emergency as of 9:30 am this morning. Parked cars must be moved from all snow emergency routes. The list is here - http://ddot.dc.gov/ddot/frames.asp?group=1586&doc=/ddot/lib/ddot/services/snow/ser-list-rev.pdf

Snow emergency route streets in and around Columbia Heights:

• Florida Avenue – H Street, N.E. to 9th Street, N.W.
• Florida Avenue, N.W. – U Street to 22nd Street
• Georgia Avenue, N.W. – Florida Avenue to Eastern Avenue
• Harvard Street, N.W. / Hobart Place, N.W. – 5th Street to 16th Street (south side only)
• Irving Street - Michigan Avenue, N.E. to 16th Street, N.W. (south side only)
• Kenyon Street, N.W. / Kenyon Place, N.W. – Irving Street to 14th St. (north side only)
• Park Road, N.W. - 14th Street to 16th Street (north side only)
• U Street, N.W. – 9th Street to Florida Avenue
• 16th Street, N.W. – H Street to Eastern Avenue

Super Bowl Specials this Sunday at CommonWealth

From the latest Tasting Table DC (a great new foodie e-mail pub): Opportunity for free beer at CommonWealth during the Super Bowl.

Sunday, 2/7
5 p.m. to midnight
Bowl for Beer
CommonWealth Gastropub hosts a beer-fueled Super Bowl party. And it'll get competitive: Buy a beer or food item (such as pork pies or jacket potatoes) before the game starts and tell your server which team you're rooting for. Then get a free house ale each time your team scores a touchdown. 1400 Irving St. NW (between 14th St. and Hiatt Pl.); 202-265-1400 or commonwealthgastropub.com

Snowlumbia Heights is Coming!

No, today didn't count. This was not a #snowpocalypse or a #snomg. But this weekend could be! I love a good Snowlumbia Heights Day!

The storm that's brewing: http://www.accuweather.com/regional-news-story.asp?region=eastusnews

Monthly Parking Now Available at DCUSA

Update: The Washington Business Journal has details on the $6 commuter parking deal.

The parking netherland that is the DCUSA garage now offers monthly parking. The cost is $145 a month, and you can come and go as you please -- no matter what the hour. Live in a condo building? Gather your tenants together to get special rates for groups of 10 or more.

Call Central Parking at DCUSA at 202-253-4938, or visit its offices on the P1 Level to get your spot.

See the flyer for more information.

Presumptive #snomg from Past Tense yoga

I think Past Tense yoga in Mt. Pleasant does a great job of marketing the studio, but their most recent e-mail is a little ridiculous. Especially since I have only counted about 10 snow flakes outside my office window. But SHOULD we get another snowpocalypse tomorrow, you can enjoy $10 yoga classes and hot chocolate.

BTW, the forecast is 3 to 6 inches.

New bike racks on 11th Street

It may be snowing today, but I like to think spring is right around
the corner. And in preparation there are some fancy new bike racks on
11th Street. The photo is from a bunch outside the Wonderland, but
another has already been installed by Room 11.

Vacancy update: Tivoli Square

Is the former Nori / Mayorga Coffee space at Tivoli Square cursed? It is a prime location in Columbia Heights but in the past 3.5 years, not one establishment there has had much success. And now The Washington Business Journal is reporting that the operators of Nori are being sued by the Tivoli Square owner for unpaid rent:

The tenant "failed to pay all rent due and owing under the lease," said the complaint. That resulted in the tenant's formal eviction Nov. 16, but the 6,000-square-foot space was vacated months before in July.

 The article also includes this litle tidbit: the corner spot has "has generated a lot of interest," according to its broker at KLNB Retail. So what does $160,00 a year rent give you:

• 3,012 SF vented corner restaurant space
• Additional 3,095 usable SF on lower level
• Lower Level has 12 ft. ceilings, is sprinklered and has two means of egress.
• Space includes two large walk-in coolers
• Conveniently located across the street from Columbia Heights
• Metro Station and the new 550,000 SF DC USA Shopping Center
• Join Giant Food, GALA Theatre, Target, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Washington Sports Club and many others in historic Columbia Heights

Also still available in Tivoli Square is the spot formerly occupied by Rumberos. Got some details on what may move in there, or have a request? Leave a comment below.

Olympic Special @ Social

We don't write much about Social on this blog because we never go there. But... Social has done it. They finally gave me a reason to go back after many many months.

In a few weeks, CH readers may notice this blog freaking out about how much we love the Olympics. Because WE LOVE THE OLYMPICS. I'm watching ice dancing nationals right now. No, I can't skate - but I do LOVE those twizzles.

Anyhow, Social gets my Olympic love and has a legit Olympic special. Actually, to make this really legit - Social best be showing the Olympics on all their TVs (if they have TVs... I can't recall). Anyhow, here it is:

OLYMPIC SPECIAL

2/12 – 2/28

 

$4 Bronze, Silver and Gold Margaritas in the Cellar on days the U.S. wins medals of that type.

Get your Jersey-perfect coif at Target

Photographic evidence that the DCUSA Target is a fan of the "Jersey Shore" look. That and the store sells bumpits.

More local restaurant news: new hours for The Heights

Here at THL, we are not ashamed of our love for brunch at The Heights. It's the convenience of the place more than anything. And if you stopped by 14th Street restaurant in the new year, you may have noticed it has new hours. Weekend brunch may have moved back to a 10 am start, but evening hours have expanded.

Here's when you can get your bloody mary / steak salad / "other entree here" fix:

Sunday - 10 am to 10:30 pm
Monday and Tuesday - Noon to 10:30 pm
Wednesday and Thursday - Noon to 11:00 pm
Friday - Noon to Midnight
Saturday - 10 am to Midnight

Commonwealth Courts the Family Crowd

Maybe it's because I don't have children, or like children, but this seems kinda novel for our neighborhood. Commonwealth is actively courting the "family" business with free food for kids and a new kids menu:

Family Nights at CommonWealth Gastropub: Tuesdays and Saturdays! Starting Tuesday January 12, 2010, 5pm -7pm kids 10 and under eat free*! *One kid's meal per adult meal. And introducing our new kid's menu: Chef's Choice Pasta, Burger w/ chips, Fish 'n chips, Hot Dog w/ chips, Hummus and Veggies.

Not gonna lie, I won't be going to the restaurant during "family time." However... I don't go there now during those times because it's kinda early, so I guess what I'm saying is this doesn't change my behavior at all.

Let's All Rent Some Movies

Yesterday evening, my friends asked me if I saw The Netflix map from The New York Times? I had not, but they assured me I would love it. And I did.

Using just simple data from Netflix -- the top 50 rentals by zipcode for major U.S. cities -- nytimes.com has created a great multimedia graphic for those interested in pop culture and demographics.

So what's popular in Columbia Heights? Looking at the 20010 and 20011, the top-rented among the two zip codes are:

• Burn After Reading
• The Changeling
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Doubt
• Frost/Nixon
• Milk
• Rachel Getting Married
• Revolutionary Road
• Seven Pounds
• Slumdog Millionaire
• Twilight
• Vicky Christina Barcelona
• The Wrestler

Have you ever rented any of these titles on Netflix? There's a good chance you did.

More insanity courtesy of the Columbia Heights listserv

H/T to DCist for posting about this lively exchange on the Columbia Heights listserv (my Yahoo Groups subscription has been acting funky). One of your neighbors and mine, is so much against the new no plastic bag law that he will get in his Prius and drive in Maryland because it is better for the environment and he will not be taxed there. Really, here is what he had to say:

I discovered something interesting this weekend while shopping at Target:  I now will spend less resulting in less taxes collected by the city for my purchases.  Why?  I refuse to pay the 5 cent per bag tax.  So I will only buy what I can carry in my own two hands.  I usually spend hundreds of dollars a weekend at Target.  Now I spend very little.

Fewer purchases = less sales tax generated = more money left in my bank account.  And I am not alone.

I also now find it cheaper to drive my hybrid to the Safeway in Maryland to purchase groceries.  I get 50+ MPG in my hybrid so an extra mile is nothing compared to 5 cents per bag.  So Maryland will now get my sales tax money.

I also find myself ordering more things online now so that they can be delivered bag tax and sales tax free.  The only problem is now I need to throw away all those boxes and packaging material.  There is no tax on sticking it in my trash can.

So there you go City Council.  Someone with a 6 figure salary has now made a lifestyle change because of the bag tax.  Taxation without representation now done locally.

Here's to all the Amazon boxes now clogging the rivers. 

As Spud Lite noted: "Umm, since when do we get to vote on every tax? Oh ... since never." Oh, and it gets better from there.