Questions Remain After District Council Votes to Move Ward 6 Homeless Shelter to Mount Vernon Triangle — Mount Vernon Triangle residents are questioning the process of selecting sites for homeless shelters after the District Council voted to move the proposed Ward 6 shelter location from Southwest to 2nd and K streets NW. [Washington City Paper]
Jefferson Middle School, Capitol Hill Montessori to Receive Improvement Funds — As part of the proposed 2017 education budget, Jefferson Middle School at 801 7th St. SW could receive $1 million to upgrade its science labs while Capitol Hill Montessori at 215 G St. NE is slated to receive $4 million to pay for a new heating and cooling system. [Hill Rag]
Interviewing the Owner Behind Capitol Hill’s Most Unique Bookstore — Jim Toole, the owner of Capitol Hill Books, spoke to Washingtonian magazine about his unorthodox organization and his handwritten rules posted throughout the store. [Washingtonian]
Navy Yard Eatery Due South Eyeing Satellite Location on Yards Park Boardwalk — Navy Yard restaurant Due South is in the early stages of planning “Due South Dockside,” along the Yards Park boardwalk to serve drinks and a limited food menu. [JDLand]
Monthly Capitol Hill Area ANC Meeting Roundup — Hill Rag takes a look at what happened last month with Capitol Hill area ANCs, including 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D. [Hill Rag]
Whaley’s, a new raw bar and seafood restaurant, is slated to open next Monday, according to the restaurant’s website.
The new seafood-centric eatery is a new project by Nick and David Wiseman, the brothers behind DGS Delicatessen.
Whaley’s will open with a menu that includes scallop crudo, Maryland crab and other plated seafood selections. The restaurant is set to initially open for dinner only, with plans to expand later into lunch and brunch.
Read more about the new restaurant in this press release:
Whaley’s, a raw bar and restaurant, will open Monday, May 16th in the historic Lumber Shed at The Yards, located at 301 Water Street Suite 115 SE in the growing Navy Yard/Capitol Riverfront District.
Under Chef Daniel Perron– formerly of Fiola Mare, Blue Duck Tavern and The Oval Room–the opening menu will feature shellfish towers, crudos, a selection of seafood-focused plates and a rotating family-style platter for sharing. Dishes will feature items like:
- Day Boat Scallop Crudo, Muscat Grapes, Sea Beans & Fennel Pollen
- Jumbo Lump MD Crab Salad, Sea Urchin, Celery, Cucumber & Old Bay Chips
- Crispy Soft Shell Crab, Peanut Romesco, Charred Tomatillos & Pickled Pearl Onion
Longtime collaborator, mentor and friend Brian Zipin has assembled a beverage program featuring specialty cocktails, thoughtfully-selected wines and craft beers.
The new restaurant’s design, from Edit Lab at Street Sense, is anchored by the building’s floor-to-ceiling, 35-foot tall glass façade with the original roof trusses exposed. The Lumber Shed was an integral part of the Washington Navy Yard, the US Navy’s oldest shore establishment founded in 1799.
Artist John DeNapoli has designed a 100-foot mural “Under The Sea” inspired by mid-century geometrical artists.
Whaley’s will be located on the south face of the Lumber Shed building, between Osteria Morini and Agua 301. The restaurant’s layout will include a 22-seat counter bar and a 44-seat dining room, as well as outdoor patio seating, facing the riverfront and the surrounding Yards Park.
Partners, cousins and fourth generation Washingtonians Nick and David Wiseman, the team behind DGS Delicatessen & Specialty Bar, are the creative force behind Whaley’s. Dave and Nick began prowling the fish barges on Maine Avenue as kids and dropping chicken necks to catch crabs on the Delaware shore. “We grew up eating clams, crabs and oysters right out of the water or just off the boat,” said Nick Wiseman. “Imagine how excited we are to open our own raw bar on the waterfront in DC.”
Whaley’s will initially be open for dinner, with plans to expand to brunch and lunch service. Make reservations online at WhaleysDC.com for dinner starting Monday, May 16th. Reservations are now available.
Photo via Instagram / Whaley’s
Locals will be able to take jazzercise, boot camp, Zumba and yoga classes for free in Yards Park and Canal Park starting next Monday, the Capitol Riverfront BID announced in a newsletter.
The Capitol Riverfront Outdoor Fitness Series is slated to return to the parks on May 16.
According to the BID, the free classes are available Monday through Saturday each week until Sept. 3.
The full schedule is as follows:
- Monday at 7:00 p.m.: Jazzercise (Canal Park)
- Monday at 7:00 p.m.: Boot Camp with Balance Gym (Yards Park)
- Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.: Zumba with Balance Gym (Yards Park)
- Wednesday at 6:30 a.m.: Yoga with Balance Gym (Canal Park)
- Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.: Yoga with Balance Gym (Yards Park)
- Thursday at 7:00 p.m.: Jazzercise with Rebecca Edwards (Yards Park)
- Friday at 6:30 a.m.: Boot Camp with Balance Gym (Canal Park)
- Friday at 6:30 a.m.: Yoga with Balance Gym (Yards Park)
- Saturday at 10:00 a.m.: Boot Camp with Balance Gym (Yards Park)
Photo via Capitol Riverfront BID
More than a thousand locals have put their names behind a petition to reinstate the bring-your-own-booze policy at this year’s Yards Park Concert Series.
“The Capitol Riverfront BID has made the decision to ban concert goers from bringing their own beer (BYOB) or wine to the event,” the petition reads. “Instead, the concerts will be now be exclusively sponsored by Corona and Modelo and all will be required to purchase beer and wine from them. Backpacks and coolers will be searched.”
The BID announced its decision to ban outside alcoholic beverages in a newsletter sent out last Thursday.
“Please take a minute and tell the Capitol Riverfront BID to reverse this decision,” the petition continues. “Not only will this decision negatively impact this very popular community event, it will hurt the local brewers and surrounding business frequented by concert goers.”
So far, more than 1,150 people have signed the online petition.
Photo via Flickr / Joe Flood
Music will again fill the air in Yards Park on Friday nights next month.
Capitol Riverfront BID is set to kick off its annual Friday Night Concerts series on May 20 during a performance in conjunction with this year’s Tour de Fat celebration.
Six years running, the series is an event where locals can “come to Yards Park to relax and enjoy the river view, fantastic bands, food and beverage, and a large variety of great restaurants within a five-minute walk from the park,” according to its website.
Bands will play songs with “family-friendly lyrics” making it an event for adults and kids alike.
Image via Facebook / Yards Park
A vice president of the Capitol Riverfront BID and a member of a local nonprofit are asking residents who walk their dogs in Navy Yard to scoop their pets’ poop.
Emily Franc at Anacostia Riverkeeper and Dan Melman, Capitol Riverfront BID’s Vice President of Parks and Public Realm, spoke their minds in an open letter to residents in the BID’s newsletter yesterday.
“We love our pets, and recognize the challenge in an urban environment of finding places for them to stretch their legs and do their ‘business,'” reads the letter. “However, skipping scooping up after your dogs is a significant problem. This unsanitary condition is often referred to as the ‘brown plague.’ Given that one gram of pet waste can harbor 23 million fecal coliform bacteria as well as parasites and roundworms, the “brown plague” label is apt.”
Dog poop left on the ground may wash into storm drains, which in turn may harms the water quality of local waterways, they argue. “The nutrient released from this waste directly harms aquatic vegetation, and reduces oxygen levels causing further detriment to fish and aquatic vegetation,” continues the letter.
Poop has long been a contentious issue among dog-havers in Capitol Hill. Neighbors famously fought over feces in the Hill East listserv two years ago. Then, when a serial “trespooper” plagued the neighborhood last year, local leaders considered putting up signs to deter them.
Read the full letter below:
Giant glowing rabbits will take over The Yards Park (355 Water St. SE) this weekend.
The bunnies will join Light Yards, a two-week art installation that began at the park last weekend. When the monstrous mammals arrive on Saturday, visitors can bask in their glow between 3 and 6 p.m. every day through March 6. The exhibit will also include an oversized Lite-Brite and other kid-friendly activities.
The glowing rabbits stand roughly 23 feet tall and are the work of artist Amanda Parer. Why rabbits? On her website, Parer says that in her native Australia, rabbits are an “out-of-control pest, leaving a trail of ecological destruction wherever they go and defying attempts at eradication.”
Parer continues:
They represent the fairytale animals from our childhood – a furry innocence, frolicking through idyllic fields. Intrude deliberately evokes this cutesy image, and a strong visual humor, to lure you into the artwork only to reveal the more serious environmental messages in the work. They are huge, the size referencing ‘the elephant in the room’, the problem, like our environmental impact, big but easily ignored.
The wind may have made today feel even colder than it was, but fortunately warmer weekend weather is blowing in. Temperatures are expected to reach into the 60s this weekend, and with several outdoor events planned across the Capitol Hill area, there are plenty of chances to take advantage of the springlike weather before it cools down again next week. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this weekend in the Capitol Hill area:
Events
Public Observances for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
Supreme Court Great Hall
Friday 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
Members of the public can pay their respects to the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia until 8 p.m. Friday at the Supreme Court building. Scalia’s body is currently laying in repose at the Supreme Court’s Great Hall. His funeral will be held on Saturday at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at Catholic University.
14th Annual Old Fashioned Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church (201 4th St. SE)
Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon
Capitol Hill Boy Scout Troop 500 will hold a pancake breakfast to raise funds for their programs and community service projects. The breakfast will feature all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, bacon, juice, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Tickets will be available at the door and will cost $15 for adults and $5 for children under 12.
Winter Grill Out at Ocopa
Ocopa restaurant (1324 H St. NE)
Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Peruvian restaurant Ocopa’s new chef Yuki Nakandakari will be enjoying the sunny weather on the restaurant’s patio, where guests can sample unlimited Peruvian grilled skewers called anticuchos and Nakandakari’s Incajito cocktails for $35. Tickets are available online.
‘A Will for the Woods’ Screening
Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St. SE)
Saturday, 6 p.m.
The Congressional Cemetery will host a screening of “A Will for the Woods,” a documentary about green burial, followed by a discussion led by the film directors and officials at the cemetery. Those interested in attending can RSVP to [email protected].
Light Yards Art Installation at The Yards
The Yards (355 Water St. SE)
Saturday, 7-10 p.m.
The Yards in Navy Yard are celebrating the arrival of Light Yards, a new art installation that will be at Yards Park through March 6. Several art installations by New York based light artist and architect John Ensor Parker. The opening party on Saturday night will feature a live DJ. The event is free and open to the public.
I Draw Slow at Hill Center
Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE)
Saturday, 8-10 p.m.
Dublin roots band I Draw Slow will bring their unique blend of Irish traditional music and Amaricana to Hill Center in support of their new album “White Wave Chapel.” Tickets are available online.
The Coil Project presents “Three Days of Rain”
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th St. SE)
Saturday, 8 p.m.
The Coil Project presents a two-act play about the children of Greenwich Village architects in the early 1960s.
Metrorail
Weekend repairs will take place on all six lines this weekend:
- Red Line trains will be single tracking between Friendship Heights and Grosvenor and between Forest Glen and Wheaton. Trains will run every 24 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont and every 12-13 minutes between Farragut North and Silver Spring from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
- Orange and Blue line trains will be single tracking between Smithsonian and Federal Center SW and will run every 20 minutes starting at 7 a.m. Saturday
- Silver Line trains will only run between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston
- Yellow Line trains will run every 20 minutes between Huntington and Mt. Vernon Square only starting at 10 p.m. Friday
- Green Line trains will be single tracking between L’Enfant Plaza and Navy Yard and will run every 20 minutes starting at 10 p.m. Friday
The Lumber Shed building near Yards Park in Navy Yard will soon get its fifth eatery, Whaley’s raw bar and seafood restaurant.
Whaley’s is slated to open this spring in the building at 301 Water St. SE, according to a press release. The restaurant is a new project by Nick and David Wiseman, the brothers behind DGS Delicatessen.
For Whaley’s the brothers are planning a seafood menu that includes clam chowder, scallop crudo and grilled swordfish, in addition to raw oysters. The restaurant is set to initially open for dinner only, with plans to expand later into lunch and brunch.
Designs for the restaurant show a 20-seat bar and a 40-seat dining room with additional seating outdoors. The eatery is named after Zedechiah Whaley, the commander of the Maryland Navy during the Revolutionary War.
A different seafood restaurant, Navy Yard Oyster Company had initially planned to open in this location in spring 2015, but backed out of its lease in August.
Photo via Whaley’s
Potomac Phil, D.C.’s Own Groundhog, Predicts Early Spring — Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring this morning when he didn’t see his shadow, as did Potomac Phil, D.C.’s own Groundhog Day mascot, who didn’t see his shadow either this morning in Dupont Circle. [Borderstan]
Zoning Filings Show First Images of Winery Slated for Yards Park — Early renderings show plans for a new Yard Park building expected to house District Winery, a small-batch winery, restaurant and event space planned for the corner of 4th and Water streets SE. [JDLand]
Developers Expected to Submit Plans for Mixed-Use Residential, Arts Space in Southwest — Developers behind The Bard, a planned residential building that will include office space, rehearsal space and a costume design shop for Shakespeare Theatre Company, are expected to file plans soon for the building at 501 I St. SW. [SWTLQTC]
Signs for New H Street Corridor Taqueria Go Up — Signs have gone up at the future home of Fresca Taqueria at 701 H St. NE, the former location of The Spot Deli, which closed down earlier this year. [District Cuisine]
Afternoon March Planned to Protest Deportation Raids — A march to protest a plan by the Obama administration to deport thousands is planned for this afternoon. The march will start at 12:30 p.m. at the Democratic National Headquarters near the Capitol South Metro station and end at the White House. [WUSA9]
Rose’s Luxury Owner Gives TED Talk on Building a Successful Restaurant — Aaron Silverman, chef and owner of Rose’s Luxury on Barracks Row, gave a TED Talk on how he built the wildly popular eatery. [Washington City Paper]
Celebrate New Year’s 12 Hours Early at Yards Park — Parents in the Navy Yard area can ring in the new year and still put the kids to sleep by bedtime thanks to Noon Yards Eve at Yards Park tomorrow. [Hill Now]
Parents in the Navy Yard area can ring in the new year and still put the kids to sleep by bedtime thanks to Noon Yards Eve at Yards Park on Thursday.
The kid-friendly celebration is set to take place between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and will feature a balloon drop at noon to mark the beginning of 2016.
According to the event’s Facebook page, the free party will include music, dancing, face painters, inflatables and crafts for kids. The celebration is hosted by The Yards development and will take place at Yards Park at the intersection of Water and 4th streets SE.
Photo via Facebook/ Noon Yards Eve 2015
A carnival complete with magicians, fire breathers and contortionists is coming to the Navy Yard.
The second annual Side Yards event is scheduled for this Saturday at Yards Park (355 Water St. SE) from 6 to 10 p.m.
A collection of East Coast sideshow performers,many from the traveling Circus of Wonders, will put their quirky talents on display for guests. A burlesque show is also planned for one of three performances stages, a new feature to this year’s event.
There will be live music, food available for purchase and a beer garden by Due South, which opened near Yards Park in August.
Tents will cover the carnival attractions, so the show will go on as planned regardless of weather.
The event is hosted by the developers of The Yards. According to Clare Zenczak, a spokesperson for The Yards, the carnival with be a party with “something for everyone.”
Zenczak added there will be some activities for younger audiences, including balloon artists and a bubble fairy.
The Yards regularly throws themed celebrations in the park. Most recently, Ice Yards was a winter version of last summer’s Splash Yards, which drew more than 2,000 people.
“These events are a way to get people into the area,” Zenczak said. “It’s so they can see how exciting the development is down here.”
Side Yards is free and open to the public, but organizers are recommending interested guests reserve tickets in advance online.
Fall is in full-swing, and Halloween is now 10 days away. For those who love the season of changing leaves, pumpkin spice and costumes, the Capitol Hill area has plenty of ways to celebrate.
Events across the area this weekend will give residents a chance to start their Halloween celebrations a week early. Here are some pre-holiday events to help you get in the Halloween spirit:
Thursday
Seniors Costume Brunch
King Greenleaf Recreation Center (201 N St. SW)
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Area seniors are invited to the recreation center for a costume brunch with food and music. There will also be prize giveaways for guests wearing the best costume of the event. More information is available via e-mail.
NoMa Pumpkin Carving Happy Hour
NoMa Junction @ Storey Park (1005 First St. NE)
4 – 7 p.m.
NoMa BID will provide free pumpkins and carving tools for the first 200 visitors to the “pumpkin patch.” Pumpkins can be reserved in advance online. Participants can bring their own pumpkins and tools, if they choose. The event is free and open to the public. It will have live music from ’90s cover band the Lloyd Dobbler Effect, face painting, and a candy scavenger hunt. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase.
Thursday – Sunday
Scream City D.C.
RFK Stadium (2400 East Capitol St. SE)
7 – 10 p.m. (open until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday)
“Exorcism Estate” and “Slaughter Factory” are two fully-enclosed haunted houses that will take over Parking Lot 8 through the end of the month. The haunts are from the same minds as Field of Screams Maryland and are almost guaranteed to be very, very scary. The production company recommends no one under the age of 13 attend, and parents should use their discretion when choosing to bring their children. Tickets are available online for $30-$40. One ticket grants admission to both haunts, and each takes approximately 40 minutes to walk through.
Friday
Haunted History and Ghost Hunt
Northeast Neighborhood Library (330 7th St. NE)
4 – 9 p.m.
This evening will pair history and haunts so guests can decide for themselves whether the library is haunted or not. The first hour of the event will provide a haunted history of the building and the surrounding area. Following that will be a paranormal investigation where attendees will get into teams, use “ghost hunting” equipment and search for evidence of paranormal activity. The event is free, but pre-registration is required by e-mail, in person or by telephone at 202-698-0058.
Friday and Saturday
In Their Own Words: Soul Strolls at Congressional Cemetery
Historic Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St. SE)
6 – 9 p.m.
The Congressional Cemetery will have a second weekend of night tours. The tours will tell the stories of some of the 65,000 “residents” there, as interpreted by cemetery staff. The event will also have a cash bar and music each night. Tours are held during the twilight hours. Tickets are available online and cost $20 for adults and $10 for children who are 12 years old or younger.
Saturday
Hot Cider Hustle 5K/15K
RFK Stadium (2400 East Capitol St. SE)
9 a.m.
Capitol Hill-area runners can participated in one of two fall-themed races around RFK Stadium along the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. Both races start at 9 a.m. in Lot 7. Hot apple cider and caramel apples will wait for participants as they cross the finish line. Registration is still open for both races, but the price will increase tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Pumpkins in the Park
Washington Canal Park (202 M St. SE)
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The Capitol Riverfront BID is hosting a late morning/early afternoon of family-friendly activities and entertainment to get ready for the holiday. Small pumpkins and decorating tools will be provided. There will also be face painting and live entertainment. The event is free and open to the public.
Barktoberfest
Yards Park (355 Water St. SE)
1 – 5 p.m.
The Washington Animal Rescue League is hosting the Second Annual Barktoberfest, an event scheduled to have local craft beer, live music, food trucks, shopping, a canine costume contest and a puppy kissing booth. General admission tickets are available online for $35 and include unlimited beer tastings. Dogs must be leashed at all times. Rain date is Oct. 25.
Haunted Harvest
Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan (215 G St. NE)
6 – 9 p.m.
This fall festival is for families to celebrate Halloween a little early. The event will have several activities, including a haunted house, spooky pumpkin painting, mad science experiments and a zombie dance party. Costumes are encouraged for all attendees. A chili cook-off contest will take place from 6 – 7:30 p.m. for $1 per taste. Dinners of chili or hotdogs will be served from 6 – 8 p.m. and cost $5 each. A $20 donation per family is recommended.
Photo via Facebook/Capitol Riverfront BID
Capitol Hill Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in the Capitol Hill area. If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out our event submission form.
For more events, be sure to check out our event calendar.
Wednesday
FDR and the Holocaust: A New Appraisal
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW)
Time: 7 – 9 p.m.
Best-selling author Jay Winik will discuss the challenges World War II era leaders faced, including rescuing Europe’s remaining Jews. Other prominent historians to join the discussion include the New York Times Chief White House Correspondent Peter Baker, American University professor Dr. Richard Breitman and museum historian Dr. Edna Friedberg. Admission is free.
Friday and Saturday
In Their Own Words: Soul Strolls at Congressional Cemetery
Historic Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St. SE)
Time: 6 – 9 p.m.
The Congressional Cemetery will have a second weekend of night tours. The tours will tell the stories of some of the 65,000 “residents” there, as interpreted by cemetery staff. The event will also have a cash bar and music each night. Tours are held during the twilight hours. Tickets are available online and cost $20 for adults and $10 for children who are 12 years old or younger.
Saturday
Trick or Treat! Halloween Cookery with the Kids
Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital (921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE)
Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Families are invited to take a kid-friendly food cooking class with a twist in preparation for Halloween. Radio and television producer Peter Ogburn will lead the class, which might include making monkey brains (cauliflower). The class costs $49 for an adult and a child, and $15 for each additional child. Wearing costumes to the class is highly encouraged.
Gangplank Marina Park at The Wharf (600 Water St. SW)
Time: 12 – 4 p.m.
This free, family-friendly community event will give locals a chance to spend an October afternoon along the water of the Potomac. Guests can craft their very own “pumpkin” with the help of on-site Wharf artists. There will also be live music from the Wil Gravatt Band throughout the afternoon, with food available at nearby Cantina Marina and King Ribs.
Yards Park (355 Water St. SE)
Time: 1 – 5 p.m.
The Washington Animal Rescue League is hosting the Second Annual Barktoberfest, an event scheduled to have local craft beer, live music, food trucks, shopping, a canine costume contest and a puppy kissing booth. General admission tickets are available online for $35 and include unlimited beer tastings. Dogs must be leashed at all times. Rain date is Oct. 25.
