REMINDER: Edgewood Neighborhood Cleanup TOMORROW!

The weather is looking HOT for the cleanup tomorrow! Please bring some water and we will have Popsicles, hot dogs and drinks for afterwards.

Just wanted to send out a reminder that tomorrow is the Edgewood Neighborhood monthly cleanup. The group meets in front of the Edgewood Rec Center at the corner of 3rd and Evarts NE at 10:30 a.m. The cleanup is sponsored by the Friends of Edgewood Recreation Center and occurs the first Saturday of every month same time and location. The group picks up trash around the neighborhood including the rec center and has a cookout afterwards.

This is a great way to meet your neighbors and show pride in our neighborhood!

If you cannot come try and cleanup around your block today or tomorrow morning so we can cover more areas!!!

Development Update

Just a glance around Edgewood and you can see all the ongoing construction with developments completing and new neighbors and businesses moving into the neighborhood. I feel like a broken record trying to get these developments to acknowledge that they are in Edgewood! So below are the updates of the developments ongoing in the Edgewood neighborhood for your reading pleasure.

Chancellor's Row (3015 4th Street NE) - 10-acre residential development on St. Paul's campus which began construction Fall 2010 as promised and already has residents living there. They have sold all 100 houses in Phase I and they are all completed and occupied. Phase 2 started in April and is currently open for sales having already sold 47 houses. It is anticipated that all three phases will be completed ahead of schedule as sales are going so well.  They have already added a ZipCar to this location and they are supposed to be adding a Capital Bikeshare Station as well.  The Brookland Heartbeat did a recent writeup of the status of the community benefits that have been completed and will be coming with this project.

Monroe Street Market (formerly CUA South Campus Development) (7th Street and Michigan Ave NE) - mixed use development will include approximately 720 housing units, 45 townhouses, and a public square with a college main street with 83,000 square feet of street-level retail, 15,000 square feet of artists' studio space and 850 below-grade parking spaces. They started demolition on the CUA buildings in 2010 and broke ground on November 9, 2011. The first phase of 562 residential units is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2013. The construction is moving ahead as you can already see foundations poured and vertical structures have already been constructed.  There will also be improvements made to the sidewalks, crosswalks and Met Branch Trail connection in that area.

Brookland Artspace Lofts (3225 Eighth Street NE) - 41 live/work rental units directly adjacent to Dance Place's HQ and studio space for qualified DC artists making 60% or less of the area median income construction began Spring 2010 and is completed and at 100% occupancy now. They are accepting applications for their waitlist.

Developments Surrounding Edgewood

Rhode Island Row (919 Rhode Island Ave NE) - This project is well underway and already has residents moving in as the apartments are completed. They have posted the rents and they range from $1740 for a 1 bed/bath to $3465 for a 3 bed/bath. This place has already rented out over 60% of their apartments.  The retail is still being kept quiet with only the CVS, Carolina Kitchen, DMV and Chipotle confirmed.  I have heard that Five Guys, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks are going to open over there, but they have not been confirmed. I have also heard that some of the restaurants over on H Street have been checking out the space to open a second location.  I really hope that rumor is true!!!The CVS is already open on the corner retail slot on Rhode Island Avenue NE. This development is also supposed to add a Capital Bikeshare Station.

Mint Condos (329 Rhode Island Ave NE) - This project is completed and is across the street from Edgewood in Eckington. The burnt out shell of a building was converted into 21 luxury condos priced between mid $250,000 and mid $300,000. The building also has 3000 square feet of retail space and is currently selling. The last I heard they had 11 condos already under contract.

901 Monroe Street NE - This project was recently approved by the zoning commission across the street in Brookland and looks promising. The plans are to demolish the current buildings and build 212 Apartments, 16 units at below market rents, and 13,000 sq. ft. of neighborhood-serving retail including a restaurant. Groundbreaking is scheduled for Fall 2012.

Washington Gateway (Intersection of New York Ave and Florida Ave NE) - This project which has been recently revived and modified to include more residential instead of a hotel will connect NoMa with the Eckington neighborhood. A huge empty 3 acre lot will be transformed into office space and residential with a small retail component. There will be improvements made to the Met Branch Trail which will connect to this development. The groundbreaking is supposed to happen before the end of the year for Phase One which is a building with 400 residential units and 5,200 sq. ft. of retail.

NoMa West (Eckington Place and Q Street NE) - This development broke ground in March 2011 and they have been hard at work with construction ever since. There will be a total of three buildings when they are completed and a small amount of retail. There will be an extension of Q street, a pedestrian walkway and connection with the Met Branch Trail included in the project. Apartments are scheduled to be available starting in Fall 2012.

McMillan Sand Filtration (North Capitol Street, Michigan Ave, 1 Street NW) - This huge 25 acre site has been the focus of many meetings and plans over the years and I'll put its timeline as I'll believe it when I see it. The current plans call for mixed-use development and park space which I think would be amazing! There are many sites and posts about this development as everyone seems to have an opinion as to what should happen with this piece of land. They have recently filed a draft PUD and there have been more meetings so I am sticking to my last update that I will believe it when I see it.

Edgewood Home Sales

Here is the updated data on homes for sale in Edgewood. I am using Redfin because it allows you to search by neighborhood, but if you have any other ideas or ways to get listings or open houses please let me know!

Here is the link to the data in Redfin:

Edgewood DC Real Estate

Edgewood has a very diverse housing stock with a wide range of sizes and prices. Right now the most expensive places listed is a new home in Chancellor's Row listed for $667,900 while the least expensive listing is a condo listed at $78,000. It seems that there continues to be a steady number of houses selling across the price ranges and there are quite a few pending sales that have yet to be posted. The overall number of houses in the neighborhood for sale continues to be low as of right now there are less then 10 places listed for sale not counting the new development at Chancellor's Row.

There are new sales posted.

613 Girard Street NE sold for $300,000 on April 6th
315 Evarts Street NE sold for $290,000 on April 10th

513 Montana Avenue NE sold for $375,000 on April 30th

210 Channing Street NE sold for $231,500 on April 30th

325 Franklin Street NE sold for $2,565,000 on May 4th

2429 3rd Street NE sold for $190,000 on May 8th

2408 2nd Street NE sold for $307,000 on May 30th

204 Adams Street NE sold for $225,000 on May 31st

2432 2nd Street NE sold for $322,400 on June 5th

2407 3rd Street NE sold for $170,000 on June 10th

3000 7th Street NE Unit sold for $142,000 on June 15th

234 Corwmwell Ter NE sold for $330,000 on June 15th

417 Evarts Street NE sold for $350,000 on June 15th

The Chancellor's Row development continues to be a high seller in the neighborhood having sold 147 homes as of June 10, 2012. The prices have adjusted again for some of the models as their listings have been recently updated.

There are currently no open houses listed. If you know of any please add the information to the comments section.

Edgewood Farmer's Market

Edgewood is getting a Farmer's Market!!  Check out the website and see you Saturday!

Nice park NoMa, but where's the bike ramp?

Recently NoMa BID has released renderings for a park that they would like to build in the middle of L Street NE and they have also been circulating a petition asking for 18 million dollars from the city to help them add parks to NoMa.  First let me say that I love the NoMa BID- their movie nights, concerts, flowers and keeping the area clean.  However,  I have a couple of concerns.  The BID was created to accomplish all these things and you can tell how great the NoMa area is because of it.  Ward 5 does not have any BIDs and could really use that money to do many of the same improvements to Rhode Island Ave NE.  Also, when looking at the renderings for the park in the middle of L Street I do not see the new ramp that DDOT is working on that will go from the Met Branch Trail to L Street.  That ramp is needed as the stairs that are currently there are not adequate for biking traffic and were only meant to be temporary until a ramp was built.  With the new cycletracks coming to NoMa and the work on the Met Branch Trail connections up to Union Station it is very important that we ensure this ramp is built.  I am in favor of NoMa parks I just want to ensure that they do not interfere with the Met Branch Trail infrastructure.  Being able to enter and exit the Met Branch Trail on both M and L Street via ramp will greatly improve the riding experience from all directions, as well as, help relieve congestion as the trail grows in popularity.

Please check out the renderings of the proposed park here and let NoMa know they need to include the ramp to the Met Branch Trail!!

http://dcmud.blogspot.com/2012/05/noma-greyhound-station-to-be-mixed-use.html

Special ANC 5C Meeting Tonight

There is a special ANC 5C meeting tonight and it was brought to my attention there is an item that looks suspiciously like the 4th Street NE "Gateway" project on the agenda even though it is not specifically named or given identifying information.  This is beyond troubling to me as that project team has not attempted any community outreach beyond attending a couple of minimally attended community meetings.  With all of the press and attention that other development projects get in the area it is really important that we come together and demand the best project possible for our neighborhood.  That said if you can attend tonight please do so and let the ANC know your concerns with the project.

Personally, I would like more retail and to ensure that the building is as green as possible.  At the last meeting I saw the project team had added a little more retail so it went from roughly 3,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet.  I think it could get even better.  Other neighbors have expressed concerns with parking that I do not think have been addressed.  The building design is still not the most attractive or open for adding to the streetscape.  I also think that they should buy the neighboring liquor store out and include that lot in the development.  I think it is really important that they get more feedback from the neighbors who live in the area.

There is also the issue of the project being 100% affordable housing.  Many neighbors are not supportive of this idea.  It was requested of the project team if it must be 100% affordable housing then they make it condos instead of apartments.  While I am not opposed to affordable housing it is very apparent the quality of the building that you get is inferior when it is 100% affordable housing versus a market rate building with a smaller percent affordable.  I would like this project to be the beginning of a transformation of the commercial corridor of 4th Street and Rhode Island Ave NE and feel that we need the best possible project we can get for our neighborhood.

NoMa Summer Screen Film Lineup Announced

Please see the schedule below for the NoMa BID outdoor movie nights this summer.  Taking a nice walk or fast bike ride down the Met Branch Trail from Edgewood makes this a great neighborhood event!

NoMa Summer Screen Film Lineup Announced
Washington, D.C., April 25, 2012 –

NoMa Summer Screen is the neighborhood’s most anticipated summer event – and the fun starts in just four weeks! This year’s theme ‘Is 2012 the End of the World?’ features films about world-ending scenarios as a spoof on the doomsday prophesies marking the end of the Mayan calendar. 

NoMa Summer Screen is a free, 12-week outdoor film series in NoMa, Washington, DC’s fastest growing neighborhood. The event takes place Wednesdays from May 23 to August 8 on the Loree Grand Field at Second and L Streets, NE. The event starts at 7 p.m. with music, giveaways, family fun, food vendors and picnicking. Films start at dark. Subtitles are provided for all films. http://www.nomasummerscreen.com/ 

Mark your calendars for your favorite blockbusters from ‘Is 2012 the End of the World?:’

May 23: The Day After Tomorrow: (Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal) A climatologist tries to figure out a way to save the world from abrupt global warming. He must get to his young son in New York, which is being taken over by a new ice age. PG-13.

May 30: Dr. Strangelove: (Stanley Kubrick, Peter Sellers) An insane general starts a nuclear holocaust process that a war room of politicians and generals frantically try to stop. PG.

June 6: Men in Black: (Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones) Two men who keep an eye on aliens in New York City must try to save the world after the aliens threaten to blow it up. PG-13.

June 13: Shaun of the Dead: A man decides to turn his moribund life around by winning back his ex-girlfriend, reconciling his relationship with his mother, and dealing with an entire community that has returned from the dead to eat the living. R.

June 20: Wall-E: (Pixar, Animated) In the distant future, a small waste-collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind. G.

June 27: Ghostbusters: (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd) Three unemployed parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service. PG.

July 4: Independence Day: (Will Smith, Bill Pullman) The aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy. Fighting superior technology, humanity’s best weapon is the will to survive. PG-13.

July 11: Red Dawn: (Patrick Swayze, Lea Thompson) It is the dawn of World War III. In mid-western America, a group of teenagers bands together to defend their town and country from invading Soviet forces. PG-13.

July 18: War Games: (Matthew Broderick) A young man finds a back door into a military central computer in which reality is confused with game-playing, possibly starting World War III. PG.

July 25: The Incredibles: (Pixar, Animated) A family of undercover superheroes, while trying to live the quiet suburban life, are forced into action to save the world. PG.

August 1: Jurassic Park: The Lost World: During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major power breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaurs to run amok. PG-13.

August 8: Deep Impact: (Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni) Unless a comet can be destroyed before colliding with Earth, only those allowed into shelters will survive. Which people will survive? PG-13.

*Disclaimer: NoMa BID was unable to show several popular Armageddon films (such as 2012 and Armageddon) due to lengthy running times of more than two hours. 

Now in its fifth year, NoMa Summer Screen was named one of the Top 10 Best Outdoor Movie Theatres in America by Travel and Leisure Magazine in 2011. The event attracts more than 300 people each week from the greater NoMa area and around the region. Bring a blanket, Frisbee and picnic cooler starting at 7 p.m., and connect with friends as you enjoy great films under the stars.

Follow us on Twitter @NoMaBID or Facebook for weather updates, surprise giveaways, food vendors and weekly activities. Special thanks to the Loree Grand for hosting NoMa Summer Screen for the third year! View or download photos of last year’s event. Watch a video to get in the NoMa Summer Screen vibe. To sponsor NoMa Summer Screen, contact Rachel Davis. 

The NoMa BID organizes more than 100 free community events each year. Register for the NoMa Bike to Work Day pit stop on May 18. Bring your bike in for a ‘day at the spa’ with BikeSPA, June 12 and July 24, through a partnership with BicycleSPACE. Each week before NoMa Summer Screen, stop by the NoMa Farmers Market, which takes place Wednesdays, May 30 to October 31, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. View more info here. Rhythm in NoMa, an outdoor concert series, takes place in three locations this year, on Thursdays at lunch, Fridays at lunch, and Thursday evenings. View dates here.