Reminder: Edgewood Neighborhood Cleanup Saturday

Hi Neighbors!

Saturday, May 3rd, is the monthly Edgewood neighborhood cleanup and BBQ -- and the forecast is 68 degrees! Please come out and join your neighbors if you can.

We meet in front of the Rec. Center (300 Evarts St. NE) at 10:30. The cleanup is sponsored by the Friends of Edgewood Recreation Center and occurs the first Saturday of each month at this time and place. We'll provide bags and gloves, and will also grill hot dogs and veggie dogs at at the rec afterward, noonish. Come join friendly neighbors old and new, to clear litter from our neighborhood and chat about local news, etc. Free refreshments for volunteers.

You're invited to stop by and say HI, even if you only have a little time and can't stick around for lunch. If you can't come out at all, keeping the area around your house clean helps us cover more areas!

If you have questions, just asksally.hobaugh@gmail.com

Race Time!!!

The Metropolitan Branch Trail 5K (MBT5K) Race is just a few days away.  If you're a bicyclist this is a chance to slow down and see the trail on foot.  If you're a walker, this is a time to speed up.  If you're a runner, it's time to compete. If you're an advocate for the Metropolitan Branch Trail, it's time to cheer!  All ages and stages welcome (strollers too).  We are ordering t-shirts shortly, so register now to assure we have one in your size.  All runners under age 18 may participate for free.  Race day is Sat., May 10 at 9AM (arrive early to warm-up, get your race packets and get a chance to sit for an original caricature drawing).  Race start and finish is at S and 4th Streets, NE (and the trail intersection).  Financial assistance with fees is available on a limited basis (email kellyp@railstotrails.org, if needed).

Visit www.gometbranch.com to sign up as a runner or volunteer.  Also, visit us on Facebook and "Like" us to receive updates at www.facebook.com/mbt5k.  Sponsors:  Monroe Street, Market, NoMa BID, CPDC, EYA, Remotion Composting.  Hosted by:  DC Road Runners Club and community volunteers.

From,

MBT5K Organizers

Ward 5 Budget Town Hall

Please come out and support projects you would like to see funded in the budget (New Edgewood Recreation Center!)

Ward 5
Date: Thursday, May 8, 2014
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Location: Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, 1100 Michigan Avenue, NE

For more information, or if you require translation or interpretation services, please call (202) 442-8150.

Huge Party in Edgewood

My Saturday started out quite nicely as I got up early to get ready to volunteer with Caseys Trees to plant 9 new trees in our neighborhood in the triangle across from Edgewood Terrace.  I met volunteers from all over the city and our neighborhood and got to thank the neighbors who were able to get the whole event organized.  It will be really nice when the trees grow and are able to shade the very popular neighborhood bus stop.  I left that tree planting to go straight to the Edgewood Community Garden planting.  I arrived to see that there were 30 to 40 volunteers already there.  It was great to weed, plant and talk with neighbors that I usually just chat with while walking by each other's houses.  The garden was planted quickly with so many volunteers and I was then able to head home to tackle my own yard work.  When I came back inside later that night I found my phone full of text messages, emails and tweets about a huge party at the Edgewood Recreation Center.

I have reached out to CM McDuffie and his staff to help us get to the bottom of the organizers of this party and the police response.  A neighbor was told by the police that it was the Howard University Police responsibiltiy to manage this crowd.  Why they would think that since the party was on DPR property with no permit is beyond me.  If I had seen the messages sooner I would have called the DPR Rangers, but I would think that MPD would have done the same and it does not appear that they did.  There was only 1 arrest from this event posted on the MPD5D listserv this morning and I think that we need to hear about the MPD response and what can be done differently if this ever happens again.  There was drinking (open containers of alcohol are not allowed at DPR parks) and people have said there were between 700 and 1000 people there (which would have required a DPR permit).  I asked my neighbor who is a Howard student if he went to the party and he stated that he did and it was an event hosted by a group that calls themselves "Dreams Never Die".  I used that information and all of the information from neighbors to search through the internet and below are just a sample of the pictures of the event that I found.

http://dreamsneverdie.wix.com/dndhu#!events/cgj5

The group "Dreams Never Die" fashions themselves as event planners, but it seems to me that they just throw big parties without getting permits or thinking about locations.  On their website they have videos from past parties thrown in public alleys bragging about taking decks off houses. There were no open restrooms so many neighbors reported people peeing in the recreation center area, on Shaed School building and in alleys.  Events have to have restrooms available. The garden that had just been planted was passed out on and danced on destroying all the work that neighbors had spent that morning doing.  The park and children's playground area that had just been cleaned is filled with broken glass from this event. If this group wants to plan events they should book locations that can accommodate that size crowd and pay to use them and get permits. If they want to have events with alcohol they should find a location where that is legal to host them and apply for proper ABRA permits.   None of these should be issues for event planners if they really wanted to host a real event and not an illegal party. 

Many Howard University students were upset that Howard was associated with the party as it was not an official Howard event.  Some of them were partygoers that tweeted at me with outrage at "defaming" Howard's name, but their outrage is misplaced.  They should be outraged at fellow partygoers that told neighbors they went to Howard and/or that it was a Howard party and then posted on social media calling it a Howard event.  There are several Howard students that want to help repair the garden and they should be commended for both cleaning up someone else's mess and helping to build bridges to the Edgewood community. 

Below are some pictures that have been posted by party attendees so you can judge for yourself.  I will update when I hear back from CM McDuffie.

Shaed School Meeting April 17, 2014

New Restaurant Opening

Union Social Opens in NoMa Fall 2014

Restaurateurs Taking Notice of DC’s Fastest Growing Neighborhood

 

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 10, 2014 –Union Social, the latest dining experience from local restaurateur Reese Gardner, is coming to Elevation at Washington Gateway, the striking new 400-unit apartment building at New York and Florida Avenues, NE, by MRP Residential. Union Social is slated to open this fall.

 

Gardner, who also operates Copperwood Tavern, Irish Public House, The Mighty Pint and Wilson Tavern through his Wooden Nickel Bar Company, has created a new concept for the NoMa restaurant. Union Social will pay homage to the historic glamour of Union Station with an architectural train station theme designed by Maggie O’Neill. O’Neill previously collaborated with Gardner on Irish Public House and Copperwood Tavern. Union Social’s 5,600-square-foot space will feature marble and steel elements, subway tile and other accents.

 

Gardner’s kitchen will feature only items made from-scratch on site. A specialty bar will accentuate the fine dining experience.

 

"Restaurateurs are discovering the vibrant NoMa neighborhood, just as thousands of great new residents already have," said Robin-Eve Jasper, President of the NoMa Business Improvement District. "In the last year, we've added four new sit-down restaurants with bars in the neighborhood, and we're especially excited to welcome restaurateur Reese Gardner with this terrific concept."

 

“Elevation is a first-in-class, luxury residential building adding to the vitality of the NoMa neighborhood,” said Matthew Robinson, principal of MRP Residential, the multifamily division of MRP Realty. “Union Social will be a great benefit for Elevation’s residents, Washington, D.C., and its many visitors.”

 

Elevation at Washington Gateway includes 400 units, ground-level retail, and a 600-space parking garage. As part of the residential complex, MRP Residential is constructing a European-inspired central plaza with a dramatic water feature and a pedestrian stair connection to New York Avenue, NE. The 14-story apartment building, located adjacent to the NoMa/Gallaudet U Metro Station, will open its doors this summer. Visit Elevation at Washington Gateway: www.elevationdcapts.com.Visit Union Social: www.Unionsocialdc.com.   

 

About NoMa
NoMa is a vibrant, growing neighborhood nestled between Union Station, the U.S. Capitol, Shaw, and the H Street, NE corridor in Washington, D.C. Over the last several years, private developers have invested more than $5 billion in the 35-block area within the NoMa BID boundary, and have plans to develop more than 16 million square feet of additional office, residential, hotel, and retail space. With a capital investment of $50 million from the District government in 2013, NoMa will soon have great new parks and public spaces as well. NoMa is home to more than 3,900 terrific new apartments, and more than 40,000 people work here each day. NoMa is the most connected neighborhood in Washington, D.C.  With unparalleled transportation access on Amtrak, VRE, MARC, two Red Line Metro stops, and vehicular access to Interstate 395, visitors, workers and residents can easily travel throughout the region as well as get to New York or anywhere on the East Coast. NoMa has a WalkScore of 92 and offers great biking facilities, including three free outdoor air pumps, the East Coast’s only Bikestation, the 8-mile Metropolitan Branch Trail, and seven Capital Bikeshare stations. The NoMa BID organizes more than 50 free award-winning community events each year, connecting more than 20,000 friends and neighbors. For more information about NoMa, visit www.nomabid.organd sign up for our bimonthly newsletter.

 

About MRP Residential

An affiliate of MRP Realty, MRP Residential is a residential development and investment management firm focused on maximizing investor returns and creating high quality multifamily projects in the Washington, D.C. region. The company is an affiliate of MRP Realty, founded by real estate executives with a history of executing more than $3 billion in real estate development and management. MRP Residential is actively involved in the development of new projects, the acquisition of existing value add projects, and placing capital for the recapitalization of current operating assets. MRP Residential strives to create value through a comprehensive understanding of the Washington, D.C. residential markets, thoughtful design and management, and successful partnerships with our capital partners. MRP Residential currently has over 1,050 apartment units under construction and an additional 1,200 in the entitlement and predevelopment phases in Washington, D.C., Bethesda, and Northern Virginia.

 

# # #

 

 Rachel L. Davis

Director of Marketing & Events

NoMa Business Improvement District

1200 First Street NE, Suite 310

Washington, DC 20002

rdavis@nomabid.org

(P): 202-810-0084

 

Free WiFi Up in the Air! 

Follow us on Twitter @NoMaBID

www.nomabid.org

 

Come out for the Annual Edgewood Community Garden Planting Day April 12th!

Hi neighbors! I wanted to be sure that everyone knows about the garden planting day Saturday. The beds are ready as a group of us spent some hours yesterday turning the beds and adding compost donated by Remotion Compost.

Neighborhood Happy Hour!!!

Friends of Edgewood Fundraiser

at

RUSTIK TAVERN

84 T Street NW

Tuesday, April 22nd*

6 – 9 PM

15% of sales will be donated to Friends of Edgewood for Edgewood’s Summer Movie Series

*(Rain Date May 7, 2014)

Finally some funding for Edgewood...

Finally! We have all been advocating for a new Edgewood Rec for years!  

Contact CMs and Mayor to support and ask for better timelines than 2019!!!

Reminder: Edgewood Neighborhood Cleanup Saturday

Hi Neighbors!

Saturday, April 5th, is the monthly Edgewood neighborhood cleanup and BBQ -- and the forecast is 64 degrees! Please come out and join your neighbors if you can.

We meet in front of the Rec. Center (300 Evarts St. NE) at 10:30. The cleanup is sponsored by the Friends of Edgewood Recreation Center and occurs the first Saturday of each month at this time and place. We'll provide bags and gloves, and will also grill hot dogs and veggie dogs at at the rec afterward, noonish. Come join friendly neighbors old and new, to clear litter from our neighborhood and chat about local news, etc. Free refreshments for volunteers.

You're invited to stop by and say HI, even if you only have a little time and can't stick around for lunch. If you can't come out at all, keeping the area around your house clean helps us cover more areas!

If you have questions, just asksally.hobaugh@gmail.com