17th Street becomes a one way south street during the morning rush, and these neon signs are to remind drivers at intersections of that fact. This one has malfunctioned, and the arrow stays on. The signs are to flash between the arrow and the words “one way.” This sign is located between the Mayflower Hotel and the National Geographic Building.
You can get an idea of how they function from the photos below.
I took these shots last Sunday when the main artist, with some help, was working overtime to get the new murals at the Park View Rec Center further along. I’ll post some updates next week. I’m sure there will be a noticeable difference.
August 7, 1925: With a simple, impressive ceremony local Sons of the Revolution observed the 182nd anniversary of the birth of Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene with the placement of a wreath on his statue in Stanton park. Maj. Gen. John L. Hines, deputy chief of staff, laid the wreath in the name of the order.
The Washington Bisiness Journal came out with an article today, D.C. wants to revive streetcar plan, which starts out:
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty’s transportation director is trying to rejuvenate plans to return streetcars to the District by preparing to search for federal funding, seeking support among elected officials and forming a dedicated management team.
Streetcar tracks are being laid along South Capitol Street in Anacostia and H Street NE near Capitol Hill, for two pilot lines first planned under former Mayor Anthony Williams but long since delayed. Two years ago, Fenty’s former director of transportation planned for the Anacostia line to be up and running by 2009 with three cars the city had already purchased. Now officials are shooting for 2012. And D.C. still has not determined how to accommodate the ban on overhead wires in the areas governed by the L’Enfant Plan, including downtown and inner neighborhoods such as the H Street corridor.
Later in the article, it includes the text:
Simultaneously Klein, the founder and former CEO of the On the Fly food service, is trying to bolster support for a much larger network of lines along some of the city’s heavily trafficked corridors, such as K Street and Georgia Avenue NW and 8th and M streets SE.
It will be interesting to watch how this issue develops.
The block where the National Archives is located, bounded by Pennsylvania Avenue, Constitution Ave, 7th Street, and 9th Street, NW, was once the location of Center Market. Designed by Adolph Cluss, it was built in 1871. It was expanded in the 1880s with large wings also designed by Cluss.
Open six days a week from dawn until noon, the market had thousands of daily customers. The structure was a model market with good light, ventilation, drainage, and wide aisles. It was razed in 1931.
Center Market, B Street (Constitution) side
While several issues were discussed at last night’s Park View UNC meeting, the highlight was definitely the presentation by Ted Trabue of the Green Builders Council of DC and architect Greg Kearley of inscapestudio as they presented their ideas for the properties at 3628-3632 Georgia Avenue, DC.
It seems that their concept has evolved since PoP first reported that a bar was coming to Georgia Avenue. The Green Room looks to be anything but a typical neighborhood bar. From the drawings displayed at the meeting the goal is currently a high end, media heavy space. Emphasis will be on seating rather than packing folks in. Entertainment may be anything from sports to politics to music. As you might expect, the newly crafted space will meet the minimum LEED Basic level for green buildings.
The Current proposal is only for the building at 3632 (next to Looking Glass). If the economy picks up, they hope to have the planned five-story building they ultimately envision started in 3+ years. Time will tell on that.
Other meeting topics
Other items that were raised were concerns on traffic speed along Park Place, street cleaning along Park Place, a proposed curb cut on Warder Street, and illegal dumping behind the Fisherman of Men Church. I’ll report more on these topics as they are more fully developed in months to come.
Mayor Fenty’s Summer Youth Jobs Program strikes again. Yesterday, at the corner of Park Place and Princeton Place, NW, for no apparent reason, youth in the program cut down a crepe myrtle that was healthy and thriving in the area next to the road. That youth in the mayor’s job program are responsible is based on eye witness accounts.
This was one of two crepe myrtles that had been in this location. The other one had been snapped off at the base sometime last week, perhaps also by the same individuals.
Had the youth mistaken them for wild brush needing to be cleared, it would have been reasonable to presume that the severed branches would have been removed. As it is, its nothing short of vandalism.
August 6, 1922: When Policeman R. L. Jones, of the Eighth precinct, went to the home of Mrs. Julia Kidd, 56, of 224 1/2 Quincy place, to arrest her on a charge of disorderly conduct, he encountered dual opposition that for a moment almost baffled him. He had plenty to do when Mrs. Kidd resisted, he reported, but when her fox terrier dog executed a flank attack, the hard-pressed cop completed his task only by sheer heroism. Mrs. Kidd eventually was taken to the station, to be charged with disorderly conduct, assault and possession of an unlicensed dog. Jones went to Freemen’s hospital for treatment.
Then: The International Exhange Bank ca. 1920.
Now: Home to the Blinded Veterans Association.
Below is another image of the bank ca. 1920.
Metrorail Disruptions Unknown Feed Washington Business Journal
Washington Kaleidoscope 