Submitted by katrusiaa t3_11izuev in washingtondc
I feel like any half decent coffee shop near the CP metro would make BANK - why are there none???
Comments
chrisk018 t1_jb0tt84 wrote
They have had like two or three places fail in the past 20 years.
casiopt10 t1_jb0vay0 wrote
RIP Firehook
Fuzzy-Box-8189 t1_jb0vz4e wrote
I believe Dolan has espresso in the mornings
mentel42 t1_jb0xba6 wrote
Sounds like a business opportunity for you, good luck
Complex_Pangolin5822 t1_jb0yj8o wrote
Open one then. Be the solution you're asking for.
cho_bits t1_jb0yk1b wrote
There used to be a Starbucks where Cracked is. I feel like a neighborhood that can’t support a Starbucks can’t support any coffee shop, but maybe that’s too cynical a take. The Van Ness Starbucks is always busy and that’s definitely a quieter neighborhood.
MyTornArsehole t1_jb0z8xq wrote
[deleted] t1_jb10is2 wrote
GlobalTradeBro t1_jb11px4 wrote
Dolan is a Coffeeshop!
lizziegrace10 t1_jb12o3c wrote
I think Firehook actually had a good business but closed due to the landlord raising the rent a ton. Another small coffee shop would probably do well.
Complex_Pangolin5822 t1_jb12rvn wrote
I don't get it. Are you asking for some type of help?
9throwaway2 t1_jb146kn wrote
Cars (with an assist with 'historic preservation' killed Cleveland Park. Cleveland park has so much going for it; 5 min from the central core of DC, on top a perfectly viable heavy rail subway line, and next to gorgeous parks and amenities. So why does retail die there?
It all comes down to the development of their retail core and the interaction with Connecticut Ave. CT Ave is one of 3-4 main thoroughfares that are essentially full-fleged 6 lane highways for MD commuters. Highways in cities are like drains; it sucks away retail investment and kills the streetscape. I don't feel safe crossing CT ave to get a coffee.
The assist is from historical preservation; we preserves things like parking lots over things like parks.
sojournearth t1_jb162ih wrote
Haven't been over there in a while but if there isn't anything new in the former St. Arnold's (RIP) I feel like that would be a great place for a cafe/study spot.
randokomando t1_jb17eki wrote
They seem to be doing some construction on something in St. Arnold’s old space right now actually. No idea what it is going to be.
mimaiwa t1_jb17ekx wrote
There’s been some renovations going on there and something is coming in there. Not sure what it is supposed to be though
mimaiwa t1_jb17lm5 wrote
There is Saku Saku which has a a small storefront next to where Al Volo was. They sell espresso drinks and Japanese/French pastries
randokomando t1_jb17m5e wrote
Wisconsin Ave maintains tons of good retail though. What are they doing over there we’re not doing in Cleveland Park?
NoEquivalent4477 t1_jb17vvi wrote
I think they also have access to the old Roma rear courtyard?
gbphdxp t1_jb17zd4 wrote
There is a Starbucks across the zoo that seems to be doing okay, though!
cowcubrub t1_jb18ff4 wrote
Van Ness also has Bread Furst which is also packed on any given day
leagle89 t1_jb193jo wrote
I can’t say for sure, but I get the sense that CP rents are higher than pretty much any comparable neighborhood in upper NW. which seems completely counterintuitive…I would assume that rents would roughly reflect the market. You’d think rents would generally hover around the upper limit of what businesses can/are willing to pay. But it seems like high rents are consistently driving CP businesses out of business. I have no idea why developers keep rents at a level that basically ensures there will be no steady business…you’d think steadily collecting slightly lower rents would be better than not collecting higher rents. But hey, what do I know?
9throwaway2 t1_jb195cy wrote
Less nimbyism. More new development. Look at cityridge. 1000 new apts. instant customers. We have new developments which gave us wegmans, target, and trader joes. All came with hundreds of new apartments and condo. Btw, all were fought over, but the nimbys (led by the current chair of the DC council) lost. Also Wisconsin in parts is a parking lot, not a freeway. In Georgetown it is barely two lanes. Sadly parking lots are still better for businesses than freeways.
Also the palisades is a food desert, so they all come to Wisconsin to shop.
(edit, this is for wisconsin from tenleytown south, friendship heights is dead - wisconsin there is a 8 lane highway in parts)
9throwaway2 t1_jb19jr2 wrote
The main saku saku is moving to Tenleytown for good reasons.
cpt_raymondholt t1_jb19z1p wrote
....have you been around glover park in the past 4 years? its been dying arguably worse than CP for the same reasons.
randokomando t1_jb19zrh wrote
I tend to think pure, unadulterated NIMBYism is the Cleveland Park culprit. Also the street scape is an atrocious war zone and has been for half a decade. I don’t have any clue what they’ve been trying to accomplish, but that little business district on Conn has been in various stages of construction and demolition for the entire time I’ve lived here, with zero visible progress.
randokomando t1_jb1a68o wrote
Come to think of it, I can’t say that I have. Which tends to prove your point.
celj1234 t1_jb1ahca wrote
That’s a dying part of the city for businesses
9throwaway2 t1_jb1akhu wrote
i mean look at the shit against the macklin redevelopment. that should have been a slam dunk. (for the record, I'm on the Wisconsin corridor, we've had our share of nimbyism, but CP is third only to the palisades (anti school, kicked out the safeway) and spring valley (ok with mustard gas, but not any affordable housing)
mimaiwa t1_jb1b05d wrote
What’s the main Saku Saku? I only know the Cleveland park location
mimaiwa t1_jb1b4km wrote
They definitely did at one point, but I think the might’ve lost access though? It’s a beautiful space that should get some use
9throwaway2 t1_jb1b8v3 wrote
yep the problem is simple. CT ave is 6 lanes of sheer shitshow for cars. Yet the city-run survey showed that 64% of CP store customers walked/biked and 16% took transit - only 19% drove. But nearly all public spaces is for drivers and room to store their cars.
9throwaway2 t1_jb1bbpj wrote
they just opened next to surfside on wisconsin!
Mountain_Stress176 t1_jb1bm0h wrote
While we're here: Adams Morgan needs a (proper) bagel shop
mimaiwa t1_jb1br71 wrote
Nice, I’ll have to check out. I haven’t loved their coffee but the pastries are great
wombatncombat t1_jb1cfjq wrote
That's not really true... Bistro Anacosia, black salt and et voila are great high end options. And there's a bunch of other more reasonable options as well...
sven_ftw t1_jb1gnxw wrote
There's a twitter account dedicated to this! https://twitter.com/cpneedscoffee
9throwaway2 t1_jb1gpq3 wrote
Food desert refers to full service grocery stores. Nearest one is social Safeway on Wisconsin. We didn’t buy in the palisades almost entirely on that basis.
9throwaway2 t1_jb1hk14 wrote
6 lanes of car sewer. Easiest way to kill retail is too many commuter cars and too few shoppers.
quidd24 t1_jb1i1je wrote
Same in Petworth!
neil_va t1_jb1ilbx wrote
Cleveland park is bizarre to me. Such a gorgeous area and close to RCP, but the restaurant and bar scene there is really limited
lacourseauxetoiles t1_jb1imwp wrote
I thought they were just opening a second location there, not relocating.
okurman t1_jb1j64r wrote
ActuaryPersonal2378 t1_jb1kp3r wrote
I've lived in CP for 4 years now and it's kind of a bummer to feel it falling apart. I understand that could just be a feeling I have though. Hopefully this new development of the storefronts will do some good
[deleted] t1_jb1kt37 wrote
ActuaryPersonal2378 t1_jb1l2oh wrote
I still cannot believe that people see value in the "historic" park and shop. It's so fucking dumb and imo is one of the main drivers (no pun intended) in CP losing its charm. I've lived in the neighborhood since 2019 and I plan on staying, but whenever I'm in a cooler neighborhood I get kind of bummed that we're so behind
embracethepale t1_jb1lcul wrote
It really is observable the effect on local business when Wisconsin widens between Georgetown and Glover Park/Cathedral Heights. But the lousiest voices you’ll hear are complaints from commuters who use Wisconsin to get out of the city and over the Key Bridge.
DC-COVID-TRASH t1_jb1llyk wrote
What's wrong with So's Your Mom?
Barnst t1_jb1ln4e wrote
Qualia, Buna, ETA Cafe, Amen Cafe, the Coupe, and I feel like I’m forgetting one.
ackme t1_jb1lqf5 wrote
Just do what everyone else does and get your brown liquids from Toby at CP Fine Wines & Spirits.
werewolfjrjr t1_jb1m5rg wrote
Yeah, Lulabelle is maybe the one you're missing. Little Food Studio does coffee on weekends too. Petworth is full of coffee lol.
ETA: there's also Heat Da Spot and Call Your Mother, more Park View but still Petworth-ish.
df540148 t1_jb1n3qq wrote
DC needs fewer CYMs, not more.
SadieRadler t1_jb1nd7f wrote
The new bagel shop coming to the California Tortilla location is going to have an espresso bar!
reallyokfinewhatever t1_jb1nzf5 wrote
> I don't feel safe crossing CT ave to get a coffee.
Huh? There are like three different crosswalks with lights and crosswalk signals around the main CP strip. I've literally never felt unsafe crossing the street there.
That left turn from CT south onto Porter, however...
bobthebonobo t1_jb1o2wj wrote
Cleveland Park needs a decent grocery store
SchokoKipferl t1_jb1r5h8 wrote
Best baguettes in the city imo
Surefinewhatever1111 t1_jb1rq5q wrote
Much of that stretch of Connecticut has been circling the drain for a decade or two. Few businesses survive the vagaries of the people who live their, complain about every single thing that does open and then whine about how no businesses want to sink their money into that place.
DC-COVID-TRASH t1_jb1s6t7 wrote
CYM does not count as a proper bagel shop 😁
CydeWeys t1_jb1sifa wrote
Sadly this is it. Cleveland Park is a place set up to drive through, not to walk around in.
Barnst t1_jb1sqbc wrote
That was it, I forgot to mentally walk down Upshur.
Also the Starbucks in Safeway and Dunkin Donuts, if you’re feeling corporate.
Plus_Mirror_2611 t1_jb1th61 wrote
IDK, the commercial area of CP is pretty hard on the eyes. Residential area is very pretty.
14u2c t1_jb1u7qq wrote
> I don't feel safe crossing CT ave to get a coffee.
I agree that large roads are detrimental to urban communities, but that is simply absurd. There are crosswalks with stop lights every block.
10EtherealLane t1_jb1vpzu wrote
1000% agree. Is this you?? https://twitter.com/cpneedscoffee?s=20
frankie_fudgepop t1_jb1wag3 wrote
The new location has a legit barista! I had a good latte there yesterday!
frankie_fudgepop t1_jb1wte7 wrote
TBD what will happen with the Al Volo location/how long it will be there. The Tenleytown SakuSaku is where they’re moving all the production + they have their own lease.
acdha t1_jb1xknx wrote
Connecticut Avenue was designed to serve suburban car commuters, not residents. There’s pretty much always traffic, it’s unsafe and unpleasant to walk around with all of the speeding cars and their pollution (who wants to eat outside with 110dB of car noise?), and if you’re already driving the parking situation is a mess so you might as well keep going to the suburbs with better pricing and easier, cheaper parking. The redesign should help a lot since it’ll make it safer for the majority of customers who live in the area.
acdha t1_jb1yei7 wrote
Yeah, but think about how long the cycle is and how you’ll be dodging people turning right or running the light. You can certainly do it but the extra hassle adds more weight than it might seem.
snackerel t1_jb1zwxb wrote
I agree this is a little hyperbolic, but not by much. I walk a lot in this neighborhood and I don’t cross Connecticut when I don’t have to because I’ve had a lot of close calls in those intersections, particularly with people blowing red lights. Feels dangerous both as a pedestrian and as a driver.
iindsay t1_jb218xd wrote
There was a Starbucks, and Palena, and some coffee shop in Sam's Park & Shop that also sold bagels that I forgot the name of. For some reason, they've never lasted.
14u2c t1_jb229ll wrote
I agree, is very annoying and one of the reasons why these type of roads are bad for communities. But the idea that the area is too dangerous to support a coffee shop is inaccurate and unproductive.
wombatncombat t1_jb22tis wrote
Gotcha. Safeway on sangamore isn't that far but your right, not in the neighborhood. Used to have a Safeway a few years back.
walkallover1991 t1_jb238gc wrote
Folks in the Palisades have no one to blame but themselves.
It’s always rich when I hear someone from the Palisades complain about having to drive for groceries.
Safeway was going to build a brand new store on the site of the old one with housing on top and the community said hell no and Safeway packed up…the NIMBYs won the battle but last the war.
IIRC, something similar happened in Spring Valley a while (~10 years) back. Safeway wanted to build a store with housing on top and the community pushed back.
Mountain_Stress176 t1_jb25l4j wrote
Nothing wrong with it, per se. In fact, it is exactly what I wish we had lots more of in DC: regular ole delis.
However, I'd like to see a great bagel place in the hood, and if the best we can do is CYM, then so be it.
mrlotato t1_jb27q5t wrote
cracked eggery has coffee. plus 7-11
ActuaryPersonal2378 t1_jb297ne wrote
Discovered Bread Furst last year and it's easily my favorite coffee shop/bakery in DC
ActuaryPersonal2378 t1_jb29fo9 wrote
Oh this is fun! I'm looking it up. I hadn't heard that this was going to come in. thanks for sharing
FolkMetalWarrior t1_jb29j9a wrote
If it's anything like NY, lowering rent would revalue the property lower, which the property owner probably doesn't want to do; so they let it sit empty and write it off as a tax loss. Its a terrible end result for a community.
[deleted] t1_jb29r9l wrote
[deleted]
ActuaryPersonal2378 t1_jb2a2cw wrote
There's been so many people blowing red lights lately. I know it's technically Woodley Park, but I personally consider the Zoo to be in CP (not that my say matters lol) - that big accident a few weeks ago, as bad as it was, shed some light on just how bad and dangerous that part of CT is.
Ever since I got rid of my car though, it has really opened my eyes to how insane driving in DC is. I don't even like being in ubers anymore
ActuaryPersonal2378 t1_jb2a72z wrote
I'm used to going to all three stores on a shopping trip but it's so annoying. I'd kill for a CP trader joes
alagrancosa t1_jb2a7ax wrote
And they signed a petition against bike lanes, no thank you.
Mammoth_Contract1786 t1_jb2adqw wrote
:O when is it opening?
9throwaway2 t1_jb2byxm wrote
also they are planning on cutting down a car lane and putting in bike lanes; that'll help things. Honestly it should just be 2.5 car lanes (turn lane when needed), 2 parking lanes, and rest sidewalk/bike lanes.
9throwaway2 t1_jb2c817 wrote
yeah, the neighborhood refused to let them redevelop it. so they just razed the store and sold the land.
9throwaway2 t1_jb2cc9y wrote
the number of red light runners in the last couple years has been off the charts.
sampanth4700 t1_jb2cexb wrote
This!!! I've even dreamt of opening a good coffee shop if anyone wants to do it with me lol it would seriously make money
9throwaway2 t1_jb2cjmx wrote
the problem is that a strip mall in the city with 6 lanes of loud traffic is not good for an urban coffee shop. if starbucks can't make it worth it, that is the historic neighborhood's own fault.
Bitterfish t1_jb2d9lq wrote
here, here. seriously, fuck the park and shop.
wombatncombat t1_jb2e0ou wrote
Classic.
posam t1_jb2ecx8 wrote
It’s been moving so slow :(
acdha t1_jb2gkjk wrote
I’d bet if you did a study you’d find more than a few residents avoid crossing such busy roads. That could be significant for a business which isn’t hugely profitable.
randokomando t1_jb2gqcy wrote
Seriously. And something supposedly is happening with the Uptown too, but moving glacially.
Surefinewhatever1111 t1_jb2grna wrote
You're a cyclist, pedestrians have to jump out of your way all day long. You can simply slow down and stop.
Surefinewhatever1111 t1_jb2gxs6 wrote
Grats on being why the rest of the city makes fun of how twee you are while you also cry about why there's no businesses there.
mrlotato t1_jb2hs6z wrote
Cracked eggery?
vwcx t1_jb2l90y wrote
It's only been 13 years but newer CP residents never believe me that there used to be a cereal restaurant on the strip.
acdha t1_jb2lrzo wrote
Pedestrians don’t have to jump out of my way because I avoid pedestrian areas and slow down when I can’t. If you’re not just trolling, try counting how many times pedestrians have to change what they’re doing to go around or avoid being hit by cyclists and by cars – the numbers aren’t even close, as you could guess from looking at the collision stats. The cause is obvious: cars need 10-20 times as much space per person so despite having so much space reserved for them it’s never enough; the same number of people on bus, bike, or foot will have a much easier fit.
gnucheese t1_jb2ncky wrote
Also, several that should have failed have survived.
rlpw t1_jb2nnoa wrote
Im confident this is consistent with other busy streets - so I’m hoping we see more changes that support non-driving customers. (Ie benning/h st ne)
wailonskydog t1_jb2r4ds wrote
I think theoretically it’s great, but is being completely mis-utilized. Get rid of the parking lot and turn it into a useful space. Then include some more interesting vibrant shops.
wailonskydog t1_jb2sfnc wrote
Having grown up in DC and lived in CP for a bit 6/8 years ago, CP has always been like this. It’s just as falling apart as it ever was.
I think the problem is that new residents see all the growth in the rest of the city and are bummed it hasn’t also happened in CP.
But unfortunately not everywhere can be 14th St. neighborhoods like CP, Glover Park, North Connecticut Ave, all just seem perpetually stuck.
Surefinewhatever1111 t1_jb2v1uv wrote
SWTG you guys gaslighting pedestrians never ends. Pedestrians shouldn't have to worry about both y'all and MD drivers; life is hard enough.
DCGinkgo t1_jb2vis4 wrote
I hope the croissants are no longer burnt. I gave up on them after weeks after too many well done croissants and no sign that some one person had been leaving them in too long. I just don't get the attraction for mediocre pastries. They do have a decent patio and obviously it's a neighborhood fave, so, hey diff strokes etc.
DC-COVID-TRASH t1_jb2vtj7 wrote
So's Your Mom is a lot better than CYM tho lol and is a great bagel place (by any standard except NYCs)
DCGinkgo t1_jb2vvzb wrote
Yep, moved away for a long time came back and it is the.same. No growth and stagnant. Hip to be square, I guess, some place has to be. Trendy and
GenericReditAccount t1_jb2x782 wrote
Holy crap, I had forgotten all about this place!
SchokoKipferl t1_jb2y55s wrote
Never actually tried their croissants! Thanks for the heads-up.
ProblematicFeet t1_jb2yyzp wrote
And we can’t forget Little Red Fox (RIP), Comet Pizza, and Politics & Prose
Van Ness is solid af
IsTheNewBlack t1_jb2zi1u wrote
The crossing bit was a bit dramatic, for a comment that was otherwise well-stated. That said, there are constantly avoidable car accidents happening on CT in Cleveland and Woodley Park so I can see how some people may feel slightly less at ease.
smacks23 t1_jb31mrs wrote
Woodley needs groceries too
Seppafer t1_jb34qpm wrote
None of those things you mentioned are in Van Ness. Van Ness is a section of the Forest Hills neighborhoods that stretch from CP up to those shops stopping before the CVS. The 5000 block of Connecticut ave is more its own little thing that fills the gap between Van Ness and Chevy Chase
jewkidontheblock t1_jb36cjk wrote
That place slapped! Loved the sandwiches
ksixnine t1_jb37c6r wrote
I’d bet that the the reason as to why the driving percentage is low is because there’s no parking.
RDAM60 t1_jb38th8 wrote
There was once a “Brothers Coffee”. I(I think that was the name or close to it). Zero parking. That’s why it’s always at risk. The parking can barely support what’s already there. Off street is an mess (esp. with all the road work), no real parking lot or garages (the old Jamal’s is too small and fills up fast) so zero drop by traffic.
Plus it’s a pain in the ass to even navigate in streets in CP. There was always a lot of foot traffic (starting back when Poor Robert’s (or Richard’s) bar/restaurant was there 40 years ago and there was plenty of action back in the 90s but it lost a bunch of retailers that drew people (even just the Micky DS).
t-rexcellent t1_jb39934 wrote
I think the bread is the appeal more than the pastries
t-rexcellent t1_jb39fr0 wrote
I consider that block to be Van Ness...I suppose it's just as close to the Tenleytown Metro but being situation around CT ave rather than WI means I think of it as an extension of the rest of van ness. Definitely its own thing (with lots of housing / no retail separating it from the part of van ness near the metro) but until it gets its own name, I call it van ness. Or I call it "the area by politics and prose"
t-rexcellent t1_jb39iar wrote
Last I heard they were considering staying in Cleveland Park too if they could work it out -- have you heard anything about that?
t-rexcellent t1_jb39miy wrote
They sell coffee but it is definitely not a coffee shop! It's too weird drinking coffee out of a paper cup while sitting at a table with a tablecloth! I mean I am glad they have coffee but it doesn't serve the same function as a coffee shop
ksixnine t1_jb39rzp wrote
That’s because of the ANC pushing to limit restaurant licenses post the closure of Klingle Rd - some of the neighbors want a neighborhood that isn’t retail.
t-rexcellent t1_jb39sap wrote
i feel like the odds are pretty good one moves into the Philz space. I have no evidence this will happen, of course. Just a feeling.
t-rexcellent t1_jb39ve9 wrote
Are you thinking of Whatsabagel? They were around in the park and shop in the 90s. Same owners I think as Bethesda Bagels.
t-rexcellent t1_jb39zfv wrote
They're on the list but I don't really trust that everyone on the list really opposes bike lanes. I think the anti-bike lane people bullied or just lied to places to get them to sign. I'm planning to call a few places to check.
t-rexcellent t1_jb3b63o wrote
i think of the coupe as being more in columbia heights (or 11th street if you consider that its own neighborhood). But if you're at the southern end of petworth then it's pretty close by.
iindsay t1_jb3d244 wrote
I remember whatsabagel, but wasn’t there a coffee shop there at the same time? Sometime around the early-mid 00s (fwiw I moved to DC in 03)
ksixnine t1_jb3djak wrote
Retail dies in CP because of the overall history of CP: it was originally planned as a streetcar suburb, hence the strip mall & Piggly Wiggly, and not patterned to become anything remotely close to 1900s Georgetown or Tenleytown, as a result the repeated/ ingrained mindset of the residents (decade in decade out) has been to shop elsewhere.
And cars with or without historical preservation didn’t kill CP: if you look at how the neighborhood thrived in the late 80s through to the mid 00s, you’d understand that cars were a major factor in uplifting the area to turn it into a destination for diners & nightlife ~ whether they were going to the movie or not.
mistersmiley318 t1_jb3dwv8 wrote
"Historically significant strip mall" still gets me. What a joke.
overnighttoast t1_jb3e4st wrote
>preservation' killed Cleveland Park
What are you talking about? Cleveland Park is in the same state it's always been? A quieter residential part of dc with a nice little strip of shops and restaurants. There, Van Nes, and maybe Tenlytown are the only places in the city that haven't been gentrified to death.
kirksy_jenkins45 t1_jb3er1k wrote
Yes indeed! Buffalo & Bergen I’d coming to that spot soon!
Remarkable_Staff_765 t1_jb3esai wrote
Remember when all the CP businesses fought the plans for turning the service lane into an expanded sidewalk area? They all had signs in their windows saying Save the Service Lane and were adamant that without those parking spaces they couldn't survive.
cho_bits t1_jb3fcce wrote
I read an interview with the owner once where they asked him about how dark everything was and he said he liked them that way and he was far enough along in his career that he had decided that Bread Furst was where he was just going to make things just for himself/ the way he wants them. Basically that he has spent his whole career appeasing customers and now just wants to appease himself. So I guess you can thank the cranky-old-mannishness of Mark Furstenburg for the well done croissants?
ksixnine t1_jb3g1bu wrote
In the 90s they had three, and by the 00s they had 1 1/2.
The dynamics of the neighborhood shifted noticeably around the time Klingle Rd closed - of the residents catching the metro, who would be more prone to drinking coffee, they could not take a beverage with them on the train and would wait until they were at work.
There hasn’t been a thriving lunch community in CP in .. well .. practically never: most all of the restaurants were geared towards dinner. As a result the people behind Tryst/ The Diner, Big Bear, etc.. were frosty on CP because of the hours of its foot traffic - with rent being as high as it was, having a storefront empty for 60-70% of the day didn’t make sense.
Lastly, online ordering of coffee, as well as K-cups, killed the impetus of going to a coffee shop in that neighborhood - hence why it took Starbuck’s a while to close down.
Jacquestootight t1_jb3g3bx wrote
You’re getting a Buffalo and Bergen, dumb azzes
t-rexcellent t1_jb3gk4y wrote
maybe, I was at an age where a bagel place was way more interesting than a coffee place...
Potential-Calendar t1_jb3hazn wrote
It’s stuck because it wants to be stuck, it’s not like there’s any undeveloped lot, or any area zoned for multifamily that isn’t already using it. If they want new residents and the development and new restaurants that serves those new residents they need to upzone. There’s single family houses 300 feet from the metro stop, there just aren’t enough people per square mile at that density to support a lot of stuff
daybeers t1_jb3k4z8 wrote
nah, 2.5 car lanes, 2 bus lanes, and rest sidewalk and protected bike lanes.
daybeers t1_jb3k6r2 wrote
r/fuckcars
Gold_Response_1504 t1_jb3mk58 wrote
Yes Market is pretty good don’t you think?
Gold_Response_1504 t1_jb3ms0f wrote
Is it me or is cracked eggery extremely overhyped?
bobthebonobo t1_jb3nhwh wrote
Produce section there is good but their meats are extremely lacking
mrlotato t1_jb3qmbu wrote
Its ok imo but i think its overhyped. I pop in every once in awhile for some breakfast but it feels overpriced for what you get.
UnderwhelmingComment t1_jb3rvgd wrote
I want Uptown to come back… what a gem.
kbrezy t1_jb4ljo9 wrote
What do you think gentrification is? These areas have always been the richest in the city
Barnst t1_jb4mfjj wrote
I thought about that, but it’s actually a closer walk from the metro than Buna. Petworth is weird with its metro stop basically being the southwest corner of the neighborhood.
Oogaman00 t1_jb4s6ji wrote
Not being allowed to have at least drinks on the Metro is insanity. Let's keep it clean and pretty while people are stuck in a tunnel for 20min
Oogaman00 t1_jb4saek wrote
Are you talking about the intersection at Porter that the city has completely fucked up for 2 years for no reason?
I just moved from there and they have so fucked up that intersection I can't believe people haven't died. All they did was make traffic insane and it looks like an abandoned inner city project
Oogaman00 t1_jb4sjgk wrote
Wat? There's like 4. Target has almost everything except produce and streets is impressively dense albeit expensive
OneFootTitan t1_jb4uijd wrote
I respect that point of view a lot
OneFootTitan t1_jb4v6a7 wrote
The perception of danger and just the general unpleasantness of crossing the road is probably enough to reduce viability
OneFootTitan t1_jb4vcux wrote
Palena had some sort of tax issues (or to be more precise not paying taxes issue, IIRC). Sad because they had the best burger in DC
9throwaway2 t1_jb4xbwn wrote
hahahahha. 'gentrified' - isn't a detached home there on average 3M? I mean you can't gentrify if you are one of the richest neighborhoods around and are super white.
9throwaway2 t1_jb4xj0x wrote
according to business record databases, there were more businesses in CP in 1940 than in 1990. Where are you getting your numbers from? I'm pretty suspicious of your data.
cho_bits t1_jb4y9gw wrote
Oh same, to be clear. He is a DC food icon. (And I love their croissants, especially the chocolate ones)
ArmAromatic6461 t1_jb4zk6z wrote
The older neighborhood residents with the money don’t want it to be a destination neighborhood for nightlife. They make it very difficult— also the rents are very high.
OohDeLaLi t1_jb4zlwa wrote
And a movie theater.
Misaniovent t1_jb53ena wrote
And yet all the storefronts there have signs oppose bike lanes, which will probably bring them more business than not.
AllLikeWhatever t1_jb54cv5 wrote
Word on the street is Hot Pot with a bar
[deleted] t1_jb55w3z wrote
[deleted]
9throwaway2 t1_jb58uca wrote
well the ones with them seem to be going out of business quickly these days. i guess the signs are driving away customers.
[deleted] t1_jb5d7vz wrote
[removed]
AuthorityRespecter t1_jb5h52l wrote
Hot pot place!
acdha t1_jb5kxj5 wrote
Each time I’ve looked, the owners of those stores live an hour away in Maryland or Virginia. I’m not surprised that they want a personal highway but I doubt it’s representative of their customers or employees.
JustHereForCookies17 t1_jb5nvgo wrote
Really?? That's awesome!
randokomando t1_jb5okgp wrote
I’ll take it
iindsay t1_jb6g4n8 wrote
I remember it existing but did it last longer than 5 minutes?
iindsay t1_jb6il9x wrote
FOSTER BROTHER'S COFFEE! I knew I wasn't making it up!
Too_LeDip_To_Quit t1_jb7tbib wrote
One of the fascinating things about CT is the existing density. The "gaps" between the commercial strips -- from WP to the Zoo, from the Zoo to CP, and from CP to Van Ness -- are almost entirely large multifamily buildings.
But when you spend a lot of time on CT, you really don't see much foot traffic at all from these apartments to the commercial strips. You can't blame them -- the streetscape is dangerous and unpleasant.
But there are a ton of people who already live on the corridor.
And yes, there should be more density on the commercial strips themselves and probably on the neighborhood streets as well.
But I think in general (not necessarily ITT) people oversell housing NIMBYism as the diagnosis here when transportation NIMBYism is the bigger villain.
9throwaway2 t1_jb7udwr wrote
agree; but wisconsin is as bad from a transport point of view
ksixnine t1_jb7zpfh wrote
1940s, post the Depression/ New Deal growth wasn’t the beginning of Cleveland Park now was it?
The data I’m using is from the late 1800s when the Rock Creek Railway line via the Chevy Chase Land Company built the infrastructure for Connecticut Ave, as well as the failure of the Cleveland Park Company, and the eventual success of the Miller brothers - ultimately, none of these entities were trying to compete with the longtime established villages of Georgetown and Tenallytown (Tenleytown) when they finalized the designs & built out Lower Cleveland Park.
The movie theater, the park & shop, and the automobile literally drove people to the area, and helped redefine the streetcar suburb in the 1940s (and post war 50s) — places to eat/ buy groceries, and be entertained, as well as the ability to get one’s car serviced were the primary draws for that neighborhood, relegating retail shopping to being secondary ~ which it still is to this day.
CaptainObvious110 t1_jb8cpem wrote
It's closed? That's crazy that place had to be making a killing!
CaptainObvious110 t1_jb8czn8 wrote
What are they missing?
bobthebonobo t1_jb8ev7n wrote
A basic selection of meets haha. Streets is better but still lacking. For instance I was in Cleveland park a few weeks ago picking up a few ingredients for a really basic recipe. I needed some ground pork and neither store had any. That’s such a basic and important meat to have. I was in Streets the other day and they didn’t even have any ground beef as well.
Another thing it would be nice to have available would be slightly less common cuts like ribs. They’ve pretty much just got a couple types of fish, chicken, Italian sausage, ground turkey, and a couple cuts of steak.
DCGinkgo t1_jb8mxrb wrote
Thank you for that explanation. I mean, icon or no, I have never seen such a wide range of consistently burnt stuff, it's so weird. I take my $ elsewhere.
AllLikeWhatever t1_jb9i3on wrote
Honestly the lattes I’ve gotten at the Cleveland Park location have been really bad and way overpriced. Wish they’d get a barista at that spot
UnderwhelmingComment t1_jbagta5 wrote
Lol I sense sarcasm. It was a great place. Former usher there is now at Angelika in northeast. Still miss Uptown. That was such a major bonus living in that place. Probably my favorite thing.
CaptainObvious110 t1_jbbnp3u wrote
No sarchasm at all but has been a long long time since I've seen a movie their but I assumed they would be a theater that would be well supported given it's history and popularity.
UnderwhelmingComment t1_jbbqe3d wrote
I wish they had more consistent support. It was hard for them to compete only having a single screen and without upgrading the equipment. Still, I loved it. I think they could’ve done so much more to make in weird and interesting with themed movie nights, stuff for groups, etc., but I’m not sure that’s something that would’ve worked with AMCs structure. If AFI owned it I think it would be a much better deal. Who knows what they’ll do with it. Think it’s an historic building.
DCGinkgo t1_jbcocdd wrote
That prob explains it. But they do have quite the spread of pastries, so disappointing.
DCGinkgo t1_jbcoo0z wrote
Seriously they are bad. I mean, Giant has better croissants for the desperate.
t-rexcellent t1_jbcwvdm wrote
I mean I personally don't think the pastries are bad, I can't really remember. They might be great. But I know the bread is great (if sometimes very expensive)
AmateurPolyglot1 t1_jbcxjcb wrote
If it happens, happened, or could happen in DC, there's a Twitter account dedicated to it
spectral_fall t1_jdu6s48 wrote
As someone who lived there for a good time, most people I knew viewed themselves as an extension of Tenleytown or Chevy Chase rather than Van Ness
solidrecommendations t1_jb0s3us wrote
Cleveland park restaurant/retail has sort of been dying a slow death for years (hopefully that reverses) … my guess it lacks the volume needed for a coffee shop to be profitable with the high rents in the area