Focus On: Penn Quarter
13 08 2008Each week we turn the site over to a different neighborhood blogger from the metro area and let them loose on a series of topics about what makes their neighborhood great. This week we are focusing on the downtown confluence that is Penn Quarter.
Site Name: Penn Quarter Living
Neighborhood: Penn Quarter/Chinatown/Gallery Place/East End/Downtown
Neighborhoods Best Kept Secret?
The National Building Museum (401 F St, NW) for it’s striking but cleverly hidden interior. The Lincoln House Restaurant and Deli (504 10th St, NW) because you can get breakfast all day long thus keeping the spirit of the Waffle Shop, which used to be just up the street, alive and well.
Favorite Neighborhood Building?
On the historic side, the Hotel Monaco (700 F St, NW) because of its Greek revival neoclassical design, beautiful preservation and current use as a Kimpton hotel which includes the yummy Poste Brasserie. Built in two phases (1829 to 1844 and 1855 to 1866), it served as the DC General Post Office until 1897 after which the “newly built” post office at 12th and Pennsylvania Ave took over postal duties. It was one of the first public buildings in Washington to be lighted by gas.
On the modern side, kudos go to the Sidney Harman Hall (610 F St, NW) opened last year by The Shakespeare Theatre Company. It is a fabulously modern, multipurpose performance venue and a wonderful place to go see a production of any kind. It’s a real add to the neighborhood.
Least Favorite Building?
The FBI Hoover Building (950 E Street, NW) because its closed up, bunker-like quality sucks the life off the street. It creates a dead streetlife zone all the way around the block. Rumor is that the construction jutting out of the building on Pennsylvania Avenue will be a visitor’s center. At least that will add some additional foot traffic on Pennsylvania Avenue; economics will keep that building around for a while, for better or for worse.
Biggest Current Issue for Residents?
1) Residents in the neighborhood core would like to see a grocer of some flavor come downtown. The CityVista Safeway at 5th and L St/New York Ave is a huge add and will draw PQers but the foot traffic dynamic on 7th Street differs significantly from that in the Mount Vernon Triangle.
2) Non-commercial amplified speech is still a problem in some areas downtown and we look forward to the DC Council’s taking care of it with yet another bill of some kind during their next session.
New Development you are looking forward to?
Gallery Square on the northeast corner of 7th and H Streets NW. This is the last corner at that intersection to be rehabbed and it will complete the renovation of all four points of this very busy thoroughfare by bringing additional retail, commercial and residential opportunities to the neighborhood. The going rate for ground level retail is $100/square foot triple net (NNN) according to the website!
Anything you would like to ask the DCMetrocentric readers?
Do you read neighborhood blogs for areas other than your own neighborhood?
I do read other neighborhood blogs about not only where I live (Shaw), but also where I work, which just happens to be in the Penn Quarter (PQLiving is the best).
yeah of course, any of the blogs that are well written are great because they let me know about interesting places to visit in the DC area, I especially like to read the stuff on restaurants.