Burning Up: Over the past week, a flurry of letters between the Bloomingdale Civic Association and the would-be manager of the supposedly forthcoming Engine Company 12 have been exchanged—predominately via local blogs. We Love DC has a very apt summary of the correspondence: "This past Friday, the General Manager Stephen May Jr. of Engine Company 12 wrote an open letter to lambast the local civic association for dragging its feet in supporting the restaurant publicly with a letter of support, which would help them through the process of obtaining an ABRA license that would allow them to serve alcoholic beverages. On Sunday, the Civic Association responded.  Late yesterday, Curbed published another response from Mr. May." The blog also reflects on what it all means: "Liquor licenses are especially contentious things. One need only look at the kerfuffle around Big Bear Café in Bloomingdale last year to see that this is a community that, in the parlance of the Internet, feels ways about things. Knowing that much, working with the BCA management more than just a few days ahead of a meeting would seem to be a wise event, even if you’re doing a lot of community outreach, which to their credit, Engine Company 12 has done." One commenter thinks the neighborhood is particularly wary of getting burned by yet another promise for this property. "It’s worth noting that multiple other business plans for the space have come and gone in the last five years, and it’s safe to say a lot of people in the neighborhood got tired of being burned by promises that never materialized. I think it’s been a safe position for Bloomingdale and Eckington to take a wait-and-see approach on things regarding the old firehouse," they write.

Keep It Clean: The Takoma email list has been in hot debate over the various aspects of Walmart. The usual topics—wages, insurance, and whether or not the neighborhood wants "that kind" of retail"—have abounded, so much so that a referee needed to step in. In a thread titled "PLEASE TRIM YOUR TAILS," the email list moderator writes, "The messages are flying so fast and furious that I can't get a reminder in edgewise. I've been sending this message to people privately but I just can't keep up. PLEASE TRIM OFF THE EXTRA MESSAGES AT THE END OF YOUR POSTS. Only repeat the few lines to which you are responding. I won't approve any more messages today that have a string of old messages included. I will return them to you to revise and resend. So if you want people to see your messages in a timely way, trim your tails. The digest of today's messages is going to be three miles long and most of it just repeated messages. No problem, just a reminder."

A Historic Designation in the Making: 14th & You picks up on City Paper's Lydia DePillis' reporting that yet another condo building will be erected on 14th Street NW. The blog observes that the architecture is rather uninspiring, but commenters don't mince words and lambast the plan. "This building is hideous and unoriginal. Do they think we LIKE this sort of crap being built? What the hell does it CONTRIBUTE?" writes one. Another blames the architect: "That's because Eric Colbert is one boring unimaginative architect. He has always been and has only gotten more mediocre over the years. I do not understand why DC's developers can't find someone with true style and creativity to design buildings. DC is becoming more and more ugly by the day." But 14th & You raises a question more critical than mere aesthetics: "No matter–progress is progress, right? A potentially greater issue than mundane architecture was raised on the Twitters today: namely, is DC starting to run out of Yums? With the loss of this location, and the anticipated loss of the one between Rhode Island and P street when that section of the block gets redeveloped, one does have to wonder: have we reached Peak Yums, and are venturing along the beginnings of a downhill slide from which we may never recover? Heaven help us."

Cleveland Park, ISO: One member of the Cleveland Park email list will be jaunting off to Switzerland shortly, but needs an extra hand to plan their trip. They write, "I am looking for a travel agent who specializes or really knows Switzerland. It's a bit overwhelming and hoping I can find someone that can really help make the most of my trip. I'd also take anyone's suggestions on where to stay and things to do. Thank you."

We Won't Go: The Hill is Home has been all over the consideration of parts of Ward 6 (Hill East, Near Southeast) being moved to Ward 8—better known as Marion Barry's preferred method by which to increase the size of his ward. A guest post from ANC 6B commissioner Brian Flahaven extols, "While this idea makes the numbers work, dividing Hill East does not make sense from a policy or representation perspective. Hill East is a part of Capitol Hill. When we shop, we go to Eastern Market. When we dine, we go to Barracks Row. For recreation, we visit the Anacostia River waterfront, attend DC United games and walk through historic Congressional Cemetery. Our educational, religious and business organizations are all tied to Capitol Hill." And, an informal poll on the blog presently shows 5 people for the move to Ward 8, opposed to 54 who think Hill East in particular should remain in the land of Tommy Wells.

Good for Business: The corner of First Street and Seaton Place NW in Bloomingdale is seeing quite a bit of action. The neighborhood blog reports that Green Paws, an organic pet store, has opened up shop. Commenters seem to like it: "We're long time consumers of California Natural dog food. Well, our dog is. We walked into Green Paws and found Foxy's favorite right away. The store is a clean, friendly place, very welcoming for dogs. They have all the top brands I know of high-quality dog food. Great treats and toys, too. We'll be getting Foxy's food there from now on. We also look forward to getting some food of our own soon downstairs at the pizza place," writes one. What pizza place, you may ask? Prince of Petworth notes that Bacio Pizza is in the works. Commenters there are skeptical, given that the pizza-driven Rustik Tavern is right around the corner, but most are happy to see a storefront filled.

Sonically Speaking II: The Tenleytown email list is none too pleased with the utter disregard of "No Thru Trucks" signs, and want official attention, stat! "Trucks continue to come barreling along 48th Street and it is really getting out of hand. They speed by, barely stop at stop signs, and make a lot of noise at all hours of the day and night. This is a 'No Thru Trucks' street yet trucks disregard that daily. Can someone in Mary Cheh's office and/or MPD please address this issue? These trucks should not be permitted to break the law over and over. The signs need to be enforced and 48th Street needs to return to being a safe, quiet, neighborhood street," begins the conversation. One list member adds, pessimistically, "It is only going to get worse with the new Giant development in the 3300 and 3400 blocks of Wisc. commencing in the fall. The Giant's attitude is just to 'suck it up' for 3+ years while under construction."

Then-Mayor Ink Blot: The Brightwoodian observes that Then-Mayor Adrian Fenty's name has been scrawled off a sign promoting the reconstruction of Bruce Monroe Community Park. Councilmember Jim Graham's name, however, is prominent as ever.

O Bikeshare, Where Art Thou? With the news of the expansion of Capital Bikeshare, The Hill is Home has asked readers where they might like to see a station—if the neighborhood is lucky enough to snag one or more of the 25 that will be sprinkled around the city. Two noted a station by Results Gym would be well-used, while one says that a station by Stanton Park or the Southeast Branch Library would be helpful. Another points out that the downside to CaBi's increased use isn't just empty racks: "15th St. SE and Independence is much needed. Just last night I tried to leave bike at Lincoln park, but full, then Safeway, but full, then claimed final spot all the way at Stadium Armory. Cabi is a fantastic concept, but needs 1) more locations and 2) more spaces for bikes if they continue to grow in memberships." (Bloomingdale also asked for feedback on a potential station, at First Street and Rhode Island Avenue NW, but has not yet received any comments.)

Tag, You're It II: Park View D.C. has an update on graffiti removal in the neighborhood. It might not be top-down, coming from the authorities, but residents of Park View are getting it done: "One thing I’m encouraged by is the amount of community activism I’ve seen assisting the City try to get on top of this issue. I’ve been documenting as much tagging as possible and passing along information to assist with removal and there is a very active group of neighbors on Irving Street doing much the same along that part of the community. In several cases, residents have taken it upon themselves to remove tagging after they’ve documented it." Unfortunately, though one piece of graffiti skewed more toward street art, the neighborhood's diligence quickly gave the axe: "One victim, if you will, of the recent graffiti removal efforts was the more artistic graphic below [click through] which didn’t quite survive a day before it was removed. Sadly, it was actually the one I liked the best."

What's Worse than The Cereal Bowl? On the Cleveland Park email list, it's been suggested that a Chipotle might open in the space formerly occupied by the very short-lived (and shame-inflicting) Cereal Bowl. Chipotle could easily be seen as an upgrade from the rather gimmicky make-your-own-cereal shop, and some neighbors are definitely interested; one list member writes, "I think it would be a nice addition. It's an inexpensive place to dine." But others feel it has the potential to devastate the neighborhood's quality and character: "Cleveland Park already has a California Tortilla at 3501 Connecticut (across the street from the proposed Chipotle). A second fast food Mexican-type chain restaurant will detract from the charm and variety of the neighborhood." For now, we'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it's the "chain" part, not the "Mexican" part, they were objecting to.

Palisades, ISO: A member of the Palisades email list is planning quite the party and has asked for some neighborly loans in a thread entitled "ISO Alice in Wonderland tea/croquet unbirthday party props tomorrow:

"Hey we are having a Wonderland tea and croquet party for my 8 YO daughter, and bought some props online etc but need more–if you have any of the following to loan/sell /give away, please let me know!

-fake flamingos (or hedgehogs) for a flamingos and hedgehogs croquet match
(or an old croquet set–we have a pristine one on loan, but the flagstone patio could destroy it)
-chinese lanterns–any lit/not lit, single/strung, paper/fabric/ plastic, size/shape/color
-teapots cups and saucers worthy of the mad hatter tea party (have not had luck at local op shops)
-oversized tophat or clock/pocketwatch prop
-several clear drink/food-safe bottles–either former beer/sodas to be capped by a beer capper or vial-like ones, for "drink me" drinks–can vary.

Any other random things you may have, like a large mushroom and caterpillar (we have a hooka prop) , signs that say "this way" and "that way" or best of all, astroturf for croquet match–are appreciated also.

If anyone has ideas on how to create an exploding cake, let me know! Thanks!!"

Though the "unbirthday" scene is a famous one in romp that Lewis Carroll's Alice takes through Wonderland, one has to ask, as it's not made clear: Is this list member planning a birthday for their 8-year-old daughter...or an unbirthday? If it's the latter, it'll be an unbirthday the likes of Palisades probably have never seen.

I Love the 90s: The 90 bus line's stops in Adams Morgan have been rerouted to accommodate the 18th Street streetscape construction, and some residents are none too happy. Writes one, on the Adams Morgan email list, "Who the hell at metro is in charge of putting up signs telling us the 90 busses have been detoured? Considering more people in Adams Morgan take the bus than own a car, you'd think somebody (hint hint ANC and councilmembers) would be on top of this. Count me as cranky when I saw my bus drive down Columbia instead of down 18th where I was standing." Though the complaint might be warranted, another list member feels that the ire was directed to the wrong parties: "You'd think the "someone" to be on top of this would the rider of the 90 busses.  A simple phone call would probably get you the answers you're looking for.  What the hell does the ANC or the councilmember have to do with it?  Yet another example of the ANC used as the whipping dog of the community.  Grrr, back atcha."

Hine Times, Pt. II: EMMCA has a vastly detailed explanation of community requests for the Hine School project, as well as the summarization of comments from Councilmember Tommy Wells regarding "why it is difficult to reduce massing – and the complex set of economic relationships between amenities and a profitable real estate venture." The Hine School redevelopment has become a touchy subject, and a commenter offers a possible reason why: "buried in the article is an important fact that does not get enough attention: because of the inability of Stanton/Eastbanc to recruit or retain tenants, this project has become MUCH MORE residential than originally projected. the burden of this revision has fallen upon 8th st. neighbors. people removed from this discussion are wondering why they are being so vocal (read: difficult). but the project has indeed changed in ways that are totally unfavorable to them."

Must Love Dogs: The Bloomingdale Blog reports that a pet store, reportedly called GreenPaws, is seeking to open in the neighborhood. Though a few commenters seem pleased by the potential of a storefront being filled, one commenter notes, "I have mixed feelings about this store. While I think it's wonderful that there might be some alternative pet food options close by, and even though I could certainly benefit from the convenience of having grooming and walking services in Bloomingdale, I'm concerned that this will be another business catering to the wealthier residents, and that it will offer prices beyond what many of us in the neighborhood can afford."

Takoma Park Problems: Spring is in the air, so what better to do than shore up one's flower beds? But, it seems like good soil can be hard to find. Writes one member of the Takoma Park email list, "I got my soil tested and it has slightly elevated lead levels (111 ppm). I would like to buy other soil to mix in with my soil – does anyone know of a good place that will deliver good soil?"

Parking Fairies: From the Bloomingdale blog comes an announcement by a local resident who has convened a "parking focus group" because, "...CM Thomas and Dr. Johnson expressed that they wanted to empower members of the community to take charge and address some of the concerns and issues within their own communities. Parking was noted as one of the prevalent issues." Though the post contains no word on what kind of problems and solutions will be addressed at the upcoming April 7 community meeting with a DDOT official, a commenter is already concerned: "Why do you have to hate on the positive growth the community is showing? These businesses are building a stronger community – shouldn't you be proud to live in a community that has such fine neighborhood businesses?" Or, maybe this'll just be Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.'s chance to promote his fondness for Sunday morning angle parking.

Harbor Ferries: American River Taxi began its operation quietly last year, but Southwest...The Little Quadrant That Could reports that the company could be making more of a splash during its 2011 season. Per its website, "Water Taxi stops include Georgetown / Washington Harbor Landing, The Wharf : Main Landing at Gangplank Marina, and The Yards / Nationals Stadium Landing (Diamond Teague Terminal). The travel time between stops ranges from 20 to 35 minutes, following the current government speed regulations on the river." Reportedly, more stops ("Old Town Alexandria, National Harbor, Poplar Point, and Reagan National Airport") will be added, too. If you're not excited, at least former DDOT director Gabe Klein is.

JBG, Sowing: The Washington Business Journal reports that developer JBG is boosting its investment portfolio in the U Street corridor by "assembling and bidding" for several historic buildings in the area. In response to the posting of the article on the U Street News email list, a resident says, "This will be interesting. Development on the Metro Parcels were stalemated up for about 4 years has CM Graham battled to pay-to-play the Metro sites to his team LaKritz-Alder and the Fenty administration to Banneker Development. Now we have JBG who has the muscle but little [track] record in non-downtown neighborhoods." This news complements last week's Housing Complex column, wherein "developer farms" were discussed as a good thing for neighborhoods.

Scurlockian: Left for LeDroit continues to explore the archives of photographer Addison Scurlock with jaunts into the neighborhood's past. Featured recently: 7th and T streets NW in 1939 and after the 1968 riots, and Ethical Pharmacy—which occupied the building that will host the forthcoming Shaw's Tavern.

Three for the Road,  First Street NW, November 24

Despite having run smack into a big gentrification-laced clusterfuck, Big Bear Cafe may be on the verge of getting its long-sought liquor license—and its supporters are pulling out all the stops to help.

During a hearing at the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board last week, in fact, Bloomingdale residents who want Big Bear to serve booze asserted  the restaurant was more than a good neighborhood food and coffee joint. It was a great neighbor. For one thing, it'd managed to keep things quiet: witnesses said that though the place sometimes has live music in the evening, you usually can't hear it—even if you happen to live right above the business or right next to it.

Big Bear's patrons are helping to solve global warming, swapping bikes for gas-guzzling, parking-space-bogarting cars. (The ABC Board's concern for how bars affect parking is probably getting to be a bit of an anachronism, especially with places like Big Bear that mostly cater to people who live nearby.)

But by far, the most amazing thing about Big Bear, and one of the reasons it should, apparently, be granted a restaurant-class liquor license, is that it's helped fight crime in the gentrifying neighborhood it resides in.

Years ago, when the retail space the cafe sits in was occupied by Big Bear Market, things were terrible, a neighbor explained to the ABC Board: "There was definitely crimes based on the loiterers from the store." The neighbor shared an alley with the market. He describes the spot as having bulletproof glass and as being more of a liquor store than a grocery. The market/liquor store didn't just attract local drunks. Drug dealers and drug addicts camped there too. The neighbor sometimes discovered "people smoking crack in my back alley."

But when Big Bear Cafe moved in, all that changed. "That activity has disappeared," said the witness. "The alley itself has become less of a toilet and more of an alley." And if Big Bear is given a liquor license, things will get even better. Another neighbor and witness says that if they serve alcohol, they'll have a reason to extend their hours—which will help fight crime even more: "Feeling threatened by people on the street is not something that happens in the vicinity of the cafe."

Contributing to the argument that it's an ideal neighbor, a local Realtor sent a letter to the ABC Board, in which she pointed to Big Bear as being a catalyst for rising property values. And one witness twice mentioned how Big Bear makes its restrooms available to the homeless.

If that doesn't sound community-oriented  enough, it's not like Big Bear is going to use its license to become a tavern or something, its owner, Stu Davenport told from the stand. Instead, it'll be more like a "European cafe." He plans to serve tapas and restrict all live entertainment at the establishment to jazz or acoustic music.

The new, improved Big Bear Cafe will also likely be a lot more sensitive to the the fact that its alienated some of its non-white neighbors. The hurdles it's had to face have cropped up largely because of relations with longer-term area residents. "I was not aware of the issues growing in the neighborhood that I am now," Davenport testified.

The arguments made in support of the application—especially the crime-fighting ones—are exactly the type of arguments often made against expanding liquor sales in District neighborhoods, proving that as the city continues to change, things are bound to get more and more complicated. The outpouring of support for the cafe underscores this; years back, such an establishment would have never opened in Bloomingdale, much less drawn an aggressive campaign on its behalf.

The board has 90 days to issue a written decision on Big Bear's license.

*Photo by Darrow Montgomery

All this is to say: this issue has been old news for some time. Even Alexander's allegation is old—it happened last week, an eternity for a big city government. And yet we get this really lame response from Fenty spokesperson Mafara Hobson. WaPo paraphrased Hobson saying: "The administration of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) is looking into the incident."

Really?

What they mean to say is this: We're not looking into this incident. In fact, we are hoping this incident will go away and that reporters never bring it up again. And if they do bring it up again, we will tell them no comment, that the investigation is ongoing.

When it became known that an inmate had been wrongly released from the D.C. Jail recently, city officials issued an anonymous statement that falsely blamed D.C. Superior Court staff for the screwup. I e-mailed Hobson to find out if "city officials" was actually Hobson and if she wanted to add to her statement in anyway. I never got a response from the mayor's spokesperson. Maybe she thought the issue would just go away.

Must Reads:

The Washington Teacher questions a pro-Rhee add in WaPo by the Federal City Council. Amazing.

Prince of Petworth reports that Bloomingdale is getting a neighborhood bar.

Cappuccino photo by Jazzbobrown, Creative Commons Attribution License

It’s an early Saturday afternoon inside the cozy basement café at Politics & Prose bookstore on Connecticut Avenue NW. I’ve been here awhile – a good long while.

I arrive with my laptop and a yellow legal pad before 10 a.m. and install myself at one of the little tables along the wall that leads to the stacks. After ordering a cappuccino, I fire up my computer and get right to work. When the battery wanes, I fish around behind a pedestal holding a lamp and find an electrical outlet to plug into. There is even an extension cord handy – what convenience!

All the while, I nurse the same cappuccino. Eventually, what was lacey white foam has congealed into a dingy crust around the porcelain cup.

Every now and then, I catch the gaze of one of the baristas – a woman with long brown hair and tattoos, who keeps up an incessant banter with the other barista, while the patrons come and go with their coffee drinks, bagels, soup of the day.

There she goes again. She’s giving me the eye, the sign that the coffee shop staff has made you – that you are bagged, spotted, scoped, identified as a Wi-Fi loafer, one of those Internet-surfing freeloaders who arrives early, orders little, and stays all day.

Sometimes referred to as “digital nomads,” the café vagabonds have inspired countless features and were even toasted in the Washington Post as harbingers of a future business culture, in which we will all one day be untethered from bland cubicles and dreary office parks.

No sooner has digital nomad culture been feted as trendsetting, however, than it has become apparent that not everyone is so happy with the Wi-Fi wanderers who move between establishments such as the Big Bear in Bloomingdale, Tryst in Adams Morgan and Mid-City Caffé in Columbia Heights.

One could assume that coffee shops lose money on these one-cuppa customers who spread out across tabletops from breakfast through teatime. There are signs that this has been the case. Some popular establishments like Tryst have turned off the Wi-Fi on weekends, while others contract with Internet providers that allow them to dole out the online access an hour or two at a time and only to paying customers.

And the issue has sparked heated debate among customers as well. Just check out the eruption on Prince of Petworth earlier this month when one local nomad expressed “shock” upon hearing that Sticky Fingers Bakery had banished Internet service on Saturdays.

While people voice strong views online, where they remain comfortably anonymous, the same issues are rarely aired in real time and face-to-face.

Take my experience at Politics & Prose’s café. Despite my suspicions about the eye, I’m left to my online reverie as the morning coffee and pastry crowd comes and goes – many without even sitting down – followed by some gatherings of mommies with baby strollers in tow, the dads with young kids who are stopping in after Saturday morning sports practice, and a few other laptop luggers like myself. They eventually are joined by late-rising American University students, here to rehash the night before and plot the one ahead. The students are holding fast to their table too but sans computers.

My crusty coffee cup forgotten at the corner of my screen, I’m open season for the Upper Northwest matrons who just popped in. They’ve come for lunch but, by now, all the tables are taken. So one of the women sidles up to mine and asks: “Are you going to be staying long?”

Her companion looks slightly mortified by her friend’s nerve. My inquisitor rolls her eyes, as if to acknowledge the breaking of a social code. But her look says she is more displeased by my audacity at hogging a scarce patch of coffee shop real estate more than her own cheek at trying to nudge my computer and me toward the door.

This is the first real challenge I’ve had in several weeks of Internet loafing.  My first reaction: shame. I am taken aback by the woman’s righteous indignation. After all, it cannot be denied that I am hogging table space from customers who are willing to plunk down lots more money than the two bucks and change I spent on a cappuccino several hours ago.

I mumble faintly: “Yes, yes, I’m planning to stay.”

The barista looks over and gives me the eye again. Or is she?  At some point it becomes hard to distinguish whether you’re getting the eye or simply projecting – “They’re thinking I’m a Wi-Fi loafer! Right now, they are thinking, ‘what a deadbeat!’”

Then, I snap out of it, remembering I’m not just some Wi-Fi loafer, I am a Wi-Fi loafer on assignment. Confessions of a Wi-Fi Loafer—that's the title of this series.

I have not resorted to such guerrilla reporting tactics lightly. I tried the standard interviewing techniques. But café owners are understandably reluctant to publicly dis their customers – even the Wi-Fi moocher variety. And, who in their right mind – especially in this status-oriented city – is going to allow a reporter to identify them on the record as an Internet café idler, an exploiter of bandwidth and table space?

Ever the dedicated public service journalist, and with few other avenues open to me, I have taken it upon myself to become the ultimate Wi-Fi loafer. I’m your faithful correspondent on the frontlines of cafes in every corner of the city wherever Internet connections and electrical outlets beckon and coffee is sold. Please feel free to share your own Internet loafing experiences or your feelings – either for or against the loafers you have encountered.  You can post them here or email me at thegreendistrict@gmail.com.

"Before the Thanksgiving Break, I attended a DCPS workshop on Phonemic Awareness. It was actually a pretty good workshop that I found useful and wanted to share....This workshop was really interesting, because a lot of the teachers that were attending taught higher level elementary, middle or high school. Most of these teachers were a bit in the dark about how to teach reading, since most of that happens in the younger years. Unfortunately, a lot of older children really need help with the basics even as they get older."

Frozen Tropics has big ANC news: "Commissioner Wilhelmina Lawson has resigned from her seat in Trinidad. Lawson represented the southwestern portion of Trinidad, and all of the Capital City Market."

Rebuilding Place In The Urban Space considers safety/crime on public transit. The post has the usual thorough rundown of links, articles, and cites an interesting study.

The Heights Life has info on how to become a block captain for Columbia Heights' neighborhood watch program.

In Bloom wants Vegetate to move to their neighborhood: "Wouldn't it be great if they could relocate to Bloomingdale? The big yellow building on the corner of First Street NW and Seaton Place NW is just crying out for a restaurant to occupy the ground-floor space."

The 42 has the scoop on a cheap art sale that benefits an area nonprofit.

*follow me on twitter.

Congress Heights on the Rise gives 7D police and Asst. Chief Diane Groomes an "A+." The blogger writes: "The Advoc8te sees the police out in full force in my neighborhood in  response to the carjackings this week. There are about 10 police cars on our street and we feel much safer!  This increased police prescence is MUCH appreciated!" Sure. But what about all the murders in 7D?

In Bloom posts a narrative of a beatdown in Bloomingdale:

"On Wednesday, at 5 PM, Brad was attacked by 6-7 young men, at the corner of 2nd and S Street, who wanted absolutely nothing other than to beat the utter crap out of him. Brad, aside from being a military guy, is also an urban-savvy guy, who said that his instincts never warned him that something was about to happen. On his way to the Big Bear Cafe, half the group rushed him from the front..."

Live in Mount Vernon Square reported bullets are flying in their neighborhood. This is from last week: "There was another shooting.  About ten feet away from my residence.  I dont understand this and why MPD and our political leaders can't stop this if they really wanted to. Are our lives worth less than the residents of Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, Glover Park and MacArthur Park?"

Prince of Petworth reports that more cupcakes are coming to D.C. Ugh.

The Triangle reports that a deli at 3rd and K Streets NW will be closing and a soul food outpost will be moving in.

DC Teacher Chic has something in common with Michelle Rhee.

*photo by Darrow Montgomery.

"Don't know if it's because of Impact (don't think so) or the forever stalled contract negotiations (maybe) or my administration (YES!!!), but I just feel really de-motivated. One thing I can say is that it's definitely not the kids. My kids this year are doing really well, and I've somehow managed to build a really positive culture in my classes. They try hard, and for the most part they're learning a lot. But damn if I'm just not satisfied.

It's getting to the point where I'm thinking about what else I could be doing, and trying to figure out if I want to stay teaching (or at least teaching at my school) next year. On the one hand, I don't like falling into the stereotype of Teach for America teachers who sweep in on a wave of idealism and then leave after we've worked that glassy-eyed naivete out of our system. But on the other hand, do I really want to continue working in a place where I feel unvalued, unengaged, and unhappy?"

Bloomingdale (for now) has left Bloomingdale. In a moving post, blogger writes:

"Well, i looked, but there was nothing in my price range in the neighborhood. working for a non-profit doesn't allow one to afford the prices in this part of the city if you want a rowhouse (not condo). so, i looked far-and-wide for a place that fell into my price range. in the end, i bought a house in trinidad.

i've been in trinidad for two months now. i love it. this house is amazing, the neighbors are friendly (as friendly as bloomingdale, i dare say!), and i'm still a short bike ride downtown to work. it's been interesting learning the minute details of a whole new part of town."

It's hard to imagine Bloomingdale having a better blogger. The upside: Trinidad needs a good local reporter to tell us what's what.

And Now, Anacostia has a full rundown of fotoweek events east of the river.

Borderstan discovers a new place for hipsters to get their haircut.

Greater Greater Washington posts a reader's letter complaining that no one turns their headlights on in Arlington. Really? And reports on the possibility of Riggs Place adding a dreaded speed bump. The blogger writes:

"Would a speed hump even fix the problem? It's not like through traffic uses Riggs, since it doesn't go anywhere. It would be helpful to understand who is speeding there, and why. When I lived a block from there, the only time I would drive on that block was to try to park.

If the high-speed traffic is people circling for parking, a speed hump won't deter them. They may well just speed down the road until they reach the speed hump, slow down to traverse it, then speed up again, since drivers looking for parking are often in a hurry to get the car parked or to find that elusive space before someone else does."

Please check out the cool new blog Left for LeDroit.

And let's give handclaps to Congress Heights on the Rise for their big scoop: Marion Barry is following in the footsteps of some Baldwins, MC Hammer, and Flavor Flav and getting into the reality show racket. He's filming a reality show pilot.

Glass-Free Pizza, Please: Scott Roberts of the blog Bloomingdale Neighborhood told City Desk that he has heard of community members boycotting establishments because of the glass. One commenter on the blog wrote that "this is a business issue, not charity.… Any business that can't provide a reasonable level of security for their customers and staff isn't going to get my patronage. Hiding behind 2 inches of plate glass, and leaving me on the other side to cope with all the crap, isn't dealing with the problem.” The boycotters also have some new dining alternatives—a couple of glass-free daytime cafes have opened recently, and there is a restaurant with a liquor license application currently in the works just off of North Capitol.

Glass Isn't the Problem: According to Metropolitan Police Department crime statistics, there were 13 armed robberies and 20 unarmed robberies within 1,000 feet of New York Pizza in the last year. Roberts says that pedestrian traffic along North Capitol is comprised of “homeless people” and “some patrons of methadone clinics.” In short, many residents believe that the presence of bulletproof glass is a symptom of crime—not the disease. Another commenter on the Bloomingdale blog says, “When we choose not to frequent the eatery [for petty reasons like bulletproof glass] it'll close and go out of business and become an vacant eye sore again, attracting vagrants. This area will never get off the ground.”

Next Step: Wait to see if New York Pizza sinks or swims. David says, “Bullet proof glass or not, I'm not going to eat there because the Pizza is horrible. I reviewed it on Yelp.com for your convenience.”

Photo by Brian, Creative Commons Attribution License

"I have the fortunate task of progress monitoring at least three-quarters of the students in my classroom. To progress monitor a student in the intermediate elementary school grades, the assessment takes approximately thirty minutes to complete. And here's the cherry on this hot-mess sundae — for students identified as high-risk, I have to perform the assessments every two weeks and for the students identified as some-risk, I have to perform them every three-weeks. YIKES!"

Greater Greater Washington goes deep into the archives for a history lesson on Carroll Row.

And Now, Anacostia notes that the Salvation Army building has finally opened.

In Bloom sorta responds to a listserv post asking for Bloomingdale to become a gated community. Someone is fed up with crime! The blogger writes:

"Frankly, if neighboring LeDroit Park couldn't do it from the start, it's a fair bet to say that it's not going to happen here and now. With several major thoroughfares running through the area (First Street, North Capitol Street, and Rhode Island Avenue, just to name a few), it would wreak havoc on traffic as well."

The Georgetown Metropolitan calls off Ginkgogate 2009:

"While the wretched threat of their putrid load still hangs menacingly over our heads or lies under our feet, GM is now confident that a full-blown Ginkgogate 2009 has been avoided.

This time last year we we’re under a deluge of foul smelling berries. The city had switched to a new concoction to stem the growth of the ginkgo berries. It was a total disaster. We had berries straight through the spring."

Frozen Tropics factchecks a WaPo piece on H Street.

Prince of Petworth notes that there will be a community meeting this Wednesday to discuss the recent spike in violent crime in the neighborhood.