Embrace Underground Art! Some argue that an art exhibition would fare better than retail, due to the fact that art doesn’t require constant foot traffic.  ACDU representative Adam Griffiths told City Desk: “We see this project as a centralizing action for the local arts scene. I haven’t spoken with anyone who is completely against the idea of having an arts space down there.” Even those who think the tunnels should return to its original underground streetcar usage agree: One commenter on the blog Greater Greater Washington says, “Art space is a low-investment, high-return strategy that does not preclude transit use later on.”

Underground Fill-In-The-Blank! The chorus on the tunnels’ usage is far from unified, and DMPED may be waiting for more vocal community support. Some fear converting the space into an art gallery won’t necessarily make it more appealing: Roger, commenting on GGW writes, “The [95 opening] was a dungeon…claustrophobic and dark with little ventilation.” Todd says, “How about an underground parking facility/art gallery? I hate having to look for parking in that area. Park your car and check out some art at the same time." Additionally, the abandoned tunnels are, unsurprisingly, in bad condition—ACDU has outlined a fundraising process to fund the renovations, but the total will still come to around $600,000.

Next Step: Griffiths says, “We are still waiting on DMPED to schedule the community forums. We would like them to do this soon and announce it publicly.” In the meantime, everything remains sealed off after police reportedly found a dead body there in the late 1990s. 

Photo courtesy of Arts Coalition for Dupont Underground 

Dee Does The District doesn't appreciate a sad bit of race baiting reported from the marathon hearing on the DCPS teacher layoffs.

Harry Potter and the Urban School Nightmare despairs over their students' poor attendance. They write:

"Our school's enrollment is down, and attendance is lower than I've ever seen it. When I first started at my school, I routinely had between 25 and 30 students in my class each day. Now, I'm lucky if I get 12. Today, less than half of my students were in class, and last week the average was 55%. Now, the kids who are there every day are learning like FIENDS, but at this rate 45% of my kids are going to fail. So what gives?"

DC Teacher Chic reports from her classroom a new trend---the working lunch. They write:

"This past week, I welcomed my students into my classroom / office space to eat their lunches. At first, it started because a few students were finishing assessments while eating their lunches (so as not to miss further instruction). To say the students loved the idea is an understatement. In the days following, my working lunches have blossomed from four students to seven, with several more students showing interest in attending next week."

Borderstan reports property crimes and violent crimes were up in September according to the latest crime stats: "Total crime (both violent and property crimes) for the  month of September 2009 in the Borderstan crime area¹ is 27% higher than in September 2008 and 61% higher than September 2007." The blog has maps and stats.

The 42 does not miss the Real World folks. But if you do miss the cameras or the realty competition shows, the blog knows what film crews are coming next.

And Now, Anacostia admires some new display windows on MLK.

Southwest...The Little Quadrant That Could has an update on Arena Stage's redevelopment.

*photo by Darrow Montgomery

More on the ghost bikes

Legba Carrefour left for Dupont Circle at 5 a.m. this morning with a borrowed truck full of white bikes. The Columbia Heights resident, 27, didn't know Alice Swanson, the struck-and-killed cyclist whose memorial was removed from the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and 20th and R Streets NW last month.

But Carrefour, who says he's been two-wheeling through the District since he was 6, says he got "really angry" about the ghost bike's removal, and spent weeks Dumpster-diving, as well as wailing on Freecycle and Craigslist, looking for old bikes. The idea, which he's got a blog for: He'd put up 22, one for each year of Swanson's life, all spray-painted white. As of 10:30 a.m., 16 were still there; Carrefour figures people have nicked them while he's been off gathering flowers to stick on them.

Carrefour has a scar on his right arm from a collision with a cab, and a chipped tooth from a run-in with an SUV. He has no plans to trade his Surly Steamroller. "One, I couldn't get around anywhere. It's fun, it's relaxing, and it's easy. Also I can't afford a car."

He looks at the circle, screwing up his face at the newly placed sign warning drivers to yield to bikes. "If they take it down," he says, gesturing to the bike he's placed where Swanson's original memorial was, "I have a bunch more that are already white."

More photos of the bikes after the jump

A few pics:

The renovations to the system will cost $177 million (only $80 million more than anticipated last summer!) and will take upwards of 4 years to complete, beginning in early 2010.  Among the important tasks of the renovation are:

• New escalators at the south entrance of Dupont Circle - Please, slow down this exit even more.  And give me an opportunity to walk up and down that ridiculously long escalator when it's not running.
• Upgrades to the air conditioning and ventilation - Does the Metro really need to be colder?  Maybe when the trains are filled to capacity, which will only worsen when the Red Line starts single-tracking to solve this issue.
• Rehabilitation of the Rockville and Shady Grove platforms - What does that even mean?  Re-grouting the tiles?  Adding a few benches?
• New staircases, escalators, and a canopy at Foggy Bottom - A canopy?  Really?  Get an umbrella.

The other planned maintenance seems more on track, if you'll forgive the pun.  Like an upgrade to the automatic train controls and track maintenance and fixing the tunnel ventilation and fire equipment.  Maybe those should be the primary focus.  Because it's always better to prevent train collisions than to prevent getting wet while entering the station.

New Columbia Heights notes that Wonderland's owner has no desire to cash in and allow Real World d-bags to infiltrate his bar with drama, cameras.

Carlos in DC is mad at D.C. Police for stopping and detaining a woman for selling food on the street:

"While I agree the police was trying to enforce the law, but the officers in charge were totally ignorant with people -including me- who tried to help the Spanish-speaking woman with translation into English. The two policewomen were extremely rude and threatened anyone who tried to help."

Borderstan wants to know why Dupont Circle was completely cleared for a half hour on Sunday.

And Now, Anacostia notes that historic district signs are up in SE:

"Not sure why these didn't go up years ago, but I'm happy to report that the Anacostia Historic District is finally marked with signs. It's nice to have some physical reminders of the district's boundaries, but also emphasizes our need to expand in certain areas to include some of the neighborhood's more fragile homes and commercial buildings."

The festival's biggest draw happens tonight, when the world's first drag supermodel takes the stage at Town Dance Boutique.  Yes, RuPaul is performing on the main stage at midnight and it's sure to be a memorable show.  Fishnets and heels are not mandatory but with two dance floors, come prepared to groove.

After the jump, Pride events for the rest of the weekend...

For those who prefer a more mellow evening, the 9:30 Club is hosting a Women's Pride Concert tonight with musicians Meshell Ndegeocello and Melissa Ferrick. Enjoy the music starting at 7 or come to the dance party at 11 to prepare for even more fun.

The epic parade through Dupont Circle kicks off on Saturday at 6:30 on the corner of 23rd and P Streets NW.  Decorated floats, organized groups, and individuals will wind their way through the streets before ending in Thomas Circle.  "The Last Dance" at the Hirshorn Museum follows the parade at 9 p.m.

Capital Pride 2009 culminates in the annual street festival on Pennsylvania Avenue, featuring three stages of entertainment.  RuPaul will be back to close the show, as will some of the area's most popular impersonators.  Events for families, area vendors, and local musicians will also be set up around the festival.

So come on out, dance a little bit, and celebrate diversity.  The patios along 17th Street are already covered with rainbow streamers.

If you've ever honked in Dupont Circle because you think Scientology is a cult, well then grab your Guy Fawkes mask. May 24 is your chance to act on the familiar weekend chant (Free Katie Holmes! Free Katie Holmes!). The bobbed wonder, fresh from All My Sons (which Entertainment Weekly hilariously and mistakenly refers to as My Three Sons, which Arthur Miller did not write), will be among the studded cast of the National Memorial Day Concert. Blissfully, she will not be singing. She is instead performing a dramatic reading with Dianne Weist. Also on the bill: Gary Sinese, Joe Mantegna, Colin Powell (doesn't he live here?), Laurence Fishburne and former American Idol contestant Katharine McPhee. The show will be broadcast live on PBS. After which Katie will shake off her shackles and begin eating again. One piece of advice, Joey: Be wary of the jumbo slice.

Flickr photo by danoz2k9

Police have intensified their involvement and are now using helicopters to try and stop the spree. One zeroed in earlier this week on theft at the Duplex Diner at 18th and Florida, says Halligan. A suspect was arrested inside and had reportedly gained entry through the roof, but Halligan said "the police are pretty sure he's not the guy."

The meeting at 1719 Swann St. at 7 p.m. (in Peggy Simpson's "very large" living room) will presumably include details that have been missing from MPD---like how the robber(s) are prying open the skylights. So far, cops have said thieves are getting up there using fire escapes and other wrought-iron ladders on the sides of buildings. Shocking, that.

Tore has been selling sex toys at Dupont sexuality emporium the Pleasure Place for a couple months now. Before that, she was selling cars at Eastern Motors. Pleasure Place is easier, on average. "I have to like what I do," says Tore. "And I like sex."

So it didn't take long for Tore to learn the shop's selection of prostate probes, anal douches, and vibrating rings like---well---the back of her hand. "No time, really," says Tore. "No time. I knew nothing about half of this stuff until I started working here. But there's not a lot for us to do here, so it's like one-on-one with the products most of the time," she says.

Beyond helping women try on stripper heels and accommodating hordes of pre-party bachelorette crews, working at the Pleasure Place includes a lot of down time. "Usually I'm just chilling out, messing with the toys," Tore says. But it's more than just fucking around: The practice helps Tore field a barrage of obvious-to-obscure queries from customers. "What's this for? How does this work? Where do I put this?" says Tore. "They'll ask anything, man, really."

SEX SHOP STATS:

Average vibrator size: Eight inches, Tore says: The biggest they offer is 10 inches; the smallest, six.

Average dildo color: "Most people like the flesh color, something pretty close to their own skin."

Average number of batteries sold per week: About 200.

Average customer: Not applicable. "We got strippers, gay men, lesbians, straight freaky people."

Average item: The Pleasure Place's most popular item is the "The Rabbit," a vibrator that Tore says has been endorsed by both Oprah and the ladies of Sex and the City. Tore plucks a couple batteries from behind the register to show the basics of the Rabbit---what it's for, how it works, where you put it. "The ears move fast to stimulate the clitoris," Tore explains, making the machine's little critter bounce. "And you can bend it to hit the G-spot," she says, making the flexible dildo move at inhuman angles. "You can't get a penis to do that," she says.

Perhaps Tore's learned a little too much about the product for the store's own good.

"What are the pearls for?" a customer asks.

"They make it cost five dollars more," says Tore.

The average day at Dupont Circle's Leather Rack (1723 Cionnecticut Avenue NW) is becoming less leathery these days. "Fetish wear has really taken a downturn in the last year," says Chaz, the store's general manager. The bad times have steered customers away from higher end items---$334 leather chaps, for example---and toward cheaper stuff. "Let's say you buy a whole Army uniform. That's all you can wear," says Chaz, referring to the steep prices for such items.

So customers are moving toward more subtle and masculine wear, like the twill officer's pant--which looks like the sort of highway patrol trou sported by Ponch and John on "CHiPs"---or the rescue pant, which has two stripes on the side that are kinda reflective. More practical items, says Chaz, are still selling. Today, for instance, he is putting tags on a new item: Oxballs---a ball stretcher that replaces the traditional leather with neoprene silicone material.

Chaz finds the fetish industry more lucrative that the real-estate industry he left one year ago.

By Amanda Hess

New Columbia Heights reports that a new coffee shop has opened at 786 Harvard. It also sells hot tea and cheap sandwiches. Prince of Petworth recently spotted a new coffee shop on Georgia Avenue. The shop is called Fresh Off The Roast.

And Now, Anacostia declares that DHCD is finally moving to Anacostia Gateway: "You may have noticed all the work being done on the interior of Anacostia Gateway recently: walls are up, cubicles are in, and bright accent walls are painted. Even though their entrance is coming six months later than originally planned, the Department of Housing and Community Development will finally move into their space next weekend, and will be open for business on the morning of February 2."

Bloomingdale (for now) reports on the scuttlebutt over a complaint filed against an ANC Commissioner. The complaint stems from the commissioner publishing a newsletter. It's a must read (and too complicated to go into here).

River East Idealist writes perhaps the only inauguration-themed post that targets panhandling. He She watches a panhandler in Dupont Circle before attending a ball:

"Over a span of 30 minutes, he managed to collect a nice sum of cash.  The problem is that he never got on a train.  Finally, after discrete inspection of his eyes, lips, and twittering arms, I concluded that the young man was a junkie in training.  At first, I was angry. I was angry with him for ruining this glorious night. Then, I was angry that he was such a horrible representative of African American males on a day where African American's seemed to be vindicated from centuries of negative stereotypes. I was angry that he was using drugs.  Most of all, I was angry that there was nothing I could do to help him"

On a side note, some of the best inauguration photos I've seen have come from Prince of Petworth's photo contest. (Our own contest's winner will be announced soon). You can see more of the blog's entries here and here.

JDLand runs down the many changes coming to the Nats Stadium. No word yet on the Nats acquiring a few decent pitchers or a star slugger.

Penn Quarter Living spots some portable toilets being removed during a recent rush hour. But these are not the toilets from the Mall.

Intangible Arts reports that districtofnoise.org has launched for all you local experimental music geeks: "The site is a group effort from the local experimental music culture, and pulls together gig listings from across the scene. It's a one-stop-shopping deal, which includes Sonic Circuits, Electric Possible, Lighthouse, Velvet Lounge, and other events as they arise. All mashed together in a gory digital hellhole for you to enjoy." You can check out the noise site. Meanwhile our own music blog has the rundown on the latest leaked songs.

The flier includes vital info [PDF] so take a look. As of yesterday afternoon, police had no suspects and no firm motive for the shooting. A $50,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of the murderer.

If you have information, call Det. Paul Regan at (202) 425-5563 (cell) or (202) 645-0472 or Det. Doug Carlson on (202) 486-0233 (cell) or (202) 645-6360; if you'd prefer to stay anonymous, call 1-888-919-2746 or send a text to 50411.