Good evening, neighbors! The air is hazy these days as a result of the Oregon fires raging since early July (Salem Statesman Journal). However, the one upside has been the incredible sunsets and sunrises we’ve seen across the region. JDLand mused about the haze on Twitter thusly:
There was a shooting outside Nationals Park on July 17. As the Nats faced the Padres on Saturday night, several gunshots rung out from a car driving by the third base gate near the corner of South Capitol and N Street SW. This shooting was heard on national television, raising the profile of the incident significantly. It came less than 24 hours before six-year old Nyiah Courtney was fatally shot while scootering home with her family (Daily Beast). Commissioner Edward Daniels, one of several commissioners who oversees the area, told WTOP that “it’s embarrassing” to the city not to be able to get crimes such as shootings under control.
It may have been a shock to hear shots on national TV, but to Southwest neighbors, this is not an uncommon scene. WUSA-9 interviewed neighbors across the street from Nats park, which is like “another world,” where crime gets no coverage. Former Washingtonian and sports writer Clinton Yates had a thoughtful and very enlightening Twitter thread about the small enclave sandwiched between two stadiums. Click through to read the whole thing.
Theodore Dewayne Riley, Jr. was killed in the early hours of Monday in the 1600 block of Gales Street NE, just a block away from the Starburst intersection at H, Maryland and Benning and a block away from Rosedale Recreation Center. Our condolences to Mr. Riley’s family. Washington Post
According to PoPVille, Duffy’s Irish Pub’s space is up for lease and he shared a link to the lease, which appears to be active. The restaurant, which is still in operation, recently opened a branch in Dupont Circle. I reached out to Duffy’s to corroborate or deny the rumor and I’m told, “No. Duffy’s will stay on H Street NE.” Folks, THE WINGS ARE SAFE.
In case you missed it, there was pole vaulting at Eastern Market this weekend. The Hill is Home
Citywide, unhoused neighbors have to manage a lack of permanent housing, vermin, attacks, and the prejudice that comes from living in temporary encampments. A commissioner in Ward 2 helped her unsheltered neighbors fight for a housing allotment instead of being displaced only to decamp elsewhere. DCist
Restaurant Week participants have just been announced and you can find your favorite restaurants by clicking here to check– our neighborhood restaurants are listed under Capitol Hill, Barrack’s Row (sic), H Street corridor and Capitol Riverfront. Restaurant Week is happening August 9-15 and the prix fixe menus are $22 for lunch and $35 to $55 for dinner.
Have you taken a look at this dashboard built by friend of the blog Charlotte Lee? It’s a visualization of all the traffic collisions between pedestrians and cars that do not make it to the official Metropolitan Police Department reports. Right off the bat, Wards 2 and 6 have among the highest unreported pedestrian crashes in the city, closely followed by Wards 5 and 7, which is shocking: Most of the first two wards are in more mixed use residential/commercial areas. Wards 5 and 7, however, are highly residential. The crashes center largely around major thoroughfares such as Pennsylvania and Alabama Avenues in Ward 7 and in Ward 5, you can see the outline of Michigan Avenue perfectly. Ward 6, however, follows more of a splash pattern. Explore this incredible dashboard here.
Note: Passes will no longer be needed for most Smithsonian museums as of today.
Finally, an incredible couple of sunset Tweets from last night because… hello?