Lightning does strike twice in the same spot because ACKCHYUALLY the odds of probability say that something that has already happened once at a particular place has higher odds of happening there again–– this is why your local corner store is so very proud to tell you that they’ve sold a winning lottery ticket. Anyway, it’s the Hill Buzz, sometime in mid-week! Wow!
Has H Street lost its magic? This is the argument at the heart of neighbor Vince Morris’s opinion piece in Greater Greater Washington. Give it a read and let’s talk about it… somewhere. Is this finally the year I create a Discord channel? Considering I can’t even keep up with my emails or DMs, that’s a terrible idea. For what it’s worth: No. H Street never lost its magic. Did it lose its way? Oh, for certain. Does it stink like marijuana a lot? Yes, but it always has.
Fun (?) story: A while back one of my kids had a U10 soccer game at Rosedale and I took the streetcar to go get him. While I waited at 8th and H NE, I got such a powerful contact high, my head felt like a maraca.
Reports of H Street’s demise have been greatly exaggerated for a good while. For a laugh, here is Paul Schwartzman’s ode from 2023.
While you decide on H Street’s lack of magic, new places are popping up. South Asian Street food at Tapori, in the former Fancy Radish spot (Eater and Axios)? Check. An Argentinian tango bar and pastry shop (PoPville)? Also check. And Henceforth, in the former H Street Country Club space is also opening within the month. It’s also true that the Pie Shop’s windows were broken twice in one week and the kicker is that the person who did it used bricks from the street (DC News Now). Law of unintended consequences much?
Over on Barracks Row, Playa Ocho is gone (PoPville) but Empire Racquet is open (Hill Rag), as is Union Kitchen’s latest iteration (Capitol Hill Corner) although readers on Instagram are not exactly loving the TOBACCO TOBACCO TOBACCO signs adorning all the windows. What do you all think over here?
It looks like the National Park Service is trying to rehabilitate Folger Park this year (National Park Service). Alas, no word on whether Stanton Park or Major General Nathanael Greene will EVER have his stirrup fixed. It’s good then that a new group called the Stanton Park Revitalization Initiative is trying to help the park look better. You can follow them on Instagram for updates. You can also visit their website.
Ah, and an off-duty MPD detective used his service weapon to shoot a fellow driver after a collission in the 1800 block of Potomac Avenue SE. (WaPo)