Teka Thomas
@ Tattoo
Q:How do you keep your life clean?
A:"Low alcohol intake. I never smoke and I've never done drugs."
SURE, THERE MAYBE be a downturn in the national housing market these days. But there are still a few neighborhoods where homes remain a hot commodity. D.C.'s Logan Circle is one of those beacons of light. It's still selling. And the centrally located community boasts a number of new eco-friendly retail and residential developments, making it a great, green place to live.
With its burgeoning art and theater scenes, mix of sleek and funky home decor stores, the ever-popular Whole Foods Market, packed restaurants and bars, and a groovy vibe, Logan has the "It" factor.
"It is on the city grid, has great retail - from art galleries to mom-and-pop shops to Bang and Olufson - good Metro access, and historic architecture combined with modern design. And it's still a diverse, laid-back neighborhood," says Todd DeLorenzo, who moved into Logan Circle's new, eco-friendly Metropole condo building in November. "Name another neighborhood that offers that."
BRANDON GREEN RESOLVED to try his hand at real estate after watching a late-night infomercial in 2000. Bored with his job in sales as an IT recruiter in Silver Spring, Green paid $19.95 for Carlton Sheet's "No Down Payment" video, and applied himself. "My first project was a complete overhaul of a house, 727 11th Street, NE," he recalls.
He financed his first purchase with a federal renovation loan. He flipped the Capitol Hill house for a tidy profit. He was 22, and he was hooked.
Brandon Green is now the principal broker at Brandon Green & Associates (Brandongreenandassociates.com; 2410 17th St. NW, Suite 200; 202-318-1623), a real estate firm affiliated with Keller Williams Realty in trendy Adams Morgan. Like the rest of the BGA staff, he's young (31; the median age of real estate agents nationwide is 52) — and he Twitters. He counts his age and his tech saavy as an advantage.
"Many of my competitors are still strugging with e-mail."
IMAGINE RUNNING A MARATHON. Then another the next day. And another the next day. Since May 4, that's pretty much been the life of Matt Hill and Stephanie Tait, a Canadian duo running 11,000 miles across the U.S. and Canada to inspire environmental action (Runforoneplanet.com). Apparently, they sometimes stop long enough to chat about their mission to raise money and convince folks to go green. See them for yourself as their route brings them to D.C. On Tuesday at 6 p.m., they're visiting the Logan Circle Lululemon (1461 P St. NW, 202-518-4075), and on Wednesday at 6 p.m. they'll swing by Ballston's Potomac River Running (3924 Wilson Blvd., 703-243-2332). Both nights, they'll be leading 5k fun runs and chatting about topics like eating locally and composting. Feel inspired? Donations are happily accepted. Or on Tuesday, buy a performance top from local eco-clothing brand Atayne (which is hosting the event) and 10 percent of the proceeds will go to their cause.
Photo courtesy of iStock
IN THE SPRING OF 1998, Eric Gilliland had a revelation.
"I remember exactly when it happened," he says. "I was riding down E Street, and I saw a guy pass me. He had this absolutely beautiful bike that he had built up on his own. Just watching him and the way he rode through traffic — it was a very clean way of riding."
What impressed Gilliland was that in lieu of shifting gears, this cyclist was riding on a single — and unalterable — chain. Something Gilliland, then a bicycle messenger, decided to give a spin.
Now the 37-year-old director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association rides his fixed-gear bike regularly. Whenever he needs to make a quick jaunt from WABA's Logan Circle office, he hops on the titanium-toned wheels he had custom-built in a Boston bike shop. "It's my getting-around-town bike," he says.
Single speeds come in a multitude of makes and models, but once you know where to look, they're easy to spot. Whereas geared bikes have chains coiled in a circle on their back wheels, single speeds have just one simple continuous chain loop.
And although single-speed riders have a tendency to use the terms "single speed" and "fixed gear" interchangeably, there's a wee difference between the two riding styles. Single speeds have a "free wheel" that allows riders to coast without pedaling. Fixed wheels, however, are connected to the pedals (hence "fixed") and rely solely on pedal strokes for movement. Just think of the tricycle you rode as a kid. What happens if you try coasting?
Continue Reading "Singular Performance: Get in Gear With Single Speed" »
THE ECONOMY IS NOT WORKING OUT so well these days, but you might be, considering the number of gyms sprouting up (two — a new Vida and Results — opened just last week). Top-of-the-line equipment should help take your mind off financial crises. And if you invest your membership money wisely, you're sure to get a solid return no matter what happens on Wall Street.
» Vida Fitness Metropole
"It's not just a gym," clarifies David von Storch, owner of Vida, indicating Bang Salon and Aura Spa. Located on the entrance level of the 28,000-square-foot space in Logan Circle, that's where folks can get blown out and body-wrapped before descending into the three floors of fitness downstairs. Sound cavernous? An open design means huge windows on the street level are visible from two floors (and 50 feet) below. "It feels urban and sexy without feeling sexual," von Storch says.
It starts with a cardio area, featuring a D.C. exclusive: Real Ryder stationary bikes that shift from side to side to create more of a core workout. TVs are mounted on virtually every piece of equipment, but the real show may be downstairs, where the weights and machines are; they're divided by body part rather than grouped into circuits. Locker rooms lead to the Zen Spa, with two endless pools and a steam room.
1515 15th St. NW, 202-588-5559, Vidafitness.com.
» Results Gym Mount Vernon
There isn't a pool here, but there is pool. It's just the kind with an eight ball. A pingpong table completes the quirky game room that greets all visitors to Results' digs at City Vista, which were designed to maximize natural light. Think wraparound, floor-to-ceiling, southern exposure windows -- providing quite a view of the developing neighborhood.
But there's plenty to see inside, too. The abs area has TVs loaded with class content, so you can be guided through a core workout. Peek through an aquarium to spy on the co-ed Jacuzzi. A disco ball winks from the ceiling of the cycling studio. And there's a low-tech but clever innovation: "express" lockers on the fitness floor for people who want to lock something up quickly but have no need to change or shower. Owner Doug Jeffries seems almost giddy about the new Hoist line of weight equipment, which makes you move your own body in addition to the traditional weights. "It's more fun because the body rocks. Anyone who does this has a smile on their face," he says.
445 K St. NW, 202-234-5678, Resultsthegym.com.
Continue Reading "You Can Find Me in the Club: D.C.'s Newest Gyms" »
HEMPHILL FINE ARTS pays tribute to versatile artist William Christenberry, whose depictions of the rural South document with poignancy but no sentimentality that oft-mythologized swath of Americana. His photography, drawings and sculpture are included in this show.
Photo by William Christenberry
JAZZ IS AN American national treasure. Not just in my opinion, but in the opinion of Congress circa 1987. It was then that House Resolution 57 was passed to ensure that Americans will always be able to experience "the indigenous American art form" that is jazz.
The idea relies on Centers for the Preservation of Jazz and Blues, such as HR-57 on 14th St. This intimate club frequently has professionals perform, but also hosts jazz jam sessions on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. The drinks and food (southern comfort delights) are reasonably priced, the music is soothing and if you want to BYOB, you can, for a small corking fee. It's great for a group or a romantic, post-dinner drink.
» HR-57, 1610 14th St. NW; Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m.-midnight, $8; 202-667-3700.
Photo by J. Carrier for the Washington Post
THE WRANGLING WITH THE broker is over, the contracts are signed and the bank loan has finally gone through. Hurrah! You have your own rad pad. Now how to make it purdy? Lure some good buddies over for a painting party with the promise of food and camaraderie — and perhaps a promise of future household favors. But how does one throw a successful bash without making too much of a splash?
First off, Logan Hardware co-owner Gina Schaefer recommends assigning one guest per wall. "You don't want them running into each other," she says. "Also, people tend to get bored fairly quickly." Even if pals brag about their no-mess painting prowess, take the time to cover furniture with drop cloths, remove outlet covers and tape around windowsills and baseboards before they arrive. It's also worth springing for one roller and tray per person, says Schaefer — that way, there's less of a chance of stray paint drops hitting the floor.
Spring is ideal, as windows and doors can be left open for cross-ventilation, getting rid of fumes and speeding up drying. Start early enough in the day (noonish, perhaps) to let each coat dry before sunlight runs scarce. Since that can take one to two hours, take a lunch break and order pizza. "By the time everyone is done goofing off and cleaning up, it would be OK to start again." Save blasting Bon Jovi tunes and brew for later, though — if people aren't seasoned painters, loud music "might throw off their concentration." And while a cooler of Coors might be tempting, Schaefer learned the hard way when a friend had a few too many: "Our white blinds ended up with blue polka dots."
Photo by iStockphoto
THE CENTRAL UNION MISSION is facing a logistical quandary. Two years ago, the homeless shelter sold its building at 14th and R streets NW, pictured here, to condo developers and used the $7 million from the sale to purchase a four-story building on redeveloping Georgia Avenue where it would have enough space for 100 beds.
But residents in the Park View, Petworth, Pleasant Plains and Columbia Heights neighborhoods have vowed to stop the move, saying it isn't a good fit for their revitalizing community. While Central Union has not yet decided to turn its back on the Georgia Avenue space — a special zoning hearing has been postponed until fall — The Post's Paul Schwartzman reports that the mission is starting to work with D.C. officials to find a new space downtown, where there is the most need for such a facility. D.C. Council member Jim Graham, who opposes the Georgia Avenue location, tells The Post that there are several possible locations downtown for the shelter, but declined to name them.
The clock is ticking. Central Union has until October 2009 to vacate its 14th Street building.
» "Central Union Mission in Talks For New Site in Downtown D.C." [WaPo]
Photo by Linda Davidson/The Washington Post
WHILE THE BRICKSKELLER might claim to have the largest beer selection in all the land, a new restaurant venture slated for 14th Street NW near Logan Circle is angling to have the best slate of brews in the city.
In April, the yet-to-be-named sixth restaurant of the Northern Virginia-based Neighborhood Restaurant Group — which owns Tallula in Arlington's Lyon Park and Rustico in Alexandria — is scheduled to open its doors in the space formerly occupied by Dakota Cowgirl near Rhode Island Avenue, as The Post's Tom Sietsema reports.
Rustico's Frank Morales will helm the kitchen of the new restaurant, while his beer director, Greg Engert, plans to offer 500 labels, 100 styles and 50 draft beers there. Engert tells The Post: "It won't be a cattle call of beer." Translation: "No Miller Lite" and the like. One lambic beer will even be served from a champagne cart.
With the opening of the wine-centric Cork a few blocks to the north last week, that stretch of 14th Street is rapidly developing into a destination for drinks of all stripes.
» "Dish" [WaPo]
Addison Road