City Winery closing due to crime in Ivy City

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In nbc news 4 12/16 article

“According to D.C. police data, in the half-mile radius surrounding City Winery in Ivy City overall crime is up 16% in 2022. Property crime rose by 14% and violent crime by 38% compared to last year.

Police described the majority of the violent crimes as assault with a dangerous weapon, like shootings, stabbings and armed fights.”

Pesky facts getting in the way of OPs narrative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In nbc news 4 12/16 article

“According to D.C. police data, in the half-mile radius surrounding City Winery in Ivy City overall crime is up 16% in 2022. Property crime rose by 14% and violent crime by 38% compared to last year.

Police described the majority of the violent crimes as assault with a dangerous weapon, like shootings, stabbings and armed fights.”

Pesky facts getting in the way of OPs narrative.

What are you talking about. I’m OP and I think it’s a shame that crime is like this. All the other head in the sanders came in after me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a convenient excuse. Do the other restaurants right there have the same problems? Couldn't they increase security patrols?

Weird venue, strange name, mixed bag of bookings - and also a whole lot more places to see live music in DC than there once was. They say they will reopen in a new location but I doubt it.

+1. Sure, Ivy City works against them, but this is a classic example of a national chain that just can't hang in a market that's as competitive as DC. Our strong preference for homegrown businesses is to our credit, and it distinguishes us from a lot of more middling cities that are the bread and butter of chains like this. I don't think they'll do much better even if they suddenly come across a great space in a more convenient part of town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a convenient excuse. Do the other restaurants right there have the same problems? Couldn't they increase security patrols?

Weird venue, strange name, mixed bag of bookings - and also a whole lot more places to see live music in DC than there once was. They say they will reopen in a new location but I doubt it.

+1. Sure, Ivy City works against them, but this is a classic example of a national chain that just can't hang in a market that's as competitive as DC. Our strong preference for homegrown businesses is to our credit, and it distinguishes us from a lot of more middling cities that are the bread and butter of chains like this. I don't think they'll do much better even if they suddenly come across a great space in a more convenient part of town.

I agree, it's a national chain that opened up in an area they thought would improve faster than it did (pandemic). The crime rate dropped this year, but the change since 2017 is up. Reading the CEO's quote, it certainly just sounds like a bad bet.

Dorf says City Winery has been losing millions of dollars every year and not getting support from the landlord and developer that was originally promised when the business opened back in 2017.

[Anonymous]

Lol. No, they are closing because they were awful. We showed up an hour early for a show a few weeks ago and had planned to get a good seat and have a drink and a bite. The doorman laughed at us, making it clear that was a terrible idea. We went next door and came back in an hour. In the end, it was the most hilariously bad survive we had ever had, and I actually enjoy ordering through the app as we were forced to do. Very hard to see the musicians too.

This place was just bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In nbc news 4 12/16 article

“According to D.C. police data, in the half-mile radius surrounding City Winery in Ivy City overall crime is up 16% in 2022. Property crime rose by 14% and violent crime by 38% compared to last year.

Police described the majority of the violent crimes as assault with a dangerous weapon, like shootings, stabbings and armed fights.”

That doesn’t seem like enough data. It’s a tiny neighborhood. Those percentages are bound to be jumpy.

[Anonymous]

I was just in Ivy City at Other Half Brewing (which is a great place, btw). It’s like any other sketchy but changing part of DC. The lack of bus service is the real downside. I would go there much more often if there was a bus/circulator route.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was just in Ivy City at Other Half Brewing (which is a great place, btw). It’s like any other sketchy but changing part of DC. The lack of bus service is the real downside. I would go there much more often if there was a bus/circulator route.

I agree with this. It’s a bad location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was just in Ivy City at Other Half Brewing (which is a great place, btw). It’s like any other sketchy but changing part of DC. The lack of bus service is the real downside. I would go there much more often if there was a bus/circulator route.

If this were true then “transit rich” downtown DC would be teaming nightlife.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.fox5dc.com/news/city-winery-dc-relocating-due-to-crime-in-ivy-city.amp

I spent a lot of time in Ivy City at the beginning of its revitalization. The big problems are that there’s a men’s shelter that doesn’t let people in during the day, so the alley becomes a de facto day shelter/waiting room, which isn’t a problem on its own and is fairly self-policed but comes with some trash and other nuisance behavior. Then there is spillover crime from the neighborhood and Trinidad. Plus some muggings.

There was a recent shooting but it’s much more likely that City Winery is just not finding the location to be commercially viable and they’re using this as part of getting out of their lease or whatever. It doesn’t sound like the shooting involved them or customers or anything. Crime might be contributing to people not coming to their venue but I don’t think it’s a new phenomenon. They knew the crime situation when they moved in.

what is your rationale for stating that City Winery is using “crime” as a pretext for terminating their lease? do you have direct knowledge of their lease covenants? is the perception of “crime” by a the lessee a common exception provided in commercial lease agreements that allows for unilateral termination?

I think they were looking for an excuse. I hated City Winery. Ivy City Smokehouse said that City Winery was full of it. they are doing just fine. City Winery was a dump with very BAD service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.fox5dc.com/news/city-winery-dc-relocating-due-to-crime-in-ivy-city.amp

I spent a lot of time in Ivy City at the beginning of its revitalization. The big problems are that there’s a men’s shelter that doesn’t let people in during the day, so the alley becomes a de facto day shelter/waiting room, which isn’t a problem on its own and is fairly self-policed but comes with some trash and other nuisance behavior. Then there is spillover crime from the neighborhood and Trinidad. Plus some muggings.

There was a recent shooting but it’s much more likely that City Winery is just not finding the location to be commercially viable and they’re using this as part of getting out of their lease or whatever. It doesn’t sound like the shooting involved them or customers or anything. Crime might be contributing to people not coming to their venue but I don’t think it’s a new phenomenon. They knew the crime situation when they moved in.

what is your rationale for stating that City Winery is using “crime” as a pretext for terminating their lease? do you have direct knowledge of their lease covenants? is the perception of “crime” by a the lessee a common exception provided in commercial lease agreements that allows for unilateral termination?

I think they were looking for an excuse. I hated City Winery. Ivy City Smokehouse said that City Winery was full of it. they are doing just fine. City Winery was a dump with very BAD service.

I wish I would have known years ago that all I needed was an excuse to terminate a lease.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is a convenient excuse. Do the other restaurants right there have the same problems? Couldn't they increase security patrols?

Weird venue, strange name, mixed bag of bookings - and also a whole lot more places to see live music in DC than there once was. They say they will reopen in a new location but I doubt it.

+1. Sure, Ivy City works against them, but this is a classic example of a national chain that just can't hang in a market that's as competitive as DC. Our strong preference for homegrown businesses is to our credit, and it distinguishes us from a lot of more middling cities that are the bread and butter of chains like this. I don't think they'll do much better even if they suddenly come across a great space in a more convenient part of town.

A little off topic but where are all these new, better, homegrown music venues that you and a PP speak of? Besides 9:30 club, who would book Sierra lFerrell? Or a Colter Wall?

[Anonymous]

If it is such a great place to do business, then why are some many people upset at this business for leaving? Surely there should be a line of business waiting to take over the location?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was just in Ivy City at Other Half Brewing (which is a great place, btw). It’s like any other sketchy but changing part of DC. The lack of bus service is the real downside. I would go there much more often if there was a bus/circulator route.

Lol bus. Have you heard of taxis?

[Anonymous]

My experience in CW NYC - The advertised performer was a no-show, with a lame last minute sub. Service and food were middle of the road.