Big GDS news

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What Tenleytown needs is Sidwell if it's presidential motorcades that will make the neighborhood "hip."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Certainly not blighted, but like most of the rest of upper NW, Tenleytown was left behind as the rest of DC has hipped up. The neigbhorhood looks like it was left in a time capsule from the first Bush presidency. The neighborhood associations did such a good job of scaring off developers, and especially higher density apartments, that not much happened as the rest of the city moved east. When's the last time a presidential motorcade has pulled up to a Tenleytown restaurant--while it's a frequent occurrence in Penn Quarter, H Street, Capitol Hill, etc. I'm not sure if this new proposal will help turn things around, but it can't hurt to get more people with more disposable dollars into the neighborhood.

When's the last time a presidential motorcade has pulled up to GDS?

GDS has been dreaming about presidential motorcades for eight years.

[Anonymous]

It's not that a presidential motorcade would make Tenleytown hip, but the point is our hip president and first lady certainly find their way to the hippest places in the city--and the entire stretch of Wisconsin from the Cathedral to Friendship Heights is a stretch of dreary unhipness, sadly. More accurately, just a stretch of dreariness. Certainly no presidential birthday parties at Yosaku, Dancing Crab, or the entire lineup of restaurants that haven't even changed the carpets since the late 80's (although I guess the new Panera and Chipotle bring Tenleytown dining into the early 2000s).

It didn't have to be this way. During the first Bush administration, upper NW, Georgetown, and maybe then ultra-edgy Adams Morgan was all that was in play in DC. Tenleytown certainly could have become more of real urban neighborhood (where the moms would be able to say they are dcURBANmoms with a straight face), but instead the neighbors fought fiercely against all development, liquor licenses, zoning variances, and everything that would have increased density, brought some diversity (brought ANY diversity to Tenleytown), and with it better amenities of a real city neighborhood. Back in those days, H Street, Shaw, Penn Quarter, Barracks Row, the Navy Yard, Columbia Heights, and the Southwest Waterfront all were in the range from down-and-out blight to ridiculously dangerous. The acronym NOMA didn't exist. They all welcomed development, built density, attracted diversity in every way imaginable, and became a magnet for restaurants and amenities from Oyamel to Rose's Luxury to Vida. Meanwhile, a big night in Tenleytown is still happy hour at Yosaku and then a drive over Politics and Prose, coming home and and then maybe trolling dcurbanmom to complain about GDS.

It's going to take a lot more than GDS' development to turn Tenleytown into something other than a strip of Wisconsin Avenue that everyone tries to whizz by as fast as they can, but it does seem like a start. If you all keep saying no to everything, then you'll be stuck with the Dancing Crab and the Container Store.

[Anonymous]

Tenley has never been Georgetown -- but it is a nice place to live. Zoning helps keep it that way. Hipper restaurants, bars and retail could be great. BTW -- Connecticut Ave. used to be cool, too. But it is looking vacant as well. Letting landowners determine density is the wrong approach.

[Anonymous]

Yup. Connecticut Avenue seems hell-bent on getting just as musty as Tenleytown. Declaring a drive-in strip mall an historic preservation site is a sure way to make clear to developers, chefs, and the entire city that a neighborhood just wants to cocoon itself. Another neighborhood that most everyone would like to whizz through, if only they synchronized the lights better. Wisconsin Avenue certainly has got the lights going better for scooting by.

[Anonymous]

Lots of people -- including people with school-aged kids --don't want to live in everyone else's go-to neighborhood for nightlife. And when we want a night out, we'd rather head downtown than around the block.

Around the block, we want everyday stuff like grocery stores, drugstores, schools, playgrounds, gym/yoga studio/pool/dojo, places to buy toys, books, and music, a library, fast casual dining and takeout, a hardware store, a dry cleaner, and a Metrorail station. We've got all that -- and more.

[Anonymous]

And everyone looks the same!

[Anonymous]

Actually the new places coming in at Van Ness are going to be a treat! It will be fine to walk down the hill instead of up the hill. Between Bread Furst and these new places, there will be little reason to keep going to Tenleytown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of people -- including people with school-aged kids --don't want to live in everyone else's go-to neighborhood for nightlife. And when we want a night out, we'd rather head downtown than around the block.

Around the block, we want everyday stuff like grocery stores, drugstores, schools, playgrounds, gym/yoga studio/pool/dojo, places to buy toys, books, and music, a library, fast casual dining and takeout, a hardware store, a dry cleaner, and a Metrorail station. We've got all that -- and more.

Well the grocery store left early and the some of the yoga places have closed. The toy store is down by Van Ness, which isn't the same - Child's play is better in Chevy Chase anyhow. The library sucks and there is plenty of fast casual. But there isn't anywhere good and sure isn't anywhere fun. It is basically a dumpy, dowdy area.

[Anonymous]

Try walking more/farther. Seriously, Van Ness and CC border Tenleytown.

[Anonymous]

So weird the obsession that GDS has with this president.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try walking more/farther. Seriously, Van Ness and CC border Tenleytown.

I walk to Child's play instead of Sullivan's and go to Van Ness all of the time. It would be nice to do stuff in my own neighborhood though rather than clog up everyone else's neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not that a presidential motorcade would make Tenleytown hip, but the point is our hip president and first lady certainly find their way to the hippest places in the city--and the entire stretch of Wisconsin from the Cathedral to Friendship Heights is a stretch of dreary unhipness, sadly. More accurately, just a stretch of dreariness. Certainly no presidential birthday parties at Yosaku, Dancing Crab, or the entire lineup of restaurants that haven't even changed the carpets since the late 80's (although I guess the new Panera and Chipotle bring Tenleytown dining into the early 2000s).

It didn't have to be this way. During the first Bush administration, upper NW, Georgetown, and maybe then ultra-edgy Adams Morgan was all that was in play in DC. Tenleytown certainly could have become more of real urban neighborhood (where the moms would be able to say they are dcURBANmoms with a straight face), but instead the neighbors fought fiercely against all development, liquor licenses, zoning variances, and everything that would have increased density, brought some diversity (brought ANY diversity to Tenleytown), and with it better amenities of a real city neighborhood. Back in those days, H Street, Shaw, Penn Quarter, Barracks Row, the Navy Yard, Columbia Heights, and the Southwest Waterfront all were in the range from down-and-out blight to ridiculously dangerous. The acronym NOMA didn't exist. They all welcomed development, built density, attracted diversity in every way imaginable, and became a magnet for restaurants and amenities from Oyamel to Rose's Luxury to Vida. Meanwhile, a big night in Tenleytown is still happy hour at Yosaku and then a drive over Politics and Prose, coming home and and then maybe trolling dcurbanmom to complain about GDS.

It's going to take a lot more than GDS' development to turn Tenleytown into something other than a strip of Wisconsin Avenue that everyone tries to whizz by as fast as they can, but it does seem like a start. If you all keep saying no to everything, then you'll be stuck with the Dancing Crab and the Container Store.

that's a nice story. It completely ignores 1) relative demographics 2). the huge impact that a few thousand (relatively poor) HS and MS students have on the tenants who actively want those storefronts, PLUS 3) a six-lane major arterial (Wisconsin) will never, ever ever allow for the same funky walkabout feel that the intimate streets of half the entertainment districts you cited. <<<<-- the combination of these 3 things means you shouldn't hold your breath for a series of $$$ adorable, yet middling, concept restaurants with tiny plates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of people -- including people with school-aged kids --don't want to live in everyone else's go-to neighborhood for nightlife. And when we want a night out, we'd rather head downtown than around the block.

Around the block, we want everyday stuff like grocery stores, drugstores, schools, playgrounds, gym/yoga studio/pool/dojo, places to buy toys, books, and music, a library, fast casual dining and takeout, a hardware store, a dry cleaner, and a Metrorail station. We've got all that -- and more.

Well the grocery store left early and the some of the yoga places have closed. The toy store is down by Van Ness, which isn't the same - Child's play is better in Chevy Chase anyhow. The library sucks and there is plenty of fast casual. But there isn't anywhere good and sure isn't anywhere fun. It is basically a dumpy, dowdy area.

I'm with 1st PP.

You have kids, yes? Why do you still need fun bars? Why haven't you figured out at your age that "fun" is a product of people/relationships and even a bar with tired carpet is "fun" with the correct company?

[Anonymous]

U Street, 14th Street and H Street are the exact same width as Wisconsin Avenue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So weird the obsession that GDS has with this president.

So weird that there are so, so many GDS trolls.