Rosemary's Bistro Blocking Connecticut Avenue

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. The term actually is “ streatery “ per DC government ( do a little research ) but either way spelling it correctly or not hardly rises to the level of “ sick”.

While one certainly need not wait for a crash to be “fatal” for a risk to be considered significant, or even discussed, in the case of Chevy Chase DC yes there was a fatal crash on a sidewalk cafe at the Parthenon. While not technically a streatery the wake up call at the sidewalk cafe was felt by all.

If streateries were universally safe to be in rush hour traffic lanes then the city would be authorizing them but in fact they aren’t. That’s the point. And that’s one reason the neighborhood has been alarmed.

The problem is that businesses sprouted up on CT back when car traffic was lower volume and much slower. Now CT is trying to be a through-road to downtown while also being a local main-street, and its doing neither well. It needs to pick one or the other, and move the other function somewhere else.

This is delusionally bad history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. The term actually is “ streatery “ per DC government ( do a little research ) but either way spelling it correctly or not hardly rises to the level of “ sick”.

While one certainly need not wait for a crash to be “fatal” for a risk to be considered significant, or even discussed, in the case of Chevy Chase DC yes there was a fatal crash on a sidewalk cafe at the Parthenon. While not technically a streatery the wake up call at the sidewalk cafe was felt by all.

If streateries were universally safe to be in rush hour traffic lanes then the city would be authorizing them but in fact they aren’t. That’s the point. And that’s one reason the neighborhood has been alarmed.

The problem is that businesses sprouted up on CT back when car traffic was lower volume and much slower. Now CT is trying to be a through-road to downtown while also being a local main-street, and its doing neither well. It needs to pick one or the other, and move the other function somewhere else.

This is delusionally bad history.

Ok, I'll bite. When were the majority of commercial buildings built on CT ave? What was traffic like in those days? When did people start moving to Montgomery and commuting down to DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. The term actually is “ streatery “ per DC government ( do a little research ) but either way spelling it correctly or not hardly rises to the level of “ sick”.

While one certainly need not wait for a crash to be “fatal” for a risk to be considered significant, or even discussed, in the case of Chevy Chase DC yes there was a fatal crash on a sidewalk cafe at the Parthenon. While not technically a streatery the wake up call at the sidewalk cafe was felt by all.

If streateries were universally safe to be in rush hour traffic lanes then the city would be authorizing them but in fact they aren’t. That’s the point. And that’s one reason the neighborhood has been alarmed.

The problem is that businesses sprouted up on CT back when car traffic was lower volume and much slower. Now CT is trying to be a through-road to downtown while also being a local main-street, and its doing neither well. It needs to pick one or the other, and move the other function somewhere else.

This is delusionally bad history.

Ok, I'll bite. When were the majority of commercial buildings built on CT ave? What was traffic like in those days? When did people start moving to Montgomery and commuting down to DC?

Upper NW was a commuting suburb from the very beginning. The early MoCo suburbs predated upper NW and the rest were developed around the same time. Traffic has always been heavy on Connecticut and it has always been a major through road to downtown.

Nebraska is where the traffic growth has been and that has been caused by more people heading west from EOTP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. The term actually is “ streatery “ per DC government ( do a little research ) but either way spelling it correctly or not hardly rises to the level of “ sick”.

While one certainly need not wait for a crash to be “fatal” for a risk to be considered significant, or even discussed, in the case of Chevy Chase DC yes there was a fatal crash on a sidewalk cafe at the Parthenon. While not technically a streatery the wake up call at the sidewalk cafe was felt by all.

If streateries were universally safe to be in rush hour traffic lanes then the city would be authorizing them but in fact they aren’t. That’s the point. And that’s one reason the neighborhood has been alarmed.

The problem is that businesses sprouted up on CT back when car traffic was lower volume and much slower. Now CT is trying to be a through-road to downtown while also being a local main-street, and its doing neither well. It needs to pick one or the other, and move the other function somewhere else.

Where would you move the “other function”? Connecticut has been designated one of the “major arterial” roads for decades. The only thing that might have changed that would have been if DC had built the freeway network through NW that was planned in the Fifties and Sixties. Until that plan was shelved for good on the early 70s, the expectation was that the freeways would carry much commuter traffic between downtown, upper NW and the Montgomery County suburbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. The term actually is “ streatery “ per DC government ( do a little research ) but either way spelling it correctly or not hardly rises to the level of “ sick”.

While one certainly need not wait for a crash to be “fatal” for a risk to be considered significant, or even discussed, in the case of Chevy Chase DC yes there was a fatal crash on a sidewalk cafe at the Parthenon. While not technically a streatery the wake up call at the sidewalk cafe was felt by all.

If streateries were universally safe to be in rush hour traffic lanes then the city would be authorizing them but in fact they aren’t. That’s the point. And that’s one reason the neighborhood has been alarmed.

The problem is that businesses sprouted up on CT back when car traffic was lower volume and much slower. Now CT is trying to be a through-road to downtown while also being a local main-street, and its doing neither well. It needs to pick one or the other, and move the other function somewhere else.

Where would you move the “other function”? Connecticut has been designated one of the “major arterial” roads for decades. The only thing that might have changed that would have been if DC had built the freeway network through NW that was planned in the Fifties and Sixties. Until that plan was shelved for good on the early 70s, the expectation was that the freeways would carry much commuter traffic between downtown, upper NW and the Montgomery County suburbs.

About the only way you could do it is to put more of CT underground and make it a better through-road, but we don't do projects like that anymore so basically you need to move the businesses.

[Anonymous]

Actually, more commercial should be brought to CT Ave. Businesses have been operating on the Avenue for over 100 years.

[Anonymous]

The problem is not with businesses located at addresses on Connecticut Avenue. The problem is with businesses OPERATING ON the roadway of Connecticut Avenue, since that exacerbates congestion, encourages dangerous driving near an intersection heavily populated by public school students, and diverts traffic from an arterial road to neighborhood streets.

The only local business that insists on trying to operate on the Connecticut Ave roadway is Rosemary's Bistro. Somehow Politics & Prose, Bucks, Comet Ping Pong, the CVS, Eddie Cano, and all the rest of the businesses and restaurants all do just fine without plonking a stand or a table in the middle of a heavily trafficked six-lane artery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem is not with businesses located at addresses on Connecticut Avenue. The problem is with businesses OPERATING ON the roadway of Connecticut Avenue, since that exacerbates congestion, encourages dangerous driving near an intersection heavily populated by public school students, and diverts traffic from an arterial road to neighborhood streets.

The only local business that insists on trying to operate on the Connecticut Ave roadway is Rosemary's Bistro. Somehow Politics & Prose, Bucks, Comet Ping Pong, the CVS, Eddie Cano, and all the rest of the businesses and restaurants all do just fine without plonking a stand or a table in the middle of a heavily trafficked six-lane artery.

The bistro has a legal right to be there right now. If you want it gone, take action. Posting here isn’t action.

[Anonymous]

I’m a local neighbor living about three blocks away off Connecticut.

I wish instead of trying to take Rosemary’s Streetery down, we would instead find other ways to add more streeteries from the other neighboring businesses. Other parts of the city with more congested streets have successfully done this, including the 9th Street corridor, 18th street corridor, 14th street corridor, and M street in Georgetown. You will be surprised how adaptable cars, people, and neighborhoods are to the structures, even when the road is a major throughfare. The Streetery actually slows down traffic, creates more of a walkable neighborhood, and deepens the bond of the local community.

I do think Rosemary’s could benefit from a bit of a cosmetic facelift on its streetery, just as a preference. Some of these Streetery restaurants have done really amazing things with the structures- like Le Diplomat on 14th Street or Unconventional Diner on 9th. But let’s imagine a commercial corridor, that’s walkable, creates a strong sense of community and is visually beautiful. The streeteries in other parts of the city have whole corridors of outside dining that have helped their businesses thrive, even post pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a local neighbor living about three blocks away off Connecticut.

I wish instead of trying to take Rosemary’s Streetery down, we would instead find other ways to add more streeteries from the other neighboring businesses. Other parts of the city with more congested streets have successfully done this, including the 9th Street corridor, 18th street corridor, 14th street corridor, and M street in Georgetown. You will be surprised how adaptable cars, people, and neighborhoods are to the structures, even when the road is a major throughfare. The Streetery actually slows down traffic, creates more of a walkable neighborhood, and deepens the bond of the local community.

I do think Rosemary’s could benefit from a bit of a cosmetic facelift on its streetery, just as a preference. Some of these Streetery restaurants have done really amazing things with the structures- like Le Diplomat on 14th Street or Unconventional Diner on 9th. But let’s imagine a commercial corridor, that’s walkable, creates a strong sense of community and is visually beautiful. The streeteries in other parts of the city have whole corridors of outside dining that have helped their businesses thrive, even post pandemic.

Meaning that a lot of commuter traffic will just divert into residential neighborhood streets and closer to playgrounds and schools like Murch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. The term actually is “ streatery “ per DC government ( do a little research ) but either way spelling it correctly or not hardly rises to the level of “ sick”.

While one certainly need not wait for a crash to be “fatal” for a risk to be considered significant, or even discussed, in the case of Chevy Chase DC yes there was a fatal crash on a sidewalk cafe at the Parthenon. While not technically a streatery the wake up call at the sidewalk cafe was felt by all.

If streateries were universally safe to be in rush hour traffic lanes then the city would be authorizing them but in fact they aren’t. That’s the point. And that’s one reason the neighborhood has been alarmed.

The problem is that businesses sprouted up on CT back when car traffic was lower volume and much slower. Now CT is trying to be a through-road to downtown while also being a local main-street, and its doing neither well. It needs to pick one or the other, and move the other function somewhere else.

“Now trying to be a through-road to downtown”? Connecticut has been a major arterial commuter route throughout the post-World War II period, if not earlier. Where would you propose to move that “function”? To Reno Rd and 34th St?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. The term actually is “ streatery “ per DC government ( do a little research ) but either way spelling it correctly or not hardly rises to the level of “ sick”.

While one certainly need not wait for a crash to be “fatal” for a risk to be considered significant, or even discussed, in the case of Chevy Chase DC yes there was a fatal crash on a sidewalk cafe at the Parthenon. While not technically a streatery the wake up call at the sidewalk cafe was felt by all.

If streateries were universally safe to be in rush hour traffic lanes then the city would be authorizing them but in fact they aren’t. That’s the point. And that’s one reason the neighborhood has been alarmed.

The problem is that businesses sprouted up on CT back when car traffic was lower volume and much slower. Now CT is trying to be a through-road to downtown while also being a local main-street, and its doing neither well. It needs to pick one or the other, and move the other function somewhere else.

“Now trying to be a through-road to downtown”? Connecticut has been a major arterial commuter route throughout the post-World War II period, if not earlier. Where would you propose to move that “function”? To Reno Rd and 34th St?

The point being that there is a heck of a lot more traffic on CT now than there was during the streetcar era, or post war, or even up to the 80s when this strip was built out. A built environment that appealed to slow moving and light traffic headed out to the "country" is different than one needing to deal with heavy commuter traffic headed to suburban destinations with comparable amenities and the spaces haven't adapted.

So there is no reason to think that what used to work will work going forward. The whole corridor needs a redo.

[Anonymous]

Get rid of all the streeteries. They're squatting on public property, they're eyesores and they are very unsanitary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. The term actually is “ streatery “ per DC government ( do a little research ) but either way spelling it correctly or not hardly rises to the level of “ sick”.

While one certainly need not wait for a crash to be “fatal” for a risk to be considered significant, or even discussed, in the case of Chevy Chase DC yes there was a fatal crash on a sidewalk cafe at the Parthenon. While not technically a streatery the wake up call at the sidewalk cafe was felt by all.

If streateries were universally safe to be in rush hour traffic lanes then the city would be authorizing them but in fact they aren’t. That’s the point. And that’s one reason the neighborhood has been alarmed.

The problem is that businesses sprouted up on CT back when car traffic was lower volume and much slower. Now CT is trying to be a through-road to downtown while also being a local main-street, and its doing neither well. It needs to pick one or the other, and move the other function somewhere else.

“Now trying to be a through-road to downtown”? Connecticut has been a major arterial commuter route throughout the post-World War II period, if not earlier. Where would you propose to move that “function”? To Reno Rd and 34th St?

The point being that there is a heck of a lot more traffic on CT now than there was during the streetcar era, or post war, or even up to the 80s when this strip was built out. A built environment that appealed to slow moving and light traffic headed out to the "country" is different than one needing to deal with heavy commuter traffic headed to suburban destinations with comparable amenities and the spaces haven't adapted.

So there is no reason to think that what used to work will work going forward. The whole corridor needs a redo.

Except you are completely wrong about all of your assumptions which indicate quite clearly that you are a recent transplant projecting the development history of wherever you came from onto upper NW.

Upper NW was developed as a suburb of downtown. Bethesda for instance pre-existed Upper NW and Connecticut was "built out" much earlier than you suppose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get rid of all the streeteries. They're squatting on public property, they're eyesores and they are very unsanitary.

This. And it’s effectively privatizing a public asset.