Shaw Streets

by Pleasant Mann

Howard Theater Inaugurates Shaw First Friday Art Walk

Following the inaugural event on June 2, 2023, evenings of creativity, entertainment, and community spirit await visitors to the new Shaw First Friday Art Walk. This monthly event, designed to celebrate and showcase the talent within our local artistic and business community, promises to become a new DC tradition.

On the first Friday of every month, Ellington Plaza, on the 600 block of T Street NW, in front of the Howard Theatre, will transform into a dynamic hub of artistic expression. From 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., the Shaw First Friday Art Walk will give residents and visitors alike the opportunity to experience a captivating fusion of visual arts, live music, and small businesses, creating an immersive and engaging environment for all.

In the event of inclement weather, the Shaw

First Friday Art Walk for that day will be cancelled but will return on the first Friday of the following month. Artists and performers interested in being part of future Shaw First Friday Art Walk events should contact Julie Seiler at julie@unionstage.com and 623-215-5173.

The Atlantis Opens in Shaw

The Atlantis, a new club in Shaw, opened on May 30. Located next to the 9:30 Club, the venue has a capacity of 450, and will serve as a stage for smaller acts. It is named for the legendary Atlantis, located in the Atlantic Building at 930 F Street NW, that provided a performance space for the first punk rock acts in the District during the 1970s. The space was also the first location of the now lauded 9:30 Club. The Atlantis will open with a long list of intimate shows from famous acts of the past (e.g., the Pixies) and the present (e.g., Rodrigo y Gabriela) through September. The Atlantis joins a number of venues, including Flashpoint and Gramophone for EDM, DC9 for nationally touring live acts, along with the Howard Theater and 9:30 Club, making Shaw the destination for contemporary music in the District.

Shaw Gains in DC Fiscal Year 2024 Budget

Despite the fact that the new budget passed by the DC Council May 30 has been called one of the most austere in years, it still has some items to improve life in Shaw, thanks to the DC Council. The renovations planned for the Kennedy Recreation Center will now include a music studio. Funds will be available to pilot intensive, place-specific substance abuse outreach and services to address the problems on the block of 600 T Street. And the District’s Main Streets, including Shaw Main Streets, received additional money this year in the effort to support neighborhood businesses.

The Shaw Clean and Safe Team may be the biggest beneficiary. The new budget will continue to allow the team to provide services to keep the 11th Street commercial corridor clean, as well as its traditional work on the Seventh and Ninth Street corridors. Funds have also been provided to serve businesses for the first time on Eighth Street be- tween T Street and Florida Avenue.

Finally, there are funds to replace the Shaw Clean Team’s current truck, which is used for essential cleaning and maintenance purposes. The truck was originally purchased by the District government 17 years ago. It has recently required extensive maintenance and repairs to the point of becoming cost-prohibitive. Plans are to acquire an electric vehicle to adhere to the District’s current environmental policy and to serve as a demonstration project for other clean teams.

Shaw Restaurants Make the List

Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema’s Spring Dining Guide has been released, listing the 25 best new restaurants in the DMV, and Shaw establishments are making an appearance. In fact, his No. 1 restaurant on the list is Glendon Hartley and Chad Spangler’s Amazonia/Causa in Blagden Alley. At the terrace bar Amazonia, he asks, “What do I love about the bar: pretty much everything?” The experience at Causa, the fine dining restaurant on the first floor helmed by chef Carlos Delgado, is summarized as “a master class in Peruvian history and geography as it is a celebration of one of the world’s finest pantries.” Sietsema concludes “Here’s why you should book a trip to either attraction: Nobody in this country is cooking Peruvian at this level, with as much dedication and craftmanship, as Delgado.”

Shaw’s Petite Cerise, the newly opened French restaurant by Jeremiah Langhorne, also makes Sietsema’s list of the best in the region. He recommends it as “a bistro that is open from morning to night,” with “dishes you won’t nd at the competition.”

Washington Convention Center Streetscape

e Washington Convention Center continues its e orts to refurbish the streetscape around its perimeter in Shaw. e work on the N Street side of the center is now complete, with work on the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Ninth Street continuing through September. e work will not disrupt the use of the Ninth Street protected cycletrack. e project is scheduled to be completed by the end of January 2024.

Florida Avenue NW/NE Bus Priority Project

e District Department of Transportation (DDOT) held a virtual forum on ursday night, May 25, the rst meeting of its Florida Avenue Bus Priority Project. is forthcoming project will aim to identify strategies for improving bus service, access to bus stops, and safety along part of the corridor and collect feedback from the community. e project area covers Florida Avenue from First Street NE westward to Ninth Street NW. e major buses on this 1.1 mile route, the 90, 92 and 96, see 15,000 riders per day. Unfortunately, the average speed of buses along the route is 6.7 miles an hour, with rush hour speeds considerably slower. e route has also seen a number of tra c crashes over the years, resulting in two fatalities and 199 serious injuries. e project will try to come up with solutions to improve bus mobility, while increasing personal safety.

One of 51 current project e orts by DDOT, the Florida Avenue project will be closely coordinated with an adjoining bus priority project on U Street from 16th Street NW to 9th Street NW. ere is also the nearby S Street Revitalization project covering the 500 and 600 blocks of S, as well as the triangular area around the Post O ce at 416 Florida Avenue NW. e Florida Avenue project will continue to work on solutions, with a nal concept presented to the public in the fall. A nal design will be completed in 2024, with implementation in 2025. More information on the project can be found at https:// buspriority.ddot.dc.gov/pages/ oridaavenwne. ◆

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B held its meeting for May on ursday evening, May 4, 2023. e commissioners are Sabel Harris (1B08, Chair), Larry Handerhan (1B01, Vice Chair), Sean Holihan (1B02), Santiago Lakatos (1B04, Treasurer), Alan Kensek (1B05), Mark Johnson (1B06), Ashleigh Fields (1B07) and Tucker Jones (1B09, Secretary). ere was a quorum to conduct business.

Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau

Councilmember Brianne Nadeau started by stating that she and the Council have been able to work to restore cuts made by the Mayor in social programs and other neighborhood amenities in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget.

She was able to take control of the Restroom Law passed by the Council. ere will be four pilot public restrooms established. Nadeau also funded expanding the area covered by the Shaw Clean and Safe Team to serve the businesses on the 1900 block of Eighth St. NW.

With regard to dealing with the problem of nefarious activities on the 600 block of T Street, she has identi ed funding for nonpro t organizations to provide services for people on the street.

A question came up about the disposition of the District-owned lot at 1617 U Street NW. Nadeau noted that she had held a Town Hall meeting on the issue. e requested change in zoning for the site is in accordance with the DC Comprehensive Plan.

Someone asked about plans for the Housing Finance Agency (HFA) building, whose redevelopment was part of the Duke U Street Renewal Plan. Nadeau said that HFA has decided to select its own developer, who she believed was the Jair Lynch Company.

Zoning, Preservation and Development Committee

941 Westminster Street NW. A case before the Historic Preservation Review Board involving the addition of a rear deck. ANC 1B supported the project during the previous term. e proposal previously had a spiral staircase outdoors, which