Bloomingdale Farmers Market Starts This Weekend!

Sundays, May 18-November 23
10 am - 2 pm.
First & R Streets NW, next to the Big Bear Cafe

Go!

Greyhound moving on out, eventually...

I've always wondered how the Greyhound station would fit in with all of the developments going up around it. It's been there way before "NoMa" became a real estate buzzword. At the least, I thought the station would be spruced up as its run-down state become even more glaring next to the new buildings going up.

Now I know that it's up for sale and that in fact, selling the property and moving Greyhound inside Union Station has been discussed for some time. It's also been reported that there is a lot of excitement (at least among real estate people) about Greyhound's decision to sell because its location is considered to be a key part of NoMa's redevelopment. The city would like to see First Street NE as the heart of NoMa and as a neighborhood retail center where NoMa residents can hang out.

It gets easier to visualize NoMa as a vibrant business district as we hear more about big leases being signed, etc. but I still can't visualize it as a "neighborhood." Maybe when the residential properties are completed and the Harris Teeter opens, it'll be easier to. But for now, a NoMa neighborhood is still a ways away with none of the residential properties finished (have they even started any of those buildings?) and with Greyhound still planning to lease back once they find a buyer.

Bike Rack at the NY Avenue Metro

I just noticed this bike rack by Pound today. It's kind of in a random location, not right by the metro entrance. Maybe they put them there in anticipation of more street traffic due to people attending the James Bond film festival or for the hotel and eateries opening up?

They had reckless drivers back then too....

Thanks to a Bloomingdale resident for alerting me to this photo and story of a streetcar derailment in Eckington, circa 1919. Read all about it here.

Don't Forget...Artomatic Opening This Friday!

Don't forget! Over 700 artists and 300 performances will be at Artomatic 2008 and it's all starting this Friday at the Capitol Plaza I building (bad picture to the left) on 1st and M Streets, NE.

Highlights of opening weekend (from the NoMa BID press release) include:

*Unveiling of nine floors of 2-D and 3-D visual arts presentations by more than 700 local and regional artists.
*Flights of Fire--a fire dancing performance to be held outside at 9 p.m., Friday, May 9.
*"Electro-acoustic psychedelic world dance music" by Baltimore’s Telesma at 9 p.m., Friday, May 9.
*A Latin dance workshop with professional dance instructor Ibis Villegas, featuring salsa, merengue, samba, and other styles at 2 p.m., Saturday, May 10.
*Progressive rock by Guardians of Iridescence at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 10.
*"The Road to Success," performance art by Carolina Mayorga in the form of a new TV game show at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 10.
*New wave/indie rock by Plastiq Passion, an all-girl band from Union City, New Jersey at 11 p.m., Saturday, May 10.
*An expressive drawing workshop with Giliah Litwack at 1 p.m., Sunday, May 11.
*"In-your-face" jazz/jam music "with a touch of funk" by Bethesda, JD-based Bassment Breaks at 4 p.m., Sunday, May 11.

More information and the full schedule of events is at www.artomatic.org.

Scenic Artisan at the Bloomingdale blog and other neighborhood artists will be exhibiting so more reason to go!

Pound Coffee Now Has Weekend Hours

As noted earlier, Pound Coffee now has weekend hours. According to their website and from when I passed by yesterday, they are open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. So no more excuses not to try them out!