Big Chair Coffee opening soon(ish)

Bloomingdale has Big Bear, but Anacostia will soon have Big Chair - Coffee, that is. The neighborhood's newest and only coffee shop at 2122 MLK Ave will open in the next 2 months, according to construction crews inside. The colorful and eclectic spot will be the new home of Murky Capitol Hill's equipment and is really starting to come together.


tick, tock ... countdown to a cooler (and caffeinated) hood starts now


upstairs will be a lounge / seating area


downstairs there will be a large bar, additional seating, and access to the side-alley seating

Big Chair Coffee is set to bring a new vibe to MLK Ave, and will (I think..?) be the first coffee shop in River East (starbucks in the safeway doesn't count). Woot woooot!

Poplar Point meeting next Saturday!

yes, the process is never-ending, but we need to keep voicing our priorities as this major some-time-in-the-future project is planned.

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Don't forget to RSVP to 202-561-3700.

BK Adams Open House & Reception

BK Adams presents "I AM ART" July 10 - July 30 at 1348 Maple View Place SE. Opening Reception is July 10 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM.

fire power

a fire broke out this morning at 1655 U Street SE. One person was taken to GW hospital for smoke inhallation, and two firefighters sustained minor burns. The exterior of the house appears to be largely intact, while both the first and second floors of the interior were badly damaged.


the vinyl windows are no longer (I swear this wasn't blogger arson)


teams strategically rushing in and out


Engine Companies 15 (Anacostia) and 16 (Garfield) came to the scene


it's a very good thing that the hydrant was working


a fireman soaks the growing pile of burnt furniture and junk in front of the house

Here's hoping that nobody is seriously hurt and that the house will be repaired soon!

new house on Valley Place

this house at 1337 Valley Place SE is about halfway done. Built near the corner of Valley and Chester (there is still another vacant lot next door which abuts the intersection), it looks different than the string of brick homes to its right but will still hopefully fit in.


no windows on the side because another house will still someday go in next door

It's hard to tell at this stage how all the detailing will come together on the front, but it was approved through the Historic Preservation Review Board.



Personally, I'm pretty ecstatic that new homes are being built here. And this isn't the only one. For a neighborhood that still has never been fully developed (not even in its heydays), being around to see its completion is pretty cool.

Happy 4th of July!

bunting on Valley Place

guerrilla art at the projects

ladder to the sky - Maple View Place

we have an artist in our midst, and his name is BK Adams. and he lives on Maple View Place.

If you haven't recently ventured to the crest of Maple View, Mr. Adams recently bought one of the large wraparound porch Victorians between Chester and High Streets. His porch has a giant wood airplane hanging from it, whimsical pipe windmills spring from the garden, and a DADAist self-defining poster of BK's face covers the front door with the words "I AM ART".

This post is about BK's first installation in the neighborhood - a ladder on top of the crumbling project-style apartments at the top of Maple View, and a collection of multi-color pipes growing from the ground in front: a sort of shrunken, localized and color-splashed Air Force memorial in our own hood.


in the rusted stairwell leading up


the ladder is perfectly balanced, and spins and sways with the wind

entitled "Sunshine Life", this more grounded piece adds a breath of fresh air to the street - the kind of hope that reaches out:




the proclamation: I AM ART

for more, be sure to check out BK Adams' open house, at his art-filled home at 1348 Maple View Place SE, from July 10 - July 30.