Sunday, February 13, 2011

Uniontown Glows in the Washington Post

The front page of the Metro section in today's Washington Post is a keeper. The headline, "Every neighborhood needs a 'Cheers' and maybe this can be ours", speaks to the hope and excitement surrounding the new restaurant and bar - the first of its kind in Historic Anacostia, and one of a growing stream of businesses catering to the winds of change blowing east of the river.



One of the great things about diversifying the business offerings in the neighborhood is that residents don't have to cross the river for every amenity.
"Uniontown has brought people out that many of us didn't even know lived in this neighborhood," said Greta Fuller, an Anacostia Advisory Neighborhood Commission member. "And those people are hungry to come out and spend their money. We have jobs. We have homes. We are positive. And when you walk into Uniontown, those are the people you see."
For the neighborhood to be truly sustainable, vacant storefronts need filled, residents need places to congregate, and there have to be reasons to stay or visit. For Anacostia, Uniontown is a big step in that direction.

Sure, Uniontown is still working out kinks, and being one of the only places like it in the neighborhood, the lunchtime rush can get a little crazy. Big Chair Coffee - which now also serves alcoholic drinks - certainly has competition. But in this case, competition is a good thing, and I think Uniontown is a great pioneer for the kinds of businesses this neighborhood can expect to see more of.

Uniontown Bar & Grill is located at 2200 MLK Avenue, at the corner of W and MLK SE, about a 5 minute walk from the Anacostia Metro

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

How is parking around there at, say, 2PM? I wanna check it out. And I hate to ask this question, but I do drive a newer car (it's not anything fancy, but it is new): is there much in terms of property crime (namely break-ins) at that time of day?

H Street Landlord said...

Congrats to the neighborhood, well deserved! The momentum can't be stopped now (not just this, but all the new offices, businesses, media hype etc)!

DG said...

@Anonymous, parking is really easy at 2pm. Just park on MLK. Like anywhere, don't leave your iPad in the front seat - but you should be fine.

Nicole said...

Maybe I'm sensitive about my neighborhood but did you really ask if your car would be safe in the middle of the day? I park my new "fancy" car in front of my house every day, evening and night and it has never been bothered. Give me a break. Not everyone East of the River is a thug looking to steal your car...

Anonymous said...

Alas, I'm afraid that asking about break-ins, since even where I live (13th and N) is car break-in central. That said, if one does all the smart things one would do to your car in Logan Circle/U Street so as not to make your car an open invitation, you should be fine.

Anonymous said...

Nicole, I never made a generalization like that. Surely when you visit a place you've never been to you like to be privy about what parts of town your car is most likely to be broken into.

Thank you DG for responding in a courteous manner.

Dyer said...

Honestly, if someone told me East MLK/Anacostia would get a sports bar before Penn Branch, I would have laughed uncontrollably.

Kiki said...

so exciting. i'm so glad anacostia has its own "cheers"

Anonymous said...

I am thinking about stopping by for a dinner and drinks... How is the food?

AnacostiaQUE said...

This place is a winner. Parking is great. We weren't feeling the fountain soda set-up behind the bar...but that was minor...

timetoupgrade said...

I like the food my only complaint is that I wish they add more entrees and desserts to the menu. right now it's very heavy on sandwiches. It can get crazy both at dinner and lunch due to limited seating, however do come out and enjoy the drinks are the bomb.