Mary McLeod Bethune statue in Lincoln Park
I was not totally unaware of this before. I have a dog which, in my neighborhood, means visiting Lincoln Park at least once a day. If one were to name a hub of Capitol Hill it would certainly be Eastern Market. However, by removing all my other non-local options and forcing myself into the mindset of relying exclusively on local outlets, I’ve become acutely aware of two things: first that they not only meet but also satisfy my needs, for which I am increasingly grateful; and second, I am very invested in decisions and actions that impact them.
Case in point: the Hine school redevelopment. I sort of knew that the prime Pennsylvania Ave. parcel of land this now closed middle school sits on would be redeveloped soon, but my opinion didn’t go much further beyond happiness that there would be some new retail options in a couple of years. Now that I’ve spent so much time seeking out the food and fun I need to keep myself sated and occupied (and, as a side benefit, doing it mostly by bicycle), I’ve gained a more nuanced appreciation for the unique personality of all the little pockets of homes and businesses in the area. Wherever I’ve lived, I’ve always been interested in the people — always known the neighbors and such — but now I’m much more interested in the community that comes from the interaction between neighbors and local commerce. So when I saw sketches of one Hine plan that had the name of an urban, trendy clothing store sketched in, my reaction was almost visceral. Where previously I may not have cared so much, now I was moved to action. There is no question Capitol Hill needs more clothing and furniture stores, but from what I see, we are more suited to unique businesses like the U Street model, not the big chains of downtown or Georgetown. This topic is being discussed throughout the neighborhood right now (including City Paper, interesting perspective from this blog, and this one, and loads of others) and can get rather heated so I’m not wading into any specific discussions here. My point is, before I would have probably been happy knowing a big, empty building on a prime spot would be redeveloped. Now, though I’m not so much gearing up for battle like some, I am invested enough to have submitted comments to the city along with a couple of fellow business owners.
Back to the task at hand …. In terms of goings on, during Week 2 I managed to entice a couple of friends to skip the downtown lunch scene and visit some of my favorite local spots. I have always been fascinated by the impact of circles of influence, and these two trips are perfect examples of how it can work. As a customer, I’m really a finite resource. I only have so much disposable income to spend, and only a small portion of that disposable income goes to lunch and an even smaller portion of that is spent at a particular restaurant. BUT, if I introduce people from my circle of influence to my favorite spots, then the impact of my tiny sliver of disposable income at a particular shop can suddenly become limitless because it is added to my friend’s who will then bring in people from her circle.
From taylordeli.wordpress.com
Litteri's Calendar from litteris.com
There were also some great meetings and chats during Week 2 with other business owners who work at home and, like me, need to get out of the house once in a while, so we took advantage of the comfy chairs at SOVA (where I interviewed a local designer for an upcoming post on The Hill is Home) and the centralized convenience of Port City Java, Tunnicliff’s (twice in one day for me!) and Peregrine Espresso. I also had a fantastic time at the Capitol Riverfront 80s Summer Movie Series, at Tingey Plaza behind the new Dept of Transportation and near the baseball stadium. Perhaps the biggest local move I made during Week 2 was switching my internet service. I ditched Verizon and am now with DC Access. After weeks of awful service from Verizon, it was a relief to move my business to a company just a few blocks away. I see the owners in the neighborhood and the same person returns my messages when I call or email. +Sigh+ It is such a nice change.
It was quite a busy week. But if you’re interested in reading more, check out my posts for The Hill is Home on Hill spots that made the Washingtonian Best Of list for the summer and a local small businessman looking for ways to grow his business so he can provide jobs for local youth.
My first week of going local was a short one so here’s a brief recap:
