From the Blue Bird Cafe and Tea Room to Shaw's Tavern, learn the history of 520 Florida Avenue NW in Washington, DC. Discover the stories of Benny Lerner, the Baloney Bandit, and more!
Tivoli Theater at night
You can’t walk past the Tivoli Theater in Columbia Heights and not admire it, imagining what the surrounding streets were like in the late 1920s. The arrival of Harry Crandall’s new theater was a big deal for the area and let’s not forget that just a couple of years earlier, his Knickerbocker Theatre was the site of the catastrophic roof collapse that killed 98 people.
Here’s an article from the Washington Post on February 17th, 1924, before the...
St. Patrick’s Day has come and gone, but that is only the climax of the love affair between our country and The Emerald Isle.
Everyone has, or claims to have, some link back to Ireland. My wife firmly places her heritage on that island, but alas, I trace my roots back to Ayrshire and the Scottish Lowlands — I don’t think the Irish will hold this against me.
Everyone’s favorite country is a great one to kick off a twist on our favorite series “If Walls Could Talk”...
Sonoma interior
Last week’s winner of the “If Walls Could Talk” poll was Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar. They altered the look and feel of the tavern-heavy block of Pennsylvania between 2nd and 3rd St. SE and have been satisfying discerning palates with sophisticated wine and charcuterie since the fall of 2005.
I’m excited to branch out to a different neighborhood for this next IWCT and judging by the popularity of this place, I’m hoping this will be a well-liked...
Explore the fascinating history of 54 Rhode Island Ave. NW in Washington, DC, from its origins as an apartment building to a basketball coach's residence to a brutal assault."
Smith Commons
Curious about Smith Commons on H St. in DC? Check out our latest “If Walls Could Talk” post.
The winner of our second IWCT poll is the H Street hot spot, Smith Commons (I don’t think I like that acronym).
I came across some interesting stories related to the spot at 1245 H St. NE, not to mention my favorite D.C. police officer. The next time you hit up happy hour at Smith Commons, you’ll have plenty to talk about with you friendly bartender.
Four riders...
I came across a great idea while reading Prince of Petworth’s post on LivingSocial yesterday. The DC-based company just opened up their “live events center” in a building at 918 F St. NW, which was the former National Union Building. It’s a magnificently beautiful Romanesque building, six stories tall. This one certainly has a colorful history, so it’s going to make for a great “If Walls Could Talk.”
The building was originally built in 1890, designed...
I thought it would be a good to branch out and do a on Eastern High School (check them out on Facebook) near RFK Stadium. It’s a beautiful building at 1700 East Capitol St. NE, originally built in 1923. The original Eastern High School building was building in the 1890s at 7th and C St. SE.
This past fall, they started a unique program of enrolling a new ninth grade class, growing the school by one class each year until this incoming class of 300 freshman graduates in 2015.
So, the next...
Explore the history of Pearson's Liquor Store in Glover Park, DC, from 1933 to present day. Hear stories about yeggmen, traffic deaths, price fixing, and more!
