One of the more interesting things I did this past weekend was to check out the Move Along show of works by emerging DC photographers at Bloombars. The show was organized by ten miles square, and in case you aren't familiar with the location, Bloombars is that new art gallery and performance space down the street from Wonderland at 3222 11th Street NW in Columbia Heights.

The photography was interesting, but it was a treat just seeing the raw interior of the old storefront where Bloombars is located. Lots of character in there! Also, I got to meet Heather Goss, of DCist and Washingtonian house-renovation fame. There was a $5 suggested donation, and there were snacks and drinks available for purchase, in order to help the art sponsors and exhibitors pay the bills. Later on, there was going to be a musical performance on the small stage, but we couldn't stay that late. I wonder what they'll do next at Bloombars? 

The big news in the neighborhood this week has been the closing of Mayorga, the coffee bar/lounge in the Tivoli building. My wife noticed the sign on the door, then we emailed Dan, the Prince of Petworth, as I didn't have time to investigate further that evening. He went right out and got to the bottom of things (check out the comments!) within a few hours. There's further discussion on his blog today.

I was a regular customer of Mayorga, and really liked their coffee, so here's my take on the news. Mayorga should have remained focused on being a coffee bar, with a bar upstairs that would open in the evening. When it first opened, it was great. The pastries and breakfast sandwiches they served were a nice complement to the coffee. As the space was the former lobby of the historic 1920s Tivoli Theater, the architecture was unique and there were lots of interesting nooks and crannies for seating. But then, they started tinkering with the seating, and the format.

Things started to go downhill at Mayorga when they began having nightclub-type events on the weekends. The community bulletin board was replaced by a glitzy beer advertisement. The large windows, which formerly admitted lots of light into the space, and allowed customers ample people-watching opportunities, were covered over with an opaque film, I guess to make it seem more "exclusive." Glossy postcards advertised dance parties and themed events that sounded almost like a swinger's club was going on in there! Worse, the cleanliness of the place suffered, and was downright grungy on the mornings after these parties.

Then, they added a salad bar to the coffee counter, which seemed odd, especially with Ruby Tuesday's much larger salad bar right around the corner. After that, they added a Korean restaurant to the mix, which didn't really go with a coffee bar, but it was better than risque dance parties or whatever was going on there.

Now, the Korean restaurant is going to continue in the back part, while the front will become "Asia Bistro", a sushi bar. The coffee equipment has been moved next door to the Carvel/Cinnabon, which will be a welcome upgrade to their own coffee, but it just won't be the same as the old Mayorga. I fear that the sushi bar concept will struggle to succeed given that a new sushi place is supposed to open in Highland Park, a block away. The rent is apparently pretty high, because of the quirky layout with lots of unusable spaces like the stairs. What really needs to happen is the landlord should give them a break on the rent, since the amount of contiguous seating space is limited. It shouldn't be gutted and made into a more open space because the interior walls and other elements are ornate and historic, and to lose them would be a crime. Maybe something like Spices in Cleveland Park would work there; inexpensive pan-Asian cuisine with sushi and a nice atmosphere?

Mainly, I'm just sad about the whole thing. I'll miss meeting up with friends for coffee and a bagel there, at that neat curved counter they originally had before it was ripped out. I wasn't one of the gazillion laptop users that camped out there, but rather enjoyed talking with my wife, meeting up with neighbors, people-watching and taking photos. RIP, Mayorga, you will be missed.

 Last week, you'll recall I was prevented from taking photos of the architectural model of the Columbia Heights Public Realm plan by the manager at the BB&T Bank in Kenyon Square, where it is located. Since then, the issue has been debated on Flickr, and I've contacted Ward One Councilmember Jim Graham for assistance. In addition, I emailed fellow blogger Prince of Petworth, who has a knack for securing photographs of sensitive sites (he's very well-known, and must be far more charming than I am). The results have been pretty satisfactory. Jim Graham's assistant said the model belongs to the city, but the bank does have the right to prohibit photography of it. He said the DC government would either move the model to a more accessible location, and/or have an official photographer post pictures on the DC website. I suggested moving it to the lobby of DCUSA, as well as posting photos somewhere.

The Prince of Petworth must have been rebuffed at the bank as well, but he was able to dig up some (new?) official photos of the model which he just posted on his blog and Flickr photostream. So, the word is getting out about this model, and hopefully more people are venturing into the BB&T lobby to see it in person. It's one thing to look at a two-dimensional plan on paper, but it provides a lot more detail and perspective to see what the neighborhood is going to look like in three dimensions. I'd still like to get some high-resolution photos out there with my wide-angle lens, but will have to wait until they hopefully move the model to a different location. It's important that as many people see what their community is going to physially look like in the coming years, so if you haven't seen it yet, swing by the BB&T bank and check it out. A big thanks to Jim Graham and the Prince of Petworth for looking into this!

A large model and plans of the public realm project for central Columbia Heights is on display in the lobby of the BB&T bank in Kenyon Square, by the Metro Station. The other day I decided to have a closer look at it, and to take some photos with my good camera, so I could share them with the community here, on Flickr, and on the various local message boards. However, the BB&T bank manager would not allow me to take photos of it, and said their policy was to not allow photography of any kind in their lobby for security purposes. Aargh!

I pointed out that I was just going to photograph the publicly owned and funded plaza model, and would crop out any bank personnel, customers, or fixtures who appeared in the frame, but he wouldn't budge. The models shows all the buildings from 14th and Irving up to 14th and Monroe Streets NW, with details of the plaza design, streetscape and sidewalk details. In my opinion, it's a bit overdone and Disney-esque, and nice tasteful brick sidewalks would have been sufficient, but I can't share the details with you without photographs.

This episode highlights to me the arrogance and cluelessness of "no photography" policies. Yes, it's private property and they can do what they like, but that doesn't mean they should ban photography. We're talking about a generic bank lobby here, with some chairs, a counter, and the architectural model in the middle. I would have been happy to show them all the photos I took to assure them that none of their security features like cameras or guards were visible. And even if they were, isn't that the idea of having visible security cameras, to deter would-be bank robbers? Why volunteer to host the large architectural model and book of plans in your lobby if you are worried about security, with non-customers traipsing through. I should also point out that the development the bank is in has benefited greatly from city assistance with redeveloping the area, so a little flexibility is in order. They've lost me as a potential BB&T customer, that's for sure. 

 Further to yesterday's post on the proposed Ward 1 ban on singles, here's what I wrote on the Columbia Heights News Forum:

All I know is I'm sick of picking up those black plastic bags with a beer can or bottle in them, and any little thing that helps is OK in my book. Maybe an exception CAN be made for fancy Belgian single bottles - sure it wouldn't be "fair", but there are a lot of things in DC that are unfair. I don't know - some creative thinking on the issue is required. Increase the tax on alcohol? Build a 21st century "drunk tank" like in the old days, but with intensive social services efforts? Get all Singapore/zero-tolerance on public nuisance laws? Bottle bill? Free detox outpatient services? All of the above?

To which another CH resident replied:

This would make a good discussion topic for the next Happy Hour.

Sounds good to me!