It’s all about the neighborhood
Normally at this time of year the Smithsonian National Zoo is lit up with a myriad of lights all over the park for ZooLights. Mixed with hot chocolate, fun slides and a merry-go-round, and you have the makings of a really fun night as you walk around the park and look at the holiday lights. With the, you know, Covid pandemic, the zoological park is closed for patrons.
So they’re bringing the lights to you.
Read MoreAfter many years of planning meetings, back and forth arguments over play-surface materials and a $2 million budget, the Petworth Recreation Center at 8th and Taylor Streets NW is officially open again.
Read More“Rainbow Families represents celebration.”
That’s according to Darren Paul-Vance, the executive director of the 30-year-old nonprofit Rainbow Families. Based in DC, Rainbow Families provides educational programs, professionally facilitated support groups, connections and empowerment for LGBTQ+ families and prospective parents. When the pandemic hit, the organization instantly pivoted to online events, working to keep the LGBTQ+ community connected and joyful during these isolating times. “It’s really important for our children to be around other families like theirs,” Paul-Vance says. “We have done the best we can do to provide those programs virtually.”
Read MoreIn colder temperatures, folks may increasingly have to choose between dining indoors, at higher risk to Covid, or give up restaurants altogether.
So Mayor Muriel Bowser and Shawn Townsend, the Director of the DC Office of Nightlife and Culture, came up with a plan: they opened a $4 million grant to provide funds to restaurants seeking to winterize their space. The Streatery Winter Ready Grant Program provides up to $6,000 per restaurant for sidewalk cafes, summer gardens, and streaterys, located in DC. The grants can be used for tents, heating, lighting, furniture, and marketing – all in hopes of sustaining outdoor dining during the chillier months.
Here’s what some local restaurants are doing.
Read MoreOn Friday, November 13th, Mayor Muriel Bowser held an opening ceremony for the new $1.5 million playground at Truesdell Elementary School at 800 Ingraham Street NW. The new playground replaced a nearly 40-year old playground that was too small and proved to be unsafe for multiple students, according to Fareha Ahmed with the Truesdell’s Family Teacher Organization.
Read MoreDC Public Libraries released a new master plan on November 19th that proposes changes to the libraries in our area, including refreshing the existing Petworth library and replacing the existing Shepherd Park library with a new library in Brightwood Park. The plan, titled Next Libris, Latin for “from the books,” lays out its research over DC demographics, library usage trends, and its goals in the coming years.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, November 11th, the local Twitterverse and email listservs lit up about homes being in the dark. People from Park View up to Brightwood and over to Crestwood and 16th Street Heights all commented that their lights were flickering on and off. What was going on?
Read MoreThe fall colors in the neighborhood have been especially good this year. All the rain over the summer helped the trees hold onto their leaves longer than last year and the results have been spectacular.
If you’ve found yourself walking around our beautiful neighborhood admiring the flowers and wondering what you’re looking at, we’re here to help. Welcome to "Petworth Blooming,” a popular series featuring some of the most common plants and flowers seen around Petworth. Follow @petworthblooms on Instagram for additional photos of our neighborhood flora.
Read MoreCOVID-19 has thrown a wrench in many of our Thanksgiving plans, but that does not mean it should keep us from having a delicious holiday meal. Whether you are looking to cook an entire meal or want to skip the cooking altogether (we don’t blame you, 2020 has been exhausting) we have rounded up the best Turkey Day options in Petworth.
Read MoreThe Petworth News Socially Distant Halloween Parade was a success! Really couldn’t be happier with how smoothly the parade went, how many people showed up, the kids and the costumes — awesome. It couldn’t have happened without the whole neighborhood pulling together!
Read MoreThe main priority is Covid-safety, followed by fun for our neighborhood kids. The US Park Police will be onsite to help with vehicle traffic and local safety. DDOT will have cones out. We’ll have more than a dozen volunteers onhand to help.
Read MoreErika Goodwin, a Petworth resident and a native Washingtonian, founded Creations by EME after sewing cloth masks for friends and family at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. She initially made masks to help cover her family and to keep them safe from the epidemic. She then started to make masks for her friends and extended family, to make sure that they were safe. Friends started to make large requests that never abated, and she realized that her hobby could become monetized and help fund her retirement.
Read MoreEvery restaurant I talked to had a different story. Fish in the Hood was concerned by neighborhood changes long before Covid arrived. Backyard Smoke Spot evaded closures because of its in-house convenience store. Mr. Braxton took a hit in sales due to Covid but has since largely recovered. Tsehay is still struggling and never saw tangible support from the promotion of Black-owned restaurants.
Read MoreThis past July, the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the DC government which set out the process to redevelop about 80 acres of its 272 acre campus. While a date for groundbreaking has not been set, the original redevelopment plan was approved in 2008, and then amended in 2018. AFRH will resubmit the master plans for review again later this fall.
Read MorePetworth News, a neighborhood blog on local news, information & events about the Petworth area in Washington DC.
Petworth News is a news site about Petworth area neighborhoods in Washington DC, written by Drew Schneider and other amazing contributing writers. It features facts and objective reporting, as well as an occasional subjective point of view and opinion.
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