21
JAMES M. THRESHER FOR THE WASHINGTON POST L ST. K ST. 0 FEET 2 1
MONT. CO.
Union Station
VA. FFX.
ARL. CO.
CO. ALEX. D.C. 3
NW NE Detail
SW SE
P.G. CO.
H ST. 7 Atlas District G ST. MD. F ST. E ST. LEAH L. JONES FOR THE WASHINGTON POST 810 9 1000 I ST. 4 5 6 H ST. 12 1 11
7. Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H St NE. 202-399-7993.
www.atlasarts.org.
One of the few spots that
wasn’t demolished during the 1968 riots was the movie theater that is now a complex of four theaters, dance studios and re- hearsal space. Opening in 2006, the Atlas was a leader in what has become the neighborhood’s renaissance. While no single company holds residence at the space, a number of groups make a habit of performing there; Afri- can Continuum Theatre, Wash- ington Savoyards and In Series will all be at Atlas in coming months. The theater will bring back the Intersections series, an arts festival that began this year and included dance, live music and storytelling, among other disciplines.
8. Star and
Shamrock 1341 H St. NE. 202-388-3833.
www.starandshamrock.com.
When friends ask where to get bar food on H Street, the go-to recommendation these days is Star and Shamrock. The Irish pub mashed up with a Jewish
deli is not an obvious choice, but the setting is comfortable and the food delicious. (The place also gets mad points for opening at 11 a.m. every day, being one of H Street’s few daytime destina- tions.) The Irish/Jewish combo is played subtly, with shamrocks and Stars of David carved into the wood paneling behind the bar. The theme is more notice- able on the menu, stuffed with reubens, reuben eggrolls, corned beef sandwiches and Latke Mad- ness: huge piles of corned beef, sauerkraut, Russian dressing and swiss cheese served between three hot latkes. The beer list is just as multicultural, and in- cludes both He’Brew beers and the usual Guinness/Harp/Bass pub staples. Enjoy the large se- lection of Irish whiskey; skip the Manischewitz Sangria.
9. Rock & Roll
Hotel 1353 H St. NE. 202-388-7625.
www.rockandrollhoteldc.com.
One of the early pioneers on H
Street, the Rock & Roll Hotel plays a key role in the D.C. music scene: The first-floor live per- formance space is the perfect venue for bands that aren’t quite big enough to sell out the Black Cat’s mainstage but have more buzz than DC9 can hold. But the
venue has a knack for picking winners: Don’t be surprised if Sleigh Bells or Best Coast play bigger venues the next time they’re in Washington. Upstairs, the gritty Hotel Bar has pool ta- bles, funky weekend DJs, very cool “rock heaven” decor and ex- cellent game nights: Friday’s Spelling Buzz, a fifth-grade spell- ing bee that requires contestants to drink between rounds. Unlike the 18-and-older concert hall, you have to be of legal drinking age to climb the stairs.
10. Biergarten
Haus 1355 H St. NE. 202-388-4053.
www.biergartenhaus.com.
Biergarten Haus is a little bit
of Munich on H Street. The rear beer garden has room for more than 300 people, who hoist huge mugs of German beer while sit- ting at long wooden tables to lis- ten to oompah bands or strolling accordion players. Bartenders pour a dozen German drafts, while servers carry platters stacked high with sausages and sauerkraut. Even with such a huge capacity, there are still lines of people trying to get outdoors on weekend nights. (Reserva- tions are taken only for parties of eight or more, and only until 6:30-7 p.m.) The simple advice is
to show up early, especially if you want a seat outside. While the in- terior, with its hunting lodge decor, is nice, it’s not as fun as be- ing outdoors. Oktoberfest starts Sept. 18 — coincidentally, the same day as the H Street Festival — and Biergarten Haus is plan- ning a month of German bands, at least nine festbiers on draft and plenty of surprises.
11. Conner
Contemporary 1358 Florida Ave. NE. 202-588-8750.
www.connercontemporary.com.
This well-regarded gallery spe- cializing in figural realism and abstraction made its way to the neighborhood from Dupont Cir- cle in 2008, taking over 12,000 square feet in a building that once housed an auto-body shop. While Dupont offered the in- creased likelihood of drop-ins, director and co-founder Leigh Conner sees a number of advan- tages in the current location. For one, the space has become a des- tination, so visitors are there be- cause they want to see art. An- other reason? The extra room, which is a boon for both artists and visitors. “We’re seeing 500- plus people for openings,” Con- ner says. Past exhibitions have included Koen Vanmechelen’s
buzzed-about “Cosmopolitan Chicken Project” featuring live birds, while a three-person exhi- bition starting Sept. 11 features an installation by John Kirchner. The show includes a live per- formance on opening night that Conner is leaving a bit of a mys- tery — another excuse to pay H Street a visit.
12. Sova 1359 H St. NE. 202-397-3080.
www.sovadc.com.
On a strip populated with nov-
elty spots offering putt-putt or burlesque, this charming coffee shop-wine bar hybrid epitomizes neighborhood hangout. The cozy cafe has all the biggies, from tasty chai to cushy chairs and a friendly staff to free WiFi. The service isn’t lightning speed, but the vibe screams laid-back, so it’s best to go with the relaxing flow with a hot mug of golden chamo- mile or Moroccan mint tea. Meanwhile, a wine bar isn’t the only reason to head upstairs for an extended stay. Sova offers a variety of live music. And the venue has something for the lit- tle ones, serving as a perform- ance space for the popular Boo- gie Babes series, which spotlights kid-friendly performers.
fritz.hahn@wpost.com
stephanie.merry@
wpost.com
BLADENSBURG RD.
BENNING RD.
THE WASHINGTON POST • FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2010
N. CAP. ST.
3RD ST.
5TH ST. 4TH ST.
6TH ST.
7TH ST.
8TH ST. 9TH ST. 10TH ST.
11TH ST. 12TH ST.
13TH ST.
14TH ST. 15TH ST.
FLORIDA AVE. MORSE ST.
MARYLAND AVE.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134