Logan Circle - Strong and Growing

It is fitting that at the exact moment that the temperatures started to rise and the flowers began to bud, I noticed the sheer enormity of growth in my neighborhood. And I'm not talking about the trees. Springtime for Logan Circle! While I was holed up all winter, the construction crews were at it - building new property, turning over old property, and sprucing up gardens and parks. It's like a whole new world out there! What happened?

It's exciting, really. What a great time to be young and in this city. I've lived here for 8 years already and have seen so much change. From the doldrums of Foggy Bottom where there was nowhere to eat (Friday's, Bertucci's, SizzEx, and that horrible chinese restaurant in Columbia Plaza do NOT count), continual town-gown drama, and the crowd getting younger as I got older to a patchy stretch of land on 13th Street south of Logan Circle where I could trip over "ladies of the night" if I did not watch my step closely enough. Now, my current resting place - one that I can legitimately call my own - resides on yet another patchy stretch of land (this time on the north side.) With U Street to the north, Dupont to the west and Adams Morgan somewhere in between, I have to say I think I've landed a spot in the best place to live.

The diversity is what drew me to this neighborhood. A strong Ethiopian community to the east (here I'll plug my favorite Ethiopian restaurant, Lalibela at 1415 14th St, NW), the latin and hispanic groups that congregate at the weekly flea market on Florida Avenue, the hipsters in line at the Black Cat and the arts crowd making their rounds through the many galleries that have jumped ship from their old 7th Street and Georgetown digs to lay down roots in DC's new arts neighborhood.

There is so much to explore here in Logan Circle and so much on its way. I hear rumors of a tapas restaurant opening on 14th Street. A new furniture store will make its way to furniture row where Storehouse used to live and HR-57 has added a comedy club to their line-up. Vida Fitness and Bang Salon and Spa scheduled to open in the Metropole at 15th and P Sts. Once completed, will give Results a run for their money, I'm sure. I'm thrilled to see that Written Word has moved over from Dupont Circle and that the owners of Logan Tavern and Merkado plan to open a new restaurant in Columbia Heights. A hotel is slated for the parking lot next to Viridian. (Check out the proposed design above.) In addition, I hear there is some talk about Source Theater and the possibility of a renovation/ expansion into a multi-use arts center.

A lot is happening out this way, and if you are still emerging from your winter cocoon, I encourage you to stop on by!