Thai Pad and Rosemary Bistro Cafe recently installed new flooring. Muchas Gracias got a new door. And they had help paying for these improvements. In February, Van Ness Main Street gave $20,000 in grants to these and five other businesses. This was in addition to other supports that the organization provides year-round to businesses within […]
Opinion: The arts are key to unlocking Van Ness vibrancy
by Marlene Berlin Van Ness has been the subject of many studies and visioning sessions, including three from the Office of Planning since 2011, the latest being 2016’s Van Ness Commercial District Action Strategy. DDOT, after many years of study and design, released its final concept plan for its Van Ness Commercial Corridor Project in […]
Land use and development experts to study and present recommendations on evolving Van Ness
For two days next week, a panel of eight experts on land use, design and development will study the Connecticut Avenue commercial strip between Albemarle and Tilden Streets. They will consider strategies for enhancing neighborhood vibrancy and making Van Ness a hub of commercial, community and cultural activity. And at the end, the panel will […]
Business in Brief: Burgers at Exxon, hot carryout at Shemali’s, and 9 years of Van Ness Main Street
The neighborhood has two new places to grab hot food to go. And they’re both located in businesses that have been here a while. Like the Exxon, above. A new eatery called Nash & Smash is serving Nashville-style chicken sandwiches and smash burgers, and you can also order for delivery. The other new takeout spot […]
Business in Brief: A Van Ness celebration “treasure” map, a restaurant homecoming, and who’s the Chevy Chase cheeseburger champ?
Van Ness Main Street, partners, and sponsors are throwing a big, 12-hour neighborhood party on Saturday, September 14th. The events list on the “Celebrate Van Ness Main Street” Eventbrite page has been expanding for weeks, and now you can see it mapped out below. 1) 10 am – 12 pm. Clean-up at Forest Hills Park. […]
On Sept. 14, “Celebrate Van Ness Main Street” with an artisans market, Taylor Swift and Latin dance parties, and so much more
On Saturday, September 14th, we recommend letting a neighborhood restaurant do the cooking. We say this for two reasons: You’re going to be busy checking out Celebrate Van Ness Main Street events. And supporting local businesses is in keeping with the spirit of the occasion. Van Ness Main Street is partnering with Friends of Peirce […]
Business in Brief: Burger King back pay settlement, Comet patio, VNMS call for vendors
Back pay and more for BK workers. When the Van Ness Burger King closed abruptly in late December, 2022, many of its workers were just as surprised as the community. NBC4 reported at the time that they had a day’s notice if they had any at all. The sudden layoffs did not necessarily violate DC […]
Notes from the Van Ness Main Street annual meeting: Celebrating partners, accomplishments and the latest Spirit of VNMS awardee
We posted recently about the visible and invisible work that Main Street organizations do. Van Ness Main Street’s annual meetings highlight accomplishments that most of us might not notice, but nevertheless make this neighborhood a better place to live, work and visit. Key to that is supporting a variety of small businesses that serve local […]
Main Street updates: Van Ness’s busy calendar, Cleveland Park’s night market, Chevy Chase’s First Fridays, Tenleytown’s music festival
Local Main Street organizations exist to recruit new businesses and provide day-to-day support for existing ones. This can look like alerting them to grants for storefront upgrades and remodeling, or helping them apply for the typical permits required to operate a business here. It can mean assisting them with promotional tools such as social media. […]
Business in Brief: A decade ago, Van Ness wanted a Trader Joe’s. One is landing nearby.
Friendship Heights is getting a Trader Joe’s. The Tenleytown/Friendship Heights ANC got confirmation last month when Trader Joe’s put in for a liquor license at Chevy Chase Pavilion (5335 Wisconsin Avenue). We can’t complain; MOM’s Organic Market will open at 4250 Connecticut Avenue in the next few months. But judging from responses to our reader […]