Artomatic opens tonight May 29th, 2009

   

If you haven’t made plans for tonight yet… now you have some!

   

Artomatic 2009
May 29–July 5
Capitol Riverfront – Navy Yard
55 M St., SE

   

Matt’s wall is on the 9th floor, titled “Whitewashed.”

   

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Lecture Report: The High Cost of Free Parking – Donald Shoup May 28th, 2009

   

At the Masonic Temple in Alexandria last night Dr. Donald Shoup held a lecture on his recent book, “The High Cost of Free Parking.” Dr. Shoup has caused quite a few ripples with findings and has been called everything from the “Rock Star of Parking” to “Anti-American” (guessing the second one might have come from somewhere in Michigan).

   

Shoup’s discussion centered, as the name of his book indicates, on the real cost associated with free parking, particularly free street parking, and the benefits that communities can see by using performance based pricing for the parking. As nothing in life comes free, he argues that free parking is only free to us in our roll as drivers, but that we pay for it in all other aspects of our lives. This means that we are paying increased taxes to maintain parking, paying for the distorted urban form and degraded sense of place that comes along with auto-centric planning, paying for it through the increased burden the environment, paying for it through increased housing costs that are bundled with parking spaces, and paying for it through lowered redevelopment/reuse of older buildings due prohibitive parking requirements. To compact these many woes and to use parking as a positive generator for change, Shoup recommends three key reforms that he has seen work in communities across the country:

   

-1: use performance based pricing for street parking which will leave 1-2 or 85% of spots on all blocks available at all times

   

-2: return all revenue generated from parking in a community directly back to the community to increase public services

   

-3: reduce off street parking requirements in zoning

   

The use of performance-based pricing is possible now due to new technologies in the parking meter world, namely digital multi-space meters. The new meters can be adjusted to have different rates for different times of day, or for different lengths of stay on different days of the week. Because the meters are flexible in their set-up, city planning officials will be able to experiment and eventually hone in on “sweet spot” for pricing. This is not an immediate process and does require significant attention by planning officials, but it is a process that will pay huge dividends once completed. The “85% at all times” benchmark ensures that no matter when you come to park, you will be able to find a space and you will pay market value for that space. Managing parking in this manner insures that no time and energy (personal and petrol) are wasted cruising for spots and the fair market value price adjustments help to bring in more revenue during peak hours of usage — without overcharging during “off” periods. This approach can work for commercial streets which would be 100% metered and residential streets that would only require payment of the meter if the parked car did not have the appropriate zoned parking sticker.

   

Dr. Shoup found that initially many businesses were strongly resistant to a change from free street parking to metered street parking in front of their establishments. They thought that it would be bad for business and that they would reap no benefits. These feelings changed once the concept of keeping the money in the community for public services and improvements is introduced. One it is realized that benefits such as increased street cleaning, graffiti removal, alley improvements, overhead wire removal, plantings and street furniture in their immediate community could be achieved strictly through parking revenue, without an increase in taxes, business and community members became the biggest advocates.

   

In Old Pasadena, one of Shoup’s case studies, the institution of the meters and performance based parking rates raised $1.2 million dollars over the year for a 15-block area (roughly $80K in improvements and services PER BLOCK). Old Pasadena business owners even began to publicize the efforts through signs stating “Your Meter Money is Making a Difference” and listing out all the services that were being provided. Old Pasadena businesses have seen regeneration in business instead of a decline and life has been brought out to the streetscape.

   

The reduction in the code minimum parking will allow developers to build parking at a market dictated instead of code dictated rate. Removing the additional burden from developers will free up more money for design, streetscape improvements, etc. Additionally, Dr. Shoup states, it will allow for more adaptive reuse in old buildings that are currently restrained due to parking availability.

   

There are certainly areas that will be slow to adapt to these sort of ideas and changes to how we look at parking. The storage of automobiles will continue to trump the pedestrian experience for many communities, but this idea can have some foot-hold in more progressive cities and towns, particularly ones with good alternative forms of transportation and a walkable urban grid and scale. San Francisco is working to establish performance based parking around the city, and I believe that Washington, DC could benefit greatly from a similar policy. This is particularly true in mixed-use neighborhoods such as Adams Morgan, 14th/U St, and Dupont Circle where the neighborhood is amply served by public transit, parking as at a premium, and often residents are unable to find available spots on the residential streets due to people visiting the adjacent commercial establishments. Realizing this missed revenue stream can help to fund many of the streetscape improvement projects that are on the table waiting for funding and make the neighborhoods cleaner and safer places to live, work, and play.

   

Great lecture and another book to add to the reading list (hopefully on some BID and DDOT reading lists as well).

   

The above picture was taken in Adams Morgan with an Olympus XA2 35mm camera.

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Tags: DC, Olympus XA-2, U Street, adams morgan, cars, dupont circle, lecture, parking, urban
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Prop 8 Protest May 27th, 2009

   

   

We walked by a big protest last night in Dupont Circle, where a crowd had gathered to oppose California’s upholding of Proposition 8 , which bars same-sex marriages. There were a pretty good amount of people despite the crappy weather.

   

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back to work May 26th, 2009

   

I hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day weekend. We did! Got a nice Saturday-morning bike ride in, spent some QT with the siblings (managing somehow to stay up until 4:30am), and threw our first party & BBQ since moving into our new place. Great success! Although apparently we didn’t take too many photos during any of this… So I’m posting up an oldie, but goodie, metro lights shot taken with a Windsor camera.

   

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TIKI!!!!!!!!!! May 22nd, 2009

   

I always pass this little carryout place on my bike ride to work.  It is at the corner of 7th and Q St NW, about 10 blocks from Juxta‘s Intercontinental Headquarters.  My sister and her fiancé have a Australian Cattle dog mix named Tiki, so this picture is for them.  Here Tiki is seen attacking me and my Lomo Octomat camera.  A vicious creature indeed.

   

Also, I really like the abstracted hamburger on the sign.

   

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Daily Grind May 21st, 2009

   

Go to work, come home, repeat… heheheee. Looking forward to this long weekend!

   

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Dumbarton Oaks May 20th, 2009

   

We’ve written about it before, Dumbarton Oaks, our favorite garden in the city. We visited this past weekend, again , with my parents. The rose garden was in full bloom. Good time of year to go!

   

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The Cairo May 19th, 2009

Here is my final project for my Final Cut Pro video editing class from the semester that just wrapped up. It’s a 5 minute documentary-style movie about the history of The Cairo Apartment building on Q Street. I found the story of the building to be fascinating… Hope you enjoy!

   

   

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…one more day. May 18th, 2009

   

Nice weekend here in Washington, though it was punctuated with some rather hot weather and a pretty good thunderstorm Saturday night. We tried to pay a visit to the recently opened Eatonville restaurant on Friday night, but got there just after midnight and they were already in shut down mode (we blogged about the “interior decorating” before). The space looks amazing and I know they had a big competition to pick out a chef, so I am still very interested in giving it a try.

   

In other openings around town, the “The Bullpen” is now open for business at National’s Park. While it is billed as a “beer garden,” it amounts to not much more than a fenced-in parking lot with a tent, stage, some games, and picnic tables. The Bullpen is a welcomed addition and starts to fill in the huge “there is nothing to do before or after the National’s game” gap that will remain until the market loosens up and more construction on Half St. SE can begin. The Nat’s unfortunately lost to the Phillies, but it was a high scoring game and we were able to score seats in the 2nd row — directly behind home plate — so that helped to take the edge off.

   

The opening of Artomatic is a mere 12 days away. Lori and I went in on Sunday night, after our visit with the Wasilewski’s to the always popular Dumbarton Oaks, to work on my wall. It is ~95% done (sneak preview here) now all I have to do is actually hang my photos. I’m eager to get my work up on the wall and not have to think about it anymore. There were A LOT of blank walls, so I expect it will be a last minute crunch to get all the work done before the opening on the 29th. But alas the weekend has come to an end, one more day would be lovely, but it is not to be.

   

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i need some streamers May 15th, 2009

   

Today is WABA’s annual Bike to Work Day. I had a pleasant ride in, taking my time and enjoying the full humidity of the morning. There was a really good turnout at the pit stop/free breakfast/free prizes area in front of the Discovery Building in Silver Spring. I’d say maybe 100 people while I was there, plus I’m sure there will be a lot more flowing in and out all morning. I picked up my free t-shirt and Power Bar, waited long enough to see that I didn’t win the free bike raffle (Jill’s loss really because she needs a bike and that might have been her best birthday present from me ever!), and then headed to work. Happy friday!

   

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Red’s May 14th, 2009

   

Just some old signage from Red’s Fish and Chicken, at 905 U Street… now boarded up, but it looks like it used to have a lot of character.

   

And just for the record, I guess my bad graphic from yesterday was just unlucky.

   

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big game 7 tonight May 13th, 2009

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M.Y.O.B May 12th, 2009

 

 
   
I found this little painted window box in a not otherwise particularly pleasant alleyway in the Shaw/U St area. I enjoy the homeowner’s “Make Your Own Beauty” approach. These painted flowers added color, character, and life to a usually forgotten space. It is little gems like this that make wandering around the city so enjoyable. So hats off to you Mr. Fake Flowerbox Alley Painter Guy, thanks for beautifying our fair city.
   

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civic duties May 11th, 2009

   

I got my first jury duty notice in the mail over the weekend. Is it a little weird that I’m really interested to go see what it’s all about? I know it’s usually a dreaded notice by most people. Hmm, maybe I will change my mind after going…

   

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ARTOMATIC! May 7th, 2009

 

   
   
Today mark’s the first of many future posts discussing and promoting the 2009 Artomatic show.  Artomatic was held last year in NoMa at the Capital Plaza building which was conviniently located across the street from my job site (which we posted about frequently last year).  This year it is being held at Half Street’s 55 M St, SE in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood.  For those familiar with DC, it is the building that you come up underneath when you exit at the Navy Yard metro station for a Nat’s game.      
   
For 2009 the AOM folks have over 1,000 artist of all mediums (from photography to fire dancing, and fine oil paints to tattoos) lined up and they are expecting ~70,000 people to attend.  MAKE SURE YOU ARE ONE OF THEM!  Artomatic will run from May 29 – July 5th so unless you are like some of those people over in France that take entire months off for vacation durring the summer you should be able to find some time.  Oh, also…it is free to the public and they have multiple bars and bands on the weekends (just taking away excusses not to go left and right arn’t I?).   
   
Last year I exhibited ~25 pictures but this year I am choosing to have a much more edited and  themed exhibit (more in the realm of 6 – 8 pictures) with the working title of “White Wash”.  It will focus on urban abstracts of white walls, fences, sheds, etc. and the effects of time, decay, exposure, and wear on the once crsip white veneer. We will post more details closer to 5/29 about specific events, opening times, etc.   Half Street’s 55 M Street, S.E., in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Riverfront neighborhood 
   

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Lincoln’s security May 7th, 2009

   

I realized I hadn’t posted any gratuitous monument shots lately, and, in searching through older photos, I found this one that I always liked. An officer just taking a relax to enjoy the view of the National Mall.

   

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fly May 6th, 2009

   

Some airplane sculptures outside the US Department of Transportation (DOT) building in Southeast, DC. Check out the pics from the building of this new headquarters from jdland.com.

   

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back from the left coast May 5th, 2009

   

We’re back! We spent a long (rainy) weekend in San Francisco, tromping up and down the hills and wandering around the neighborhoods and parks. We arrived midday Thursday to a few hours of sunny weather, which was, unfortunately, just about the end of it for the rest of our stay. No matter. We plopped our bags down at our hotel in Chinatown, and headed out. First things first, needed food. Thank goodness we found Lori’s Diner, one of several in the city, it was an easy choice (given the name) after a little bit of indecision on what we were in the mood for. Though Matt did ask, no, there wasn’t a discount for people named Lori, but the waitress was nice enough to give me a paper diner hat with my name on it instead. After satisfying our hunger we walked around downtown, through an art market in Union Square park, and to the base of the Trans-America Pyramid (thank you Carmen Sandiego computer game from 5th grade for my knowing this building).

   

Then we sat in a little park, where I fell asleep for a short bit, not surprising going on about 3 hours rest the night before… but once Matt woke me up, we got some coffee and, feeling refreshed, headed towards Embarcadero Plaza on the waterfront. We took a quick browse through the Ferry Building, where there were all sorts of delicious looking fruits, veggies, cheeses, and market-y type things. Then we headed out onto one of the long piers for the view. Took a bunch of photos down here, so when I get more ambitious I’ll have to piece together a panorama… For dinner that night, at an Asian place called Unicorn, we shared two dishes – this really yummy Singaporean Vermicelli, complete with roll-it-yourself rice paper, and giant Sea Scallops. yum.

   

Then comes the rain: day 2 started wet and soggy/foggy. Just to check it off the list, we took the cable car north to Pier 39. At $5 bucks a ride, it was pretty much a rip off, the only thing making it worth it being all the tourists not knowing what in the world was happening as they tried to jump on and off. Sadly, I got forced to the interior by the cable operator (a job which looks like it requires a bit of strength to lever the brakes down into gear on those hills!) so I didn’t get to hang off the cable car into the street, Full House style. I guess this is ok, since I would have been sopping wet. Anyways, we can now say we rode the cable cars.

   

So, Pier 39 is pretty terrible. All the tourists flock here, and for what? I’m not sure. Just a bunch of crappy souvenir shops, bad-looking restaurants, and smelly sidewalks and pigeons. Not the real San Francisco, as I guess the locals would tell you. We did, however, sample some chili in a sourdough bread bowl from a food stand, and it was decent. After not finding a single camera store out of about 10 that carried film (how old school!), we got on up out of there pretty quickly. Heading west, though, towards the higher numbered piers we found some good photo-ops of the old ships and maritime history. By then it was pouring, so Matt insisted that we sample the 68 beers on tap at Jack’s Cannery Bar. Two pints later we had thoroughly whetted our appetites for Ghirardelli Square , which was, as far as we could tell, just a good excuse to buy their chocolate. So we did, and it was good. From there, we decided to take the long walk home, which involved several hills and a slippery descent down crooked Lombard Street in the rain. I still cannot get over the angle of the road inclines and the way the cars just look like they could tumble over at any moment. Not a city I would want to train for a race in! For dinner that night we had spicy Volcano sushi, and then caught up for drinks with my buddy and former co-worker Pat. Evening ended at a crazy dive, Buddha Bar, which was only a few blocks from our hotel.

   

Day 3, Saturday, still rainy. Got on the Muni to head west towards Buena Vista Park, which was indeed a good view when we finally got to the top. Would have been able to see a lot more if not for the overcast day, but it was still gorgeous and lush and all sorts of interesting plant varieties were in bloom. We enjoyed speculating on the prices of the houses, as well as the occupants, that teetered on the hill surrounding the park. All sorts of colors and styles left us with ample fodder to geek out about what architecture we liked and which house we’d live in. We continued walking east on the famed Haight Street, getting brunch and checking out some shops where Matt picked up some new t-shirts. Continued on towards our hotel, all the way through Lower Haight and along Market Street, past City Hall, the BART stations, and all the high-end shopping.

   

Dinner that night was the one of the trip highlights. Check out the link to see Gigi himself, you’ll get a better idea: Gigi’s Sotto Mare seafood in North Beach, where we shared the best Ciopinno I’ve ever had. Seriously, if you ever make it to SF, this is a must. A huge, steaming silver pot of fresh seafood — crab legs, chunks of fish off the bone, shrimp, mussels, clams over penne… and the sauce was the best part, good for soaking the bread. We sat at the counter, had bibs tied onto us, facing into the kitchen, where Gigi himself came by several times to loudly tell us how we weren’t eating right. “Dip the bread!” “Use your fingers!” Quite a personality. He proceeded to walk about the restaurant to all of the patrons, yelling loudly and adding a lot of Italian flair to the dining experience. Following dinner we stopped by The Saloon , supposedly the best blues bar in SF, around since 1861, to listen to the Daniel Castro Band. They rocked, and the people watching scene was great. Think old biker guys on a barstool next to me and Matt.

   

Sunday morning we met up with Matt’s cousin Jami, who lives just outside the city. The plan was to rent bikes and pedal our way across the Golden Gate Bridge… but the continued rain and fog made us opt for a car ride instead… probably a good idea anyways. As we drove across the bridge, there were signs warning of high winds and enough fog to cover most of the bridge piers. Not too much was visible except for what was directly outside the car window. Bummer. Anyways, we had a nice brunch at a waterside restaurant in Sausalito, just across the bay. Walked through the cute shops and bought some taffy, MMmmm.

   

As the three of us headed back into the city, the sky had cleared somewhat, and we could almost make out the top of the bridge. woohoo! thinking we could see something now, we drove our way up to Coit Tower, which would have made a great overlook had the elevator been working… Oh well. We then spent our last few hours in the city at the SF MoMA , checking out some modern art. It’s no NYC MoMA, but glad we went nonetheless.

   

Follow this link for the entire photo set.

   

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