Five Reasons Why I Love 11th Street
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By Chris Seek, President/CEO of Solimar International
Five years ago, I began looking for a new office space as Solimar started to take off and had outgrown our tiny space above the Pizza Mart in Adams Morgan. We knew we didn’t want to be downtown, and that we wanted a space that fit our company culture. A neighborhood we would be proud to call our own.
We searched across the District but weren’t satisfied with what we were finding. Nothing was a right fit for us until we found an ad for a place available on the corner of 11th street and Park Rd. At first we were a little hesitant about the area – after all, at that time there was only Wonderland Ballroom and Red Rocks on the street, and Columbia Heights was nothing but a construction site. We decided to sign a lease in large part due to one of our friends from Adams Morgan planning to open Meridian Pint in the same building. However, being DC, it took the developers over a year to get the permits to begin construction and we had to pull out and move to a place in Logan’s Circle. Two years later we found ourselves again needing a bigger place and this time zeroed in on 11th St as we saw the neighborhood begin to transform. As fate would have it, the same place from two years ago was available and we jumped at the opportunity and signed a long-term lease. Two years later, we are now part of this community and love everything about it. The first thing someone says when visiting our office, regardless if they are a new university intern or a delegate from the Sri Lankan Ministry of Tourism, is “I love this neighborhood”. And why wouldn’t they? I truly believe this is the greatest 3 blocks in the District and here's why:
1) The neighborhood businesses - I might be a little biased here since I have been fortunate to meet and get to know many of the business owners and their staff, but these places are a large part why this neighborhood is so great. You won’t find a chain restaurant or coffee shop on this street. Each of the independent businesses is unique and creative. Since many of the commercial spaces are small, the businesses have been forced to simplify their menus and specialize. It’s this intimate feel of each business and the fact that you often find the owners on site that make these places special. They take pride in delighting their customers and it's something that everyone notices.
2) The neighborhood residents – both the new and the old, the residents of 11th street are another reason why this neighborhood is awesome. The residents are the ones that are working in the businesses, the regulars at the bar, and friends at the dog park. Walking down the street people say hello. If you don’t believe me, walk into The Coupe in the morning and you will find a group of regulars that will be happy to talk city politics, weather or the latest heartbreak from the Redskins. The residents also chip in and work together to clean up the street as seen here in a recent block party organized by Arthur’s Grocery.
3) It’s way different than 14th St / Columbia Heights – I am glad to see Columbia Heights take off with new apartments, new businesses and all the people coming to the neighborhood and spending money. However, the type of development that is taking place on 14th Street doesn’t compare to that of 11th. On 14th Street you'll find national chains like Chipotle, Panera, Starbucks, etc, where as on 11th St you have DC-based entrepreneurs creating unique and memorable experiences. Granted, some of them are successful entrepreneurs and have other businesses in the city, but their 11th Street operations are one-of-a-kind.
4) It’s not Adams Morgan, U St, or H St – Don’t get me wrong, there was a time in my life I loved going to these new neighborhoods on the weekends, but is not really a place that I would take my wife, kids, or friends now. While 11th Street offers the same opportunity to bounce around and visit several places in one night, you can do so without worrying about someone bumping into you with the goal of starting a fight, or someone puking up pizza on your shoes.
5) It's Dog and Kid Friendly - When I get a chance to go out with just friends or my wife, most of the time I grab a meal or a drink on 11th St, and now I have the option to include my two kids and my pug Maté. All the businesses on this street welcome kids and many have patio seating that allows me to bring my dog. Whether it’s the Elote (corn on the cob) from El Chucho , breakfast for dinner at The Coupe , pizza at Red Rocks , the grilled cheese at Room 11 , johnny cakes at Kangaroo Boxing Club , fried pickles at Wonderland , gelatto at Maple , or the mac and cheese at Meridian Pint – I know I can find a place that my kids and I will love and know the restaurant won’t be annoyed with who I bring along. To top it all off, I can drop Maté off for a bath and grooming at Claws and Paws while I am enjoying a meal.
This is why I love 11th Streeet, but what about you? Use the comments below to tell us why you love this neighborhood!
Andres Calvo 24 November 2013 at 19:49 | # very nicely expressed Chris, 11th street definitely has a special positive vibe. reply
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24. November, 2013 | #
very nicely expressed Chris, 11th street definitely has a special positive vibe.
21. October, 2013 | #
I am really sad to them go as, well. I think that it added variety to our community and to the variety of the businesses.
16. October, 2013 | #
I am heartbroken to see these guys leave. I started every morning with a coffee here and loved talking with the owners about anything...
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