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1. Embrace the Culture at Atlas Performing Arts Center,��1333 H St. NE

Known as the arts hub of the corridor, this space hosts theater, spoken word, dance, music, and many more artistic performances. Atlas Performing Arts center often has free events for all ages. Catch the upcoming Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show this weekend.

2. Solid State Books, 600F H St. NE

Grab a glass and a novel at Solid State Books. This independent bookstore has a wide collection of books including different genres for all ages. For a nice touch buy a beer or wine, a tasty pastry or a snack. Community events and book signings occur on a weekly basis.

“ I think every neighborhood deserves an independent bookstore. Hub of culture, comfort and a place to discover things,” employee Scott Abel said.

3. Ride the Streetcar, H Street and Benning Road

Starting on the Hopscotch Bridge, the streetcar is a source of transportation for residents and visitors traveling through the corridor. And, it’s also free. The usual wait time for the streetcar is about 12 minutes and it runs every day of the week.��

Quick Bites

4. Turning Natural,��1380 H St. NE

For a healthier selection, Turning Natural serves healthy juices and bites. Try the Bob Marley smoothie with mango, papaya, peach, pineapple, apple juice, guava juice and hemp protein.

“We are all-natural, organic juice bar. We have a variety of homemade remedies and we donate free juices to cancer patients,” store associate Nya Morton said.

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5. Dangerously Delicious Pies: Pie Shop,��1339 H St. NE��

This is not your ordinary bakery. This rock n’ roll pie shop serves a vast selection of pies —��from apple to steak chili. To put the cherry on top, it’s also a bar and music venue. Catch a show from your favorite band, grab a beer and have a big, fat slice of pie.��

6. Ben’s Chili Bowl,��1001 H St. NE

If you have a big appetite, head over to Ben’s Chilli Bowl. A D.C. classic and historic eatery, this place is popular for its half-smokes, milkshakes, burgers and chili cheese fries. Visitors from across the country come to the District to take a bite of the secret recipe.��

“This is a staple in our community and it’s been here since 1958. The food is good. On a scale from 1-10, I give it a 9,” employee Timothy Puller said.

7. Starbucks,��625 H St. NE B

The corridor is home to the country’s first signing Starbucks where employees predominantly communicate using sign language. Don’t worry if you aren’t fluent in American Sign language, tablets are available to write down your order.�� It serves as a community space for the deaf and hard of hearing community and students from Gallaudet University.��

“I think it’s cool for people who don’t know about ASL or deaf culture to see that communication is possible,” Gallaudet student Tori Larson said.

Shop

7. The Glass Stache, 1111 H St. NE

Opened Nov. 7, this store has a collection of glass smokeware including vaporizers, pipes, cigarettes and tubes.

“We carry cool glass art. We focus on pipes from local artisans. We carry the full range of what you will find in quality glass as well as affordable options. We also do glass jewelry and CBD products,” one of the owners, Quinn Taylor said.��

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8. Maketto Store,��1351 H St. NE

This store is not only popular for being a Michelin Star restaurant, it’s also known for its marketplace on the first floor that sells high-fashion clothing. At Maketto you can find different brands like Comme des Garçons, Vans, Puma and Raised by Wolves.

Fitness

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9. Joy of Motion Dance Center, 1333 H St. NE

Get in tune with your inner Debbie Allen or Martha Graham and attend a master dance class at this studio. You can pop in for a quick workshop for fun or commit to one of their community dance school programs. Joy of Motion also hosts different events to showcase the art of dance.��

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10. Yoga District, 500 H St. NE

Sign up for a therapeutic yoga class at this small yoga studio. This studio focuses on building strength, flexibility and body movement. The average price for a workshop or class is around $23 for a one-hour session.��

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Dramatic new developments at Union Station will reshape the future of the transit hub and its surrounding areas. The station is set to have a major facelift with improvements to existing facilities and some new additions to its exterior.

The Federal Railroad Administration, the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation and Amtrak, under the umbrella of led by architecture firm Beyer Blinder Belle, plans to revamp the visitor experience at Union Station and the surrounding neighborhood areas.��

Their hope is to provide a to improve customer “capacity, reliability, safety, efficiency, accessibility and security, for both current and future long-term railroad operations at this historic station.”

The major purpose of Union Station’s restoration is to ensure longevity in railroad services, meet emergency evacuation requirements, and achieve ADA accessibility while preserving its historical value.��

The estimated of the 70,000 square-foot Claytor concourse will relieve the congested disarray and provide natural light on boarding levels. The project will also include new entrances at First and Second Street NE and a new Metrorail staircase provided by WMATA.

Passenger amenities will include more lounge space and restrooms for passengers on the Amtrak gates and a new Acela express fleet. A new bus facility and parking garage, as well as new 30-foot-wide platforms, are also among the improvements.��

H Street Bridge Replacement Project

The H Street ‘Hopscotch Bridge’, north of Union Station, will be by the District Department of Transportation to align with the needs of Amtrak’s future railroad plans. The new bridge will serve as a link to Union Station, however, the design still needs to meet the needs of other modes of transportation including buses, streetcars and rideshare vehicles like Uber, Lyft and taxis.��

Construction and engineering on the bridge is needed to replace supports and decks that are old and deteriorating to build a stronger foundation. These plans will temporarily halt residents’ access to the streetcar on the bridge, however, it will be replaced after construction with two sets of tracks and closer to the station.��

The Burnham Place at Union Station

In a collaborative effort with Amtrak and the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, real estate developer Akridge has a plan to create a 3 million-square-foot center over Union Station’s railyard. Burnham Place is set to include hotels, parks, plazas, residential and office space.��

The proposed vision for this project will give visitors accessibility from H Street NE and NoMa, provide running, biking and walking access and triple the capacity of passengers at Union Station.��

ShaLon Baranes Associates Architects, Thornton Tomasetti and the Laboratory for Architecture and Building are a part of the development team for this new project.��

Residents, commuters react

Union Station’s expansion will affect commuters that travel through the station and residents that live in the surrounding neighborhoods including NoMa, Capitol Hill and the H Street corridor.��

ANC 6C chair Karen Wirt efforts to address the plans for Union Station are well documented. She has reached out to leadership associated with this project addressing the possible burdens it will have on the community. In herto the director of DDOT back in 2018, Wirt expresses that she believes they are not successfully coordinating with other agencies involved in the project “to inform an appropriate design given the needs of future developments and the concerns of neighborhood residents.”

Last week, neighbors gathered at a hearing at Northeast Library to hear updates about the project and address their concerns.��

Mark Kazmierczak, member of ANC 6C Transportation and Public Space Committee, said he is supportive of the expansion of Union Station. However, he is concerned that it will cause greater traffic in the area.

“Given the amount of parking they are proposing for this, I think it’s going to encourage a lot of cars to drive when it’s not necessary and it’s going to create a lot more traffic in residential neighborhoods around Union Station,” Kazmierczak said.��

At the meeting, a representative from Burnham Place developer, Akridge, was in attendance to discuss and show residents 3-D models of different alternatives of the outcome of the expansion and Burnham Place development.��

Akridge representative David Tuchmann said at this point in the process the next steps are prioritizing the needs of all parties when developing Burnham Place.��

“Our analysis is that let’s figure out with a clean slate how do we serve the rail and the neighborhood needs and then get outer vehicles to and from the station.”

Many residents like Kazmierczak are excited for the development of Burnham Place, however, he said the developers are only focusing on the logistical needs of the train stations rather than the greater vision of the area.��

“I do like the idea of having a world-class destination train station area; a place that is beautiful and that people want to go. I think this is a great opportunity to create something like that but I’m worried that the people in charge aren’t really focused on that aspect of it,” he said.��

Greater connectivity is what residents are hoping for with this project. Due to Union Station’s current disconnect with the perimeter communities, many people in the District drive to the station. Residents are hoping that this new project offers a more walk-friendly environment to reduce congestion.��

Kim Lehmkuhl has lived in Capitol Hill for five years. Living blocks away from the station, she is there often to catch the Metro. She takes Amtrak on occasion and said the improvements to the train facility will be an upgrade.

“As far as Amtrak and MARC, the boarding and offboarding experience is a bit confusing the way the tracks are set up now, signage is crappy, the tracks are narrow. When you’re arriving unless you’re near the front of the train it’s actually kind of hard to tell you’re even at a station.” Lehmkuhl said.

She said the development of Burnham Place would be a great addition to the community.

“Having an actually walkable and bikeable green space on H connecting that corridor across North Capitol would be really great,” she said.��

91���� talked to commuters that travel through Union Station from other states about the new developments.

“Anything that is less chaos in Union Station I’m a fan of,” Madelyn Madewell, traveler from Central America, said. She said that Burnham Place would cause a “ton of traffic” and “huge mistake.”

New York commuter, Jennifer Itzkin, agreed. “I can only imagine that it will only cause more traffic which they don’t need.��

Representatives from the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation, the Station Expansion Project and their partners will continue to work with residents and people affected by this issue to enhance public participation on this issue.��

The post The nuts and bolts of DC’s estimated $7 billion Union Station expansion first appeared on 91����.

The University Legal Services, an advocacy agency that promotes and protects human rights for people with disabilities, reminded businesses to remove one-step or half-step entryways throughout the corridor. University Legal Services posted a list of 13 businesses, including Maketto and Stable restaurants, and others like Georgetown Valet and Insomnia Cookies for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.��

According to a by University Legal Services, in 2013, 11% of residents in the District reported having a disability. In addition to these residents, approximately 4 million tourists visit D.C. each year and many get turned away from restaurants and businesses due to inaccessibility.

ADA Title III ensures that people with disabilities have equal accommodations for all public businesses. Equal public accommodations mean that businesses must have wide door entryways and bathrooms that do not have barriers and with grab bars available.����

Businesses who do not comply with these regulations can potentially face lawsuits under the ADA.

However, Adam Mathews, front of the house coordinator of Maketto, is unsure as to why the restaurant is on University Legal Services’ list.��

Maketto’s restaurant on H Street NE is a communal marketplace with a men’s retail store in the front. Serving Taiwanese and Cambodian food, the restaurant also includes four dining rooms, two bars, kitchen space, and cafe.��

Mathews has been the frontman of Maketto since 2015 and said the restaurant is wheelchair compliant. He said one of the entryways is accessible for those who can’t enter through the second entryway due to the steps.��

However University Legal Services representative, Peter Stephan, said that based on their research that is not always the case.

“Our survey found Maketto’s accessible entrance door locked. Maketto’s other entrance door was open but had one step up to the door and one step down inside, making it impossible for wheelchair riders to enter,” Stephan said.

According to Mathews, a person with a wheelchair could be accommodated at a dining table or the bar and, due to the upstairs cafe being inaccessible, someone can bring their order down to them.

Behind the main dining room is an outdoor area that connects to the kitchen space.��

“We built this area to be ADA compliant. We have a ramp that leads directly into our kitchen,” Mathews said. “You can go from one end to the other of this restaurant with a wheelchair or any type of inaccessibility.”��

Stable DC is a Swiss-American fare restaurant that has three steps in the front entryway and was also included on University Legal Service’s list.

Stable’s General Manager Silvan Kraemer said the restaurant technically does not have to comply with ADA’s policies due to it being in a story building. However, they do offer an alternative entryway for those who can not enter through the front.

“We get people in with wheelchairs at the back of the restaurant,” Kraemer said.

Stephan disagrees with Kraemar’s statement.

“The ADA was passed almost 30 years ago and there are no expectations for businesses open to the public which can be made accessible. Stable’s entrance could readily be made accessible with three steps at its front entrance,” he said.

Getting into establishments, like Stable, in the corridor has been a battle for 65-year-old resident Jerry M. Wheeler. He has to pick and choose where he goes because of inaccessible entryways.��

“If I can’t get in, I don’t go in. I just go around. I’ll go somewhere else where someone will give me some help,” Wheeler said.

He said because of inaccessibility in these establishments, a lot of places lose business.��

“If you remove the humps out the way, they will get more business out the handicapped. It’s real simple but people make it hard.”

The post Advocates call out new businesses on H Street for disabled accessibility first appeared on 91����.

One man’s deaf brother was shot by a police officer because of lack of training. Another deaf and blind man has difficulty accessing affordable housing despite his disabilities. And a deaf child could have potentially received the wrong vaccine based on miscommunication in the doctor’s office.

Witnesses testified Tuesday morning in front of D.C. councilmembers Brandon Todd and Charles Allen about these and other examples of the struggles individuals of the deaf and hard of hearing community face. They were ��that would establish an Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing alongside the Office of Disability Rights.

The District is home to one of the largest concentrated populations of deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States and also holds Gallaudet University, the nation’s only institution for deaf and hard of hearing students. The bill would improve these individuals’ access to government programs, affordable housing, and better education by creating the official government office, according to its supporters.

According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, 38 states and territories in the U.S have an office for deaf and hard of hearing individuals, including Maryland and Virginia. But D.C. does not.

The legislation is sponsored by Charles Allen of Ward 6, who is actively working with deaf and hard of hearing advocates to draft the bill.

At Council today, young people are testifying in support of my bill to create a DC Office on Deaf & Hard of Hearing. We need to do more to elevate these voices & have the city do more to provide all residents the services & supports they need, especially better & more ASL.

— Charles Allen (@charlesallen)

Allen said, in part, he started this bill when a former ANC Commissioner in his ward attempted to go to two ANC meetings but was forced to skip one due to lack of American Sign Language interpretation.

“We as a city have got to do a lot more and we need to elevate this community,” Allen said.

Dupont Circle’s ANC 2B01 Commissioner, Matthew Sampson, who is deaf, can relate to the difficulties of getting information at meetings. In 2017 when he started to get involved in his community, he said he could only hear commissioners who used the microphones during the meetings and he would often miss a lot of information when people in the audience spoke.

“The Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing would smoothen this process out, not only for me, but for many other people in my neighborhood and for future generations of deaf people in D.C,” Sampson said.

Brianne Burger is also in full support of the bill. She is a 16-year resident of D.C. and a representative of the D.C. Association of the Deaf. During her testimony, she talked about a recent meeting she attended for emergency preparedness for people with disabilities at Gallaudet University. She said the guide for emergencies left out deaf residents and had no plan to communicate with them.

“If a disaster strikes D.C. tomorrow, every deaf person needs to run for the border of Maryland immediately simply because D.C. does not even recognize or include us in their emergency planning as it exists today,” she said.

Sean Maiwald, a Gallaudet alumnus and D.C resident, helped draft the bill with Allen’s office.

In Maiwald’s testimony, he cited statistics that show the District has one of the worst outcomes for deaf adults compared to hearing adults in regard to education and employment, according to . This study calculated data between 2012-2016 of the outcomes of deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Based on the study, D.C. is ranked at the bottom of the list at No. 50 in the United States for employment rate.�� In regard to high school completion, D.C is ranked 45 out of 52 and dead last for completion of a bachelor’s degree amongst deaf adults.

In order for this bill to become law, it must be passed by the D.C council and get approval from the mayor and congressional review.

The post Witnesses pressure DC Council to establish office of deaf, hard of hearing first appeared on 91����.

A D.C. man was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years on Friday morning for voluntary manslaughter in the death of a beloved D.C. bike advocate.

Back in April, Robert Earl Little Jr. pleaded guilty for the death of Dave Salovesh. In an attempt to escape police in a stolen Dodge Caravan, Little ran a red light at the intersection of 12th Street and Florida Avenue NE, hitting another car and then Salovesh, who was waiting at the stoplight on his bicycle. In court, Salovesh’s fatal injuries were described as causing “severe, crushing trauma” to his body.

Salovesh was a community leader who advocated for the safety of bicyclists in the District.

In addition to his sentence, Superior Court Judge Craig Iscoe added that when Little is released, he will spend five years under supervision, which will include drug testing and the inability to operate a motor vehicle within 48 hours of taking any substance.

Little will undergo drug treatment while in prison and must pay a $100 fee to the crime victims’ fund compensation.

During the sentencing, Judge Iscoe told Little that his actions were in “reckless regard” and hopes that when he is released from prison he is able to use this experience to help others “avoid the path that you went down.”��

Little apologized to the family and expressed that his actions were not intentional. “I regret what I did,” he said.��

Little’s lawyer asked the court to consider his humble upbringing and that he “used drugs to escape his reality.”��

In a courtroom overflowing with friends and family of Salovesh, Judge Iscoe admitted that this was one of the more emotional cases of his tenure. Forty-two friends and family submitted “compelling” letters to Judge Iscoe expressing how much they admired Salovesh.��

Jane DeStefano, the wife of Dave Salovesh, addressed the court expressing the positive impact her husband had in his community.��

“He would make anyone feel like they mattered,” DeStefano said.

She described her experience since her husband’s death as “a life without joy.”

“Without his terrible choices that day, my family would not be living this nightmare,” she said.

The post DC man sentenced to 8 1/2 years for death of beloved bicyclist first appeared on 91����.

The ban proposals come after President Trump’s administration push to ban flavored e-cigarettes and a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirming 530 cases of lung injury from 38 states and one U.S territory. The median age of those affected is 19 years old.

In addition, Ward 7 D.C Councilmember Vincent C. Gray proposed the requirement of medical prescriptions to purchase these products and will only be accessible at authorized pharmacies.

Seven deaths have been reported due to vaping, including Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Oregon and two in California.

The number of vapers has grown rapidly over the last decade, according to��. Based on their report, they expect the number of vapers to grow to 55 million by 2021.

H Street local Darnell Ford is one of those vapers. He is a regular at Nomad’s Shop, located in the H Street Corridor, and he visits at least twice a week to pick up vape juice, which he describes as “liquid tobacco.”

Ford has been vaping for about a year now, which he said allowed him to stop smoking cigarettes. He disagrees with the push against these products and the stigma getting placed on regulated vaping culture is due to people not knowing the distinction between tobacco and marijuana vaping.

“Marijuana vaping is a lot more unsafe than tobacco vaping because anyone can make a marijuana cartridge and sell it to you and you don’t know what’s in it,” Ford said.

Officials don’t have a definitive answer as to why hundreds of people are getting ill. However, the black market and underground electronic device sellers could potentially be a contributing factor. These products are often not regulated and tested for defects by professionals.

“It’s a war between traditional tobacco companies and this new generation of vapor products and alternatives,” said Jordan Payne, manager of Nomad Shop. “When people purchase off-market, fake, illegal weed cartridges you can’t really differentiate what’s really in it and they cut it with things that can be severe and dangerous to your health.”

Although bans are underway, Payne is not concerned they will affect Nomad Shop because they offer a variety of products. But even if the proposed bills end up passing, they have a plan to continue getting business.

“Restructure our market campaign so we could target in on another alternative. Maybe cigars or patches or gums. So people can still get away from that traditional way of smoking.”

Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, a nonprofit that advocates for sensible vaping regulation, agrees the “hysteria” around vaping is due to black-market devices.

“Ninety percent to 100% of these cases are specifically related to illicit or poorly manufactured THC cartridges,” Conley said.

Conley suggests many shops will not survive following the proposed bans around the country. “You can’t ban 90% plus of a product that a company sells and not expect them to either close or embrace gray market loopholes,” he said.

But most of all, he finds fault with the idea of the proposed bans themselves.

“That is the most ridiculous proposal in the country thus far.”

The post How ‘Vape Street NE’ will survive if e-cig bans pass first appeared on 91����.