Development Update: Foundry Lofts to begin Pre-leasing

foundrylofts2 For those of you who are anxiously waiting to live next door to the Yards Park, pre-leasing of the Foundry Lofts will begin August 15th and move-in will begin this October! The Foundry Lofts is an adaptive reuse of a historic Navy Yard industrial building and will be comprised of 170 loft apartments including 33 two-level penthouse apartments as well as 10,000 sq. ft. of street level retail. Located directly adjacent to the The Yards Park and the upcoming Boilermaker Shops, this is an unbeatable location to live in the Capitol Riverfront. The Lofts offer all the comforts of home and all Washington DC has to offer just outside your door.

Truckeroo Returns to the Capitol Riverfront on July 15th

truckeroo2 On Friday, June 3, 2011 between 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, the DC Foodtruck Truckeroo brought all of your favorite food trucks, live music, and beer to one Das Bullpen at Half Street SE. Truckeroo is a monthly festival held June through October showcasing food trucks from the Washington, D.C. area. Over 18,000 people came out to sample the fare of these mobile restaurants, and all 18 of the trucks experienced their busiest day ever.

Truckeroo 2 will take place July 15, 2011. This time, there will be between 20-25 foodtrucks to accompany the live music. Das Bullpen will be serving beer and other beverages. So come to the Capitol Riverfront, and enjoy this event. Admission is free.

Check out the Truckeroo website to learn more. Check out our flickr site for more pictures of the crowd.

Nationals' Ballpark Shakes Up Their Dining Options

bparkfood The Washington Nationals have opened four new eateries from Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group at Nationals Park. Fans can now choose from a variety of new culinary offerings including real pit barbecue from Blue Smoke, Belgian-style fries and dipping sauces at Box Frites, authentic Mexican food at El Verano Taquería, and ShackBurgers, hot dogs and frozen custard from the popular Shake Shack. Earning an unprecedented 24 James Beard awards, Meyer and his team offer new food options, give Miller Lite Scoreboard Walk a fun, tasty, and refreshed atmosphere.

The cutting-edge redesigned space will give fans an "All-American" baseball experience, inspired by the game's backyard origins. Offering fans an elevated view of the field on the Mezzanine Level with dining choices, pregame music and drink specials. This ballpark hotspot has been enhanced with the addition of a 15' x 25' HDTV screen behind the scoreboard and brand new furniture, giving fans a place to kick back without missing a minute of the action on the field. In addition to the new offerings, $5 happy hour beer specials will be available 2 ½ hours prior to scheduled first pitch at the Miller Lite Scoreboard Walk Bar for ALL remaining home games of the 2011 season.

Girls Make History Day at the Navy Yard Museum

The U.S. Navy Museum announces its third annual "Girls Make History Day," featuring activities based upon the historic characters of the American Girl book series, beginning at 10:00 AM on June 25, 2011 at the U.S. Navy Museum. This event is for families with children between the ages of 5-13. Families are invited to join U.S. Navy Museum employees and volunteers as they encourage children, especially young ladies, to take an interest in American naval and maritime history and science using activities based on the American Girl series. Jacqueline Dembar Greene, author of the Rebecca series, will be on hand to sign books and talk with program participants.

No RSVP is required to participate in Girls Make History Day this year. Questions about the event can be directed to (202) 433-6897 or navymuseum@navy.mil. All children attending the event will also be eligible for a raffle for a free American Girl Doll. Any child who chooses to dress as their favorite character will receive an additional raffle ticket for an American Girl mini-doll. More information about the event is available at www.history.navy.mil/NMUSN. Anyone interested in volunteering for Girls Make History Day should contact the U.S. Navy Museum Education and Public Programs Department at (202) 433-4995 or karin.hill@navy.mil for additional information. "Girls Make History Day" is free and open to the public.

Learn more about the U.S. Navy Museum and Washington Navy Yard on the Naval History and Heritage Command's homepage: www.history.navy.mil/NMUSN.

Ward 6 Family Fun Day in the Yards Park on June 25

Join Councilmember Tommy Wells and your Ward 6 neighbors on Saturday, June 25, 2011 for the 5th Annual Ward 6 Family Day in the Yards Park from 1:00pm - 5:00pm. There will be free food, live music, games and activities for the whole family as well as raffles featuring gift certificates from local businesses and sporting memorabilia from the Wizards, DC United and Washington Nationals! Zumba and Salsa dancing will be taking place courtesy of the health and fitness group, Samson's Daughter. Please call Ms. Pat Joseph at (202) 724-8628 or by e-mail for details.

Capitol Riverfront Photo Contest

The Capitol Riverfront is announcing a photography contest for the summer! As our neighborhood grows into a vibrant new destination we want your perspective to be at the foreFRONT. Bring your camera to events, the Yards Park, as you walk your dog or simply while you enjoy the riverfront and your photos may win you some great prizes. Winners will receive a gift certificate to Justin's Café and a prominent spot on our Flickr Site as a FRONT photographer. The five categories for submission include:

    * Best Life in the FRONT Photo
    * Best Yards Park Photo
    * Best Event Photo
    * Best Architecture Photo
    * Best Riverfront Photo

Submissions for the contest may be sent to david@capitolriverfront.org. Stay tuned to our newsletter for your opportunity to vote for the winners. The Capitol Riverfront photography contest winners will be announced at the end of the Summer Concert Series. Be creative, get out there and snap some pics!

National FreedomFest Celebrates July 4th at the Yards Park

freedom fest This July 3rd and 4th the National Freedomfest is coming to the Yards Park! Freedomfest features two days of DC's most popular Local, Regional and National bands and DJ's. Over 40 bands and DJ's will appear on 5 stages, and will be joined by a variety of food vendors and artisans. Come celebrate Independence Day in the Yards Park, and enjoy a variety of beers and wines with pairings. For tickets, including VIP Tickets that feature private entertainment and viewing areas, visit the HiBall Events' website.

The famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses will be showcased at FreedomFest throughout the 2 day event. Snap a picture then stop by and taste the Clash of Cupcakes - where the winning cupcake will be judged on Creativity, Presentation and Taste! The winning cupcakes will be featured at Clarendon Grill and Hard Times Café. #78 Society will host the Taste of Freedom tent where American wines and Budweiser beers will be featured with food pairings! #78 Society was founded by Washington Redskin Kory Lictensteiger. Join him, along with other athletes, as they celebrate America by giving a helping hand to America's children caught in adverse situations. Pictures and autographs with musicians and athletes are allowed. Contact Kathleen if you are interested in volunteering for the event.

Yards Park Evening Concerts from 6-8 PM on Fridays

yp concert The Yards Park Evening concerts continue tomorrow, June 17, from 6:00 - 8:00 PM with the Top 40 Tunes of The Congress.

The concert series occurs every Friday, until August 19th. Friday evening concerts take place from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm on the Boardwalk Stage. This week Devine Foods will provide delicious food, the beer/sangria garden will be run by Mie N Yu, and the CSX Kids Activity Zone will entertain the whole family. The event is free and open to the public. Be sure to check out the full line-up with our online calendar! Keep your eyes on our website during bad weather, and we will let you know if rain arrangements have been made.

Don't forget next week's Lunchtime Concert featuring the R&B group, Signature. Lunchtime concerts occur every Wednesday throughout the summer between 11:30 am - 1:30 pm in the Yards Park Lumbershed building. Food trucks will rotate each week so check the BID's website Wednesday morning to see the line-up of food trucks.

Faces of the Front: Carolyn Hicks

Carolyn Faces Carolyn Hicks, neighborhood resident and Yards Park volunteer has lived in DC for five years. Originally from Rhode Island, she now works at Conservation International - an environment oriented non-profit. Excited to live in DC, Carolyn said, "there is always something to do!" She has been living in the Capitol Riverfront for over 2 years.

Carolyn loves how close the neighborhood is to everything - being just a few metro stops from Penn Quarter or Chinatown and a quick walk to Eastern Market or Barracks Row. Yards Park is quickly becoming her favorite place in the neighborhood, because it is an active outdoor space. Carolyn said, "I am very excited to go [to the Yards Park] on weekends with my book and a blanket and just relax - there aren't many other neighborhoods in DC that can offer the same!"

Carolyn said, "Since I found the Capitol Riverfront I haven't looked back!" She appreciates that the neighborhood is the true community and that everyone is so friendly to each other. "Also, having a great view of the Capitol Building from my window is a huge benefit, I love coming home from work and watch the colors of the sky change with the Capitol dome as the backdrop."

Carolyn is looking forward to more dining, entertainment and retail businesses seeing the potential of the Riverfront. She said, "the few stores that we have now (Cornercopia, Justin's, Harry's) are great, but there is so much potential for growth." Carolyn believes the BID is doing a great job of getting the community together at the events that they are hosting, as well as getting other DC/Virginia/Maryland residents to our neighborhood. The concerts, Truckeroo, the outdoor movies are all recent events that show the great work that the BID is doing.

Green Feature: Rain Garden

raingarden volunteers Volunteers came to the Capitol Riverfront this June 12th to begin installation of the David Stemper Memorial Garden. Since 2009, the Surfrider Foundation's DC Chapter has worked to make the rain garden a reality. By capturing water before it runs into the Anacostia River this rain garden will help to educate people about watersheds, water pollution, and ways that homeowners and businesses can reduce stormwater runoff. The garden is almost 5,000 square feet, shaped in concentric circles of trees, planted swales, and gravel walkways. From above it's a ripple, a wonderful metaphor for the volunteers who are making this happen. The garden is named for dedicated Surfrider volunteer David Stemper, who passed away July 3, 2010.

Capitol Riverfront Board Chairman Eric Siegel of Cohen Companies made it possible for Surfrider to locate the garden on a space next to the Velocity Condos in Southeast DC, just a couple of blocks north of Nationals Park and the Anacostia River. With the help of REI and EcoSolutions, the Raingarden is taking shape. Rain Gardens are designed as shallow impressions that capture and soak up stormwater runoff from impervious areas like driveways, walkways, and even compacted lawn areas. They can be used as a buffer to shoreline areas to capture runoff from the home landscape before it enters a lake, pond, or river. The rain garden is planted with suitable trees, shrubs, flowers, and other plants allowing runoff to soak into the ground and protect water quality. Contact Rain Garden Manager Julie Lawson if you would like to volunteer, or learn more about the rain garden. You can also check out their blog.

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