We've been at this awhile. We've met many times already. We are quick becoming old pros at this and solidifying our business community base into an active, contributing, effective arm of our Cleveland Park neighborhood's business community. It's a lot of work. It's time-consuming. It's slow and at times seems fruitless / pointless. Why do it? Why continue? Why bother? Simple : because we believe in our diverse and lively and wonderful community : we believe in ourselves. We believe that working together like this that we can make a positive difference.
Our goal is to become the next " must-go / must-see/ must be-seen-at ! " Main Street. Why not?!? We've had lots of activities and special functions here over the years. That never changes. Cleveland Park - our neighborhood has been a destination spot forever it seems. Many politicians, writers, artists, movie stars, poets, architects, doctors, lawyers, boxing stars, owners of major sports franchises, historians, winemakers and wine owners, musicians, ballet stars, comedians, teen heart throbs, war veterans, food critics, chefs, wine enablers and educators, physical fitness experts, laundry experts, patisserie specialists, chocolate devotees, organic and bio dynamic aficionados, special cause advocates, volunteers, coffee impresarios, YOU NAME IT : their parents, children, other family members : WE HAVE IT ALL - have seen most of it all : HERE - our very own special SCENE TO BE SEEN , heard, appreciated, admired, studied, ... you get it, don't you?
Cleveland Park is a real bone fide original, authentic, special and magical slice of Washington D.C. life, of a Northwest D.C. neighborhood with the Uptown movie house, all the excellent local restaurants, a jewelry, special " wake-up " gifts, transcendental goodies, guitar and music store, excellent physical fitness spaces , yoga and more, gathering place for our pets' needs, great library and post office, laundry and key-making, notarizing and, tax and real estate specialists, pubs and billiard hangouts, wine specialty stores that " add to the equation, old-almost 100 years here-established pharmacies , bakeries and enchanted fountain and garden spaces with ancient grape arbors, too ... the list goes on and on and on. I know I have forgotten things. I am sorry for that. Please add anything in the comment section at the end of this blog.
Cleveland Park is history and the present and we are aware , too of the future : our future. What does it / will it hold? We want to make a difference. We want to contribute to this. We want to be relevant , to be heard. We want to continue to be the vibrant destination place that we have been and should still be.
This all simply requires constant vigilance and paying attention to/ working together with and combining resources and voices and concerns and needs to be an even better place - to offer even more than we already do.
We did finally as a community get the old MacDonald's space cleaned and repaired and rented to Tackle Box! Wow, that was a grand feat and we were here to foster and to witness this and it's really something. Go and support Tackle Box and keep them healthy and vibrant and constantly supplying us with the seafood that we love and crave. We owe the owners a big, heartfelt debt of gratitude. Bravo to them I say.
Here at this meeting at Lavandou restaurant ( mid 2011 ) many of us are gathered to listen to a representative, a fine lady speak about the national ( based here in Washington D.C. at the National Historic Preservation building off Massachusetts Avenue I believe ) Main Street program. We are using some of their basic guidelines in helping us do whatever we can to enhance and restore/ preserve our stretch of Connecticut Avenue Northwest. It was really quite interesting to listen to her speak and we all came away with many positive notes and possibilities to strive toward and perhaps incorporate. Lots of food for thought.
We also conducted our regular business as we worked to further solidify and grow our various committees. It's a constant attempt to stay focused, active and on track. It's time away already from our vary busy business schedules but we are willing to do it and to stay at it because it is already making a big difference in how we feel, what we know, strengthening our connections with Washington D.C. as well as with ourselves. It's well worth every ounce of energy and effort we expend.
That's me in the photo above with Florence the owner of Lavandou restaurant for the last twenty years now I believe? We are good friends. Funny, I have know her for almost twenty years and we took our daughter there when it was the smaller - original size and we ordered the calamari for her and called it " X's and O's " so that she would eat it and not leave it on her plate. It worked, too : she forgot that it was fish and actually loved it. She has liked going to Lavandou ever since then.
We have been meeting now for almost two years is it? We started small but we persevered. For many of those meetings we would gather at the old " 4 P's " Irish pub and restaurant across
the street from Lavandou. I have some excellent pictures of that to share here at some point. This is just the start of this as we all try and reach out even more to our community and to that of Washington D.C. and the larger metropolitan region around us that we serve. Everyone needs to know, everyone needs to hear, to be aware of what we are up to. We want to make ourselves relevant and a focus- re-focus. We know, you've heard about us, about our neighborhood, We want you to hear all over again. We want to brighten , tidy, focus, reaffirm and further flesh-out your impressions and desire to come and see again what we and all the fuss is about. We want you to be SEEN AT OUR SCENE!
And to think : I have written this whole blog and not even yet mentioned our marvelous National Zoo! We know that you all already know about that. That's marvelous! Really it's truly marvelous. We love our National Zoo, support our National Zoo and want it to always thrive and do well and prosper. WE want to prosper and do well and thrive right along with our National Zoo. WE are, after all one big team on all sides of the National Zoo.
You pass us by each and every time that you walk or drive to the zoo. You rush past in droves, in large and big groups. You are focused. You are driven : you have kids that only want to see the National Zoo. We understand all of this. However, and this is a big " however " : try and plan just a bit more time either at the start or at the end ( or both ) to visit some of our wonderful establishments. Give us a look or a gander , a quick stop to check this or that out, this or that service that we offer? We could all benefit from this? We can all work together on this. We have a lot to offer and we ask you : don't be so quick to not see any of this. Let us also be here for you as you and your family enjoys a visit to our great and wonderful and amazing National Zoo?!?
Anyway, come see us, come check us out, come again as if for the very first time. We'd love to welcome you, make you feel at home, at ease, and add to your lives just more of those special moments that we all need and want and cherish and , in fact deserve. We are here for you, here to stay, here for the long haul through thick-and-thin, good times, bad times. Cheers and thanks for everything and here's to many more still to come.
These are some of my views and impressions from this wonderful experience. I am a better person for it all and thanks the other members of the Cleveland Park Business Association for being a part of this whole group and experience. Salut, hasta luego, a presto, a bientot, until the next time we meet.
Stay-tuned for more. Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn
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