The Gracie- Drywall Finished

The drywall is all hung and almost entirely sanded at The Gracie.  Tomorrow, the interior doors will come for the bottom two units, which will be a big milestone (interior doors and trim).  We're taking advantage of the relatively nice weather (almost 30 degrees!) to finish a lot of the exterior work.

In the front, the masons are repointing the brick and installing the new brick at the new top level balcony.

In the rear yard, two carpenters worked to install the new decks.    The support posts here are only temporary until we cast the new large ones later this week.

This is the first picture where you can sort of make out the layout of the top unit.  That patio door is just resting there- that's the kitchen.  Also, that rail is for the exterior but it was temporarily placed on the balcony to prevent anyone from falling over.

The water service contractors returned to run the new sewer line to the alley.  Roger supervised the digging.

The basement is all sanded and ready for priming and trim, which we'll start tomorrow.

Construction Progress- The Charles

The condo project at 2431 Ontario Road is steadily progressing.  The underpinning in the basement finished today, and tomorrow they'll start forming up the rear walls.  We hope to have the foundation finished by the end of the week next week.  That timing will be ideal because all of the masons should be finished at The Gracie project and can come build the rear walls here.

Here's one of the concrete workers setting one of the forms.  The line on the brick wall shows the old height of the basement, and where he's standing is the new height.  We dug down about three feet because a foot will be under the new slab, and then we'll finish with a ceiling height of almost 9 feet.

The guys poured the floor sections in five different pours so it was never fully excavated at one time.

Construction Progress- The Gracie

The Gracie project is moving forward rapidly, even ahead of schedule.  We've been slowed down by the weather, but for the most part no major delays.  Last year we lost almost two weeks of work with all the snow, so it's nice to be able to work without interruption.  This week, the sheetrock guys are working in the house and the brick guys are repointing the brick in the front of the building.  Tomorrow, we're going to start on the rear decks.

We moved the scaffolding from the rear to the front.  Today, our excavator came with the Bobcat to remove all of the dirt and bricks from the rear so we can start on the decks.

Here's the first floor kitchen.  Pretty amazing how fast the sheetrock goes up.

Here's the third floor kitchen and living room.  The exposed brick was cleaned but still needs some repointing.

This is the basement before cleaning.  It looks like a hurricane came through.

New Appliances

We ordered Kitchenaid appliances for the condos at 1470 Chapin St NW, and we're excited about giving them a try.  The Architect 2 series gets outstanding reviews, and they look really sharp.  Buyers were asking for them, so we decided to try them out.  Here are the products we selected:

Construction Progress- The Gracie

Even though it's freezing outside, we're still getting a ton of good work done at our condo project in Columbia Heights.  It's so cold that if the masons don't keep a massive heater within 2 feet of their mortar fix it instantly freezes solid.  That's pretty cold.  Fortunately, the building is insulated now and most of the windows are installed so it's not so bad inside.

The back of the building has been fully painted and most of the windows are installed.  Once the sheetrock crew is working inside next week, we'll start on the rear decks.

Amazingly, the masons are still installing more blocks on the roof for the parapet walls.

The roofers worked today to install the new roof membrane.

Here's the view of the loft in the top unit.

From the roof, there's an incredible view of the Washington Monument to the south.

To the east, you can see the convention center and the Capital.

Inside, we used a special cleaner on the exposed brick.

Neighborhoods- Adams Morgan

The Charles Condos are located at 2431 Ontario Rd NW in Adams Morgan.  I lived for several years right around the corner on Mintwood Place, so this area is near and dear to my heart.  It's an exciting place to live not only because it has so many bars and restaurants, but also because it's so close to everything.  From Ontario Rd., you're a 10 minute walk from people-watching in Dupont Circle, the Zoo in Woodley Park and shopping in Columbia Heights.  Here are some favorite neighborhood spots:

1.  The Diner (2453 18th St NW)

 

 

The Diner has a massive menu with large portions, and it's open 24 hrs.  What more could you possibly want?  Photo curtesy of stationstart.com

The Diner is a restaurant on 18th St that has excellent food and a fun atmosphere.  It serves everything you'd expect at a diner- like breakfast all day and hamburgers- but they also surprise you with dishes like salmon with mango salsa.  Another good bet here is a pressed sandwich, like a cuban or a croque madam. 

2.  Tryst (2459 18th St NW)

Tryst is a unique establishment that is hard to define.  Photo courtesy of about.com

Tryst is a little bit of everything- restaurant, coffeeshop, bar and meeting space.  Whatever it is, it works.  This place is packed at almost every hour of the day with people meeting friends, meeting for work or just relaxing with a book.  There have a variety of comfortable couches, large tables and normal tables for whatever it is you've come here to accomplish.  I enjoy coming here for a large cup of tea- which comes in a french press- and a homemade muffin.

3.So's Your Mom (1831 Columbia Road NW)

This is how a real pastrami sandwich should look and taste.  Photo courtesy of iflipforfood,com

So's Your Mom is the best authentic Jewish deli in DC.  They serve only top quality Boar's Head meats, H and H bagels and make all of their own tuna, chicken and liver salads.  My favorite sandwich here is the "half and half"- half pastrami and half corned beef on toasted rye with mustard and muenster cheese. 

4.  Pasta Mia (1790 Columbia Rd NW)

Pasta Mia is for serious pasta fans.  Photo courtesy examiner.com

It's small and easy to miss, but Pasta Mia is worth the search.  It's a tiny restaurant that almost always has a wait and opens and closes pretty much whenever they feel like it.  However, people still line up here every night and often wait over an hour to try the homemade gnocchi, rigatoni and spaghetti.  I'd recommend coming hungry because the portions are enormous.

5.  Bourbon (2321 18th St NW)

Even if you don't drink bourbon, Bourbon the bar is a great place to grab a drink with a friend.  Photo courtesy dc.metblogs.com

Adams Morgan is famous for the nightlife, so this list wouldn't be complete without at least one bar.  Bourbon is a great bet because it has an incredible selection of bourbon, great food, and a down-to-earth vibe.  On a crowded night, it doesn't feel cramped because they have a second level for private parties and a hidden outdoor patio (shh...keep it a secret).  If you eat here, don't pass up the peanut butter pie for dessert- it's homemade and incredible.

6.  Harris Teeter (1631 Kalorama Rd NW)

The Harris Teeter is large, well-stocked and clean.  Photo courtesy of dcist.com

The Harris Teeter is only a block away from The Charles, which will be a huge benefit for the new residents.  This grocery store opened just three years ago in a building that used to be an ice rink.  Even though I now live on the other side of town, I still drive out of my way to do my shopping here.  The prices are good, the produce is fresh and the store has a great layout.  If for some reason you have loyalty to another store, you're in luck because there is a Safeway a block away and a Giant about four blocks away in Columbia Heights.

2108 10th St- Coming Soon!

We're pleased to announce our next project, which will be at 2108 10th St NW.  It's the property directly adjacent to our last project, The Thompson Flats.  The new building will be a mirror image of that project.  When completed, the two buildings will look like one building.  We plan on breaking ground in April of this year and should be finished (if all goes according to plan) by October.

Here's the house.  It's a small 2 BR/2 BA house that is slightly set back from the street.

Even though it looks smaller, the lot is actually the exact same size as the property next door.  Also, there is currently a small walkway, which will be removed.

Construction Progress- The Charles

We finally obtained all of our permits for the excavation at 2431 Ontario Rd NW before New Year's, and we're now working hard to get caught up. The rear of the yard has a pretty incredible amount of dirt to take out.