Open Streets Wisconsin
Open Streets was a huge success on Wisconsin Avenue l! The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) held Open Streets in Ward 3 on Saturday, November 5, 2022, from 9 am to 1 pm along Wisconsin Avenue, from Tenley Circle to Western Avenue. Wisconsin Avenue closed to traffic and became a pedestrian-only experience.
This was a great opportunity for Friendship Heights businesses to spill out into the street and interact with the community! Open Streets is a global initiative that offers communities the opportunity to experience their city streets in a whole new way by temporarily closing roadways to vehicles to reimagine public space, prioritize people over cars, provide easy access to recreation and health-oriented programming, and promote local economic development by helping support businesses.
Details of the event:
Welcome to the first Open Streets event on Wisconsin Avenue! A full schedule of events will be posted in the coming weeks. Expect fantastic free fitness classes, art activations, live music, and plenty of space on the street for walking, biking, scooting, strollering, and people-watching.
In addition, The Shops at Wisconsin Place will hold its fall festival on the plaza in front of Bloomingdale’s, and restaurants north of Western Avenue will be open for brunch, lunch, and happy hour! Details forthcoming on specials and promotions.
Wisconsin Avenue will be closed at every side street from Western Avenue down to Tenley Circle. Any vehicles along Wisconsin will be towed. More details on timing are coming soon.
Fort Reno Exhibit Tours
Learn more about the history of Fort Reno, Reno City, and the Chesapeake House via an exhibit in the windows of Pepco's Harrison Street Substation.
Fort Reno Historic Exhibit Tour
We held 2 tours of the exhibit in the Pepco substation windows with historian Neil Flanagan. Take a deep-dive into neighborhood history of Fort Reno, Reno City, and the Chesapeake House.
Saturday, April 1, 10-11 am and Saturday, May 6, 10-11 am.
About the Exhibit:
The Fort Reno exhibit was researched, organized, and written by students involved in the Community Coalition of Change club (CCC) at Jackson-Reed High School (formerly Wilson High School). Research was conducted to explore the deep and varied history of Fort Reno from the Civil War era to the present in an effort to better understand how our community evolved and changed. The CCC is dedicated to sharing the full history with the ultimate goal of presenting the many facets of Reno in a proposed permanent exhibit to be placed at the Chesapeake House at the corner of Belt & Chesapeake Streets NW.
Special thanks to the National Park Service, Pepco, Tenleytown Main Street, Maggie Downing of the DC History Center, Athena Angelos, Lucy Pope, Constance Sprague, Ian MacKaye, Neil Flanagan, Emily Swartz, and Friends of Reno for their collaboration and contributions.
About the Community Coalition for Change
The Community Coalition for Change (CCC) is a student-led social justice and community club started at Wilson High School in 2019 committed to uncovering the history of Reno and promoting more affordable housing and diversity in Ward 3. For more information, click here (QR code here)
Friendship Heights Alliance
The Friendship Heights Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating a dynamic and vibrant neighborhood through placemaking, community building, and collaboration. Creating venues for arts, local history, and community gatherings is key to our mission. This exhibit was coordinated, managed, and financially supported by the Alliance.
About Pepco
Pepco provides safe and reliable energy service to approximately 919,000 customers in the District of Columbia and Maryland. The Pepco Harrison Substation Window Gallery features rotating art installations and community-focused exhibits to help enliven the Friendship Heights neighborhood.
A December event to launch and celebrate this important history and those who contributed included a brief program including the following speakers Matt Frumin, Ward 3 Councilmember-elect
Donna Cooper, Pepco
Natalie Avery, Friendship Heights Alliance
Marc Minsker, Assistant Principal, Jackson-Reed High School
Neil Flanagan