Llamas’ Corner, the Baltimore-based café is set to open in DC at 705 8th Street, SE, in the space formerly occupied by Souk. Their Instagram page says they will open Saturday, June 6. https://www.instagram.com/p/DY5g2vSEZZj/
This feels a bit like the return of the café society which has been in decline in recent years on Capitol Hill; this is the latest “third space” to open on Barracks Row, joining As You Are and CIVIC on 8th as hubs where the community gathers for conversation, community building, and exchanging ideas.
From their website:
“We’re passionate about llamas and their ability to bring joy and inspiration to everyone they encounter, which is why we’ve incorporated them into our shop’s decor and menu.
At Llamas’ Corner, we’re also dedicated to sustainability and healthy options. That’s why we only source organic, fair-trade, and chemical-free premium coffee beans, ensuring that each cup of coffee is not only delicious but also ethically sourced. We also offer a variety of healthy breakfast and lunch options that are made with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible.”
Their menu will feature coffee, Boba tea, paninis, and pastries.
Portrait of the Artist: Another Side of Barry Margeson
by Larry Janezich
Posted June 3, 2026
Barry Margeson
Back in 2007, Barry Margeson was selling art on the playground of what was then Hine Jr. High School – now the Residences at Eastern Market. He says, “I’ve always loved
Eastern Market and when I returned to DC after getting my MBA I started making art in a sort of autodidactic way.” He said he talked to Carol Wright, who was operating the Eastern Market Flea Market on Saturdays, and signed on as one of her vendors.
The first three images below illustrate the style and techniques he was using during this period. Asked about the genesis of the pieces, he references Alexander Calder, Joan Miro and Henri Matisse and says, “Their colors and shapes inspired the art that I started making. I was painting acrylic onto watercolor paper and then cut out shapes and glued them to the surface to create a piece of art.”
When fire destroyed Eastern Market in 2007, he moved to Italy for a year and had two shows in Milan. He returned to DC and was hired by DGS as the manager at Eastern Market.
Untitled. Painted, cut, and glued paper. 2008 27” X 45”
Asked how art fits into his life, he says “It’s something I’ll always do and then points to how he has almost unconsciously designed his living space to reflect what he was creating in his pieces.
Untitled. Painted, cut, and glued paper. 2008 27” X 45”
He especially missed the presence of a detail in this piece which he sold and then recreated a full sized piece of the detail shown below to hang in his home. He says, “If you took a photo of that wall of my house where the detail hangs, it could easily be one of the interiors from my early pieces.”
Untitled. Painted, cut, and glued paper. 18” X 24”
In the early 2010s he stopped making art for a while, then began experimenting with alternate styles but says he “struggled figuring out where to go with that. I used spray paint for a bit and then got back into acrylic about a year ago and began making something in the style I’m working in right now and added the LED component recently and really like that. I think that’ll be part of my art for a while now.”
Untitled. Canvas, acrylic, LED lights. 26” X 35”
Untitled. Canvas, acrylic, LED lights. 26” X 35”
Asked about the source of his inspiration for his latest pieces, Margeson talks about a “beautiful piece of art he bought from an Eastern Market weekend vendor, Cherif Mamadou.” He says, “Cherif is from the Ivory Coast and has a large variety of styles. I bought one of his pieces and it was up in my home for probably three years before I began to riff on it and began to develop this new style that I’m working with now. There’s paint on paint – there’s texture. There are colors that I love together – orange and light blue.”
Asked about the LED element, he says, “I’m of the light bright era – anyone born in the 70s is probably familiar with the little boxes with light patterns in them, and I always wanted to do something like that. When I finished the acrylic stage of the first piece, it just didn’t feel finished and so I started doing that and I liked it.”
Sunday afternoon, signs on the doors of Trader Joe’s announced the store is having electrical issues and is closed until further notice.
Albert’s Liquor at 328 Kentucky Avenue, SE, was on the market in late 2025, but is currently off market with apparently no interest from potential buyers, despite price drops.
A couple of years ago, community volunteers cleaned up the triangle park adjacent to Albert’s Liquor kitty corner from Safeway, but it has since become a messy eyesore. According to ANC6B Parks and Public Space Taskforce, CM Charles Allen has provided funding to refurbish the park and the Taskforce will discuss how to support the effort at its Monday night meeting – see below.
This spring, DC Department of health is launching a three pronged approach using baiting, tracking powder, and fertility suppressant to target the rodent population. According to DC Health, in FY 2025 the Rodent and Vector Control team conducted approximately 35,000 rodent abatements. The data shows that approximately 37% of rodent activity is concentrated in 6 zip codes.
The renovation of SE Library is beginning to have a finished appearance. Here’s a photo of the south side of the SE Library looking NW.
Here’s Joel and Pearl Bailes and the Capitol Hillbillies – a group they founded in 1983 – at Eastern Market on Sunday afternoon. The Capitol Hillbillies (and others) make up theCapitol Hill Cajun Orchestra which hosts the next Cajun Dance on Capitol Hill, Tuesday night, June 2, 7:30 to 9:30pm, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 301 A Street, SE. All ages welcome. Free admission.
The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from Last Week
by Larry Janezich
Posted May 31, 2026
The Week Ahead…
The Week Ahead…
Monday, June 1
ANC6C Alcohol Beverage & Cannabis Committee is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting a 7:00pm.
ANC6B Parks and Public Spaces Task Force will hold an in-person meeting at 7:00pm.
The meeting will be held on the second floor, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue. Entrance next to Trader Joe’s.
Among items on the draft agenda:
Rumsey Pool – letter urging that the next DPR community meeting, planned for “spring,” be held prior to August.
Triangle Park Near Safeway, a new opportunity – Discussion of how to support the effort to refurbish the triangle park near Safeway offered by means of funding procured for that purpose by CM Charles Allen.
Proposed Committee Activity: Discussion of how to implement a proposed plan for monitoring of parks.
Street Facing Park Benches. Discussion of why benches just re-installed at Stuart Square all face the street rather than the park.
Discussion of need for signage at Garfield Park and Rumsey Pool.
Tuesday, June 2
ANC6B Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
Capitol Hill Corner Would Also Like You To Know About:
Tuesday, June 2
Cajun Dance on Capitol Hill.
7:30 to 9:30pm, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 301 A Street, SE. Lively Cajun French music from southwestern Louisiana. Dance to two steps and waltzes played by the Capitol Hill Cajun Orchestra. All ages welcome; free admission
Friday, June 5
Friday Night Live at Eastern Market Metro Station Plaza
African American Music Appreciation Month
5 PM – 6:30pm – Love Station Band – R&B of the 60s, 70s & 80s
Sunday, June 7
Hill Center Event
American Roots Concert Series: Will Kimbrough In-person
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Will Kimbrough is a renowned Nashville-based singer-songwriter, an uber versatile multi-instrumentalist, a musician’s musician and was named the Americana Music Association’s Instrumentalist of the Year in 2004.
History comes alive at Congressional Cemetery. HCC is one of the only known cemeteries in the world with a dedicated LGBTQ+ section. To explore LGBTQ+ history and gay legacy in the nation’s capital, we hope that you will join us for our LGBTQ+ tour. Find out who is buried here, including many LGBTQ+ activists, and learn about DC’s role in shaping the contours of the gay rights movement.
Tickets are only $10 and all proceeds go to benefitting our non-profit mission of historical preservation and education. This is a non-refundable donation.
Updates on Rumsey, Sherwood, and Kingman Field/Dog Park
by Larry Janezich
Posted May 26, 2026
May 21, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation held a virtual meeting to update the community on the 8 current on-going capital projects in Ward 6.
Among them are three in ANC6B and ANC6A:
Update on Rumsey Aquatic Center: DPR continues working through the design process. As of April, approvals by the Commission on Fine Arts and the Historic Preservation Review Board have cleared the way for design work to continue. There will be two more community meetings on this project and DPR says they will “let everyone know when the meeting will be. DPR is looking for construction to occur between 2027 and 2028. Pool design is under review and efforts are being made to to get as much water as possible. Mitigation of issues associated with alley and vendor access is underway. ANC6B’s Parks and Public Spaces Taskforce will discuss the update and a proposed letter to encourage any community meeting proposed over the summer be scheduled at a time other than August. The image of the proposed design does not reflect recent changes which will be presented in the next community meeting.
Update on Sherwood Recreation Center: DPR is going through the process of hiring a design/build firm to start the design. Once the design is vetted with the community and agreement reached, the design/build team can go into construction. DPR will work with ANC6B and community and will have community meeting in August. This will provide an opportunity to give the design team the results of the survey and to work up an initial concept. DPR will have a total of three community meetings to talk about designs and provide an opportunity for feedback.
Kingsman Field and Dog Park Update: Project is construction and nearing completion which is rain dependent. DPR’s goal is completion of all work by end of June but that may push into July, depending on weather.
Here’s a list and status report on all eight projects.
DOUX Dessert shop is open – 615 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE – the site of the short-lived Pasha Castle.
Baklava, booza, Turkish delight, crepes, coffee & tea – For the dessert menu, go here: https://bit.ly/4fHfSox
Mott’s Market at 232 12th Street, SE.
Here’s a look inside as the Market moves toward opening.
Spray Parks – DPR Spray Parks like this one in Eastern Market Metro Park are open on the WEEKENDS ONLY (Saturday and Sunday) BEFORE Sunday, June 21, 2026. For more on pools and spray parkes, go here: https://dpr.dc.gov/page/outdoor-pools
Here’s a look at the former Harris Teeter Potomac Avenue store, now empty for four years and five months. Last January the company announced that they would terminate the lease on the space. Once a tenant is found, retrofitting the space will take time, so nothing appears to be on the immediate horizon. At least, the lights are on.
Construction of the DDOT Potomac/Pennsylvania Avenue Traffic Circle started last year and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026 – maybe. Prompted by its Transportation Committee and Commissioner Karen Hughes, ANC6B is moving proactively to recommend a prominent Washingtonian for whom to name the Circle. The plan is to select a name based on an on-line ranked choice voting process. Currently the proposed options are singer and pianist Roberta Flack (1937 – 2025), artist Elizabeth Catlett (1915 – 2012), and Bobby Mitchell, (1935 – 2020) the first African American football player for the Washington NFL franchise. More later on this.
The Week Ahead…
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
ANC6A Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
Update on application of DC Dank, 712 15th St NE, for a new cannabis retailer license.
New Business
Discussion of an application for a New Retailer’s Class “C” Restaurant with a Seating Capacity of 84 and Total Occupancy Load of 93 for The Hall on H Street, 1250 H Street, NE.
ANC6B’s Executive Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
Agenda: Consideration and adoption of agendas for the upcoming committee meetings as well and the agenda for the next monthly meeting of the Commission.
Wednesday, May 27
The Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee will hold a hybrid meeting at 7:00pm in the North Hall of Eastern Market.
Info on how to join the virtual meeting will be announced.
Agenda: TBA
Capitol Hill Corner Would Also Like You To Know About:
Saturday, May 30th,
The Dragon Clan!
Featuring professional martial artists, The Dragon Clan is an interactive, expeditious, and state-of-the-art ninja performance. It includes stunts, weapon handling, and magic tricks from three of the four ninjas: Thunder the Lightning Ninja, Blaze the Fire Ninja, Shiver the Ice Ninja, or our newest member, Sage the Earth Ninja.
12:00pm – 1:15 PM Eastern Market Metro Park (near the Children’s Playground)
Saturday, May 30
Capitol Hill Art League Brings Photography to Frame of Mine
The show opens on Saturday, May 30 with a reception from 3:30-4:30 pm.
Nine members of the Capitol Hill Art League (CHAL) bring their photographic skills to the Hill offering a range of subjects, both local and international, on display at the Frame of Mine Gallery at 545 8th Street, SE. Through June 27, 2026.
Saturday, May 30
Congressional Cemetery Capitol Connections Tour
11:00am – 12:30pm
Established in 1800, Washington, DC was the fledgling capital of a fledgling nation. Built to house the seats of federal government, the nation’s capital soon became a city in its own right, a place where people lived, worked, and, of course, died. A mix of congressmen, merchants, military officers, diplomats, architects, and enslaved individuals comprised the fabric of the new capital, an experimental mix of people in an experimental new nation. We invite you to experience the lives of the people in the early days of the Federal City in a special tour of the cemetery grounds. For more and for tickets, go here: https://bit.ly/4x35mOS
Sunday, May 21
Congressional Cemetery – Notes from the Crypt Concert
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Join us for an enchanting afternoon of classical music in the Historic Congressional Cemetery Chapel. Admission is free and seating is first come, first served. Doors open at 1:30 pm.
Dennis Corkery, Offic of theAttorney General – photo credit, Dennis Corkery from LinkedIn.
How DC Responds to Vacant/Blighted/Nuisance Properties
by Larry Janezich
Posted May 19, 2026
Last Thursday, ANC6A, Chaired by Commissioner Amber Gove, heard from a panel of DC officials on how the city addresses the issue of vacant, blighted, and nuisance properties. The presentation was coordinated by 6A Commissioner Roberta Shapiro, who brought the Department of Building’s (DOB) Keith Parsons, the Office of Tax and Revenue’s (OTR) Frank Bessenyei, and the Office of Attorney General’s (OAG) Dennis Corkery, to the Commission.
DOB
Keith Parsons took the lead in the presentation noting that addressing the issue of vacant and blighted properties starts with DOB. The role of DOB is two-fold.
Identifying properties as either vacant or blighted.
If the property has violations they have an abatement team and contract abatement to correct some issues, e.g., grass, trash, boarding up, and mitigation of structural issues.
Enforcement starts with a complaint filed with DOB on the website, here: https://dob.dc.gov/ (under Inspections and Enforcement) which provides a menu to request a vacant or blighted property inspection.
Filing the form triggers a property inspection. Prompts help DOB identify what they will potentially do. Inspectors try to determine if anybody is actually living in the property day to day or using the property day to day in business. If any part of the property is occupied, the entire property qualifies as occupied – one unit in a 700 unit apartment house qualifies the entire structure. Using the garage in an otherwise empty commercial building qualifies. An investor who buys five empty store fronts and puts them all in one tax lot and occupies one store front qualifies all five as being occupied.
As a side note, Parsons clarified that DOB does not handle squatters but MPD can and DOB will alert MPD to squatters when that is part of the complaint.
Filing a complaint will generate a confirmation email and by replying a complainant can find out what happened.
There are a number of exemptions a property owner can claim to postpone the declaration of property as vacant. These include, among others, ongoing construction, listing a property for sale, property is under probate or litigation, hardship, and application for permits.
Here’s a link to DOB’s Vacant Property Tax Dashboard which displays a map showing the location of every one of DC’s 4472 vacant properties https://bit.ly/4dRQOK5
OTR
Frank Bessenyer said that OTR communicates with DOB on updating and changing classification of properties.
OTR’s Assessment Services Division is responsible for billing and collecting real property taxes and a corrected tax bill is issued promptly once DOB notifies of a change in status – usually within 48 hours. The tax rate for a vacant property is 5% – for a blighted property it’s 10%. Vacant lots are not taxed at the higher rates.
Any property for which taxes are in arrears is potentially subject to a tax sale – technically it’s the lien that is sold and that starts a foreclosure process unless the owner decides to redeem the lien during the 2 – 3 years the foreclosure process takes. If the tax lien does not sell, the District continues to offer it in future sales. If it still does not sell, the lien may go to a discount tax sale where bidding on properties starts at $300.
OAG
Dennis Corkery works in the Workers’ Rights and Anti-Fraud Section of OAG. His office deals with nuisance properties involving drugs, firearms, and prostitution. OAG can bring lawsuits against the owner of the property if there’s a nuisance going on. OAG has to go after the owner – so if there’s an absent land lord or owner there’s not much they can do.
Corkery cited a recent OAG success in ANC6A at the property at 1000 C Street, NE. The property was vacant for over a decade and the owner submitted endless exemption requests which Corkery said were either fake or designed to take advantage of the process. OAG filed suit and was ultimately awarded default judgement. (The owner – George Papageorge – must pay $1.8 million in back taxes.) US Marshals will sell the property and the money used to pay for the judgment.
1000 C Street, NE. Photo credit: Google Maps. 2025
Wednesday Noon: New Eastern Market Rodent Control Plan – Virtual Community Meeting
REMINDER: Capitol Hill business owners and community stakeholders are invited to join DC Health for an important virtual community meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, May 20, from 12:00-1:00 PM, regarding a new targeted rodent control “blitz” initiative coming to Eastern Market.
This pilot effort brings together residents, businesses, and ANC commissioners to address rodent activity through a coordinated, data-driven approach. During this session, DC Health will share what to expect during the three-week blitz cycles, the methods being used, and how success will be measured.
Most importantly, this meeting will focus on partnership. Attendees will receive practical tips and guidance on how to reduce rodent activity, including proper waste management, property maintenance, and how to report issues through DC 311. Whether you live, work, or operate a business in Eastern Market, your participation is key to keeping our community clean, safe, and rodent-free.
For more and to register to receive a link for the virtual meeting, go here: https://bit.ly/4wX0qer
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“Stretching the Canvas: Ten Decades of Native Painting” opened on the 4th floor at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian last Friday. The exhibit contains 50 works by 40 artists and shows how American Indian art expanded after World War I and how Native painters began to advocate for themselves in a world that often ignored their talent.
Kay Walking Stick (Cherokee Nation): Homage to Chief Joseph. Walking Stick believed abstract art could address issues without using symbols.
Dick West (Southern Cheyenne): Untitled. Modernist abstraction.
George Morrison (Grand Portage Chippewa): No. 2. Explored abstract expressionism.
Diane O’Leary (Comanche): Untitled. O’Leary painted historical depictions of Indian life and strove to increase women’s representation in Native art, featuring everyday life and cooperative scenes of work.
Jeffrey Gibson (Mississippi Choctaw/Cherokee): Infinite Anomaly #1. Signifies a conceptual space to explore idenitiy, history and place. Gibson wss the first Native artist ever chosen to represent the US in the Venice Biennale.
Vision Zero Hardening at Maury Elementary (Constitution Avenue/Tennessee Avenue/13th Street) – DDOT will join to give an overview of the project which will start this summer following DC Water work in the area.
New Business
DDOT Public Space Permit. Della Barba Pizza is applying for a sidewalk cafe on the corner of 14th and East Capitol Streets.
Resolution on restoring better bus network funding – This passed at the full ANC 6A meeting on May 14, 2026. The TPS Committee will discuss briefly.
Ebike/e-scooter and sidewalk safety resolution from Commissioner Shapiro.
11th Street SE Bike Lane – The full ANC 6A voted to send a letter to DDOT in support of safer design for the north-south cycle track at 11th Street SE and I-695.
Gold Line – WMATA and DDOT announced plans for Bus Rapid Transit along Benning Road and H Street NE.
CANCELLED. ANC6B Public Safety Committee will hold a hybrid meeting at 7:00pm.
The meeting location will be 700 Pennsylvania Ave SE; Second Floor, Conference Room 1 (entry adjacent to Trader Joe’s).
Congressional Cemetery hosts National Treasure Hunt’s HEIST NIGHT
Team up with friends to crack clues, solve ciphers, and hack history as you race against foes to find the missing piece in a nearly 20-year-old treasure hunt! You’ll test your skills in history, science, logic, trivia, and more as you work together to solve escape room-style puzzles in a character-driven quest.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 