Joe Englert, H Street Restaurateur and Developer
Economic Gentrification of the Atlas District – Perspective: Joe Englert, H Street Restaurateur/Developer
by Larry Janezich
From Wikipedia:
“Joe Englert is a Washington DC area restaurateur.[1] He became known in the early 1990s for creating quirky themed bars, restaurants and entertainment venues on U Street[2]
In 2006, he began a venture to revitalize the Atlas District along H Street NE and turn it into a nightlife destination.[3] Englert purchased eight properties along on H Street to coincide with the city’s plan to renovate and reopen the long defunct Atlas Theater.”
CHC interviewed Englert after he suggested that CHC consider an article on how anti-business some ANCs had become. CHC thought the best venue for this view would be an interview with Englert himself.
During that interview, Englert revealed that he is a writer as well as a restaurateur. He’s currently writing an article for publication about a realist painter who lives near H Street, NE, who Englert characterizes as a “chronicler of the struggle between urban decay and renewal.”
It’s clear after talking to Englert that he sees himself in that same vein.
He says, “I was much more idealistic when I started H Street. I saw restaurants and bars as a way to get people back on the streets. I thought the end result would be more amenities – a swimming pool, art studios, public meeting places.”
Englert told Washingtonian magazine in May of 2012 that his vision for H Street was a lot of businesses –“the bike store, the rollerblade store, the mom and pop clothes emporium, the small deli…not just restaurants, but bakers, chocolate shops, museums, flower shops.” Asked last week what happened, he replied, “Somewhere, you run out of steam and money and are surrounded by fewer like-minded people. You can’t beat the market.”
In the magazine article, defending his aggressive move to bring renewal to the H Street strip, (some said at the expense of long time H Street retailers) Englert said, “What have others been doing except for joining alphabet groups and simply talking, not doing?”
The “alphabet groups” appear to be a reference to the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) – the lowest level of political organization in the city, and the first hurdle for developers to surmount in pursuit of liquor licenses, and historic preservation and zoning applications.
He says he’s been reading a lot about who designs cities. What interests him is the question, “What is the city and what can we expect from it?” He says he thinks they are being designed by “urban hipsters who ride bikes and want dog parks.” Englet says it’s harder and harder to have a relationship with ANCs. [Current] “ANC Commissioners are less willing to give-and-take and negotiate. They have a rock-hard concept of what the city should be like…the make-up used to be more varied.…now you don’t see the breadth and experience and open mindedness.”
Englert understands that his activities on H Street as an agent of change are responsible for the negative reaction to increased nightlife activity of nearby neighbors. His response: “People move in steps away from long established commercial corridors and expect the commercial outlets to bend to their will. I would do everything to make neighbors feel welcome – sound proof glass – 24 hour access on cell phone. People want peace – not to fight with the neighbors. The ANC paints with a broad brush.”
CHC has reported on how some establishments have violated the trust of the neighborhood and the ANC (like Lounge XII – see CHC posting here: http://bit.ly/1p04lfs). Englert says he thinks that “everything should be case by case.”
He also understands that his success in making H Street a food and drink destination (a playground for adults, some have said) has made it difficult for non-food business to survive. Owners of H Street buildings – as has happened with landlords on Barracks Row – ask rents beyond the reach of small retail. Englert asks, “Can retail really exist in 2014 when banks and lenders know that the highest and best use of a place is alcohol?” He cites figures that suggest that in order to support retail on H Street it would require a population of 30,000 within a one mile radius, and asks, “Without density, how can Capitol Hill change?” Asked how Old Town Alexandria sustains retail without Metro and density, he has “three theories – tourism, long established rents, and difficulty of entry for alcohol licenses in Virginia.”
He told CHC, “I think the only way retail can work now is if it is collaborative and coop in nature – a big foot print, low cost per square foot. Team up with a bar or coffee shop and have lots of spaces, modeled on an antique market coop.”
The changes Englert helped bring to H Street have advanced gentrification in the Atlas District, and in some ways, he is not happy about that. Englert says, there are no group houses anymore – they’ve migrated. That indicates to him that a tipping point has been reached. He asks, “How rich are the people moving to Capitol Hill? At some point, will (lack of) schools kill gentrification? How many families can own a $2 million house and still shell out $60,000 a year to send a kid to a private school – or have the will or the nanny to do a 20 mile round trip to insure their kid gets a ‘rightful education’? Does that mean gentrification will stall out without finding a way for people other than the rich to survive here? The question is, will Capitol Hill become a mini London or mini San Francisco where a plumber or electrician can’t survive within 50 miles?”
Still, he reasons, DC is very big – people are being pushed out from the center but out there, affordable housing is still available. “It’s a big place man – but it doesn’t make it any more palatable that there’s not a place for everybody.”
For Englert, H Street has become less interesting as the result of the prospect of Whole Foods opening an outlet here, but, he says, the nearby “industrial nature of the community going toward Florida Avenue, the railroad tracks near the old Uline Arena, Union Market and the warehouse district lend an interesting panorama.” Has he looked at Bladensburg Road or Anacostia? He says, “That’s a lot of years away.”
For Englert, “Capitol Hill is the most interesting place in the city.” Cleveland Park (where he lives) he calls “monolithic,” referencing the “tyranny of the two lawyer family and hyper achievers. People don’t mix – there’s less diversity.” When it’s pointed out that Capitol Hill is becoming less racially diverse because of gentrification, Englert says he sees “more socio- economic diversity here than anywhere else.”
“I see it as bar owner – it’s intergenerational. Sure, you have 28 year olds at happy hour, but during the day and on weekends, you are more likely to meet someone unlike you in a bar on Capitol Hill. He has opened several places on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, and says, “Pennsylvania Avenue is America’s Avenue – people walk past the Capitol and stop into one of my places for a coke and a side of fries. That’s the way you meet people.”
Following is an updated list of some of the bars currently owned by Englert: Argonaut, Vendetta (formerly the Palace of Wonders and The Red and Black), Rock and Roll Hotel, Granville Moore’s, H Street Country Club, The Big Hunt, DC 9, Trusty’s and Capitol Lounge. Englert also owns the building housing Lucky Bar. Some of the venues he formerly was involved in include: The Pour House, Pug, Sticky Rice, Enology Wine Bar, and State of the Union.
(Ed. Note: During the interview for this piece, several themes emerged which struck this reporter as reminiscent of ideas expressed in a recent CHC article on the residential gentrification of Hill East. (See here: http://bit.ly/1vfnhyZ) The previous article and this one both contain references to similar ideas. These include, the unintended consequences of bringing change to a community, the surprise that changing a place makes it less interesting to those responsible for the change, and the inevitability of “the market.” Finally, though this article makes no reference as did the first article to Andre Duany’s three waves of gentrifiers – the risk oblivious, the risk aware, and the risk adverse, the current piece is replete with those unstated references.)
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 
For the record, The “city” did not renovate or open the Atlas. Jane Lang did. It has been only in recent years that the Atlas has received any significant help from the city.
Also, don’t forget the H Street Playhouse had opened even before Joe opened the Argonaut. I dont think the city help them either.
I admire Mr Englert’s vision, but it’s unfortunate he’s only pursued the ones related to food/drink and set a tone for others to do the same. A retail coop is a fantastic idea. Why not make that happen instead of more food/drink/bar type establishment? Whole Foods is less of a concern than the endless parade of sameness.
This retail you speak of. It is dying and your Amazon Prime account is the problem!!!! If it were not people like Joe the stores would still be vacant. Thank you Joe Englert.
When the Borders at Metro Center closed, there was a great sign posted in the window by one of the employees:
“If you need to use the restroom, call Amazon.”
sure it’s taken a toll on some types of retail, but others are thriving. Independent bike stores, pet stores, games, baby boutiques. . . Maybe there’s just a lack of vision and it’s a little too easy to put it all on Amazon. Niche and specialized retailers with a vision can make it work. I’m pretty sure anything I could buy at Labyrinth, Metro Mutts, Daily Rider, Dawn Price, Fairy Godmother or Fragers could be found online.
@Michael — sure, maybe I’d have to relieve myself into a drone, but at least it won’t be shared by a homeless person bathing in its sink
Really like your longer think pieces/analyses. A good addition to the site. Let’s see more.
Absolutely agree with his take on Cleveland Park. We just move from to Capitol Hill and we already feel very welcomed. I love that everything from sports and arts programs for the kids to fresh produce and restaurants are all within walking distance. When we moved to the Hill we had two cars, we quickly became comfortable with the idea of paring down to just one car. Now we’re considering if we even need the one.
If I had one gripe about Capital Living is that I believe the ANC and various community groups can be a bit closed off to new ideas. There are plans in the works to upgrade the park and metro station on Pennsylvania Ave. To me this project makes complete sense, we get and updated playground and water park, an expanded Library design that respects the historic look and feel of the existing building. Yet it seems that many would rather just stop the project in it’s track, rather than come together with the city and developers to make it better.
Capitol Hill is a great place to live, however if we don’t open up to new ideas for urban planning our community groups will quickly become irrelevant, and lose any voice we have to gain compromise in the layout and design of future projects. Developers are not going to stop building on the Hill; there is too much money to be made in our neighborhood. Instead they will find ways to work around us –think Hine School.
Joe – I really pay almost no attention to other ANCs, and I don’t think ANC6B has ever dealt with you directly in the 4 years I have been on the Commission. But it is interesting to me how divergent and polar opposite your view of the ANCs are from the views of this blog and many of its commenters. You say ANCs are anti-business. They say we are controlled, cowed and subservient to business.
I am leaving the ANC, but my hope for the next ANC6B is that they will be spared or will ignore the hyperbolic generalizations on both ends of the spectrum and keep themselves grounded in real relationships and substance of the people they work with day to day – whether those be businesses, residents or city agencies.
so everyone who disagrees with you or anyone on ANC is hysterical and prone to “hyperbolic generalizations”? that’s a pretty convenient cop out. most of my neighbors who have meaningful dialogue with our ANC rep (thankfully not you) are entirely rooted in substanative dialogue and engaged on real issues. maybe you just weren’t well suited to the ANC
“anon” whoever you are, I think if you really spent time with our ANC or in my district you would know I spend a lot of time with folks, work very closely with neighbors and as a result we have gotten some kind of cool things done (indoor trash at two places secured in the last couple of weeks). That happened because people saw beyond hyperbolic generalizations, got in the weeds and got stuff done.
What worries me about the kind of simplistic and casual reference to the ANCs that Joe made (I assume this might actually have been about a different ANC) is that it has the same inherent falsehoods that come with most polarized generalizations. And a lot of that happens on this blog.
My opinion (under my own name) is that it is time to start standing up to that.
BTW Its really hard to argue with someone who doesn’t rest on facts or verifiable information and choses anonymity.
I don’t think his complaint is with the ANC’s as much as it is with all the community organizations that involve themselves with neighborhood development issues and create lot of drama in the process.
This is complete hogwash. Anybody ever been up to 13th St. and Northwest it’s a strong mix of restaurants and retail and they all coexist perfectly. The fact is when neighborhoods gentrify restaurants are always the first to move into The neighborhood to take advantage of the cheaper rents. Retail will follow suit soon and eighth Street will be a buzz with final shopping and dining.
Did you even read the post? Being rude will not help you make your point.
Englert, “Capitol Hill is the most interesting place in the city.” Cleveland Park (where he lives) he calls “monolithic,” referencing the “tyranny of the two lawyer family and hyper achievers. People don’t mix – there’s less diversity.” When it’s pointed out that Capitol Hill is becoming less racially diverse because of gentrification, Englert says he sees “more socio- economic diversity here than anywhere else.”
Absolutely agree with his take on Cleveland Park. We just move from to Capitol Hill and we already feel very welcomed. I love that everything from sports and arts programs for the kids to fresh produce and restaurants are all within walking distance. When we moved to the Hill we had two cars, we quickly became comfortable with the idea of paring down to just one car. Now we’re considering if we even need the one.
If I had one gripe about Capital Living is that I believe the ANC and various community groups can be a bit closed off to new ideas. There are plans in the works to upgrade the park and metro station on Pennsylvania Ave. To me this project makes complete sense, we get and updated playground and water park, an expanded Library design that respects the historic look and feel of the existing building. Yet it seems that many would rather just stop the project in it’s track, rather than come together with the city and developers to make it better.
Capitol Hill is a great place to live, however if we don’t open up to new ideas for urban planning our community groups will quickly become irrelevant, and lose any voice we have to gain compromise in the layout and design of future projects. Developers are not going to stop building on the Hill; there is too much money to be made in our neighborhood. Instead they will find ways to work around us –think Hine School.