District Lost & Found a "Neighborly" Neighborhood Bar in Blagden Alley

 

Future location of District Lost & Found, 1240 9th Street NW

District Lost & Found is a new neighborhood bar planned for 9th Street NW (Blagden Alley) that will be nestled between Longview Gallery and the new 'The Colonel' condo building. I had the opportunity to get Geoff Dawson's perspective on the new pub, and learned a little about the family history he has to Blagden Alley and Shaw.

On the status of District Lost and Found;

"Things are slowly coming together with our building permits and, as you’ve seen, the liquor license application."

On the concept of District Lost and Found;

 "When my wife Meg and I opened Bedrock Billiards in 1993, we were thrilled when one of our first customers walked through the door and exclaimed, “This is just like my grandmother’s basement in Brooklyn!” That summed up our vision of creating a comfortable, friendly hangout for the many folks in Adams Morgan who didn’t have a 'rec room’ where they could relax with friends. That’s essentially the same vision Brian Leonard and I have for District Lost &Found. We want to be a gathering spot for the neighborhood, a place where folks meet for birthdays, community meetings, a game of chess or to watch a ballgame, very much like Bedrock or our pub Nanny O'Brien's in Cleveland Park. As with both of those businesses, we recognize the value of the marathon-versus-sprint mentality and hope to operate slow and steady and to become a strong part of the neighborhood. With so many changes coming to Blagden Alley, we want to be one of the businesses that brings people together and helps create and preserve community."

On the history and preserving Blagden Alley;

"As you know, my wife’s uncle Phillip Abraham lived in Blagden Alley for many years, and Meg's late sister Hester Nelson worked in a studio in Phillip's building. I spent a lot of time with Phillip during those pre-boom years and grew to love the alley through his eccentric perspective. While big changes are afoot, we hope to be able to help preserve the unique flavor and history of Blagden Alley. We are interested in presenting as much of that history on our walls as possible, so please let me know who might help with that. It might be fun to become a place for longtime neighbors to give their oral histories so the new residents know a little something about the past."

For those interested in what the pub will look like, Geoff tells me that Nanny O'Brien's in Cleveland Park is a good example. The rear 'garage door' will be replaced with a door similar to La Colombe's which will provide additional light, and although it will function, it will not be an entrance/exit on to the alley. The ABRA license process will begin with the ANC approval on April 16th.

Rear of future District Lost & Found, to be replaced with Glass Garage Door

There are three other retail/restaurant spots, besides District Lost and Found, announced in Blagden Alley. I can only hope that the owners of these are just as neighborly.