Friday Open Thread

Written by FourthandEye on March 18, 2011 - 22 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized

Open Thread today. What’s on your mind?

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22 Responses to “Friday Open Thread”

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  1. Mike
    March 18, 2011 at 8:05 am

    Anybody know what the deal is on this place?
    http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=38.900051,-77.022421&spn=0,0.03298&z=16&layer=c&cbll=38.904386,-77.019897&panoid=sn9EWi4KC235nLfRol-h2g&cbp=12,256.5,,0,-18.19

    1111 6th St.

    Such a great old building (1860s?), and such a horrible eye-sore.
    Would love to see it fixed up, but sadly it is approaching “beyond repair”.

  2. Bruce
    March 18, 2011 at 8:18 am

    Now that it’s been a few months, I’m curious to hear if Triangle residents are now regularly shopping at Harris Teeter. I was excited about HT’s opening, but found that they generally price their products higher than Safeway; adding the distance to HT, it just didn’t seem competitive. I received weekly coupons from HT for the first two months they were open, which I used to get a good enough deal at HT that it seemed worth a visit, but since those stopped coming I haven’t been to HT once.

    I’d be interested in hearing whether other Triangle residents have had similar or different experiences.

  3. anon
    March 18, 2011 at 9:53 am

    I’ve been going to the HT since I was driving to the Safeway anyways. Much better experience–selection, cleanliness, courtesy, much less crowded. I regularly shop on saturdays and the safeway has lines well into the aisles while HT has little to none.

  4. intheknow
    March 18, 2011 at 10:03 am

    1100 6th Street and the empty lot to its right are owned by Douglas Development. It at one time was the residence of Judge (then senator) George Mitchell, hence the ownership entity- Jemal’s Judge, LLC. As far as I know, plans are to retain the structure since its historically designated, and build condos to its right and rear

  5. Matt
    March 18, 2011 at 1:49 pm

    Any word on the large parking lot at the corner of 6th and K? What are the plans for the spot???

    Matt

  6. M Street
    March 18, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    I’ve been to Teeter a couple times since it opened. It’s a nice store (and of course much newer and cleaner than Safeway) and less crowded, but I think Safeway has better wine, floral and produce selections than Teeter. And the prices are definitely higher at Teeter. So overall, Safeway will remain my go-to grocery store. (Of course, I’ve never been one of the Safeway haters.)

  7. RobA
    March 18, 2011 at 4:11 pm

    I haven’t been back to Safeway since Harris Teeter opened. There hasn’t ever been anything I needed that they didn’t have … PLUS I get excellent customer service from the staff and management … which I only received from Safeway when they first opened.

    Proud to be a Safeway-hater!

  8. Scott
    March 18, 2011 at 5:44 pm

    I’m with RobA.

    -Safeway-hater

  9. pqresident
    March 19, 2011 at 1:00 am

    I’ve been to HT three times and the place is so quiet you could set up ten pins and bowl a game without hitting a shopper. beer selection blows away the Safeway while wine is on equal footing. packaged food is packaged food and I didn’t notice a big price difference. if only HT were closer…

  10. DCer
    March 20, 2011 at 12:03 pm

    I stopped shopping at Safeway over a year ago, with an occasional exception of buying some wine (great deals there.) I quit buying perishables there. The last time I bought a pork loin, after I got home the “sell by” date was two weeks previous). I’ve bought expired milk, meat, you name it. And the service was pretty much atrocious.

    Until the new Harris Teeter opened, I would shop at Whole Foods in Logan Circle, at Harris Teeter on Capitol Hill or at Giant in Arlington. My first visit to the new HT was fantastic. I was there around 8 AM, and I saw supervisors and employees doing QA checks in their departments, including checking expiration dates. Imagine. Moreover, I was asked a number of times by employees if they could help me find anything. Imagine.

    Then, the other day I went by Safeway to pick up some wine and non-perishables, and something happened. Employees greeted me. People stocking shelves interrupted their work to ask me if they could help me find anything. The store even looked better. A good day, or has Safeway’s management felt the competition? They’ve lost several thousands of dollars a year of my business, and I have friends who also stopped shopping there over a year ago.

    The next time I stop by Safeway for those few items, I’ll see if they’ve really changed. If after a few visits it’s clear that they have, they’ll get more of my business. But not all of it. HT deserves most of my business because every store I visit is consistent in quality and customer service.

    Safeway had its chance for all of my business. Sorry folks, but had you started management firings all the way UP the line until quality and service improved, you would have retained my loyalty.

  11. Chris555Mass
    March 21, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    Proud to be a hater? That’s pretty pathetic.

  12. resident
    March 21, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    Any suggestions for a liquior store in the neighborhood this is not Subway? I’m not really a fan of the one at H and 6th either. Just looking for something nice, walkable, decently priced, and no glass deviders etc.

  13. FourthandEye
    March 21, 2011 at 2:06 pm

    @resident – have you been to Tunnel Wine and Spirits at 311 H Street NW? It’s basically near the corner of 4th and Mass next to the Papa Johns. Prices aren’t as favorable as Schneiders in Capitol Hill but thats a much further walk.

  14. DCer
    March 21, 2011 at 9:50 pm

    @Chris555Mass, I wouldn’t read too much into the Safeway “haters.” They, like many others, have been subjected to a lot of contempt and lack of appreciation from Safeway employees and management. They’re just returning the favor, as contempt and hatred are very close cousins. Now that they have a close and superior alternative, they’re letting it loose. Safeway deserves this.

    As an update, I went by Safeway on Sunday around 5:30 PM and bought some wine, milk (checked the expiration date!), cereal (ditto!) and bread (no expiration date, but it didn’t feel like Melba toast). I took a big risk, because from past experience, on Sunday afternoons there were only a couple of counters open and the lines were very long. More than once I abandoned my cart (after returning the perishables, not that Safeway really cared, as they would have restocked the perishables at the end of the day anyway).

    The store on Sunday was actually well staffed, and as a couple of lines got a little long, I was astounded to hear someone announce that another counter was open. Whether this is a short-term reaction to Harris Teeter or a long-term commitment to change in service and quality remains to be seen. Recall how great Safeway was when it first opened. Then things went into decline. Unless corporate has made a clean sweep of management from the bottom up, this will prove to be simply a short-term reaction.

    In the outside chance that corporate has made these needed management changes, I’m going to continue to give Safeway some extra chances. But at the first sign of a return to the not-so-old days, I’m outta there, permanently.

  15. mr.triple-nickle
    March 22, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    does anyone have any update on the Arts of 5th and I? Last I read, they were looking to sign papers in mid-December, but nothing since then. Would love some updates from anyone…thanks!

  16. RobA
    March 22, 2011 at 2:54 pm

    Thank you @DCer. I have had numerous conversations with the ever-changing store management of the City Vista Safeway and the regional management as well but the conversations fell on deaf ears. After a while you get tired of banging your head against the wall and look for other alternatives. Luckily I have several stores out in MD near where I work that I could give my business to before Harris Teeter opened … and I still do. The one thing that I can say is that all the issues I have with the City Vista Safeway store I also have with the Greenbelt Safeway store – so it’s not just with that particular location. I wish them luck on changing and hope that it is indeed permanent since they will soon have competition from both the new O Street Giant and the Wal-Mart on New Jersey Avenue. But they have had several years to get their act together – and to only do it now that they have competition, isn’t fair to the consumer.

  17. LCB
    March 22, 2011 at 3:43 pm

    I would like to piggy back on mr.triple-nickle’s inquiry about the status of the Arts of 5th and I. Have there been any updates on that hotel??

  18. Si Kailian
    March 23, 2011 at 11:11 am

    Lately the (chronically challenged) starbucks at CV safeway has been serving up coffee that tastes like bitter dirt. I know i know, those of you who don’t like starbucks think it normally tastes like dirt but I’m telling you the crack juice was not its usual form. Its like the sweetener didn’t work no matter how much you put in. its been like that for over a week and its almost undrinkable. I could rant long and hard about that starbucks but I really wish they had built out a regular store or at least installed normal coffee machines so they aren’t constantly out.

    I want to love safeway, really I do.

  19. resident
    March 23, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    I’ve noticed that coffee issue with several Safeway Starbucks, I think the product is not as good as the regular chain Starbucks. The extra bad taste may be grounds that are too old, or not cleaning out the brewing machines. It’s always anoying when any Starbucks is out of coffee, their core product, imagine going to a bank and being told they’re out of 20s.

  20. resident
    March 23, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    On the plus side, the new Ray’s bakery place (any status?) may have coffee, so you could get your fix there when it opens.

  21. Hank Stuever
    March 25, 2011 at 6:55 pm

    On the subject of 1100 6th St. and the condos planned there — what becomes of the Eritrean community center, at the corner of 6th and L behind the old A-V’s/Fringe building? Joint’s always hopping on weekend nights — pulsing, boom-boom-boom drum music well past 2 a.m. Those of us who’ve lived near enough to hear it for many years (within a block or so) are sort of used to it by now, but I can’t believe high-end condo dwellers are going to be able to put up with the noise.

  22. Si kailian
    March 28, 2011 at 8:39 am

    Nope nope got to be my crack juice. But good news, coffee is back to tasting right. Still wasn’t ready but joel’s pleasant demeanor goes a very long way. Ok Safeway, now fix the f$!$(@ing elevator that is sitting open stuck on whatever! The noise is enough to drive us all insane. It’s been over a week! Cut the breaker or something!