Urban Turf blog has produced a profile of Bloomingdale, which I thought that the Bates area residents might like to read. I have copied in the first two paragraphs for you. Click on the urbanturf.com link to read the entire post and to see the assorted images from around Bloomingdale.
Bloomingdale: Where (Almost) Everyone Knows Your Name
December 9, 2011
by Shilpi Paul
http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/bloomingdale_where_almost_everyone_knows_your_name/4650
It is no secret that within the past several years, Bloomingdale has seen its potential realized. In the neighborhood adjacent to LeDroit Park, fixer-uppers have been renovated, basement apartments rented and the neighborhood now meets the “five minute rule”: residents can find almost everything they need within a five minute walk.
Unlike Logan Circle or Columbia Heights, where residents have dozens of restaurant, bar, coffee and shopping options, Bloomingdale has one neighborhood square (at R and 1st Street NW), a couple taverns (Boundary Stone and Rustik), and two coffee shops/cafes (Big Bear Cafe and Windows Cafe). These limited options mean that residents bump into each other frequently, creating a familiarity not seen in busier DC enclaves. And outsiders are noticeable.
Bates Area Civic Association 