Apartment Showcase Blog

The latte shift: A typically busy night at the trendy SOVA coffeehouse. (Mr. T in DC via Flickr)

SOVA – Espresso & Wine is the kind of coffeehouse you see in hip movies: intimate, a bit pretentious, funky, divey, filled with couches, chairs, a wall-mounted flat screen in the back room and people with laptops getting their caffeine jones fixed.

Elegantly wasted, they call it.

I ventured there recently, and that’s the vibe. Plus, at least in the front part of the operation, some pretty heavy indie rock blasted out of the sound system that I couldn’t quite place.

So yeah, you know the deal, I don’t even have to write any more … but I will.

SOVA is located in the H Street Corridor (or Atlas District, if you please), a place that’s happening. What makes SOVA a bit different than your quotidian urban hipster espresso mecca is the fact that, like Tryst in Adams Morgan, they serve alcohol, wine and selected craft beers at the upstairs bar.

[ Related: Coffee Lovers, Couch Potatoes Will Feel Right at Home at Tryst in Adams Morgan ]

OK, to be totally complete, they also serve Rishi Teas, so you have all your caffeine and alcohol bases covered here.

A small cup of coffee at SOVA is $2.50; a medium will set you back $2.75; while a large costs $3.00. So it’s not cheap. But for coffee lovers, it may well be worth it.

SOVA also serves a coffeehouse variety of muffins, bagels, cookies, humus and paninis. They have a standing Saturday night (9 p.m. or 10 p.m.) date called Aroma Nights at SOVA: featuring DJ Oso Fresh. They also offer up Thursday Night Bluegrass. Check the site and call for other events.

So if you rent an apartment in Capitol Hill or surrounding environs, you not only get to sample some high-end coffee but be entertained at night as well.

[ Related: Part Restaurant, Part Bar, Bullfeathers is a Capitol Hill Classic ]

SOVA features a happy hour Tuesday-Friday, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., when you can sip a beer or glass of wine for half price. They don’t serve alcohol on Sunday and Monday.

SOVA is walkable from Metro’s Union Station on the Red Line for hardier folk, but it’s not recommended you do so at night.

Come out and have a cheery time at a happening little coffee/wine bar hybrid in an up-and-coming neighborhood.

As you may have guessed from the title, this post has to do with trains … well, model trains, which are appearing at Union Station until January 2.

According to their website: “The joy of model railroading transcends generations as it sparks the imagination of young and old alike, often creating memories that last a lifetime.”

Model trains are like the Taylor Swift of hobbies – fun and safe for the whole family. (Anyone remember “The Sopranos” character Bobby Baccalieri’s fascination with model trains? Yes, that fantastic show was about as far from family-friendly as you can get, but still, it really underscores the universal appeal of model trains. Even mythical mobsters like them.)

[ Related: ZooLights Shining Bright This Holiday Season ]

This year, Union Station has partnered with M.T.H. Electric Trains of nearby Columbia, Md., and Amtrak to bring a new holiday model display to the famed Washington, D.C., landmark. Several trains will be choo-chooing away in both the Main and West Halls.

The displays feature “O Gauge trains from the steam and modern eras.” And each “train is outfitted with state-of-the-art electronics capable of recreating the sounds, lights and smoke of their real-life counterparts.”

In fact, you can even buy some of what you see, as most of the trains featured will be available in starter sets.

Union Station is located in Capitol Hill (technically, part of the Northeast and Southeast quadrants), one of the premiere neighborhoods to rent an apartment in Washington, D.C. For those who don’t live there, by gosh, this is Union Station, so you have your choice of transportation options, including the so-named Metro stop on the Red Line.

[ Related: Part Restaurant, Part Bar, Bullfeathers is a Capitol Hill Classic ]

Though it just occurred to me to look … The neighborhood map from the online edition of The Washington Post has Capitol Hill stopping just in front of the grand old dame, putting Union Station in the Near Northeast neighborhood. But the Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals (CHAMPS) and its Capitol Hill Map prominently claims Union Station as its own, so the debate rages on.

Since I used to live in Capitol Hill, we’ll side with CHAMPS … just don’t tell anyone.

So wherever Union Station officially resides, bring your kid, your father, your Dutch uncle or the whole family out to Union Station and check out the trains.

Get in my belly: Mouth-watering Panang Curry with chicken. Is it time for lunch yet? (Dyanna via Flickr)

Anybody who knows me knows that I like to eat.

There’s not much I like to eat more than Thai food, and one of the best Thai places in the city is located in Capitol Hill on newly hip Barracks Row. I’m talking about a little place known as The Old Siam Thai Cuisine (and don’t judge the place by its website; they’re in the restaurant business, not Web design).

And yes, I know, The Old Siam isn’t exactly little. I’m just trying to be clever or folksy, or whatever passes for clever or folksy in the world of Internet blogging.

[ Related: Capitol Hill’s Riverby Books Stacks Up With the Best of Them ]

I’ve eaten at Old Siam more than once and can recommend it as much for the ambiance (what girls would call “cute”; what guys would call “atmosphere”; what Martians would call, well, who knows what Martians would call it? Stop bothering me) as for its tasty vittles. It’s run by people from Thailand (yes, the mother country), so the food is likely authentic.

But what do I know? I just like the taste. And oh, the taste. Let’s check the menu, shall we?

Rama Longsong (“Boneless chicken with yellow curry on a bed of steamed spinach topped with peanut sauce” – a personal favorite) competes with the likes of Krapow (“Choice of chicken, beef, pork or seafood sautéed with Thai sweet basil, chili and garlic sauce”), Duck Basil (figure it out) and Panang Curry (“Choice of chicken, beef, pork or seafood in panang curry with steamed broccoli and fresh basil”) for your palate’s love.

Heck, half the fun of eating Thai is the colorful entrée names. I mean, really, who’s gonna turn down Goong Ob Woonsen (“Fresh shrimp with cellophane noodles, shitake mushrooms and mixed vegetables served in a clay pot”) or Pla Ma Now (“Steamed white fish filet served with lime spicy dipping”)? The Old Siam can play me anytime.

[ Related: Penn Quarter’s Trendy Asia Nine Bar Caters to a Variety of Tastes ]

With an assortment of appetizers, soups, noodles, meat, seafood, fried rice (even brown rice for those inclined), vegetarian fare and desserts, the Old Siam is an omnivore’s delight.

The prices are reasonable as well, with lunchtime entrées ranging from $9.95 to $16.95 and dinner going for a bit more. Curiously, the most expensive item here (other than, potentially, the “market price” whole fish), the Old Siam Salmon, costs the same no matter when it’s ordered, as do some of the other entrées.

Again, the ambiance of this eatery cannot be overstated. Inside it’s fairly roomy and decorated nicely, and there’s even a sidewalk café for all you people who need to be seen while watching the scene. While they’re open seven days a week for both lunch and dinner, be sure to check the site for exact times.

The Old Siam Thai Cuisine is located a few hundred feet away from the Eastern Market Metro station on the Blue/Orange Line; can’t get much more convenient than that.

So, all of you apartment renters and would-be renters in Capitol Hill, you have another great restaurant to add a little magic to your lives.

Play on: The Folger's 2010/11 performance season wraps up in June with "Cyrano." Three productions are on tap for next season: "Othello," "The Gaming Table" and "The Taming of the Shrew." (Mr. T in DC via Flickr)

Located in one of the great neighborhoods in the city, nay, country, the Folger Shakespeare Library helps apartment renters in Capitol Hill stay entertained and cultured at the same time.

Now, to those of you out there who may be a little confused, the Folger Shakespeare Library is in fact a research library but also doubles as a playhouse. In fact, if I had to guess, that’s probably what it’s better known for: the Folger Theatre and its productions.

With Shakespeare’s birthday only a month or so behind us (most sources accept April 23), we figured it was as good a time as any to take a second look at the Bard and all he means to Western Civilization. Really, whether you enjoy his plays and poetry isn’t the point; it’s the impact he’s had on the West – and the rest of the world – that speaks of his genius.

[ Related: Capitol Hill’s Riverby Books Stacks Up With the Best of Them ]

The Folger Shakespeare Library is home to the world’s largest and finest collection of Shakespeare materials, along with other major collections of rare Renaissance works of art, manuscripts and books. It began life in 1932 as a gift to the nation from Henry Clay Folger and his wife, Emily Jordan Folger.

Administered by a Board of Governors from Amherst College (Henry Folger’s alma mater), the Folger’s public programs include plays, literary readings, concerts, exhibitions and family activities. There are also programs dedicated to students, from kindergarteners all the way to collegians (and their teachers).

The Folger Shakespeare Library contains more than 256,000 books, 60,000 manuscripts, 250,000 playbills, 200 oil paintings, 50,000 drawings, water colors, prints and photographs, and lots of other Shakespeare-related paraphernalia. Use of the collection’s Reading Room is only open to scholars and researchers. If you want to become a “reader,” you’ll need to fill out an application.

For the rest of us, the Folger provides free exhibitions, a helpful website and a variety of print publications. They also house a Digital Image Collection for you to use.

Getting back to what I was saying before, most people probably know the Folger best as a place to come and see Shakespearean and other classic plays. Currently, Edmond Rostand’s “Cyrano” will be running until June 12, with tickets priced from $30 to $60.

[ Related: Shirlington’s Signature Theatre Takes Lead Role in Area Arts Scene ]

But there’s even more going on here. The Folger hosts lectures, exhibitions and poetry readings (including a recent reading by former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass), and even special events like the 31st Annual PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction Ceremony, where for $100 you get to hear readings from 2011 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction winner Deborah Eisenberg and other finalists.

Here’s a list of upcoming events at the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Located close to several Metro stations, the Folger is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Where's Thomas the Tank Engine?: Railfans gather to gawk at an elaborate model train installation on National Train Day 2008 at Union Station. (rpongsaj via Flickr)

Union Station in Capitol Hill is one unique place.

With its combination of stores, restaurants and status as the transportation hub of the nation’s capital, you can rightly say Union Station is one of a kind. In fact, it bills itself as “the city’s top tourist destination” in a town full of them. With more than 90,000 people walking through its doors daily, no one will accuse Union Station of lying.

With all it has going for it, even Union Station has special days.

One such day is May 7, when the venerable train station invites Capitol Hill renters (and everybody else) to come out and help celebrate National Train Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s celebration takes on added significance “as Amtrak celebrates 40 years as America’s railroad.” Many people may not know that Union Station serves as the hub of Amtrak’s corporate headquarters.

Check that out, I’ve used “hub” twice in eight sentences: There’s either something kinda neat or hackneyed about that. Decide for yourself.

[ Related: Capitol Hill's Riverby Books Stacks Up With the Best of Them ]

So what do you get by showing up on May 7? You get to see the nationwide tour launch of the 40th anniversary “exhibit train,” which will include two locomotives and three baggage cars displaying historic advertising, uniforms, photos and more.

There’ll also be an Amtrak high-speed rail display, Amtrak Police Department K-9 Unit demonstrations and train equipment displays.

There are things here for the kids as well (and the kid in all of us). The AmtraKids Depot will feature magicians, arts and crafts, and interactive games; these will be buttressed by surprise giveaways. But maybe the coolest thing will be the model train displays, little masterpieces in their own right.

Fans of classic soul will be happy to know that Gladys Knight will be appearing at Union Station. Knight, who while performing with the Pips became famous for “Midnight Train to Georgia” (among other songs with the group and solo), is both the host of the event and the National Train Day’s spokesperson.

Since the Union Station Metro stop is right there, it’ll make it an easier decision to venture out to Capitol Hill on May 7. After you’re done celebrating all things rail, have a walk around this incredible neighborhood. You just may find yourself back on our site looking for an apartment there.

Pump up the volumes: Riverby Books in Capitol Hill offers two ways to shop its extensive collection: in store or online.

I don’t know too many cozy, neighborhood bookstores in Washington, D.C., to be honest. But if I had to pick one, it would be Riverby Books in Capitol Hill, which spans the border between Southeast and Northeast.

Riverby Books just has a classy feel, like the short story writer down the street or the village poet might be among its denizens in the stacks. But it’s also homey, as you’d just as easily find the local shopkeeper, the mom and her kids or the college student here as well, the latter probably wanting to read something they actually enjoyed for once. Fiction, non-fiction, children’s books: There’s something for everyone at Riverby Books.

Not gigantic, Riverby currently stacks 20,000 volumes (books in lay speak), according to its owner. Operating in Capitol Hill since 2000, Riverby Books sets itself apart with its selection of political and Washingtonian books.

[ Related: Queen of the Hill: A Morning in the Life of a Capitol Hill Renter ]

Unique for a used bookstore, they also carry new tomes from Hill authors. They feature an assortment of signed books as well, including ones by Colin Powell, Thomas Friedman and John Burroughs. In fact, the store is named after Burroughs’ former estate on the Hudson.

Open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., there are chairs in the front of the store with more seating inside the two-story establishment (the ground-level and basement of a converted townhouse).

There is also some two-way action going on at Riverby: These guys will buy single volumes and entire libraries from you. So, any of you hidden Thomas Jeffersons out there may want to hear out potential offers.

Riverby Books has a sister location in Fredericksburg, Va., as well.

[ Related: The Arts Take Center Stage in Fredericksburg ]

Now, forget what you’ve heard about used bookstores being run by stuck-in-the-mud, well-meaning Luddites who smoke pipes and quote Melville and Dickens (actually, some of these people surely do), because you can also buy from Riverby Books online at AbeBooks.com.

Lastly, what really makes Riverby Books special is its commitment to you, the readers. I mean, how many bookstores ply their patrons with tea and cookies? Riverby does just that from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day.

In addition, they provide a literary meeting place for poetry geeks with monthly readings. They recently held a meet-and-greet with local writer Marianne Bouldin, author of “Tale of Bambu Mouse.” So, come on out here.

Riverby Books is walkable from at least three Metro stops – these being Capitol South and Eastern Market on the Blue/Orange Lines, and Union Station on the Red Line.

Whether you live on the Hill or in some other part of the metro region, Riverby is easy to get to. It’s another terrific reason to rent an apartment in Capitol Hill in 2011.

Green acres: Located just four blocks north of Eastern Market, Lincoln Park is an urban oasis for the Capitol Hill resident.

Capitol Hill is a unique neighborhood in quite a few ways.

First and foremost, it’s home to one of the most famous buildings in the world, its namesake, the United States Capitol.

Secondly, it’s home to the Supreme Court of the United States, giving the neighborhood bragging rights to two-thirds of the tripartite of power set up to govern us in the United States Constitution. That’s pretty heady stuff no matter how you slice it. (The more ballyhooed Northwest quadrant is home to the third prong of power, and he sits in the big house on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.)

Thirdly, Capitol Hill is home to the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. So maybe the neighborhood does have a tripartite of sorts, after all.

But Capitol Hill’s fourth main unique point may get overlooked a bit: It’s the city’s only major neighborhood spread out over two quadrants – Northeast and Southeast, and very evenly at that. On this blog, we’ve referred to them as Capitol Hill South and Capitol Hill North for convenience’s sake. And we haven’t even gotten around to some of the other highlights that make Capitol Hill a heck of a place to rent an apartment.

[ Related: Southeast: Capitol Hill South a Diamond in the Rough for Renters ]

In that light, we’re gonna give you a peek into a day in the life of a typical renter in Capitol Hill:

You wake up fairly early on Saturday in your apartment in Capitol Hill South. It’s a nice day in the fall, weather in the low 60s: perfect day for a jog, which you’ve recently taken up again.

You hightail it in the streets toward Lincoln Park and run around its perimeter, taking in all the sights and sounds associated with it: walkers; other joggers; the occasional mom or nanny pushing their strollers; a big, slow-moving basset hound with its ears nearly dragging on the ground, sleepy eyes asking himself what he did to deserve this; and a couple of yapping shih tzus with their human companions.

This last part especially makes you smile because you love dogs, and now that you’ve moved to dog-friendly Capitol Hill, you plan on going to a rescue and getting one. Soon.

There seems to be an abundance of squirrels and chipmunks around today, scurrying up trees and all over the park’s ground. And the birds, they’re chirp-chirping and flying around as if they don’t have a care in the world – that or like they own the place, which they kinda do. You run four laps and head back to your apartment, obeying all crosswalks like a good citizen.

You’ve run a good 40 minutes or so at a brisk pace and, after a breather back at the apartment, you decide to get something to eat.

You walk to Così on Pennsylvania Avenue and order a Così Cobb salad, which comes with their great-tasting flatbread, and then select a fruit juice to go with it. You walk back to your apartment with treasure in hand, the sky a high cirrus mixture of white and blue, a tranquil expanse that has a calming effect.

You climb the porch steps and let yourself back into the apartment complex, rumble up the stairs and enter your apartment, opening a window for some breeze. You enter the kitchen and do the same, and even light some incense you recently bought at Eastern Market because it smelled so good when the guy who sold it to you burned a stick while you were there browsing the previous Saturday. There’s nothing like truth in advertising.

There’s a fun night planned. You’re meeting up with some old friends at Thai Roma Restaurant & Conrad’s Pub on Pennsylvania Avenue and introducing them to a couple of new ones you’ve made at the firm.

You’re young, pretty and living comfortably in Capitol Hill with a great new career as an ad executive. You’re finally at peace with where you’re heading, and the new neighborhood really suits your station in life.

All in all, this was a great move.