Even as our esteemed blogger, Chris, laments the proliferation of fakefood and frankenfood in our grocery stores, D.C. residents appear to be in the throes of a spectulative upscale grocery store bubble.
Yesterday, DCist covered Columbia Heights residents’ too-desperate push for a new Whole Foods store in their neighborhood (which would be less than two miles away from the WF on P St). So Express followed up with a post listing all the current, upcoming, and pie-in-the-sky stores in the District.
A Harris Teeter on 3rd and H St NE. The abortively-but-not-anymore-it-seems-like planned Balducci’s in Penn Quarter. The Trader Joe’s in West End that was rumored to open today, then September, and now promises a 4Q 2006 opening. The Safeway in Mount Vernon Square is under construction.
And we musn’t forget a new Wegman’s opening up in Glenarden, MD. That’s Glenarden, not Glen Burnie, Glen Echo, or Glenwood, mind you.
Sounds like we’ll never go hungry again. However, Chris’ “Lazy America” moral continues to ring true; with so many new stores opening up around the District, it seems we won’t have to walk as far to get our munchies. Hooray–less calories burned and more food within reach.
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No, not Glenarden, but rather, Largo, is where Wegmans will be opening. Glenarden is a rather dicey neighborhood. Wegmans is going to be open in 2008, and so will the Crofton location, in 2008 or 2009. I really must win the lottery so I can afford to drive to the Hunt Valley location . . .
Wegmans? Let’s pray they will add Dibella’s along with them! Their dang ol’ Dagwood s awesome! :)
Oh yes Dagwood! and even scrumptious chocolate milk! What a perfect combination!
We need Dibellas in the District.
Harris Teeter on 3rd and H St NE?
Did the pigs fly today?
R-
Yes, the pigs are flying.
A Harris Teeter will be built across the street from the condos on 2nd and H NE.
The same developer of the condos, Jim Abdo, plans to renovate the New York Ave/Bladensburg area starting next year to the tune of $1 billion. He wants a Whole Foods there.
As for DiBella’s, Wegmans do serve their subs but its under another name. In any case, I’m not that impressed. A Litteri’s beats them hands down.
what i miss barbados beer, stout strong can pass out after five beers.
I grew up in a tiny northern midwest town and when I lived there, we always walked to the mom-n-pop grocery a block away. The store only stocked basics like milk, bread, canned goods, etc.. so if we had to do the “real” grocery shopping, we had to drive 30 miles into the big town to the supermarket. When I was living there, that’s how it was. I even remember when I was a tiny kid in the 70’s, being pulled along in a toboggan by my mother through 12 inches of snow down to the mom-n-pop store because we needed some basics. After getting what she needed, mom would sit me back down in the toboggan, pile the paper bags on top of me, and pull us back home. Easy-peasy.
I recently went to back to visit my hometown to see my dad who still lives there. I noticed some of our neighbors who live on the corner DRIVING less than a block to the grocery store. I can understand if they needed to pick up stuff that was too heavy to carry home.. but for a “loafa bread, carton-a milk, and a stick-a butta”? Ridiculous. Even my dad is guilty of driving his huge Ford SUV half a block down to the post office to pick up his mail. Whatever happened to walking?
I kinda feel sorry for the Safeway and Giant stores in DC area which they heavily invest and riskly located the stores across the metropolitian area for more than 40 years. I am no longer shopping at either Safeway and Giant stores which their stores are very outdated and little outpriced. Safeway and Giant stores are heavily unionized which the Whole Foods and other supermarket stores are NOT.
The Giant supermarket stores used to be truly excellent in many ways til eight years ago. The Dutch food conglemerate bought the Giant stores and ruined them beyond imagination. No competitive prices! The Giant store used to sell the Giant Stone Ground Wheat bread til last few months ago. This product was very popular with patrons. It was not ladded with any HFCS, After realizing that the Giant grocer management really weren’t interested in providing excellent quality of products at competitive price. I stopped going to those stores!
I urge you, all NOT to patronize the Trader Joe store at the Bailey’s Crossroad because it have severe mold presence within the fresh fruits and vegetables area. Unbelievable! Too bad, I did not take any digital pixs of the real health violation which would be an eye-opening for many people.
I would love to patronize the Trader Joe just six blocks from my residence. My health come first!
Have you heard about the Kroger supermarkets? Their prices are very reasonable and competitive. Yes, Kroger stores are unionized. They have fallen victim to the Wal Mart stores in many Midwest and Southern area.
I heard alot about Wegman’s from several deaf people in past few months how they really exicted about having those stores in DC area. It recently opened somewhere in Northern Virginia.
I usually shop at the Harris Teeter and Whole Foods since they have alot of organic food products. They also have good prices, too.
I personally digust with the neighborhood corner stores in DC which they tend to carry alcoholic products, not any fresh fruits and vegetables. What a filth! Real shame on foreigners (foreign-raised grocers) for being the money-grubbers from selling alcoholic products to malnourished populace within their neighorhood area.
The government policy is at much fault again. Why doesn’t the DC government vigorously discourage the corner grocers from bundling up on alcoholic stuff thru tax incentives? Those people really do not give any d*** about people in general.
If I become the mayor in DC. I would twist the arms of neighorhood grocers to sell fruits and vegetables. I know that people ought to do their social responsibility on their own. DC is still a concrete jungle for impoverished people. Why should be our concerns? Yes, we are greatly affected by others’ drug and alcohol abuses,then probably end up being victim of armed robbery or muggings or unprovoked attacks.
We really waste our own human resources on daily basis!
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
Come on, man, the wine’s cleaner than the water! Or ain’t you tasted the DC tap-booze? More gold than Pinot Grigio!
You would feel different when some people line up very early at the neighborhood corner store and gulp alcohol in few minutes. Their behaviors get annoying erratic and disruptive.
I have to fear for my own personal safety if people behave aggressively toward me for $$$.
You ought to know that DC have too many alcohol retailers more than in other states. I am not a purist myself, but witness the real life of pitful beings around me.
I am really much pleased for increased generification within DC lately. So we could get the real quality of life without drug or alcohol bummers around me.
I am not a bleeding liberal myself, but “realist”. I would argue with some homeless people begging me for $$. I would ask for what they really need. I go into the store and buy real foods, then give the bag to those people. I keep the receipt with me. I would sit with them eating the given foods. A lot of con artist out there asking me for $$. I usually open my wallet to show that I do not have any cash money with me.
The sight of blights are no joke.
RLM
Grin, I do live across from just such a corner store. Not in DC, but DC doesn’t have a monopoly on poverty.
I’m glad you buy food for poor people. It’s very sweet of you. Poverty is often depressing, and people in depression often drink.
Joseph, I do have my own problem with the “heart of gold” or “doormat syndrome” for letting my emotions get best of me.
Of course, I could be the real SOB. I do not let people pushing me around.
I probably make worse situation for panhandlers by giving them foods, instead of making some efforts to help them getting the regular help with their food situation.
I do by “case by case” to make sure that people do not con me in any way.
This country seems not done enough to break the “poverty cycle”.
We need to make the society at large to understand the difference between drug/alcohol use and drug/alcohol abuse.
Same thing with the mental health. Our country seems not really doing much on the issue of mental health.
That’s why I am very disappointed about Al Gore’s wife not being the first lady in the 2000 election. She would do alot for resolving the mental health issues within our country.
RLM
In light of recent comments in regard to Americans becoming increasingly dormant and “malnutrition”, you might want to read this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5219884.stm
“Ahh?” I really appreciate your enclosure about the medical estalishment’s difficulty with the use of x-ray machine to spot anything inside obese people.
This enclosure is really very old news which I read somewhere last two years ago. The article (I read the one) have several pictures of how frustrating for medical examiners to spot anything on obese people.
I think that is coming from the medical journal. I regularly read the medical journals and inside information within the medical establishments and pharamacteurial industry.
I met several medicinal drug promoters at my doctor’s office which I personally observe them in action. Those pharmacetuial representatives brought several boxes of promotional materials and talked out with my doctor in the reception room. How unconvinent for clients witnessing how the doctor and pharmacetuial representatives doing business out in the open.
RLM
RLM, I am glad to learn that you are an avid reader in the subject concerning medical profession. As you may suspect that not everyone follows/reads medical journal or expand their knowledge of medical industry as you do. By providing the link will give those, unlike you, an opportunity to read and learn the effect of obesity.
It is my hope to share with this article with anyone.
I find the tone of your comment “this enclosure is really very old news” quite discouraging. I would like to remind you of a latin phrase: nihil novi sub sole (nothing is new under sun).
The last time I checked that DeafDC consists with mainstream and open audience range from medically novice to medically expert. Perhaps the audience, like yourself, would “really appreciate” the “enclosure”.
“Ahh?” I do not meant to deflate you in any way. I have a major personal flaw for being direct and non-tactful.
I think that your enclosure would do great service for other deaf people to be increasingly aware of the medical updates.
I am kinda puzzled why take the BBC newsreport so long for reporting this medical discovery of obese people’ high risk of not properly diganosed due to the limited scope of internal parts.
I am sure that everybody appreciates your contribution to the DeafDC.com along with your recent enclosure.
I begin to question the …
RLM, I can imagine that you have no intention of extenuating one’s comment. Candidness is one of essential features of a beneficial and fruitful discussion. However, candidness should be observed with delicacy so that candidness will not be mistaken for arrogance.
Thomas Hobbes, renown political philosopher and author of “Levithan”, was a “realist” like yourself. Hobbes shares his dismal view of human nature (state of nature) in the “Levithan”. Despite on his dismal view, Hobbes was cautious enough not to provoke the King Charles II and Parliament of England with his frankness.
I hope in the future that you would, like Hobbes, continue being honest in sharing your thoughts, while maintaining the sensitivity of the context or subject.
Thank you, and I look forward to continue read your comments in the future.
I just found out that there’s been a contract signed to build a Wegmans in Frederick County, at intersection of Rt. 15 and Rt. 26 (or is it 29?) . . . I think target date of opening is in 2008 or 2009. They’re looking at Montgomery Co, but haven’t made any deals there.
Many thanks, “Ah” user! I already knew about the difficulty of spotting anything inside the “obese” human body thru the use of x-ray machine.
I viewed the classic 70s “Solyent Green” film about the overpopulation of human beings which disposed bodies turned into the mass-food production.
RLM
You, blog readers might be interested in checking out the following websites -
http://www.foodpolicy.blogspot.com
http://www.latp.org
http://www.cspinet.org (Center for Science in the Public
Interests)
http://www.pcrm.org
Please check out the latest press releases on the “Food Industry Protection Act” on several websites.
One of the website recently criticize the Whole Foods stores about the claims on organic foods, etc.
RLM