A year ago this month, we came together as neighbors, local businesses, and a community to put a greater focus on H Street NE. I organized this effort under the name H Street Alliance, and with your help, we identified three key priorities for improvement: public safety, public spaces, and small business support. A year later, I'm incredibly proud of the work we've accomplished, and we're focused on even more ahead. 2025 is shaping up to be a great year for H Street NE! As someone who participated in those meetings or asked for H Street updates, I'm excited to share this email with you:

• Our focus on public safety led to stronger partnerships with MPD and community engagement, fueling a 38% drop in violent crime, a 46% reduction in robberies, and a 44% decrease in burglaries along the corridor last year. MPD has created a detailed H Street patrol, we've installed CCTV cameras at almost every intersection, and we've made all businesses eligible for rebates on security cameras.
  
  
• We also know improving public space helps a corridor, and on that front, I worked with DDOT to replace and brighten every street light on H Street, focused sidewalk repairs to improve conditions, and made several safety improvements for pedestrians crossing at numerous intersections (and more is on the way in 2025). I also secured funding in the budget for dedicated staff at the Department of Buildings to offer a one-stop shop for permitting to get a vacant building permitted and cleared to host a new business – look for that to come online shortly.
  
  
• And of course, supporting our local businesses helped create several tangible benefits: DC's Restaurant Association chose H Street to launch its 2024 Winter Restaurant Week, we passed several legislative efforts at Council to jumpstart vacant property activation and double small business tax credits, and I secured grant funding in this year's budget that will invest in events and activities to market and support our local businesses on H. And if you're not following it already, make sure to check out the work of the very dedicated team of H Street Alliance volunteers running Life on H St NE over on Instagram who continue to document the comings and goings of the corridor, especially our fantastic businesses!

Lastly, a theme that came up every time our groups got together was a request to have the city focus more on the illegally operating and so-called "I-71" cannabis shops. Taking on these illegal businesses was a clear priority. These shops do not play by the same rules and regulations as every legal business on the corridor and they sell products with zero regulation. In some of the closures, testing shows the products being sold had been laced with dangerous substances. I drafted and passed the legislation that gave clear authority to ABCA to be the lead enforcement agency and we are finally seeing the city take action against these outright illegal businesses.

Many of the illegal shops have been closed and ABCA is continuing its enforcement on the corridor, while also bringing a few into the legal, licensed, and regulated marketplace. Unlike the illegal shops, these are tested and trusted for customers and we rarely see any of the negative effects that too often accompany the illegal shops.

All in all, we accomplished a great deal in 2024. Thank you! I was recently sharing with the Mayor some of the work we've been doing along H Street and asked her to help encourage her agencies to do more. She followed up and convened them to outline some plans for the coming months, and I'm looking forward to partnering with her to keep our progress going. While we still have a lot of work to go, 2025 is shaping up to be a big year on H Street! Your local businesses need your support – so remember to please find ways to support H Street not just with your business, but also with your friends and family to spread good word.

Up Next in 2025!

First Stop: Winter Restaurant Week Returns to H Street NE This Week!

Last year, one of the first steps I took to support our small businesses was having RAMW launch its Winter Restaurant Week on H Street NE. It was a hugely successful two weeks for many restaurants.

So, let's do it again! Winter Restaurant Week is back and you can catch those deals at Cynthia, Daru, Kayu, Maketto, and The Little Grand all this week. Please make a concerted effort this week to go out at least once, maybe twice! And if you can, dine in rather than carry out. Let's see these businesses with full tables and show them your support with family, friends, and neighbors. And of course, you can always go to your favorite spot (even if it's not participating) in the spirit of Restaurant Week! 

Book your lunch, brunch, or dinner reservation now!

Second Stop: Did You Notice H Street Restaurants Get Love from Washingtonian Mag + James Beard Awards?

Speaking of restaurants and excellent dining along H Street, big congrats to Pascual, Cane, Daru, Hiraya & Kayu, and Maketto for gaining well-earned recognition in this year's Washingtonian Best 100 Restaurants for the region. That's a strong showing for a single corridor! Additionally, congrats to Hiraya and Pascual for their nominations for a 2025 James Beard Award! You remember how H Street was honored last year several times with local and national awards – the recognition keeps coming! (Did any of that also make you hungry and ready to make your Restaurant Week reservation right now?)

Last Stop: Looking Ahead, 2025 Is Going To Be Bright on H!

In case you've missed it, there has been a slew of announcements about new businesses and restaurants coming to H Street NE in 2025.

• Hard to miss, but a lot of folks are excited that we'll be getting another grocery store on H Street with Aldi planning to open this spring on the 800 block.
  
  
• If you're a fan of great coffee and gelato, Dolcezza will be opening soon in the former Wydown location on the 600 block.
  
  
• On the same block, the same team from Daru at the far end of H Street will be opening up a new concept called Tapori.
  
  
• Open Crumb, DC's acclaimed American and West African shop is moving to 822 H Street NE.
  
  
• Henceforth (pictured) is making great progress in the former H Street Country Club location, and after its renovation, H Street will have its own brewery along with a restaurant and wine bar.
  
  
• If you've missed it, the H Street Farmers Market is so successful after 20 years of operation (!), they've now moved to year-round operations at 13th and H Streets NE on Saturdays.
  
  
• And, we could see something along the lines of a small Union Market-style concept coming to the 1300 block of H Street NE at the former Biergarten Haus space. The new owners have exciting plans for a project that will include restaurant, bar, fitness, and event spaces. The street-facing properties plus three alley lots of the buildings are planned to make one large space for the concept. This is an exciting development that will fill a large portion of the 1300 block. It won't be as big as Union Market, but it is aimed to have a fun mix of fast-casual, food stalls you're used to seeing there. I'm excited that such a destination is making its way to our neighborhood! 

This isn't a full list of everything coming in 2025, but it's a snapshot that tells me there is a lot of energy on H Street and our work is yielding results. Thank you for showing up, getting engaged, and helping me push the city to get focused on the H Street corridor to make the improvements we all know are possible and needed. Our work isn't done, but it's a great progress report to share, and I'm looking forward to working with you throughout 2025 on our next steps.

Hope to see you out there this week for Restaurant Week on H Street!

Charles Allen