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A festive atmosphere overtook V Street between 13th and 14th Streets NW this afternoon, as the U Street community took time to celebrate the life of the prolific Langston Hughes -- the stretch of pavement was officially dubbed Langston Hughes Way -- and to celebrate the neighborhood-at-large. Many U Street businesses set up shop along V Street, and attendees enjoyed entertainment from the Washington Showstoppers Marching Band, a drum performance by students at the Children's Studio School, and numerous speakers. The festival will continue until 7 p.m. tonight.

Due to celebrations on H Street NE and U Streets NW, there will be several roads near major intersections which will be closed to cars today. The Greater U Street Parade and Festival kicked off at 11 this morning: the parade route winds from 10th to 13th Streets, 13th Street from U to V Streets, and then on V Street from 13th to 14th Street -- the latter of which will be closed to traffic until 6 p.m., after its official renaming to "Langston Hughes Way" at noon by Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham. H Street NE, meanwhile, will be closed to traffic between 10th and 14th Streets NE for the 2009 H Street Festival until 9 p.m.

The Washington Post reports a groundbreaking revelation today: some residents of the U Street corridor are growing weary of the late night noise. According to the 2007 D.C. Economic Partnership report, the area houses more than 26,000 renters and owners, and the WaPo asks if a better live/play balance can be found in the neighborhood.

U Street boutique moojoo ken is shutting its doors for good on July 12, and the store has been liquidating its stock since late May. DCist stopped by the other week and was able to score some designer duds for about 80 percent off the original retail price. The store is heavy on shoes and handbags that bear the logo of the in-house label, but they also have an array of scarves and jewelry and a small selection of women's clothing. Stop by before July 12 for clearance deals before the store disappears forever. 1512 U Street NW.

MCCXXIII, a club whose name I type differently every time I write it, has closed, reports the Going-Out Gurus. Rents just got too high downtown. I wonder if that's true everywhere. Now that President Obama has taken office and started filling jobs with the people who helped him get there Clinton people, Stetson's on U Street has been restored to the glory it enjoyed during its heyday in the 90s. It might feel as though the Bush administration never happened on U Street, but you can be sure that isn't the mood in Georgetown. With Democrats ascendant, who will stay up on the right to drink those late-night shots? When will our young Republicans get back into the swing of things?

The Post reports that Rahman "Rock" Harper -- former "Hell's Kitchen" winner and an Alexandria native -- will return to the area to run the show at Next Door, the new U Street space neighboring Ben's Chili Bowl. Next Door is slated to open in time for the Inauguration. Harper, who in 2007 managed to skirt Gordon Ramsey's caterwauling long enough to win $250,000 and a job at Green Valley Ranch Resort in Vegas, was previously the Executive Chef at B. Smith’s in Union Station. Harper's arrival also signals a slight change in direction for the space -- Next Door had been looking like a long bar featuring little more than Ben's staples. But with Harper at the helm, the space is looking at installing tables and significantly upping the menu selections.

It may be grim out on D.C.'s streets, with eight homicides in the past seven days, but we'll say one thing about the job local law enforcement is doing right now: talk about some swift arrests. Yesterday, MPD arrested two suspects in the stabbing death of 14-year-old Giovanni Sanchez, which took place on Friday, and today, Metro Transit Police announced that they have arrested Dekeria Green, 18, in the stabbing at the 13th and U entrance to the U Street/Cardozo Metro stop, which took place on Saturday. That stabbing was reportedly the result of an argument that spilled out onto the street between club goers at The Republic. The Post reports that Metro police used security camera footage to help make an arrest, and that more arrests are possible. The MPD also assisted in the investigation.

Ah, Sesame Street - who among us doesn't long for the idyllic setting of Big Bird, Snuffalopogus, and Cookie Monster? Sometimes it's easy to slip away and imagine sitting on the stoop, sharing a juice box with your buds Bert, Ernie, and Grover after a hard day at the grind; even if rote memorization of multiplication tables are far in our rear view mirror.

Named for the “Sexual Healing” crooner, Marvin is a new Belgian bistro and lounge in the Shaw neighborhood where Gaye was born. Those taking an evening off from the darts-and-Dockers bar scenes in Georgetown or Adams Morgan say it feels more than a few Metro stops away from their usual haunts.

Two men robbed the Maggie Moo's ice cream parlor on U Street at gunpoint yesterday -- and they did it at 12:15 p.m., right in the middle of the day. DCist's Lynne Venart snapped the photo above of some of the aftermath of the crime scene.

This review is long past due. DCist began its jazz coverage over six months ago and only now are we covering a performance at the venerable Twins Jazz. A mainstay of the D.C. jazz scene, first with its Colorado Ave. location and now with new digs on U Street, the club, especially on weekends, hosts respected musicians who draw national attention, but who are also a bit too experimental for venues such as Blues Alley...

‘Tis the season for D.C.’s galleries to hold their annual group shows, hoping to entice holiday shoppers with a variety of artwork at affordable prices. Until December 30, U Street’s Nevin Kelly Gallery is hosting its third annual Attainable Art exhibit, with all work priced under $1500, and many pieces in the $200-600 range. Even if you don’t have many art lovers in your shopping queue this year, group exhibits like this one give visitors...

One need not dig too deep into our city’s jazz scene before coming across the name Thad Wilson. Since coming to D.C. in 1997, Wilson has become a mainstay in the jazz clubs of U Street and beyond by consistently performing with passion, intensity, and consummate artistry in a variety of settings. In addition to his own considerable abilities, his groups feature some of the finest players in the D.C. area. A native of...

As we mentioned in the Morning Roundup, the murder count in D.C. for 2007 stands at 169 as of today, which is the same number of total murders the city saw in 2006. The Post is reporting further that the 169th murder occurred over the weekend, and its victim was 25 year-old Timothy Spicer, a short-order cook at legendary U Street eatery Ben's Chili Bowl. Spicer's murder looks to be the result of a carjacking...

The overwhelming consensus so far at today's D.C. Council hearing on the recent theft of what looks to be $30 million-plus from the District's tax coffers? The scandal has damaged the reputation of the city government, and the council members are pissed. While most statements have clung to the nasty tidbits of information we already know (the enormity of the crime, that an auditor's warnings may have been ignored) and palliative cliches, council members provided...

The folks over at Dulles Metro extension are breaking out the construction tools … and the credit cards. $900 million of the $2.83 billion price tag of the initial 11.6-mile leg is in that Transportation Department spending bill tied up in Congress and under threat of veto by President Bush. But with or without the money, officials plan to start work, reports The Examiner. Is it just us, or does this violate everything you ever...

>> Tonight is the annual 17th Street High Heel Race. The classic D.C. drag event kicks off officially at 9 p.m., but you'll want to take your position on 17th St. NW between Church and R well before that (we'd recommend 7 at the latest). If you're looking to make a queer night of it, don't forget about the Hug-In planned at the U Street Rite Aid at 7 p.m., and the pre-Hug-In Happy Hour...

The Mancuso-Suzda Project, an adventurous local avant-garde jazz duo, is currently serving as artist-in-residence at Strathmore. The program selects a different local performer each month and provides educational and performance opportunities in order to cultivate local talent in the fine arts. Previous artists-in-residence include Laura Burhenn of Georgie James, jazz harmonicist Frédéric Yonnet, jazz percussionist Kush Abadey, singer/songwriter LEA, and Celtic harp player Lily Neill. Like so many groups these days, the Mancuso-Suzda Project came...

As usual, you said a lot of funny and thought-provoking stuff last week. But like LeVar Burton, don't take our word for it, and read on for Georgetown protests, monkeyrotica running a museum, and GMU fraternities, among other things. ------ monkeyrotica would be an awesome director of the National Museum of Health and Medicine: The disorganized state of the Army Medical Museum is an example of vicious circle funding: hardly anybody visits the place because...

>> Rachelle Farell, one of the few vocalists who successfully straddles the line between jazz, R&B and pop, will be playing at Blues Alley tonight, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Sets are at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The rather outrageously priced tickets are available here. $60 + $10 food/drink minimum. >> Two local ladies of jazz come to Twins Jazz tonight for our first must see. Trombonist Jen Krupa, a member of the Navy Commodores...

Written by DCist Contributor Eric Denman On U street NW between 13th and 14th, nestled between Polly's and a nail salon, Axis is settling into a rhythm and starting to be a very solid contender in an increasingly crowded strip. The wine list, which averages $12 $8 by the glass, is respectable, but the real reason to come here is for the tap list. Although it doesn't boast a huge variety of obscure seasonals, the...

This post from DCist Contributor Liz Lawson Mahogany Restaurant presents itself as a place representing the smooth side of the U Street revitalization; one that requires a certain attire for its patrons, like another that was the source of a bit of controversy when it emerged a few years ago. Recently reopened after renovations, Mahogany sits on the street-level floor of Bohemian Caverns, which hosts local jazz nearly every night of the week in a...

The Smithsonian announced yesterday that they've officially formed the committee to find the replacement for Olga Viso as the new Director of the Hirshhorn. The group of eight includes local art collectors and Hirshhorn trustees, a couple Smithsonian officers, and the Director of SFMoMA, though we can think of at least one more loud voice that might want in on the decision. We'll be interested to hear who they come up with before Viso leaves...

Today is National Coming Out Day, a day when gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are encouraged to be open about who they are. The annual observance began on October 11, 1988, exactly one year after the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. (The first one was held October 14, 1979.) While there aren't usually major events to commemorate the day, there are a couple of local events that coincide with...

>> Tonight, check out bassist/composer Howard Britz as he brings his repertoire of original post-bop compositions to Twins Jazz. Call (202) 234-0072 for set times and cover information. >> This week's first of many must see shows takes place at GW's Lisner Auditorium on Thursday as The Global Drum Project (pictured) takes the stage. Comprised of four percussionists hailing from very different musical traditions, the ensemble features Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, tabla master...

Several people have sent us their photos after spotting municipal trash cans around town with signs affixed to them that read: "DC BALLOT BOX: Your vote goes here." We don't know who was responsible for this guerrilla marketing campaign, but obviously, we approve of the message. Thankfully, they appear to have been affixed with easy to remove masking tape, so as not to spark the flames of indignation that go along with wheat paste....

On Monday morning at a little after 11 a.m., we noticed a pair of beat cops walking along U Street NW near 12th Street. In many other cities, this would certainly be nothing to take note of, but in D.C., the cries from neighborhood associations and individual residents for more officers to patrol on foot have been heard for years. Police Chief Cathy Lanier thus rightly made a big deal out of increasing the number...

Like ravenous dogs preying on fresh meat, local bloggers have pounced on the news that local organic grocer Yes! Organic Market will be coming to the Union Row building project, located at 14th and V streets NW. In a press release from Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham, the 5,000 square foot market is scheduled to open in Spring of 2008, offering residents, “natural foods as part of a unique shopping experience.” Despite the ominous approach...

A little patience resulted in this great photo by Flickr user epmd. He says the first night he shot this colorful playground in the evening, nothing was to his satisfaction, so, undeterred, he went out again a few nights later and came back with this wonderfully exposed shot. EXIF.

>> The Smithsonian American Art Museum honors the winners of the Lucelia Artist Award over the past six years with its new exhibition opening tomorrow. The highly prestigious award gives $25,000 to an artist under 50 who has "consistently demonstrated exceptional creativity." See the six winners every day from from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The 2007 winner will be revealed tomorrow when the exhibit opens. >> If you haven't had the chance yet...