At some point I will rebuild the site with more of an eye toward looking-back-at-change compared to watching-change-happen. But the lightbulb on how to do that hasn't turned on yet.

It was an amazing run, and thank you to everyone who read the site, commented on the site (I already miss you guys!), sent tips, and helped me learn the ropes of commercial real estate and zoning and whatnot.

I took my first pictures of the neighborhood in the fall of 1999, so 1999-2020 was a pretty good run.

I still tweet out little tidbits of neighborhood news if they strike my fancy, and am always available on Twitter for questions and general merriment.

Not a bad little hobby, as it turned out.

I can however steal a few moments at least to open up a new thread for the JDLand Commentariat to keep passing along news and tidbits while I toil away at retrieving and database-ing cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and now vaccinations, while bracing myself for what the coming weeks will bring, both in COVIDLand and in InsurrectionistLand.

Stay safe, everybody.

* NJ & I: ANC 6D07 commissioner Edward Daniels put out the word on Facebook this week that "after numerous emails, walk-throughs, and (personal) hours spent watching the intersection from Slipstream, DDOT has finally responded and are working on a design and construction plan to install a traffic light at the intersection of New Jersey Ave & I Street SE." It's still a ways off, but there's no doubt that this intersection is a busy one and in need of some containment. (Wish I had a better picture to illustrate, but I usually try my best to let roads clear before I click the shutter. Which is not easy at New Jersey and I.)

* BID ANNUAL REPORT: It's time once again for the Capitol Riverfront BID's annual report, which has all sorts of information about the neighborhood's progress, but I think it's worth highlighting some of the numbers. The BID estimates there are now 11,200 residents in 7,100 residential units, 78 restaurants, 44 shops and services, two grocery stores, and two professional sports stadiums (alas, the BID mucks with my statistics by also having Buzzard Point in its boundaries). I'm so old I remember a brief period when the resident count was about 300, if that.

* BRIDGE LATEST: The progress on the arches keeps right on going, and if you want to know more about the new Douglass Bridge, the winter newsletter is available for your perusal.

* SLIDESHOWS: I got on a bit of a tear and finally figured out how to more easily create a "representative" photo slideshow for projects, using larger photos to illustrate a project's progress from before to after, without completely rebuilding the existing small-image'd photo archive. (Not much space in my brain for this level of creativity for, oh, the past 10 years or so.) You can see these on pages for active projects, like Capper Seniors 2.0 (which is a good example, since the slideshow captures the rise and fall and rise) and others on the homepage map. I'm going to work my way through older projects, which will take some time. This also means that it's going to be much quicker to update the project pages when I take new photos, since I've been manually adding the large photos each time I go out. Kind of wish I had figured this out a few years ago, when this crazy stretch of new construction was getting started, but, like I said, I've had a lot on my mind. You'll also note that there are mini-slideshows showing up randomly on the JDLand home page, as well as the sliders (which remain a very labor-intensive activity). I imagine some day I will redo the photo archive in larger versions, but not this week.

In other news that I've been extraordinarily neglectful of:

* NICOLETTA PIZZA: It was almost six years ago that I first wrote of plans for Chef Michael White's plans to bring a sibling of his Osteria Morini to the Yards Park boardwalk.The notion seemed to fall by the wayside, especially when Morini Piccolo arrived in the fall of 2017, but lo and behold, a few weeks ago signage went up, and now it is open. Eater DC wrote a preview, if you are looking for information beyond ***PIZZA*** (and frozen Negronis, which Mr. JDLand would have been quite revved up for).

* MORE APARTMENTS UNDERWAY: My coverage of the eastern portion of the neighborhood is even worse than my coverage of the rest of it, so I haven't written much about either the completed renovations of the 19-unit apartment building now known as the Callisto at 816 Potomac or about the adjoining four-story, 49-unit new construction apartment building apparently dubbed Europa at 818 Potomac, both by MMg Development. Work is now underway on Europa, as I captured in a terrible photo a few weeks ago. (And maybe I'll get my development map updated with these items soon. Any Minute Now.)

* MORE CONDOS UNDERWAY: Readers have been noticing digging underway on the south side of L Street between South Capitol and Half, and it is the start of construction on an 11-story, 74-unit condo building at 37 L Street, a project of DBT Development. Here is a rendering, from the web site of Bonstra Haresign Architects, that shows the building if you are looking toward the southeast from across L Street. This was the site for the former Empire Cab company, and before that, the site of one of the city's deadliest fires. This is not to be confused with the Metro "chiller plant" site next door, on the corner of Half and L, where residential is slated to happen Some Day.

Hopefully I'll get a little bit of blogging mojo back after the new year--but really, there isn't that much going on right now, anyway. Unless you guys can tell me all sorts of stuff in the comments.

Happy New Year to all...

* CAPPER SENIORS VOLUNTEERING: The residents of Capper Seniors displaced in last week's fire are in need of a lot of assistance, above and beyond what the city can quickly and easily provide. There is now a sign-up form for those interested in contributing to the effort, whether it's working directly with the seniors, helping to collect donated items, fundraising, community outreach, or logistics. And there will always be a need for cash donations as well.

* ALL RESIDENTS ACCOUNTED FOR? ER, UM, YEAH, ABOUT THAT: Shockingly, a resident was found in his second-floor apartment on Monday, the fifth day after the fire, despite the building's management having said that all residents were accounted for. The man was dehydrated but otherwise unhurt. Charles Allen is Not Pleased.

* JDLAND HAPPY HOUR OCT. 11: On a cheerier note, let's try this get-together-thing again: I invite JDLand readers to come hang out with the entire JDLand staff (except the cats) on Thursday, Oct. 11, starting at 5 pm, at Mission. It's an indoor destination this time, so there should be no weather-related postponements. Would love to meet readers, and would love to have readers meet other readers. Hope you can be there!

* HATOBA: The neighborhood will finally get a ramen outlet in early 2019, when Hatoba opens in the old 100 Montaditos space in the Boilermaker Shops at the Yards. (You may have caught their pop-up with "Japanese hot dogs.") Washingtonian has more about this fourth venture from the team behind Daikaya, Bantam King, and Haikan. (And apparently "hatoba" means "dock.")

* EL BEBE: There's finally an official replacement for Open Road as Circa's sibling in the ground floor of the 99 M office building at 1st and M, and that's "El Bebe," which is billing itself as "tacos and tequila." Eater DC has more, including that both Bebe and Circa are shooting for a "late 2019 2018" opening. {fixed my own typo}

* WALTERS: The sports bar in the ground floor of 1221 Van isn't coming until next year, but they tweeted out this rendering of the planned interior.

* ALL-PURPOSE: Their rooftop is now open.

* DEEP DIVES: The Post had a long piece this weekend on the neighborhood 10 years after the ballpark's arrival (with some photos that will look familiar), and Washington Monthly has a long and interesting look at Business Improvement Districts, with a focus on the Capitol Riverfront BID.

* CAPPER MEETING: The DC Housing Authority is having a public meeting to give an update on the status of the Capper/Carrollsburg redevelopment on Wednesday, July 25, at 7 pm at the Capper Community Center, 1000 5th St., SE. I imagine this will discuss the remaining three blocks of the redevelopment footprint, which are planned as mixed-income residential buildings, including one condo building, if that is still on the boards. (UPDATE: The 25th is the correct date, but the flyer called it Tuesday instead of Wednesday. Waiting for an updated flyer.)

* BRIDGE SURVEY: Interested in the new Douglass Bridge? DDOT wants to hear from you in this survey.

* ME ME ME: I always feel weird about including these links, but if you want the quick version of how this crazy project came to be, read Urban Turf's look at the "Unofficial Historian of the Ballpark District."

But, in return for bailing on the loyal readers who were ready to make the trek in rain or snow or dark of night, I have something that might be of interest.

And that is, I think I have come up with a way to quickly and easily share small tidbits of news, as they break, without waiting to pile them up in tidbits posts that turned out to be my undoing. And not just tidbits I find (since I won't always be on the lookout), but tidbits that readers pass along in the comments, as they have been doing for so many months.

So, starting now, you'll now see at the bottom of posts a section called "Tidbits to Tide You Over." These will be a mix of things I've come across along with *vetted* items from readers, and each will be marked with who posted them. All coming from the comment threads. Here's an example.

This will be an experiment--after all, my name (well, my initials) are on the masthead, and I have to be able to vouch for everything I elevate.

The JDLand rules of reporting and evaluating what is news will still apply. For instance, no rumors will be elevated. Longtime commenter/loyalists who have earned a level of trust will be more likely to see their tidbits elevated than someone who just registered. Pure advertisements will not be elevated. (Feel free to buy an ad, though!)

And I might suggest that commenters both try to keep any tidbit offerings short and sweet, and to not try to flood the zone with every little thing--you don't want to get on my bad side. And I reserve the right to do light editing when elevating content.

But if this works, it will actually succeed in making JDLand an even better destination for the latest in neighborhood goings-on than it has been in a long time. And I don't see it taking much of my time, leaving me better rested to write the longer posts on subjects I am interested in.

Enjoy your deputization, loyalists, but use your powers wisely.

And keep checking back to see what's new.

Come meet your neighbors, your fellow commenters, and the entire staff of JDLand (minus the felines). I'll be the old lady with the fake red hair. Hope to see you!

In other news, while I am not walking back my decision to not write posts on little day-to-day stuff anymore--I'm already very much enjoying the guilt-eradication on that front--I have come up with a somewhat crazy solution that will allow the site to still have a steady stream of tidbits without my having to exert much energy. Stay tuned on that.

And I'll still be writing longer posts when the mood strikes.

Thanks to everyone for all of the lovely words these past few days. Now you know why it's so hard to extricate myself--you all are so good to me. My life would be much poorer without this little band of folks. Especially now.

It might be that, after 15 years, I have reached my maximum allowable limit of words written about zoning, public meetings, ribbon cuttings, retail spaces, project delays, and expected opening dates of highly anticipated grocery stores.

It also might be that I am still in the very early stages of trying to figure out life after last year’s neutron bomb, and am wanting to pare back on additional sources of stress wherever possible, such as this perpetual feeling that I am falling down on the JDLand job.

I have spent a year telling myself that the groove would return after the memorial service, then after the sale of the Wyoming house, then after the holidays, then after the hip surgery, then after the anniversary, but that groove has remained elusive. I think it's time to listen to that.

I hesitate to say This Is It, because I’ve said that twice before, only to be lured back by the siren song of being the Digital Town Crier. But I’m sort of looking at it like I am promoting myself to JDLand Editor at Large. (Though I see in 2013, when I first tried this dialing back, I called it Blogger Emeritus. Basically just read that post and change the years on it.)

If the mood strikes (like, say, when a highly anticipated grocery store opens or a professional all-star game comes to town), I’ll post, but I’m done chasing the day-to-day tidbits and news. Or, more accurately, I'm done feeling guilty about my lack of interest in posting the day-to-day tidbits and news. But follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, where I'll still pass things along that strike my fancy, and where I'll send up flares when there are new posts here.

I think this is for real this time. Fifteen years of always being on the lookout for news is a pretty good run, especially for a “hobby.”

I’ll always take pictures, though. And I am sure will keep maintaining the project pages, maps, sliders, and whatnot, because it's not like I won't be watching.

And I certainly won't just up and forget the mountain of minutiae I've stored in my brain about Near Capitol Ballpark River Yards since I started watching in 2003. I just don't want to pretend that I want to write about everything anymore.

Maybe the JDLand commentariat will just keep doing what it’s been doing, which is to use the comment thread on the most recent post to provide the steady stream of news tidbits that I was slow to get to.

Thanks for everything. You folks have powered me on this adventure for a lot of years. But don't be strangers--I'm not disappearing completely.

And who knows, maybe the groove will indeed return. Like when Amazon picks the neighborhood for HQ2.