Donnie Simpson is back on the air in the DMV

Source: Louis Myrie/Radio One

Legendary radio and television personality, Donnie Simpson, will be taking on both roles again with Radio One and TV One respectively. Earlier today, Simpson made his debut on Majic 102.3, where he announced that he'll be returning to the airwaves in two weeks. Check out some interesting facts about his return...

On Our Blocks News

Here's some recent news from our business units:

• PBS's 'Ask This Old House' shoots a segment in Northeast
• Fox will broadcast two hours of NFL pregame programming this season
• Looking for things to do on H Street the summer?
• Has the DMV's 2024 Olympic bid been reignited? 

On Our Blocks News

Here's news from some of our professional areas of interest...

• Silver Spring based TV One's Roland Martin claims win over CNN and Fox 
• NFL to stream live video of game in 2015
• "The Man Cave" will make its debut on ESPN 980 next Monday
• An interesting look at why NCAA athletes should be allowed to unionize

DMV Connections... Our very own prime time network television star

Courtesy Fox.com

Tonight's appointment television for fans of Fox's Empire. According to Nielsen, 708,000 Tweets were generated around the program between March 2 and March 8, 2015. A second season of the program is already on the horizon, so we're even more proud to call one of the following stars a DMV Connection...

A.Terrance Howard

B. Trai Byers

C. Teraji P. Henson

D. Jussie Smollett

On Our Blocks News

Here are more recent stories that may be of interest...

• A response to Prince George's County's real estate values from its residents...
• Another competitor for cable television begins service today... Sling TV
• DMV native Kevin Plank discusses the future of Under Armour (video)...
• Only 55% of television viewers in this Nielsen survey continue to watch live TV...
• REI is coming to the former Uline Arena/Washington Coliseum in NoMa...

Future Home of REI (2/9/15)

REI in NoMa - Courtesy DouglasDevelopment.com

On Our Blocks News

Here are some stories of interest in the DMV. Click the links below:

• JC Hayward has announced her retirement from Channel 9

• A DMV native gets the morning gig on WPGC

• An interesting look at the real estate market in Prince Geroge's County

 "My Prince George's County"

Fresh locally grown food on H Street

If you'd like to support your community when purchasing some of the freshest and tastiest food from our region, FRESHFARM Markets' H Street location is a real good look. The non-profit organization supports local farmers and artisans throughout the Chesapeake watershed. They've been operating on 13th, between H and Wylie Streets, NE since 2004. The remaining 2014 events will feature grass-fed meats, fruits, veggies, eggs, pastries, flowers and more. They'll take place on Saturdays from 9am-Noon until December 20. Click below for a few additional shots from last Saturday.

Taste of DC

We checked out Taste of DC during last week's holiday weekend. We were impressed with the crowd, especially on a Sunday prior to a 4 p.m. Redskins game. Although these Yelp comments  feature mixed reviews, we were extremely satisfied with our traditional outdoor festival go-to meal. Here's an old-school hint... you can't go wrong with the freshly grilled teriyaki chicken on a stick.There's usually a long line, but it's definitely worth the wait.

Click below for footage. If the video does not appear, CLICK HERE.

The 2014 H Street Festival

An estimated 125,000 folks came out to the annual H Street Festival last week. Here's some footage from the 2014 event:

If the video does not appear below, CLICK HERE

NoMa Summer Screen's final viewing of the season

According to nomabid.org, the NoMa Summer Screen film series is scheduled to go on this evening. If you're not familiar with the series, check out this previous OnOurBlocks post. Tonight's viewing of Hook, which is appropriately a family-friendly film featuring Robin Williams, starts at 7 PM. As always, several food trucks will be onsite. Click below for a list of culinary options and recent pics from earlier this summer.

DMV Connections... A national morning show host

Which of the following morning show personalities grew up in Prince George's County Maryland, where she attended Bowie High School?

A. Kelly Ripa

B. Gayle King

C. Kathie Lee Gifford

D. Hoda Kotb

Update... Dollar Tree opens at Hechinger Mall on Benning Road

In an earlier post, we told you that the Dollar Tree at Hechinger Mall was expected to open on July 7, 2014. After a brief delay, we can now report that the store was open and operating on August 1, 2014. From the looks of things during our visit, this should prove to be popular location in the Northeast quadrant of the city.

Pret A Manger Opens on Capitol Hill

Pret A Manger has opened at 3rd & Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. The former Cosi location announced its opening with a live DJ and free samples. The international chain has stores in the UK, Hong Kong and France. The US region currently operates in New York, Boston, Chicago and DC. This is the eighth location to open in the District.

DMV Road Trip... The Northern Neck of Virginia

Courtesy Google Maps

There's not much like a nice road trip to recharge your spirit from time to time. On a recent excursion, On Our Blocks traveled to the historic Northern Neck of Virginia. A relatively short drive down Maryland's route 301 over the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge will expose you to some of the region's historical treasures. For more about the birthplace of George Washington and a day cruise to Tangier Island,CLICK BELOW.

Another Dollar Tree is coming to DC

Dollar Tree is scheduled to open at the former Hechinger Mall on Benning Road. According to workers installing the sign in the photo above, the store will begin conducting business next Monday (July 7, 2014). Patrons of the nationwide chain, which operates in all of our 48 contiguous states, know that all items sell for $1 or less. Many may feel that that this is a welcomed neighbor in the H Street/Benning Road corridor.