The Buckingham Herald Tribblog: Amenities of Ballston's Liberty Center (Opens Early '08)

Monday, November 19, 2007

Amenities of Ballston's Liberty Center (Opens Early '08)

This portion of the Hyde Park newsletter was sent from Tom Lauria, the condominium's president. His subject line says Buckinghamsters might be interested, and I think they would be. This is one building my son and I used to ride past regularly on my bicycle when it was still a huge ditch, to watch the trucks and men working like ants in the bottom. Clearly, Hyde Parkers are looking forward to this. Read on. --ST

Hyde Park Newsletter, December 2007

BALLSTON UPDATE
New Retail Amenities heading to Liberty Center

As workers put the finishing touches on the striking Liberty Center complex on Wilson between Randolph and North Quincy, it's time for a preview of the street-level retail that will soon be just steps away. Developer John Shooshan attended the last HP Board of Directors meeting to forecast his company's plans for the Metro bus yards (to be chronicled in "Ballston Update" next month) and to welcome us to the new restaurants and shops soon coming to Liberty Center.

When: Early in 2008, we will see some exciting new businesses open. Of course, there's an obligatory bank. This time it's HSBC, right at the corner of Randolph and Wilson. While they seem to be popping up everywhere, Ballston's critical mass of new banking facilities is appropriate for a prosperous city center. Nearby, a new branch of downtown DC's successful "Marvelous Market" will bring some of the area's best fresh breads and cheeses to Ballston. And in a neighborhood that has no less than four Starbucks coffee shops, the coming of "Saxby's Coffee" from Philadelphia is a nice change of pace.

What’s New: The success of "Bruegger's Bagels" along the Northeast corridor is due to their product's authenticity: they make genuine, New York-style, kettle boiled bagels. The new Liberty Center location will feature creative sandwiches, ciabattas and wraps, but it's those warm, fresh bagels that will have Hyde Parkers trundling down Randolph or Quincy on Sunday mornings.

Nicest feature: Quickly now, can you name a good seafoodrestaurant in Ballston?
If you're drawing a blank, you'll be happy to hear that "D.C. Boathouse," the very popular white-tablecloth seafood restaurant on McArthur Boulevard, is opening second branch in Liberty Center. The 7,000 square foot establishment will soon hang its familiar "crossed oars" logo on our side of the neighborhood. There seems to be other retail venues possible within Liberty Center, but the developers are off to a terrific start with the establishments already on board.

The are of the liberty center is in blue.

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Labels: ballston, redevelopment