Lunchline: Takoma Park isn't just for hippies anymore

If you have difficulty viewing this newsletter, click here to view as a Web page. Click here to view in plain text. Monday, July 9, 2012 Over the weekend, I played in the first annual Metropolitan Media Softball League All-Star Game. Aside from turning a fun double play with my friend John Domen, it was great fun. If you're in the business and have a chance, I'd suggest you play in the league. I think I've made my love for street art pretty clear. And now that it's become more popular all around, there are far more venues for artists to display their work legally and vibrantly than, say, 15 years ago. A new one is opening up tomorrow night. Ora Nwabueze, who wanted to create a space that would invite rotating installations, started the VeraCruz Gallery on Vermont Avenue NW. The Post's Maura Judkis explains it'll be less a wine-and-cheese and more a beer-and-tacos place. Win. As a kid, I used to ride my bike across the border into Maryland a lot. The neighborhood adjacent to mine, Takoma Park, was always a whimsical mix of styles and cultures. Their movie rental place always had different flicks from the one on Georgia Avenue. Their ice cream shop had exotic flavors I'd never heard of. And it was the first place where I saw a real farmers market. Now, things are changing. The Post's Victor Zapana chronicles Takoma Park's post-hippie transformation. 3015 M St. NW is about to become one of the most dangerous places in D.C. That's because Sprinkles, arguably the original gourmet cupcake bakery, plans to open up a 24-hour cupcake "ATM" there. As fun as this idea sounds, it has disaster written all over it. Never mind the hassle this will create during the daytime, with tourists looking to experience the fun: After the bars let out, it could be a serious battlefield for munchies. Capital Business' Danielle Douglas reports. It's summertime, which means that reading should be a priority. And because it's been so dang hot outside, you might want stories that take you to a place that's a bit more refreshing than the sweatbox that has been the D.C. area for the past two weeks. I'm not going to ask you for a book report in the fall, but here's a summer reading list from Longform that Slate has given us. And every single story is about surfing. I had a fun conversation with D.C. Council member Vincent Orange yesterday. He sent me a photo of him and Ron Harper. The one who fathered Bryce Harper. According to Orange, the elder Harper approached him at a Denny's in California a few weeks back. Orange was wearing a Nats shirt, so the two got to talking. Orange also pointed out that a family member is best friends with Rickey Henderson, who thinks Harper will be "great." For now, he's just an All-Star. The youngest position-playing one, ever. Cised. Extra Bites • Last week, I read Jimmie Walker's memoir "Dyn-O-Mite!" The book is absolutely fantastic. If you don't know the working history of stand-up comics making the big time, you need to read this. "Good Times" aside, Walker is like the Forrest Gump of the business. • Yesterday, famed actor Ernest Borgnine died. People will remember him for different roles, but to me, he'll always be Dominic in "Airwolf." • Penelope Scotland Disick. She's the newest Kardashian. Look out. Here's how to get at me. There's Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and you can e-mail me at clinton.yates@wpost.com. Get The Washington Post, your way. Want to stay on top of the latest news, features, commentary and more? Here's how: Mobile: Alerts: Social Media: Applications Web site E-mail SMS RSS Feeds Facebook Twitter SEND TO A FRIEND UNSUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER CENTER GET HELP Washington Post Digital E-mail Customer Care 1150 15th Street NW Washington, D.C. 20071 ©2012 The Washington Post Privacy Policy