In late June, Crooked Beat owner Bill Daly announced that his flood-damaged record shop had found a new home at 2101B Mount Vernon Avenue. Michael Babin of Neighborhood Restaurant Group got in touch with him right away. "I reached out to him immediately," Babin told ALXnow. The reason for the call was that NRG was about to open a record store of its own, a block away. Daly's answer, as Babin recounted it: "He said the more the merrier, and it'll only make it more of a destination, which is exactly what we thought."
That exchange explains most of what changed on Mount Vernon Avenue this fall. The new doors between roughly 2000 and 2100 were opened by people who already had a stake in the avenue. Several of them have said on the record that they see the shop next door as a draw for their own.
Mobius Records opened Sept. 12 at 2016 Mount Vernon Avenue, in the room that held Mulberry Lane Play Café until its last day on July 10. NRG kept the coworking space upstairs and the attached Shorty's Deluxe sandwich shop. Only the café space turned over.
It's the second Mobius. The first opened in Fairfax in 2014. Dempsey Hamilton runs the shop in partnership with NRG's Babin, Nathan Anda and Greg Engert. Hamilton told Patch that the Del Ray location gives them room to grow beyond selling records. "With the Alexandria shop, NRG gives us an opportunity to book shows, have listening parties and beyond, it really is a game changer!" The shop carries new releases, reissues and used records, on vinyl, CD and cassette. For opening weekend, the Alexandria Brief listed hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, with the shop closed Monday and Tuesday.
The same outlet measured the distance between Mobius and Crooked Beat at roughly 128 feet, on opposite sides of the avenue. That's about a one-minute walk.
Crooked Beat's road back took most of the year. A flood in January ruined the shop's basement space at 2417 Mount Vernon Avenue. The store reopened there with limited hours at the end of February, then closed that location in May. Daly told ALXnow that a longtime supporter bought the building at 2101B, a two-story townhouse that neighbors told the outlet had been empty for more than a decade.
The shop's soft opening started the weekend of Sept. 25. Used vinyl is upstairs, new releases are on the ground floor, and the top level is office space for Daly's record label. "It's like the Twilight Zone, same colors, same atmosphere," Daly said in a video ALXnow quoted. The Zebra noted bins set aside for D.C. bands and labels, including Fugazi, Bad Brains and Dischord Records, and quoted Daly on the future: "I want to do it for another 10 years, or more."
Here are the soft-opening hours currently posted on Crooked Beat's site:
The shop is also taking requests for its RSD Black Friday order list ahead of Nov. 27.
Put the addresses side by side and you can see how much of this fall's activity sits within a block or so.
| Address | What's there now | What it replaced | Status as of latest reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003A Mount Vernon Ave. | Crooked Run Fermentation taproom | Dolce & Bean | Announced to open Aug. 28 |
| 2003 B Mount Vernon Ave. | Del Ray Hardware | Open; owned by Jason Portlance | |
| 2016 Mount Vernon Ave. | Mobius Records | Mulberry Lane Play Café | Opened Sept. 12 |
| 2018 Mount Vernon Ave. | Rosie's Tavern | Thai Peppers | Targeting November 2026 |
| 2101B Mount Vernon Ave. | Crooked Beat Records | Vacant for over a decade | Soft-opened late September |
Rosie's Tavern is the address to keep an eye on. Thai Peppers served its last meal on June 15 after more than 27 years, with the family owners retiring. In August, The Zebra reported that the signs were down, the building was repainted and the windows were covered in brown paper. The developer is D. Jason Portlance, who also owns Del Ray Farmhouse Market + Garden at 1913 Mount Vernon Avenue and Del Ray Hardware at 2003 B. His liquor license application asks for beer, wine and mixed drinks. No menu or concept has been made public, and we haven't seen an update since August. Treat November as a target for now.
Go down the avenue's other new arrivals and you find the same pattern. Most are operators who were already in Del Ray or close by.
Little Birdie opened June 23 at 1504B Mount Vernon Avenue in the former Benny DiForza's Pizza space. Its owners, Matt Sloan and Eric Brannon, also own Matt & Tony's All Day Kitchen + Bar at 1501, right across the street. Little Birdie focuses on chicken sandwiches on milk buns and has an open kitchen. It's open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.
Cubbies, a Chicago-style Italian sausage and hot dog spot, held its grand opening July 18 in the upstairs bar at Del Ray Public House, 2218 Mount Vernon Avenue. A partner operates it. The posted hours are Fridays 5 to 10 p.m., Saturdays 2 to 10 p.m. and Sundays noon to 8 p.m.
Hypergoat Coffee Roasters started out online and at farmers markets before opening its Old Town café at 215 N. Payne Street. Its second shop will go into 2423B Mount Vernon Avenue, part of a former church building that has been split into two tenant spaces. Co-owner Rodrigo Ramos told ALXnow that the family has walked Mount Vernon Avenue and run a Hypergoat stand at Del Ray's Vintage & Flea markets. As of mid-August the space was in early buildout, with no opening date.
Crooked Run is the one newcomer from outside the neighborhood. Founded in Leesburg, it also has taprooms in Sterling and Northeast D.C. Co-owner Lee Rogan told ALXnow they wanted a space under 1,000 square feet. He also described how the company sees its place on the avenue: "We're not trying to come in and be 'the place' in Del Ray. Because that's not what Del Ray is all about." The taproom has more than 20 seats inside and eight outside. Along with Crooked Run's beers, it pours wine and cocktails and serves bar food: chicken tenders, pita and hummus, and mozzarella sticks. Crooked Run's site lists hours of 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Open space on the avenue is scarce, even for a shop with deep local ties. The Dog Store has been on Mount Vernon Avenue since 2014. Its building at 2301 changed hands this year, and the new owner extended its lease through Jan. 6, 2027. Owner Paul Haire is still looking for another space in Del Ray. "Staying in Del Ray isn't cheap, and it's extremely difficult finding a new space," he told ALXnow in late July. If nothing turns up, he plans to move the store to his Your Dog's Best Friends boarding facility at 2000 Richmond Highway. We found no update after that report.
That's the backdrop for everything above. Crooked Run went looking specifically for a small footprint. Crooked Beat's return depended on a supporter buying a building that had been empty for years. On this stretch, rooms open up when a longtime tenant leaves.
The new shops get their first big crowd in two weeks. The Del Ray Business Association's 30th annual Halloween Parade steps off Sunday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. It starts at E. Bellefonte Avenue, runs along Mount Vernon Avenue and wraps up with live music and awards at the Mount Vernon Rec Center field. This year adds a group and float contest, so groups of any age can compete alongside the strollers and pets. Motorized floats and vehicles aren't allowed.
Here's the rest of the season on the DRBA calendar:
If Rosie's makes its November target, the 2000 block will have its full lineup in place before the tree lighting.
The houses on the streets off Mount Vernon Avenue are older too, and Jesse's construction and preservation background comes in handy there. If you're thinking about renovating a home a few blocks from the avenue, or wondering how this fall's changes on Mount Vernon Avenue fit into your own plans, Jesse Oakley and The Oakley Group are happy to talk it through. Book a Consultation.
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