I am psyched to see the news that REI is going to locate a super-store in the Uline Arena building in NoMa! You may recall that Uline Arena, also known as the Washington Arena, was the first place the Beatles had a concert in the US after they appeared on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964. It has been a hollowed out shell, except for a few scattered upper level theater seats, and used as a parking lot for over a decade. Douglas Development is in the process of redeveloping the building.
I have a soft-spot in my heart for REI as I worked at their original Seattle, WA store one summer during college (yes, a long, long time ago!!!) I spent out west. I learned how to operate a fork lift in the store's warehouse!…and also got to hike all over The Cascades that summer. And I love NoMa too as I have been the principle contract photographer for the NoMa Business Improvement District for almost 4 years.
It's such a great fit for the space and the neighborhood…what a statement of how hip, cool, and livable NoMa and DC has become!
