Shen Yun Performing Arts finished their run at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. over the weekend. The final three performances played to a full house. For many audience members, it was an unforgettable experience.
[Dr. Roberto B. Saladin, Dominican Republic Ambassador to the U.S.]:
“A memorable night, an unforgettable night, really. So much beauty.”
[Catherine Leggett, Audience Member]
“Fun, inspirational, connecting with the audience. Connecting with the heart. It was just a magnificent performance and I just completely, thoroughly enjoyed it.”
The erhu, a two-stringed Chinese violin, left an impression on Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity.
[Pat Herrity, Springfield District Supervisor, Fairfax County]:
“That you can get that much expression out and that much music out of two strings. I mean, I found that very, very impressive, inspiring and moving.”
Mr. Anderson came from Little Rock, Arkansas to see Shen Yun.
[Robert Anderson, Audience Member]:
“I’m glad that I did. It’s a show that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise, and a message that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise.”
Annie Totah, a local philanthropist, appreciated the educational value of Shen Yun.
[Annie Totah, Philanthropist and Activist]:
“Lack of human rights, and conveying it to the western world, I think it’s a great job that they’re doing, because this is an educational entertainment. Not only it’s graceful, colorful, elegant, but also sharing with us the rich heritage of the Chinese culture.”
NTD News, Washington D.C.
Source:english.ntdtv.com/
Showing posts with label D.C. office boom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label D.C. office boom. Show all posts
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Washington D.C. To Swear In Secretary Of Love
Tourism officials in the nation's capital have picked Dr. Ruth Westheimer to be the honorary secretary of the "Department of Love and Relationships." She'll help announce a new "stimulus plan" for the city's tourism business. Dr. Ruth will be sworn in Thursday.
DEBORAH AMOS, host:
Good morning. I'm Deb Amos.
Move over, Mr. Geithner. There's a new secretary coming to the nation's capital. Today, D.C. will introduce the secretary of love and relationships. And officials have tapped the queen of romance herself, Dr. Ruth, to fill that role. It's all part of D.C.'s month-long stimulus plan to boost tourism. Officials say the effort has been inspired by the Obama's romantic date night. The romance is in time for Valentine's Day. It's MORNING EDITION.
Source:npr.org/
DEBORAH AMOS, host:
Good morning. I'm Deb Amos.
Move over, Mr. Geithner. There's a new secretary coming to the nation's capital. Today, D.C. will introduce the secretary of love and relationships. And officials have tapped the queen of romance herself, Dr. Ruth, to fill that role. It's all part of D.C.'s month-long stimulus plan to boost tourism. Officials say the effort has been inspired by the Obama's romantic date night. The romance is in time for Valentine's Day. It's MORNING EDITION.
Source:npr.org/
Friday, January 8, 2010
Group looks to change Grand Strand lobbyists in Washington
MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - Concerned if they're getting they're money's worth, mayors along the Grand Strand say they are looking to change lobbyists in Washington.
The Grand Strand Coastal Alliance, made of the mayors of Surfside Beach, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Atlantic Beach, met on Wednesday to talk about the needs of the area.
Included in their discussions was the most recent news that Congressman Henry Brown was retiring. The group is concerned that without his leadership, the Grand Strand may miss out on millions of dollars needed for several projects from beach renourishment to funding of Interstate 73.
They expressed their dissatisfaction with the lobbying group representing them in Washington, DC. They're worried that with Brown leaving in a few years, they may need someone pushing their interests.
"We're not in the best situation that we've been in for a long time when the congressman leaves office. Hopefully whoever is elected will have the same respect for the Grand Strand," said Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes. "So it's going to be a learning process for whoever is elected and it's a waiting process for us. Unfortunately, we can't afford to wait and I go back to that's why the importance of a lobbyist now."
The mayors noted that with Brown's help from their current lobbyists, the area did get $40 million for beach renourishment. The mayors decided to meet with several lobbyists over the coming weeks to see if there maybe a better option out there. They say they'll also look closely at anyone who wants to run for office to replace Brown.
"That is the message that we have to get out to our next congressman. You need to work closely with us to help us with our needs," said Mayor Marilyn Hatley of North Myrtle Beach.
The mayors will be in Washington in the coming weeks for a conference plan on meeting with some that already have ties to Horry County then.
"Our lobbyist is going to be more important to us now than ever before because they're going to have to work the congressman and the senators, people we don't know. We are going to have to depend on our lobbyists to lead us down that lane," added Rhodes.
Source:wmbfnews.com/
Rents Signal Rise of D.C., Fall of N.Y.
The office market in Washington, D.C., is poised to topple New York as the nation's most expensive, reflecting the declining fortunes of the nation's financial center and the government expansion under way in the U.S. capital.
Rents declined in almost all of the 79 American cities tracked by Reis Inc., a New York based-research firm, in the fourth quarter of 2009. The largest fall was in New York, where average effective rents -- or the net amount tenants pay after landlord concessions -- fell nearly 20% to $44.69 per square foot annually. It was the sharpest decline in rents ever recorded by Reis since it began compiling data in 1981.
By contrast, average rents in Washington were $41.77 per square foot, down 3% annually. Reis estimates that by the end of this year, rents in New York will come down to around $41.07, slightly below their estimates for Washington of $41.27.
"The financial crisis hit New York hard, which is why it's down so much, whereas the government is one of the few sectors that has actually added jobs," said Robert Bach, chief economist for Grubb & Ellis, a Santa Ana, Calif.-based brokerage firm.
Nationwide, effective rents fell close to 9% last year to an average of $22.44 per square foot, Reis found. It was the largest annual decline on record. Meanwhile, the vacancy rate rose to 17%, the highest since 1994.
Washington's ascent may be shortlived, Mr. Bach notes. While Washington may remain strong relative to other cities, Mr. Bach said the city has a large amount of new construction under way, which could depress the market eventually.
In addition, another estimate puts Manhattan rates at $60 per square foot, while the average effective rent in Washington is $46. "I wouldn't anticipate New York falling as far down as $46," said Raymond Torto, global chief economist for CB Richard Ellis.
Rent prices in New York and Washington have long outpaced the rest of the nation -- and by a wide margin. In the past, usually after recessions that shrink business and expand government, Washington has moved ahead. But this time, the gap has narrowed sharply and quickly. As recently as two years ago, average rent in midtown Manhattan was $61 per square foot, nearly $20 per square foot higher than the average in Washington's prime downtown area. According to most commercial-real-estate brokers, the gap has nearly disappeared.
To be sure, the most prestigious office space in New York -- including Fifth, Park and Madison avenues -- remains among the priciest in the world, even though rent levels for those prestigious addresses are falling. In December, Brazil's Banco Itau agreed to pay more than $130 per square foot for half the top floor of the General Motors Building on Fifth Avenue with views of Central Park, perhaps the priciest lease per-square-foot of the year. Still, the space would have fetched 50% more three years ago, brokers say, and the landlord, Boston Properties Inc., offered concessions, a Banco Itau executive said.
"With tenant improvements we think we got a fair deal," said the executive, who declined to provide further comment. Boston Properties couldn't be reached for comment.
Landlords in Washington, by contrast, say strong demand means they can raise rents in the most sought-after buildings. Monday Properties, which controls about a third of the office space in the Washington suburb of Rosslyn, Va., has raised rents between 3% and 4% at 1000 and 1100 Wilson Blvd., two 31-story towers on the Potomac River. The vacancy rate in Rosslyn, which is about two miles from the Pentagon, has fallen slightly to under 6%, said Tim Helmig, head of Monday's Washington office.
Much of the demand comes from an expanding federal government and contractors and companies that need close access to the government. Of the 16 largest leasing transactions in Washington last year, 10 were by government agencies, according to tenant-brokerage firm Studley. In the fourth quarter of 2009 alone, the Department of Agriculture leased 330,000 square feet in southwest Washington, and the General Services Administration, which handles leases for government agencies, added 1.4 million square feet of new leased office space last year, bringing its total in Washington to 8.4 million.
Source:online.wsj.com/
Rents declined in almost all of the 79 American cities tracked by Reis Inc., a New York based-research firm, in the fourth quarter of 2009. The largest fall was in New York, where average effective rents -- or the net amount tenants pay after landlord concessions -- fell nearly 20% to $44.69 per square foot annually. It was the sharpest decline in rents ever recorded by Reis since it began compiling data in 1981.
By contrast, average rents in Washington were $41.77 per square foot, down 3% annually. Reis estimates that by the end of this year, rents in New York will come down to around $41.07, slightly below their estimates for Washington of $41.27.
"The financial crisis hit New York hard, which is why it's down so much, whereas the government is one of the few sectors that has actually added jobs," said Robert Bach, chief economist for Grubb & Ellis, a Santa Ana, Calif.-based brokerage firm.
Nationwide, effective rents fell close to 9% last year to an average of $22.44 per square foot, Reis found. It was the largest annual decline on record. Meanwhile, the vacancy rate rose to 17%, the highest since 1994.
Washington's ascent may be shortlived, Mr. Bach notes. While Washington may remain strong relative to other cities, Mr. Bach said the city has a large amount of new construction under way, which could depress the market eventually.
In addition, another estimate puts Manhattan rates at $60 per square foot, while the average effective rent in Washington is $46. "I wouldn't anticipate New York falling as far down as $46," said Raymond Torto, global chief economist for CB Richard Ellis.
Rent prices in New York and Washington have long outpaced the rest of the nation -- and by a wide margin. In the past, usually after recessions that shrink business and expand government, Washington has moved ahead. But this time, the gap has narrowed sharply and quickly. As recently as two years ago, average rent in midtown Manhattan was $61 per square foot, nearly $20 per square foot higher than the average in Washington's prime downtown area. According to most commercial-real-estate brokers, the gap has nearly disappeared.
To be sure, the most prestigious office space in New York -- including Fifth, Park and Madison avenues -- remains among the priciest in the world, even though rent levels for those prestigious addresses are falling. In December, Brazil's Banco Itau agreed to pay more than $130 per square foot for half the top floor of the General Motors Building on Fifth Avenue with views of Central Park, perhaps the priciest lease per-square-foot of the year. Still, the space would have fetched 50% more three years ago, brokers say, and the landlord, Boston Properties Inc., offered concessions, a Banco Itau executive said.
"With tenant improvements we think we got a fair deal," said the executive, who declined to provide further comment. Boston Properties couldn't be reached for comment.
Landlords in Washington, by contrast, say strong demand means they can raise rents in the most sought-after buildings. Monday Properties, which controls about a third of the office space in the Washington suburb of Rosslyn, Va., has raised rents between 3% and 4% at 1000 and 1100 Wilson Blvd., two 31-story towers on the Potomac River. The vacancy rate in Rosslyn, which is about two miles from the Pentagon, has fallen slightly to under 6%, said Tim Helmig, head of Monday's Washington office.
Much of the demand comes from an expanding federal government and contractors and companies that need close access to the government. Of the 16 largest leasing transactions in Washington last year, 10 were by government agencies, according to tenant-brokerage firm Studley. In the fourth quarter of 2009 alone, the Department of Agriculture leased 330,000 square feet in southwest Washington, and the General Services Administration, which handles leases for government agencies, added 1.4 million square feet of new leased office space last year, bringing its total in Washington to 8.4 million.
Source:online.wsj.com/
Washington, D.C. having an office boom
Washington, D.C. is set to topple New York City as the most expensive office rental market in the country. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports why everyone -- from corporations to lobbyists -- is vying for real estate in the nation's capital.
Stacey Vanek-Smith: Washington, D.C. is set to topple the Big Apple as the most expensive office rental market in the country. Nancy Marshall Genzer has more.
Nancy Marshall Genzer: There are no bargains here. Washington rental prices are only down about 3 percent from last year. Compare that to New York, where they're off nearly 20 percent
Real estate analysts say New York is still struggling to recover from the financial crisis. Washington, on the other hand, is booming. That happens a lot during recessions, when the government is doing most of the hiring and needs extra office space.
The Wall Street Journal says the Department of Homeland Security wants to lease about a million more square feet of office space. Corporations are moving to Washington to be closer to the government. Northrop Grumman announced this week that it's relocating to D.C.
And lobbyists are jostling for more office space here. They're lobbying furiously on health care, energy and other hot topics on Capitol Hill
In Washington, I'm Nancy Marshall Genzer for Marketplace.
Source:marketplace.publicradio.org/
Stacey Vanek-Smith: Washington, D.C. is set to topple the Big Apple as the most expensive office rental market in the country. Nancy Marshall Genzer has more.
Nancy Marshall Genzer: There are no bargains here. Washington rental prices are only down about 3 percent from last year. Compare that to New York, where they're off nearly 20 percent
Real estate analysts say New York is still struggling to recover from the financial crisis. Washington, on the other hand, is booming. That happens a lot during recessions, when the government is doing most of the hiring and needs extra office space.
The Wall Street Journal says the Department of Homeland Security wants to lease about a million more square feet of office space. Corporations are moving to Washington to be closer to the government. Northrop Grumman announced this week that it's relocating to D.C.
And lobbyists are jostling for more office space here. They're lobbying furiously on health care, energy and other hot topics on Capitol Hill
In Washington, I'm Nancy Marshall Genzer for Marketplace.
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