A regular summary of irregular news and notes from neighborhood blogs and email lists around the District.

More Like Bladensburg Parkway: Frozen Tropics reports that Denny’s will open its second D.C. location at 17th Street NE and Bladensburg Road (its first is on Benning Road in Deanwood). Commenters aren’t completely convinced that the chain should be welcomed with open arms. “I would only ever go to this Denny’s if the Capitol City Diner was closed, like on a late weeknight. It’s good to see some jobs coming to this area, but I hope it doesn’t crush the existing diner, which is THE GREATEST,” writes one. “Yea. Sort of conflicted by this. On one hand it’s great that this area can attract a national chain, but I’m all about supporting local businesses,” agrees another Capital City Diner fan. But a vocal supporter of Denny’s expansion plan says, “yeah, if you’re a 20something urban cool kid, this kind of sucks. but if you are a vested resident of this city interested in our economic revitalization, this is great news! people saying, oh i would rather go to the capitol city diner never say the same thing when a new bar opens. you don’t have to personally go there to reap the benefits. it’s more options people! it’s more activity. Denny’s will attract families and non- bar crowds. things like this may also help KEEP families from moving. this is amazing to see bladensburg avenue popping!” Unfortunately, in their enthusiasm for neighborhood growth, the commenter wrote Bladensburg Avenue… not Road.

For the Birds: “Has anyone had any luck with humming birds in brookland ?” writes one member of the neighborhood email list. Responses indicate that Brookland is indeed a safe space for hummingbirds, and several list members offered suggestions of the best plant to lure the speedy avians: pineapple salvia, “which has  beautiful electric green leaves and tubular red flowers, perfect for  hummingbirds” and “Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) bushes” are the most outstanding. For those seeking diversity in their fauna, another member adds, “I’ve had really good luck with goldfinches (black thistle seed, once I had thirteen) and  woodpeckers (suet).”

Not In My Former Grocery Store: The Tenleytown email list is discussing extensively the forthcoming closure of Superfresh. Most are upset that the neighborhood will be losing a standby for grocery shopping (“speaking with staff at SuperFresh they will be open for another 60 days – that sucks,” “That is just awful! They have been a wonderful store and I have been going there since I was three now I am 45!”), but one list member advises, “lets hope another store takes over and AU doesn’t change its mind about moving the law school and creates a third campus on the site.”

When the Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Disappear’d: In a thread on the Cleveland Park email list titled “Lilac thief on the prowl?” a member writes, “I just looked out the window in the 3100 block of 34th Street and saw a man  walking briskly southward carrying a large bunch of lilacs. They weren’t wrapped  but loose. I believe I have seen this same man in past years walking away from  the Cathedral Close bearing large branches of flowering shrubs. I am sorry if  your shrub has been stripped.” It wasn’t an isolated incident. Other members quickly chimed in. One said, “This is probably the same individual who comes into the Newark Street Community Garden and helps himself to everyone’s peonies,” while another careful observer notes: “If this man is about 60 years old, of short stature, Caucasian, and with wavy, salt-and-pepper hair, I believe I have seen him in past years helping himself to big armfuls of hydrangeas in the summer, from multiple homes. Each time I’ve seen him, he’s walking away from the denuded bushes very quickly.”