What Should Take Morso's Place in Georgetown?
This Turkish cocktail lounge, located on M Street, closed up shop last spring.
Let's call this a modern spin on community planning—Patch's version of a charette, a digital drawing board where all ideas are on the table.
Each week we'll present a new vacant building and ask you to tell us what you think would be the best use. Forget what zone it's in, ignore setback regulations, dump lot coverage rules and all the other zoning jargon that puts people most to sleep. If you had your way, what would you like to see there? What would be the best use for the community?
Last week, we asked you to weigh in on what should replace the now-empty Furin's of Georgetown. One reader suggested a coffee shop along the lines of a Dunkin' Donuts. Another said a "breakfast place" is in order. Three commenters mourned the loss the Furin's. Chris wrote, "The new place should have the exact same menu as Furin's and it should be called Furin's." If you have another idea, let us know.
This week, we are moving down M Street and turning our attention to Morso, a Turkish-influenced restaurant and cocktail lounge at 3277 M St., which closed last spring.
In April, Patch contributor Judy Bunnell wrote, "After months renovating the space, their departure was quick and had little fanfare."
What would you like to see in Morso's place? Share your ideas in the comments section below.
dannia hakki
4:03 pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
a magazine shop!
Jacques
4:12 pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wow, a newsstand would be a great idea (unmet since the old Key Bridge newsstand met its demise to make room for Cady's Alley). Generally, I'm not sure a newsstand/magazine shop can make it anymore in today's economy, but I wonder if Georgetown might prove an exception, especially in the wake of Barnes & Noble's departure.
Speaking of Barnes and Noble, I'd like to see a coffee shop/third space here... possibly (to echo the pipe dream of many neighborhoods) a Tryst-like combination of cafe/restaurant/lounge.
Shaun Courtney
5:03 pm on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
I wonder if a newsstand could cut it. There are enough law/lobbying/pr firms that need their clips, maybe it could survive, especially since the B&N closed. As for B&N, that space will bring yet another "flagship" store for a big name retailer to M Street: Nike http://georgetown.patch.com/articles/nike-headed-to-former-barnes-and-noble-space
Sam Kurtz
11:49 am on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
A quick-serve breakfast/coffee place would be great. A Dunkin Donuts would be awesome, but realistically it wouldn't fit the character of M Street.
Jacques
10:11 am on Friday, February 3, 2012
Shaun -- I realize that my earlier comment was imprecise. I was suggesting a "third-place" cafe/wine bar in the Morso space, not the B&N/Nike space. Just something to help replace some of the gather function once provided by Barnes & Noble.
Shaun Courtney
12:45 pm on Friday, February 3, 2012
Ah! I see. It would be nice to have something like that along M Street, something informal and comfortable. There are a few places like this along upper Wisconsin Avenue, but not so much along M Street.