Neil Takemoto's Blog - CreativesDC

Crowdsourcing a creative destination in DC

Pictures and music are worth more than text, so here's a deck (generic name for a Powerpoint) sponsored by Washington DC developers (Red Dove, website coming and Gragg & Associates) to crowdsource an urban destination for… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on December 17, 2009 at 5:49pm — No Comments

CreativesParis?

I'll be in Paris on July 4-13 to study the kinds of places, scenes and events that could inspire us here in DC. If anyone has suggestions of people I could meet that would help my mission, perhaps even establish a sister community to CreativesDC, please let me know!

Here's a little story on Paris' drive to… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on June 24, 2009 at 3:30pm — 5 Comments

Affinity Lab in Adams Morgan on Fox News, Express

The Lab was featured in the Fox News story, Despite Economy, Some Businesses Succeed, on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 6 pm. It was also very prominently featured in the Washington Post Express, Natural Affinities: Thinking Outside the Cubicle, on February 11, 2009. Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on February 17, 2009 at 12:30pm — No Comments

The 'outdoor cafe plaza'

...or outdoor cafe piazza, to be more authentic. Compared to the different types of places that make an outdoor cafe scene, the outdoor cafe plaza is the holy grail. Unfortunately, you probably won't be seeing such places in the U.S. for another 10-20 years, bu… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on February 3, 2009 at 11:30am — 2 Comments

Building a creative economy in DC

The new administration promises to bring true meaning to 'by the people, for the people', and challenges us to take action. So what's a good starting point as far as growing an economy, building places and improving quality of life for DC creatives? Applying the Lo… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on January 23, 2009 at 1:29pm — No Comments

Golden Triangle BID sponsoring artistic bike racks!

The Golden Triangle Business Improvement District is commissioning designs for bicycle racks as public art throughout the 42 block area. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 9. Selected designers will receive $1500 and a Saturday night stay for two at the Mayflower Hotel. Go to the BID's website and download the app… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on December 31, 2008 at 10:00am — No Comments

A model for investing in fashion (or creative) districts

You hear a lot of talk about city economic development agencies emphasizing the importance of the creative industry, quality of life and the downtowns/main streets, but seldom do you see a program that backs that up as succinctly as Lille, France's Maisons de Mode (Houses of Fashion). Essentially, the City of Lille, understanding the economi… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on December 23, 2008 at 6:00pm — No Comments

What's DC's equivalent of David Byrne's artful bike racks in NYC?

When artist and avid cyclist David Byrne, former lead singer for the band Talking Heads, was asked by the New York City Department of Transportation (no surprise) to help judge a bike rack design contest for New York City, he was so enthusiastic about the… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on November 19, 2008 at 11:23pm — No Comments

Local fashion meets neighborhood pride

Local fashion meets neighborhood pride

No one in their creative right mind (no pun intended) would wear a DC tourist souvenir t-shirt, but what if you really did want to display your love for your own unique, authentic neighborhood? If you live in Queens, New York, the answer for many is to buy a shirt from local artist… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on November 10, 2008 at 9:00am — 1 Comment

You'd think the Berlin Wall had just fallen

This site is by no means a political platform, so understanding that, one had to be there in the streets of DC after the final voting results to understand that this was more than just another election. The joyous dancing, the spirited cheering and chanting, the intense hugging, the emotional laugher and endless tears,… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on November 5, 2008 at 11:41am — No Comments

‘CreateHere’ a model for growing DC's creative economy?

If you're looking for an effective precedent in how to jumpstart the creative economy in your city, you need to learn about CreateHere in Chattanooga, Tennessee. On July 1, 2007 Helen Johnson and Josh McManus entrepreneurially initiated a three-month… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on October 18, 2008 at 10:00am — No Comments

Creatives already ahead of the financial crisis

Perhaps too many people buying homes they couldn't afford wasn't the problem behind the Wall Street collapse, but a symptom. The real problem may be that there are too many homes out on the market that people could never afford in the first place. In other words, the average U.S. American can't afford $300,000 for a home, as is the going rate in many… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on October 9, 2008 at 3:30am — No Comments

'Social network bilingual' a rising skill in creative communities

First, the definition of bilingual - communicating in two languages fluently, or to further define language, communicating in two different methods of exchanging information fluently. Second, the definition of social network - is the organic gathering of individuals into specific grou… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on October 1, 2008 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Ten paradoxical personality traits of the creative

While resources abound on who creatives are and the tremendous economic i… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on September 24, 2008 at 12:05pm — No Comments

The Affinity Lab coworking video

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what about a video explaining what coworking means to creatives? There really wasn't any until this one came along, produced by none other than the pioneers of one of the first coworking sites in the country, the Affinity Lab in Adams Morgan, Washington DC. Founded in 2001, the 'Lab' is peaki… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on September 17, 2008 at 1:27pm — No Comments

Message from Ning (the creators of this platform)

"I wanted to let you know that we recently featured your network. We try to feature as many active and unique networks as possible. We also write about upcoming releases and share tips and tricks to help Network Creators get the most out of their networks. You can read the featured blog post about your network here: http://blog.ning.com/2008/09/we-see-creativesdc.html" [Edit to the Ning blog: CreativesDC was started by… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on September 12, 2008 at 5:20pm — No Comments

'Evening clubs' for weekday nightclubbing

Dancing is one of the most effective ways to relieve stress, benefit from physical activity and have fun. As one dance instructor once said, "You can't dance angry." So why is it that if you longed to let loose on the dance floor with a DJ spinning tunes you'd have to until past 11 pm, weekday or weekend. No more. Enter… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on September 4, 2008 at 9:18am — No Comments

'White Night' all night art festivals sweep the world

What do Paris, Toronto, Copenhagen, Madrid, Malta, Montreal, Sao Paulo, Lima, Santa Monica, Chicago, Miami Beach and six cities in the UK have in common? They all host an all night art and cultural festival known as Nuit Blanche (White Night), which lasts from sundown until sunrise on the first Saturd… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on August 19, 2008 at 8:51pm — 1 Comment

Mixed-use, mashed up nightlife - benchmark for DC?

This is an alternative for a growing number of people bored with 'So what bar are we going to tonight?' First of all, a couple of definitions. Mixed-use is a placemaking/real estate development term for combining uses in a building (residential over retail), which also applies to neighborhoods (walkable) and businesse… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on August 18, 2008 at 11:36am — No Comments

Will the 'Permanent Breakfast' Program come to DC?

In keeping with the spirit of the previous entry, The Dining Room Takes to the Street, here's how to start your own informal public dining culture with the Permanent Breakfast. Founded in Austria, t… Continue

Added by Neil Takemoto on August 13, 2008 at 10:50am — No Comments

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