LOST & FOUND
LOST & FOUND
“Blagden Alley was a rough, trash filled home to transvestite hookers when Uncle Phillip bought a warehouse and swore, “This will be amazing some day. Just look at the map. It’s going to change.”
When the DC Convention Center opened in 2003, the neighborhood along 9th St NW slowly gave way to new businesses and condos. 10 years later, Brian Leonard and I opened Lost & Found, a place for recycled, repurposed and re-used junk. We repurposed the name from a long closed, DC-famous gay bar near Buzzard’s Point, the back-bar was found in Baltimore at Second Chance Salvage, stadium seats came from RFK Stadium, and hundreds of vintage albums from everywhere.
The first window display featured old-school 45’s that had been following me around for decades. What a look! But the sun took its toll and melted them in place. Many displays have followed but none with that much cool.
The team from Beyond Studios hand painted our Blagden Alley sign . They had been working and living upstairs with Boss the pitbull and a non-stop guest list including Stevie Wonder and Usher. James Emory of Beyond Studios designed our logo and menus, getting us off to a great visual start. As Blagden Alley grew up, adding Michelin starred restaurants and more watering holes, Lost & Found settled in as the elder statesman, the first and best in class.
