Washington, D.C., May 23, 2011 – NoMa is rapidly becoming DC’s most bike-friendly neighborhood, evidenced by the 170 cyclists who stopped at the NoMa pit stop for Bike to Work Day Friday. The annual Bike to Work Day event encourages commuters to try cycling as a viable transportation option, and more than 11,000 riders converged on 49 pit stops throughout the District.

Following on the heels of this popular event, NoMa BID announces Biketastic, a series of events and initiatives throughout the summer. Starting Tuesday, May 24, is Bike Spa:

• Send your ride to a day at the spa! Cyclists can drop off their bike at 1200 First Street, NE, between 7  a.m. and 9 a.m. and the expert mechanics at BicycleSPACE will perform repairs in time for the commute home. (First 30 bikes are guaranteed same-day service; pick up between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.).

Other Biketastic initiatives and facilities:

• Bike-In Movie Nights: Ride your bike to NoMa Summer Screen on two special nights, and receive fun and useful giveaways for cyclists. This year’s theme is TRAINS, but we love bikes just as much! Bring your friends, a blanket and a cooler. NoMa Summer Screens runs through August 10; view the full schedule. Location: Second and L Streets, NE
  • June 15: Slumdog Millionaire
  • July 13: Darjeeling Limited
• The Metropolitan Branch Trail opened in 2010, and is now a favorite commuter pathway. The MBT runs 8 miles from Union Station to Silver Spring, Md.
• Short on air? Stop by NoMa’s public bike pump, which is located on the northwest corner of First and M Streets, NE, just one block from the M Street ramp of the MBT.
• Bicycling Club: The NoMa BID is proud to partner with BicycleSPACE by supporting a cycling club. Meet other bike enthusiasts and explore surrounding neighborhoods and amenities as you roll. www.bicyclespacewdc.com
• NoMa is served by six Capital Bikeshare stations. Have you experienced bikeshare? View a map.
• NoMa is home to the only East Coast Bikestation, a bike storage and repair facility at Union Station.

The NoMa BID organizes and attracts more than 100 free events each year.

• Swampoodle, a play exploring the NoMa neighborhood’s intriguing history, debuted at the historic Uline arena May 21; the show runs through May 29. Swampoodle is a daring and innovative spectacle created by The Performance Corporation and Solas Nua, both Irish arts and theatre organizations. Purchase tickets.

• NoMa’s first farmers market starts June 1 at First and M Streets, NE. The market will take place Wednesdays, June 1 to October 26, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Please visit nomabid.wpengine.com/farmersmarket for weekly updates, specials and vendor announcements. The market is organized by the NoMa BID and managed by Metro Green Markets.
• Rhythm in NoMa, a free lunch-time concert series, has expanded to two locations. Join us Thursdays and Fridays throughout the summer; full schedule at nomabid.wpengine.com/rhythm
• NoMa Summer Screen, a free outdoor movie series, runs Wednesdays through August 10. Visit www.nomasummerscreen.com for a full lineup of TRAIN movies.

About NoMa

NoMa is a vibrant, connected neighborhood north of Union Station and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. In the last five years, private developers have invested more than $3 billion in the 35-block area covered by the NoMa BID, and have plans to develop more than 20 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, and retail space. In 2010, more than 6,000 people moved into NoMa to live or work; and eight new retailers opened for business. NoMa has 15 modes of transportation, including two Red Line Metro stops, and the best biking facilities in DC, with the only East Coast Bikestation, the 8-mile Met Branch Trail, and six Capital Bikeshare stations. For more information about NoMa, visit nomabid.wpengine.com and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter. Follow us on Twitter @NoMaBID; or Facebook at www.facebook.com/nomabid.

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