Half Street north of Nats Park hasn't yet become the destination people were hoping for, but a small step forward came when beer and brats place The Big Stick opened in mid-December, as did a Subway Cafe, and a Bonchon will open at Half and L in 2015. Biggest news of all? The big hole in the ground has a new owner.

The Lumber Shed at the Yards Park debuted in late 2013, as did Osteria Morini and Agua 301; Ice Cream Jubilee joined the fun in July. (And Yards developer Forest City moved in upstairs.) You'll have to wait until 2015 for the Navy Yard Oyster Company and Due South, though.

The Boilermaker Shops hit critical mass in the fall of 2013 first with the opening of Nando's Peri-Peri, followed late in the year by the blockbuster arrival of Bluejacket Brewery and its Arsenal restaurant, along with Buzz Bakery. It took until late 2014, but long-planned additions Willie's Brew and 'Que and 100 Montaditos have opened as well.

The first new apartment building in the neighborhood since 2009, Twelve12 apartment building at 4th and Tingey, is now open, as are many of its retail offerings--Sweetgreen, TaKorean, and VIDA Fitness, and Harris Teeter, with a Banfield Pet Hospital coming in 2015.

If you haven't been to Justin's Cafe since last season, be prepared for a towering new neighbor. The Parc Riverside by Toll Brothers is all but completed, and has begun initial leasing of its 277 rental apartments. (And changed its name from River Parc. Oops.)

The view has certainly changed in the walk down from Capitol South, as the massive 432-unit Park Chelsea apartment building is totally remaking the vista along New Jersey Avenue. The building is expected to be completed in early 2015. And, right next door....

.... Residential building 800 New Jersey is also underway, but the main excitement there is the Whole Foods that will be located on the ground floor, sometime in 2017. In case you want to pick up some quinoa on your way to the ballpark.

The evidence of subway entrance scaffolding, a new shifted sidewalk, a demolished church should be enough evidence that work is finally underway after years of planning at the Gallery at Capitol Riverfront, a 324-unit residential building at the corner of New Jersey and M expected to open in 2016.

The "Parcel N" project finally has a name, as The Arris, a 327-unit apartment building, is just about to reach ground level on the southwest corner of 4th and Tingey at the Yards. The 10-story project, which will have 20,000 square feet of retail, is expected to be finished in early 2016.

Twelve12, the first new apartment building in the 'hood since 2009 is open at 4th and M, SE, though its 218 units share equal billing with the Harris Teeter, Sweetgreen, TaKorean, and Vida Fitness/Bang Salon/Aura Spa/Penthouse Pool Club.

Construction began in 2014 on the Lofts at Capitol Quarter, a 195-unit mixed-income apartment building that's part of the Capper/Carrollsburg redevelopment. Unfortunately for Nats fans, it meant the loss of about half of Economy Lot W.

The empty blocks north of Nats Park remain a sore point, but there's some progress with construction on a 168-room Hampton Inn at 1st and N. Speaking of hotels, Homewood Suites should be coming to 50 M Street in 2016. And the big hole in the ground has a new owner.

Few will lament the loss of spooky Building 213 at the corner of 1st and M after its long, slow demolition in 2014, but Forest City is planning to build a temporary park, which at the least will make the walk from the Metro entrance at New Jersey and M a little less crowded.

Families in the neighborhood had long hoped for the news, and in 2013 it was announced the city earmarked $9.8 million to renovate Van Ness Elementary School at 5th and M, with a target reopening for the 2015-16 school year beginning with Kindergarten, Pre-K and preschool offerings.

Another of the neighborhood's longest-planned projects is now underway, with the Capper/Carrollsburg community center (excuse me, "Community Building") getting underway at 5th and K. An operator has not yet been named, but the 18,000-square-foot facility should be ready in 2016.

Some difficulties in moving existing DC Water operations have gummed things up a bit, but in a few years a 16-screen movie theater could be coming to a block just east of Nats Park, along with eventually 600 residential units and retail.