“If all goes as planned, this year’s Phoenix Ball will be our best,” Dorothea said as she and Phebe led Myko, Reesa, Harper, Cora, and Gio to the door of a five-story rowhouse.

Reesa, who was trying not to be too distracted by the street they were on, surveyed the building’s exterior. Weathered yellow stucco and dark green shutters lent it an old-world charm, while rooftop solar panels conveyed a more modern influence.

“That’s all thanks to Phebe, I’m ...