ZOMG! I'm Being Gentrified!

Development is always something that happens somewhere else, like St. Elizabeths or the Southwest Waterfront or the Navy Yard area. But word came down this weekend that development was coming closer to home ... literally.

[Developer Tim Chapman] said he is under contract to purchase an auto body shop at 1708 Good Hope Road in Southeast D.C., on the border between Anacostia and Fairlawn, that he plans to develop into a 188-unit apartment complex with 25,000 to 30,000 square feet of retail. He would not disclose the price.

I'm of a mixed mind about this. On one hand, we need development (and redevelopment) East of the River, especially if the development includes retail. More, better, housing is always welcome. New retail opportunities are always welcome.

Sidebar: Mr. Chapman has not said whether this would include retail. So there's that. Actually, he did say. It's in the friggin' quote I used from the article. Yes, faithful readers, reading is fundamental.

That said, this development will be displacing, or possibly closing altogether, an excellent auto body shop. I recently needed some auto body work. And since 1) Murphy's is within walking distance of my condo and 2) Murphy's is a GEICO (my insurance company) partner, I went with them. The work was stellar and the customer service was the best I've ever had for auto body work. I was planning on taking my car back to them for additional body work that needs to be done once I had the finances to do so. I can only hope that Murphy's will find a new home and nearby.

Progress is painful. But it is necessary. And it is ... well ... progress. While I will morn the loss of Murphy's Auto Body, I will openly welcome new apartments/condos and (hopefully) retail.

They're Fixing A Hole

DG-rad at And Now, Anacostia is reporting that our current welcome is being replaced by something shiny and new.

The plywood will soon be replaced by a collage composition of recycled wood blocks and shiny orange metal that celebrates the gateway to Ward 8.

The current blue plywood corner covering was installed after the original wood-and-chain-link corner cover was destroyed by an errant driver.

Here is the original corner covering:



Here is the current corner covering:



And here is the proposed new corner covering:



Now, I'm not fan of the current corner cover. It's ugly, depressing, unwelcoming, and unimpressive. But I don't see this proposed corner cover as any more attractive. I agree with commenter Rob that the orange just doesn't fit with the neighborhood at all and the recycled wood blocks only add to the feeling of abandonment and neglect, especially against the backdrop of so many empty and decaying buildings. (Maybe it will look better in execution than it does in computer rendering.)

I do understand that this is meant to be temporary, until something gets developed in that space. And I hope that by "temporary" we mean "in less than a year". Because, in my honest opinion, the best possible greeting into Anacostia from the neighborhoods to the west is a new, vibrant, and safe historic "downtown" area.

It Has To Start Somewhere

I've lived in the D.C. Metropolitan area my entire life. I was born in the city. I've spent most of my adult life in the city. I remember when Penn Quarter/Chinatown/Gallery Place was a dangerous wasteland of shadows, crumbling buildings, drug dealers, hookers, and various other unpleasantness.

And I remember when the art galleries came. They were the first wave of development to this forgotten part of the city. They were a beacon of hope that business and beauty can survive and thrive amongst the hulls and shells and devastation. Then came a sit-down eatery or two. Then came more businesses. Then came The Verizon Center. Then came development in earnest. Now look at the neighborhood and how far they've come.

Some people are hoping that history can repeat itself in the most desolate of desolate places. It's true that "the arts aren't the 'be all and end all'" and that there will still be plenty of work to do. But with these art-related businesses opening and the Department of Homeland Security moving in relatively soon, one can't help but see a reenactment of "The Rebuilding Of Penn Quarter" right here in SE DC.

I, for one, am very excited for my Ward.

Anacostia Rail Delayed Again. Surprise All Around.

Well, this sucks monkey balls.

The District's much-anticipated streetcar project is running behind schedule, pushing plans to run a red-and-gray trolley in Anacostia from late this year to sometime in 2012, officials said.

Apparently, this latest delay was born from the route change.

District officials had planned a 1.3-mile segment between Bolling Air Force Base and the Anacostia Metro station. But D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) and several community representatives argued that it made little sense to run a city-funded line on a route flanked by a freeway on one side and a military installation on the other. In November, officials announced they were dropping the southern portion to Bolling and extending the route north through downtown Anacostia, along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE to Good Hope Road. The new route would begin at a maintenance facility to be built at Firth Sterling Avenue SE and South Capitol Street.

And those streetcars that have been in storage in the Czech Republic? Don't worry too much about them.

Meanwhile, the Czech manufacturer is conducting monthly maintenance on the streetcars. They are powered up and operated for about 200 yards on tracks in Ostrava, then put back in storage.

It would be nice to have this done sooner rather than later. But that's D.C. for you.

Anacostia, My Home Sweet Home

Washington City Paper has a very interesting pool of articles covering the major neighborhoods in the District. One is a very thoughtful piece written about Anacostia, Fairlawn, Barry Farm, and Buena Vista (collectively addressed as "Anacostia" to those who don't live here). The first three sentences sum up everything with which I have to deal when talking to people about my neighborhood.

Let me warn you about Anacostia: If you move there, your friends are going to make all sorts of stupid remarks about it right to your face. They will ask you if you carry a gun. They will be quite concerned about your well-being and they will, in all likelihood, not come see you at your large and inexpensive historic home.

Well, in my case, it is my large and inexpensive one-bedroom condo bordering parkland. But you get the point.

The author, while speaking about the potential of growth here, makes the assumption that D.C. United will build a soccer stadium at Poplar Point. While it would be a handsome new addition to my neighborhood and would keep Major League Soccer's winning-est team (and the District's most successful team ever) in the city, it appears to be a prospect that looks less likely by the day. So all of this growth that will eventually come to Anacostia will just have to happen a bit slower (unless the city gets its shit together and gets that stadium built).

But I digress.

I echo the sentiments of David Garber, an Anacostia blogger:

Graber wishes people would focus more on Anacostia’s gorgeous old houses—lots of 19th-century wood-framed stand-alones in various states of solidity and decrepitude—and the potential for its historic main street to be rehabbed into a more Georgetown-like place. The buildings are lovely, and the sidewalks have potential, though you get the feeling it’s going to take a long time before blond yuppies spend their flip-flopped weekends drunkenly stumbling around here.

This really is a great place to live and had a ton of potential. Those who move in now, as is with all "transitional neighborhoods", have the most to gain when (and not if) the neighborhood forms into a "SE Georgetown". It isn't the crime-ridden crack den it was in the 80's and early 90's.

Where I really want to point your attention is to The Neighborhood Rankinator. Which neighborhood ranks Number 4? That's right ... Anacostia. We rank higher than "safer" and "more notable" neighborhoods such as Foggy Bottom, Woodley Park, Adams Morgan, and Tenleytown.

That's right! Suck it, Dupont Circle!

(No, really. Suck it.)

I'm Shocked. Are You Shocked?

"Remember all that stuff I said on Wednesday? Well, it wasn't exactly what I meant. What I meant was ..."

The Populist Mayor Comes Around

I would love to know what prompted this shift in position at the mayor's office. Don't get me wrong, I have been a supporter of this idea from the beginning and have always thought that it would be good for the city, for D.C. United, and for the residents of Ward 8. But Mayor Fenty had been so adamantly against using public funding for private stadiums ... well, it just makes me wonder.

HGTV Change The World Communities - The Results

HGTV has announced the winners of its Change The World contest. Thanks to all who voted ... Anacostia made the list!

You now have the opportunity to volunteer at the efforts chosen for Anacostia. More information on those efforts can be found here.

HGTV Change The World Communities

HGTV is currently running a web contest focused on neighborhood-level revitalization programs. It asks web page visitors to vote to determine which city/neighborhood receives substantial funding and in-kind support for a major revitalization project. One of the communites chosen is Anacostia! According to the webpage, you "make your voting decision by exploring video, photos and stories highlighting revitalization projects" listed on the page. You can vote once a day up until next Friday, 21 December 2007.

Go vote for DC!

There Goes the Neighborhood

For the better:

[T]he city, through the D.C. Historic Preservation Office, is providing up to $300,000 in grants to renovate historic Anacostia homes.

Anacostia is truly an astonishing neighborhood that just needs a little shine to help bring out its true beauty. It does my heart good to hear that the city will be offering grants to spruce up the place. Hopefully many of my neighbors will jump at this opportunity.

For the worse:

The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge on South Capitol Street will be closed beginning at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow for extensive reconstruction work. The major commuter artery could be closed for two months.

This means that all you fine people from Southern Maryland will be driving through my neighborhood, gumming up my streets, and adding to my commute time with your ridiculous driving habits. Joy.