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WAMU Features Mt. Pleasant’s Woodner — and How It and the Neighborhood has Changed over the Years

June 28, 2017

A view of the Woodner through the center of a round patio and staircase in the back of the building.
Tyrone Turner / WAMU

This morning I awoke to hear this WAMU feature on Mt. Pleasant’s Woodner Apartment building and its history. I found it to be an interesting history on how life in the building, and the surrounding Mt. Pleasant and Columbia Heights neighborhoods, have changed over the years. The article touches upon segregation, gentrification, and the impacts that change has on a neighborhood.

While the focus of the feature is on the Woodner and Mt. Pleasant, I find that the story is relevant to all Ward 1 neighborhoods and well worth the listen.

Categories: Community, History, Local News, People
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Documentary Exploring Changing U Street, Columbia Heights, & Petworth Screening This Weekend

October 5, 2015

DogParks & CoffeeShops: Diversity Seeking in Changing Neighborhoods (Trailer) from Sonya Grier on Vimeo.

Thanks to Borderstan for the heads up on this, the documentary DogParks & CoffeeShops: Diversity Seeking in Changing Neighborhoods is part of the Reel Independent Film Extravaganza at the Angelika Pop-up Theater at Union Market this coming weekend. The filmmakers will also hold a free screening and discussion of the film at the Northeast Neighborhood Library at 330 7th St. NE at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 10.

This film is based on research that explores diversity-seeking, community, and consumption in neighborhoods undergoing urban revitalization. In a study of three neighborhoods in Washington, DC, it finds that differences in resources, cultural norms and cultural preferences lead to tensions among some residents and perceived exclusion from consumption opportunities for others.

Borderstan has much more information on this film for those interested in learning more and planning on seeing the film.

Categories: Community, Demographics, History, People, Social Commentary
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Park View Among D.C.’s Transitioning Neighborhoods, Study Reports

June 18, 2013

Gentrifyine thumbnailBoth the Washington Business Journal and DCist reported yesterday that a draft report was filed with a city tax review board that identified 18 District neighborhoods as gentrifying, or transitioning. The method employed in the analysis used the following criteria:

  1. In 2001, if the neighborhood has a median property and federal adjusted gross income values below the respective citywide medians; and,
  2. And from this subset of neighborhoods, identify which of these grew faster (in median property and income values) than the relative income and home values in the city.

In reviewing the paper’s neighborhood map (click on thumbnail above), it is quickly evident that the report identified neighborhood “areas” rather than true neighborhoods, thus indicating that there are more than 18 Washington neighborhoods in transition. For instance, the Columbia Heights node includes Park View, Pleasant Plains, and Ward 4’s North Columbia Heights area. But regardless of the actual neighborhood boundaries or how many neighborhoods are impacted, the overall map does paint a picture of a significant portion of the city in transition.

According to the report, neighborhoods in transition tended to have younger populations, with the people moving into them tending to be more prosperous. Race did not appear to be a major factor in neighborhood gentrification overall, with some neighborhoods, such as Deanwood or Marshall Heights, being over 90% black both in 2000 and today.

The 18 neighborhoods identified in the paper are:

  • Anacostia
  • Barry Farms
  • Brentwood
  • Brookland
  • Chillum
  • Columbia Heights
  • Congress Heights
  • Deanwood
  • Eckington
  • Fort Dupont Park
  • H Street NE
  • Ledroit Park
  • Lily Ponds
  • Marshall Heights
  • Petworth
  • Randle Heights
  • 16th Street Heights
  • Trinidad

Categories: Demographics
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Signs of Change — Park View’s Fish in the (neighbor)Hood

May 30, 2012

While walking along Georgia Avenue over the weekend I noticed that Bill’s Seafood Kitchen — commonly referred to as Fish in the ‘Hood, has made a significant change to its tag line. Now, one of Park View’s better kept secrets located at 3601 Georgia boldly continues to sell some of the best fresh seafood offered in D.C. under a new sign that reads: Fish in the neighborHood.

I was not the only person to notice this change. In addition to readers who sent me the heads up, the Washington Post featured a story about the change on May 29th titled Gentrification spelled out: Fish in the ’Hood renamed Fish in the Neighborhood

According to the article, “last week, Bill White, the restaurant’s owner … climbed a ladder and hung [the] new boardwalk-style neon sign that reads: Fish in the Neighborhood, with “neighbor” in a contrasting color. The new sign puts a spotlight on what remains and what has changed in th[e] Georgia Avenue neighborhood known as Park View.”

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Categories: Restaurants
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Development & Gentrification in Petworth/Park View

June 23, 2011

The following video at the Washington Post was brought to my attention and I thought it was something that would be of interest to many in the neighborhood. While it focuses on development and gentrification in Petworth, the images of CVS, Looking Glass Lounge, and Blue Banana indicate that the focus is more on the area around the Metro station rather than a particular neighborhood.

(Click on image to get to video)

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Categories: Development, Uncategorized
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Has D.C. Declared War on the Black Community?

December 6, 2010

Keep DC a Chocolate City poster

Saturday, lower Georgia Avenue south of Park Road was plastered with Keep DC a Chocolate City! posters (example at the right). While it lists many legitimate issues that the City and residents need to address — such as poverty, crime, the impact of development, HIV/AIDS, and displacement — it saddens me that these issues have all been presented as the Black community vs. the White community.

Washington is much more complex than that. D.C. has a rich culturally diverse population that continues to diversify. Ward 1 is home to significant Latino communities as well as persons of other ethnic backgrounds. In addition to historically Black neighborhoods changing demographically, there are also parts of the city that many would consider to be historically Black neighborhoods that were originally historically White neighborhoods . As one researches the City’s demography, the only thing that can be said for sure it that populations change over time and are continuing to change.

Vince Gray ran on a platform of “One City.” While a noble goal, is it achievable in a climate that is racially charged? Furthermore, can any of the serious issues facing our City be solved when our communities are pitted against each other?

The rally is scheduled for December 18th at 2928 Georgia Avenue.

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Categories: Social Commentary
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