My partner and I just bought a place in the Rosedale neighborhood that is just a couple of short blocks from where this picture was taken. While we've been living on the Hill for 2 years already (as renters at 14th and D NE), we're really looking forward to doing more to help H Street along. Your site has been quite valuable as we were making decisions about where to buy, and I'll continue to check in for important news about the neighborhoods. Just wanted to say thanks! Also, maybe it's because I already live around here and pass through it all the time, but I've always thought this was one of the least-seedy blocks on H! I laughed when I read the post before mine.
H Streeter, I think that the restaurants & taverns that Mr. Englert & Mr. Humphries plan to open will be good for the area. I'll be happy to no longer feel forced to head to Dupont, Adams Morgan or U Street when I want to go out with friends. I know that many people are very concerned about how these businesses might impact parking, but I think that parking is a trade off we will ultimately have to make if we want to see development on H Street. Right now we have a lot of empty store fronts. Any business that go into these spaces will (hopefully) attract customers, & some of these customers will probably drive. I think we need to admit that our parking problem isn't coming from these proposed developments, but from the fact that DC is an older city & simply wasn't built to accomodate the sheer number of cars that many of us insist on driving. We have new businesses going in, we have people moving into vacant houses & we have condos being built. We are going to have some parking issues. What we can do (and what the ANC Commissioners & some business owners on H Street are already doing) is to get creative with the issue. There has been talk of a shuttle to move patrons up and down H Street (and to various metro stations) & the existing spaces (such as those behind churches) will likely be put to greater evening use. Recently the rush hour parking restrictions were lifted on H Street in order to free up spaces for potential shoppers. Two other issues that have been raised are that these restaurants & taverns may bring littering and crime. Ok, we already have littering and crime on H Street (also, my personal favorite...public urination). I've been to plenty of Joe Englert's other places & I have never seen a fight inside, or outside any of them. They are not particularly rowdy places. I actually expect that we will see a decrease in crime on H Street (which I am not saying is unsafe right now)because we'll have more foot traffic & more eyes on the street. As for the litter argument, I'm sorry but, have you walked down H Street recently? H Street is, well, a tad unkempt much of the time. Some flower boxes get overgrown, some property owners / business managers don't maintain their spaces & many people throw their trash everywhere. It also isn't just a matter of people litterin, we also have an illegal dumping problem. If you look in the archives you'll see that I once posted a photo of an entire livingroom set that was dumped on the 1300 block of H Street. A LIVINGROOM SET!! I believe that if we get people out on H Street & we make an effort to maintain it that we will see a drop in littering, rather that a rise. I also suspect that some people see that trash, that graffiti, & that broken glass as a signal that they can do whatever they want on H Street because the usual rules of etiquette don't apply.
I have seen Stella Bleu & I think it looks terrific. I wanted to get a better photo before I posted anything about them, but I have looked in the window & that place looks classy
Anonymous & Anonymous, I'm glad people like the site. I know I always like reading what other people think about Trinidad & the H Street area. Mostly I like knowing that other people really are thinking about these areas. I think the 1400 block of H Street is kind of a funny case. the thing is that nobody goes there. People tend to treat the 1300 block as if is the last block of H Street. I realized recently that I always either walk down the south side of the 1400 block, or I get where I'm going by walking on the north side of Florida. Because of this habit I had never noticed the tiny (they don't even have a real sign) curiousity shop located next to the liquor store. So I think it isn't that the 1400 block is seedier than the others, I think it may be more that it is emptier, less familiar, & affected by the bleakness of the nearby starburst intersection. It could also be that you tend to have characters hanging around (some just waiting for the bus) at the corner of 14th & H Street. Currently nothing brings most of us down this stretch of H, but that is about to change because Joe Englert's restaurant the Argonaut will be opening its doors quite soon. I expect that many a curious resident will soon be making the trek.
I find it un-nerving that when I approach the bus stop at 14th & Florida that almost always get a warning from guys walking by "to be careful out here".
i think it probably just looks worse that it is. I have heard (but I can't confirm) that there used to be prostitutes (I've never seen them) hanging out over there. I've really only heard this from taxi drivers who were nervous about the area, but some nearby graffiti does support the allegation.
I think the area Trindad and H Street Community is still on the rise the transformation is not going to be over night and the more condo's and businesses keep coming to the area other future business owners will join in. It's basically like U Street it grew slowly but now it looks like a baby Georgetown with diffrent eateries and boutiques and also Columbis Height's. So basically what I'm saying is Trinidad and H will definitely have it's time to shine and Stella Bleu is starting the path to suceess
9 comments:
you should check out stella bleu in the 1200 block, it's a very cool boutique.
also, what do you think of engler bringing in all the bars on h street? maybe they'll get a nightlife popping there after all?
You actually make this really seedy block look good!
My partner and I just bought a place in the Rosedale neighborhood that is just a couple of short blocks from where this picture was taken. While we've been living on the Hill for 2 years already (as renters at 14th and D NE), we're really looking forward to doing more to help H Street along. Your site has been quite valuable as we were making decisions about where to buy, and I'll continue to check in for important news about the neighborhoods. Just wanted to say thanks! Also, maybe it's because I already live around here and pass through it all the time, but I've always thought this was one of the least-seedy blocks on H! I laughed when I read the post before mine.
Unfortunely both statements may be true. H street is REALLY ugly. The slumlords should have to spend a week in their buildings.
H Streeter,
I think that the restaurants & taverns that Mr. Englert & Mr. Humphries plan to open will be good for the area. I'll be happy to no longer feel forced to head to Dupont, Adams Morgan or U Street when I want to go out with friends. I know that many people are very concerned about how these businesses might impact parking, but I think that parking is a trade off we will ultimately have to make if we want to see development on H Street. Right now we have a lot of empty store fronts. Any business that go into these spaces will (hopefully) attract customers, & some of these customers will probably drive. I think we need to admit that our parking problem isn't coming from these proposed developments, but from the fact that DC is an older city & simply wasn't built to accomodate the sheer number of cars that many of us insist on driving. We have new businesses going in, we have people moving into vacant houses & we have condos being built. We are going to have some parking issues. What we can do (and what the ANC Commissioners & some business owners on H Street are already doing) is to get creative with the issue. There has been talk of a shuttle to move patrons up and down H Street (and to various metro stations) & the existing spaces (such as those behind churches) will likely be put to greater evening use. Recently the rush hour parking restrictions were lifted on H Street in order to free up spaces for potential shoppers.
Two other issues that have been raised are that these restaurants & taverns may bring littering and crime. Ok, we already have littering and crime on H Street (also, my personal favorite...public urination). I've been to plenty of Joe Englert's other places & I have never seen a fight inside, or outside any of them. They are not particularly rowdy places. I actually expect that we will see a decrease in crime on H Street (which I am not saying is unsafe right now)because we'll have more foot traffic & more eyes on the street. As for the litter argument, I'm sorry but, have you walked down H Street recently? H Street is, well, a tad unkempt much of the time. Some flower boxes get overgrown, some property owners / business managers don't maintain their spaces & many people throw their trash everywhere. It also isn't just a matter of people litterin, we also have an illegal dumping problem. If you look in the archives you'll see that I once posted a photo of an entire livingroom set that was dumped on the 1300 block of H Street. A LIVINGROOM SET!! I believe that if we get people out on H Street & we make an effort to maintain it that we will see a drop in littering, rather that a rise. I also suspect that some people see that trash, that graffiti, & that broken glass as a signal that they can do whatever they want on H Street because the usual rules of etiquette don't apply.
I have seen Stella Bleu & I think it looks terrific. I wanted to get a better photo before I posted anything about them, but I have looked in the window & that place looks classy
Anonymous & Anonymous,
I'm glad people like the site. I know I always like reading what other people think about Trinidad & the H Street area. Mostly I like knowing that other people really are thinking about these areas. I think the 1400 block of H Street is kind of a funny case. the thing is that nobody goes there. People tend to treat the 1300 block as if is the last block of H Street. I realized recently that I always either walk down the south side of the 1400 block, or I get where I'm going by walking on the north side of Florida. Because of this habit I had never noticed the tiny (they don't even have a real sign) curiousity shop located next to the liquor store. So I think it isn't that the 1400 block is seedier than the others, I think it may be more that it is emptier, less familiar, & affected by the bleakness of the nearby starburst intersection. It could also be that you tend to have characters hanging around (some just waiting for the bus) at the corner of 14th & H Street. Currently nothing brings most of us down this stretch of H, but that is about to change because Joe Englert's restaurant the Argonaut will be opening its doors quite soon. I expect that many a curious resident will soon be making the trek.
I find it un-nerving that when I approach the bus stop at 14th & Florida that almost always get a warning from guys walking by "to be careful out here".
i think it probably just looks worse that it is. I have heard (but I can't confirm) that there used to be prostitutes (I've never seen them) hanging out over there. I've really only heard this from taxi drivers who were nervous about the area, but some nearby graffiti does support the allegation.
I think the area Trindad and H Street Community is still on the rise the transformation is not going to be over night and the more condo's and businesses keep coming to the area other future business owners will join in. It's basically like U Street it grew slowly but now it looks like a baby Georgetown with diffrent eateries and boutiques and also Columbis Height's. So basically what I'm saying is Trinidad and H will definitely have it's time to shine and Stella Bleu is starting the path to suceess
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