Saturday, December 01, 2007

NYT: Signs of Recovery

The New York Times reports on H Street's revitalization and how it was a long time coming.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joe Englert said:

What an amazingly bland and by the numbers article. The clown who wrote the article was an old man whom barely got out of his car to interview any of us. He was worried about parking and didn't give any of the small business owners the time of day in interviews.
This is what journalism is these days---mail it in bullshit. Really we should have just had the copy desk from Where magazine write the piece. This is one of the greatest newpapers in the world? Whoa!

Anonymous said...

I found it very encouraging and hope every realtor in town will distribute a copy to prospective buyers. With publicity like this, maybe those 3 million dollar buildings in the 1000 block will sell!

Anonymous said...

Joe, you may be too close to this to appreciate the article. I was very encouraged. The NYTimes, in different venues, has talked about H Street now over the last year...that's something, in my opinion.

Another encouraging item, WWD(Women's Wear Daily...the rag tradepaper)had an insert this past week on the retail and shopping center conference in NY. The focus will be Urban development, as all the suburban land has dried up. They did profiles on emerging shopping streets all over the world and the US(London, Paris, St. Loius) and 14th Street in DC. This is dignificant as DC(other than GTown) is never reported on....Alexandria, Tysons, Bethesda, but never DC. Can H Street be far behind?

Anonymous said...

I think one can be encouraged and disappointed by the article at the same time. I'm encouraged by the positive press that H Street is getting, but also disappointed by the lack of any real substance to the piece. It really reads like the reporter could have written the whole thing just by surfing a few websites.

Anonymous said...

Jamie provided Inked with a very nice compliment (if only it read)

"It really reads like the reporter could have written the whole thing just by surfing (a few) one blog (websites).

Anonymous said...

This did read an awful lot like every other article we've ever read about H Street. But, then, I suppose we are to be grateful because the NYT even deigned to cover DC at all, given their usual fairly snobbish attitude toward anything that isn't either NYC or some pastoral getaway that NYC residents may dream about?

But other than being sortof boring, I didn't have a problem with the article. It was reasonably upbeat, although like all articles it presented it as a 'black vs white' thing more than is really fair. But even that wasn't overdone more than our own local scribes usually do.

And we have to remember the NYT audience. It's people that have never heard of H Street, so they whole general focus was somewhat necessary.

Anonymous said...

I'm also of the opinion that this is good press. It's spreads news about the neighborhood a little bit more. Let's all hope that it encourages even more interest in the area. After all, the NYT isn't a DC newspaper and this was largely a local story.

Anonymous said...

re ' "And we have to remember the NYT audience. It's people that have never heard of H Street,"
Nonsense.
Perhaps folks should wake up early in the morning, take a walk and count the blue newspaper wrappers. I live close to the Atlas end of H street, and I think that maybe 10% of my street gets the NY times. It is not unheard of for the Times to scoop the post on local stories.By the way, we read the Economist too.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure what anonymous's point is. Yes, there alot of people who read the Times in the Distict(and in your neighborhood), but there are alot of people who get the Times nationally. 4th and G makes a good point.

But to your point anonymous..it is not uncommon for any national publication to scoop The Post on matters of style and culture(here in DC). The Post should just stop wasting their time after the A section.

Anonymous said...

The article reads like a flyer. But that's not a bad thing. You never know; after reading that article, a venture capitalist might get on the phone and see if he can expand his Smoothie King empire. Or, a rich lobbist might want to rent an apartment closer to Union Station for those weeks she needs to stay in DC for extended periods.

Anonymous said...

Welcome to development in DC....lawyers, lobbyists and liquor. And maybe if we are lucky we'll end up with three banks, two Starbucks and a CVS for every two blocks.

Anonymous said...

hillman, you said: "it presented it as a 'black vs white' thing more than is really fair"

Um, maybe I read it wrong, but I think it said that:
"Renewal of this largely African-American neighborhood began about five years ago, when young white professionals priced out of areas like Columbia Heights, near 14th Street, and the Shaw neighborhoods, near Seventh Street, discovered cheaper prices in this section of the city"
Sorry for the long excerpt, but that would be true.
and:
"The changes to the neighborhood have generally been welcomed by older African-American residents"
True
So, yes, it was a bland article, but where's the black vs. white?

I actually noticed (and liked) that it DIDN'T have that typical, knee-jerk slant.

Anonymous said...

anonymous 1:52: my point was that the average nyt reader isnt familar with h street. Obviously those NYT readers that happen to live on H are familiar with H, but its a safe bet to say that re considerable majority of nyt readers don't live on h. I wasn't trying to diss the reading habits of you our your hood. I as just pointing out that the NYT was writing for a much broader audience.

Hillman said...

K Street:

You raise a valid point.

But I would suggest that it's not just 'young white professionals' priced out of Northwest that are coming to H Street. It's all types of people. Yes, a lot are young white professionals moving in. But many that are new don't fit that stereotype.

Anonymous said...

amkindc said (sarcasticly?), "if we are lucky we'll end up with three banks, two Starbucks and a CVS for every two blocks." And your point? While that wouldn't be my first choice either, isn't it better than what we have now? How long do we wait for it to "get better?" - another 40 yrs?

Anonymous said...

I can't believe nobody has commented on how foolish the primary "before/after" photo comparison is. Yes, smoking ruins are bad -- but of all the stretches of streetscape to photograph today, the Times picks the AutoZone parking lot?!?!?

inked said...

Eck, that was my first thought too. Maybe they just really wanted to use the 1968 photo? But the only shots we get of "revitalized" H Street are close-ups (i.e. no context) of Hair Rage, the Abdo project and the Auto Zone parking lot(??). It seems odd. I also don't understand what is the deal with the author's Wylie Street obsession? I got the feeling that there wasn't a whole lot of actual reporting going on at all. I guess it's good to get noticed, but I found the story a real disappointment coming from a paper like the Times. I mean, if you read this article, and looked at the pictures, but had never been to H Street, would the article actually make you want to come here? I think not. I'm kind of surprised the NYTs actually printed this, it's far below the quality of articles I expect to read in their real estate section and the photo choices seem odd.

Anonymous said...

The reporter spent a decent amount of time at the Atlas and they later sent a photographer so I was naturally disappointed it wasn't mentioned more. And I was also annoyed by the Auto Zone pic!

Anonymous said...

The article hits on globally what is happening with H Street. And if you look at the bigger picture, it speaks to a trend. They may not have paid the intimate attention that all those who are doing such a good job of highlighting the progress are doing(and this is a great blog...Inked you really have a feel) on this blog; it is more of a broad brush.

If you look at the trend and you see this article in the Times, the fact that Fenty is conducting a formal "shopping" study for the District, H Street has been singled out by OP, the city approached the owner of H Street Connection, and WWD(a globally read retail/fashion trade paper) has an article on 14th Street, it points in a direction.

I don't know what will happen, but just sniffing the winds.... And, anonymous, unlike you, I have only been waiting 27 years. I'd love to see this side of town gain some respect. If banks, Starbucks and CVSs do it(hopefully they can at least throw in a GAP then), so be it. We all have our preferences for the street....I'm sorry if what I wouldn't like to see happen offends you. I apologize.

Anonymous said...

I'm of the opinion that any positive article (no matter how bland) is a good thing.

From a photographic perspective, H St. doesn't really lend itself to the wide-angle money shot as yet (I'm being generous with this statement). If you're article is about H St. revitalization, throwing in wide angle pics that include the storage warehouse or Murry's doesn't exactly jive with the overall premise of your article. Hence, close ups. Even if you just select the 1300 block as your subject, you'll be taking photos of SOVA and other places that sit along side derelict buildings.

Lets be real people -- H street is still pretty ugly in all sections even with all the new businesses sprouting up. Hence, its hard for the common reader (with no idea about H St.) to see the revitalization unless you go with close ups.

All this being said, I can't understand why they decided to go with the Autozone parking lot and the hair/wig place as their photos. Bad choices.

Anonymous said...

Hi amkindc, I'm annon. 9:14. I think its funny how things can often get misconstured in an email. I think we're in one accord here. I read it as you were completely against, banks, Starbucks, and CVS on every corner, but it appears that while these things may not be your FIRST choice, as I stated they weren't mine either, they would at least be better than what we have now! And if you're going to ask for a Gap, then I'd like as for a Pottery Barn while we're at it (no sarcasim). What's wrong with that?

Also, no offense, but I didn't state how long I've lived near H St., so it could be more or less than your 27 yrs. It does happen to be less.

No apologies necessary, if I'm reading things correctly and interpretting the right tone, I think we're on the same page here. Peace - your neighbor somewhere near H.

Anonymous said...

Not really on topic, but I wanted to share this snapshot of the new H St: Horace and Dickey's, 5:30 pm, Saturday Dec 1. Somewhat confused customer: "Is your fish fried or grilled?" Cashier, politely: "It's all fried." I give her credit for not laughing; I would have.

Richard Layman said...

One of the things that's always amazed me about the riot photos is that the 800., 900, and 1200 blocks for the most part had 3 story buildings, where the rest of the strip is 2 story buildings at best--mostly. And while the south side of the 600 block was low scale, it did have a department store (good old Morton's) at the eastern end, although I've never seen a photo of it so I don't know how tall it was.

Richard Layman said...

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/06/13/realestate/commercial/13silver.html for a similar piece.

Anonymous said...

Regarding the whole gentrification issue, why does no one ever mention the young college educated african americans who've purchased homes along the H st. corridor? I along with several friends purchased homes in this area nearly 10 years ago for close to $100,000. All of our properties are now worth more than $500K+. I personally know close to 100 others that have purchased throughout DC over the past 5-10 years. The changes within the neighborhood not only come from the white middle class.

This comment was not meant to be divisive. It is just very frustrating when it is assumed that white people are the only one's smart enough to benefit from the economic boom and turnaround throughout the city. No harm intended.

inked said...

9:13, I've got to agree. There were a few things in the article inducing a slight wince and the line about the neighborhood beginning to change when middle class white moved in was one of them. I'm not sure why there isn't generally more mention of middle class blacks moving into transitional neighborhoods. Maybe because they stick out from the crowd a bit less than white faces? But there are tons of black middle class people who have bought over here.
One thought, about 5 and a half years ago, when I lived on I Street, a developer bought the house next to me and started gutting it. I mentioned it to a left-leaning friend who basically just assumed from that that he was a white guy. So maybe you can blame the lack of acknowledgment of middle class blacks on knee jerk reactions to anything that sounds or smells like gentrification. By the way, the friend mentioned above is a black female (a lifetime member of the middle class) who also lived over here at the time, but somehow didn't think it really counted in quite the same way as me living here. Go figure.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, annon 9:14 from a few posts ago....I appreciate your comments. H Street has so much potential, its a great opportunity for our neighborhoods and the communities that surround it.

To the few posts right before this, it is really exciting to hear that young African Americans are "gentrifying" around H Street. From someone who has been here a few years, my experience is that middle class AA left the city in droves and moved to the suburbs. Many articles on the city talk about the divide that exists now. I happen to know(from many years ago) a very successful African American couple who live in Spring Valley. His rational was that as a black male(albeit widely know and succesful), he would be perceived a certain way on this side of town. It's an image thing(what defines success)...whether you are white or black...you move to Northwest or the suburbs. Those who don't care about those things, like a more urban environment and understand reshaping urban neighorhoods, relish a more diverse community(that's not to say there alot of challenges that go with it...safety being one).

Getting the diversity of gentrification known would be interesting information.

Anonymous said...

re: anon 9:13

28 year old black guy here that lives in the 'hood ... bought a rowhouse across from galludet about a year ago ... so far, so good .. am i allowed to be a yuppy? lol


--cb

Anonymous said...

cb, If you want to be a yuppie you can certainly be a yuppie - ha. Whatever you want to call it, we're all in this together. I also think we all want to see H St./Galludet area improvement, just often have different ideas of how to get there. Peace...

Anonymous said...

cb - heck yeah you can be a yuppie - welcome to the club! I will show you the secret handshake if you what to meet up some time on H Street. ;)

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for the positive comments guys. I am the one who posed the question regarding AA young middle class in the neighborhood. Honestly, we are all more alike than not. Thanks once again...

Anonymous said...

Black urban professionals have invested and live all over this area any may other inner city areas in the city. I have lived in this area and have invested in homes here for the past 15 years. I have countless black friends that have done the same. Just look at bloomingdale and Ledroit Park. I have been stopped several times in my own yard and asked by newcomers questions like, "was this your grandparents house, or how much do i charge for yard work". When i eplain that i actually live in the house the look of shock is there. People get out and say hello and talk to your neighbors of all hues beause we all love our community.Lets not let any reporter or article define ourselves. To that end dont forget the Washington area has the highet black middle class in the country and probaly world.

inked said...

Another thing that we have a lot of around here is people who have owned homes here for many years, but either lived in the suburbs, or in other homes that they owned elsewhere in DC (the Hill seems to be a popular place to have lived in a second home)and now they have sold the other house and returned to their homes around here. In many of these cases the home around here was rented out for a number of years, but is now once again becoming owner occupied.

Anonymous said...

Did any one notice that the pictures they used are the same area. The auto zone parking lot is where the burning buildings used to be.

Anonymous said...

Peoples:

If we're going to tag ourselves.

Black yuppies are buppies.
Gay yuppies are guppies.
Hispanic are huppies?
Ah, the list could go on and on.

Although the term yuppie isn't really accurate for all, I do think the considerable majority of us share the same basic goals - a safer community, with decent shopping and dining, with rising property values but still accomodating of anyone willing to work.