After leaving tonight's Harry Thomas meet and greet at Conner Contemporary I headed down to 2nd and L Street with a friend to reserve spaces for our crew. We showed up at maybe 7:45 (movie scheduled to start at 9pm). There was lots of space, so my worries about getting a good spot where unjustified. Whether it was due to the heat and humidity, or the forecast of thunderstorms, I really can't say. But when a little after 8pm they still hadn't set up the screen we asked and were told they were delaying the showing until the next week because a storm was coming. We got free metal water bottles from the
Loree Grand, and while we were waiting for them to set up we talked about how different that space once looked. My friend is from DC, so he remembers that area from way back when. I've only been here since 2001, so I'm more of a newbie. But it was really surreal sitting there recalling the time I took photos right there of a a junkie old garbage truck occupying the lot, and a whole block of trashed out boarded up houses that slouched forlornly where new construction now towers. You've probably seen the area now. If you haven't, you can make a point of looking next time you use the NY Ave metro station. But I wanted to share a some old photos. It's really quite the contrast. You can also check my original post where
I discuss walking and taking the photos.
First there was the entire block of boarded up houses (owned by developer).
And those houses looked even worse from the back. Trash was piled high all down the block.
There was a lot of graffiti, and A LOT of used condoms on the ground.
There was this delightful looking seemingly abandoned trash truck. To make it even more classy, I recall that it had a large teddy bear stuck under a rear wheel.
At any rate, the place looks much better these days. It's just weird looking back. Here are some
more photos.
15 comments:
One of my favorite things about this neighborhood is that even though lots of new people have been moving in, and there is lots of new development, there hasn't been a lot of involuntary displacement of long time residents. It has really just been making use of empty houses and abandoned lots.
In my experience this is why you dont see nearly as many new vs. old fights as you do in neighborhoods like U St, because everyone (except the drug dealers) is happy to see that boarded up house become occupied with a new friendly neighbor.
The Loree Grand and the Washington Center Intern dorm are good examples, and I am very hopeful that work on the Uline will get started soon...
I was doing some research in the Washingtonia room at MLK, and stumbled upon a news article regarding that 2nd and L space. Apparently in the 80s, there was talk about installing a helipad there, so VIPs could have a quick route to Dulles or BWI! Boy, I wouldn't have moved here if that had gone thru.
Dave, Interesting. I was unaware of that plan.
The change is remarkable. Still a long way to go, but it's nice to stop every now and then to appreciate the progress that has already been made.
There is still plenty of room for everyone in the District. The estimated population of the District now is about 600,000, which is still over 200,000 less than the population of the District in 1950 (802,178).
Hmmm...I live directly across from the Loree Grand Development, and my landlord grew up in the house I currently rent, so I've been made aware of the history of the project and the neighborhood as a result.
Contrary to previous commenters, there has been quite a bit of involuntary displacement in Northeast DC, it just happens quietly to older people who don't have the money or the energy to fight it. It's no wonder the black population of the District of Columbia has plummeted over the last 15 years. Elderly citizens on fixed incomes can't afford the property tax increases that resulted from the housing bubble, and were forced to sell to people like Cohen. Promises were made, and broken, over a period of twenty years.
And for what?
There was supposed to be low-income housing and mixed-use retail. Now it's an ugly luxury condo tower. Studio apartments at the Loree Grand rent for more than $2200 a month. Two-bedroom units rent for $3700 a month. The design of the building is horrible, and caters to people who will only live in the District for a few years before moving out to the suburbs. Those homes looked as bad as they did in the pictures not because the people who lived there neglected them, but because the Cohen Company sat on its ass for 15 years after it bought the block up.
I am not against revitalization of a neighborhood, and no one likes crackhouses. But there has to be a middle way.
anon 11:54:
Probably the most intelligent and insightful comment I've seen on this blog in my 6+ years living in the neighborhood and reading. Thank you.
Cohen did buy up those properties and just sit on them. And as is clear from the photos, the houses were a blight and hazard during that period of ownership. I know the history of the Cohen project. I just didn't know about the heli-pad thing.
"Elderly citizens on fixed incomes can't afford the property tax increases that resulted from the housing bubble, and were forced to sell to people like Cohen."
I'm not unsympathetic to this claim, but DC's property tax code caps the amount a property tax bill can be increased from year to year at 10% if the owner lives in the house and also taxes senior citizen homeowners at half the normal rate. For example, a neighbor is paying taxes on about $200K of assessed value for a house assessed at $550K. She's also receiving the senior citizens homestead deduction, which means her tax rate is half of mine. So she pays about $400 and I pay about $3000. DC has definitely taken steps to protect folks like her, which is too bad in this case as all the other elderly longtime residents on my block desperately wish she and her crackusing family and friends would go. Another senior citizen neighbor of mine paid $100 this spring on a house assessed at $500k. I'm not complaining, but the "rising property values forced us out and DC did nothing to protect us line" isn't true in a lot of cases. Plenty of people simply sold their homes to move to safer neighborhoods with better schools in the suburbs or to get rich. DC's protections for poor, senior homeowners are actually quite generous.
If "Elderly citizens on fixed incomes can't afford the property tax increases that resulted from the housing bubble, and were forced to sell to people like Cohen." that means that their properties no doubt grew in value quite a bit. They probably could've taken out a revese mortgage if they had really wanted to stay. More likely they cashed in on their good luck and moved to a new house (or to Florida).
Bottom line, yes people were forced out and yes developers did further blight. DC Govt did not do much to help the situation. Every thing overthere, on both sides of the tracks, was mostly forgotten by the city. It was a waste land, much like much of SW DC (waterfront) was.
most of you weren't even around in the mid-late nineties, so it's sort of funny to hear ya'll with your "brilliant" observations/ideas. i'm a newbie. i've been here since'95, and let me tell you, the city is better now than it was then. things change. deal with it. everyone posting on this blog is going experience massive changes in their life, and yeah, that will alter where ya'll live and how ya'll live.
is there a real economist on this blog? this armchair analysis is sometimes borderline ridiculous.
The idea that poor elderly people are losing their homes in DC because they can't pay increased property taxes is simply not true.
In addition to the other programs already mentioned by others here, DC has a program that will defer the entire tax bill if you are elderly and unable to pay.
A poor elderly person can literally pay no real estate tax for the rest of their life.
Then, when your property is sold or passed on to heirs, the unpaid taxes are due.
Anyone suggesting that the elderly are being forced out because of taxes going up as a result of gentrification is either misinformed or willfully misrepresenting reality.
Great. Tax breaks. The DC real estate tax system is kinda laughable. They cant even police taxpayers. For example, the young lady who owns a condo in our building has been getting the "low-income, tax exempt" tax-free ride for 5+ years now. And I know for a fact she's well beyond the household income limit. Any way to report these douches? And..here's a news flash... she's a teabagger. Go figure. "With liberty and justice for all." Yeah, right..pay your freakin tax bill, deadbeat.
you know what has also changed for these old timers in DC?
America.
the Earth.
Not to inject politics here, but seriously, does anyone think a Gray victory will signify a return to the DC of old, or are my fears overblown?
I'm seriously worried, as a homeowner. His policies of procedure scare me a bit, plus his talk of "helping those unemployed people in ward 8". I don't like everything about Fenty, but he has helped the city continue moving forward.
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