Southeast is the 'Heart and Soul' of Washington
By Ernest-Earl Wood, Washington Post
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Sometimes, it amazes me how many people proudly tell me that they have never been to Southeast Washington. They seem to discount that the D.C. Armory, RFK Stadium and Capitol Hill are all in Southeast. It seems that a lot of people who live in the Washington area think that Southeast is all carjackings, drug-infested streets and drug deals gone wrong.
Most people who live here do not realize that Southeast is the heart and soul of the city.
More than 200 years ago, Frederick Douglass decided he was going to move to the nation's capital to further his abolitionist goals. He searched the city and found a property on a commanding hill that had the most beautiful panoramic view. At night there, he could enjoy the lights and fires of the federal city. Douglass said he had found the "pulse of the city": Southeast Washington
Ever wonder why D.C. Council member Marion Barry continues to live in Southeast? Oh, the skeptics will say he lives there because the people of Ward 8 are the only voters who would elect him. But "Hizz Honor" lived in Southeast when he was mayor of the entire city. Could he have shared the view of Frederick Douglass?
Now, people from Northwest are smiling, thinking their part of town is the heart of the city. Northwest is the heart of the "federal city." It has the stone and marble monuments, the seats of the federal bureaucracy, the museums -- all cold and heartless. It has the high rent areas, including Foxhall, Georgetown, the "Gold Coast" and Embassy Row, all out of the price range of most who live here.
The newer, overpriced downtown areas are the playgrounds of the rich, the transients and the ruling political party. But there are not any real neighborhoods there. Please don't mention Adams Morgan. That was a beautiful neighborhood 20 years ago -- before the drugs, drunks and gangs. And parking there? Forget it.
Southwest, where I live now, is the wharf, condos and projects. Trust me, no real neighboring happens there. Good seafood, though.
And Northeast, well, there must be something good I could mention. Oh yes, there is Catholic University, the National Arboretum and Brookland, all past their prime.
For a real neighborhood, nothing compares to Capitol Hill. It has an unmatched mixture of gays and straights, young and old, rich and poor and a good racial balance that reflects the best of the city. The crowns of Capitol Hill are Lincoln Park and Eastern Market.
Lincoln Park is a safe recreational area, particularly for dog-walking. Thanks to the dogs, the park has the most nutritional soil in the city. Five times around, and it's a mile track for running or walking.
Eastern Market is the meeting place, the hub and the best marketplace in the city. Its meat markets cannot be matched: Canales Quality Meats and the Union Meat Co., to name just two. There's Market Poultry, which has fresh chicken waiting to be fried or baked, as well as duck, turkey wings, capon and range chicken. At Bowers Fancy Dairy Products, the cheese sells itself on taste alone. You even get to sample before you buy. And all of these stands are self-owned, not a part of any chain.
For a hot meal, you can get an all-meat hot dog plus all the trimmings for just 90 cents at Union Meat. On weekends, Market Lunch has hot breakfasts that are inexpensive, tasty and filling. The long lines that form must say something about the quality. There is also a farmers market that offers farm-grown fruit and vegetables and a flea market stocked with a greater variety of furniture, antiques, books, tapes, CDs, paintings, jewelry and flowers than you will find in any place of this kind. You have not enjoyed a warm weekend in the District if you have never been to Eastern Market.
Getting back to Capitol Hill, the boundary stops around Lincoln Park, not over to the Anacostia River or Benning Road. My sister, Ronnie, and I, third-generation Washingtonians, grew up at 16th and C streets SE, which was never considered part of the Hill. Now, the areas up to 19th or 20th streets are included. I heard recently that the Trinidad area is now being rezoned as Capitol Hill. That is totally preposterous.
If I want to be suave and sophisticated at cocktail parties, I can always proclaim that I grew up on the Hill. The expansion of the area is a scheme of crafty land speculators. By the time my children are my age, the area called Capitol Hill will include Prince George's County. Watch out, Annapolis!
The best-kept secret of Southeast and all of Washington is Hillcrest. It has quiet, tree-lined streets, no crime or drug dealing, real middle-America life inside the city. Its majestic homes are still pretty much affordable for the upper-middle class. It's the perfect place to raise children, grill a rib or read the Sunday paper on your patio. The areas around Alabama and Branch avenues, Pennsylvania Avenue and Fairfax Village have some of the best residential values in the city. The hidden jewel of this area is Westover Drive and 31st Street, which is a circular drive high on a hill that has the best unobstructed views of the city. If God were to move to the District, he would surely build on Westover Drive.
Monday, February 22, 2010
This is Why I Love SE, DC and Now Call it Home
Monday, June 1, 2009
SE Beverly Hills is a hidden gem in DC
Southeast DC has been misrepresented and characterized for years. While it is true that Wards, 6, 7, and 8 have historically higher crime rates, it is also true that these areas are diamonds in the rough with some of the best housing stock inside the Nation's Capital.
I grew up in Ward 7, in a neighborhood near Ft. Dupont Park. For years I had to endure wrong assumptions, fear, and ignorance from people not familiar with the area. We were so agitated by the gross misrepresentation, that years ago we started to call our enclave East of the Anacostia River in DC, "SE Beverly Hills".
Great article below that discusses emerging trends and hip swagger that are taking the area by storm. Hopefully too many heads don't catch on and start to populate our hidden secret in Southeast DC.
River East: An area on the rise
By: Dean Bartoli Smith
Special to The Examiner
05/20/09 10:05 PM EDT The neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River — Congress Heights, Hillcrest and Anacostia, to name a few — are beginning to provide affordable and accessible housing options only minutes from downtown. Historic row homes, condominiums and town houses set on the rolling hills and bluffs of Southeast feature incredible views of the city, access to Metro and major roadways, and competitive pricing levels.
Homesteaders who have settled into these neighborhoods resent being broadly labeled as in “Anacostia” when things go wrong, and feel slighted by the tag “east of the River,” which sounds to them like “the other side of the tracks.” They refer to the area as “River East,” and the name change has become a rallying cry in their efforts to transform long-held perceptions.
“It’s a secret area,” said Re/Max agent Joel Martin. “There are lovely neighborhoods. Hillcrest looks exactly like Bethesda.” After decades of failed or delayed initiatives, the city’s track record for delivering on its promises has been less than stellar. “It’s been underrated and underserved for years,” said Martin. “After 25 years, where is the development?”
The movement to revitalize River East is being driven by a spirited group of young professionals — many of whom author blogs — who will stop at nothing to get the abandoned buildings torn down, the street corner memorials decorated with liquor bottles removed and more than one decent place to have dinner. “There are only a few places to patronize in the neighborhood,” said LaShaun Smith, of Congress Heights. “THEARC offers various exercise classes — yoga and Pilates; IHOP, which is the only place we can sit down and order a meal; and MLK Delhi, which has very good food.”
There is one Giant grocery store, a Popeye’s and not much else.
“We need a Chipotle, Starbucks, and a few café’s to sit, eat and have a drink,” Smith said. Many of the 19 projects slated for the area at a cost of $400 million are under way. The Department of Homeland Security will relocate in 2010 to St. Elizabeths — the mental hospital that once housed Ezra Pound and on whose premises several hundred Civil War soldiers rest in an integrated graveyard. This relocation will intensify efforts to develop the area.
Formerly off-base housing for the Air Force, the Savoy Court condominium development combines an Art Deco feel with quartz countertops, views of D.C. and stainless steel appliances. “The majority of people in the complex are single professionals with college degrees,” said The Advoc8te, who preferred being identified by her blog handle. “It’s hip. It’s high-end. It’s a great place to live,” she said.
Nonetheless, the area still struggles with an image problem.
“There are challenges,” she said of Congress Heights. “We’re like a diamond in a paper bag — and sometimes all you see is the bag. You wouldn’t know we have deer, foxes and bald eagles.” The historic Anacostia neighborhood features beautiful old town homes in the Wardman and Italianate styles. Its rich history dates back to the Nacotchtank tribe, which had settled along the river in the 16th century, and includes a visit by Captain John Smith in 1608. It was once home to Frederick Douglass and, ironically enough, was D.C.’s first suburb. “Since the ballpark was built, people are looking across the river for what’s next,” said resident David Garber, who writes the “And Now, Anacostia” blog. “There is an exciting charge in the air.” Recently, high-profile arts events have been held in new Anacostia galleries. Construction has begun on the Big Chair — believed to be the first coffee shop across the river.
“The future is bright for River East,” Smith said. “There are young professionals of all backgrounds and ethnicities moving into the neighborhood. With fresh ideas and new leadership, the community will see its full potential.” Progress is finally being made.