It's a scrappy mix of African-Americans and with an influx of Hispanic and white newcomers. Shortly before the LTR and I took a risk and bought an oh-my-god-how-are-we-ever-gonna-fix-this-place-up-house, a new Metro stop went in, surrounded by several empty fields. The whole neighborhood had deteriorated after the riots that took place in the city in the wake of Dr. King's assassination.
Today those empty fields have been replaced by new condos, subsidized housing for those with low-incomes, a Target, Best Buy, Bed, Bath and Beyond, a Washington Sports Club and Starbucks (of course!) and more.
Target opens tomorrow. The Washington Post has pictures.
Crime is still a problem. My neighbors have experienced break-ins and there is, oh, you know, the occasional random shooting. I'll never forget the night shots rang out and I dived off the bed and hit the deck. The LTR calmly rolled over and said, "We're on the third floor, they're not shooting in the air." Still, I wasn't taking any chances.
Several years ago there was a rash of break-ins in our garages. A bunch of us were meeting the police in the alley behind our houses. Their advice to us homeowners: Buy guns. Ironic, given the gun violence in a city with some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation.
Then there was the night I was chased down the street by six or seven
Still, it's a great place to live and it just got better. Not to mention the fact that my property value has tripled.
It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
No comments:
Post a Comment