This is the End: #5

After 13+ years living in Mount Pleasant and 8+ years writing this website, this is the end! 

Until I get The X2 site is really up and running, I wanted to look back at some of the most memorable posts from the last eight years of writing The 42. 

Post #5 is from early 2011, but I'm not even sure I believe some of these anymore. I mean, cupcakes?

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You Are Very DC If....

First of all, this concept is being shamelessly ripped from my hometown alternative newspaper, Style Weekly. They have run a "You Are Very Richmond If..." column once a year for as long as I remember. So, to Style: I recall that old saying and hope you agree; "not suing me is the sincerest form of flattery."

Moving on, yeah, what are our major shared quirks? Bad drivers? Know-it-alls? Snow wimps? What about the good ones... Pretty smart all around? Opinionated? Super fit & healthy? Tolerant?

Whether you are born and raised or a post-college transplant, if these are true about you, you're can safely declare that you are a true Washingtonian. These are ours!

You are very DC if...

...you always stand on the right and walk on the left, even at shopping malls and airports.

...you care 100x more about what our crazy City Council is doing than what our crazy Congress is doing.

...your job doesn't exist outside of DC.

...you've accepted that DC DMV has just one car inspection station for a city with more residents than an entire state.

...you've heard 5 different stories explaining DC's height limit.

...you know that PR at Partners is not in the business of public relations.

...the line outside of Ben's Chili Bowl does not apply to you.

...you don't think twice about throwing down $30 for 8 cupcakes.

...Real Housewives of DC made you wonder how they got to use the letters "D" and "C" in the title.

...your Netflix queue has movies like The Fog of War and State of Play.

...there are dozens of really great exhibits you'll never see because you refuse to endure the National Mall.

...when you hear the word "motorcade" you think "OMG, the traffic!!!" instead of "OMG, the President!!!"

...a protest is a protest is a protest; you'll watch any from the office window.

...you have at least two opinions on other people's opinions.

...you have either an extreme love or an extreme hate for inauguration week, regardless of political party.

...right around September 1st, you start to think the Washington football team has a chance to win the Super Bowl.

...right around October 1st, you start to think they'll get it together for next year.

...you love going to Nats games, but only if the Cubs or Red Sox are in town.

...to you, the Capitals are Alex Ovechkin and everyone else.

...you think the Wizards should go back to being the Bullets.

...you consider Jazz in the Garden a BYOB event.

...you've been ice skating at the city's other Dupont.

...you know The Awakening's true home is Hains Point.

...DCA will always be Washington National to you.

...your favorite TV celebs are Jim Vance and Sue Palka.

This is the End: #6

After 13+ years living in Mount Pleasant and 8+ years writing this website, this is the end! 

Until I get The X2 site is really up and running, I wanted to look back at some of the most memorable posts from the last eight years of writing The 42. 

#6 is from September 2010. By all accounts, La Casa was a needed, last chance respite for men on the streets of Columbia Heights and surrounding neighborhoods. It was a shelter in the basic sense of the word, but consisted largely of temporary trailers and an aging cinderblock main building. When the city made a deal to redevelop the property into a state-of-the-art social service and living facility, the turnover of every parcel adjacent to Columbia Heights metro station was complete. And between the years of 2005 and 2011, the entire block of Irving between Hiatt Pl and 14th St (both sides) had completely turned over [DCUSA, Highland Park Apts, La Casa Shelter, Highland Park Apts II].

This was, also, and not coincidentally, the post after which I disabled comments. Sometimes folks weren't so nice about commenting and giving feedback. I decided that comment moderation was not something I wanted to deal with in the long run. So, the site became more personal web log and less community forum, which it wasn't very good at being anyway, tbh.

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Shelter Closing, Apartments Planned

rendering of proposed towers

La Casa, the closest shelter to Mount Pleasant, is closing. I first read about the possible closure a few weeks ago in a copy of Street Sense. Obviously they editorialized against the closing noting that as of last year, there were over 6,000 homeless in DC per the annual count. They anticipate that number to increase for 2010.  

La Casa, at 1436 Irving St NW, is a 90 bed facility, houses only men, offers bilingual services and is open 7pm until 7am daily. According to the Street Sense article, there are currently 72 men in the shelter and the adjacent trailers. It will close as of October 15, 2010.

The paper trail on the new project spans a few years and is somewhat contradictory and incomplete.  However, this is my understanding:

After La Casa closes, it will be torn down and replaced with two new buildings: an addition to Donatelli Development's Highland Park Apartments and a community based residential facility.

Highland Park was originally built as a condominium building and went rental, like many other DC projects during the economic downturn. Apartments there currently rent from $1,800-$3,900 per month.

The land under La Casa shelter (and adjacent lot) is owned by the District of Columbia.  They have a deal with Donatelli to allow an extension of Highland Park, but also to build an 82 bed community based residential facility (CBRF) on that land.  What is a CBRF? From the proposal: "Community Based Residential Facilities (CBRFs) are single room occupancy facilities for homeless residents in the District. These facilities combine living quarters with job training, housing placement, case management, and other needed services that promote self-sufficiency."

La Casa is currently operated by the District and the DC Coalition for the Homeless, a non-profit. No indication of who would run the CBRF (the city, another non-profit, a private entity?) or if it would serve any of the same people housed at La Casa. 

The CBRF would be in the rear of the property (see rendering).  The new apartment tower --dubbed Highland Park West (HPW)-- would front on Irving Street and be physically connected to the original Highland Park, sharing a courtyard.  Both CBRF and HPW were proposed as seven floors tall. They would be separate structures.

Originally, Highland Park West was supposed to have 69 units, top out at 86 feet and have a 64 space underground garage.  There would be a penthouse level rising 9 feet above the roof line as well. 

That may change soon. The developers have a zoning hearing on September 30 in order to propose several changes. They want to increase the number of apartment units from 69 to 143.  They want to increase the roof line from 86 to 90 feet (plus 9 foot penthouse level above). And finally, they want to eliminate the parking garage and alter the façade from what you see in the rendering to an aesthetic that more closely matches the existing Highland Park.

It is not clear if Highland Park West will include ground floor retail like the original building does.  They are just about to fill out that retail space with a sports bar (allegedly). Highland Park is already home to a bank, coffee shop, sandwich shop, pizza parlor, burger joint and gastropub.  

What will happen to the beds eliminated by the closure of La Casa? Street Sense suggests the additional beds will be made available in empty spaces of the DC General Hospital site (near Stadium Armory Metro stop).

Will the CBRF help ease the transition for some of its residents from homelessness to permanent housing?  That is the plan. Will the elimination of beds for the homeless in Ward One make for a more difficult winter for those men (and homeless women, children and families) who will have to travel further for the same services? I hope not. If I find out more about this story I will keep you posted.

For updates on this story and more, follow The42 on Twitter.

Highland Park Apts (left) and La Casa shelter

This is the End: #7

After 13+ years living in Mount Pleasant and 8+ years writing this website, this is the end! 

Until I get The X2 site is really up and running, I wanted to look back at some of the most memorable posts from the last eight years of writing The 42. 

#7 is from March 2008. Do you remember when DC taxis charged by zone? No? Good. Feel lucky. It was a rigid, often confusing system (you fare was different if the ride began on the north side vs south side of U St, for example). This was pre-Uber/Lyft/other car-sharing services. So, I have more sympathy for taxicab drivers in today's environment, but back them I just wanted them to give in and accept the meters.

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Open Letter to Taxi Drivers

Listen, we don't want the zones. We want meters. If we JUST got rid of the zones, I think most DC residents would be happy. But we also realize that there is a strong need for a fair and equitable way to charge passengers for a service and compensate drivers for effort and time. We don't need to reinvent the wheel. Most other major cities use the time/distance meter. Its not rocket science! Cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago all have millions of residents who are OK with metered taxis. We can just copy off of their papers. Cheating is allowed in managing municipal agencies. Its called best practices.

Forget the pleas of some taxi drivers about how much money they'll lose because of meters. When the debate began last year, many drivers complained that customers would pay MORE under meters. So we'd pay more and they'd make less? Come on taxi drivers.

Mayor Fenty originally set the date of April 6, 2008 for all taxis in the District to have operating time/distance meters. Recently, he pushed that date back to May 1st to give drivers a chance to install equipment; and apparently to try and derail the process through multiple day long strikes and an on-line petition. I support workers all over the city, especially those in the service industry. However, unfortunately for taxi drivers, its a regulated business. There are reasons why some industries are regulated and the reasons behind regulating cabs, taxis and limos are obvious. We were just long overdue in revising some of our regulations. Its up to the Mayor to make sure we stick to the decision made last fall; banish the zone system, bring on the meters.

The zone system was old, open to fraud and just plain unfair, even if applied lawfully. Remember when Metro got rid of cashiers at parking decks? It was an unpopular idea to lay off workers, but ended up saving Metro and all of its customers millions of dollars because SmarTrip card readers don't steal. The city is making a similar correction. Some short term pain is a necessity in order to fix this crucial transportation option for the long run. Get on board drivers, get on board.

This is the End: #8

After 13+ years living in Mount Pleasant and 8+ years writing this website, this is the end! 

Until I get The X2 site is really up and running, I wanted to look back at some of the most memorable posts from the last eight years of writing The 42. 

#8 is from July 2007. This was about six months before DCUSA was finished and we were all wondering what the hell would happen to Mount Pleasant when this thing opened. I can't overstate how huge of a deal this was at the time. No one really knew how much it would eventually change Columbia Heights. And this is crazy: eight years in, DCUSA has never --I repeat, NEVER-- been fully leased. And they never got that promised whole foods (or McDonald's for that matter).

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Out and About: DC USA in Columbia Heights

Ugh. Yesterday it rained. And rained. And rained. We needed it though. No rain today, but a killer humidity that means August is around the corner. Good thing I took the photos for this post after work late last week. And next year at about this time, I'll be able to ditch the heat and wander around the air conditioned sterility of DCUSA, a project underway a few blocks from here.

DCUSA, just off of the 42 bus line, in Columbia Heights, is a can't miss, monster construction and development project. At the corner of 14th and Irving, its massive aura is only tempered by the other projects that are finished or nearly finished around it (the Tivoli, Park Triangle, Highland Park and Kenyon Square).

If you really want to get a feel for what the 14th St development may become, look no further than Harlem USA (pictured at right), another project competed by one of DCUSA's main developers, Gotham Organization. Harlem USA is very similar to DCUSA in some telling ways: its a major one-time injection of hundreds of thousands of retail square footage into a perceived-as-undeserved market; most of the retail spaces and all of the "anchors" are national chains; the location of the development is away from the traditional downtowns of the cities; both are near public transit and to hear the developers tell it, both will benefit the residents of each neighborhood tremendously.

One difference between the two is obvious. Harlem USA is in New York, on Manhattan. Any relative impact of that amount of retail is diminished and somewhat absorbed by the sheer population level and density of New York's retail options; one can get to shopping fairly easy from anywhere in Manhattan. Harlem USA weighs in at 275,000 square feet. It includes a Disney store, Modell's Sporting goods, HMV (music retailer), Old Navy, two banks, Magic Johnson Movie Theater and a handful of other stores. The Target at DCUSA will be 180,000 square feet of retail alone. DCUSA will weigh in at over 500,000 square feet of retail, most of which is spoken for as of this post. Target, Best Buy, Washington Sports Club, and Bed Bath and Beyond are a few of he majors who've signed up. And unlike Harlem USA, DCUSA will have dedicated parking, 1,000 spaces worth.

Arguably the impact of DCUSA will be greater than even that of Harlem USA. Harlem USA is smaller and while it is serving a part of Manhattan that was previously ignored by major retail and most chains, those residents still had access to at least comparable retail options via mass transit or a short drive. Residents of midtown DC have never seen a retail project of this scale. Most of the retail options available at DCUSA aren't foreign to the area; many can be reached downtown or just outside of the city limits (Marshall's in Silver Spring, Target at Prince George's Plaza).

However what will become of the local restaurants, shops and other retail remains to be seen. There are several established corridors of retail in the surrounding areas that may be affected including 11th and 14th Streets NW in Columbia Heights, Park Rd between 14th and Hiatt Place in Columbia Heights, Mt Pleasant Street NW and Columbia Rd and 18 Street in Adams Morgan. The small, mostly local businesses on these strips are in for a challenge when DCUSA is competed in 2008. Some will suffer because of Target's breadth of products (household items, hardware, bikes, clothing etc) while others may suffer because of increased rents or property assessment. The parking lot at the facility will bring plenty of newcomers to the area, but it seems unlikely that those shoppers will venture away from the mall that will be DCUSA into any other parts of the neighborhood. Any thoughts?

This is the End: #9

After 13+ years living in Mount Pleasant and 8+ years writing this website, this is the end! 

Until I get The X2 site is really up and running, I wanted to look back at some of the most memorable posts from the last eight years of writing The 42. 

#9 is from November 2007. There had been a really ridiculous de facto ban on live music in Mount Pleasant establishments. The ban was linked to the controversial voluntary agreements, which were essentially a list of rules bars and restaurants agreed to follow in order to get support from the ANCs and other residents in exchange for support when petitioning ABRA or DCRA. Long story short; this show of support was key to breaking the restrictive covenants and is the reason we're able to do basic, bit fun stuff like seeing a live band in a neighborhood restaurant.

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Mt Pleasant Residents Show Support for Businesses

On a chilly night with temperatures in the mid-40s, nearly 200 Mt Pleasant residents gathered in Lamont Park to show their support for the immigrant-owned businesses that line our main street. The apple cider was being consumed by the cupful (I had two, don't tell) and many business owners like Haydee of, well, Haydee's, were standing with a good cross section of our neighborhoods other residents. The group gathered in Lamont Park and made a powerfully silent march over to the Mount Peasant Branch Library.

A little background may be in order here. The demonstration was organized for this night because the Mayor of the District of Columbia, Adrian Fenty, was meeting with the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Alliance. The meeting was taking place at the Mount Pleasant Branch Library. The MPNA is one of several groups and organizations that operate as a voice for some residents in the neighborhood. There are others, like the ANC and Hear Mt Pleasant. That's by no means an exhaustive list. They are essentially interest groups that exist to project the voice of the people to a place where it can be heard by the decision-makers: in this case, the mayor and the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

At issue is whether or not the MPNA should act as the official voice of the neighborhood for city-legislated and regulated issues with binding implications for businesses and residents. On the official MPNA flier for tonight's meeting, there is a call for contributions "to our legal fees to help fight those who want to terminate our Voluntary Agreements." That's in reference to the Voluntary Agreement, a quasi-legal agreement between a business and some form of resident group (or individual residents) that determines whether or not the resident group will protest or support the business' Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration standing. In short, the decision of the neighborhood group to oppose or endorse a business' ABRA licensure is essentially a decision to make or break the business. The businesses agree to certain terms, like operating hours, conditions of operation, and so on and the resident group agrees to support the business at its ABRA hearing.

One of the conditions for all taverns, bars and restaurants on Mt Pleasant Street is that there be allowed no live music in the establishments. Some even interpret this to mean no karaoke as well. To understand Mt Pleasant is to understand that it is a neighborhood with a rich, long, and nuanced history weaving together cultures form all over the U.S. and all over the world. It is very diverse. The Latino community is one of the many that make up the backbone of the neighborhood, literally populating our main street with service and financial institutions, shops, restaurants and salons. Years ago, mariachi bands roamed the streets and haunted the establishments filling the air with an ambiance of Mexico City or San Salvador. That's now illegal under the Voluntary Agreements in place at most of our establishments. Some groups are using the Voluntary Agreements, ABRA licensure, and other regulatory matters to intimidate and harass businesses into certain behaviors.

The demonstration tonight was help to reiterate, through turnout, dialogue and petition, that the MPNA does not necessarily speak for each and every one in Mt Peasant. If there are do-or-die decisions to be made which will affect businesses and livelihoods of people living and working in this neighborhood, ALL voices need to be considered, especially those of the residents with the most on the line. Ward One Council Member Jim Graham made an appearance at the demonstration, and later at the Library. Mayor Fenty stopped on the way into the Library and talked individual to some of the residents and addressed the group several times as well. After about 10 minutes he dissapeared into the Library to meet with MPNA. Too be continued...