Post 6 What do you think about DC USA coming to Columbia Heights?

4 Responses to “Post 6 What do you think about DC USA coming to Columbia Heights?”

1. makeba on May 1st, 2008 12:39 am
   

   I agree…its a great development. I remeber in college, my ex-girlfriend lived there and the place was a mess due to metro construction. Alot has changed. Check out Rumberos rest./bar..my friend owns it…good food & music!

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2. Marty Hosking on May 4th, 2008 12:35 am
   

   Makeba, your comment inspired me to make more a philosphical statement. There is a “warmth” to the area that is more than I have noticed in any other area of the city. But that is the icing on the cake. There are increasingly practical reasons to be a part of what’s happening there: global warming, recession, gas prices. I do believe that it is the example of the first real shift in demographics/city planning since the post world war II suburban utopia–that turned out to be anything but a utopia. If you want to experience another exciting urban planned community check out downtown Rockville. This is not a suburb–it is a sustainable urban living environment that is dynamic, less dependent on oil, synergistic. Remember the line from “The Graduate?”–”Plastics, son , Plastics.” This is the future. I love it.

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3. Anonymous on May 9th, 2008 3:12 pm
   

   Dear Marty and Jesse,

   I’ve noticed your blog for the past year, and I like the fact you went streaming with it.

   As a resident of Columbia Heights (Pleasant Plains), you wouldn’t believe how much the DC USA complex has brought to an otherwise economically depressed area. And, as someone who is perceived as a “gentrifier,” by long-time residents, I’ve been welcomed into the fold and became involved in my community more than ever before. I believe the surrounding neighborhood has welcomed the changes, and in all the neighborhoods I’ve lived in, both urban and rural, I’ve never known so many of my neighbors until I moved to Columbia Heights – heck, most of my neighbors approached me first. The sense of community for such a diverse neighborhood should be an example.

   Now, don’t get me wrong. It ain’t always sunny in Columbia Heights. There are many bad elements that remain from years past, and for the most part, the 3rd district has done a great job trying to stay ahead of it. I’ve lived in several DC neighborhoods for many year, and it wasn’t until I moved to Columbia Heights that I experienced a home robbery, graffiti tagging on my house (several times), auto vandalism, being attacked on the street by a drugged-out crackhead and having to run for cover from stray bullets during an alleyway shootout. And, that’s the stuff that just happened to me.

   But, to answer the question about the impact of DC USA, you should do some research on Harlem USA, and the impact it had to upper Manhattan. While some might complain that these developments ruin the history of a neighborhood – it’s all bull. If you research the history of almost any neighborhood in a US city, you’ll find that many classes and creeds have rotated through. What people want is a safe place to call home, and to be proud of where they live. A development like DC USA makes me proud to live in Columbia Heights.

   -Fonzy.

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4. Marty Hosking on May 16th, 2008 1:19 am
   

   Dear Fonzy,

   Thanks for your comment on our blog on Columbia Heights. I am glad you are finding the urban development a synergistic and growth filled experience of humanity. I truly believe there is a lot of hope when people like you take a chance to try it–to invest in it–and not be intimidated by the ideological self-appointed “speakers of for the people” who say you are a “gentrifier.” I often complain about the these bullies who really hold back the growth of the city–but I think it is even better to just step out and do it. I truly believe that the combination of environmental issues, cost of living and excitement that good urban development can bring is making this kind of living not just a “nice thing to do” but rather something people really WANT–that improves the quality of life.

   Thanks again, Fonzy, for your testimony–and inspiration

   Marty

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