Day: May 24, 2006

We couldn’t afford the neighborhood we created

I was looking in the sales database on the DC.Gov website from 1999 to 2001. This was before the Real Estate boom. Prices were just starting to rise, and I remember in 2001 there were many stories about bidding wars and houses being sold in a day. Anyway, the database shows that many of the properties selling in those years, less than $100K. 19 Bates for 60K, 1426 North Cap for 63K and 1628 4th for 33K. Of course, it doesn’t say what condition the houses were in when sold. There is another bunch of properties selling in the low $100’s. Between 2002-2004 there is a greater variety in the sales prices, few properties under 100K and several in the 200K-300K range. I stopped being able to afford this neighborhood a year after I moved in.
First I have to praise those who came before me. The hard working men and women, who value hard work, who moved in and made a home for themselves during the 70s and 80s. Their work, though seemingly futile against the crime and negativity, created a neighborhood for those of us moving in later could tolerate. If it weren’t for Dinah and Lem, I wouldn’t be here. People like them battled the crime and bad behavior, they fixed up their homes and yards and fed the spirit of neighborliness. And I’m going to be bold enough to say that if it weren’t for myself and the other neighbors who moved in 1999-2001, the folks who moved in 2002-2004 wouldn’t be here. And those moving in after 2004 will add, and are adding, to neighborhood.
Each year this place gets better. There is still crap like the gunshots on 1st and the friendly neighborhood drug dealers on the corner, homeless guys peeing on houses, crackhos conducting business in alleys and so on, but it isn’t as bad as what it used to be. This gives me hope, that next year will be better. That there will be fewer guys on the corner next year, that Big Bear and EC-12 and maybe whatever replaces Dave’s will be places where I run into friends and neighbors, that gunshots will be rare, and that the new Ward 5 Councilperson knows about the character of Truxton Circle.
In 2000-2001 I couldn’t of afford a neighborhood like this, with so much about to happen. I could just hope that the one I could afford, something that could be, in time could be what I wanted.

APB on stolen puppy

From a neighbor:
Hi Folks,
My neighbor called this morning VERY upset. Her 12 week old puppy went missing yesterday afternoon and she suspects that he was stolen from her yard because it appears as if a small hole was kicked open wide enough for the puppy to get out. Plus, there were rocks in the yard, she and her husband thinks that whoever stole the puppy may have thrown rocks at the adult dog that also lives in the yard to keep him back from the fence.
Below is the post I placed on the Truxton Circle web page. If any of you know anything about this puppy please contact Lem and Dina Kenley at the numbers below. Please forward this message to other neighbors who may have seen/heard something about the puppy!
Missing, possibly STOLEN-12 week old Staffordshire Terrier puppy.
Red/brown brindle with white chest and three white paws. Answers to the name
Bosco (very friendly energetic puppy). Went missing/stolen yesterday afternoon/early evening from a fenced yard in the alley between the 1600 block of 4th and 3rd Street. Teenage boys were seen yesterday throwing rocks and teasing the puppy and the adult dog that shares the yard with the puppy.
The owner of the property scolded the boys, the dog went missing shortly afterwards. Both the police and the pound have been notified. If anyone has seen the puppy or knows anything about his whereabouts please contact Lem or Dina Kenley, 1625 4th Street, NW, at 202-[contact Mari for number] (cell) or 202-[same] (work answering machine).