Month: March 2009

5D/4D Court Watch

Stolen from 5D listserv

Good Evening All:

Please attend the first 5D/4D Court Watch meeting at the Fifth District on
March 27, 2009, from 6-8 p.m. We will discuss community impact statements and
what we can do as citizens to ensure the Court supports our priority for
increased public safety. Representatives from the US Attorney’s Office and
Superior Court will attend.

Our partnership with the US Attorney’s Office and Superior Court will ensure
that we remain informed regarding the status of individuals that violate the
law and negatively affect our safety. All are encouraged to attend.

Old Streetcar route: The Fourth Street Line

From Rider’s Washington, 1924.

Fourth Street Line: operates between Steamboat wharves (M and Water Sts., S.W.) and W St. and Georgia Ave., N.W. Route: northwest on Water St. to 11th St., north on 11th St. to Virginia Ave., northwest on Virginia Ave., to B St., west on B St. to 14th St., nort on 14th St. to G St. N.W., east on G St. to 5th St., north on 5th St. to New York Ave., northeast on New York Avenue to 4th St., north on 4th St. to Florida Ave., east on Florida Ave., to 3rd St., north on 3rd St. to Elm St., west on Elm St. to 4th St., north on 4th St. to W St. to Georgia Ave.
Car signs: northbound, “LEDRIOT PARK”; southbound, “WHARVES.”

Is it just me or does that sound like a screwy route?

The Going Rate

Between visiting friends and hosting relatives who really should use the opportunity of staying at my place to hunt for a job (hint*hint*), my 2nd bedroom has been fairly occupied. However, I do plan to rent it out again for summer and the 2009-2010 academic year. The big renovation of 2007 wiped out my emergency fund. It wiped out all my funds. Near the end of 2008, I finally finished paying off the air conditioning. Next year I want to take care of the cellar and finish putting a shower in the 1/2 bath. I can’t do another loan. And so begins the slow build up of the house/emergency fund, which requires money, hence the renting out of the 2nd bedroom.
Figuring out how much to rent it out for requires a bit of research. If I was just renting my place, logically I’d go halvies with whomever I was renting with. But I’m a homeowner and my mortgages alone are a tiny bit more than the average rental price for a 2 bedroom in the far eastern corners of Shaw. Also there are other costs such as repairs, maintenance, etc., that I haven’t figured out monthly. I check what people are asking for as far as roommates go, because that’s the market I’m in. The general price in a roommate situation varies between $600 and $1100 a month. The fun part is trying to figure out what justifies the higher price. Some places include utilities. Some don’t. Some places have Internet and cable, some don’t. Then there is maid service, private bath, proximity to the metro, size, number of roommates, pets in the house, and other factors.
Back when I only had 1 mortgage, I could charge something cheap, $575 including utilities. The second mortgage made me jack it up, but I don’t think I found the right price since. I had one roommate negotiate the price down, because I was so far (7-10 mins walking is far) from the metro. So once again I’ll make up a number, run it up the flag pole and see who salutes. And seeing how many bites I get (not counting the Nigerian scam artists), I’ll know what the going rate is.

Old Streetcar Routes

Well I’m back from the annual trek to Florida to see the family, and since I’m catching up on what’s been going on, here’s some history.

From Rider’s Washington, a tourist guidebook from the 1920s, there is a description of the different streetcar lines. I’ll mention a few here.

Florida Avenue Line: operates between Stephenson Monument (Pennsylvania Ave. and 7th St.) and Navy Yard Gate. Route: north on 7th St. to T St., east on T St. to Florida Ave., southeast on Florida Ave., to 8th St. N.E., south on 8th St., to Navy Yard Gate (M St. S.E.). Car signs: north and eastbound, “NAVY YARD”; west and southbound, “7TH AND PA, AVE. N.W.”

New Jersey Avenue Line: operates between Rock creek Bridge (20th and Calvert Sts. N.W.) and Navy Yard Gate (8th and M Sts. S.E.). Route: east on Calvert St. to 18th St., south on 18th St. to U St., east on U St. to Florida Ave. to New Jersey Ave., southeast on New Jersey Ave. to Massachusetts Ave. to Union Station, thence southwest on Delaware Ave to B St. N.E., east on B St. to Pennsylvania Ave., southeast Pennsylvania Ave. to 8th St., south on 8th St. to Navy Yard.

The Washington Railway and Electric Company was another (I don’t have it in my notes who operated the above lines) streetcar company in DC. Their Georgia Avenue-Ninth Street Line had four lines. Line A went from Forest Glen to Water St. going down Georgia then down 9th. Line B went from between the Wharves to Ga Ave and Eastern Ave. Line C went between Water St to the Soldiers Home. Line D went between Takoma, Anacostia and Congress Heights. It started at Butternut St in Takoma to GA Ave and went along the same southern route as Line A to 4 1/2 St to Maryland Ave to B St and Canal Sts. then east on E, south on 4th, then east on G, then south on 11th to Anacostia Bridge, then south on Nichols Ave to a terminal at Talbert St. From Talbert on Nichols Ave to Congress Heights and west on Portland St to Steel Plant, The names of the streets may have changed because the directions seems odd once you get past the Anacostia Bridge, which could be (I dunno) the Fredrick Douglass Memorial Bridge.

Later the Fourth Street Line.

Enjoy Local Food & Support Community Farmers

Join Common Good City Farm and Vegetate for a delightful evening of local fare, local flavors and local funk.

Enjoy Local Food & Support Community Farmers!
Monday, March 16
6:30-9:30pm
Happy Hour Specials on Drinks & Eats

MuSiC by DJ DrEDD

A Fundraiser [$10 requested]
Proceeds go directly to Common Good City Farm

At Vegetate. 1414 9th Street NW
(across from the Giant, between o & P streets, near
mt Vernon sq/Convention Ctr. & shaw/Howard u
metro stations and the G2 9th & P bus stop)

RSVP recommended:
www.CommonGoodCityFarm.org

More info:
www.VegetateDC.com
www.CommonGoodCityFarm.org

Seeking Adult Mentors!

Are you interested in making a difference in the life of a child? Consider becoming a mentor.

We are organizing a community mentoring program, in collaboration with Big Brother Big Sister, and Mentors Inc., for children ages 8-18 years old, in the LeDroit Park neighborhood of NW Washington DC. I’m currently seeking adult (21+ years old) mentors who are looking to make a difference in the life a child. Time commitment is one hour per week.

Please come to our community information meeting to learn more.

What: Community mentoring information meeting

Who: Adult mentors, 21+ years old, interested in making a difference in the life of a child.

When: Monday, March 30, from 6:30 – 8:00pm

Where: Florida Avenue Baptist Church

623 Florida Avenue NW

***Please note that you will have to enter the building via the rear entrance off of U Street, at the corner of U and Bohrer (one block west of 6th Street NW).

RSVP: Margot Hoerrner, 2/341 5686, hoerrner at gmail period com

Capital Sporting Grounds: Preface and Introduction

This is the first book I’ve read by someone I know who wasn’t my professor. That is a factor, in that those assigned books by professors pushing their products, were something to quickly get through. Heck knows I probably never read the preface or acknowledgements. If I did read the introductory chapter, it was more than likely skimmed.
B.’s or Dr. Brett L. Abrams’, PhD (American U) book, is so far, so good, but with some bumps. If I weren’t making notes in the book, I probably would read faster as this is not a difficult read, he’s telling a story. However, at points, I’m finding myself in disagreement with his writing style, and my notes are reflecting that. These are just minor stylistic things like where a sentence is in a paragraph. My other notes are just markers, either summing up a thought or highlighting major points. Habitually with non-fiction I tend to make notes in books (I own), as a way to talk with the author. Of course, in this case I could just walk over and talk with the author.
The Preface tells why this book is different from what’s out there. Books covering the topic of stadiums are coffee-table picture books or technical tomes on economics or construction. There are books that are about single stadiums, in other cities, not D.C. So what B. is doing is filling a vacuum, looking at the District of Columbia/ DC Metro area and stadium development taking in account the politics and history of that development.
The Introduction provides the historical background of the growth and development of Washington, DC as a city. He quickly reviews DC’s character as four cities, an international city, a federal city, a local city, and a regional city.

The Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings (BCIB)


Broken Windows
Originally uploaded by In Shaw

I was about to blog about horrendous vacancy rate taxation on houses that are not vacant. But one of the example houses was recategorized to normal…. now all the owners have to do is get their homestead exemption. But while poking around for info I came across the Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings.
I didn’t know there was such a board until I found a letter from a similar sounding agency in the personal papers of a landlady. In the 1930s & 40s the landlady had owned my house as well as several other properties in DC, and one townhouse on the 1700 block of 4th Street was in danger of being condemned by the city.
Since I hadn’t really heard of anything about the city condemnation agency, I just assumed it was one of those defunct city agencies, like dairy inspectors. But no. There is the BCIB, and they are under DCRA.

Howard Theater

IMGoph has a post up about the presentation for the streetscape around the Howard Theater area.
I’ve kinda lost general interest in the Howard because in the early 2000s I attended the meetings and heard the presentations for saving the Howard Theater, and then nada. Nothing. Zip. The Howard, the O Street Market, and anything else I was waiting for to get going during the real estate boom years, didn’t. So now I’m jaded.
I got to thinking, if the Howard is restored and turned into a working theater, wouldn’t it be in competition with the Lincoln up the street?

B.’s Stadium Book gets WP write up

My next door neighbor/co-worker B. has his book Capital Sporting Grounds out now and his book got some love from Marc Fisher. I just got the book in my hot little hands today, and I hope to give an honest as I can report of it once done.
I’m a bit more interested in Capital Sporting Grounds than the other book he released last year, because its topic is development history in Washington DC. Also B. gave a pretty interesting presentation sometime back at the Historical Society about stadium development and some of the backroom dealing involved. B. is interested in the story and I look forward to experiencing his storytelling.