Author: Mari

Gentrification and me issue 1

I have been collecting a bunch of websites that talk about gentrification. What I hope to do, since I know a few people besides myself look at this site is talk about what is covered. My own feelings are mixed. I am part of the gentrification process simply based on my income (now and future), education and home improvement status. However I do have some sympathy for groups threatened by the changes. As an African-American I do feel bad about the fact that I moved into a predominately black neighborhood that is becoming more of a white neighborhood.

First, my favorite I’m the Enemy a Salon article where the author aknowleges that she’s part of the San Francisco gentrification problem, but in away points out the problems of some of the people organizing against gentrification. Maybe I like it because I identify with the author. Although I am not a long term resident. For a while I was poor and (I am still) Black, the same type of folks who are being pushed out of gentrifying areas. The author works in the Arts field, where artists are known for being poor and starving. I work in the library/museum field, not known for being a high paying line of work. Like the author, I figured out how to cash in on my talents (okay a lot of it luck) and save up and buy a house before prices got insane. The author is describing and anti-gentrification meeting, one of several she has attended. The question become who is the “they” , the enemy, that is spoken of in the meetings? The “they” described seem a lot like her, despite the other attendee’s assurances that no, she’s different. Another problem the “poor people”. She describes how some minorities, as the anti-yuppie argument can get race based, have cashed in. A Salvadoran who bought when the prices were rock bottom sold for a nice profit. This is something that is hinted at, but which I thought about after reading this was the tendency of white anti-gentrifiers to turn the minority population, who are typically hurt by this, into their ‘noble savages’. Nobel savages are your Tontos, your Fridays, or other moral dark skinned character who is put down by white society but is good and uncorrupted by the bad white man’s ways. The author points out that given the chance, the Salvadoran in this case, lusts and chases after the same thing the big bad yuppie does and the noble savages, in this case the Salvadorians, given a chance will gladly move into the yuppie middle class. It is the white bohemians who have chosen a more imporverished lifestyle and who are seemingly trying to impose it on their non-white neighbors.

Gentrification: Gen….What?

Kim Tate is the author and teenager in this article about the changes in her neighborhood. In this her family is selling the house in a gentrifying neighborhood. She seems to be trying to make sense of what is going on around her. Her view of the changes are slightly negative. I say slightly because it lack some of the very angry rhetoric I’ve seen on other sites. To be any angrier might condemn her parents for even daring to sell their house. There is sadness, but also the same sort of sadness you might find from any teen reflecting on leaving their home. A good thing is at the end of the article there are resources for folks in the Atlanta metro region who are threatened by gentrification.

This old house

Maybe it’s shows like This Old House that give people the wrong idea. Or maybe it’s preserved historical houses. I don’t know but people believe that because my house is over 100 years old it’s all neat and historical with architectural details that only need to be uncovered.

No. It is not neat, or quaint, nor does it have any of those quaint neat details. My house has been rental housing for the black working class for the past 100 years. Rental housing, landlords don’t invest a lot in rental housing and it shows.

The floors. Might be hardwood. But for the time being are hidden under carpet. What I have seen so far under the carpet and on the other side of the floor is not a happy sight. Under the carpet there are shriveled up tiles of some sort (asbestos maybe?) and some dark gunk on top of dark colored wood. I know it is dark chocolate in color from looking at the underside in the basement. It is sawn rough. Even if it could get sanded smooth I don’t think I would want the color. The house doesn’t get enough light and it’s small, dark colors are bad, last thing I want to do is spend good money on a floor that will make the place look smaller and darker.

Walls. I hate the walls on the upper floors. One runs right into the window frame. All except the bathroom they have textured paint. As I later discovered this was slapped on to hide all the cracks in the plaster underneath. The renovator Sunny (evil evil) said it was to prevent stains on the walls that kids (what kids?) make. My only hope was to skim the walls with joint compund because our friend ‘asbestos’ could be in the paint. Don’t get me started on the lead paint.

The whole structure. My house, just my house is crooked in such an obvious way. Settling.

There is one good thing. Radiators. I love them. Now that it is getting cold, and hoping the boiler doesn’t explode, I can enjoy warm things I can put my bottom on, or warm robes draped over. Heaven.

Convention Center Area Strategic Development Plan

Planning Workshop #1

Project Review and Community Visioning

Tuesday October 14th, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Kennedy Recreation Center

7th and P Streets, NW (main gymnasium)

This study includes the area bounded by 11th Street, Vermont Avenue on the

west, U Street and Florida Avenue on the north, New Jersey Avenue on the

east, and Massacusetts Avenue and New York Avenue on the south. Join the

Office of Planning for the first of four planning workshops to discuss the

future of your neighborhood.

* Meet the team working on this planning initiative.

* Talk about how having the convention center in the community can help to

build stronger neighborhoods.

* Learn about housing and retail issues in your community.

* Find out about future meetings.

RSVP with Chris Shaheen

DC Office of Planning

202.442.7631

chris.shaheen@dc.gov

Chris Shaheen

Ward 2 – Neighborhood Planning Coordinator

801 N. Capitol Street, NE, Suite 4000

Washington, DC 20002

Disaster Recovery Center Will Go to Washington Neighborhoods

September 30, 2003

Disaster Recovery Center Will Go to Washington Neighborhoods

(Washington, DC) The DC Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and the US

Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

will bring a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to the people in areas of the

District who were affected by Hurricane Isabel.

The Disaster Recovery Centers, which will operate from the EMA Mobile

Command Vans, will be available from 9 am to 6 pm at the following sites and

dates:

Date and Locations:

Wednesday and Thursday October 1 and 2

1) 3924 Minnesota Ave., NE Chartered Health Parking Lot

2) Lot 4 RFK Stadium

Friday and Saturday October 3 and 4

1) 2100 Martin Luther King Ave., SE

2) Alabama Ave and Good Hope Rd, SE Safeway Parking Lot

Monday and Tuesday October 6 and 7

1) 16th St. and Colorado Ave., NW Carter Barron Amphitheater

2) 4th St. and Rhode Island Ave., NE (old Ames)

Wednesday and Thursday October 8 and 9

1) 4450 Wisconsin Ave., NW Tenley-Friendship Library

2) 2200 Champlain St, NW Marie Reed Learning Center

Friday and Saturday October 10 and 11 (Tentative)

To be determined at a later date To be determined at a later date

Disaster Recovery Centers are designed to provide detailed program

information to those who have already applied for assistance under President

Bush’s September 20 disaster declaration for the District of Columbia.

Representatives of the District, federal, and voluntary agencies will be

present, including loan officers from the US Small Business Administration.

“The DRC will give residents an opportunity to meet one-on-one with District

and federal officials to discuss specific aspects of their damage claims and

get answers to any questions they may have,” said DCEMA Director Peter G.

LaPorte.”

Applicants are encouraged to apply by using the FEMA toll-free registration

number: 1 (800) 621-FEMA (3362). The TTY number is 1 (800) 462-7585 for

those who are speech- or hearing-impaired. Recovery specialists are

available to take calls from 7 am to midnight, EDT, seven days a week until

further notice. To date, more than 700 District residents have called to

apply.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the US Department of Homeland

Security. FEMA’s continuing mission within the new department is to lead the

effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal

response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also

initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and

manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the US Fire

Administration.

Desi Deschaine

Community Outreach Coordinator

Executive Office of the Mayor

1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 211

Washington, DC 20004

The fan that will kill me

So I got a co-worker to install two fans in my house for the sum of $54. The fan in the first room is wonderful. The fan in my room, which I knew would be trouble, is still troubling. The problem with old houses is that you have old house hardware and quirks. The hardware the light, which was on the verge of killing me in my sleep, hung from what could have been an old gas lamp pipe. Heavens only knows.

The light was hanging loosely from the old fixture. I pulled the string to turn it off and on, the thing would wobble. It had a glass, a heavy glass piece that I took off once the whole piece started looking dodgy. Upon further inspection the lamp was hanging from some screws that had a minimal hold on the drywall in the ceiling.

I knew there would be trouble when the ceiling fan would replace the whole contraption. After 2 or so hours Mr. Grumpy Sunshine got it installed. He wasn’t too happy with the wobbling. He said the hardware up in the ceiling was loose.

The one big problem is the only way for me to turn the light on and off is to pull the cord. Which in turn pulls the fan, which pulls whatever loose hardware there is in the ceiling.

I’m now thinking, remote controlled fan. Thats the only way. The only was without doing some heavy recontruction.

Until then, I’m in danger of a 30lb fan hitting my bed in my sleep.

Hey the Cops Sometimes Come

Yesterday I notice a man hanging out in front of the overpriced house for sale. He’s there for a good 30 minutes. At first I thought he was a workman, doing some finishing touches on the outside. But no. He was a strange one. So after about 1/2 an hour I call 311 and I don’t know how long I had to wait to get a person on the other end but by the time I get an operator, he starts moseying up the street.

About 5-10 later the cops drive by, and slow down at the address given. I’m standing in the doorway chatting w/ Brett and wave to the officers, who warily wave back. They turn around and come back to the spot get out and say, “Well I don’t think either of you called it in..” Oh, I fess up that I did it and describe the ‘weird’ behavior.

Well they did show up within a resonable amount of time, they get points for that.

Welcome to home ownership

My neighbor is annoyed. He was venting yesterday and he’s still venting. He’s angry at General Contractors and deliverymen. Understandable because he still believes they actually say what they mean when they say they will be at so-in-so at such&such time. They all lie, they are men. It’s like “I’ll call you.” They never call.

Of course I warned him. I recommended one contractor, but told him to stick with the outside stuff, nothing inside. Did he heed my word NOOOOOOO! Not only is he having said contractor do outside work, he’s having him do inside work as well. Now he’s angry that said contractor did not show up when he said he would because he (neighbor) took off work to be there.

Clean Up

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Did you seen the Green Team cleaning up 14th & U Streets this past weekend?

This past Friday marked the beginning of a 45 day, seven day a week, demonstration project to clean, maintain and enhance the 14th & U Commercial

District. The program is a partnership between:

> 14th & U Main Street Initiative (14th & U MSI)

> Coalition For the Homeless (CFH)

> University of the District of Columbia-Extension Program (UDC-EP)

The demonstration project will provide 5 full time and 5 part time positions through the end of October. The demonstration project will be managed by the Coalition for the Homeless, located and 13th & Massachusetts, and is

being financed by UDC-EP and by PN Hoffman, which has pledged a five-year annual $10,000 contribution as part of a PUD application before the city for their project on 14th Street between V Street and W Street.

The demonstration project will spend this week focused upon trash and weeds.

Many sidewalks, gutters, alleys and tree boxes along the corridor have not seen any maintenance this year. We are in need of a volunteer or

volunteers to provide support for the team as it works upon clearing the overgrown tree boxes. Many of the tree boxes have been landscaped with

flowers and other plants that should be retained and we could use help in identifying the desired plants and in identifying the removable weeds,

particularly for the lower 14th Street areas. Please contact Scott Pomeroy at 202.550.0769 if you are available. The following week they will begin to focus on removing graffiti and posters from the corridor, working in conjunction with the city to make a visible impact all along the corridor.

The program is designed to supplement existing efforts by DPW, merchants, property owners and residents not to replace those efforts. Merchants and commercial property owners are still legally responsible for the maintenance of the area in front of their businesses from the store front to 18² into the curb. The goal of the demonstration project is to raise awareness for the need of the services being provided and to raise funds to enable the program to expand to a year round program that would hire 24 full-time

workers and would be able to expand services into other neighborhood commercial districts. The expanded program will also include a two-day

hospitality, heritage and ambassador training program conducted by Cultural Tourism DC, a landscaping training program by UDC, and an school-based landscaping and heritage training program.

Learn more about this program and other projects and goals of the 14th & U Main Street Initiative at our 1st Annual Membership Meeting that will occur

on Monday, September 29th at the True Reformer Building at 1200 U Street, NW from 6:00 ­8:30.