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What the Helen of Troy is This?
“Dear PoPville,
Wondering if you have any idea what this eye sore/waste of space is behind U street. Its between 12/13 and T/U… seems like at least that grassy area could be used for much better things.”
Category: U Street, What the Helen of Troy is This?
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There was an effort to develop that parcel into housing. However, the alley ways off of 13th and 12th were not wide enough to allow for fire engines, etc. Some group was using it as a garden for a while.
The eyesore sure looks like the massive clusterf*ck of power lines, phone cables, and chunks of transformer devices in the top picture.
The bottom photo seems to be centering on a nifty wooden structure…perhaps a pergola that a vine might grow on. I dunno.
All in all, seems like improper use of the term “eyesore.”
Agreed, a little parcel of green space–even a scrubby one–is not such a bad thing in a city. It’s much easier to turn an open patch into a new park or garden than it is to tear down a building and add green space back in later! It would be great if this parcel were open to the public, from the picture it looks fenced off.
http://dcmud.blogspot.com/2008/10/low-density-low-income-for-u-street-lot.html
http://www.onedconline.org/one-right-to-housing-mainmenu-141/buildings-list-mainmenu-155/137?task=view
As the links indicate, over the past several years ago there have been proposals to put below market-rate housing on this parcel of land. They went nowhere because the DC government contended that these would essentially be improper alley dwellings, and that access to the property for emergency vehicles was inadequate.
I propose it be the new U Street Community Garden.
I’d love for it to become the area equivalent of S Street Dog Park.
^ I would hate for it to become the area equivalent of the S Street dog park.
There actually was a fenced in area a few feet to the nw of this parcel that was an unofficial, unimproved dog park. It was just low chain link fenced area next to the metro station, but it was always clean. I trained my pup there, and he’s now an old dog. I met a lot of folks from the neighborhood, too. But, then they built that building with the Quiznos, and now dog parks are a formal, high price urban amenity rather than an empty lot.
Circus Maximus for chariot races back in the day?
Eyesore? Residential construction was prohibited on alleys less than 30′w in 1892. The alleys leading into the interior of that block are all about 15′w.
the overgrown grassy area looks like people may have used it at some point, but is barbed-wire fenced in… think green space like this could be used for something. including the part thats not fenced in – not necessarily high rises and homes….
Looks like you have some wires in front of your window, but I think grass and wildflowers in the background look nice.
Dog parks are cool, but from an environmental perspective, the highest and best use of land right by a metro is density – housing would be ideal – especially if we could get some affordability. DC has smartened up lately about alley dwellings, so maybe there’s a chance for some progress.
There used to be alley houses there. There can be no housing (or other commerical use) there, as already noted, due to the alley width.
As there can be no commerical development…. a park would be a nice idea… or a community garden…
You don’t want a dog park here. You have no idea how loudly dog barks reverberate against tall buildings. The S Street park is lovely for dogs, but terrible for direct neighbors.
Too true – I live across the street from the S St Dogpark and there are some times when the noise is really is too much. I am very happy that there is a closing time for that dog park.
News flash. This is a city. Dogs barking, fire trucks, thumpy thumpy music, unwanted cooking smells, random muggins, and occasional gun fire are what you get in exchange for living close to city ammenities.
Ah, the ever-popular false binary! Here, it’s the assumption that city life necessarily includes elements ABCDEFG, and that no one can/should complain about any of them.
All it’s missing is the “and if you don’t like it, go live in Reston” at the end.
Actually 4:54 is right, low level chaos is what makes cites vibrant and dynamic.
yes, the vibrant muggings give the city that certain je ne sais quoi.
Live from Columbia Heights: This made me smile.
But surely the muggings in New York are even MORE vibrant?
While NIMBYism is a favorite hobby of post-gentrification residents, ridiculing their self-absorbed views is mine. Live here. Move to Reston. Do what you will. But for the love of god, stop complaining about things that were here long before you and that will be here long after you.
Thats presumptuous of you. It is one thing to complain about something that was known and there when you moved in/bought. It is another thing for someone to put a dog park in your backyard after you live there. Or open up a beer garden after you purchased your house. Or for the garage band to move in next to your condo.
What a naive comment.
surface parking lot for $10,000, alex!
or maybe a skate park for the kiddies…
Toddler water park!
Hopefully someone levels one of the neighboring buildings and buys this land so they can develop it.