Dear PoPville

Missed Connection: “I was the last voter in line to vote in Columbia heights and chatted with the man in front of me for three hours”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I was the last voter in line to vote in Columbia heights and chatted with the man in front of me for the three hours I was there. He even gave me his chair that he had brought for himself. I feel like we should of exchanged numbers at the end but I think we were both feeling shy. I don’t know a lot about him but I think he is a professor at Howard.”

Ed. Note: If this is you, please email [email protected] so I can put you in touch with OP. PoPville is not affiliated with either party, please proceed with any potential connection at your own risk using caution as you would any online encounter. For those curious about past missed connections, some have been made and when possible I’ll try to update when/if more are made.

“Is the creek really that dangerous to dip your feet in? Any other cleaner recs?”

By Prince Of Petworth

Ed. Note: Read this post about what’s in the water currently at Rock Creek.

“Dear PoPville,

I have a question that you guys dealt with 8 years ago, but may be worth a revisit in these circumstance: swimming/wading in rock creek park. My family and I have been trying to go to close by beaches in MD (but they are operating on limited capacity and it’s almost impossible to get in: we tried mayo and north beach and Beverly triton last Sunday, to no avail.) Most VA beaches are closed. Pools are closed. I’m getting desperate! I have a 3 year old who loves wading/swimming. Any options. Is RCP really that dangerous to dip your feet in? Any other reader recs?”

“Sign a lease with no end date when rolling over to month-to-month?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Hannah Fischer

“Dear PoPville,

I fully understand there are a lot more important things going on these days, though I would be very grateful if anyone has had a similar experience and would be willing to share advice. I live in a large apartment building that is managed by a well-known company. The building is not rent-controlled. My year-long lease is up in July, and I’ve gotten the new rent terms from the leasing office. I have indicated that I will be rolling over to month-to-month at the end of my current lease rather than signing a new year-long lease. The leasing office is saying that I need to sign a new lease without an end date “to ensure all of the lease terms are followed” in order to go month-to-month. (more…)

“the thing that jumped out at me is that they are threatening to evict residents if they don’t wear masks in common areas”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Clif Burns

“Dear PoPville,

I received this email from my apartment building’s management. The stuff about amenities is not new, but the thing that jumped out at me is that they are threatening to evict residents if they don’t wear masks in common areas or if they have guests over. Besides that there’s nothing I can see in the lease that allows this, evictions are illegal right now (for 60 days until the end of the public health emergency). Management has not laid out an exceptions for people who have difficulty putting on masks due to a disability, or for children, and haven’t laid out exceptions for people with essential guests (caretakers and the like). This is a Bozzuto building; it would be interesting to know if other Bozzuto residents have gotten notices like this?

Dear Valued Residents, (more…)

“Surveiling marchers–and this was a strikingly peaceful, calm event–can have a real chilling effect.”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Joseph F

“Dear PoPville,

I joined the march from Friendship Heights to the National Cathedral in Tenleytown yesterday. As the column swung into the Cathedral grounds, I saw a police SUV, with a uniformed officer pointing a camera with telephoto lense at the march (he was pretty far away). I pointed it out to my wife and tried to cover my face more than it already was, but, unfortunately, didn’t take any pictures. I wonder if anyone else noticed a uniformed officer with a camera at this or other protests. It’d be interesting to know whether that was a cop. If he was law enforcement (or private security), it seems important to know what he was photographing and for what purpose. Surveiling marchers–and this was a strikingly peaceful, calm event–can have a real chilling effect.“

Are Most Police/Soldiers Wearing Masks?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Victoria Pickering

Ed. Note: From the many, many photos I’ve looked through (like the one above) it seems be a mix of some wearing them and some most definitely not wearing them. I just don’t know what the split is. Would you say it’s about 50/50?

“Dear PoPville,

I have been hearing a lot of stories of police declining to wear masks. My husband saw this on his way to work and then a friend of ours wrote a Facebook post about the same issue. I think the Mayor would be rather unhappy about that.”

“Can you maybe stress the importance of unity and safety in numbers?”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Victoria Pickering

“Dear PoPville,

Can you maybe stress the importance of unity and safety in numbers? This evening at Lafayette, immediately after a large group returned from marching to the Capitol, they took about half of the remaining folks with them for another march.

Leaving maybe two or three dozen people at Lafayette with an entire army.

It’s a mistake we’ve made over and over, and only leads to arrests and violence. Black lives are not being prioritized.“

“Is there any way we can help Angelina?”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I think anyone who lives in DC knows about kouzina angelinas pizza on Florida and 8th St, NW. I saw her looking pretty defeated last night looking at some workers boarding up all of her neighboring shops. Is there any way we can help Angelina?”

View More Stories