Dear PoPville

What to do about a partially blocked driveway?

By Prince Of Petworth

10673213633_17a2f06779_z

“Dear PoPville,

I just bought a house in Takoma with a very nice driveway- but literally since the day I closed, there has been an issue with many, MANY different cars parking so they are about 1-2 feet into my driveway. It baffles me that so many people either think this is OK or are just that careless with their parking. The space between mine and my neighbor’s driveway is just enough that 2 small cars parked very close together can fit, but not really anything more than that. When cars are a foot or two in front of my driveway I can still get out, because my driveway is connected to my neighbor’s on the other side, so I can just go over into their side but:

1- this is still really annoying! This driveway is mine and I want full use of it!

2- I’m having a lot of repair work done on the house and it is definitely difficult for repair trucks and vans to get in and out

3- If my neighbors ever decide to use their entire driveway, or a 3rd car parks in there, I might NOT be able to get in and out.

I’ve considered calling the city to see if they can add one of those no parking signs starting just before my driveway, or paint the curb or something, and I have left 1 very nice note (I just moved in and I have no idea whose cars these are- haven’t caught anyone in the act yet) but it seems to have been removed from the windshield and the huge van was kept parked there.

What does everyone suggest? I am reluctant to tick off my neighbors before even meeting most of them…”

“I write this, not to complain about a single event or to be praised for picking up the trash, but as a call to action”

By Prince Of Petworth

17405543945_7d49ece7d9_z

“Dear PoPville,

Earlier this spring, a color run was held at RFK Stadium, and hundreds of people showed up in bright white shirts to be doused in neon powder at each kilometer along the 5k course. This powder comes in clear plastic packets that race staff rip open and discard throughout the day. Later that day, as I rode my bike along the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail between the parking lots and the river, I noticed thousands of these empty plastic power packets littering the grass and blowing into the river. I wanted to believe that a cleaning crew was coming along later in the day, because I couldn’t accept that such negligence would have been tolerated by Events DC or the race coordinators. Additional cleaning crews did not come before wind carried these packets farther away.

On May 2nd, the “Color In Motion 5k Run” took place at the same venue. The event concluded by mid-day, and as we walked to the DC United soccer match that evening I noticed a disgustingly familiar sight along the paths. Hundreds of these plastic pouches were still strewn about the parking lot, adjacent lawns, and the riverwalk.

Participants in these races likely assume that their race fees cover clean-up costs, and it should. I’d like to believe people wouldn’t be signing up for something like this if they knew how much plastic from this event ended up in the Anacostia River, but this is beside the point. The groups organizing such events should not let this happen.

I’m a firm believer in taking action, so I donned some rubber gloves and spent two hours on Sunday morning picking up these neon powder packets. I filled two garbage bags, and hopefully got a majority of the remaining litter, but this is not my job.

I write this, not to complain about a single event or to be praised for picking up the trash, but as a call to action for the coordinators of upcoming fun runs and other events. Over the next four months, RFK Stadium will host another six color runs (including one this month) and the coordinators of such events need to be held accountable. Out of respect for the community, both the people living in and enjoying the neighboring areas, and for the wildlife that call the Anacostia and Kingman & Heritage Island Park their home, please help make a difference. Please help to drive accountability around these events!”

Screen Shot 2015-05-07 at 11.35.05 AM

Time for ‘How Much Should I Charge for Rent’?

By Prince Of Petworth

living_room_bike

“Dear PoPville,

I’m looking to rent out the house I’ve owned for 6 years, which I’ve been renovating over time. It’s a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house on Florida Ave. just north of U Street (by Blind Dog Cafe and 9:30 Club). Here are the details:

-3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1220 sq feet (bedrooms are big, medium and small)
-Fenced-in patio/parking area (as in patio OR parking — depending on how you choose to use the space) — with a propane grill and pots for planting if you want them
-Newly renovated kitchen, bathrooms
-Wall-mounted flat-screen TV in living room
-Available partially furnished (for a fee) or unfurnished
-Central air
-Washer/dryer
-Ceiling fans in all bedrooms
-High ceilings
-2.5 blocks to U Street metro

I’m also planning on repainting and replacing a couple windows before the renter moves in (hopefully July 1). As negatives go, Florida Ave is pretty busy/noisy.

Any idea of how much I should charge?”

rent

“Why Won’t Postmates Deliver to Me?”

By Prince Of Petworth

delivery
“Here’s a zoomed out photo of their delivery zone. Weird chunk out by Trinidad/Arboretum”

“Dear PoPville,

I live at 1600 Maryland Ave NE, not exactly off the beaten path, but for some reason Postmates won’t dare go north of H Street. I’ll leave it to them to explain why that’s different than, say, Dupont or Gtown. Whatever their reason, it’s not an issue for Uber, Instacart, Seamless, GrubHub, etc.”

Ed. Note: As of this posting Postmates had not returned the OP’s query. Will update when/if they do.

Anyone Know Why?

By Prince Of Petworth

unnamed

“Dear PoPville,

Every morning for the past week on my ride to work, I pass by a fire hydrant that’s intentionally spewing water into the street in front of the Willard hotel. Anyone know why this is happening? Are they doing some type of maintenance or work on the sewage system?”

“Have you heard about Car2go nailing customers for DC parking violations?”

By Prince Of Petworth

car2go_tickets

“Dear PoPville,

Have you heard about Car2go nailing customers for DC parking violations? I have received two, one from January and one from March, and Car2go is charging me for them; my wife just got one from last month. This is ridiculous. I check out of the Car2go, it locks, I walk away and never have a chance to see the ticket. If I park in a prohibitive spot, so be it, but DC parking is quite inaccurate with the tickets. Of all the tickets I received on my personal vehicle, I have been in the right all but once–that’s because I can take photos of my permit/sign/ticket/etc for evidence. I can’t with a Car2go. Moreover, I’m no lawyer but doesn’t Car2go just waiting and charging customers violate their due process to appeal the ticket?”

“Self-Defense Suggestions for Female Joggers?”

By Prince Of Petworth

15583381489_2d57787bfe_z
Photo by PoPville flickr user Kevin Wolf

“Dear PoPville,

The news of the female jogger being attacked near Meridian Hill Park has been very upsetting for the female jogging community. Do you think you could ask the community to throw in their suggestions for staying safe while running in the city? In particular, I’d be curious to hear whether anyone has taken a self-defense class they found helpful. I was only able to find one while searching the internet, and their next “basics” class isn’t until July. I’m also curious about registering mace/pepper spray and whether others have found “personal alarms” (noisemakers) helpful.”

“My Basement is 3 inches short of the requirement for a certificate of occupancy”

By Prince Of Petworth

6933686104_b8005d99bc_z
Photo by PoPville flickr user John Cochran

“Dear PoPville,

I just purchased a home in DC with a finished basement complete with kitchen and full bathroom. Unfortunately, the ceilings in the basement are 6’9″ tall, which means they fall 3 inches short of the requirement for a certificate of occupancy. Do any of your readers have suggestions on how I could monetize this space? For example, is there any way I could come up with the 3 inches without completely ripping up my foundation? If I removed the stove, could the space count as a separate bedroom (a stairway connects the basement to the main floor) with ceilings that are 6’9″? Could I rent the space out to a professional, such as an accountant, lawyer, tutor, etc.? Any suggestions on how to monetize this space would be most welcome.”

Dear PoPville – customized engagement rings?

By Prince Of Petworth

5973063856_4bb2f64af8_z
Photo by PoPville flickr user Phil

“Dear PoPville,

I am hoping for some help from the PoPville community on where in the DC area to get a customized engagement ring. I am admittedly new to the process and have no clue how it works. I know there was a PoPville post on engagement rings back in 2011, but that was geared towards vintage rings, which isn’t quite what I’m looking for.

Any help would be great!”

View More Stories