Friday Question of the Day

Friday Question of the Day

By Prince Of Petworth

Thanks to Lisa for attending a meeting on the 15th St reconfiguration proposals. Lisa reports:

15th St NW – Make it a 2-way Street?

“Last night there was a presentation by DDOT about what to do with 15th St between Mass Ave and W St/Florida Ave/New Hampshire Ave intersection. Currently, it is a one-way, four-lane northbound street with timed lights, so cars and cabs can barrel down it without stopping, pretty much as fast as they want. Because of this – it is rare to see pedestrians on the sidewalks and bikers on the street. DDOT proposed several alternative plans for the street (see complete detail at http://www.ddot.dc.gov/ddot/cwp/view,a,1249,q,643030,ddotNav_GID,1586,ddotNav,%7C32399%7C.asp), including making it a two-way street. One of the four proposed alternatives included a 2-way cycle track like they have in Montreal, which more or less is a 2-way bike path on one side of the street, which looks pretty cool. Residents at the meeting were all over the place for a variety of reasons – some want to keep it a one-way street, and others are in favor of changing it to 2-way with bike lanes.

Long story short, there is rarely traffic and congestion on 15th St like you see on 16th and 14th streets. Maybe the road is being under-used. However, apparently there are about the same number of crashes on 15th as there are on 16th and 14th streets. So, what to do? DDOT is going to consider public comments and decide the fate of 15th St. If the timed lights change and bike lanes are added, I bet cab drivers won’t be too psyched, but the bikers will be pleased…”

So which proposal do you like best? Should they just leave it the way it is? Keep it one way but add bike lanes? Or make it two way?

Friday Question of the Day

By Prince Of Petworth

I thought we’d keep this week’s Friday question of the day a little bit on the lighter side. Although let me be clear for me personally this subject is of the utmost seriousness. So let me thank a reader for sending me the news that my beloved Budweiser may be purchased by a Belgian company. The story can be found here. So I have two questions, firstly, will this destroy Bud as we know it? Secondly, what is your favorite domestic beer if not Bud and why? I truly and honestly believe there is no rival to Bud. I’m not saying it’s my favorite beer I’m just saying it’s my favorite domestic beer (excluding microbrews). So for all those who love Belgian beers will this change your opinion of Bud? While we are on the topic, what’s the best Belgian beer out there?

Friday Question of the Day

By Prince Of Petworth

Not the most original question but I thought for sure we need to discuss it. A couple of days ago the Examiner reported that: “D.C. police will seal off entire neighborhoods, set up checkpoints and kick out strangers under a new program that D.C. officials hope will help them rescue the city from its out-of-control violence.” So everyone and their sister has been talking about this but I’m still interested in the Green Line perspective. For we have faced our share of crime and have often cried out, understandably, for solutions. Today we learned from the Post that “When D.C. police begin stopping cars at a “checkpoint” this weekend in the Trinidad neighborhood, they will record all license plate numbers, verify residents’ addresses and ask others for phone numbers of those they are visiting, according to a directive issued by Chief Cathy L. Lanier.” So the question is very simple: Is this insane? Or do the police need to do whatever they need to do to curtail violence? As my good friend Pearlman always says – I’m not sure this passes the sniff test… But do radical times not call for radical solutions? If there were 5 shootings over the weekend on Kenyon Street would you not want a “checkpoint”? Anyway, insane or not? If like I suspect many people do think this is insane what is an alternative for MPD?

Friday Question of the Day

By Prince Of Petworth

How much information is too much information? I get emails quite frequently asking me if I think a particular street or neighborhood is safe or not. I find these questions by far the most difficult to answer. We’ve certainly discussed the issue of crime before and every time I read the comments I shudder. I think to myself I can’t imagine what folks who haven’t been to this neighborhood/street must be thinking. Personally when I moved to my home I had absolutely no idea what the neighborhood was going to be like. I basically spoke to a buddy who lived near by, really liked the house itself and just dove right in. I can’t imagine what I would’ve thought had I read some of the comments on this blog and other neighborhood blogs and/or listservs. I don’t say this as a criticism of the comments but I think if you just read the comments you are doing yourself a disservice in concluding whether a neighborhood is “safe” or not. Shaw, Columbia Heights, Petworth, Adams Morgan, Mt. Pleasant are huge neighborhoods. Are they Cleveland Park? Of course not. But nor are they Beirut circa 1984. So for the Friday question of the day: Can neighborhood blog posts and comments accurately portray whether or not a neighborhood is “safe”? Do they provide too much information in a vacuum or do you think the more information the better?

Friday Question of the Day

By Prince Of Petworth

I noticed this MPD officer standing “guard” at the entrance to the Target. I know he wasn’t just talking on the phone because he was there when I left as well. So I was happy to see him there but isn’t there already mall security. Did the city work out some kind of deal where MPD officers are stationed within the Target? Is it possible the officer could have been working off duty in uniform? Has anyone else seen an MPD officer standing guard in the Target? I’m not sure it is the best use of MPD resources. Seems like it’d be way better to have that officer walking around the perimeter of the complex. So, assuming the officer was on duty the Friday question of the day is: Is it necessary to have an MPD officer inside the Target or would it be better better to have officers patrolling the neighborhood right around the DCUSA complex?

Updated: Just in case Mr. T in DC is right then this would be a pretty boring Friday question of the day. So I need a back up question. I took today off work to recover from the happy hour and noticed when I was walking around there were tons of people of all backgrounds out and about. I’m sure some are students but who is everyone else out and about at cafes etc. at 1:30 in the afternoon on a Thursday? I’ve noticed it in Adams Morgan too on 18th street. Tryst and the Diner always seem to be filled with folks. How do they get to do it?

Friday Question of the Day

By Prince Of Petworth

Seeing this hoop in a city alley got me thinking about kids in the city. I’ve recently heard about a few folks who are moving out of the city to raise kids in the suburbs. Not that I don’t understand it but it always saddens me when I hear it. Dang, there was even a piece in the Washington Post a few months ago about a guy who swore he’d never move out of the city and then did when he had a kid. (If anyone knows what I’m talking about, please post the link in the comments.) Anyway, I myself grew up in a suburb which was pretty good living for a young kid. So we’ve talked about schools and how that is a major factor. But I’d like to hear about the other factors. I’d like to hear from folks who grew up in a city or are (would) raise kids in the city. How do you weigh the pros and cons? Do you think you are disadvantaging or advantaging you kids by raising them in a city as opposed to the ‘burbs?

Overheard/Friday Question of the Day

By Prince Of Petworth

Walking down 13th Street near W last Sat. night I heard a group of teenagers talking. One teenager was running towards another shouting “No dawg, this is a gentrified area, the cops’ll be here in two minutes!”. I quietly laughed my ass off at the time. But then it got me thinking. Do “gentrified” areas face less crime because there is the perception/reality that the cops will respond faster? I’ve heard other folks say that sometimes “gentrified” areas face more crime because “that is where the money is”. What do you think – does the mere fact that an area is “gentrified” deter criminal behavior because of the perceived police response or does it attract more criminal behavior?

Friday Question of the Day

By Prince Of Petworth

Many people have written me about the craigslist post alleging that there was a mugging in the DC USA parking garage. This has turned out to be absolutely false. Ed. note: You see I learned from my previous rumor spreading mistake and waited for confirmation this time. But my question is – what is the motivation for spreading such a false damaging rumor like this? Who would do such a thing and why? Are these jealous proprietors from Virgina or some folks who are upset about losing business. For real, why would someone lie about crime in this area when crime is such a provocative topic? Is it just for the thrill of riling people up? Or is it something more nefarious?

Friday Question of the Day

By Prince Of Petworth

What was the most shocking or unexpected experience you faced upon moving into your new home or apartment?

Friday Question of the Day

By Prince Of Petworth

I was one of those people who got a 30 year fixed loan back in the day when I could’ve got a 5 year ARM and “saved” a boat load of money a month. But I can be a conservative person and I suspected in the long run I’d be safer with a 30 year fixed. Now let me just say here that I truly find this housing crisis tragic. Reading the stories of how people got taken advantage of is heart breaking. I’m not talking about that. What I’m talking about is the gamblers. So you know where I’m going with this for the Friday Question of the Day – Who should the government bail out from the housing crisis? Banks, borrowers or both? Or neither?

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