Ed. note: Snap-shots is a series created by our intern in Petworth, Julian. This week’s snapshots come from Columbia Heights but following snapshots will come from Petworth, U Street, Mt. Pleasant, Logan Circle, Shaw and Adams Morgan.
The following questions were asked:
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- How have all the changes in Columbia Heights affected your life?
- Does the neighborhood, as it is, offer you the things you need? What would improve it?
- What place or what thing (monument/view/landmark/café/restaurant/place to read a book) is your favorite in the Columbia Heights neighborhood?
- What is special about Columbia Heights – or unusual about it? What would you change?
- What differences do you notice in the neighborhood when you walk as opposed to when you drive?
William – Newton and Holmead
1. “We’ve worked hard to make the changes that have come to our neighborhood. There could be better changes, we could have bigger and better improvements, but the public realm hasn’t been met. We still have a long way to go with paving, sidewalks and public safety.”
2. “Yes, the neighborhood offers me everything I need, and coming! We’re not done yet, but we have many of the basic elements in place.”
3. “My favorite place to people watch is the Columbia Heights Civic Plaza (or Tivoli square) – this is where you get to people watch – this is the intersection that brings it all together.”
4. “The people make [Columbia Heights] special.”
5. “When you drive, the neighborhood is night and day. When you walk, you see the diversity of everything – from the people, to the buildings, to the atmosphere.”
Katheryn – Fairmont and 12th
1. “The changes really haven’t affected me yet, but they’re probably going to influence my decision to stay in the neighborhood longer than I would have otherwise.”
2. “I wish it had an internet café/coffee house … a Tryst-like place. And maybe more coffee shops down where I live.”
3. “My favorite place in the neighborhood is the little Latin market close to where I live. They always have fresh cilantro.”
4. “For me personally, the reason I moved [to Columbia Heights] is because I couldn’t rent a large house to live in and also have my art studio. It also offered an opportunity to get to know a neighborhood I hadn’t really known the last 8 years of living here.”
5. N/A
Susan – 13th and Harvard
1. “Well, I just moved to this neighborhood in February from U street, a couple of weeks before all the big changes, so I really can’t say. U street was great for me, so when I was living there I didn’t really come up for anything in particular.”
2. “It would be nice to have more restaurants. Coming from U street, where there are more options – I really feel like this neighborhood could benefit from something like that.”
3. “Well, I haven’t really found my spots to hang out in the neighborhood yet, but I really like Rumberos, and all the new little fast food joints that have opened up on Tivoli square, like Ritas and the Pollo Campero.”
4. “Columbia Heights is special because it has everything you need, and you can walk and feel safe.”
5. N/A
