quality of life

“We are both working on recovering from serious health issues, but have not slept in seven weeks.”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

The last week of May, the co-op next to our co-op experienced a major malfunction of their HVAC system. Their response was to have a crane deliver a temporary HVAC unit the size of a school bus and a gasoline powered generator the size of a box truck.

The way the buildings are arranged, the neighbors’ mixed use (residential
and business) parking lot is between us along an entire side of our building, and within about ten feet of the exterior wall of our building.

Both of these machines were parked on the very edge of the parking lot, as close to our building as possible.

The generator was removed after four or five weeks. The HVAC machine remains (it has been seven weeks so far) and os possibly going to be here through October.

The HVAC machine sounds like a cross between a jet engine ready for take-off, the train-crossing alarm, a tornado warning siren, a glass harmonica, and someone sanding floors. This sound goes on around the clock. The sound is LOUD. The sound is both deep AND high pitched, so it both shakes our walls and floor AND penetrates through the glass and a variety of types of earplugs.

We have been told: (more…)

“INCESSANT dog barking”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I live in Columbia heights and there has been for (not even kidding) 2 months a dog in the alley behind my apartment that barks CONSTANTLY. It is caged in the back of a home, and seems to be out there all the time. (more…)

My God In Heaven, Sanity Prevails!! (for now): “The Service Lane is Dead, Long Live Cleveland Park Promenade”

By Prince Of Petworth


3300 block of Connecticut Ave, NW

My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of any class. It’s a victory of the great Cleveland Park neighborhood as a whole. We were the first, in this ancient neighborhood, to draw the “sword” against poor urban planning. After a while we were left all alone against the most tremendous NIMBY power that has been seen. We were mostly alone for over ten years. I say that in the long years to come not only will the people of this neighborhood but of the world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in human hearts, look back to what we’ve done and they will say “do not despair, do not yield to terrible urban planning.”

You asked, what was our aim? We answered in one word: Victory. It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all ridiculous signage, however long and hard the road proved to be; for without victory, there is no vibrant neighborhood.

Thanks to ANC Commissioner Tammy Gordon, ANC3C06 for sending the great news Friday: (more…)

“Seeking advice on how to address very loud music”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

Seeking advice on how to address very loud music at Harvard Towers in Mount Pleasant. We own a house nearby and when the weather gets warm, the music starts blasting. And it’s not occasional loud music, it’s almost everyday and sometimes at all hours of the night. We are fans of the selection (!) but it is very loud, disruptive, and entirely disrespectful to their neighbors. (more…)

“The annual spraying serves to reduce the formation of mature ginkgo fruit, which emits an offensive smell when it falls on sidewalks and roadways”

By Prince Of Petworth

From DDOT:

“The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will begin the annual spraying of the female ginkgo street trees on Monday, May 1, 2023. The spraying will occur overnight from 9:00 p.m. through 6:00 a.m., weather permitting.

The annual spraying serves to reduce the formation of mature ginkgo fruit, which emits an offensive smell when it falls on sidewalks and roadways. (more…)

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