quality of life

Dear PoPville – Life in Ledroit?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user FrenchTwistDC

“Dear PoPville,

My husband and I are seriously considering purchasing a home in Ledroit Park. We love the houses, the neighborhood feel, the new dog park and playground. Last night we looked up crime statistics on the DC gov page and found a significant spike in crime comparing this year to last year, particularly robbery and theft. It seems the new park on Elm street is attracting drug dealers and late night party-ers or loiterers. What a shame for the new neighborhood asset to quickly become a magnet for this activity. (There is interest in putting up a fence, but it does not exist yet.)

I wonder if that’s part of the crime story? Considering the pace of gentrification in this area I was surprised. Do you have any insight or thoughts on this? Is this an upward trend for Ledroit? What is being done to address growing crime?”

Ginkgo Gone from Adams Morgan

By Prince Of Petworth

Every year we talk about the putrid smell of the Ginkgo tree. And even though every year DDOT sprays the trees some still stink. Well, Adams Morgan has taken the solution to the next level. Since they are expanding the sidewalks for the streetscape improvement – yesterday – they decided to kill two birds with one stone and take down the huge gingko tree in front of Asylum on 18th St, NW. I don’t think many will shed a tear…

Dear PoPville – More Passive Aggressive Notes

By Prince Of Petworth

A reader sends the above photo from Sherman Ave, NW. It says:

“You are taking up 2 car spaces! Don’t be an Ass****! Learn how to park in this city – or don’t park here!”

I’m gonna be honest after regularly experiencing a similar situation where a car regularly takes up 2 spots, I can now better understand this frustration. Though, I don’t know if calling someone an ass**** is going to help correct their behavior.

Do you guys think leaving a note (a more polite one) will help change someone’s parking behavior?

Dear PoPville – “Racially charged biker/driver incident at 14th and Florida Ave, NW”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user [email protected]

“Dear PoPville,

I wanted to pass on an unpleasant experience that happened on my bike ride to work this morning at about 8:15. I was biking west on Florida between 13th and 14th Streets NW, right next to Booker T Washington Public Charter School. The light at 14th and Florida turned red, and as there was no room for me to bike between the stopped traffic and parked cars on the right, I waited in line behind the stopped cars on Florida for the light to turn green.

The driver behind me, in a light-gold newish Cadillac, laid on his horn and waved his hands at me from inside the car. I gave a shrug to say “what do you want me to do?” There was no room to pass the stopped traffic on the right, and I wasn’t going to dart out against traffic in the eastbound lane of Florida just to save a few seconds. The driver got out of his car, and we had the following conversation:

Driver: “Get your cracker-ass off the road, I’m trying to get my kids to school!”

Me: “Give me a *ucking break, there’s a red light, where do you want me to go?”

Driver: “On the *ucking sidewalk, you’re lucky my kids are here, or I’d beat your ass.”

The driver was ready to continue this conversation, but at this point, the light had turned green and I was on my way. This exchange left a particularly sour taste in my mouth. Yes, I realize I did not respond in a way to diffuse the situation—that’s just what came out at the moment. I’ve been mulling this over though, trying to figure out what it’s about. Did the 4 feet of space of Florida Ave that me and my bike take up seriously delay this guy from dropping his kids off at school?

Was it really necessary to resort to a nasty racial slur (and in front of his kids)? I try to play nice with cars, and was surprised that in this case, a biker following traffic laws and avoiding unpredictable behavior actually resulted in this confrontation. I’ve biked in DC for about two years, but this is the first time I’ve encountered anything like this. I’d be curious to hear whether other readers have encountered similar instances of verbal assault from drivers, and how they have handled them.”

Bloomberg News: DC Wealthiest US Metropolitan Area

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user philliefan99

Every afternoon when we look at rental options, I and others are often struck by how expensive prices have become. A reader sends in a link to a story from Bloomberg news perhaps explaining in part the reason:

“Federal employees whose compensation averages more than $126,000 and the nation’s greatest concentration of lawyers helped Washington edge out San Jose as the wealthiest U.S. metropolitan area, government data show.

The U.S. capital has swapped top spots with Silicon Valley, according to recent Census Bureau figures, with the typical household in the Washington metro area earning $84,523 last year. The national median income for 2010 was $50,046.”

Dear PoPville – Illegal Alley Dumping Persists, Workers Call Alley Vietnam

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

We live on the block between 14th and 13th streets on Quincy St. NW. Our alley looks like something out of the slums of Calcutta and has been nicknamed by the garbage collecting staff as the ‘vietnam’ alley because of all the trash that is illegally dumped and all the trash from the illegal group houses on this block where occupancy is at 19 for one of these Victorian townhouses. I’m wondering what can be done to expose the lack of attention that has been given to this problem (we have been here for 10 years) after numerous efforts to get the city to fine an ticket the landlords and of course just to clean up. There is now as u can imagine, a serious rat epidemic. Thank u for any suggestions u may have by exposing this awful problem that I feel so defeated by.”

Do you guys have any suggestions besides consistently calling your Council Member and ANC Rep as well as consistently calling 311 for illegal dumping pick up. No doubt this situation is an insult to Vietnam…

Dear PoPville – Question about trespassing neighbors

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I live in a rented townhouse in Dupont that is right behind a restaurant and I’m having some serious problems with the owner. He seems to not realize my property, although rented, is not his. He parks his car in my parking space whenever mine isn’t there; he puts the smelly garbage from his restaurant in my trash cans (and trust me, bloody fish wrappers are VERY smelly and messy); and I often find him on my back porch, which he climbs up onto to access the roof of his unit. Whenever I try to talk to him, he pretends not to understand me. What’s the recourse for something like this? It doesn’t seem serious enough to get the police involved, but I’m tired of having to go into his restaurant to yell at him in front of his customers to move his car.”

Dear PoPville – Safeway Checking Receipts Before Allowing One to Exit

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

You may have already covered this with the SW Safeway, but the receipt checking has been rolled out at the L Street location too (Sexy Safeway, if one goes by the nicknames to identify the location). Ed. Note: CityVista Safeway

I’m through this location frequently, since I walk past it going home most nights and usually run in at least twice a week to pick up something random that I need for dinner that night or an item that I forgot. So usually 1-4 items picked up, and I’m usually quick to get in and get out so I can get home as early as possible. They just began their receipt checking in maybe the last week or so. The first time I smiled and said no thank you when she asked to see my receipt. She said–nicely–after me, “ok, next time then.” The second time, I did the same. Smiled and politely said no thank you, to which the checker snapped that it was store policy. I told her I wasn’t required to show her anything and kept walking. Seems they’re trying to get more aggressive at this point, but they still allow me to proceed no problem with just a quick, no thank you.

Last night I show up and it looks like a border crossing. They have at least 4 employees posted in the area between the starbucks and the elevators. There is a whole line of products that divide the area in two and people are being funneled into the narrower passage along the elevator wall so that it’s nearly impossible to exit without being physically blocked by the receipt checkers. I notice a distracted receipt checker on the side closest to the starbucks, the area they seemed to have designated as the entrance to the store, and walk right past. I glance out of the corner of my eye as I walk out the door to see the guy trying to wave me back and saying something although I’m out of ear shot at that point. I can see that they’re going to make it extremely difficult for anyone to pass without getting into an altercation, and they have no right to do so. They may ask me for my receipt, but I have every right to decline.

I’ve emailed the general customer service email and they’ve told me they’ve forwarded my complaint to the store manager and the district manager. I’ve also sent their twitter account a quick note since that method seems to get faster responses for other companies. I explained that it’s my personal property after I’ve paid, that I don’t need to stand in line for someone to glance at my receipt, and that I don’t appreciate being treated like a criminal whenever I shop at safeway.

If they’re concerned about shoplifting, then they need to redirect their resources in a way that will actually prevent shoplifting, not in a way that harasses every single customer who walks through their doors. I can see the situation escalating to the point where they block me (or anyone else who refuses this ‘policy’) or lay a hand on me to prevent me from leaving. It’s interesting that the instituted this policy here only after the Giant closed down. It’s gotten crowded enough in this location that I really don’t need to wait on yet another line for someone to search my bags before leaving the store. They’ll lose a customer fast (and I’m sure many others) if they continue this policy.”

Do you guys think the receipt checking is unreasonable? I think they do it at the Rhode Island Ave Home Depot as well. Would you stop shopping at a store that required you to show a receipt before leaving?

Pushed Over the Edge

By Prince Of Petworth

These fliers are up and down Taylor St, NW in Petworth. Now let me be clear – dog crap that is not picked up is disgusting and extremely frustrating. But my question is – do you think the offender will actually stop and read the flier/threat and say, “oh, I didn’t realize I should clean up my dog’s crap” and change their behavior? Personally, I think these fliers are also a bit ugly and an eyesore. Do you think putting up fliers like this an effective way to deal with a frustrating problem – or do the signs actually become an eyesore themselves?

Dear PoPville – Taxi Cab Refuses Ride

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I had an extremely frustrating taxicab experience Saturday night. My husband and I were leaving a bar in Chinatown late Saturday night. We hailed a cab and while I was saying goodbye to our friends my husband tried to get in. The driver instead rolled down the passenger window and asked my husband where we were going. We live in Brookland and taxis often don’t want to drive us there because it is a quieter area and hard to pick up return fares (I’ve actually had a cab driver tell me after I got in and told him my address that his check engine light just came on and he would never make it so I should just get out).

My husband started to tell the driver where we were going when I realized what was going on and told him not to answer but to get in the cab – that it is illegal for taxi drivers to not let a person in once they have stopped. When the driver heard me say that he sped off. Am I right that it is illegal for cab drivers to refuse to pick you up or make choices based on where you are going? I was furious and took down the taxi’s license plate number – is that enough to file a complaint with?”

and while we’re on the topic of cabs:

“Dear PoPville,

I’ve used Yellow Cab or Diamond Cab since I’ve lived in DC. I’ve never had a problem calling a cab to come pick me or a visitor. But at my current home, it basically doesn’t happen. The dispatcher will say she is calling a cab and then no one accepts it. Considering this has happened at least ten times in the year I have moved to North Petworthish, I need a new cab comapny or driver to call who will actually show up.”

View More Stories