What the Helen of Troy is This - PoPville

Dear PoPville – Any Zausnerians Out There?

Published April 30, 2012 at 2:30PM

Dear PoPville,

Yesterday I was walking through Kalorama Heights to the park, when I stumbled upon the most remarkable thing – the embassy for a country that doesn’t seem to exist. I had never heard of Zausneria so (naturally) I went researching to see what I could find. After some cursory Googling, the ONLY reference to it on the ENTIRE internet that I’ve been able to find is a LinkedIn profile for someone who claims to work there. What’s going on here?! Corner of 23rd & California NW.

Is this kind of like the plaques some people in historic districts jokingly put in front of their houses:

“In 1921 nothing of importance happened here”.

Or are there any Zausnerians out there?

What the Helen of Troy is This?

By Prince Of Petworth

Published April 1, 2012 at 10:02PM

Is this to grow vines? I’ve never seen one in a front yard like this. It’s from New Jersey Ave, NW.

Dear PoPville – What has this Tree Consumed?

By Prince Of Petworth

Published March 29, 2012 at 2:30PM

5th and Harvard St, NW on the Reservoir side

“Dear PoPville,

I noticed this a while back while running around the McMillan Reservoir.

Do you have any clue what I presume this memorial in a tree is about? So odd!”

The reader then answered their own question finding this 2005 post from DCist:

There stands a tree — the middlemost tree, in the photo above, sans leaves — and to it is nailed or otherwise affixed a small bronze plaque dedicated to the memory of … well, in the time since it was placed there, the tree has grown around it. “UIS ALBERTO VASQUEZ,” to be sure. And whatever it was happened in mid-1997.

Sometime during the early morning hours of the May 9, an intoxicated 26-year-old Maryland man, Alberto Vasquez, lost control of his Volvo on Harvard Street NW and struck a tree. With him in the car was Louis Alberto Vasquez, his 27-year-old cousin, who died on the scene.

Today you can see the plaque is almost completely swallowed up by the tree.

Dear PoPville – ?

By Prince Of Petworth

Published March 5, 2012 at 2:30PM

Found near 14th and Belmont St, NW. Awesomely bizarre.

What the Helen of Troy is This?

By Prince Of Petworth

Published February 29, 2012 at 4:00PM

Dear PoPville,

Running Rock Creek Park I noticed a random structure or building just the Georgetown side under the Mass Ave bridge and exit. It has massive metal doors on it that are painted up in a brownish color so it blends in relatively well I guess. It even has stairs going up the right side of it, grown in and doesn’t look used.

Ah, this is a good one. Any guesses?

What the Helen of Troy is This?

By Prince Of Petworth

Published February 21, 2012 at 10:02PM

I don’t think I’ve ever seen numbers on a brick like this in the middle of a wall before. From Capitol Hill. I guess it could be the house number for the door on the right of the photo above but def. seems a bit random. Any guesses?

Is this Tree Dying?

By Prince Of Petworth

Published February 15, 2012 at 10:02PM | Updated February 16, 2012 at 9:05AM

This tree on 17th St, NW has me absolutely mesmerized. To be honest I think it looks amazing. Though I took field botany in college, I’m a bit rusty – does anyone know if this bark pattern indicates that the tree is ill? If it is, do you know if it can be saved?

What the Helen of Troy are These?

By Prince Of Petworth

Published February 2, 2012 at 4:00PM

Dear PoPville,

So these wooden poles extend from an old vent on our roof in Columbia Heights/Petworth, and on our neighbors’ as well. But I don’t see them on the block north of ours. Any idea what’s up? Perhaps they’re just to block old, unused vents… but why the long poles then?