courtesy of flickr user otavio_dc
The big news last week was that, finally, the new Nationals ballpark opened within a block of the Anacostia River. Although some claim that Near Southeast (or Navy Yard, or Capitol Riverfront, as DC is trying to brand it) was already well on its way to being developed before the announcement was made to build at that location, the stadium's construction and promise has served as a major catalyst in that last two years for what is becoming a major new section of the city. Fact: people are coming to a section of the city that, before the stadium, there was no real reason to see. And they are coming in throngs.
One interesting and somewhat unexpected byproduct of all this is that, because of the stadium's location, Anacostia is suddenly being seen by thousands of people as they walk up the stadium's ramps, sit in their nosebleed seats (said rather reluctantly, as from my experience there is really no bad seat in the park), or check out the view from one of the many viewing platforms. For a region that often forgets--or never knew to begin with--that D.C. has two rivers, this is quite the change.
A quick search on Flickr shows Anacostia as quite the backdrop:
courtesy of flickr user afagen
courtesy of flickr user cljo
courtesy of flickr user ewilfong
courtesy of flickr user shepdave
courtesy of flickr user abragrace
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3 comments:
Wow, nice views!!! Looking forward going to the game in June!!
Wow! Now, that was quick. I had just posted this photo on Flickr a few minutes ago!
I've enjoyed the coverage of Anacostia news on this site thus far.
It looks great, but it makes me sad that planning couldn't have incorporated the industrial heritage and scale of the buildings. And existing uses. In fill development would have been so much more impressive than the massive reworking that is happening. Georgetown is a much better example of an evolutionary approach that kept the aesthetics of the industrial parts of the area for much longer. It was still pretty edgy even back in the 1980s, 20 years after the first in-fill developments were begun, slowing the pace of gentrification.
The nationals stadium could have been another piece in a slow transition, instead it's a catalyst for a land grab -- pushing out businesses and artists that had moved into the area over the last 20 years and more. Why the rush?
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