by IMGoph at The District Curmudgeon
See that quote above? Megan McArdle, who blogs for The Atlantic, wrote that as a comment on an article she wrote titled "Why Are There No Houses for Sale in DC?"
To start with, her premise is false. There are plenty of houses for sale in DC. Without knowing precisely her requirements, it's difficult to tell where she has been looking, but as a homeowner in Trinidad who pays close attention to when houses come on and go off the market, I know that there is a decent inventory of homes available in our neighborhood, and in many other neighborhoods in the city.
David Garber, who writes the blog And Now, Anacostia, commented and asked if she had looked in Historic Anacostia for a home. Her reply, quoted in the title for this article, shows unfamiliarity, if not downright ignorance, when it comes to this city. Look at the map below:
View Historic Anacostia in a larger map
The Anacostia metro station is highlighted in red, and the [Historic] Anacostia neighborhood is highlighted in yellow. The green line along Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue is approximately 1000 feet long. That's how far it is from the edge of the neighborhood to the Metro station.
If Ms. McArdle honestly believes that Anacostia has no Metro access, I'll gladly take her on a tour of the city to help familiarize her with its neighborhoods. Perhaps then she'll see there are homes for sale, and that maybe she needs a new real-estate agent who knows the city better than the one that hasn't been able to find her a home so far.
Cross-posted from The District Curmudgeon
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10 comments:
Wasn't there a streetcar designated for MLK that would close the gap to and from the metro for residents in Anacostia?
That streetcar is under construction. But as a recent Washington Post article (Lisa Rein, "Overhead Wires and Red Tape Entangles D.C.'s Bid for Streetcars," Washington Post, April 5, 2010) pointed out, it's design is being challenged by federal agencies and local conservation groups. It's already five years behind schedule, so don't hold your breath. (Check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_Streetcar )
The Green Line may be just 1,000 feet from the border of Historic Anacostia, but that's a thousand feet of drug addicts, alcoholics, gangs, and panhandlers, not to mention scary empty lots and abandoned buildings. It's kinda of negotiable in daytime. At night? Foreget it.
I agree with the lack of Metro access. Say you live at Alabama and Good Hope: Miss a bus, and you're cooling your heels for 30 minutes waiting for the next one. Then it's another fifteen minute ride to the station. Since Metro runs Green Line trains less often than most other lines, you're left waiting another 12 minutes for a train.
Make every connection right, and you can be at Metro Center in 25 minutes.
Miss connections, and you will be at Metro Center in 67 minutes.
That's not access. That's a disaster.
Anonymous 1:
Yes, the streetcar is coming. First phase of tracks is almost complete, and the MLK line will come in the next few years.
Anonymous 2:
the overhead wires issue does not apply in Anacostia. It is outside the Federal City, and therefore is allowed to move forward with the wires.
Anonymous 3:
"Say you live at Alabama and Good Hope:" ...then you don't live in Anacostia.
I think it depends on the price...and short sale status.
In Historic Anacostia, there is not much available that does not need major fixer-upper attention.
Waiting out a very long short sale process is not always practical... much of what is available can't be purchased outright...
My thoughts...
@Anon #3...67 minutes from anacostia to downtown DC unless you make absolutely every connection correctly? Really? I guess Metro realizes that nobody living in anacostia could possibly work downtown and need to be there on time in the morning. 30 minute wait between buses...come on i live in pg county and even my buses come every 15 minutes. Lastly, small children on their way to school make that walk everyday...and you as an adult cant? Says a lot doesnt it.
@Anon #3...67 minutes from anacostia to downtown DC unless you make absolutely every connection correctly? Really? I guess Metro realizes that nobody living in anacostia could possibly work downtown and need to be there on time in the morning. 30 minute wait between buses...come on i live in pg county and even my buses come every 15 minutes. Lastly, small children on their way to school make that walk everyday...and you as an adult cant? Says a lot doesnt it.
Interesting...I live in Historic Anacostia and am saddened by the perpetuation of the stereotype of this neighborhood. Yes, it has its share of drug addicts and alcoholics but drive or walk through many neighborhoods in DC and you will see them there as well. Also, as far as homes for sale, there are several newly renovated homes in the boundaries of Historic Anacostia with excellent access to the Metro and bus lines. I am enjoying the new coffee shop and look forward to dining with my husband and young baby once the bar and grill is open this summer. And yes, I can walk to these establishments.
No houses for sale??? Please give me a call. We'll talk about some of the reasons that makes Anacostia one of the best places in the city to live.
Darrin Davis, Owner
Anacostia River Realty
http://www.AnacostiaRiverRealty.com
Looking at the historic map of Anacostia. Why is Howard Road not part of the Historic area?
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