Monthly Archives: June 2015
TBT: Old Map of the Neighborhood
When we posted about neighborhood identity and branding, a couple of people mentioned part of the area was known as Terra Cotta, apparently in reference to the clay soil prominent in the area. Check out this map showing landowners in the area in 1894. Notice Terra Cotta is indeed on the map.
Source: District of Columbia Public Library
Elevation DC: Where to buy now
The neighborhood gets another shout-out, this time in an Elevation DC article on neighborhoods that should be on people’s radar.
Djana Morris, Keller Williams Capitol Properties
“One neighborhood that I think is a great neighborhood, but is going to come up in terms of amenities, is Riggs Park/Fort Totten. (Map) That’s a great area. It’s been a great area for a long time, but it was definitely off the radar, and still is. The price points are pretty reasonable; you can get something that needs some work in the low $300,000s and something completely fixed up for as much as $500,000. It kind of tops out there…It’s just as convenient, just as close to downtown as Petworth is, but about half the price….
The style of rowhouse is different than a Petworth [house] because it tends to be smaller square footage. A thousand to 1200 square feet is the norm, with a front porch and a back yard. It’s really cute. There’s a big Giant on Riggs Road [just across the border into Maryland]..the best crab place in D.C., that everybody in the know knows about is Ruff N Ready which is on Riggs and Eastern [Avenue]. It is just the best. You go there any weekend and there’s a line out the door.”
June 27: Fort Totten Metro Movie Night
From WMATA:
Metro Movie Night at Fort Totten Station
Metro invites you and your family to a night under the stars! The first-ever Metro Movie Night will be held on Saturday, June 27 at the Fort Totten Metrorail Station parking lot. This family-friendly event is free for all guests.
Bring your lawn chairs, snacks and beverages to this special screening of the DreamWorks animated film “Bee Movie”. Gates open at 5 pm and guests can enjoy interactive sports games and music, or just sit back and relax with friends and neighbors, until the movie starts at dusk (approximately 8:30 pm).
Metro staff will be on hand to answer service questions, offer trip planning advice, and discuss parking options for Metro riders. Local community organizations will share information and offer giveaways.
Parking for this event will be limited, so we strongly recommend that guests take Metrorail (Green, Yellow or Red Line) or walk to the event. Food and beverage are welcome, but please note that alcohol and glass containers are not permitted.
We hope you can join us for this special community event!
The Hampshires Project Update
Legacy Memorial Park Opens Today
Elected and city officials hosted the opening of Legacy Memorial Park, honoring the lives of those affected by the red line train collision on June 22, 2009. From the press release:
Legacy Memorial Park Honoring 2009 Metro Accident Victims to Open Monday
CONTACT:
Olivia Dedner (EOM) – (202) 340-7692; olivia.dedner@dc.gov
Jeffrey Scott (DCCAH) – (202) 719-6528; jeffrey.scott@dc.gov
(WASHINGTON, DC) – On Monday, June 22, City Administrator Rashad M. Young will join Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to open Legacy Memorial Park, a place to honor and remember the victims of the 2009 Metro accident.
Legacy Memorial Park pays tribute to the nine victims, first responders and others whose lives were altered by the collision of two southbound Metro trains between the Takoma and Fort Totten Metro stations on June 22, 2009.
The park includes nine individual sculptural artworks and a memorial wall with an inscription to remember those lost. Legacy Memorial Park allows for meditation, remembrance, reflection, hope and renewal for all affected by the tragedy.
The design team, sculptor Barbara Liotta and architects Lucrecia Laudi and Julian Hunt of Hunt Laudi Studio, were selected through a competitive process conducted by the Department of General Services and the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The District chose the design team based on their thoughtful design which honored the victims and created a space for the public to reflect.
WHEN:
Monday, June 22 at 11 am
WHO:
Rashad M. Young, City Administrator
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton
Lisa Richards Toney, Interim Director, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
Jonathan Kayne, Interim Director, Department of General Services
Hunt Laudi Studio and sculptor Barbara Liotta
WHERE:
Legacy Memorial Park
Located at the corner of 5720 New Hampshire Avenue, NE and North Dakota Avenue, NE
Mamie D. Lee Community Garden
A message from neighbor R.T. Oliver:
The Mamie D. Lee (MDL) Community Garden is located right next to the former Mamie D. Lee School (100 Gallatin Street, NE) in Ward 5. It is within easy walking distance of the Fort Totten metro station. Measuring almost 1.5 acres, the MDL Community Garden is one of the largest community gardens in DC. It’s been in existence for over 30 years, on land overseen by the National Park Service – Rock Creek Park.
The MDL community garden is comprised of a very diverse group of 93 gardeners, ranging in age from baby to 80+, and representing at least nine different nationalities — who collectively make up the Mamie D. Lee Garden Association.
Garden amenities include a community toolshed with communal tools, community composting area, piles of woodchips, water hose spigots, and tables. Anyone interested in a garden plot will be placed on the waiting list and notified as soon as a plot becomes available. Requests should be sent to mamiedleegarden@gmail.com.
Art Place Construction Notice 6/22/2015 & 6/29/2015
WaPo: How to spot a neighborhood on the rise
The Washington Post has an article about buying in neighborhoods for their potential value in five to ten years. The author suggests that buyers look at areas surrounding desirable neighborhoods. On this point, our neighborhood gets a nod:
• Buy in the middle of surrounding hotspots. Adjacent neighborhoods matter just as much as the one where you buy. There’s a saying to look for the “triple ripple” to find the neighborhoods with the greatest potential for price gains. In other words, look to buy in a location surrounded by at least three (or more) established, sought-after neighborhoods.
In D.C., we’ve seen this happen with places like Eckington and NoMa. Here, the push from Shaw and Mount Vernon met the growth from Union Station/ H Street and the expansion around the Rhode Island Avenue Metro. The intersecting blocks in the middle of all these neighborhoods became viable neighborhoods in their own right.
Looking further into the future, Fort Totten is a strong contender to be a beneficiary of the “triple ripple.” It sits between the areas of Takoma D.C. and Catholic University, and is at the cusp of the development push moving eastward across the city.
This is certainly not the first article to mention the neighborhood in this context (see our post here) and we have also discussed the value of living in between Brookland and Takoma in a different context (see color commentary in this post). Color commentary still stands.
Permit watch: Appelles Cultivation
From the Washington Business Journal permit report:
6523 Chillum Place NW: Interior renovation for a new medical marijuana cultivation tenant.
Route/schedule adjustments coming to E Line Metrobuses serving Fort Totten/Riggs Park
According to Metro’s planning blog, permanent service adjustments to E line buses will become effective June 21:
- Route E2 will be revised as the Ivy City-Fort Totten Line. The route will operate between Ivy City and Fort Totten station only, and will no longer connect to Friendship Heights station.
- Extra “short trips” on Route E4 will be added, which will connect Fort Totten and Friendship Heights station (bypassing Riggs Park).
- The E3 weekend designation will be eliminated, because the new E2 and E4 will operate seven days a week.
PSA 406 crime meeting tonight at 7:00 pm
Lieutenant Posey is hosting a PSA 406 meeting tonight at 7:00 pm at MPD Fourth District headquarters (6001 Georgia Avenue NW). PSA 406 generally covers the area north of Kennedy Street NE. If you have questions about the recent uptick in crime, please plan to attend.
Art Place Construction Notice 6/8/2015 & 6/15/2015
The LRCA is looking for a few good volunteers
The Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association is holding its last meeting before the summer break tonight at 7:00 pm at LaSalle-Backus Education Campus (501 Riggs Road NE, enter on Madison & Riggs). If you have been wanting to get involved in community affairs, come on out and sign up to volunteer on a committee:
- Youth Development/Recreation – Further the development and maintenance of the recreational facilities, after school programs, youth leagues, etc.
- Education – Promote and improve the education facilities in the area, including schools, libraries, etc.
- City services/Public safety – Further the development, maintenance and improvement of City-provided services and promote a crime-free community in partnership with the police department, residents, businesses, etc.
- Membership – Solicit & collect member dues, maintain list of paid members, and plan activities to generate interest & membership in the Association
- Budget/Auditing Committee – Obtain financial records of the Association, conduct audit, and submit report to leadership of the Association
- Nominating Committee – Nominate a slate of candidates for officers of the Association
- Seniors/Community Economic Development – Further development, knowledge, and use of services targeted for seniors; further development of high standard of living for residents and participate in community planning
- Newsletter – Provide a quality newsletter & help distribute the newsletter
- Communication – Responsible for engagement and outreach to residents through social media, creation/maintenance of LRCA website, and other forms of communication
- 501(c)(3) – Research feasibility of making Association 501(c)(3) organization
- LRCA Development Task Force – Review development projects and work with residents, elected officials, and developers to ensure projects consider issues such as density, traffic, public safety, affordability, local job growth, etc.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 