The Washington Post is at it again. A profile on the Fort Totten neighborhood was published yesterday, but strangely it features residents who do not live in that neighborhood at all. ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) lives in Riggs Park and Robert Oliver lives in North Michigan Park. The writer could have reached out to the Fort Totten Civic Association to speak with actual residents or the actual commissioner for that neighborhood. Not sure if that happened though.
As indicated in the profile, the borders of the Fort Totten neighborhood are Riggs Road to the north, the metro tracks to the east, Hawaii Avenue to the south, and North Capitol Street to the west. People often confuse the neighborhood with nearby neighborhoods like Riggs Park and North Michigan Park. The development taking place is not in Fort Totten; it’s all in Riggs Park. And as is usually the case with these profile pieces, other information is wrong. I was featured in one such profile on Lamond-Riggs back in 2015, so I know sometimes the writer gets quotes wrong or the conversation will be steered in a certain direction and certain statements end up sounding a little ridiculous out of context. Nonetheless, check out what the Washington Post says about the Fort Totten neighborhood.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 
Yes, I had contributed to the Fort Totten community profile. As I explained to the reporter, my comments pertained to the North Michigan Park and Riggs Park neighborhoods. And, we proceeded with the interview based on that understanding. I realized that it would be good for a Fort Totten representative to weigh-in. So, I contacted the President of the Fort Totten Civic Association and shared the name and contact information of the reporter.
Overall, I found the Washington Post article informative despite an occasional quirk. I think it captures the suburban feel of the community, the resilience of its people and the challenges we all face and as residents of Riggs Park, North Michigan Park and Fort Totten. With God’s will we will all move forward!
What’s up with the second grocery store comment in Art Place? Is there talk of Aldis backing out or would Cafritz really put two grocery stores in the same development?
Yeah I also found that really curious. I know Trader Joe’s and Mom’s Organic were rumored grocery tenants prior to the announcement of Aldi, so perhaps the WaPo writer got some old info. Though honestly, I’d personally be much happier with either of those options over Aldi (though on the flip side I recognize that Aldi probably better serves the needs of the broader community).