Page Through from Before to After
This morning there's another look by the Post at Near Southeast this time focusing on the people who have moved to the neighborhood despite the lack of amenities. No real surprises in the piece, other than its aura of a slight sense of bewilderment that people would want to live in an area without it being "finished": "That's left the 2,100 newcomers in freshly painted townhouses and high-concept buildings, with such names as Velocity and Axiom at Capitol Yards, to fend for themselves in what looks like an abandoned construction zone. [...] To outsiders, it seems crazy to pick up and move to a place where the only sit-down restaurants are Five Guys and Subway, the nearest grocery aisle is the refrigerated case at the CVS and happy-hour crowds shoehorn into the lobby bar of a Courtyard Marriott." But: "Yet for everything the Capitol Riverfront is not, it is this: jagged and textured, where so much of Washington is buttoned-down. A relative bargain in a city of pricey real estate. A convivial community happily captured inside its utopia, while more established neighborhoods can be anonymous, stuffy even."
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Evan says: (9/12/09 12:59 PM)
Oh good grief... it's not like we have a Metro station, Metrobuses, and the Circulator to connect us the rest of civilization. Many folks have cars too, and if you DO have to walk, 8th Street and Penn isn't really that far away. C'mon WP... what a load of BS.
OnyxAptGuy says: (9/12/09 7:21 PM)
Who needs a car if you have ZipCar and Chinatown 3 metro stops away. Yes I can't walk within 3 blocks and have everything I want, but at this price and the open space, I like it.
Jay says: (9/12/09 9:14 PM)
Once the boom comes back, JDLand is poised to spring forward better than any other area.
Well, that's my guess, anyway. What other hoods are in the running?
G-Man says: (9/12/09 9:34 PM)
The "boom" isn't coming back. Yes, growth will resume but at a measured pace. I figure at least 10 years before the area feels remotely "finished". That's not a bad thing though. In the meantime, folks are living in amazing apartments 5 min. from downtown for what it costs to live in an older apartment in NoVa. Not too bad.
Mary says: (9/13/09 6:21 AM)
I look forward to another WP article that provides a more historical perspective in that a new community (Capitol Riverfront) is being created within an existing community (Near Southeast). That is what makes JDLand so fascinating to read and what makes talking to Albert at Cornercopia so profound. Both provide a sense of deep and former roots in the older neighborhood while introducing new possibilities. The Post article focused only on the new residents moving in and left out those who were there at the beginning and decided to stay rooted.
Jay says: (9/13/09 8:36 AM)
Good point Mary.
It is amazing how relatively quickly things happened. I was doing some research on the site selection for what would be a new ballpark for the transferred Expos franchise. Near Southeast was not a prime candidate but towards the end, the other prospective sites wilted and someone saw potential with Near Southeast.
Then in what seemed like the blink of an eye, the new ballpark went up.
Pat says: (9/13/09 3:47 PM)
I am sick and freaking tired of hearing the whiny babies the Post interviews for these stories about Near SE. OMG, the Safeway is SO FREAKING SCARY (there's actually security guards there), I'm going to order groceries online instead. OMG, there's no vegetarian outlet. OMG, there's no AMENITIES. Barrack's Row and Penn Ave is SO FAR AWAY! I demand EVERYTHING within a three bloc radius. Jesus, it's like if you don't live on U St., nowhere else in the city is worth living. I like the cheaper rents, easy access to the Green line and the Hill, and I have my basics covered with a grocery store and liquor store within walking distance.
And the notion that this neighborhood needs a white tablecloth restaurant is about the most absurd thing I've heard all week. We need a white tablecloth restaurant like we need five liquor stores within three blocks. Nice editorializing there, Rein. Yes, an expensive restaurant that half the residents here couldn't afford to eat at. That's how you know you've made it and will start attracting more yuppies.
bruce says: (9/14/09 1:24 PM)
next time she does a piece, she should interview some folks who actually invested $$ in the homes here to gain another perspective.
She should also walk the area herself.
Barracks Row, Easter Mkt, Capitol hill.
Arew we on another planet over here?
I love the area and my neighbors help make it a real community.
JoeinDC says: (9/15/09 12:40 PM)
Ha! Seriously? What a lot of hullabaloo. O.k., yes... a lot, if not most construction has slowed to a crawl. Nevertheless, the Yards/Near S.E. will rise and rise in fantastic fashion. It will be the envy of the city when it is finished. There is nothing to poo-poo about what the future holds for us who have shrewdly decided to move to the area and for those who deciced to stay. I remember back in 1999 when I moved from Hell's Kitchen in NYC up to Harlem. Everyone thought I was nuts. Within 6 months, they all slowly started tricklng up to Harlem for the bigger apts. & lower rent. Harlem is culturally vibrant, diverse and hip. My Capitol Quarter townhouse just started framing yesterday. I am ecstatic and will have the last laugh. To all the naysayers, I will proudly say... "How do ya like me now?"
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Full Neighborhood Development Map
There's a lot more than just the projects listed here. See the complete map of completed, underway, and proposed projects all across the neighborhood.
What's New This Year A quick look at what's arrived or been announced since the end of the 2018 baseball season.
Food Options, Now and Coming Soon
There's now plenty of food options in the neighborhood. Click to see what's here, and what's coming.
Anacostia Riverwalk
A bridge between Teague and Yards Parks is part of the planned 20-mile Anacostia Riverwalk multi-use trail along the east and west banks of the Anacostia River.
Virginia Ave. Tunnel Expansion
Construction underway in 2015 to expand the 106-year-old tunnel to allow for a second track and double-height cars. Expected completion 2018.
Rail and Bus Times Get real time data for the Navy Yard subway, Circulator, Bikeshare, and bus lines, plus additional transit information.
Rail and Bus Times Get real time data for the Navy Yard subway, Circulator, Bikeshare, and bus lines, plus additional transit information.
Canal Park
Three-block park on the site of the old Washington Canal. Construction begun in spring 2011, opened Nov. 16, 2012.
Nationals Park
21-acre site, 41,000-seat ballpark, construction begun May 2006, Opening Day March 30, 2008.
Washington Navy Yard
Headquarters of the Naval District Washington, established in 1799.
Yards Park
5.5-acre park on the banks of the Anacostia. First phase completed September 2010.
Van Ness Elementary School
DC Public School, closed in 2006, but reopening in stages beginning in 2015.
Agora/Whole Foods
336-unit apartment building at 800 New Jersey Ave., SE. Construction begun June 2014, move-ins underway early 2018. Whole Foods expected to open in late 2018.
New Douglass Bridge
Construction underway in early 2018 on the replacement for the current South Capitol Street Bridge. Completion expected in 2021.
1221 Van
290-unit residential building with 26,000 sf retail. Underway late 2015, completed early 2018.
NAB HQ/Avidian
New headquarters for National Association of Broadcasters, along with a 163-unit condo building. Construction underway early 2017.
Yards/Parcel O Residential Projects
The Bower, a 138-unit condo building by PN Hoffman, and The Guild, a 190-unit rental building by Forest City on the southeast corner of 4th and Tingey. Underway fall 2016, delivery 2018.
New DC Water HQ
A wrap-around six-story addition to the existing O Street Pumping Station. Construction underway in 2016, with completion in 2018.
The Harlow/Square 769N Apts
Mixed-income rental building with 176 units, including 36 public housing units. Underway early 2017, delivery 2019.
West Half Residential
420-unit project with 65,000 sf retail. Construction underway spring 2017.
Novel South Capitol/2 I St.
530ish-unit apartment building in two phases, on old McDonald's site. Construction underway early 2017, completed summer 2019.
1250 Half/Envy
310 rental units at 1250, 123 condos at Envy, 60,000 square feet of retail. Underway spring 2017.
Parc Riverside Phase II
314ish-unit residential building at 1010 Half St., SE, by Toll Bros. Construction underway summer 2017.
99 M Street
A 224,000-square-foot office building by Skanska for the corner of 1st and M. Underway fall 2015, substantially complete summer 2018. Circa and an unnamed sibling restaurant announced tenants.
The Garrett
375-unit rental building at 2nd and I with 13,000 sq ft retail. Construction underway late fall 2017.
Yards/The Estate Apts. and Thompson Hotel
270-unit rental building and 227-room Thompson Hotel, with 20,000 sq ft retail total. Construction underway fall 2017.
Meridian on First
275-unit residential building, by Paradigm. Construction underway early 2018.
The Maren/71 Potomac
264-unit residential building with 12,500 sq ft retail, underway spring 2018. Phase 2 of RiverFront on the Anacostia development.
DC Crossing/Square 696
Block bought in 2016 by Tishman Speyer, with plans for 800 apartment units and 44,000 square feet of retail in two phases. Digging underway April 2018.
One Hill South Phase 2
300ish-unit unnamed sibling building at South Capitol and I. Work underway summer 2018.
New DDOT HQ/250 M
New headquarters for the District Department of Transportation. Underway early 2019.
37 L Street Condos
11-story, 74-unit condo building west of Half St. Underway early 2019.
CSX East Residential/Hotel
225ish-unit AC Marriott and two residential buildings planned. Digging underway late summer 2019.
1000 South Capitol Residential
224-unit apartment building by Lerner. Underway fall 2019.
Capper Seniors 2.0
Reconstruction of the 160-unit building for low-income seniors that was destroyed by fire in 2018.
Chemonics HQ
New 285,000-sq-ft office building with 14,000 sq ft of retail. Expected delivery 2021.
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