I've got some stuff going on for most of the week that will leave my blogging pretty light (unless there's big news that I can't bear to leave un-blogged). I'll no doubt pop up on
Twitter here and there (passing along
important morsels like dreams of city council members cleaning up my yard for me), but otherwise I intend on being pretty quiet, especially while the rest of the blogosphere handles the DC primary elections. (Are you voting today? Get out there, dammit!)
I couldn't make the ANC 6D meeting last night, but Will from
across the way was nice enough to tweet a couple of results on Near Southeast-related items. First, the commission voted 4-1 to support a request from the Capitol Riverfront BID to add a couple of additional monikers to the Navy Yard Metro station name. However, while the BID wants the name to be changed to some version of "Capitol Riverfront/Ballpark/Navy Yard", the commission's support was apparently only if "Capitol Riverfront" is not the first part of the new name. Any change from plain old "Navy Yard" still needs to go through DDOT and WMATA for approval. (They also voted to approve adding "Arena Stage" to the "Waterfront/SEU" station name.)
The ANC also voted unanimously to support a requested two-year extension on the PUD for
250 M Street, the William C. Smith office building that's part of the
Capper/Carrollsburg PUD. This will be in front of the Zoning Commission at some point soon, so I'll get more info on it them. But it's not really a surprise that they're not expecting to be ready to start construction in the near future.
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Adam says:
(9/14/10 12:00 PM)
I think changing the names of either Metro station is a mistake (except maybe changing Waterfront/SEU to just Waterfront). There has been a tremendous amount of station name "bloat" in the Metro system since it originally opened. From what I've read, it was Jim Graham that went crazy with slashed and hyphenated station names in Ward 1 (e.g. "U Street" became "U St/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo" and "Woodley Park" became "Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan"). While I think pointing out local attractions is important, Metro station names are not the place to do it. Wayfinding signage in and around stations are a much better way to point out attractions. Greater Greater Washington has blogged about this issue before. Regarding our neighborhood, as much as the BID wants to rebrand it "Capitol Riverfront", it would be a shame to lose the historical reference to the Navy Yard in the station name.
MJM says:
(9/14/10 1:07 PM)
Can anyone 'see' the Navy Yard from either entrance at the Navy Yard metro? The Navy Yard metro is actually in an area that was known as Carrollsburg before the Navy Yard came about - so we could go back and name the metro "Carrollsburg" for historical purposes. The Navy Yard has seen its day in the sun - its time for a fresh start. Right or wrong people associate the Navy Yard with what the hood used to be.
Great Society Subway lays out what the naming convention was supposed to be but as pointed above got out of control. Its a great read.
Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard would be a fresh start while retaining the Navy Yard name but the Navy Yard is no longer the focus of the hood - its time to break the bonds of the Navy Yard and move in a new direction.
Alex B. says:
(9/14/10 1:42 PM)
I cannot support the re-naming of any more Metro stations. It's gotten out of control.
We must stop the name sprawl here and now.
Waterfront-SEU should indeed be changed - to drop the SEU that no longer exists.
Pat says:
(9/14/10 2:23 PM)
Drop SEU from Waterfront and leave it at that. Leave Navy Yard as Navy Yard because Capitol Riverfront is a lame, bland, corporate re-branding of neighborhood and would INSTANTLY cause confusion between Waterfront and Capitol Riverfront. Us locals will know the difference but I can see knuckle-dragging scardey cats from upper NW getting the two confused.
Michael says:
(9/14/10 4:24 PM)
Stop the name sprawl!
jg says:
(9/14/10 4:40 PM)
Kinda like the "Carrollsburg" idea. Perhaps not as readily identifiable as Navy Yard or as geographically descriptive as Capitol Riverfront/Near Southeast, but it sounds more authentic and neighborhood-y.
CA says:
(9/14/10 11:31 PM)
How does that saying go? I think it goes something like "the only constant is change". Is it really that bad to have too much information for visitors or those not familiar with our increasingly popular neighborhood? I don't think so!
So what if this causes some confusion to begin with, people will learn the difference between the two stops. But, I really don't think the people from "upper NW" will get the two confused, they aren't going to the Waterfront so we don't need to worry about them confusing it with the Capitol Riverfront. The neighborhood has seen an incredible revitalization with much more to come, so I think we should continue to get non-Near SE'ers to think of the area in a positive light and a renaming of the Metro stop is another great way to do it. We need to get people to the neighborhood to see what it has to offer and I think "Capitol Riverfront" creates a much more attractive visual than the industrial "Navy Yard" does.
Change is a constant, and this would positive change!
mikescorpio says:
(9/15/10 9:22 AM)
Any name, or renaming of a Metro station should reflect two things. The name of the area it serves, and what attracts people to the area. If they're one in the same, all the better. The Navy Yard and it's immediate environs extended almost to South Capitol Street when the Navy yard Metro station opened. The area of the Navy yard has since diminished with the addition of the Nats Stadium ( a bigger ridership draw than the actual Navy yard, I believe) and the subsequent re-development of the area.
I think Near Southeast/Nationals Stadium ( or / Nationals Ballpark) better reflects the area the station serves.
Having said that, and since it appears no other naming options are on the table, the re-naming voted on by the ANC-6D adequately reflects the area the station serves. In whatever sequence the names appear.
BBC says:
(9/15/10 9:55 AM)
I think Navy Yard is the best name. As far as I know, there is only one Navy Yard in the city. Thus, there will be no confusion. However, this "Capitol" city has many "Riverfronts" and will hopefully have many more nice urban areas near the water in the coming years. Thus, Capitol Riverfront is a more vague (and confusing) name than Navy Yard. If we want to attract visitors, converting a known and specific name to a vague name (which could be used to discribe many different locations) seems wrong. I agree that adding a bunch of names is also silly. It makes giving and receiving directions via Metro more difficult. Having to say all those names to discribe how to get here also makes us look like fools. We will just end up saying "Navy Yard".
MJM says:
(9/15/10 10:02 AM)
FYI - the Cap Rvfrnt BID had already submitted the name request to DDOT (if I remember correctly it was them) prior to the ANC 'vote' so I'm not sure how much weight they carry with regards to naming. According to the statement made at the ANC meeting the Navy Yard has no problem not being first.
The name change is supposed to piggy-back on the map changes Metro will eventually do when the Blue/Yellow line confusion is finally agreed upon.
JD says:
(9/15/10 10:15 AM)
I think once Nationals Park gets in the station name, that's what the vast majority of riders will associate the area with. They don't see or interact with the Navy Yard, and Capitol Riverfront is an unfamiliar term, so I imagine it'll be the Nats Park station for most people in casual reference.
Misplaced says:
(9/15/10 10:32 AM)
@MJM
That's very interesting. Do you know what the exact name request they submitted to DDOT was?
Jay says:
(9/15/10 12:27 PM)
The name should simply be Nationals Park/Capitol Riverfront. In time people will then become accustomed to our new neighborhood's name.
MJM says:
(9/15/10 1:25 PM)
I believe it was 'Capitol Riverfront/Ballpark/Navy Yard.' There was concern about naming rights to the stadium and that was brought up but I can't remember how that was addressed but from what someone said you can't have the name of the arena on metro signs/stations so that is why they went with ballpark.
Jesse says:
(9/15/10 1:59 PM)
While Navy Yard is a fine name for the metro station, it is often mistaken with that of Navy Archives Metro Station on 7th & Pennsylvania Street in the Penn Quarter area.
This confusion happens all the time in my social circle - whenever I tell my family or friends that I work in Navy Yard, they automatically think "Navy Archives" with its amazing array of trendy restaurants in Penn Quarter, mere steps from the National Mall. Alas, I have to clarify that its "actually Navy Yard, not Navy Archives," and their faces turn to dismay when they realize that there are no trendy restaurants or bars in Navy Yard, not even one ordinary full-service restaurant for crying out loud.
I think Capitol Riverfront/National Ball Park would be a nice addition to Navy Yard. It would also prevent any confusion with Navy Archives.
Mark says:
(9/15/10 2:56 PM)
Capitol Riverfront/ Natstown or Capitol Riverfront/ Nationals Stadium!
I'm all about rebranding our neighborhood - I still talk to people every day, including people who once lived on Capitol Hill, who have no idea that the neighborhood has changed at all. We need to do something to show the rest of the city that the bad old days are over - and that it is safe to visit the Riverfront - if you actually want businesses and restaurants to open in our neighborhood that is.
JoeNDC says:
(9/15/10 4:18 PM)
I'm kinda digging, wait... hold for it....
JDLand
Tah-da!!!!
Sounds sort oif like Disneyland. After all, isn't JDLand.com the reason most of us took a serious look and eventually bought into the neighborhood.
There, my work here is done.
Just sayin'.
Dylan says:
(9/15/10 5:01 PM)
I think it would be a travesty for the Navy Yard Metro's name to be changed. Simplicity is key for a station's name, particularly on the DC metro, which is based on simple names. Personally, Capitol Riverfront is a boring name that is too evocative of its being an urban waterfront renewal project...and heck, the Capitol is like ten blocks away from the station and separated by a freeway, not really a part of the neighborhood. Ideally, the station's name would remain Navy Yard, and then announcements could be made on the train about local attractions, i.e. the Ballpark. Approaching the station, one would hear something like the following: "The next stop is Navy Yard. Use this station for Nationals Ballpark. Doors will open on the left." If the stadium's name ever changes, it would be much easier (and cheaper) to alter an announcement than it would be signage throughout the entire system. And as for the industrial heritage of the Navy Yard name, personally I think it's reflective of the neighborhood, which still has many of its old warehouses (albeit currently being refitted for new uses). Embrace the name that already exists, not some inorganic creation that's even awkward to say.
And as a side note, my friends and I refer to the area exclusively as Navy Yard and have only very positive feelings towards the neighborhood.
JD says:
(9/15/10 6:32 PM)
Some variant of Nationals Park has to be in the new name, if they're going to change the station name at all. Announcements on the train aren't enough, partially because no one can ever hear announcements anyway but more because people need to be able to look at a system map and know where the baseball stadium is. The city spent $600 million on the place, they ought to make sure people know how to find it. ;-)
JT says:
(9/15/10 10:57 PM)
I agree, JD.
Even some dipstick at the Post who writes about the Nats doesn't know how to find Nationals Park via Metro.
link
Pat says:
(9/16/10 7:57 AM)
Jesse, maybe your social circle needs a brain operating system upgrade because nobody refers to "Archives" as "Navy Archives" because it's not the Navy Archives. It's the Navy Memorial. And the first freaking name for the stop is Archives.
Maybe if you'd stop referring to the stop as Navy Archives, you'd stop confusing your friends and family.
And stop whining about the "lack of a sit-down restaurant" in Near SE. Your four or five blocks from the Hill.
Pat says:
(9/16/10 7:59 AM)
Instead of changing the name of the Navy Yard metro stop, just stick a little ballpark icon next to the stop like they do for the B30 and 5A bus routes to the airports.
Mike McMurtrie says:
(9/16/10 10:52 AM)
@JT re; link
Good Point! Green Line to Waterfront to catch a Nats game? Um... Ok...
And a note to all. Let's be civil here and refrain from childish attacks on individuals that are only expressing their opinions or stating their experiences. Do onto others...
lovethehood says:
(9/16/10 12:54 PM)
Lets change the name to the "BAE" metro stop and get paid! Anyway, everyone reading this blog will be in the burbs raising kids by the time it takes to change the name... So lets move focus to changing the metro names in NoVa. Franconia-Springfield is soooo boring! LoL
~LTH
ed says:
(9/21/10 12:05 PM)
What other city in the world has such long metro stop names? Clearly pandering to every special interest is the most important thing in DC. This is going to cost a bundle considering you have to change all the maps and every sign on the line.
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