Prince of Petworth Watch II

Hi everybody. My IRL is so busy and stressful I have let this proj fall off.

I want to log this on the web because it is another good example of divisiveness in this community broadcasted online where some pretty cruel shit is said.

Prince has interns now. One intern conducts interviews on the streets. What follows is an example and comments inspired by such. I will metacomment very little.

Name: Lucia

Age: 16

Cross-streets: 2nd and Hamilton NW

1. What do you make of all the changes occurring in the neighborhood?
Well, my honest opinion is that it is bull. Most of the people in this neighborhood can’t afford to move into condos, so its pushing people out.

2. Does the neighborhood, as it is, offer you the things you need? What could improve it?
Oh, yeah, there is plenty to do for me and my friends. There are plenty of things for teenagers to do in this neighborhood.

3. What place or thing is your favorite in Petworth?
I don’t have a favorite spot in the neighborhood, really. I grew up here, so its nice to run into people you haven’t seen in ages. It’s a real community.

4. What is special about Petworth, unusual, or un-special about it?
There isn’t anything really special about Petworth. It’s just a neighborhood.

5. How have all the developments in Columbia Heights affected you, or the neighborhood? Any visible signs that you can see of change?
I go to school in Columbia Heights, but I don’t really go for much else. Everything has been getting too expensive.

Nate Says:
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:25 am
Hopefully the neighborhood will keep getting expensive and she can come back and visit one day.

Anonymous Says:
April 22nd, 2008 at 11:47 am
I don’t get the comment about the neigborhood becoming more expensive… please elaborate.

Older & Wiser Says:
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:23 pm

Well, that North Face jacket she’s wearing is pretty pricey. Not much left in her wallet for Target, Best Buy and Starbucks after that, I guess.

Golden Silence Says:
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:02 pm

I’m just not the biggest fan of teenagers. I know not all of them are terrors, but I’ve had too many bad experiences with them. This girl, from the photo, looks like she really didn’t want to be bothered with this interview.

Contrary to what I think, I’m sure there’s some teenager out there who’d have a little more positive things to say about their community.

GOOD/EVIL is my favorite dichotomous over-simplification of struggle:

Anonymous Says:
April 22nd, 2008 at 2:35 pm

Of course the vast majority of the new condos are built on either vacant land, or rehabbed from buildings that had fallen into decrepitude, so those don’t push anyone out, but rather add to the population base. It’s not as if any of the ample Section 8 housing in the area (primarily in CH) has suddenly been converted to high-end condos … I am empathetic to those who are responsible homeowners, but whose property taxes skyrocket to the point they can no longer afford the payments, but beyond that, I’m sorry, this is the way things works … to those who let their gorgeous properties fall into disrepair, or let their homes be used for drugs, or are the ones who graffiti up every commercial establishment in the area, good riddance .. just like I don’t have a right to live in a 2 million dollar condo in Georgetown, even though that would be nice. And hell, they wouldn’t be the first people pushed out of this area … it’s just that the first wave of responsible citizens were pushed out by fear and criminals, as opposed to those trying to improve the neighborhood. Which is more problematic?

TO be fair, here are some reasonable things said:

Anonymous Says:
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:11 pm

I think this is a well-rounded sampling of opinions. I didn’t think everyone interviewed was required to say positive things. The young lady’s comments about the economic realities of revitalization are quite real.
Ah, Nate. Ever the egalitarian.

Anony Says:
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:17 pm
How is the girl not being honest? It is what it is, a neighborhood. Petworth is a great neighborhood, but not any more or less so than many other neighborhoods across the city.