Comments on: VIDEO: Is Cleveland Park Dead?

By: Why So Many Vacant Storefronts? Cleveland Park’s Got a Zoning Problem - Housing Complex - Washington City Paper

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:05:21 +0000

[...] we reported in August, several prominent businesses—Starbucks, Magruder’s, 7-Eleven, and others—have [...]

By: An Ohioan’s View Of The Suddenly Downtrodden Cleveland Park | Washington D.C. Metblogs

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:06:37 +0000

[...] DC’s own Cleveland Park, once a bustling ‘hood full of local amenities & friendly faces is dying. Hey, it may even be dead – I declared it so in a blog post on my own site, Suburban Sweetheart, [...]

By: Dear Abby: Should I Take Advice from My Neighborhood Listserv? - City Desk - Washington City Paper

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:52:47 +0000

[...] The other day, City Paper asked: Is Cleveland Park dead? [...]

By: Arthur Delaney

Arthur Delaney — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:02:07 +0000

Bless Dega Schembri, the owner of City Fitness, one of the sole surviving businesses in that crummy mall thing.

I wonder if it's a situation similar to the one in Union Station, where the owner/management is effectively getting rid of longtime tenants to bring in more upscale stuff.

By: Downtown Rez

Downtown Rez — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:49:32 +0000

Expired tags on his premise.

By: JTE

JTE — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:13:33 +0000

What was your parking ticket for?

By: AG

AG — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:57:30 +0000

I live in the CP area and it is becoming ridiculous how many stores are closing. The 7-11 at Porter and Connecticut was the last straw for me -- that store was very popular and served that entire part of the neighborhood. Something really needs to be done about this.

By: ‘Politics At Its Worst’: Loose Lips Daily - City Desk - Washington City Paper

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:48:00 +0000

[...] CASE YOU MISSED IT—”Peter Nickles: I Will Not Call You Back,” “Video: Is Cleveland Park Dead?” and “The Pershing Park Case: Did A District Official Commit [...]

By: charlie

charlie — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:29:47 +0000

How many of these places are paying the vacant property tax rate?

By: KCinDC

KCinDC — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:42:32 +0000

I think the reference to Van Ness as being hip was supposed to be a joke.

By: Q™

Q™ — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:30:03 +0000

Weeping for Cleveland Park?!? No offense but there are OTHER areas in DC that have seen a decline and dearth of businesses far longer than Cleveland Park. Deanwood and Congress Heights immediately come to mind. Lamond-Riggs FINALLY has something in the works. H Street is slowly coming unto itself, but I can think of many neighborhoods outside of Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Shaw, and Center City, that tears haven't been shed for.

Even as great as Union Station WAS, in about 3 years the retail will be affected. I feel for the business owners but nostalgic storefronts were killed in the name of progress after the Downtown explosion happened. All shop and NO character...but at least they get TANFs.

By: sara.h

sara.h — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:52:39 +0000

Van ness is hip now? I lived there 9 years ago. It was not hip.

By: Downtown Rez

Downtown Rez — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:13:19 +0000

Owners think with their pockets. I'm thinking the owners would rather gamble on having a few years of no rent followed by 30 years of great rent.
But not every place can be a Tryst or a Madams Organ, and they've a ways to go before they've got the critical retail density AND mix to draw people to that area.

By: Joel Lawson

Joel Lawson — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:02:56 +0000

Notice the older gentleman, a resident of CP for 37 years, saying that people need to wrap their heads around the need for greater density.