Washington City Paper: D.C. Neighborhood Guide - Bloomingdale, LeDroit Park, Eckington, Park View

Turrets Syndrome

Demographics

Population: 21,941
Percent Black: 89.3
Percent White: 3.7
Percent Hispanic: 6
Percent Foreign-Born: 9.7
Percent Children: 21.5
Poverty Rate: 25.9 percent
2005 Median Home Sale Price: $448,892
2007 Violent Crimes Per 1,000 Residents: 19
2007 Property Crimes Per 1,000 Residents: 54.6

Sources

Touchstone

World Missions for Christ is not just a cool-looking storefront church across the street from Big Bear. It is also the subject of a 2004 documentary—Let the Church Say Amen—which follows the lives of four struggling neighborhood residents who go to this poky, run-down church and find hope and support there.

More Touchstones

D.C. Neighborhoods Flickr Pool

Bloomingdale, LeDroit Park, Eckington, Park View

You get the feeling in these neighborhoods that there is community, and art, and the prospect of a good future, even if there isn't yet anywhere to get a cocktail.

Read Arin Greenwood's Full Essay

Photograph by Darrow Montgomery

Arbitrary Rankings

Kid-Friendliness: 2

The neighborhoods’ public schools are awaiting the magic touch of schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee; parks and playgrounds are so-so.

Housing: 9

Rentals are cheaper than in other gentrified parts of town (one-bedroom apartments in Bloomingdale are available for as little as $800 a month; shares are listed for even less). A two-bedroom, two-bath unit in a renovated Bloomingdale Victorian is going for $559,000, a renovated four-bedroom, five-bath LeDroit Park Victorian’s listing price is $1,095,000, and a LeDroit Park single-family fixer-upper is listed for $300,000.

Eats: 0

For now there are not many places beyond Big Bear Cafe and another new-ish cafe/upscale convenience store called Windows; new restaurants are supposedly moving in. We’ll believe it when we see it.

Consumer Goods: 2

There are a couple of nice convenience stores, but not much else. A weekly farmer’s market makes produce shopping good at least once a week, during the summer.

Nightlife and Culture: 2

Big Bear. That is all for now. But if you have to have only one cafe, this is a good one to have.

Intangibles: 8

One great cafe makes a big difference. One great cafe plus affordable housing, interesting history and architecture, lovely gardens, proximity to busier neighborhoods, a diverse population, a cool park, and a neighborhood that feels like a community, makes for a really nice place.

Turrets Syndrome in the City Paper Archives

Post-Mortem
After six women died, Park View residents wondered who was preying on their neighborhood—and found the killer right around the corner.

Return of the Mecca?
University President Patrick Swygert has restored the Howard machine to mint condition. Too bad he can't restore its soul.

Letters From an Arsonist
Read the Livingston Award-nominated story.

LeDroit Park

What the Elk?
A LeDroit Park fraternal order is having a hard time being both a charity and a party zone.

Comments

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Jessica Culpepper Jun. 19, 2008
10:37 am

You forgot Timor Bodega for consumer goods! He has amazing local dairy, meats, produce, and breads along with other organic produce and lots of wonderful odds and ends. Since he opened, I rarely go down to Whole Foods. Who needs it?
Catherine Jun. 19, 2008
11:55 am

Yeah, Timor is a big hole. Also, Windows Cafe. And how could you forget Thai X-ing?!
JM Jun. 19, 2008
10:42 pm

Wow... so the Citypaper staffers would rather live in Deanwood than Bloomingdale? Does anyone else find this ranking system a wee bit suspect?
Christian Jun. 20, 2008
12:55 pm

The City Paper was certainly not doing their research on this one or perhaps were on something while writing. I don't know where they got some of these rankings. We are a stone's throw from the Metro, the 9:30 Club, and the U Street Corridor and that is not to mention all of the development around us that is coming (aside from McMillan Resevoir). And I can't remember the last itme someone said hello to me in some of the higher ranked neigborhoods.
Daniel Jul. 04, 2008
6:22 pm

WTF? Obviously, an area where 9 out of 10 are of the same race is NOT at all diverse. Is it possible that you are so statistically challenged? Of course not, therefore there has to be some kind of agenda you are trying to sneak in here. Have no idea what could it be, maybe you are in cahoots with real estate developers, or maybe you have some kind of unresolved racial personal issues. Disturbing either way