The Georgetown Metropolitan

1300 block of 35th St.

Photo by Mementosis.

Last weekend the New York Times published an interesting article titled “The End of Black Harlem“. It is, not surprisingly, about the the gentrification of Harlem, New York. The author, Michael Henry Adams, argues convincingly that the changes are not just about the neighborhood “going upscale” but rather are more about the displacement of African Americans and their rich culture that made the neighborhood famous in the first place.

But what caught GM’s eye about the article are the parallels to Georgetown and how Adams’ own prescriptions will only make what happened to Georgetown happen to Harlem, but faster.

As GM has written about before, Georgetown once had a thriving Black population. It was not nearly as large or influential as Harlem’s, but it was significant nonetheless. It declined largely through a gentrification process not unlike the ones currently sweeping through neighborhoods in cities across the country. And while it’s debatable whether it was the primary catalyst or merely secondary, the rise of historic preservation almost certainly accelerated the displacement.

By insisting on strict building codes and historic standards, the cost of maintaining a house in Georgetown rose dramatically. And in the process of “saving” historic Georgetown–both genuine historic elements, as well as faux elements (e.g. brand new brick sidewalks, most shutters, random bald eagles, etc.)–contributed to a rising desirability to living in Georgetown. This naturally caused spikes in real estate prices, and that caused speculation, which caused Black residents to be evicted, and so on. Continue reading →

Photo by Kyle.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Interview with the consultant studying the feasibility of the Georgetown gondola.
• Woman leaves a bad yelp review, poop on Nick’s Riverside Grill.

This week for Now and a Long Time Ago, GM returns once again to the great William R. Ross Postcard Collection. This time it’s a shot of the Potomac shoreline sometime in the 1910s or 1920s.

Right off the bat, it’s not the most exciting historic overlay. You notice Healy Hall and the Washington Canoe Club, both of which appear pretty much the same today. But look closer and you can see how much this part of Georgetown has changed.

For instance, check out the steam train chugging by:

The B&O Railroad sent trains down these tracks until the 1980s. Continue reading →

Photo by Alyson Hurt.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• J Paul’s had a brief kitchen fire yesterday, but it appears not to have been too serious.
• Guy arrested on K St. after firing a gun.

3700 block of Water St.

Photo by Mr. Gray.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Catching up with the K-Pop star who now goes to Georgetown.
• Background of the people behind Zannchi, the new Korean restaurant at Volta and Wisconsin (which is great!)

Dumbarton Oaks

After a few seasons of showing kids movies outdoors in Rose Park, the Friends of Rose Park are trying something new: adult films. Wait, that didn’t sound right. Rather: films for adults. Continue reading →