The Soapstone Valley sewer rehabilitation project has taken a big and “important step” toward completion. “We are pleased to share that the Soapstone project has reached a significant milestone with the successful [September 26th] installation of Shot #10, the final segment of cured-in-place pipe (CIPP),” wrote DC Water on October 2nd. “This achievement marks an […]
Community service and cool jazz: A day at Forest Hills Park
by Marlene Berlin Last Saturday, September 13th, was a lovely day to be out enjoying one of our neighborhood’s most popular gathering places – and cleaning it up. That’s how the day started for volunteers who pitched in at Forest Hills Park and Playground that morning. Then, a few hours later, jazz musicians performed for […]
Soapstone sewer project latest: Hard work in hard rock, and an “illegal” sewer pipe
by Marlene Berlin In what is being described as tedious and labor-intensive work, DC Water contractors are removing layers of hard rock at the bottom of a manhole they are trying to excavate to 42 feet. They hit the rock at 30 feet and as of August 22nd, were halfway through. The manhole in question […]
Closing the gaps: New sidewalks for Davenport and nearby streets
A DDOT project under way through August 30th is adding the first sidewalks to one side of the 2900-3000 blocks of Davenport Street and nearby segments of Linnean Avenue and 30th Street. DDOT’s Karyn McAlister shared this map of the work area: There have never been sidewalks on either side of these street segments. DDOT’s […]
Local park updates: The fix-it edition
Our well-loved parks suffer wear and tear of both the natural and manmade variety. And over the past few weeks, DC agencies and volunteers have been tackling many of the issues. New drinking fountains for Forest Hills Park These friendly workers, from the DC Department of General Services, swapped out the park and playground’s old […]
Photos and videos: Close calls as tree falls across Connecticut Avenue
A towering oak tree fell across six lanes of Connecticut Avenue during Thursday afternoon rush hour. WTOP shared this video, credited to Jose Herrera. Two vehicles traveling northbound were heavily damaged. The two occupants made it out and seemed to be okay, according to witnesses and reports. DC Fire and EMS says one was treated […]
Join your neighbors for coffee and a cleanup at Forest Hills Park this Saturday, July 12
The message below is from Van Ness Main Street’s Good Clean Fun Initiative, which is looking out for Forest Hills Park and Playground. GCF volunteers have also devoted time to getting the District’s advice and assistance on cleaning up the overgrown area between the baseball field and Brandywine Street, which has becoming a dumping ground […]
Photos: Some of the neighborhood damage from the June 19 storm
by Marlene Berlin Thursday night’s storm packed a punch. High winds and heavy rain brought down branches, trees, and power lines across the region. Our neighborhood was similarly impacted. Politics and Prose lost power for a time. Did you? Our Conn Ave location is closed due to the power outage. We hope everyone is safe […]
Backyard Nature: 🎶Doe, a Deer, a Female Deer🎶
by David Jonathan Cohen Text and photos © 2025 Perhaps the darkest moment in animated movies is the death of Bambi’s mother. Perhaps the brightest moment in movie musicals is the song “Do-Re-Mi” in The Sound of Music. And then there’s our backyard. In the late afternoon on June 2, I watched a fawn wobble […]
Avalon the Albemarle residents choose a buyer
by Marlene Berlin The vote is in, and the winner is clear. Residents of Avalon the Albemarle apartments at 4501 Connecticut Avenue are awarding their right to purchase the building to WC Smith. WC Smith, a relative latecomer to the process, received 124 votes. True Ground Housing Partners, the first to make an offer to […]