by Marlene Berlin Let’s start with some good news: After 15 years of study and advocacy, Chesapeake Street at Connecticut Avenue finally has a fully operational traffic light. Installation started in December, and the signal was activated on March 10th, but its origins go all the way back to 2010, when Connecticut Avenue Pedestrian Action, […]
The story of the orange pedestrian flags at Reno Road and Warren Street
Last August, orange flags appeared at the Reno Road and Warren Street intersection. In November, another set arrived. We initially thought they were DDOT’s doing, but the flags are actually the result of ongoing pedestrian safety advocacy by ANC 3F01 Commissioner Amy Rofman and community member Stephanie Resnick. Rofman tells Forest Hills Connection she started […]
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 […]
A local block popular with cut-through drivers gets its first sidewalk
by Paul Harrison Congrats to our neighbors on 35th Street, who advocated for installation of a paved sidewalk on their street between Alton Place and Yuma Street (the residential block just behind Bread Furst, Zips and the car wash). There are many families with children in the immediate area, and the lack of a sidewalk […]
The “Shop-Local Workout,” Holiday 2024 edition
Put your best walking shoes and a large backpack by the door. It’s time for our annual holiday tradition: the “Shop-Local Workout.” In 2012, our editor-in-chief told us about some of her favorite walks and some of her favorite stops. And every year since, we have published a new version of the multi-neighborhood shopping-and-walking tour, […]
Apartment updates: Police calls rise, case managers remain absent, and tenant leaders continue to press for change
by Marlene Berlin We have several updates on the safety and security issues the residents of area apartment buildings have faced for at least the past five years. Sedgwick Gardens – the apartment building that drew attention to the District’s “Housing First” policy for the homeless In 2019, The Washington Post reported: The SWAT team, […]
“Undesign the Redline” exhibit views and teaches the history of Ward 3 neighborhoods (including ours) through a different lens
by Joy Bates Boyle “Undesign the Redline” (not about the Metro!) is an interactive, traveling exhibit that explores the history of explicit race-based exclusion, specifically in upper Northwest DC. It presents the policies that created structural racism and inequality, the systems that resulted, and how we can come together in an intentional way to “undesign” […]
A housing survey asks: What do Forest Hills, Van Ness, Cleveland Park and Woodley Park residents think of “Gentle Density”?
Mac Hyde, a Virginia Commonwealth University graduate student and former Cleveland Park resident, asked us to share this survey, created to further his research exploring ways to add more housing units in neighborhoods from Forest Hills south to Woodley Park. In return, we asked him to provide more background. Hyde will also share the survey […]
Photos: The holiday light show (and bonus Santa flamingos)
Consider this an appreciation post for all those who have adorn their homes and balconies with holiday lights. The first displays show up right around Thanksgiving (and sometimes before), and provide warmth and cheer amid the growing dark of winter. David Luria sent this lovely photo from the neighborhood: And here are a few more: […]
Opinion: The case for better Connecticut Avenue bus service, and how advocacy could make it happen
by Marlene Berlin As WMATA develops its “Better Bus” regionwide plan, a big question for residents along upper Connecticut Avenue is whether bus service really will be better: faster, more reliable, and more frequent. There’s a case to be made that Connecticut needs all of the above. But getting there will require more advocacy by […]