Posts by John Muller — Contributor
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Fruit stands abound within Paris Métro
Throughout the Paris Métro are ubiquitous vendors of fresh fruits and vegetables. Vending machines on station platforms sell candy and bottled beverages. The option to quickly grab a snack is readily available to Parisians and riders of New York’s subway, but not our own. Should it be? Keep reading…
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To preserve or redevelop? One man will soon decide for a key Anacostia site
DC’s housing agency wants to develop a long-vacant site in Anacostia with affordable housing and retail, but residents and the city’s preservation officials say it is incompatible with the neighborhood. The choice between the two hangs on one last appeal. Keep reading…
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Hungry for neighborhood eateries, Anacostia could get a Busboys & Poets
Neighborhood restaurants can be the foundation of a community. In Anacostia, plans to bring popular local chain Busboys & Poets to the area are moving forward, while residents remember one sub shop that was the “spot to come to” before closing a generation ago. In recent years, restauranteur and mayoral candidate Andy Shallal has hinted he intends to open a… Keep reading…
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East of the River neighborhoods rebrand themselves as “CHASE”
Penn Quarter, NoMA, Atlas District, and Capital Riverfront are just a few of the newly-branded DC neighborhoods that have come into currency over the past decade. What about neighborhoods east of the river? Over the past 3 years, District officials have started referring to Congress Heights, Anacostia, and St. Elizabeths as “CHASE.”… Keep reading…
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St. Elizabeths East could become a community hub, but it’ll take time
In January 2003, then-Mayor Anthony Williams announced plans to reimagine St. Elizabeths East Campus as a new community hub. Over 10 years later, it’s beginning to materialize, but the private investment and new opportunities neighbors were promised have yet to arrive. Neighborhood residents, community leaders, and local business owners participated in the… Keep reading…
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Plans to redevelop Anacostia’s Big K site hinge on two historic houses
For three years, DC has been trying to redevelop the prominent “Big K” lot in Anacostia, and plans are finally moving forward. This week, city officials expect to host a public meeting about the project, including what will happen to two historic homes on site today. Keep reading…
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To save this old house, everything but the facade must go
An old house in Anacostia is beyond repair, but zoning law ensures that at least the front facade will remain to give a historic appearance to a new replacement home. Keep reading…
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As DC grows, Anacostia gets left behind
After decades of decline, DC’s population is growing again. But parts of the city like Anacostia are still losing people, showing that revitalization has yet to take hold everywhere. Keep reading…
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Then & Now: The only Chinese restaurant east of the river
Chinese restaurants are ubiquitous in the DC area, with multiple Chinatowns across the region and a plethora of carryout joints. But a century ago, Chinese food was more of a novelty here. The city’s first Chinese restaurants opened on Pennsylvania Avenue in the 1890s, according to local historian John DeFerrari, author of the recently published Historic Restaurants… Keep reading…
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Visit an abandoned Catholic school in Anacostia
Since June 2007, a three-story Catholic school in Historic Anacostia has sat quietly, unused and largely unnoticed. Last week, staff from the Archdiocese of Washington took me on a tour of the abandoned building, last known as the Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, with a small group of architects and contractors. Keep reading…