Posts tagged History
-
Best of 2022: When many malls are struggling, Greenbelt’s Beltway Plaza seems to be thriving. Why?
OPINION: Built in 1963, Beltway Plaza in Greenbelt, Md. is a rare example of a medium-sized, indoor-outdoor mall that has stood the test of time, even as developers make plans for renovations. Keep reading…
-
This holiday, get on board this tour of train gardens
For over a century, in between blazes, cat rescues, and chili cook-offs, Baltimore-area firefighters have apparently spent their winter downtime arranging elaborate model train sets. Keep reading…
-
The fascinating story of DC’s aqueducts and reservoirs
Have you ever wondered where the District’s drinking water comes from or puzzled over why the McMillan reservoir is located in the center of the city, far from the water sources that supply it? GGWash contributor Elliot Carter’s DC Underground Atlas showcases the history and engineering of this hidden underground world. Here’s a taste of what he found. Keep reading…
-
A one-building quest to undelete suburban DC history
This Prince George’s County Pizza Hut sparks a quest and conversation about the erasure of suburban places. Keep reading…
-
Breakfast links: DC can learn lessons from other cities with fare-free buses
As DC prepares for fare-free buses, lessons are being learned in other cities with free transit. Amazon pledges to invest millions for affordable housing in North Bethesda. First Gen Z Congressman struggles to find housing in DC. Keep reading…
-
The legacy of Arthur Wilmer Park
OPINION: Arthur Wilmer “Wilmer’s” Park was a key Prince George’s County venue for Black entertainers pre-desegregation, then later a favorite outdoor venue for a variety of acts. Now, a preservation effort led by Prince George’s County is underway. Keep reading…
-
How the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad and the Penn Line shaped the region’s suburbs
Much of DC beyond the original L’Enfant city and Georgetown consists of “streetcar suburbs,” namely late-19th and early-20th Century communities that grew up around streetcar lines. While electric streetcars didn’t extend to Maryland until the 1890s, Washington’s first steam railroad line, to Baltimore, opened in 1837, and commuters from Maryland rode trains into the city as early as the Civil War. Keep reading…
-
Breakfast links: Riders to see shorter wait times on the Red Line during peak hours
Riders to see shorter wait times on the Red Line starting today. How amending the Height Act could revive downtown DC. Heightened HOV criteria go into effect for drivers in Arlington today. Keep reading…
-
In 1931, this parking lot in Cleveland Park changed how Washington shopped
Many people are perplexed as to why Sam’s Park & Shop in Cleveland Park is a historical landmark. While it may look like an ordinary strip mall, the Park & Shop was one of the first examples of retail architecture designed around the automobile. Keep reading…
-
Here’s how neighborhoods west of Kenilworth Avenue in Northeast DC became isolated from the city
The neighborhoods of River Terrace, Parkside, Mayfair, Eastland Gardens, and Kenilworth in Northeast DC are isolated from the rest of the District by the Anacostia River to the northwest and DC Route 295 to the southeast. While these neighborhoods are very isolated and contain some of the lowest-income Census block groups in the District today, they were sited to take advantage of direct transportation routes to downtown and built for higher-income professionals. Keep reading…