DC Examiner: River East - An area on the rise

The Advoc8te along with some really great River East residents and bloggers were interviewed by the DC Examiner to discuss the history, progress, benefits and challenges of our wonderful River East community. Personally, it's great to see how the name "River East" has just taken off and our community is finally receiving the mainstream POSITIVE media attention that it has so long deserved. Its also wonderful and inspiring to see the increase in community activism by both new AND long term River East residents. The explosion of River East community activism in the form of blogs, new community organizations and the influx of residents moving into River East has not gone unnoticed. River East is indeed on the rise!

Click HERE to go to the article written by Dean Bartoli Smith of the DC Examiner.

Excerpt:
The neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River — Congress Heights, Hillcrest and Anacostia, to name a few — are beginning to provide affordable and accessible housing options only minutes from downtown. Historic row homes, condominiums and town houses set on the rolling hills and bluffs of Southeast feature incredible views of the city, access to Metro and major roadways, and competitive pricing levels.Homesteaders who have settled into these neighborhoods resent being broadly labeled as in “Anacostia” when things go wrong, and feel slighted by the tag “east of the River,” which sounds to them like “the other side of the tracks.” They refer to the area as “River East,” and the name change has become a rallying cry in their efforts to transform long-held perceptions.

“It’s a secret area,” said Re/Max agent Joel Martin. “There are lovely neighborhoods. Hillcrest looks exactly like Bethesda.” After decades of failed or delayed initiatives, the city’s track record for delivering on its promises has been less than stellar.“It’s been underrated and underserved for years,” said Martin. “After 25 years, where is the development?”

The movement to revitalize River East is being driven by a spirited group of young professionals — many of whom author blogs — who will stop at nothing to get the abandoned buildings torn down, the street corner memorials decorated with liquor bottles removed and more than one decent place to have dinner.

“There are only a few places to patronize in the neighborhood,” said LaShaun Smith, of Congress Heights. “THEARC offers various exercise classes — yoga and Pilates; IHOP, which is the only place we can sit down and order a meal; and MLK Deli, which has very good food.” There is one Giant grocery store, a Popeye’s and not much else. “We need a Chipotle, Starbucks, and a few café’s to sit, eat and have a drink,” Smith said.

Many of the 19 projects slated for the area at a cost of $400 million are under way. The Department of Homeland Security will relocate in 2010 to St. Elizabeths — the mental hospital that once housed Ezra Pound and on whose premises several hundred Civil War soldiers rest in an integrated graveyard. This relocation will intensify efforts to develop the area.

Click HERE to read the rest of the article.