David Y. Lee / LUMEN8Anacostia

But could the city attract people there by subsidizing the arts? That's long been the theory of  ARCH Development Corporation, which thus far has put on a pitter patter of gallery openings and events. So far, though, they've been easy for the young cultural class types to ignore. Something big, with an ad blitz around the city and the particular flash of the  Pinkline crowd, could be the stimulus that would finally get their attention. Organizers even brought in a mini-Busboys and Poets to make the yuppies feel at home. And of course, while traveling to a neighborhood that still carries a reputation for blight and muggings, there's safety in numbers. 

Lumen8's long-term impact will be measured my how many of those newbies, having learned that Anacostia's not so scary after all, come back. It's doubtful that they will, unless there's something to attract them, like a critical mass of bars, or a great restaurant, or a music venue that plays shows on a consistent basis. Once those arrive, the cycle builds on itself: Gathering places complete the housing affordability equation.