On Saturday, local galleries and restaurants along Martin Luther King Avenue opened their doors to passers-by. A colossal warehouse adjacent to I-295 hosted a smorgasbord of popup art installations and live performances, while local vendors such as Busboys and Poets sold food and other merchandise. Artists were brought in by the  Alliance Francaise of DC and  The Pink Line Project, two organizations well known for their endeavors in D.C.'s other quadrants. 

My takeaway is that Anacostia is on the verge of an inevitable transformation. The vestiges of economic blight -- unkempt liquor stores, barred windows and condemned buildings -- are slowly vanishing as startup businesses, workspaces, art galleries and new restaurants take their place. As I strolled down MLK Avenue, I couldn't help but wonder if, in the not-too-distant future, we'll treat Anacostia as just another normal corner of our unique and rapidly evolving capital city.