Investigating Where We Live

Friday, June 11, 2010

Trinidad...The One in DC

Trinidad is bound by Gallaudet University, Mount Olivet Road, Florida Avenue and Bladensburg Avenue. The community consists of 700 two-story, brick row houses with porches, including about 350 government-subsidized houses and apartments located in the eastern section of the neighborhood.[1] Trinidad is located in Ward 5, and is represented by Harry Thomas, Jr. The neighborhood was primarily a residential community until the mid 1970s, when a commercial development boom created a hodgepodge of retail stores, used car lots and waste facilities.

An Introduction to Petworth

Petworth is a residential neighborhood in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. It is bounded by Georgia Avenue to the West, North Capitol Street to the East, Rock Creek Church to the South, and Kennedy Street NW to the north (see map). The neighborhood is primarily residential, with a mix of townhouses and single-family homes. Petworth is part of Ward 4, which is represented in the D.C. Council by Muriel Bowser. According to Muriel Browser’s website, residents describe Petworth as a charming and historical neighborhood with great neighborhood attractions, such as the Petworth Library and the Petworth Recreation Center. One resident describes the neighborhood as a “a typical Ward 4 community that is slowly developing into a diverse neighborhood. Young families are frequently spotted strolling through the neighborhood visiting each other or eating dinner at a local restaurant.”Another resident explains, “In downtown Petworth, [visitors] will find a neighborhood under construction and revitalization, making lots of changes for the better, making things look cleaner and newer. In Petworth north of the Metro, they will find a very friendly neighborhood, increasingly diverse, where residents are proud.” This secure and stable community is quickly becoming one of the most popular in the Ward thanks to its combination of urban access and neighborhood feel. Over $380 million is being invested in new development around the metro station over the next several years, including more than 1,000 residential units and nearly 80,000 square feet of new retail opportunities.[1]

Welcome to IWWL- 2010

Hello, and thank you for stopping by the IWWL Blog. The 2010 program will begin June 29th. In the meantime, we are going to provide some background on the three neighborhoods we are exploring this year- Petworth, Trinidad, and Southwest Waterfront.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Final Thoughts: U Street

It’s all about U. It’s time for U. U Street is your street. These were some of the possible titles that my team brainstormed for our exhibition about the U Street Corridor. I had the pleasure of working with nine fantastic young designers this summer in Investigating Where We Live as we explored U Street. While my group was known as the “quiet group”, that never meant that they were short on creative ideas (or puns, as the titles show) or enthusiasm for making those ideas a reality. All that paired with a truly amazing ability to find common ground and work towards including multiple ideas resulted in a great summer for me (and, I hope, for them as well) and a compelling exhibit.

Each student brought something valuable to the team and helped make the program a success. They all took inspired photographs and confidently interviewed people about the U Street neighborhood. Beyond that, however, Bryant was a great compromiser and managed to merge ideas for the exhibit together while still maintaining their integrity. Kealea, Claire and Emily were always willing to speak their minds and share their ideas and helped move the discussion about themes and design along. Justin and Jasmin produced inspiring artwork and writing, respectively, that added immensely to the exhibit. Olivia, Arianna and Kwame took the lead on the interactive elements in the exhibit, and persevered through all the challenges we encountered with them. Together we were a well-oiled machine that moved along surely and confidently to the opening date of the exhibit.

This is my second time in this position, and I continue to learn more each session. One of the things I like most about my job is that it teaches me not to underestimate anyone, especially young people. The perspective that these students bring to taking, analyzing and thinking about photographs and photography in general is always amazing. So often adults can dismiss this age group because of their alleged lack of experience in the world. If anything, though, their perspective is sometimes fresher and clearer than our own. It shows you how fantastic the combination of youthful energy, engaging material and interested mentors can be.

And, of course, I have to mention my fantastic Teen Assistant, James Brown. This is the second time I have had the honor of working with James in this capacity. He dubbed us “Batman and Batman”, because “there was no sidekick this time.” That is completely true. James helped immensely this summer by taking on the planning of site visits and knowing how best to work with the kids when I couldn’t be in three places at once. James also handled all the math of the layout and is about 100 times better at using power drills than I am. I couldn’t have done it without him this summer!

U Street Team: You did a fantastic job this summer. You should all be proud of the exhibit and your hard work. It really is time for you!

Andrew Costanzo, Team Leader

Final Thoughts: Columbia Heights

Having worked with the outreach programs at NBM in various capacities over the last year, I have to say that I am always amazed by and impressed with the students' final work. IWWL '09 is no exception. Coming into the program as a Team Leader I didn't quite know what to expect other than that somehow I, and the rest of the IWWL team, would get 30 teenagers excited about photography, creative writing, and exhibit design. With the group of students I worked with this summer, these were not hard tasks to accomplish. Not only did each student take wonderful photos, but also took on an active role when it came to selecting the exhibit's theme, the best photos to support that theme, and assisting with its final installation.

To the Columbia Heights (Heeey!) Team, I enjoyed getting to know each of you. Ya'll are a thoughtful, smart, creative, and funny bunch of kids. Thanks for a wonderful summer! Amazing work!

Lauren Wilson, Team Leader