I live near H Street and have for the last 12 years.

It is still much better than it was when I first moved here, but the trend of the last two years is very concerning. I hate seeing longtime businesses like Biergarten Haus closing, I hate all the broken windows. There is a lot of vagrancy and it has an edge to it that it didn't have pre-Covid. There are serious mental health and substance abuse issues. I do find myself uneasy in the area more than I used to a few years ago. Probably still a lot less than I did a decade ago, when a lot of the development on H Street didn't exist. I'd still rather walk past some panhandlers outside Whole Foods than walk down several blocks of shuttered businesses, the old crappy grocery store that used to be there, and a giant storage facility. It is still much better now.

I actually think something good can come from that article though. I don't think H Street has backslid so much it can't be saved, but we need to DO something about it. I'm encouraged by the people in the article organizing to start neighborhood groups and improve the situation. There are many people who own expensive homes along the corridor who have a vested interest in making it a better place to live.

I think it's a bit strange how few public officials were interviewed for that article. Most glaringly, Charles Allen doesn't make any appearance, and only one ANC rep is mentioned. It is unusual for an article like that to appear in WaPo without the council rep for the Ward interviewed. I get Allen doesn't control crime, but it is his ward and the article actually focuses on the impact all of this has on businesses and residents, which is very much within his oversight. He can also be doing liaison work with DCPD. But... crickets.

20 Pot shops on the corridor? Wow. So why is there also " corner boy" pot dealing? Shouldn't the 20 shops eliminate the need for illegal dealing?

Police chief says "Gimme 30 days..." if she can solve this in 30 days she needs to be voted Mayor. "

I'm all for legalizing marijuana, but 20 quasi-legal weed shops in a 13-block stretch is overkill. And I'm not sure what, if anything, can be done about the intersection of 8th and H, because of the two major bus lines that intersect there. It's been an issue for decades, even during times when crime was comparatively low. I though tearing down that janky strip mall and replacing it with mixed-use would change things for the better, but it's only gotten worse.

Anonymous wrote:I am concerned with the crime, but I have been going to H Street every single week for the last 14 years (I get my hair cut there). It is still so much nicer than it was 14 years ago. I have never felt unsafe on H Street. I have also never let my guard down on H Street. Just because it looked nicer, the underlying element never left.

I think 14 years ago is almost exactly when you could say H street has turned the corner as a nice, vibrant neighborhood (where you should be careful especially after dark). It has definitely declined from 2019 to where it is now and the violence is much more random.

Anonymous wrote:I've been thinking this for a while. H street was on the rise for many years, then it kind of plateaued and now its on the decline. Its really quite sad and I don't see it rebounding. Pot shops, mini marts and fast food take out counters don't make a neighborhood. I do think competition from Navy Yard and the Warf contributed but crime is real. The packs of people standing around intersections smoking pot don't make for a very appealing destination. Whole Foods is the only thing holding it together.

Smoking pot on public space is illegal. That would be an easy quality of life issue for DC to address, as it reflects lawlessness.

I've been thinking this for a while. H street was on the rise for many years, then it kind of plateaued and now its on the decline. Its really quite sad and I don't see it rebounding. Pot shops, mini marts and fast food take out counters don't make a neighborhood. I do think competition from Navy Yard and the Warf contributed but crime is real. The packs of people standing around intersections smoking pot don't make for a very appealing destination. Whole Foods is the only thing holding it together.

I am concerned with the crime, but I have been going to H Street every single week for the last 14 years (I get my hair cut there). It is still so much nicer than it was 14 years ago. I have never felt unsafe on H Street. I have also never let my guard down on H Street. Just because it looked nicer, the underlying element never left.

There was a young guy curled up near Blue Mercury Cathedral Commons yesterday--fetal on the sidewalk. And everyone just walkin' on by. Please call 311 people for their wellness check services. We need to get people OFF the streets. If you are calling 311 every five minutes, maybe the city will legislate longer holds, more treatment. IDK. But if you ignore it they will as well. I do it all the time and didn't this time. It's your turn.

Anonymous wrote:These threads just bring out all of the people who love the "authentic" feel of crime in the city.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1108417.page


Pee, pot and rats.

But there’s a streetcar!

These threads just bring out all of the people who love the "authentic" feel of crime in the city.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1108417.page

Pee, pot and rats.

Oh God, here comes the "but H St is so vibrant" crowd. "The pot smell is freedom and equality, I love it". "The urine is just authenticity." "Stop making the crime stats up, DC is safe!"

And my favorite, "shoplifting and vandalism is a victimless crime. The insurance company will replace the glass and inventory!"

Really sad. I went to dinner on H St on Friday. The restaurant was great but the sidewalk scene is pretty grim. It was always “edgy” in the best of times but now even less inviting. I guess we can hope commercial rents will go down so businesses can move in …

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keep telling us everything is fine:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/11/20/h-street-corridor-dc-crime/

Mind boggling how any DC resident can keep voting for the same and expect better outcomes. What’s the definition of insanity again? Watch, in 2024 DC voters will prob triple down on this catastrophe. The district is now a total loss. At this point, the only solution is to try to wall it off so that their crime infested island doesn’t spill over to areas around them.

And to think, they argue they have the mental capacity to be a state when they can’t even do one of the very basic duties of govt, which is to ensure public safety and law and order.

R.I.P. H street.

Everything is apparently not at all fine with you, OP. I'm sorry. I hope you are able to get the help you need.

Same here. Hate to see it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keep telling us everything is fine:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/11/20/h-street-corridor-dc-crime/

Mind boggling how any DC resident can keep voting for the same and expect better outcomes. What’s the definition of insanity again? Watch, in 2024 DC voters will prob triple down on this catastrophe. The district is now a total loss. At this point, the only solution is to try to wall it off so that their crime infested island doesn’t spill over to areas around them.

And to think, they argue they have the mental capacity to be a state when they can’t even do one of the very basic duties of govt, which is to ensure public safety and law and order.

R.I.P. H street.

Everything is apparently not at all fine with you, OP. I'm sorry. I hope you are able to get the help you need.

Keep sticking your head in the sand while the city around you crumbles into a Snake Plisken theme park.

Keep telling us everything is fine:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/11/20/h-street-corridor-dc-crime/

Mind boggling how any DC resident can keep voting for the same and expect better outcomes. What’s the definition of insanity again? Watch, in 2024 DC voters will prob triple down on this catastrophe. The district is now a total loss. At this point, the only solution is to try to wall it off so that their crime infested island doesn’t spill over to areas around them.

And to think, they argue they have the mental capacity to be a state when they can’t even do one of the very basic duties of govt, which is to ensure public safety and law and order.

R.I.P. H street.