It’s just one of those neighborhoods where the Dorothys (male and female) realize they aren’t in Kansas anymore. The pathology of poverty still has a very strong presence there. If anything the bougies who moved in create more opportunities for crime.

Anonymous wrote:Of course there's a bad reputation. People just put up with a lot to be close to the metro and the DC USA build-out.

Columbia Heights was horrible when I moved here 11 years ago and its just as bad today. If you chose to move there knowing that it had 'issues' that's on you.

I wouldn’t view being near DC USA as a plus.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:it's true that Malcolm X park is not called Murder Park today, but the neighborhood is dicey. I don't think the new development was done well either. There are some good bistros, but still seedy rather than charming overall.

that's not columbia heights

back in the day it was the bottom border of danger zone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course there's a bad reputation. People just put up with a lot to be close to the metro and the DC USA build-out.

Columbia Heights was horrible when I moved here 11 years ago and its just as bad today. If you chose to move there knowing that it had 'issues' that's on you.

Now imagine the DCUSA site as a trash-filled vacant lot, the Tivoli complex rotting away, zero new condo buildings and perhaps the worst Giant in DC and you can imagine what it was like 20 years ago, when I lived there. There were basically zero restaurants apart from a few Chinese-food places and (I think) a Subway, few businesses apart from the aforementioned awful Giant and bulletproof-glass liquor stores and next to zero foot traffic after dark on 14th, making it a street to avoid.

So yeah, it's way better than it was. But putting a poorly designed shopping mall and a few cheaply built luxury apartment building there clearly isn't the solution, as we've all seen over the years.

this is not what it looked like 20 years ago.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be more drive by shootings by the day in Columbia Heights compared to any other neighborhood yet it still seems to not get a bad reputation when you speak to people. What is going on?

It has a terrible reputation. I owned a place there back in early 2000s, it was on the upswing with new restaurants and the target. It started going down hill again about 5 years ago. So glad I moved to another DC neighborhood. Its a shit show. When I have to drive through there now there are so many drugged out guys on heroin, meth etc passed out in plaza. The few decent restaurants are closed (Petes, The Heights). So many more drive by shootings on 14th and no end in sight. There is way too much public housing concentrated in one area. I did make a ton of money though when I sold.

The last time I went to that Target, I couldn't believe what a mess it was. So many out of stock items, etc. Really sorry to see that whole area go to pot, but that's what it looks like is happening there. I'm starting to question if it's even safe to shop there in the daytime now.

My DD lived in a lovely row house on 13th and Columbia last year. The roommates she moved in with were young women who had lived there for 5 years and never had a problem. Last year, the day before the fourth of July, a bullet went through their front window. She told me they used to guess "fireworks or gun shot." It's sad because it was on the upswing but... yikes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be more drive by shootings by the day in Columbia Heights compared to any other neighborhood yet it still seems to not get a bad reputation when you speak to people. What is going on?

It has a terrible reputation. I owned a place there back in early 2000s, it was on the upswing with new restaurants and the target. It started going down hill again about 5 years ago. So glad I moved to another DC neighborhood. Its a shit show. When I have to drive through there now there are so many drugged out guys on heroin, meth etc passed out in plaza. The few decent restaurants are closed (Petes, The Heights). So many more drive by shootings on 14th and no end in sight. There is way too much public housing concentrated in one area. I did make a ton of money though when I sold.

The last time I went to that Target, I couldn't believe what a mess it was. So many out of stock items, etc. Really sorry to see that whole area go to pot, but that's what it looks like is happening there. I'm starting to question if it's even safe to shop there in the daytime now.

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be more drive by shootings by the day in Columbia Heights compared to any other neighborhood yet it still seems to not get a bad reputation when you speak to people. What is going on?

It has a terrible reputation. I owned a place there back in early 2000s, it was on the upswing with new restaurants and the target. It started going down hill again about 5 years ago. So glad I moved to another DC neighborhood. Its a shit show. When I have to drive through there now there are so many drugged out guys on heroin, meth etc passed out in plaza. The few decent restaurants are closed (Petes, The Heights). So many more drive by shootings on 14th and no end in sight. There is way too much public housing concentrated in one area. I did make a ton of money though when I sold.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:it's true that Malcolm X park is not called Murder Park today, but the neighborhood is dicey. I don't think the new development was done well either. There are some good bistros, but still seedy rather than charming overall.

that's not columbia heights

Columbia Heights is roughly bounded by 16th street on the west, Sherman on the east, Spring on the north, and Florida on the south. If you only consider Columbia Heights to be the DCUSA area it’s easy to see the misunderstanding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course there's a bad reputation. People just put up with a lot to be close to the metro and the DC USA build-out.

Columbia Heights was horrible when I moved here 11 years ago and its just as bad today. If you chose to move there knowing that it had 'issues' that's on you.

Now imagine the DCUSA site as a trash-filled vacant lot, the Tivoli complex rotting away, zero new condo buildings and perhaps the worst Giant in DC and you can imagine what it was like 20 years ago, when I lived there. There were basically zero restaurants apart from a few Chinese-food places and (I think) a Subway, few businesses apart from the aforementioned awful Giant and bulletproof-glass liquor stores and next to zero foot traffic after dark on 14th, making it a street to avoid.

So yeah, it's way better than it was. But putting a poorly designed shopping mall and a few cheaply built luxury apartment building there clearly isn't the solution, as we've all seen over the years.

Don't forget El Rinconcito!! We moved there when there were nothing but empty lots - the Tivoli empty lot where the new Giant is - was a literal shanty town with a full garden. Which was fine...just some Latino immigrants who drank too much but were no issues other then that. At least they were using the space. And the meat the Giant used to be green. I kid you not. You would get off the metro at 9pm and be the only one getting off! I can remember one time getting off with a younger woman and we agreed to walk together as far as we could for safety.

Always been violent crime - drive by shootings. What is interesting is we saw more crime there then anyplace we have lived in DC - even DuPont in the 90s - and yet nothing ever happened to us or our property. It was a great community who looked out for each other. Biggest problem spots were near the public housing especially 13th and Columbia. But, how do you fix that? We need diversity of housing and more affordable.

The thing is, Columbia Heights has more "diversity of housing" than probably 99 percent of all other DC neighborhoods. The problem is that the diversity is either luxury or subsidized housing. There's no in between, because developers don't profit from the in between.

Anonymous wrote:it's true that Malcolm X park is not called Murder Park today, but the neighborhood is dicey. I don't think the new development was done well either. There are some good bistros, but still seedy rather than charming overall.

that's not columbia heights

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course there's a bad reputation. People just put up with a lot to be close to the metro and the DC USA build-out.

Columbia Heights was horrible when I moved here 11 years ago and its just as bad today. If you chose to move there knowing that it had 'issues' that's on you.

Now imagine the DCUSA site as a trash-filled vacant lot, the Tivoli complex rotting away, zero new condo buildings and perhaps the worst Giant in DC and you can imagine what it was like 20 years ago, when I lived there. There were basically zero restaurants apart from a few Chinese-food places and (I think) a Subway, few businesses apart from the aforementioned awful Giant and bulletproof-glass liquor stores and next to zero foot traffic after dark on 14th, making it a street to avoid.

So yeah, it's way better than it was. But putting a poorly designed shopping mall and a few cheaply built luxury apartment building there clearly isn't the solution, as we've all seen over the years.

Don't forget El Rinconcito!! We moved there when there were nothing but empty lots - the Tivoli empty lot where the new Giant is - was a literal shanty town with a full garden. Which was fine...just some Latino immigrants who drank too much but were no issues other then that. At least they were using the space. And the meat the Giant used to be green. I kid you not. You would get off the metro at 9pm and be the only one getting off! I can remember one time getting off with a younger woman and we agreed to walk together as far as we could for safety.

Always been violent crime - drive by shootings. What is interesting is we saw more crime there then anyplace we have lived in DC - even DuPont in the 90s - and yet nothing ever happened to us or our property. It was a great community who looked out for each other. Biggest problem spots were near the public housing especially 13th and Columbia. But, how do you fix that? We need diversity of housing and more affordable.

Anonymous wrote:Of course there's a bad reputation. People just put up with a lot to be close to the metro and the DC USA build-out.

Columbia Heights was horrible when I moved here 11 years ago and its just as bad today. If you chose to move there knowing that it had 'issues' that's on you.

Now imagine the DCUSA site as a trash-filled vacant lot, the Tivoli complex rotting away, zero new condo buildings and perhaps the worst Giant in DC and you can imagine what it was like 20 years ago, when I lived there. There were basically zero restaurants apart from a few Chinese-food places and (I think) a Subway, few businesses apart from the aforementioned awful Giant and bulletproof-glass liquor stores and next to zero foot traffic after dark on 14th, making it a street to avoid.

So yeah, it's way better than it was. But putting a poorly designed shopping mall and a few cheaply built luxury apartment building there clearly isn't the solution, as we've all seen over the years.

it's true that Malcolm X park is not called Murder Park today, but the neighborhood is dicey. I don't think the new development was done well either. There are some good bistros, but still seedy rather than charming overall.

Of course there's a bad reputation. People just put up with a lot to be close to the metro and the DC USA build-out.

Columbia Heights was horrible when I moved here 11 years ago and its just as bad today. If you chose to move there knowing that it had 'issues' that's on you.

There seems to be more drive by shootings by the day in Columbia Heights compared to any other neighborhood yet it still seems to not get a bad reputation when you speak to people. What is going on?