As I mentioned in a previous post, DC has not always been my favorite city. However, as I have lived here longer and longer, I have found more and more to love about life in the District. I frequently think that I should make lists so that I never forget what a wonderful place this is. So here goes– List #1. In no particular order, here are the highlights of our great neighborhood.
1. Rock Creek Park. Technically, this may not be in “our” neighborhood, but since it is only a mile away and since it is where I have logged hundreds of running miles, I think it counts. RCP is a national park and is an amazing forest within Washington, D.C.’s city limits. (Thank you for your tax dollars, which help maintain it!) With dozens of hiking (running!) trails; beautiful streams, trees, and wildlife; a nature center adjacent to horse stables; and some historical sites to boot, RCP is the perfect escape from city life. Some of the animals I’ve seen on runs in the park include hundreds of deer (some quite bold!), foxes, blue herons, and a hawk. I love witnessing the changing seasons and experiencing a bit of nature on a a regular basis.
2. The Takoma Rec Center. We live literally a 3-minute walk from the Takoma recreation center, which includes outdoor basketball & tennis courts, our amazing playground (see below), a kid-sized & Olympic-sized swimming pool, a community center, a baseball field, and a soccer field. It is such a privilege to have all of this at our doorstep, and we try to make good use of the open spaces and the facilities on a regular basis. I swam throughout both of my pregnancies and continue to frequent the pool to cross train on non-running days. (The rec center also offers a wide variety of classes and boasts a fitness center, but I’ve never availed myself of those amenities. Still-nice to know they’re there.)
**Incidentally- if you click on the link for the rec center, it takes you to a picture from the website for. . . Caleb’s employer. Yep, this gem was one of his company’s projects, though Caleb himself did not work on it.**
3. “Our” playground. I know there are many wonderful playgrounds all over the world, and there are several wonderful parks within walking distance. Still, I love the one by the Takoma Rec Center for several reasons. First, it is about a 7 minute walk from our house, so we can go any chance we can. Second, it has swings, which not all playgrounds do these days. Third, it is surrounded by beautiful shade trees, which are a must on those hot summer mornings! Fourth, it is a true cross section of the world. I have met au pairs from Thailand, Germany, and France; nannies from Honduras, Peru, St. Martin, and Costa Rica; moms from Mexico, England, Liberia, China, and Latvia; day care workers from Jamaica and the Dominican Republic; and Dads from El Salvador and Cuba. (Of course, there are plenty of born-andbred Americans, too.) What a mix! Finally, fifth, our playground is a community-building center. I know countless people in our neighborhood only because our kids play together regularly, and I treasure that connection to the community around us.
4. Walkability. In addition to the above-mentioned amenities around here, we also live less than a ten minute walk from a major grocery store, a pharmacy, a post office, a shoe store, three or four dry cleaners, several carry out restaurants, a few sit down restaurants, a variety of banks, a thrift store, a dollar store, multiple churches, and a public library. We can also access public transportation without problem, as we live steps from a bus line connecting us to the Metro (which itself is less than a 15-minute walk). We enjoy the convenience of having a car because we have kids but believe that if we were childless, we could easily get by with bikes, our feet, and public transportation. Even with kids, we occasionally go for days without using our car.
5. Coolidge High School. Living across the street from a large DC public high school is certainly a mixed blessing, but we enjoy being able to use their recently resurfaced track and football field (for playing soccer with Simona) during non-school hours. We also get to watch their drum line, football team, and cheerleading/dance squads practice, which is cheap entertainment to a young preschooler!
6. Our neighbors. Last but not least, we enjoy our neighbors. This is a predominantly African American, working class neighborhood, and many of our street’s residents have lived here for decades. Living in such close proximity to others- sharing walls, parking spaces, and sidewalks with them- can sometimes be difficult, but it creates shared space and shared experience nearly non-existent in the suburbs. We have been awakened by the police knocking on our neighbor’s door to deliver tragic news, and we have shared another neighbor’s joy at finally receiving a wheel chair for her disabled son. We have helped and been helped in snow removal and car repair efforts. Kids have spent lazy afternoons having a tea party with Simona on our porch or coloring with sidewalk chalk outside our house. Sometimes we feel like we live under a microscope, but we believe that sharing life with those around us has helped us feel connected to our street and neighborhood.
There you have it– the reasons I love our neighborhood. I will periodically be posting more lists about “What I love about DC.” Stay tuned!
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Other udpates: Simona has fallen and hurt her other top front tooth, so we’re waiting with bated breath and hoping that it will not also need to be pulled. Andreas is taking more and more unassisted steps, so we think he will be fully walking in the next week or so.
