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Gravel Road

November 13, 2007 on 5:52 pm | In The District | No Comments

Back in mid-October, it seems the DC Department of Transportation decided to re-do our road. This was much needed, as I’d often told friends that the condition of our road likely resembled many a war-torn area. After a week straight of not being allowed to park our cars on our street, we were blessed with. . . a gravel road. The process of un-paving our street has been complete for several weeks, and we are hopeful that we’ll have a fancy new blacktop surface soon. In the meantime, I figure everyone loves a good Top Ten, so I thought I’d share my ten favorite things about living on a gravel road:

1. It’s easy to give directions. “. . . north on 7th, then take the first gravel road on your right.” Can’t miss it.

2. Gravel has done wonders to slow down the speeders on our street.

3. This experience has made me admire the efficiency of the Georgia DOT.

4. Parking is easier to find, as gravel deters those non-residents who’d been choosing to park on our street.

5. Though it’s not quite a dirt road, there’s still something quaint about living on an unpaved road.

6. The dust covering our block’s cars has increased business at car washes on Georgia Avenue, which in turn strengthens the local economy.

7. It deters crime, as getaway cars can’t make such a smooth escape anymore.

8. It helps distinguish our street from similar small one-ways around it.

9. Who else in DC can say they live on a gravel road?

10. And last but not least, living on a gravel road helps me appreciate relative smooth condition of the pot-holed, metal-plate-covered streets throughout the District.