Comments on: Great Before and After Photos of the 14th Street Corridor http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/ Welcome to the beautiful life Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:38:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: ogden http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139450 ogden Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:05:23 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139450 It would be lovely if old buildings lasted forever, but they don't. They deteriorate and fall apart even with solid and consistent maintenance and repairs. And those brownstones on the now-Solea lot replaced something else that went before them, so they are no more victims than the new Solea building is. It is fun to see 'before and after' pictures though. Sometimes it is easy to forget how things used to be. It would be lovely if old buildings lasted forever, but they don’t. They deteriorate and fall apart even with solid and consistent maintenance and repairs.

And those brownstones on the now-Solea lot replaced something else that went before them, so they are no more victims than the new Solea building is.

It is fun to see ‘before and after’ pictures though. Sometimes it is easy to forget how things used to be.

]]> By: Jimmy D http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139449 Jimmy D Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:34:53 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139449 This is the link: http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2006/03/20/story5.html This is the link: http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2006/03/20/story5.html

]]> By: Jimmy D http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139448 Jimmy D Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:34:37 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139448 @ u street girl - thanks for the link. GGW then links to Washington Buz Journal, which has a little more detail about the Nehemiah project. @ u street girl – thanks for the link. GGW then links to Washington Buz Journal, which has a little more detail about the Nehemiah project.

]]> By: Robb Topolski http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139447 Robb Topolski Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:45:04 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139447 The Solea "Before" picture is almost identical to a building under renovation on 14th between N and Rhode Island. It's going to be a Subway sandwich shop. The Solea “Before” picture is almost identical to a building under renovation on 14th between N and Rhode Island. It’s going to be a Subway sandwich shop.

]]> By: U http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139446 U Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:18:16 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139446 What new buildings are you thinking of in Alexandria? I wouldn't say Potomac Yards (I know, its South Arlington not Alexandria, but I don't know what else you're talking about) has any "architectual character" to it even if it is not all glass. And the few places that were built in the latter part of this decade near the Alexandria federal court houses just look like early 90s Ballston to me. No architectual character to speak. And there are tons of high end glass condo buildings in Rosslyn that are this same type of new construction. But in DC, while you do have all these new glass condos, you also have new developments like the EYA one in Navy Yard that keeps a very "traditional" feel. I think it all depends on what the builder wants to build (i.e., what the builder thinks will sell), not anything to do with the policies of one jurisdiction or another. What new buildings are you thinking of in Alexandria? I wouldn’t say Potomac Yards (I know, its South Arlington not Alexandria, but I don’t know what else you’re talking about) has any “architectual character” to it even if it is not all glass. And the few places that were built in the latter part of this decade near the Alexandria federal court houses just look like early 90s Ballston to me. No architectual character to speak. And there are tons of high end glass condo buildings in Rosslyn that are this same type of new construction. But in DC, while you do have all these new glass condos, you also have new developments like the EYA one in Navy Yard that keeps a very “traditional” feel. I think it all depends on what the builder wants to build (i.e., what the builder thinks will sell), not anything to do with the policies of one jurisdiction or another.

]]> By: saf http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139445 saf Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:15:16 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139445 Carn - the Petrovich brothers retired. However, the mechanics spun off and are on 18th Place NE now - look up GTS auto. Tony and Carlos are still fixing cars, and are still honest and affordable. Carn – the Petrovich brothers retired. However, the mechanics spun off and are on 18th Place NE now – look up GTS auto. Tony and Carlos are still fixing cars, and are still honest and affordable.

]]> By: MK http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139444 MK Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:38:07 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139444 How does Alexandria, VA manage to put up new buildings and protect the architectural character of their city instead of destroying it? How does Alexandria, VA manage to put up new buildings and protect the architectural character of their city instead of destroying it?

]]> By: ontarioroader http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139443 ontarioroader Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:29:32 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139443 I miss Petrovich Auto also - and they were a really nice family [my sister went to school with their kid] and it sounds like they did well for themselves: http://dcist.com/2005/10/the_petrovichs_.php I miss Petrovich Auto also – and they were a really nice family [my sister went to school with their kid] and it sounds like they did well for themselves:

http://dcist.com/2005/10/the_petrovichs_.php

]]> By: U http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139442 U Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:05:23 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139442 Good, I'm glad we are all in agreement that tearing down the facade of the Nehemiah Shopping Center was a travesty that shall not be repeated in the future. Old stuff can be ugly too. Good, I’m glad we are all in agreement that tearing down the facade of the Nehemiah Shopping Center was a travesty that shall not be repeated in the future.

Old stuff can be ugly too.

]]> By: New2CH http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139441 New2CH Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:45:36 +0000 http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/11/great-before-and-after-photos-of-the-14th-street-corridor/#comment-139441 Urban planning was an utter and complete disaster in almost every major city from the 1950's into the 1980's, and D.C. was no exception. There is zero relationship between the urban planning stupidity of those decades: building the hideous crime-magnet housing projects we are still stuck with in CH today, tearing out huge swaths of gorgeous historic buildings, leveling entire entertainment districts (Hyde Park, Chicago) or even entire neighborhoods (old west end, Boston) for "public" use like gov't buildings, highways, or just to get rid of purported nuisance, etc. etc. What is happening now around metros is what SHOULD happen. High density development near public transit, retail and entertainment hubs, alternatives to vehicular ownership / infrastructure, etc. By any reasonable measure, an auto mechanic shop is just not making the best use of precsious space near a metro -- a low density, space intensive business that REQUIRES by definition driving to get to is the LAST thing you want within a five minute walk of a metro stop. D.C. has finally, decades late, and years after other cities like Boston, Chicago, and NYC, gotten, and is doing what it can to overcome the disastrous planning of a different era. Penalizing city gov't or developers now for the sins of the past makes no sense. But we can learn from them by preserving what historic structures remain and engaging in smart growth. Urban planning was an utter and complete disaster in almost every major city from the 1950′s into the 1980′s, and D.C. was no exception. There is zero relationship between the urban planning stupidity of those decades: building the hideous crime-magnet housing projects we are still stuck with in CH today, tearing out huge swaths of gorgeous historic buildings, leveling entire entertainment districts (Hyde Park, Chicago) or even entire neighborhoods (old west end, Boston) for “public” use like gov’t buildings, highways, or just to get rid of purported nuisance, etc. etc. What is happening now around metros is what SHOULD happen. High density development near public transit, retail and entertainment hubs, alternatives to vehicular ownership / infrastructure, etc. By any reasonable measure, an auto mechanic shop is just not making the best use of precsious space near a metro — a low density, space intensive business that REQUIRES by definition driving to get to is the LAST thing you want within a five minute walk of a metro stop. D.C. has finally, decades late, and years after other cities like Boston, Chicago, and NYC, gotten, and is doing what it can to overcome the disastrous planning of a different era. Penalizing city gov’t or developers now for the sins of the past makes no sense. But we can learn from them by preserving what historic structures remain and engaging in smart growth.

]]>