Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Ledroit Park is a hub for middle class blacks, albeit of the younger variety. Unfortunately, we will eventually lose most of our residents to Silver Spring, Bowie, or God forbid, Northern Virginia.
I think the word is out about LP, Bloomingdale and even Eckington now. I've had so many friends who moved here from NYC or the West Coast who opted for Cleveland Park or Adams-Morgan first, but soon found their way to the Park. It just makes sense. It's cheaper than all of the other desirable neighborhoods in Northwest DC. The housing stock is just as beautiful (if not more beautiful). It provides a bit more of an urban flavor than the other neighborhoods, somewhat akin to Harlem. And it's close to Howard. There's something kinda cool about seeing young black physicians and residents coming home from the hospital in their scrubs after a long day. Honestly, I've been obsessed with the area for a long time now. I never want to leave.
Then buy the land instead of renting and keep fostering a sense of community
Then buy the land instead of renting and keep fostering a sense of community
I already bought my piece of the rock.
When most people leave, it's not so much that they can't afford to buy as it is they don't want to raise their kids in an urban environment. Many of my neighbors have left the city for the burbs once their kids reached school age. They don't want to chance it with DC public schools.
That's good about your cut of the dirt. Only things that can take it at this point are the bank (if it's not paid off) or the gubmint
DCPS is most certainly the major factor I'd say. If the government ever wants to retain all these smart people who've got money to spend and want to see their communities grow, they need to make DCPS attractive to them.
That's good about your cut of the dirt. Only things that can take it at this point are the bank (if it's not paid off) or the gubmint
DCPS is most certainly the major factor I'd say. If the government ever wants to retain all these smart people who've got money to spend and want to see their communities grow, they need to make DCPS attractive to them.
That's why I started a thread about magnet schools in DC. I don't know why the city doesn't have more. DC has a much larger educated class than Philly, yet Philly has many more magnets than DC and better performing ones at that.
Turn Eastern, Cardozo, McKinley and Wilson into magnets. The locations of the schools actually makes sense because they're all near Metro/bus lines and are centrally located (Wilson excepted). That would give the city a total of six magnets (the other two being Banneker and Walls). That's definitely a reason to stay in the city rather than booking it to Virginia.
I have a friend who teaches in DCPS and she says that they basically killed the idea of turning Eastern into a magnet, though. "Magnet school," in the minds of many, just means "white and privileged."
I thought McKinley already was a magnet (what with the whole "Technical HS" thing), guess not. And that's a sad line of thinking unfortunately... a magnet program could be good for the school as a whole.
That's why I started a thread about magnet schools in DC. I don't know why the city doesn't have more. DC has a much larger educated class than Philly, yet Philly has many more magnets than DC and better performing ones at that.
Turn Eastern, Cardozo, McKinley and Wilson into magnets. The locations of the schools actually makes sense because they're all near Metro/bus lines and are centrally located (Wilson excepted). That would give the city a total of six magnets (the other two being Banneker and Walls). That's definitely a reason to stay in the city rather than booking it to Virginia.
I have a friend who teaches in DCPS and she says that they basically killed the idea of turning Eastern into a magnet, though. "Magnet school," in the minds of many, just means "white and privileged."
I attribute the performance disparity to parenting. Socioeconomically and demographically, I lived in similar neighborhoods in Philly and in DC, but the cultural difference between the two communities is palpable. Philly, in my opinion, is generally more socially responsible and engaged when it comes to raising children.
Kids enrolled in a standard curriculum spend 80% of their waking hours outside of a structured classroom during the year. You get marginal performance returns from spending more money, increasing staffing and reforming curriculum if their education is not valued or emphasized by their parents and peers.
In my opinion, DC culture sets the bar relatively low for an acceptable level of personal responsibility compared to any other place that I have lived (basically Philly/NOLA); and I think it's reflected in our schools, our penal system and in the intensity of the gentrification debate.
I suppose I have to put in a disclaimer that this is my opinion of the aggregate culture of DC compared to my other experiences: I know it's not everyone and there are hard working single mothers trying to do their best etc etc etc.
I attribute the performance disparity to parenting. Socioeconomically and demographically, I lived in similar neighborhoods in Philly and in DC, but the cultural difference between the two communities is palpable. Philly, in my opinion, is generally more socially responsible and engaged when it comes to raising children.
Kids enrolled in a standard curriculum spend 80% of their waking hours outside of a structured classroom during the year. You get marginal performance returns from spending more money, increasing staffing and reforming curriculum if their education is not valued or emphasized by their parents and peers.
In my opinion, DC culture sets the bar relatively low for an acceptable level of personal responsibility compared to any other place that I have lived (basically Philly/NOLA); and I think it's reflected in our schools, our penal system and in the intensity of the gentrification debate.
I suppose I have to put in a disclaimer that this is my opinion of the aggregate culture of DC compared to my other experiences: I know it's not everyone and there are hard working single mothers trying to do their best etc etc etc.
I think it's much simpler than that.
Let's be real. DC is a majority black city and many black residents feel that "others" are encroaching on their territory. Instead of saying, "Magnet schools are wonderful. I'll make sure my kid gets into one of those so he can get the best education possible," they say, "Magnet schools? Y'all are just building those for the white folks. Just like dog parks!" And that's basically what it comes down to. We see examples of this mentality on C-D all the time.
"Streetcars? They're just building that for the white folks!"
"Grocery stores? They're just building those for the white folks!"
"Locking up drug dealers, fixing up houses, and restoring city services? They're just doing that for the white folks."
It's this type of thinking that puts guys like Vincent Gray in office. Philly is not a majority black city so we don't have to deal with this issue as much.
Let's be real. DC is a majority black city and many black residents feel that "others" are encroaching on their territory. Instead of saying, "Magnet schools are wondeful. I'll make sure my kid gets into one of those so he can get the best education possible," they say, "Magnet schools? Y'all are just building those for the white folks. Just like dog parks!" And that's basically what it comes down to. We see examples of this mentality on C-D all the time.
"Light rail? They're just building that for the white folks!"
"Grocery stores? They're just building those for the white folks!"
"Locking up drug dealers, fixing up houses, and restoring city services? They're just doing that for the white folks."
Because of this thinking, you get guys like Vincent Gray in office. Philly is not a majority black city so we don't have to deal with this issue as much.
I agree with your observations about the sentiments of DC residents about gentrification, but I don't think they hold those sentiments only because they are black or because it's a majority black city.
Philly is 43% black and the gentrifying neighborhoods are majority black. It's not terribly far from the DC make-up although there are differences. While many of the same issues surround gentrification there, the bitterness isn't as sharp, the racial divide isn't as wide and I think there is more cultural common-ground between the long-time residents and people moving in and between different socioeconomic classes in general.
I really don't know how to articulate it, but I feel as though there is a deep pride in working hard in Philly even if you're struggling, whereas there is a deep bitterness for having to work hard in DC if you're struggling. I think that adds the the unique cultural divide in DC, and is probably caused by the success gap in DC. Overall, I think that bitterness has led to a cultural environment in DC that can be overwhelmingly self defeating.
More to the point of this thread; I don't think there is nearly the same amount of resentment for a successful black professional in Philly as there is in DC.
Now there are plenty of each type of person in every city, but in aggregate, the cultural tones I get from DC are more self-destructive than anywhere I have lived.
P.S. I'll see your Mayor Gray, and I'll raise you one Mayor Street.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
