My least favorite streets in DC, part 2

Public Spaces

My least favorite streets in DC, part 2

by Dave Murphy • June 23, 2010 2:06 pm

Yesterday, I listed ten of my least favorite streets in DC. Here are the ten that topped the list:

Michigan Avenue is born on a high speed interchange that is an affront to the Park View neighborhood, imposing on its view of the McMillian Reservoir. From there, it separates a hospital center fit for Gaithersburg West from a prime tract of real estate that we can't quite seem to develop properly.

And from there, it's all downhill. It runs past a series of sprawling Catholic institutions, including Catholic University, its only intersections being Irving Street and the entrances to the car-oriented facilities. It actually drives over a Metro station, but development of the area has been stymied by neighbors more interested in having industrial parking lots instead of some retail and green space. Beyond 12th Street, it's any other residential avenue to the Maryland Line, where it becomes Queens Chapel Road, another infamous wider-than-it-needs-to-be PG County thoroughfare.

9) Van Ness Street NW

To the west, Van Ness Street starts in a pathetically out of place suburban neighborhood in Spring Valley. There are no sidewalks, and the houses are rather disappointing for Spring Valley. In a neighborhood where you'd expect palatial mansions, these look like something out of Olney.

At the other end, it fronts a couple of nasty super blocks that eliminate any street grids. Van Ness Street is fronted by a fence to protect you from the horrible modern architecture. And this is all right on top of Van Ness Metro.

8) New York Avenue NE/NW

Where to start? The freeway signs hanging over a historic downtown neighborhood? The freeway style set up along the train tracks? The traffic? The lack of a safe pedestrian environment? The cut through at the nameless circle at Montana Avenue? The truck stop urbanism at Bladensburg Road? The failed attempt to improve on that truck stop urbanism? The fact that one of the monumental avenues with vistas to the White House has been transformed into a poor man's freeway? Or the emaciation of the Ivy City neighborhood caused by said freeway? I'll let you pick.

7) North Capitol Street

Parts of this famous, historic axis are some of the most beautiful in the city. But for what it should be, one of the primary approaches to the seat of our nation's government, it falls disappointingly short.

From the southern vehicular terminus, D Street, the first thing you pass on the right are two giant surface parking lots, considered the most offensive parking lots in the city. They sit between the Capitol and Union Station. Apparently we haven't found a more suitable use for some of the most expensive real estate on earth beyond free parking for congressional staff.

North of there, there are steadily improving blocks in NoMa. But just before New York Avenue, the underpasses begin. I can understand one underpass here and there, but North Capitol has three. The worst part is that they make it impossible to cross North Capitol at adjacent blocks.

In Bloomingdale, there's the undeveloped lot at the McMillian sand filtration site, a suburban hospital complex, and then a gigantic freeway cloverleaf that serves no real purpose at Irving Street. Beyond that is basically a freeway to nowhere until Taylor Street, where it eventually becomes a residential artery. This is hardly the monumental thoroughfare it ought to be.

6) Delaware Avenue SW

I bet many years before I was born, this was actually a very charming street with breathtaking views of the Capitol. Stand at Delaware and M today, and you get a view of parking lots. There's definitely no view of the Capitol. North of the freeway the road was removed to make way for acres of free parking for congressional staff. And if you're looking for charming row houses, try one of the other 13 Colonies. Everything on Delaware Avenue, including much of the street grid, fell victim to urban renewal. If you enjoy hideous architecture, by all means bring your camera.

5) E Street NW

Ah, the monumental street that creates the axis between the White House and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. What amazing views one must have walking down this street. Wrong. At 20th Street, E Street becomes an expressway. What should be a monumental entrance to the Kennedy Center is a spaghetti freeway interchange.

4) Malcolm X Avenue SE
I have never felt safe driving on Malcolm X Avenue, which is odd because I feel perfectly safe walking on the less secluded, more well lit MLK Avenue it crosses. But what really infuriates me is that instead of a civil rights memorial or an African American history museum, the corner of MLK and Malcolm X has a fried chicken chain across the street from a liquor store. Bad urban planning has never been so racist.

3) Chappie James Blvd SW
Every time I have ever been on Bolling AFB I cringe at the painfully wasteful land use. Had this not been a military base, this would probably be one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in DC. Instead, Chappie James Blvd is the main road through the base, and although it is more than a mile and a half long, and it is not fronted by a single building. This, of course, keeps the views of the snout-fronted servicemen housing wide open.

2) Fort Lincoln Drive NE

It's as if someone cut a piece out of Loudoun County and transplanted it where the Anacostia River meets the Maryland line. This sprawling mess of a development is probably more out of place than any other in the District. Fort Lincoln Drive is excessively wide, and it has practically no cross streets. There's nowhere to cross to get to that sprawling recreation complex.

The rear alley parking setup that seems to work for all the adjacent neighborhoods is not present here. Instead, the Fort Lincoln neighborhood forgoes front lawns or porches for paved parking. They will need those spaces when the big box development at the edge of the neighborhood will not be reachable on foot despite being less than half a mile away. Of course, you can't see any of that from Fort Lincoln Drive itself, because it is not fronted by a single building for its entire length.

1) Constitution Avenue NW

Freeway fed at the western end and excessively wide with no median, it is hard to decide whether it is more unsafe to walk or drive on Constitution. This certainly isn't the most pedestrian unfriendly road in the area, or even the city, but considering it fronts the Mall, several museums, most of the major monuments and memorials, the Ellipse, and of course the Capitol, this road sees a good deal more tourists and recreation seekers than most others, and it is designed like an urban speedway.

Dishonorable mentions:

Firth Stirling Avenue SE: Stark, traffic clogged landscape
Naylor Road SE: Inconsistent building types and an unsafe feel
Brentwood Road NE: Blank walls and big boxes next to Metro
Virginia Avenue NW/SW: Freeway feel in the north, industrial access road in the south
T Street SW: Surface parking and dead industrial buildings on a riverfront approach
Blair Road NW: Horrible blank wall along the train tracks
Klingle Road NW: Freeway interchange to a closed and neglected traffic sewer through the woods

Are these the worst streets in DC? What streets would you say are the worst?

60 comments

Tags: DC, public spaces

My least favorite streets in DC, part 1 (Jun 22, 2010)
St. Elizabeths plan threatens South Capitol Trail (Jan 11, 2011)
Build a circle at North Capitol and Irving (May 5, 2009)
South Capitol: L'Enfant strikes back (Feb 17, 2008)
Traffic is poisoning Ivy City (Dec 17, 2008)

Dave Murphy is a Geographic Analyst for the Department of Defense and a US Army veteran. He is also a part time bouncer. He was born in Foggy Bottom and is a lifelong resident of the DC area. He currently resides in the Eckington neighborhood of Northeast.

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In fairness to Van Ness Street, that fence is for the Chinese embassy.

And you should see the fence our Embassy in Beijing has. Not even East Germans in the late 1980s could have scaled it.

by ah on Jun 23, 2010 2:16 pm • link • report

While one could quibble about the order of the affronts, few would object to the list in total.

Nice job!

Now, let's make Washington greater by doing something about it!

by Andrew on Jun 23, 2010 2:17 pm • link • report

I'm thankful that you didn't list Sherman Ave NW, which is an expressway currently but will undergo imminent and huge transformations thanks to the Great Streets Initiative.

One down, 20 to go!

by Erik on Jun 23, 2010 2:18 pm • link • report

@ah
Our embassy in Ottawa is pretty fortified, too. But those Canadians are pretty violent, so it's probably worth it.

by Matt Johnson on Jun 23, 2010 2:19 pm • link • report

Re: Van Ness. Real classy singling out someone's home and trashing it. Little taste police comments are what turn off the mainstream to all of these arguments.

by JTS on Jun 23, 2010 2:29 pm • link • report

I was just about to ask why Naylor Road wasn't on this list. If it was a top 25 list, Naylor Road should be 22nd or 21st.

by C. R. on Jun 23, 2010 2:33 pm • link • report

North Capitol Street is the most efficient means of commuting from Silver Spring to the Mall. And given the projects that need to be razed along the southern most underpass (from which I was spit upon while stopped at that light while riding my motorcycle for no reason by said hoodrat thugs), the underpass are probably for the best. Prevents the beasts from carjackings.

by Redline SOS on Jun 23, 2010 2:34 pm • link • report

I'm tired of people hating the E street.

Maybe the problem is they shouldn't have put that Kremlinesque temple of mediocrity where it is, and stop hating the E.

And an axis between the WH and Kennedy center. Draw a line. That isn't E st.

Perhaps a better use would be to argue for E st across the Ellipse to be opened up once again for traffic, which would also reduce the number of cars on Constitution.

by charlie on Jun 23, 2010 2:34 pm • link • report

What exactly is that prime piece of real estate south of Michigan Ave. in Brookland?

by zib23 on Jun 23, 2010 2:37 pm • link • report

I find it strange that an inordinately small number of these streets are in Northwest. NW is the largest quadrant of the city, but it has the fewest of your least favorite streets? Hmm.

Also, as someone who lives near Van Ness Street, I must defend its eastern part. Superblocks are hard to defend, but they've been there since at least when that area was the National Institute of Standards and Technology campus. And the fences are because of the embassies there. The one you link to in Street View is for the Chinese embassy, I believe.

by Tim on Jun 23, 2010 2:47 pm • link • report

@ah
Our embassy in Ottawa is pretty fortified, too. But those Canadians are pretty violent, so it's probably worth it.

No doubt. It's the embassy building code these days everywhere. It's unfortunate, but after the experiences in Beirut, Kenya, and elsewhere . . .

by ah on Jun 23, 2010 2:48 pm • link • report

missing out on the fact that E street was closed for no good reason south of the white house is a bit of a miss here, dave. i mean, i guess i can understand the closing of pennsylvania avenue (though i still hate it) due to the proximity to the building. but closing e street? if a truck bomb is going to damage the white house from that distance, you might as well close 17th, 15th, H street, heck, even 14th while you're at it.

worst securicrat overreach in all of DC. the first president who would force its reopening should get chisled on mt. rushmore the next day.

by IMGoph on Jun 23, 2010 2:51 pm • link • report

Wow really, you complain about what a house looks like? That house looks fine, let's see what your humble abode resembles.

by Martin on Jun 23, 2010 2:51 pm • link • report

Given its size, I think SW is a little over represented on these two lists, but whatever.

That interchange on North Capitol and Irving annoys me as it seems massively overbuilt and the speed limit seems artificially low on that stretch. You feel as if you are on a highway but the speed limit is 35. I suppose they could raise the speed limit on that one stretch but it wouldn't do much in terms of throughput. I imagine any traffic calming would be wasted without a larger redevelopment of that wholw intersection.

by Steven Yates on Jun 23, 2010 2:51 pm • link • report

Yes Dave, please post a picture of your house or your apartment, so we can be as obnoxiously judgmental about it as you are of everything else.

Why is he allowed to post here?

by anon on Jun 23, 2010 2:53 pm • link • report

I find it strange that an inordinately small number of these streets are in Northwest. NW is the largest quadrant of the city, but it has the fewest of your least favorite streets? Hmm.

Environmental racism...

by oboe on Jun 23, 2010 2:54 pm • link • report

Whats wrong with the home on VanNess that is a real douchebag move just because its not what you expect so what.

What wrong with the Chicken place on MLK & MLX its business if the market buys chicken you sell chicken plain and simple. If the market did not want chicken Popeyes would be out of business at that location and they have been there atleast a good 20 years probably more and it looks like there doing fine to me.

Whats wrong with not having a front lawn ? Not all people want them or the maintenance of cutting grass and some just dont like grass.

FYI on the front lawns no new houses have front yards or porches unless it was asked for by the owner or built on acres of land. The only houses you see with large front lawns are the houses built 40 + years ago.

In the old days people use to actually sit on there porches and converse with neighbors and children use to play out front but that has all changed with people doing that in there back yards now.

How many problems are on your list are real problems and not just cosmetic reasons. What portion of the stuff you listed has an effect on the people that reside in these areas more than the design of a house or the type of restaurant/store.

Were your opinions based on time spent in the areas or based on driving past ? Have you actually got out and went somewhere in these areas you are bagging on or used the public transit in the areas or asked people who live and work around these places on their opinions ?

by kk on Jun 23, 2010 2:59 pm • link • report

And coming back to the defense of SW (after reading more closely), you see ONE parking lot at the intersection of Delaware and M SW and that's the rather modest one for the temporary 1D Police HQ (which used to be a school). It's also not directly on the corner. Two of the other corners have apartments. The forth corner has an empty lot (anyone know what's going there?).

The building you point out on Delaware I actually have a personal dislike for, since it has equipment on the roof that disrupts my viewshield of the Capitol. (wink)

by Steven Yates on Jun 23, 2010 3:03 pm • link • report

Haters gonna hate in these comments, Dave, but these have been great posts. Living in Park View, I must highly agree with you about the Michigan Ave and Irving/N Capitol interchange fiascoes. Also, the Kennedy Center may as well be in Arlington for how connected it is. Sink 66 if you must, but give us back a developable, walkable grid from G to C!

by Fritz C on Jun 23, 2010 3:05 pm • link • report

missing out on the fact that E street was closed for no good reason south of the white house is a bit of a miss here

The "good" reason for retaining it is that it allows for loads of extra parking for the WH complex. But, yes, still inexcusable. It should at least be opened during rush hour periods. Closing it on weekends and, say 10-3 and evenings, wouldn't be so bad, and would allow tourists better access to the ellipse and front (back?) of the WH).

by ah on Jun 23, 2010 3:09 pm • link • report

Again with the SW attack.....whatever...I did like the list however belittling to my neck of the woods. I personally would have singled out M & Wisconsin NW...Small side walks, heavy traffic, zero greenspace...etc, etc. But that's just me.

by SW Biker on Jun 23, 2010 3:18 pm • link • report

OMG I love the phrase "truck stop urbanism." Did you invent that? Google found only one other document with that phrase - I predict it will grow!

by M.V. Jantzen on Jun 23, 2010 3:18 pm • link • report

Rather lame to bash a "pathetically out of place" neighborhood and a person's house.

And the gripe about what's located on the corner of MLK and Malcolm X is also lame. Does anyone really think a museum would somehow fit into that corner?

And apparently the presence of any parking lot automatically earns a scowl. Apparently, the proletariat should simply take mass transit and not be allowed to own cars.

Overall, a good list. But the whining about some of the issues really detracts from the list.

by Fritz on Jun 23, 2010 3:23 pm • link • report

A lot of great stuff in both of your posts! I especially liked how you called out areas of the city (e.g. near the hospital center) that are wasted land and inner city expressways crying out for walkable places to be built in them.

by MLD on Jun 23, 2010 3:31 pm • link • report

Re Constitution Ave: yes, the great width makes it difficult to cross, and this road sees many tourists. But DC in general is pretty tourist-hostile, I'd say. I can't think of anyone who advocates for them. The Visitors Bureau or whatever they're called dedicates it ernergies into marketing the city, not improving the city.

And what would you recommend for Const Ave? I doubt narrowing the street is feasible, though curb bulbs might work.

There was once a proposal to rebuild Roosevelt bridge to extend Const Ave straight across the river, for a grand vista, though the Capitol isn't technically at the end of the avenue. Do you think that would help?

by M.V. Jantzen on Jun 23, 2010 3:37 pm • link • report

And coming back to the defense of SW ... The forth corner has an empty lot (anyone know what's going there?).

this is the last I heard:

http://southwestquadrant.blogspot.com/2009/08/st-matthews-lot-is-getting-cleared.html

by wd on Jun 23, 2010 3:58 pm • link • report

I've spent years in SW. The reason it appears on lists like this so often is because so much of it so, so awkward and wrong. Its presence on this list is not dispropportionate.

by actuallySWisTerrible on Jun 23, 2010 4:05 pm • link • report

The houses on Fort Lincoln Drive NE don't give up their front yards for parking. They give up their backyards for parking. You're linking to a view of the backs of the houses (from "Robert Clifton Weaver Way NE," which is just a named alley), but the actual address of those homes is 32xx Fort Lincoln Dr NE. It's similar to alley parking in back in a traditional rowhouse neighborhood.

I propose adding Military Rd NW to the list. The only upper northwest crossing of Rock Creek Park, it isn't bike-friendly, and doesn't accommodate pedestrians at all. I thought there was even a "pedestrians prohibited" sign, but while I can't find it on Street View, the lack of sidewalks is clear enough. Klingle Rd NW, another auto-centric Rock Creek Park crossing, has such a sign.

by Scott F on Jun 23, 2010 4:19 pm • link • report

@ Scott F

There is a sidewalk on the other side of Klingle; there should be 2 but one is better than nothing.

by kk on Jun 23, 2010 4:35 pm • link • report

Regarding Van Ness Street: I had absolutely no intention of singling out a single house, and I apologize for opening it up to be perceived that way. I was calling out the style of houses in that neighborhood, which in my opinion (and this was all opinion here) Do not reflect the housing styles in the rest of the city. Fortunately, they are rather secluded, but for my money, they are an eyesore.

by Dave Murphy on Jun 23, 2010 4:39 pm • link • report

kk: Huh. I've biked across Klingle/Porter, so I'm surprised I didn't notice! Military Road, however, is completely without sidewalks. So that definitely deserves a place as one of the worst streets in DC.

by Scott F on Jun 23, 2010 4:41 pm • link • report

As for Southwest, There is a lot of architecture and urban design down there that I found utterly hideous. That having been said, I would live in Southwest if given the chance. In fact, I adjusted my house hunt to look for smaller than what I was otherwise looking for if I could buy in Southwest.

As much as I love SW, though, I think streets like Delaware, H, I, K, N, 2nd, and 5th need to be reconnected, and I think that the quadrant is moving in the right direction currently.

by Dave Murphy on Jun 23, 2010 4:54 pm • link • report

And for those of you asking about my house:

I live in a log-cabin-cum-bungalow of of Rt 1 in Laurel. It's not a very attractive house, but it's what I could afford as an E-4 in the Army during the housing boom. I am currently in the process of selling in and moving back into the city.

by Dave Murphy on Jun 23, 2010 4:57 pm • link • report

@ ah,

I thought the fence fronted UDC, thanks for the info. I hate the way our embassies overseas look more like compounds than some of the beautiful structures other countries have chosen to represent themselves here in DC. I fully understand (and have lived) the security measures, but it is truly a shame, and I think it sends an awful message that we barricade ourselves at most of our embassies.

by Dave Murphy on Jun 23, 2010 5:00 pm • link • report

@ Tim,

I believe, for the most part, Northwest has some of the best streets. It's not a coincidence that real estate often demands a higher premium there. I believe that this is because much of NW has been built well, built to last, and built to be remembered.

by Dave Murphy on Jun 23, 2010 5:05 pm • link • report

@ zib23

Prince piece of real estate I was referencing was the former sand filtration plant that has been up for redevelopment for quite some time now.

by Dave Murphy on Jun 23, 2010 5:06 pm • link • report

Dave - From the street view it looks like there's one in front of UDC as well. I was referring to the one on the Chinese Embassy side of the street. Your criticism of horrible modern architecture probably applies equally to both.

by ah on Jun 23, 2010 5:33 pm • link • report

Good work, Dave. I agree with virtually all of your calls, and I've observed a lot of these problems on my own when I've been out shopping for a home. The only street I would add is H Street. The stretch between 4th NW and 4th NE is so ugly and unsafe that, to me, it makes the vitality of the western and eastern halves frustrating -- so close, and yet!

by tom veil on Jun 23, 2010 5:35 pm • link • report

Good list -- I was surprised and delighted to see Van Ness on there. The only thing I would add is that the traffic light at Van Ness and Connecticut has to be one of the worst lights in the whole city. It is the only intersection on Connecticut Avenue where northbound and southbound traffic get a turn arrow at the same time, but there are no dedicated turn lanes. This causes routine backups of three or four blocks on the northbound side of Connecticut, because if the first car at the light is going straight but has an arrow, then nobody can move, and if the first car is turning but doesn't have the arrow, then nobody can move. So more often than not, the left lane of a major thoroughfare is completely blocked. It's a huge mess.

by Anon on Jun 23, 2010 5:39 pm • link • report

"Fortunately, they are rather secluded, but for my money, they are an eyesore. "

if that's an eyesore, I'd hate to see what would happen if I dropped you off near the projects with a few cans of gasoline and a lighter

by Martin on Jun 23, 2010 5:43 pm • link • report

DC should make a list, starting with these, of streets it wants to redevelop. They could be Great Streets "targeted corridors" or something more modest -- maybe just Livable Streets.

There also be incentives to develop surface lots city-wide, e.g. tax breaks and higher density.

by Gavin on Jun 23, 2010 6:11 pm • link • report

@ Martin,
I think what you are implying is wholly inappropriate.

by Dave Murphy on Jun 23, 2010 7:24 pm • link • report

The City Paper had a great feature article on New York Avenue about 20 years ago. There was a reference to it as "the Devil's bowling alley." Still apt.

by Steve on Jun 23, 2010 9:29 pm • link • report

Once the new interchange bridges at DC-295 and I-295 are constructed, New York Ave can be put on a major road diet as there will be no need for the traffic to cut through NE to reach the I-395 central cut from the John Hanson Hwy/50 in Md.

by Transport. on Jun 23, 2010 9:36 pm • link • report

Only if you upgrade the rest of DC 295 in the process. As is, it can't handle enough additional volume from NY Ave to where you could "road diet" NY Ave.

by Froggie on Jun 24, 2010 7:08 am • link • report

This is a great list...

However, I'd personally add Florida Avenue NW/NE.

It was originally intended to be a simple quiet, residential street on the edge of town (Boundary Street), and was subsequently given the same property line boundaries (house front to opposing house front) as neighboring streets (R St, S St, T St, etc). And then at some point the city decided to chop off every houses' front lawn (leaving their front steps to empty directly into the street itself), just to add a lane in each direction.

Add to this the goatf*ck that is the NY/FL Ave NE intersection and you've got a wonderful mess on your hands.

Other than that, I'd definitely echo the sentiment of those above who mentioned Military Road.

And as far as the liquor store and fried chicken restaurant at MLK and Malcom X Aves... If there was no demand, there'd be no supply - plain and simple. If there's a market for something, it will be tapped. Nothing wrong with that.

by Josh C. on Jun 24, 2010 10:32 am • link • report

Josh,
I agree about Florida and NY, although I think Florida has some really nice parts to it. As for Malcolm X, I really can't buy the free market argument. First of all, River East has waaay more liquor stores than it needs, any resident will tel you that. Second of all, I bet a McDonald's on the corner of 14th and Madison Drive would get a ton of business, but we've taken it upon ourselves to reserve that corner for something a little more meaningful.

by Dave Murphy on Jun 24, 2010 12:08 pm • link • report

What is River East?

by JMG on Jun 24, 2010 12:53 pm • link • report

@JMG, What is River East?

It's all the communities east of the Anacostia River ... including the neigbhorhood known as Anacostia. Those of us in River West oftentimes incorrectly refer to the whole area as 'Anacostia'. And the folks there have pointed out that doing so is like someone referring to all parts of North West as 'Georgetown' ....

by Lance on Jun 24, 2010 1:00 pm • link • report

@ Lance

Ha, I've seen that nomenclature on this blog before and I was just trying to point out the ludicrousness of this Orwellian newspeak.

Glad there is at least one other commentator out there who shares my sentiments.

by JMG on Jun 24, 2010 1:43 pm • link • report

Orwellian?

by Nate on Jun 24, 2010 4:07 pm • link • report

yeah, JMG. I think you have the definition of Orwellian confused with some other definition.

by Bianchi on Jun 24, 2010 4:22 pm • link • report

There you go again.

Van Ness between Reno and Connecticut is in need of some help, I'd agree ... but many of the embassies are beautiful, much more so in my opinion than the "Brutalist" styled UDC campus. A recent CulturalTourismDC walking tour took folks around the diplomatic properties and the IntelSat building and really opened our eyes to the fascinating and cutting-edge architecture that is along this street. But you'd have to be a pedestrian, not whizzing by on a car with a cell phone camera hanging out to take potshots for your "article." And calling Spring Valley an "out of place suburban neighborhood" is about as pointless as saying Observatory Circle is out of place for its area.

I guess I will watch for your byline and skip all those stories. I hope GGW doesn't book you for too many other insightful "articles."

by Graham S on Jun 24, 2010 5:19 pm • link • report

graham s: what, is this "channel ronald reagan" day 'round here?

by IMGoph on Jun 24, 2010 5:20 pm • link • report

This level of nastiness is completely inappropriate. Disagree with the ideas all you want but don't attack people directly. I will delete any further comments that cross this line.

by David Alpert on Jun 24, 2010 5:38 pm • link • report

My apologies for the nastiness on my part. You're quite right. Not my usual m.o.

by Graham S on Jun 24, 2010 7:17 pm • link • report

All the pictures are from Google Maps Streetview. I do not fancy myself much of a photographer and generally do not use any of my own photos for posts.

And for the record, there are no embassies on Van Ness Street.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_in_Washington,_D.C.

by Dave Murphy on Jun 25, 2010 3:38 am • link • report

@Dave Murphy
That's only technically true, but the Chinese, Israeli, Pakistani, and Nigerian embassies are all just off of and within sight of Van Ness.

by Steven Yates on Jun 25, 2010 9:22 am • link • report

Dave Murphy- it's any other residential avenue to the Maryland Line, where it becomes Queens Chapel Road, another infamous wider-than-it-needs-to-be PG County thoroughfare.

re: Did they not just reduced Queens Chapel Road from 6 lanes to 4 Lanes?

And you must be out of your head if you think that the road should be reduced to a two way rural country road......

by tim on Jun 29, 2010 2:43 am • link • report

Tim,

They added a striped median. Four lanes is appropriate there, but it's still an excessively wide speedway that is unsafe and unwelcoming for pedestrians and bikes. Some yellow paint is a pretty weak gesture towards improving it in my opinion

by Dave Murphy on Jun 30, 2010 3:35 pm • link • report