DC SE Waterfront Building Growth

The other day we drove in to Capitol Hill. We walked to the SE Waterfront section of town near Nationals stadium. When we moved to DC sixteen years ago, none of what we see today was even built. All of the structures have been made since then and it is amazing indeed. I read somewhere that this neighborhood would become the most densely populated in the city. And you can see why. There are so many high rises going up it is mind boggling. The stadium is now surrounded by apartment buildings everywhere. The new Frederick Douglass bridge connects Anacostia with a pedestrian and bike path. There is a constant hum of noise. Further away from the ballpark things are more settled down and quiet. It’s a bit more established but hardly ten years old. It’s always an interesting walk whenever we go there. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger. I just know I wouldn’t want to live there. 

DC SE Waterfront and Yards Park

We hadn’t been down to the SE Waterfront/Yards Park area for awhile. The 52Frames photo challenge this week was to go some place that you haven’t been before. I wanted to visit the new Frederick Douglass Bridge that is reached by traveling down South Capitol street and over the Anacostia River - right by the Nationals Stadium. So we drove in to Capitol Hill and parked in our old neighborhood. It was really windy and still cold but we continued walking towards our destination. Every time we visit this area the construction just moves from one location to another. There are so many high rises that SE Waterfront is supposed to become the most densely populated neighborhoods in DC. Every square inch of space is being developed - particularly around the stadium area. And by the looks of the furniture on balconies, a lot of these places are occupied. Unfortunately there was so much road work down by the bridge that we couldn’t access it to walk over it to the other side - which was the idea for the visit because we had never done that before. That’s actually the key feature of the bridge - there is a walkway and bike path to get to the other side. The only difference now was that the old bridge has been demolished. So we just ambled down the waterfront to the more established part of the area by the real Navy Yard. None of these high rises and congestion was there when we first moved to DC sixteen years ago. I certainly wouldn’t want to live anywhere near there now. 

Yards Park and the Anacostia River Views

Every once in a while we head south towards Yards Park, Navy Yard, and the Anacostia River for our morning walk. This time was because we needed to stop at the new Whole Foods store to pick up some lettuce and odds and ends. When we moved here twelve years ago, none of it existed except for the Department of Transportation and one Marriott Hotel. Nationals Park soon followed. The construction is mind boggling and it will become one of the must populated neighborhoods in DC. So we reached the Anacostia and saw all the pop art presidents portraits on one of the restaurant walls. The sun was in just the right spot - the river was sparkling and shimmering on a crisp clear day. The seagulls were hanging around the dock where a navy battleship used to moor. I had never noticed the sign by each of the manhole covers - “confined space entry by permit only.” Someone obviously tried to get into one so now we all need reminders. A rainbow was reflected on the gravel cement path and our shadows looked as interesting there as well as on the river by the tunnel. Passing the baseball stadium the construction was suspiciously quiet because of the holiday but the cranes were moving at a brisk pace overhead. My husband says whenever he walks this way it feels like “our” neighborhood compared to the National Mall that is “everyone’s” neighborhood. I suppose you could look at it that way. And it keeps getting better. 

Anacostia Riverwalk 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqc3792huRw/

Yards Marina 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqc4L9aBXDG/

A Navy Yard Walkabout

Rather than take the usual promenade, this morning my husband suggested a walk towards the Anacostia River at Yards Park and the Navy Yard. Once we passed through the hustle and bustle of all the people on their way to work and the noisy construction of this urban environment, we reached our destination. It was quite desolate, and quiet - such a sharp contrast to the urban concrete and high rises. So we walked east along the river to the freeway, spotting various water birds and a heron along the way. The docks were quite empty and the battleship is no longer moored by the Navy Yard. The water seems a lot cleaner than the last time we were there. Every so often a jogger would pass us by.  The high walls extend around the entire perimeter of the complex. We walked past a few marines who were participating in some sort of drill. Then we made our way to M Street where the Wagtime Shop is located. We stopped to see my gallery of pet digital art portraits that I just updated on Sunday. The traffic and noise along M street was typically loud for rush hour. We finally made it back home to the quiet suburban neighborhood. What a difference a couple blocks makes. 

The Yards Park Red Azaleas

The cherry blossoms have been replaced with red azaleas - at Yards Park. Along the Anacostia riverfront is the new neighborhood that keeps getting bigger. On one end is the historic Navy yard, and on the other is the Nationals Stadium - all connected with a river walk. It was still a little cloudy and cool yesterday when we took a turn...and the azaleas were simply beautiful. Several new restaurants and condominiums and apartments are under construction. In the summer the area is packed with locals - particularly on Friday evenings for free concerts and for the kids to splash about the pools to cool down from the heat. And of course, during the baseball season, there are crowds everywhere. Washington is such a pretty place in the Spring and this is a great place to wander and contemplate, or bring the dog for a run in the dog park. None of this existed when we first moved here nine years ago! The area between our house on Capitol Hill and the waterfront has completely transformed. And it's all within walking distance.