The Birdhouse Rowhouse on Duddington

There is a very quaint street near our apartment called Duddington. You could call it a Yuppie Haven - that's what we heard when we first moved here. It is really authentically DC and quite picturesque. It reminds me of Celebration near Disney World in Florida except it represents a very different place and time period. Everything is perfectly coiffed and in order. We usually don't park our car this far away from our house, but had no choice this day. It gave us an opportunity to check out the neighborhood. One house on the corner takes up quite a large space, complete with a double decker balcony and patio space in the rear. Upon closer inspection, we came upon a birdhouse fashioned after the actual house. And there were a few occupants making it known to us that they were very happy with their abode. We used to have two bird houses in our Milwaukee home, and they always had occupants. What I like most about living here is that we still have most of the things we really enjoyed in the Midwest, except on a much smaller scale. 

The Mini Cooper

While in Alexandria this afternoon, it was really obvious that the mini cooper is a car of choice. I think I saw one on every corner - and there were several convertibles. The mini dealership is also in Alexandria. By the time I thought it would make for a good subject for today, we had already left the neighborhood. So when we got back to Capitol Hill, there were many more to see- but, no convertibles. First there was the mini, then the clubman, and now there is an SUV. I really like the mini, especially because we no longer have garage parking and the street can be mean sometimes. It just doesn't require a lot of space to park. The next block over on Duddington Place is having the sidewalk and street repaired, so the number of parking spaces just decreased by about 20. Smart cars are also more obvious, but just not as versatile. Our Subaru has served us well, and is great for all seasons, and all occasions. But winter and snow driving is not the same here as it was in Milwaukee. Our car is getting to be one of the oldest vehicles we have ever owned, and most likely will be replaced with another Subaru when the time comes. But the mini is nice to look at. Whenever we have this discussion, my husband tells me I should take a picture of it to admire it, because that's about as close to one as we will get. So I did- take a a few- with his help!

Leaving Alexandria behind a mini

On Washington Avenue in the heart of Old Town

On Independence Avenue near our house

All shapes, sizes, and colors

By the Park

Perfect setting

Two in a row near Duddington

They're just all over

Convertible

Squeezed right in on the end

Looks great on Capitol Hill

A nice replacement for the horse and buggy

On the move

 

Easiest to park in the cramped space

Duddington Place

Sometimes we need to park the car further down the street than usual, so we aim for a spot along Duddington. A lot of folks around here liken this street and stretch of neighborhood to "Celebration" - the Disneyland community built in Florida. We are told that it is occupied primarily by yuppies, no children, and kept relatively "pristine." This narrow street is one way, and it does actually look like something out of a storybook. We did look around here before we moved, but decided we were not interested in a single family home with stairs- especially since we are not very handy and don't want the burdens that that sort of home ownership brings. The one advantage is that you could have any kind of dog you wanted, which is not the case in a condo. All in all, we are satisfied with our choice, but as with anything, some things are more important than others. And street parking is the norm for most folks around here regardless of the neighborhood. We do miss our 100 pound borzoi and our 2 car garage.

The recently closed  House of Rep page school living quarters
at the end of the block

A hybrid tree- pink and white

Street parking is the norm

Very quaint

Well manicured