DC Metrocentric

Ok, we know we’ve been on a bit of a firehouse kick lately. But you know when you get something stuck in your head, and then it just starts appearing everywhere?

This beautiful abandoned building at 1626 North Capitol St NW was once the DC Engine Company #12 Firehouse. It was built in 1896 by Snowden Ashford who designed many of the police stations and firehouses of the time.

The building itself has a nice nuevo-Spanish feel but has long been boarded up since the station was decommissioned in the 80s.

We are happy to report that those boards may be coming down soon, as the building has been slated to be turned into a restaurant. We think this would be a nice use of the space, and will continue to allow the community to benefit from the building.

Though the plans for the space have been around for a while, it looks like things are starting to move and that the owners have secured the permits they need to begin work! We will be sure to keep you posted.

What a beautiful display of Holiday spirit! The residents of the Park Regent in Mount Pleasant NW DC have hung banners on their balconies with the word peace written in the many languages of the world!

Look closely and you can see “peace” written in Russian, Vietnamese, Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Polish, as well as some others. Everyone knows that this is a great neighborhood, but things like this really give people a sense of community, very cool guys! [Flickr Credit: Rockcreek]

In a city full of classic federal buildings covered in marble columns, there really are not that many examples of truly post modern original architecture. One wonderful departure from the rectangle building is the Museum of The American Indian.

Nestled right in between the National Air and Space Museum and the U.S. Botanic Garden, the National Museum of the American Indian—the 18th Smithsonian museum—filled the last empty space on the National Mall.

Though the Museum doesn’t have that much in terms of exhibits, the food court is beyond amazing! We love the flowing lines of the building, and how the sandstone is used in cantilevers over the surrounding landscaped outdoor elements. If we were to compile a list of the areas best architectural buildings, this one would always make the cut! 

Maybe we were too mean last time we talked about Capitol Hill Towers. The new Condos on New Jersey Ave had a horrible website, and we might have made a little fun of the sites spy theme, and cheep design.

Well we must have really hurt their feelings because it looks like they have gone back to a traditional condo site design. Guess they realized that adults are the ones who buy condos, not 6 year olds!

We actually really like the site now, plus the prices are unbeatable for what you get, views, and location! Now that they have that funny old website in their past, Capitol Hill Towers is ready to start moving some units! We will keep you posted on how they are doing.

Poplar Point Plans Start to Take Shape  [AndNowAnacostia]

Old Convention Center Site Deal Closes  [ABC7]

New Rosslyn Building to tie for Areas Tallest  [Examiner]

Looks like the area is about to get another new Fire Station. We just mentioned Arlington’s new Crystal City Station on Monday, and now comes word that Alexandria is getting in on the act too!

The station is part of the mixed-use project in Alexandria’s 167-acre Potomac Yard development.  And now that the realignment of the Route 1 Monroe Bridge is almost finished, the area is really starting to take shape. The city of Alexandria and Potomac Yard Development LLC broke ground on the development earlier this week.

The Potomac Yard project, approved in February by the Alexandria City Council, includes the $6.6 million fire station, the city’s first in more than 30 years. Private builders Centex and Pulte paid for the fire station and provided the land in return for being able to develop the rest of the site.

The Station at Potomac Yard will also include a four-story apartment building with 64 affordable and work force units and 1,500 square feet of retail with a classic Old Town inspired architecture (pictured above). City officials are touting the fire station and the entire development as being environmentally friendly, but they didn’t specify in what way.

The Maryland chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) just recently announced this year’s winners of Excelence in Design and this home in Bethesda was recognized in the residential category.

It is especially exciting because this year is the first time a LEED certified home has won. As you know, if a project has a sustainability focus, it makes us go all giddy and girlie like! You could probably build an ugly monstrosity right next door to us, and if it incorporated sustainable design, we would probably bring you cookies and welcome you to the neighborhood.

Lucky for the folks in Bethesda, this home is nice to look at, as well as environmentally friendly!

More Pictures after the Jump….

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Ahh the good old days, back when you could buy groceries on Pennsylvania Ave. Well in 1865, this is what Penn Ave looked like between 8th and 9th.

Talk about Main Street USA!

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like any of the structures or businesses in the picture are around today, but the area back then was the main street of Washington DC.

You could find every type of store all within a few blocks. To find a grocery store now a days, Penn Ave residents have to go to the Trader Joe’s in the West End, or one of the Safeways further to the North. Maybe that’s why no one lives in this area anymore, except in museums.

Don’t get too excited, the citywide tunnel system being planed isn’t exactly for people (or ninja turtles for that matter).  

D.C. Water and Sewer Authority is planning on building a massive citywide tunnel system to capture excess storm-water runoff and waste and redirect that material to an area treatment plant rather than the Potomac and Anacostia rivers.

You may be wondering how this massive project will be financed? Well the current proposal is to pay for it with, you guessed it… new taxes! The proposed fees, which have yet to be calculated, will go toward the $2.1 billion tab.

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The Aurora Hills Fire Station No. 5 on Hayes St in Crystal City is so close to being finished, and it’s about time! The new station has been in the making for the last 4 years since the County Board decided to relocate.

And even though it has taken a long time, we think it has been well worth the wait. The design looks great, but as the saying goes, “it’s not what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside that counts.” So the best part is that the building is being designed to meet the “LEED” (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards of the United States Green Buildings Council.

Not content to sit on their laurels, the Arlington County Board just last week reaffirmed its decision to build a new Fire Station No. 3 on the back of the Koons Arlington Toyota site on Lee Highway in Cherrydale. This last Station will complete a full renovation of the Counties Fire and Rescue buildings.

What’s that? You want more construction photos?

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The area around 9th and D street has been called L’Enfant Plaza for a long time, but it wasn’t always that way. Back in the 1920’s the street grid was still intact and there were no massive highways dissecting the neighborhood! Now the area is made up of a group of decidedly non-pedestrian friendly government buildings and the plaza.

It’s interesting that the very street grid system L’Enfant designed is destroyed by the Plaza of his own name. Can’t imagine that Mr. L’Enfant would be too happy about that!

Unfortunately, the city has reached a point where restoring some of the lost street grid to its originally layout is practically infeasible. Though it is nice that some of the larger projects in the area, such as the new Convention Center have been able to maintain street-blocks. What do you think? Street grids worth preservation?

One of the most defining elements of some of the great cities around the world like Paris, London, and others is the gilded extravagance their Royal buildings exhibit. Well even though we never had any true royalty here in DC, we still have our share of over the top extravagance in some of our Federal buildings. Most notably, is the Library of Congress.

The Library of Congress Reading room has some of the most beautiful and ornate details of any building in the world. With all the interesting things to look at on the ceiling, it’s hard to focus on the books. Since the building is always open to the public, it’s one of those distinctly DC places to get away and just read a good book (and they just happen to have every single book ever in print).

Dakota Crossing, located in North East Washington, D.C. will feature 209 attached homes affordably priced on one of the few undeveloped parcels in DC. 

Well from the name, we are sure you can guess that the fine folks at Pulte Homes gathered all their creative resources together and named their latest development after the street it’s being built on. We guess technically they could have called the building New York because it’s between NY Ave and Dakota Ave, but that would have been confusing.

Apparently they have some model units open already, so should you be inclined to head over there and check them out, let us know what you think. We can’t promise it will be as worth the trip as if you went to Wall Drug though.