SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE

Less than a week ago it was basically freezing in the District at midday. Today, by contrast, it's 85 and change, and sunny. By the day after tomorrow, it's going to be sub-40 again. So this afternoon I took a short walk around the neighborhood, right along the border of U Street and Columbia Heights, armed with the digi and my Nano (and CYHSY on repeat). My only guiding principle — to take pictures of things that readers of this site have not seen before, or failing that, familiar objects from angles that I haven't shot them from already. Ready?


Notice the flat ridge of hills at the horizon? This underscores both the fact that the city was built on a particularly low stretch of land, and, that few of the buildings throughout the city would have qualified as skyscrapers in 1901.


Believe it or not, people out here drink Arizona Tea.


Look, there's me!


This is an alleyway between two buildings that comprise a single school. I'm guessing the elevated walkway was at one time deemed a prudent safety measure.


I've never quite understood the "Black Family Reunion" mural. Is it that they are an African-American family? Or do they happen to have the surname Black? If it's the latter... it's a good thing their last name isn't White. Do they live nearby?


Rupert Murdoch's global empire claims another street corner.


He's watching. Or listening. Probably to Bloomberg or CNBC — but you can never be sure!


It was not a happy ending for the Latino Auto Sale.

      
Closing... closing... closed!


Cardozo High. That thing really is a behemoth. It almost looks like a castle or fortress, except if you shot a cannonball at it, I have a feeling that round shot would sail right through the classrooms and out the other side.


This is that undercover police station I've mentioned before. You can tell because it looks ever so slightly more scrubbed and official than the rest of the block. Frankly, the stucco gives away the game. That, and if you come back at three in the morning, all the lights will be on.

Maybe I'll do that. But five in the morning is considerably more likely.

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posted by WWB at 6:02 PM |