New Condo Debate on the Hill and other Biz- 1511 A St. NE

It's been a really fun day in the Capitol Hill area- there's been a ton of news about comings and goings, as well as some situations that some would have you believe only have one side to the coin. 

Here's a fun one: A Washington Post headline screams Under zoning code, few restrictions on what can be built on NE property and has some pictures of a clearly well-off homeowner worrying about a new condo coming to the street at 1511 A St. NE. A quick read would have you think that this is a tragedy.

The summary is that an old home (it is not historic, no matter how many people use the term- it is just old and not in the historic district) is being turned into a bunch of condos. I know, it doesn't look right- this is a street with old row houses and a charming character. But, as someone who almost was priced out of the area, I can tell you that friends of mine would love more condos and housing stock to get on the market for under 400k and $466 a square foot. Seriously.. 

While I see the merits of both sides, and certainly would be upset if a condo building was build right next to me- wait, that is exactly what happened behind my house- I understand that if I want my property value to skyrocket, I have to accept a denser neighborhood... with all sorts of people. Trust me, it is more fun that way anyway.

I'm a fan of old world Capitol Hill, but I'm also a fan of new buildings, more people in the area and the restaurants and bells and whistles that come with it, although the design of this particular building kind of sucks. After all, would we see the development of H St. without all the apartment buildings and housing coming on line? I mean, it can't be the mere promise of the street car, right? The NY Times thinks so. 

Some other links I like for the area:

New Steak joint? Yes please. Gimme my bernaise. Mythology Modern Chop House and Lore Lounge coming to H Street NE next year

Meh. This one just jumps out at me as a commercial property owner hoping for the best with no real plan.  Potential Huge Transformation for Former Church on H Street, NE

Taylor's apparently can't figure out what city they are in.. Philly or NY? I'd rather have the cheese steaks. Or at least Chicago style. 

Well there you go. First post.