Charles Schwab has nothing on Michael Kahn

ha, yeah i know the feeling. when we first hit town the Lansburgh was owned by Mrs Klee’s father, there was an old Woolworth’s on the corner and the neighborhood was called
The Central Business District.

I always get that “film noir” feeling when I drive up 6th from Penn on a winter night and go over that manhole or vent near the new Newseum that blows tons of steam into the air. I expect someone with a megaphone to yell “Action!”

all part of the allure of living here…IMHO.

Might I suggest the book DC Noir. You can find it at the PQ Olsonns and it even has a little story about OLD Chinatown in it. It’s definately a good read for those who apprciate the film noir genre and love DC.

sb is not afraid of using ellipses…

A few years ago Chinatown was full of Chinese people and businesses? I have to call you on that because it reads like this bustling Chinatown was driven out between 2004 and 2007. I remember in 2001, a Chinese woman was working on my project. On one Monday she told me she stayed the weekend (in Olde Towne). I asked her what she did, and she named a few things, and said…”and I visited Chinatown”. I said, “disappointing, huh?”. She looked at me and smiled, and said, “Yeah!” She remarked how there were barely any Chinese people or markets.”

So I guess it’s all relative, but 6 years ago, even ten years ago, Chinatown wasn’t full of Chinese people and businesses from what I remember. Perhaps it’s just that there were less other people and businesses, so the Chinese were prominent at the time. But to my memory it was more like your other statements…”sketchy”…and…”deserted”. Unlike some Chinatowns in other US cities, this one one was not a destination.

I came across this article from the NYT on Michael Kahn and the Shakespeare Theater/Harman Center.

call it supplemental reading for sb’s editorial.

whatever buildings were standing 25 years ago on the Verizon Center site were demolished and became two huge Metro parking lots for over 20 years, until abe polin agreed to personally finance the construction of the new arena once his existing lease at USAIR Arena in Largo had 2 years left.

yes there were chinese restaurants and a few businesses but not as many as the romanticists would have us believe. many chinese lived in what is now mount vernon square and “The Mayor” of Chinatown lived on the 400 block of M street for 20 years before he moved to Potomac.

coming up from the Metro at Chinatown for 20 years you’d see nothing but a few buildings along H St. and the rest all a big uneven(mud puddles after the rain and in the spring)parking lot with no lights at night.

the 700 block of 7th street was all boarded expect for Dr Thoman, the eye doctor from great falls. all the lofts were empty.

Today, the neighborhood is alive.