“Fun Street” Gets New Name

It will last about 20 years until Abe is gone and they announce they are renaming it ALex Ovechkin way when he is elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

It’s been like this for a couple months now I think. There’s also a sign on the west side of 7th for it.

Nothing says fun like Abe Pollin.

I think the name was changed a while ago.

Too be exact it was changed about 5 months ago.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2007/12/today_is_abe_pollin_day.html

Another successful attempt at lameness. Congrats DC!

I vote we change the name to Scalpers Row.

#6 – How is naming a block after Abe Pollin lame? If it weren’t for him building the Verizon Center (on his own dime, mind you), PQ would still be a backwater full of drugs and prostitution instead of the incredible neighborhood it has become. Jeesh.

PQ would still be a backwater full of drugs and prostitution if it weren’t for residents.

The Verizon Center is nice and all, but it was really the construction boom of the early 2000’s and influx of residents that made PQ what it is today.

If you disagree, tell me how safe you felt walking the streets at night between 1997 and 2001 – after the VC was open, but before the construction boom.

The massage parlor would still be in business across the street from the VC if it weren’t for residents raising their voices against it.

Pollin took a calculated risk in building the VC downtown, near the National mall and on top of a major Metro transfer station.

Fun Fair crack house would still be open if not for the residents.

Point taken, gpliving, the neighborhood was quite a scary place in 1997, and residents help make this a great neighborhood. That said, the metro stop and the Mall were both here before the VC, and there were no residents, no high-end restaurants to speak of, no law firms, no shops, etc. The Verizon Center was the primary catalyst for everything that followed. That is inarguable.

I would propose that had it not been for the construction boom of the early 2000’s and the DC gov’t getting its act together encouraging development, Gallery Place/Penn Quarter would be exactly like it was in 1997.

Residents, high-end restaurants, law firms, and shops didn’t move to PQ because of the Verizon Center.

gpl – you’re the first person I’ve heard make the argument that the VC was not a catalyst (M-W.com definition “an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action”) in developing this neighborhood. It certainly was not the only one – having a competent, drug-free mayor was a big help, too! – but I don’t see how you can dispute that it has had a major impact. And if you do, I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree.

I think it’s important to look at the constituencies at work here. there’s the city. there are businesses (commercial and retail). and there are residents. my view is that the ones who care the most about all around, 24/7, day-in, day-out, weekday, weekend matters are residents. they’re the ones who “live in it”…they make downtown their home.

my view is that the real pickup in quality of life (i.e. being able to live downtown with a modicum of service retailers as opposed to visiting for the Caps game and returning to Bethesda/Fairfax/Glover Park, etc) didn’t come until the real influx of residents came here.

this is absolutely not a complaint because I really enjoy living downtown and wouldn’t stake my money on it if I didn’t. there’s still work to be done though.

and F Street is still Fun Street in my book because you can get dancing, drinks and dinner all in a block or two.

#13: I think too much credit is given to the Verizon Center with little to no evidence to back it up.

The Lansburgh Theater opened in 1992, Verizon Center in 1997, but it wasn’t until maybe 2002 when the neighborhood was just starting to take off.

So, if you’re just talking about buildings in the area that were ‘here’ before things took off, then sure, the Verizon Center was a catalyst amongst others.