Monday, April 24, 2006
D.C.: Transit- (and train-) oriented development
OK, I'll admit it - I'm a railfan. I love to watch trains, and the anticipation of waiting for a CSX or NS freight at a grade crossing is something I find enjoyable (and I'd never, ever try to "beat the train," and not just because it's unsafe, but because it would deprive me of a train to watch).
Having said that, here are some photographs that I took recently of some fairly new homes that were built next to the Takoma Metrorail station on the Red Line in the Takoma area of the District of Columbia. In addition to being close to the Metro stop (they are), they are also hard by the CSX (ex-B&O) Metropolitan Subdivision tracks, which run on either side of the Red Line at this location.
First, a development that was built at the corner of Blair Road and Cedar Street, N.W., and just to the west of the Metropolitan Sub and Red Line tracks.
Images 1 and 2 are the front and rear of the same units. In the second image, we see the tops of the buildings peering over the roof the the Metro station and a passing CSX freight train.
Image 3 is of the "other" side of this "V"-shaped complex, which fronts onto Blair Road, N.W. (and the BP gas station). Note also the garage entrance on the left side of this picture.
Image 4 is taken from 4th Street, N.W. looking north, at two old facades that were used to connect the legs of the "V". The garage exit is on the right of this picture, next to the Metro station entrance (which is out of the picture on the right).
Now I don't think any of this is very attractive, and it does not strike me as having much of a "sense of place."
Second, on the east side of the tracks, in the 300 block of Carroll Street, N.W. is another project that was completed recently.
In image 5 we also see a CSX train rumbling by. Image 6 shows the entrance to the parking garage.
While I generally like buildings built of brick (my grandfather was a mason), this does not do much for me, even though it's more attractive than the project above.
And in spite of my interest in trains, I don't think I'd want to be this close to a mainline railroad! Were I to live there, I would probably get used to the sound of the motive power and the trains, but I wonder if anyone considered what would happen in the event of a derailment?
Click on the link below for a Google map of the area. Note that Cedar Street, N.W. changes names as it crosses under the Metropolitan Subdivision's tracks for some reason - east of the tracks, it's Carroll Street, N.W. Note also that the satellite image of this area was taken before either of these projects was built, though the Takoma Metrorail station, and the Metropolitan Sub tracks are clearly visible.
Blair Road and 4th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
Having said that, here are some photographs that I took recently of some fairly new homes that were built next to the Takoma Metrorail station on the Red Line in the Takoma area of the District of Columbia. In addition to being close to the Metro stop (they are), they are also hard by the CSX (ex-B&O) Metropolitan Subdivision tracks, which run on either side of the Red Line at this location.
First, a development that was built at the corner of Blair Road and Cedar Street, N.W., and just to the west of the Metropolitan Sub and Red Line tracks.
Images 1 and 2 are the front and rear of the same units. In the second image, we see the tops of the buildings peering over the roof the the Metro station and a passing CSX freight train.
Image 3 is of the "other" side of this "V"-shaped complex, which fronts onto Blair Road, N.W. (and the BP gas station). Note also the garage entrance on the left side of this picture.
Image 4 is taken from 4th Street, N.W. looking north, at two old facades that were used to connect the legs of the "V". The garage exit is on the right of this picture, next to the Metro station entrance (which is out of the picture on the right).
Now I don't think any of this is very attractive, and it does not strike me as having much of a "sense of place."
Second, on the east side of the tracks, in the 300 block of Carroll Street, N.W. is another project that was completed recently.
In image 5 we also see a CSX train rumbling by. Image 6 shows the entrance to the parking garage.
While I generally like buildings built of brick (my grandfather was a mason), this does not do much for me, even though it's more attractive than the project above.
And in spite of my interest in trains, I don't think I'd want to be this close to a mainline railroad! Were I to live there, I would probably get used to the sound of the motive power and the trains, but I wonder if anyone considered what would happen in the event of a derailment?
Click on the link below for a Google map of the area. Note that Cedar Street, N.W. changes names as it crosses under the Metropolitan Subdivision's tracks for some reason - east of the tracks, it's Carroll Street, N.W. Note also that the satellite image of this area was taken before either of these projects was built, though the Takoma Metrorail station, and the Metropolitan Sub tracks are clearly visible.
Blair Road and 4th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
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