neighborhood news
Our River: The Anacostia Winter Walks Along Our River by Bill Matuszeski
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f the level of COVID-19 and political anxieties make you feel like you need some quiet time, consider a relaxing walk along the Anacostia either alone or with a friend. There are five suggestions.
Frederick Douglass Bridge
First, you should see close-up the progress being made in construction of the new Frederick Douglas Memorial Bridge. Beginning this spring, the bridge will take South Capitol Street over the Anacostia in six lanes of traffic and separated double lanes for bikers and wide walks with overlooks. The walkway over the south side of the old bridge is still open and as you walk or bike across you get spectacular overlooks of the construction and what to expect. Other parts of this $441 million project will be removal of the old bridge and the addition of large traffic ovals surrounding active park areas at each end. Enter from Anacostia by following the signs in the park along the River to the path under the old bridge lanes and curving to the left onto the old bridge walkway. From Capitol Hill enter the bridge on the right side walkway at the intersection of Potomac Avenue and South Capitol Street below the baseball stadium. The views over and through the construction are themselves spectacular and extend out over the Potomac and beyond. Frederick Douglas Bridge – The New from the Old
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Buzzard Point
Nearby the bridge is an area that is undergoing remarkable and long-overdue change. Starting at about P St. SW and heading south is Buzzard Point, a longneglected and underused part of the city. Among the many stories giving Buzzard Point its bad name is the claim that it is where, in the time before cars and trucks, the dead horses were dragged and left for the buzzards and their friends to dine on. True or not, it has a long history of underdevelopment with a few industrial sites and little more, even though the western portion down to Greenleaf Point is comprised of the very attractive Fort McNair. There are Buzzard Point Mural two existing anchors – the new Audi Field Soccer Stadium on the north and the attractive James Creek Marina on the south. Between these is a level and pace of development that is remarkable to see. New apartment complexes are underway with plans to provide over six thousand units. With broad riverside walks and planned “bustling gathering spots”, the new development is being pitched as “The Final Jewel in the Riverfront Crown.” New elements are arriving at quite a pace. One recent addition is a spectacular block-long mural painted by Kaliq Crosby and Rose Jaffe. Located at the end of the old PEPCO substation north wall facing the soccer stadium., it honors iconic figures in DC history, including Frederick Douglas, Marvin Gaye and Eleanor Holmes Norton. By the way, the plan is to keep the huge stacks on the PEPCO site, which will become a type of community center. There is a lot to see and a lot going on in old Buzzard Point.
Poplar Point
For those seeking a more peaceful walk with more exposure to nature, there is another site in the same neighborhood as the new bridge and Buzzard Point. On the Anacostia side of the bridge and north along the River to the 11th Street Bridge is an area called Poplar Point. Over the years it has seen a lot of use: it was a Navy depot from the mid-20’s until 1993, with other parts used to grow trees. For decades there have been plans to develop the area with housing, but nothing has emerged. It is also the location of the Park Service offices that oversee all the agency lands and facilities along the River. But whatever the future holds, for now the most pleasant aspect of Poplar Point is that the Park Service has allowed the natural meadows to return undisturbed to the riverfront, in many places a hundred feet or more between the walk and the River, with occasional paths through the grasses and other growth to the river’s edge. In the winter especially, it is a remarkably pleasant mix of plants in shades of brown and tan and green in a variety of sizes and shapes and natural groupings. The sidewalk along the meadows is straight along the road and there is little traffic. All is calm, all is bright!
