Washington Post Express: A Growth Spurt With Plenty of Promise: New Residents Drawn to Anacostia

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Excerpt:

Photo Courtesy of Washington Post Express

One of Washington's most notable historical residences, the former home of Frederick Douglass, sits atop a grassy hill at the center of the neighborhood. The National Historic Site is not only the former living quarters of one of the nation's greatest abolitionists but also one of many neighborhood spots to offer an awe-inspiring view of the city.

Douglass, who was born into slavery but escaped to become an influential abolitionist, once said, "Without struggle, there would be no progress." The quote could easily describe Anacostia's recent history and some residents' fight to counter negative views of the neighborhood. It's also a phrase that's tattooed across the right side of the chest of new Anacostia resident Elijah Black. In March, he purchased a home in the Fairlawn Estates subdivision, which consists of 20 single-family homes on the northern edge of Anacostia. Black, 28, closed on his three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom property for $365,000.

Across the neighborhood, the Department of Homeland Security, which is spread among 40 buildings in the D.C. area, is consolidating its headquarters at Anacostia's St. Elizabeth's Hospital campus (1100 Alabama Ave. SE). Construction is under way to renovate the facility; parts of it are slated for completion by 2013.