One of the things I've enjoyed about Spring and Summer in Riverdale has been the weekly farmer's market. It gives me an opportunity to walk around the neighborhood, purchase some fruits and vegetables, and support some local farmers. Its definitely a great way to promote a healthy community.
While there is a great variety of produce vendors, a farm that sold meat was definitely missing. This past week there was a couple from Pennsylvania who were selling their antibiotic-free pork and beef products. They were friendly people who talked as if they would be back again. I bought a sirloin, for a reasonable price, and grilled it up that night for dinner. The meat was great quality and turned into a delicious meal for my wife and I. So I will likely be buying from them again when they return to the market, and I'll be sure to let them know how much I enjoyed their product.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
Northeast Branch Pictures
One of the reasons I enjoy living in Riverdale is having the Northeast Branch of the Anacostia River running right through the town. It certainly isn't the most impressive body of water, but it does offer a small break from the roads, homes, and general confusion of our society. With the trail system that runs along the river, it provides a quick dose of outdoor recreation that would otherwise be hard to fit in with my life. Sunday I was able to put together an hour long walk down the trail through Edmonston and into Bladensburg.
The picture above was taken in Bladensburg where the Northeast Branch Trail ends, and the Anacostia River trail begins. It looked like a pair of ducks in the distance and a heron of some sort in the foreground.
To the left is a lone duck that was ducking its head under water. This shot was also taken in Bladensburg.
The picture below is a bird I spotted along a drainage ditch next to the Northeast Branch Trail in Riverdale. I believe the bird in the photo is a Black Crowned Night Heron. I'm an amateur at bird spotting, so I could be off. But it looks similar to a description I saw of a juvenile of that species.
While looking for information about the Anacostia River, I came across a website for Friends of Sligo Creek. On one of their pages they also mentioned a website for Neighbors of the Northwest Branch. I couldn't find anything online about any groups dedicated to the Northeast Branch of the Anacostia. I would love to hear from anybody who knows anything about any such group.
http://www.fosc.org/fosc.htm
http://www.neighborsnwb.org/
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Cafritz Property
http://route1growth.wordpress.com/2007/06/04/summary-of-june-2nd-cafritz-community-input-meeting/
http://rpcoffeehouse.blogspot.com/2007/06/cafritz-property.html
While searching for blogs about Riverdale Park, I came across these two above that gave me a much better idea about what the Cafritz property is and what the plans may be for it. Although the property is somewhat isolated from the rest of the town, the potential benefits of developing this property could be great for Riverdale and the surrounding areas.
My wife brought up the possibility of a Whole Foods store going up in this location. This link gave an interesting take on what Whole Foods may look like based on other regional stores.
http://rpcoffeehouse.blogspot.com/2007/06/how-many-whole-foods-can-you-fit-in-vw.html
My wife and I have shopped at the Whole Foods in Silver Spring, and it is a huge store. Their food selection appears superior in terms of quality and health conscious options to a standard Giant, Safeway, Shoppers, etc. However, the prices are high, and I know some residents would be turned off by this. I still think that there would be enough interest though to justify a store. I would really hope that environmental concerns are taken seriously with a development so close to the Anacostia River. I've read a lot about how the vast amount of impervious surface at PG Plaza has really hurt the local tributaries of the Anacostia. A garage would be ideal in order to keep as much green space as possible.
Since the Cafritz Property is located conveniently between College Park, Riverdale, and University Park, I think it will help to bring the neighboring communities together. Hopefully the Hiker-Biker trail would be an important aspect of this development in order to promote foot traffic between towns. I know a walk with the family to Whole Foods would be a much more enjoyable grocery experience than jumping in a car and dealing with East West Highway or Rte. 1. A little bit of night life in the form of quality restaurants would also be ideal.
Since the trend in the metro area seems to be smart growth/high density residential developments, I would hope the idea of combining ground level retail and restaurants with apartment/condo living would be implemented. To truly make this a livable community, I would like to see a combination of undeveloped and landscaped, recreational land. If single family housing was part of the plan, I hope they would build similar sized and designed houses and lots to what is currently seen in University Park and Riverdale Park. McMansions might bring in the high end consumers that the developers want, but it surely wouldn't fit the vibe of the area.
http://rpcoffeehouse.blogspot.com/2007/06/cafritz-property.html
While searching for blogs about Riverdale Park, I came across these two above that gave me a much better idea about what the Cafritz property is and what the plans may be for it. Although the property is somewhat isolated from the rest of the town, the potential benefits of developing this property could be great for Riverdale and the surrounding areas.
My wife brought up the possibility of a Whole Foods store going up in this location. This link gave an interesting take on what Whole Foods may look like based on other regional stores.
http://rpcoffeehouse.blogspot.com/2007/06/how-many-whole-foods-can-you-fit-in-vw.html
My wife and I have shopped at the Whole Foods in Silver Spring, and it is a huge store. Their food selection appears superior in terms of quality and health conscious options to a standard Giant, Safeway, Shoppers, etc. However, the prices are high, and I know some residents would be turned off by this. I still think that there would be enough interest though to justify a store. I would really hope that environmental concerns are taken seriously with a development so close to the Anacostia River. I've read a lot about how the vast amount of impervious surface at PG Plaza has really hurt the local tributaries of the Anacostia. A garage would be ideal in order to keep as much green space as possible.
Since the Cafritz Property is located conveniently between College Park, Riverdale, and University Park, I think it will help to bring the neighboring communities together. Hopefully the Hiker-Biker trail would be an important aspect of this development in order to promote foot traffic between towns. I know a walk with the family to Whole Foods would be a much more enjoyable grocery experience than jumping in a car and dealing with East West Highway or Rte. 1. A little bit of night life in the form of quality restaurants would also be ideal.
Since the trend in the metro area seems to be smart growth/high density residential developments, I would hope the idea of combining ground level retail and restaurants with apartment/condo living would be implemented. To truly make this a livable community, I would like to see a combination of undeveloped and landscaped, recreational land. If single family housing was part of the plan, I hope they would build similar sized and designed houses and lots to what is currently seen in University Park and Riverdale Park. McMansions might bring in the high end consumers that the developers want, but it surely wouldn't fit the vibe of the area.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
My Life in Riverdale Park
I've been a lifelong resident of Maryland, but recently moved to Riverdale Park in Prince George's County in the past year. I grew up in Montgomery County and then Baltimore County. I first lived in PG several years ago when I was in grad school. My wife and I lived in an apartment complex in Hyattsville, and really loved the area. She is from NY, but loves the DC area. After getting a job in DC, we decided we wanted to buy a home in PG county near where we had rented. With an entry level salary and while beginning a family, there weren't a lot of options for us. We would drive around the area, but most places were financially out of the question. I remember one day about 2 years ago, driving past Hyattsville into Riverdale. I remember thinking it would be a nice neighborhood to live in. It was a nice looking neighborhood, and I loved the welcome feeling that came from driving past the town center. I remember calling a realtor about the cost of one home, realized it was reasonable. While my wife and I weren't quite ready to buy, I remember saying to her that Riverdale was the place I would really like to live.
Fast forward a year or so, and my wife and I still didn't own a home. We were saving up money, but in no particular hurry to buy. My mother in law was in town from NY, and wanted to drive through some neighborhoods to yard sale and potentially look at open houses...a hobby of hers. We ended up in Riverdale, and my memory of the home I liked led me to turn down the road it was on. I pointed out the home that had been on the market a year earlier, and as we round the corner, we see another home for sale on that street. It was a great location...right across from the Anacostia River Trail and a park. A phone call to the realtor led to a viewing of the house the next day, an offer the following day, and a purchase contract within 4 days.
While the home buying process went fast for us, it took us a while to get moved in. Once we were settled with the improvements we wanted to make before moving in, everything was great. With our first spring almost behind us, I am truly happy to have made the decision to move to Riverdale. Its convenient to my job in DC, while it still feels like a town...not just a suburb. Taking a walk in Riverdale is always pleasant...whether down to the farmers market on Thursday, to Riversdale Mansion, or along the Anacostia River. Monday evening I took a walk with my son on the Anacostia River Trail. Just a short walk from our house, I was able to stop for a few minutes and watch a couple of beavers in the river. While I was watching them, an Oriole flew by me. Spotting that bird(2nd time this spring) which I know is so rare to see, certainly was special. Living in an area so near the nation's capital, but where you get that feeling like you could be far away is not available to many people.
So why create a blog about my life in Riverdale, which is just getting started. I enjoy living here and want to share that with others. I enjoy how the Gazette, the town crier, and some other blogs I've found report on local issues. I want a place to be able to share my views about Riverdale Park and the surrounding areas.
Fast forward a year or so, and my wife and I still didn't own a home. We were saving up money, but in no particular hurry to buy. My mother in law was in town from NY, and wanted to drive through some neighborhoods to yard sale and potentially look at open houses...a hobby of hers. We ended up in Riverdale, and my memory of the home I liked led me to turn down the road it was on. I pointed out the home that had been on the market a year earlier, and as we round the corner, we see another home for sale on that street. It was a great location...right across from the Anacostia River Trail and a park. A phone call to the realtor led to a viewing of the house the next day, an offer the following day, and a purchase contract within 4 days.
While the home buying process went fast for us, it took us a while to get moved in. Once we were settled with the improvements we wanted to make before moving in, everything was great. With our first spring almost behind us, I am truly happy to have made the decision to move to Riverdale. Its convenient to my job in DC, while it still feels like a town...not just a suburb. Taking a walk in Riverdale is always pleasant...whether down to the farmers market on Thursday, to Riversdale Mansion, or along the Anacostia River. Monday evening I took a walk with my son on the Anacostia River Trail. Just a short walk from our house, I was able to stop for a few minutes and watch a couple of beavers in the river. While I was watching them, an Oriole flew by me. Spotting that bird(2nd time this spring) which I know is so rare to see, certainly was special. Living in an area so near the nation's capital, but where you get that feeling like you could be far away is not available to many people.
So why create a blog about my life in Riverdale, which is just getting started. I enjoy living here and want to share that with others. I enjoy how the Gazette, the town crier, and some other blogs I've found report on local issues. I want a place to be able to share my views about Riverdale Park and the surrounding areas.
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