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A Southeast Spot Blossoming With Charm
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Carney's family is only the third owner of a prefab concrete structure, built in 1937, that highlights the art deco style of John Joseph Early (1881-1945), a local craftsman who developed a technique of embedding stone mosaics in concrete panels.
As attractive as the neighborhood is, residents say its true appeal is how the community works with the police, elected officials and other neighborhoods throughout the city.
Gloria and Dennis Logan, residents since 1965, say it's all about communication. In 1989, they helped jump-start the community's neighborhood watch -- one used as an example by the police because of its design and effectiveness.
Dennis Logan, a retired deputy chief of the D.C. Fire Department, said the neighborhood watch's network of 170 zone leaders and block captains encompasses adjacent neighborhoods and keeps it all orderly.
"Once you get to know everyone, you break down those [geographic] divisions," he said.
"People really notice what's going on," Carney said. Suspicious activity gets reported, license plates of unfamiliar cars are noted, and police patrols navigate the hilly terrain by bicycle.
Hillcrest's first National Night Out -- part of a nationwide outdoor crime- and drug-prevention event each August -- was held in 1989 on the Logans' front lawn. The original sign-in sheet lists several people who still live in the neighborhood.
For the first time in decades, a Hillcrest resident doesn't hold the Ward 7 City Council seat, but the community remains politically plugged in.
The civic association's monthly meetings draw speakers at the forefront of local issues, most recently schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee; City Administrator Dan Tangherlini; and Emeka C. Moneme, director of the D.C. Transportation Department.
Whether the guest is a local police official, politician or owner of a tree-care company, attendance of 75 or more on a Saturday morning is common.
Ten years ago, Hillcrest entered a partnership with the Palisades community in Northwest Washington to foster communication between people on different sides of the city, emphasizing what they have in common.
A neighbors-through-arts program, shared community-service projects and joint celebrations show people that others have the same concerns regardless of geographic location, Williams said.
