Upgrade Is a Hit With Young Tenants
A New Playground Lifts Spirits at Harvey Hall in Arlington

By Susan Straight
Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, July 26, 2008

Harvey Hall's old playground was such a hazard that children were not allowed to play there.

"It was small and dirty," said Napatsorn Butthep, 11.

But now the six-story brick apartment building just north of Columbia Pike and east of Carlin Springs Road in Arlington has a new playground, thanks to local contributions of money, labor and expertise.

The 116 apartments, all but 16 of which are designated as affordable rental units for low- and moderate-income families, are owned by AHC, a nonprofit affordable-housing organization based in Arlington. AHC bought the property in 1994. It renovated much of it in 2005 and 2006 -- unit interiors, roof, common areas. It added a community room but didn't work on the playground.

"We had to close the playground because there were some broken parts and it wasn't safe for the children to play there. The equipment was 15 years old," said Teresa Washington, AHC Management property manager.

Washington said AHC's grants manager, Hannah Moore, found Kaboom, a nonprofit based in the District that builds playgrounds in underprivileged communities, online when she was searching for a way to replace the playground. Harvey Hall met Kaboom's two main requirements -- that the playground be visible from the street and available to all children in the community. "We were jumping up and down," Washington said.

Kaboom brought in the materials, made possible with a major contribution from Corporate Executive Board, an Arlington consulting company which also supplied nearly 200 volunteers to assemble the playground in a morning. The playground has a large slide, swings, jungle gym and a sandbox on a bed of wood chips.

This was the 1,434th playground built by Kaboom since it was founded in 1996, according to project director Justin Fitzgerald. But this one was distinctive. "This is such a multicultural community," Fitzgerald said. "It's certainly one of the most multicultural [we've worked in] and we wanted to do something that reflected that."

Volunteers helped paint flags of the countries represented in the community and affix them to the chain-link fence surrounding the playground.

The flags -- of Spain, Morocco, Mexico, El Salvador, Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, Thailand, Sierra Leone, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Egypt, Yemen, India, China and Vietnam -- give the fence a colorful, almost mural-like appearance. "We really do have a huge diversity of population in our program," said Joy Rambert, resident services manager. "We're like the United Nations."

The fence is an appreciated addition for the playground, which was once a little too exposed to the street. "It's a lot better, more private," said Patsharee Butthep, Napatsorn's mother.

But neighbors are still welcome. Maria Reyes, who lives in nearby Windsor Towers, is drawn to Harvey Hall by its children's programs and the playground. On a recent weeknight, her three children played soccer and hit the swings. The playground "is pretty, and it's very convenient for us," she said.

The playground is "much, much better now," said Adolio Chacon, who brings his son Mario, 8, there. "There is a lot more equipment. It's bigger, and the fence around it is better for playing."

Harvey Hall apartments are available to people who meet qualifications, including income limits. The maximum income one person can make to qualify for an efficiency, which rents for just more than $1,000 a month, is $41,340. For a two-bedroom, which rents for about $1,300 a month, a family of four must make no more than $59,040. Applicants must supply photo identification, Social Security card, four pay stubs and bank statements from the previous three months.

This may be intimidating to some, but it's worth it to residents such as Patsharee Butthep. "This area is very good, good people," she said. She has a patio that opens onto the parking lot. "I just go through my patio to my parking spot," she said. "I like it. I love being on the ground floor," because it almost feels like having a house.

Mary Nabolus has lived at Harvey Hall for six years. When she saw the apartment "the first time, it was good. It was big," she said. She has been very happy there. "I like it. It is one bedroom, but it is big."

The neighborhood and the building itself have steadily improved over the past five years, said Ricardina Cayllahua, who lives in a two-bedroom apartment. "It changed a lot," she said.

She said that her son Jose Luis Ramos, 10, likes the after-school program and summer camp held in the community room on the ground floor.

For 10 years, Harvey Hall has offered resident services such as English classes, nutrition and child development classes, craft classes, after-school homework help, family workshops and a teen program. The services are provided by AHC, Arlington County Community Outreach, Arlington Education and Employment Program, Arlington County Libraries, Capital Area Food Bank, Project Family and Virginia Extension Services.

The services are open to residents and neighbors, too. Harvey Hall is next to two other affordable apartment buildings.

"There's a lot of activities," Hilewna Gebru, 16, said. Through the teen program, middle- and high-schoolers from the building and neighborhood host a winter wonderland for younger kids, participate in a homework club, and work on writing and test preparation. They also learn social skills and how to deal with the emotions of others and of themselves.

"We talk about our feelings. Everybody feels comfortable because what gets talked about here, stays here," said Selam Wubante, 16. She also liked the two-day trip the group took to Williamsburg to learn history and participate in a writing workshop.

The after-school program provides stability and a social outlet for youngsters in the hours before parents return from work. Danait Habtemariam, 16, came with a friend the first time and was hooked. "I thought it was fun to have a place to go after school," she said.

"My favorite part is on Tuesdays when we get help from our tutors," said Martha Gebru, 14. "I have a hard time with math, but now I'm passing math. Here they don't let you give up."