The Curbed Cup, our annual award for the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of the year, is kicking off with 16 areas vying for the prestigious (fake) trophy. This week we'll have two matchups per day, and all the results and the full tournament bracket will be reviewed on Friday. Voting for each pairing ends 24 hours after it begins. Let the eliminations commence!
Two Southeast neighborhoods enter the ring; only one may leave. Which neighborhood do you believe deserves the Curbed Cup trophy the most: Navy Yard or Anacostia? Below, you'll find a few blurbs on what you should know about both neighborhoods. If there are any crucial details that you believe Curbed left out, feel free to let us know in the comments. Also, if interested in voting for whether or not Capitol Hill was better than SW Waterfront this past year, be sure to vote in this poll. In the past year or two, Navy Yard (otherwise known as Capitol Riverfront) has been experiencing a total facelift as well as a new name. The neighborhood was originally named Navy Yard because of its time as a former shipyard for the U.S. Navy and as the headquarters for the Chief of Naval Operations and the Naval Historical Center. Now, with a burgeoning retail and restaurant scene along with Nationals Park enticing tourists, the area is now being labeled The Yards. With over $1.2 billion invested in the neighborhood by District and federal governments in the past 15 years, the cost of living has risen, while the diversity has fallen. From 2000 to 2010, the number of African American residents in the neighborhood decreased by 48 percent, while the median income jumped from under $38,000 to over $93,000 from 1999 to 2008/2012, as reported by DataLensDC. [UPDATE: The statistic on the decrease of the African American population is not meant to be taken as a selling point. It was placed in the article in the effort to give more context on how the neighborhood has changed over the years. Apologies to those who may have been offended.] In terms of what to look forward to in the future, you can expect the public marina to open next spring and approximately 4,500 new residential units to be built in the next couple of years. Eventually, the neighborhood will also host Southeast D.C.'s first luxury cinema complex.
Anacostia is one of the most affordable neighborhoods in the District. This past fall, the neighborhood had some of the lowest rents with a median $910/month cost for a one-bedroom, while the city-wide median was $2,110/month. Despite this, the cost of living in the neighborhood has grown tremendously with a 21 percent jump in median home price in the year 2014. Some of the brightest highlights to the area include the Anacostia Arts Center, the Frederick Douglass National Historic site, the world's largest chair, and former residents like the late mayor Marion Barry. In the next few years, look out for the redevelopment of the Anacostia Playhouse. One day, the neighborhood will also be home to Washington, D.C.'s first elevated park.
If you believe Anacostia beats out Navy Yard or vice versa, be sure to cast your vote as soon as possible. The poll will close at 12 p.m. on Friday, December 18.
· Navy Yard coverage [Curbed DC]
· Anacostia coverage [Curbed DC]
· All Curbed Cup 2015 coverage [Curbed DC]