My stomach is growling so naturally I head to my new favorite Eckington restaurant, Yang Market, for some custom Italian sandwiches. Thankfully, the owners Lyndsi and Pete allowed me to conduct a little video interview while they were hard at work in the kitchen. It was cool to hear the story of how they decided on this land parcel, and came up with the name for their business. "Yang Market" was in fact the previous name of the establishment. A term of the purchase was to keep the name which Lyndsi and Pete had no problem with. While the name might not be their own choosing, the menu certainly is. I struggled to figure out why the menu seemed familiar, and then Pete enlightened me that each sandwich is named after quotes from My Cousin Vinny! A simple concept that further adds to the rustic character and like-ability of this place. So many good sandwich options that I couldn't decide on just one; I ended up ordering the Mona Lisa Vito and the Eff'n World Traveler. As I exited, they even hooked me up with some "Yang" swag, camouflage koozies. Now that's what I call a box lunch!
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I had the pleasure of sitting down briefly with Hannah Powell, Advisory Neighborhood Commission representative for Eckington on a Friday lunch break. She generously invited me over to visit her cozy home, poured me a hot cup of coffee, and shared her personal experiences with living in Eckington. Amongst those experiences, Hannah gave me some insight on how the neighborhood has grown over the past few years and why she was inspired to run for public office. I'd like to thank her for her time and hospitality! After an informative discussion, Hannah offered to drive me around the neighborhood and point out the history of specific buildings. During the chauffeured tour, it became clear that 4th street was a prominent street that divided the commercial area from the residential properties. Speaking of residential properties, there's been quite an explosion of development by opportunists. Many of the existing houses have undergone "pop-up" renovations which effectively turns a two story house into a three story house, or a three story into a four story. While "raising the roof" within zoning regulations is extremely profitable to developers, it also takes away from the classic Eckington neighborhood look.
In the past, this classic look put Eckington in consideration for historical designation. However, the neighborhood ultimately decided to move away from seeking the historical classification because it would inhibit home owners from doing personal renovations. Interesting stuff! As the drive winded down, Hannah showed me the NOMA Green project two-acre site next to the Metropolitan Branch Trail which will feature mixed use residential and retail. Eckington will certainly continue to see more growth and gentrification as the neighborhood welcomes new construction and development in the coming years! While walking along North Capitol St, I noticed a 2nd floor hair and nail salon. This was one of many barber shop/salon options along this road but it stood out for its hand painted marketing on the building facade.
I decided to peek my head in and say 'hello'. Inside was a quaint and clean salon with half a dozen clients waiting for their service. One of the stylists looked up from the hair she was cutting and greeted me with a smile. Her client didn't mind the pause while she shook my hand and chatted with me briefly. It turns out that I was talking to the founder's daughter and part owner, Naima Parks. Her shop, the Compliments Hair Studio, has been in business since 2002! I started to notice a pattern with shop owners... they were all very friendly AND they all knew exactly how long their businesses had been open without hesitation. It was clear they took pride in the longevity of their establishments in their community. Naima generously posed for a picture at the doorway before returning to her patient client. Another great interaction! Is it possible that everyone here is this friendly?!? One of my first experiences while visiting the Eckington neighborhood brought me to an outdoor flea market at the intersection North Capitol St and N. Quincy St. The pleasant sidewalk arrangement spanned almost a full block north of the main store entrance with items ranging from antique furniture to electronics and appliances. South of the entrance was a grassy peninsula bordered with an outer row of beautiful framed artwork. At the main entrance was a selection of old records next to a music player that filled the air with sounds of jazz and blues. This flea market had a very rustic and inviting aura which was further accentuated by the friendly greeting of the store-owner, Willie Barnes. He welcomed me to his sidewalk and introduced me to his colleagues, Theo and Ronald. They proudly informed me that this particular flea market has been open every day of the week (weather pending) since 2004! I walked into the store to find a variety of memorabilia that seemed to honor the heritage of the area. Outside, an eclectic scene of pedestrians perused the items on display while Willie sported a straw hat from one of the bins. After admiring the market for ten minutes and almost buying a couple items, I shook hands with all three managers and continued my tour of Eckington. While, short and sweet, a very warm first impression of the neighborhood! |
Arun DotsonThis is my research of the Eckington neighborhood. Categories
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