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Okay, my legal address is not in Trinidad, but I have basically grown up in several neighborhoods (I have a large family), this being where my roots are the deepest. There have been times where I have stayed until 10pm in front of my house. I have walked the streets after dark (no later than 10:30pm), and I ALWAYS walk around this neighborhood during the daytime.
Yes it is somewhat dangerous, but only if you do not have street smarts, COMMON SENSE tells you not to be walking alone at 12am down a street next to dark alleys, thats just stupid. Im disgusted when I hear people talk about it like it's a warzone, as long as you mind your business and stay clear of trouble, you will be fine.
IMHO, Trinidad is not nearly as worse as walking at night in Barry Farms area or South Capital Street near the MD/DC line.
For all the people that leave disparaging comments about Trinidad, Im curious as to how many of you have actually visited the neighborhood, let alone lived there "And Driving Through Does Not Count". Never have I questioned the dangerousness of Trinidad, because their are FAR better areas, but some of you ridicously exaggerate this area like its death in a grid. I AM NOT THREATENED AT ALL WHEN I WALK THROUGH HERE DURING THE DAYTIME. However, I cannot say the same for areas like Barry Farms and close to Anacostia Metro, because their are plenty of things going on.
Saying Trinidad is bad, okay, its true. Saying Trindad is the worst area in DC, not at all.
Dont buy into the exagerrated hype that the news is, they hand-pick stories and juice them up for public interest. If they reported on the happenings in Barry Farms everyday, so many would be shocked and instantly forget the "so-called dangerousness" that Trinidad is.
(Btw, yes, Barry Farms is one of these places I am familiar with, I am not scared of the area, but anybody who does not belong in Barry Farms should not venture there, its that type of neighborhood. Trinidad is not.)
P.S., I want to make it perfectly clear Im talking about the Trinidad bordered in a square by Bladensburg Road, Mount Olivet Road, West Virginia Avenue, and Florida Avenue. No more, no less.
I can dig it. I don't know what's really being accomplished? Okay Trinidad isn't the worse neighborhood still sounds like a scary place. Mainly on this forum people talk about neighborhoods in the sense of where one should move to. Well I'm sorry but even a semi rough neighborhood becomes very rough for someone who is obviously unfamiliar they become moving targets. Sure they could use their street smarts but to be honest that's...tiring. I want to live somewhere that doesn't require being on my guard all the time.
Also you say common sense says don't walk alone at 12:00 am. Personally I'm a nightowl so while I won't be strolling for no reason at midnight I would certainly be seen walking from my car to the house or apartment or I might be visiting someone. Only because I like to go out for drinks or meeting and greeting friends. Example I didn't get home last night until 1:30 and had no problem I would expect be to be able to do that from any neighborhood I live. I don't want to be somewhere that requires being a prisoner because that's the only folks that shouldn't get a say as to when they are allowed to come and go.
But yeah I'm certainly guilty of making assumptions about a neighborhood that I haven't spent time in. I read about the police checkpoints they had last year and that was enough for me to label it a war zone. Although it is good to know about Barry Farms but I'm wondering if this won't allow for someone from Barry Farms to say "Hey wait a minute my neighborhood is not the worst!"
Trinidad is not the worst, and Barry Farms is not the worst, however at this stage of my life, some things I will not do..For example:
I won't play chicken in the street with a semi-truck
I won't throw rocks at a wasp nest
I won't jump out of a 20 foot tree and hope to land safely
And I won't, better yet I refuse to live in an area where their is an element of dangerousness, that is at the level that Trinidad has. And it's not just DC areas, I also won't move into many areas in Prince George's County (where I live currently BTW), Anne Arundel County, Howard County, Charles County, Fairfax County, Baltimore City, Carrol County, Prince William County, NW DC, SW DC, Montgomery County, Beirut, The Gaza Strip, etc, etc
When you have kids, and your way of thinking changes, you may also understand where I am coming from, a buddy of mine wanted to go to the Denny's on Benning Rd a few weeks back during the start of football season after we finished tailgating, I looked at him and laughed, some things as you get older, just are not worth it, to me at least. Was anything going to happen? Probably not, but who takes a risk like that, at my age, with what I have to possibly lose?
Anything that has the potential to harm my family, is a risk not worth taking. I'm at a point in my life were "urban pioneering" doesn't make sense to me, and is not for me.
I was raised in Langston Dwellings on 21st and I NE (along with other areas in the DMV), and honestly there is nothing in this world that would make me move back into a situation like that, I don't care how good you say it is, or how bad Pat Lawson says it is
Well I want to make it clear I never did doubt the risk of living in Trinidad, I have a pretty big chance of being a victim of random acts of violence. However, I never see people on the forum talking about Anacostia or Barry Farms, and I just wanted to open up discussions on that place too. I feel as if people just label Trinidad and that's it. There are so many more areas that are worse than Trinidad in the city.
I also am not saying Trinidad is the safest area in the city. Trinidad is obviously terrible. But my main point is stop telling people detailed things about a neighborhood you have never been in (im not directing this to anyone). I was scared to death of Harlem when I visited this forum and read comments on it, then I visited Harlem, I was not threatened at all.
P.S., I sure as hell would not eat at the Denny's on Benning Road, I would look at someone like they were crazy if they said that to me. That has to be the most awkward spot to put a sit-down restaurant like Denny's.
Funny thing about Trinidad is that there were no murders this year. Crime isn't all that high. The neighborhood itself is two to three blocks from the bars on H Street NE which is causing the southern portion to gentrify. Looking at the statistics, it appears that Columbia Heights is more dangerous than Trinidad.
Funny thing about Trinidad is that there were no murders this year. Crime isn't all that high. The neighborhood itself is two to three blocks from the bars on H Street NE which is causing the southern portion to gentrify. Looking at the statistics, it appears that Columbia Heights is more dangerous than Trinidad.
Trinidad was all over the news last year but now Columbia Heights is the media darling or well opposite of media darling.
Columbia Heights is one tricky area. real talk. Someone thats not familiar with the area might think its sweet but you can be at the wrong place at the wrong time in a heartbeat. too many hood and gang beefs in that are for it to be peaceful. Gotta know how to handle yourself and having street smarts is always a good thing.
I was raised in Langston Dwellings on 21st and I NE (along with other areas in the DMV), and honestly there is nothing in this world that would make me move back into a situation like that, I don't care how good you say it is, or how bad Pat Lawson says it is
my mom lived on langston terrace back in the 60's. it was terrble back then and its bad now. But ill tell ya man. I was raised in Kenilworth so I know what thats like. Not an area I would want to raise kids in.
Funny thing about Trinidad is that there were no murders this year.
Entire city hasn't had a murder this month.
Action this year just moved east from Trinidad to Carver-Langston.
It will gentrify, especially because of its proximity to H Street, and if we get more recovery in the housing market. If Potomac Ave can get yuppie apt complex, just need a few more pioneers on Florida Ave NE. But probably 5-10 years away.
I live in Eastland Gardens and am very familiar with Trinidad. I love it that the new Capitol City diner is opening on Bladensburg Rd. I hope this business gets support. I just love it that somebody is willing to take a chance and put a sit down restaurant there.
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