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There was a recent article about the back and forth regarding the name of the new library being built in place of the old Washington Highlands Library. The big issue is whether the library will be named after the neighborhood where it is located, Bellevue or after the late William Lockridge, former Ward 8 School Board Member. As a neighborhood association president, I’m always in favor of neighborhood promotion. But on a different note, it got me to thinking, does anyone know where Bellevue is located? Have you ever heard of the neighborhood?
A couple of interesting facts about the neighborhood. First the name Bellevue is French for "beautiful view." Walking some of the streets, I definitly get that feel. And yet another fact is that Bellevuians (made up word) boast that two celebrities are from the neighborhood. Here is some info on opera singer Denyce Graves and country singer Roy Clark -- thats right, country music in Ward 8!
I took a short tour of Bellevue in hopes of finding some signage identifying the neighborhood. I did not find many signs but I did find a great looking neighborhood. It has some of the quietest streets in the Ward and quick access to 295 and 495 to VA. Take a look at some of the pics below….
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| Can you pronouce the name of this street? |
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| Yup, you read it correctly, MLK Ave., "SW." Ward 8 has both a SE and SW section |
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| Another favorite street name... |
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| Did you know Ward 8 has two in-patient medical facilities? Hadley Hospital focuses on long term medical care |
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| I dig this street - single family homes, clean streets & trees on the opposite side = beautiful view |
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| And we can't forget about Covenant Baptist Church |
absolutely i can pronounce "xenia" - it's zee-nee-uh, and it's the name of the city in ohio where my fiance went to high school!
ReplyDeleteCharles, thanks for highlighting Bellevue. It is one of the many gems in the Ward 8 community. We need more people to have community spirit and pride! We also must promote and market our neighborhoods to counteract the negative images and stereotypes about Ward 8. And shout-out to the fellow Ohioan. I also know how to pronounce "Xenia". :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving Bellevue some shine! As a recent resident of the community, I'm delighted that you were able to witness some of what the neighborhood has to offer in terms of parks, housing, and accessibility to downtown DC as well as The National Harbor. There are also the cultural institutions such as TheArc (http://www.thearcdc.org) and the new library slated to open in the coming year. Additionally, the upcoming relocation of a high tech company into the neighborhood is another indicator that Bellevue isn't so far off the map, making the view a little brighter.
ReplyDeleteFull Article:
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/print-edition/2011/07/01/st-elizabeths-project-wins-some.html?page=all
Thanks All, I hope to do a follow-up soon with a bit more history. I've always been drawn to this neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in both Washington Highlands and Bellevue simultaneously...my grandparents bought a house in Bellevue on Elmira St SW in the 60s, so my mother and I were both raised in Bellevue... In fact, I was conceived there as my father lived off of MLK SWest. I then attended Leckie ELE school from K thru 6th grade, also on MLK SWest and Chesapeake Street. Growing up, I had a many birthday celebrations at Ft Greble..... Now, I'm hoping this is all considered Bellevue because that is what we called it back then!
ReplyDeletePS ....now keep going south down MLK SW and post what you find about "Bald Eagle"....
LaTanya
Oh yeah....
ReplyDeleteMy aunt attended elementary school with Denyce Graves!