Thursday, September 22, 2011

Adios, Amigos...For Now

Since we've received some questions about the lack of updates to the blog (because goodness knows there has been plenty going on around the neighborhood to keep updated on), we wanted to share a bit of bittersweet news to explain the lack of new posts.

In short: no, we weren't kidnapped, we just moved. A couple of weeks ago, the 14thandyous packed up and moved north to Montgomery County. And before we get the questions, yes, we are well-aware of the juxtapositions between a neighborhood like Logan and our new suburban stomping grounds. We have a number of reasons for making the move (and no, mom and dad, a forthcoming little 14thandyou is NOT among them), but thus far the move hasn't been as painful as we initially expected it to be. Being within walking distance to a Metro station helps, as does our proximity to two bagel shops and some fantastic Chinese food. (Sichuan Pavillion, anyone?)

But I digress.

We've certainly had a lot of fun on here over the past four years. When we started the blog back in 2007, there were surprisingly few bloggers covering all the issues, developments and day-to-day life around 14th Street and Logan Circle. I don't know how much we succeeded in that, but it was certainly enjoyable and rewarding--and we got to meet many wonderful, engaging people in the process, many of whom I consider friends today. And today, there are terrific blogs like Borderstan, U Street Girl and U Street Dirt that are providing all of the neighborhood news, analysis and snark one could hope for.

As for this blog, we'll keep it up for the time being. I've given thought to continuing to post here from time to time, to offer some perspectives on our new home as compared to a place like Logan, as well as to share some thoughts about the ongoing changes and developments occuring in our old neighborhood. (Just 'cause we don't live there anymore doesn't mean we stopped paying attention...) And we hope to move back to the city someday; both Mr. and Mrs. 14thandyou enjoy the trappings of urban life far too much to permanently replace it with picket fences, two-car garages and cul-de-sacs. So who knows where things will lead?

But for now, we're considering this blog on extended hiatus. Thanks to all of the followers, commenters, fellow bloggers, community activists, business owners, neighbors, developers and others who made this such a fun hobby for us over the past few years. So, till we meet again...

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm genuinely curious at to why you made the move, and feel like this post is rather odd without that explanation.

Won't you indulge us just a little bit ?

Mr. Other Upper NW said...

Didn't mean to be cryptic, just trying to avoid putting up too much personal info on the interwebs. In short, we moved a) to give Mrs. 14thandyou a break on her hour+ each way commute from central DC to her place of employment in Montgomery County, and b) because we needed more space than we could afford in any DC neighborhood that would help us with point a. Two people and two cats in a cramped 1 BR is fine for awhile, but after 5 years it started to get a bit much.

Anonymous said...

Fair enough!

Kevin said...

I've enjoyed your blog for several years. Your posts made positive contribution by helping to inform our community. Thanks for your efforts.

Anonymous said...

Will the blog be renamed? "Rockville Pike & Montrose" just doesn't have the same ring.

Anonymous said...

I am so bummed! I enjoyed your blog more than any of the others - all of which I read. I think you did the best job of documenting what was happening in the neighborbood. Best wishes on your move.

Anonymous said...

Sad to see you guys go on hiatus, but wishing you the best of luck down the road. I've really loved your insights over the past few years.

paulwhit said...

As a fellow new Rockville resident (we used to live at 14&U), I'd love to see you take your blogging talents to our area. Might not be as hip or as often changing as DC, but there seems to be a lot that could be talked about!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the wonderful blog. I enjoyed reading it. Good luck in the new neighborhood...

Anonymous said...

So sorry to hear this! Thanks for your work on the blog. Wishing you all the best. Montgomery County's not bad.

Anonymous said...

I've enjoyed your blog for about 18 months and appreciate all of the time and heart you have put into it! Best wishes on your new chapter -

Anonymous said...

Good luck out in the burbs and enjoy the space.

Mr. Other Upper NW said...

Thanks everyone for the very kind comments. To answer a couple of questions:

-I have no idea what name we might give to a MoCo-focused blog. As Eddie Izzard might remark, it's very, very difficult to cleverly work the word "Montrose" or "Wooton Parkway" into a blog title.

-And point #1 would mean we've actually started blogging about MoCo. On that point, I really have no idea. We're near the White Flint station, so there's plenty going on to write about...we will just need to find the time.

In the meantime, we're just getting acclimated to our new surroundings, such as re-acclimating ourselves to looking both ways before crossing a street...

Shaw Rez said...

Good luck in this new chapter and thanks for your years of blogging about the Logan area!

Anonymous said...

I will miss your posts. I lived at 14th and Church and now live in Takoma Park and your blog was a great connection to "the old life in the city".

best of luck and please blog about cool stuff in the MD area, so so close to DC :)

Kirsten (peacefuldog) said...

Welcome to MoCo! Hope you like it here :)

Tim said...

thanks for all the great posts

Jennifer Kay said...

Figures you're gone...as soon as I discover you. Well, now you'll just have to write a blog about Montgomery County. Tell us everything. And I mean everything.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all the great news and posts over the years, you'll be missed!

Anonymous said...

I have gotten on this blog from time to time to criticize what I think are extremely short-sighted decisions and positions. Those of us who have lived in DC (sorry if that comes off as tiresome) have seen it over and over again - bloggers, emailers, whathave you who have no long-term plans to put down roots, come in and make a big splash and want this and that changed to suit their needs, and then they ... leave. This is horrible horrible for the city and for those of us who want to make our life here. We get cricized using all sorts of names, but first and foremost of course the NIMBY word - a word that has a leading role in blogs such as these. Ugh.

There is a dearth of long-term thinking on blogs and forgive me, but your leaving just exemplifies everything that I am complaining about. This is not really meant for you. This screed is meant for those who are staying in DC for more than 10 years. We need a different paradigm, one that does not consierge-ize the city, turning it into a commercial hotel zone, ready to respond to whatever short-term whim we can conjure up. This is not the way to go. Is it impolite to come on here months (!) after this blog has closed down and say this? If it is considered impolite, it just shows the problem more clearly than anything else.

People who are in it for the short-term have had a disproportionate impact on the decisions our leaders have made, and that has been a true shame.

I'm glad you are happier in Montgomery County.

Mr. Other Upper NW said...

Anon-

Thanks for the thoughts and comments. Two quick points:

-I'm not really certain where you got that we are happier in Montgomery County. I haven't said that we were--in fact, you'll note that the post above states that we each hope to move back into the city at some point. I don't mind where we're living, but I had many friends in the city and an 8 block walk to work, so I wouldn't say that I'm much happier where we are. I do like our home, but that's a different issue. And, to that point...

-I may not be from DC, but Mrs. 14thandyou is a native Washingtonian who grew up in the city (splitting time between Locan and Capitol Hill). Her family is third-generation Washingtonian. (As in, actually from the city--not the burbs.) But I'm not sure what that has to do with anything.

I know you said that your comments aren't really directed at me, but I'd point out that every one of us who lives in DC have our own ideas and beliefs as to what makes DC a great (or not-so-great) place to live, what we think of where it is and where it is going. I personally am not inherently pro- or anti-development, but we did happen to find ourselves living in the middle of a neighborhood that was undergoing radical change, and so we wrote about it. This idea that you must be native to the city, or at least have lived here for a certain period of time, before you are allowed to have valid opinions about it is, in my opinion, non-productive.

Long term thinking is important, I agree. It's one of the reasons I personally invested time by serving on several organizations and committees in our neighborhood that dealt with issues and projects that were going to impact the neighborhood for the next 10, 20 even 50 years. I know many other bloggers and activists who have a similar investment in their own communities.

Anyway, all of which is to say, if what you took away from our blog is that we were nothing more than a couple of non-invested short-timers who were cheerleaders for every new restaurant or bar that opened in the neighborhood, yours is a rather skewed view.

Lance said...

@Anon, Mr 14th and You,

Unlike anon, I don't think having people roll in here willing to offer their ideas and time as a bad thing. I think being able to draw new ideas from a broader brush of people than most cities in the US (other than maybe NYC) is a good thing for Washington. Additionally, there was a time when I was one of those newcomers ... as most of us have been.

What I do abhor though is the NIMBY label which we started hearing bantered about lately like never before. I don't think it's any more honest, or good for the city, to call someone a NIMBY than it is to accuse someone of not having good ideas because they're not in it for the longterm.

I, for one, will be looking forward to seeing what good ideas Mr. and Mrs 14th and You have picked up from living in Rockville when the time comes for them to return home to DC. And I won't question whether they're back to stay or not.