Gateway

Gateway is a neighborhood located in the northeast section of the city near the National Arboretum. Locates within the boundaries of New York Avenue N.E., Bladensburg Road N.E.,and South Dakota Avenue N.E, this is a neighborhood with a mixture of commercial and residential uses. One of the interesting things you will find here is that most of the homes are detached single family homes and not the traditional "row home" style seen in most of the city.

The homes are located more to the north of the neighborhood, while the commercial building, including Washington Wholesale and the Goodwill facility tend to be towards the southern half of the neighborhood. Residents of the neighborhood do not have many options for shopping or dining out, so many will want to venture into other neighborhoods for these activities. Green space within the neighborhood are limited to Dakota Playground although many of the homes here have large lots for the city with tress. Gateway does not have any schools within the neighborhood. There are numerous Metro Bus stops along Bladensburg Road N.E. and South Dakota Avenue N.E. giving residents the opportunity to utilize public transportation. Those with cars will appreciate the ease of access to Route 50 and the I95. There is a set of railroad tracks between New York Avenue N.E. and V Street N.E., which some people may find to be a negative due to the noise.

Crime statistics are mixed with the the most recent statistics showing it is a relatively safe neighborhood. It is almost like the criminal element does not know the neighborhood is there. As always check the most recent crime statistics to make an informed decision as to the crime risk before moving into any neighborhood

Near the Arboretum to the north lies Gateway. Like many other areas of the city next to the Arboretum, Gateway has a very high crime rate. Not only are there property crimes, but homicides also take place on a regular basis. If you go to local hotels, you will find that they are primarily the staging area for drugs and prostitution. In fact, there is a drug dealer on almost every corner after dark, and the pimps are violent offenders who import their guns from surrounding states. Gateway is not somewhere that you want to be out after dark, for any reason. Not even if you are just getting home from work. Forget about going out for dinner if you can’t return home before dark. If you do, then you are running a risk of getting mugged or murdered.
Housing reflects the quality of the residents: run down and crummy. Urban blight is everywhere, and the police can’t even keep on top of everything that goes on out there. Only the truly desperate would rent or buy a home in this area. If you insist on trying it anyway, you definitely need to buy a very large dog with a ferocious bark, put in a burglar alarm and have the police department on speed dial.

As you might guess, Gateway is a small neighborhood named for its historic past. Once the first civilian train station into the District of Columbia, it served families flocking into Washington during the Civil War. Later it became a center of industry, leading small homes to spring up in the vicinity for workers in various factories and industrial plants. Today, this pattern continues, as Gateway plays home to the Washington Times’ printing facility. I should mention here that this could change at any time, as the Times is probably going to cease publishing its hard copy version of the paper sometime in the next few years.

Lest you get the wrong impression, please note that Gateway is not all industrial noise and smog. In fact, it is right across the street from the peaceful and lush U. S. National Arboretum. While residents can take advantage of this lovely green space for walking, jogging or just quiet meditation, they must always be alert to their surroundings, especially once they leave the arboretum itself. This is because Gateway is located in one of the most dangerous parts of DC, and is constantly threatened by crime and drug use. So, if you do find yourself in this part of town, you might want to try to leave, or at least get behind locked doors, before dark.