Lincoln Heights

Lincoln Heights is another one of those poor communities east of the Anacostia, where a lot of hopelessness reigns. You see, it has been blighted for a long time, and the crime rate is sky high. Several homicides were reported there in the past week, and burglaries are abundant. In a down economy, people will do whatever it takes to survive. In addition to the more violent crimes, Lincoln Heights has a lot of issues with drugs and prostitution; one local park was facetiously called “needle park,” because of all the junkies who hang out there. The city has tried to clean it up, but who knows how long that will last. Lincoln Heights is also unfortunately full of public housing projects, although the city is trying to change that too by having “mixed income” developments. The few other examples of this I’ve heard of however, did not work out well due to the differing lifestyles of the groups and a mutual mistrust. Lincoln Heights is home to a lot of single mothers and high school dropouts. I know the district is trying to change this by building a new school. However, it isn’t as much the building that matters as the people inside it. Overall, not a place you want to hang out.

Lincoln Heights is a primarily residential neighborhood located in northeast Washington. Most of its residents are young and of lower middle class incomes. There are also a significant number of elderly residents, as shown by the size and popularity of the Woodson Senior Recreation Center. While most of the senior adults own their homes, the younger families tent to rent.
Adjacent to the Senior Center is the Marvin Gaye Park. Popular among young people, this park features numerous walking and running trails. There are also open green spaces and a playground for younger children.
Local families also enjoy taking advantage of the facilities offered at the Evans Recreation Center. These include a weight room, various exercise classes and rooms for community meetings.
While there is no local elementary or middle school, Lincoln Heights does have its own high school in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the school’s graduation rate is not very high, nor is its students test scores. For that reason and others, the few residents who can afford to send their children to private schools or teach them at home.
The only industry in the community is the Washington DC Housing Department. Since this facility obviously is not large enough to provide employment for all citizens, most residents leave the neighborhood each morning for employment elsewhere.