There are those who consider Adams Morgan a city gem, one of the neighborhoods that gives Washington an actual urban, rather than bureaucratic, atmosphere. I would agree, but cautiously. I have lived in this area for about 20 years (that makes me about 25 now, I guess ;-), and have seen it change from a relatively quiet, bohemian community to an urban oasis with an evil secret identity. I still love it, of course, and don’t want to live anywhere else, but it has taken on an almost Jekyll/Hyde-like quality. The old rough-around-the edges, comfy-like-an-old-shoe feeling is giving way to million-dollar condos and high-end she-she restaurants, and parking, never easy to begin with, is now near impossible. The area goes through a total transformation from day to night, especially weekend nights when it plays host to hundreds of drunken college students and young professionals who magically lose all sense of consideration for their fellow humans after the bars close.

This is a recent post from an Adams Morgan list serve:

“I’ve read some comments recently about living in Adams Morgan. My perspective comes from living in a regular 3 bedroom apartment on the 2nd floor of a commercial building. This is what you get on the weekends, living in Adams Morgan:

police cars screeching around the neighborhood, sirens blaring at all hours
ambulance sirens at all hours
motorcycles roaring up & down the street at all hours
the battle of car horns blaring at all hours
drunks singing, screaming, yelling and arguing from 2-4am
drunks kicking trash cans and streets signs from 2-4am
drunks eating pizza/fast food and leaving trash, drink cups all over the neighborhood from 2-4am
drunks having arguments and confrontations over parking
personal confrontations/shouting obscenities
vomit on the streets and on personal property
urine on private property from 2-4am
excessive, window-shaking blaring music from parked cars, or cars cruising the streets at all hours
destruction of personal property (rear view mirrors, scratches on cars, outside flowers, plants)
drunken brawls, street fights
verbal & physical assaults and, of course violent crimes.”

I think there must be a giant red X directly under my bedroom window, visible only in the wee hours, with an accompanying sign reading, “stand (or park) within 10 feet of this spot if you are going to do any of the things on the above list.”

So, to any of you who are planning an excursion to our fine ‘hood, we implore, nay beg, you to please take it easy; elsewise, you never know when a group of AM hoodies just might find their way under your window at 3am one fine day.