Park
Triangle: Urban Bustle With a View
Modern Design Attracts Residents
By Sarah Abruzzese
Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, July 1,2006; Page T05
Daniel Hogan, 54, and his wife, Holly Blanchard, 52, are confident
that they are the oldest couple living in Park Triangle, a
new 117-unit apartment building at the center of Columbia Heights.
The building, which is next to the restored Tivoli Theater,
is one of several recent construction projects that, when they
are all completed, will add residences and dozens of shops
to the neighborhood.
"It would be nice if we weren't raising the average age
of the occupants by 20 years," Hogan said. "We have
changed the median age of the building drastically."
But the urban environment was exactly what the self-described
empty nesters wanted. For 14 years, they lived in Montgomery
County and raised two daughters. When their oldest graduated
from college and moved to her own place in Columbia Heights,
they followed.
"She introduced us," Blanchard said. "Funny,
a 23-year-old trying to get independence, and her parents followed."
Park Triangle allowed them to jettison their suburban home
and get back to city living, Blanchard said, while at the same
time enjoying a weekend home in New York and busy travel schedules.
Residents at Park Triangle can enjoy a
sweeping panorama of the city from the rooftop deck, which
includes views of the Washington National Cathedral and the
Capitol.
Along with city life, the couple adopted a sleek new style
in line with the clean contemporary architecture of Park Triangle.
They kept some of the key pieces from their old house but added
in new ones that fit the decor, so now they have a nice airy
one-bedroom with a den. The building's apartments have stained
concrete floors with beige or gray carpeting in the bedrooms.
Floor-to-ceiling windows are the norm in most apartments. In
the loft apartments, there are balconies with a wall of French
doors that close off the apartment from the noise outside.
DeQuan Kuntu, 27, has lived in a one-bedroom
apartment since April. Kuntu, who moved to the area to work
for a medical company, previously stayed in a Woodley Park
efficiency for two months. "This
was kind of the best buy for my money," Kuntu said of
Park Triangle. "I get the most space in terms of square
footage." His den, he said, "is the size of a regular
bedroom."
When Thomas Hennessy, 45, and his wife relocated from Norfolk
with their dog and cat, finding an apartment that would accept
pets was difficult. After they chose Park Triangle, Dawn Hennessy
realized that the one-bedroom they had picked would not be
large enough to accommodate all their furniture plus the pets.
"They immediately upgraded us, on moving day," Thomas
Hennessy said. "The staff here is always very helpful
and friendly."
The kitchens are modern, with stainless-steel
appliances including the requisite microwave, dishwasher
and garbage disposal. There are granite countertops and,
in some models, a large granite island. Each apartment has
a full-size stacked washer and dryer. "I
love the kitchen. It is very open," Kuntu said.
Residents can use the fitness center
and a lounge with a full kitchen and elegant white sitting
areas. "Everything you
need in the gym is right there," Kuntu said. There is
a Japanese-style community rock garden on the second floor,
as well as a rooftop terrace with views of the city from the
Capitol to Washington National Cathedral. Kuntu has done yoga
on a large expanse of grass and even thrown a surprise dinner
party on the deck, where there are lounge chairs, tables and
a grill.
Shops and restaurants will be coming to the first floor as
the retail areas are finished. Spaces have been leased to a
vegan bakery, a cellphone store, a chicken restaurant, a bank
and a credit union, as well as an insurance company. There
will also be a dry cleaner with automatic drop off and pick
up.
The city has just agreed to pay for $4 million in improvements
to the land adjacent to the apartment building. For now, Triangle
Ventures LLC, the company that built Park Triangle, has installed
large trees and stone in the plaza at the triangle corner of
14th and Kenyon streets NW. When all the construction finishes,
that will remain as an open green space, said Ernie L. Marcus,
a vice president at Triangle Ventures. A farmers market will
eventually make the square its home from June to Thanksgiving.
But in the interim, there are some shopping options, including
a Giant Food store across the street. Recently, a new restaurant
opened nearby, and there are several ethnic restaurants down
14th Street, Hogan said.
The "neighborhood is obviously in a period of transformation," Hennessy
said. "Target is being constructed across the street in
the other direction. There is a lot of construction going on."
Park Triangle residents say they're
not bothered by construction noise. "It is completely soundproof. Actually, we don't
hear anything, and nobody's complained about us," Hennessy
said.
There is a sprinkler system throughout the complex, as well
as safety features including fob entry and cameras throughout
the building. Kuntu said that when he walks home at night,
there are still plenty of people on the streets and he feels
safe.
"It is a transitional neighborhood. . . . It is fun that
it is a very diverse group of people that live there," Blanchard
said of Columbia Heights. "Fun kind of feel -- kids playing
. . . soccer on the streets, skateboarding, a real neighborhood
feel."  Back to Top
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