This post was written by Gwynne Davis, a Columbia Heights Initiative board member.

I love, live, and work in Columbia Heights and getting to be on the board and help out with Columbia Heights Day this year was such an honor. Columbia Heights Day is a reminder for me of why I chose to stay in DC. It’s the anniversary of the opening of the restaurant, The Coupe, where I have worked for three years now.  I found a community I loved and a place to call home full of wonderful people. In DC people tend to come and go but the people I have met stay in my heart, the new people I meet surprise me and help me grow, and the people I have yet to meet have me excited about what the future holds.

Being a part of the Columbia Heights Initiative Board has been full of fun and rewarding experiences and seeing Columbia Heights Day be such a success in spite of the rain this year was one of those. I was surrounded by my neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family and although it did try to rain on our party, the only result was meeting interesting people I might not have met if we hadn’t come together seeking shelter from the weather. Everyone who came out that day really wanted to be there and that was a nice feeling. We all came to celebrate a great neighborhood with great people and awesome restaurants and other businesses and organizations. It was a day that showcased what makes Columbia Heights great and coming out in the rain was a testament to how much people wanted to be there.

I had always wanted to get more involved in my community and with Columbia Heights Day specifically. I had respected and admired the work done by board members in the past and was excited to do my part in continuing a neighborhood tradition and helping to throw a block party to remember, so the opportunity to be on the planning committee as a board member truly touched my heart.

I love living and working in Columbia Heights. It is so nice to live in a city but still have a hometown feel. That’s how this neighborhood feels to me. It’s the best of both worlds and it’s hard for me to imagine finding that in many other places. Columbia Heights Day is an opportunity to celebrate that feeling with other like-minded people in the neighborhood and to introduce that feeling to new community members, and/or friends and family who don’t have the pleasure of living or working here. 

Working together with the other board members to make this day happen was just as special as seeing it all come together, even with the weathernot being on our side. The hard work and energy and unique capabilities that went into organizing this block party was truly impressive and I am so happy I was able to be a part of that. I can’t wait to see more to come.

Untapped resources–the potential is there!!!