Spend a day at one of the District’s parks and it becomes clear why Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has invested so much political capital in them. When they are well-maintained, they often are used by thousands of taxpayers, which can translate into votes. But they also showcase the city as a vibrant, diverse cosmopolis.
Consider Kalorama Park in Adams Morgan — one of my favorite spots: On a recent Saturday, couples and families were sprawled on blankets of various hues and textures. Some had stopped in So’s Your Mom, a local deli, for bagels, sandwiches and drinks. Others had brought goodies from home for their small picnics.
Playgrounds burst with children: A young boy raced out of one enclosure when he spotted his friend; the two — not more than 4 or 5 years old — proceeded to play a game whose rules only they seemed to understand. A Hispanic boy and his father kicked around a red and black soccer ball — perhaps their version of catch. A girl, wearing a lovely pink tutu, carried her small shovel to the sandbox. A trio of boys pushed their scooters along the paved path, their right feet moving in unison, until one, the youngest of them, stopped at my bench. “I have to take a breath,” he told me.
I, too, was breathless.
The day — the opening volley of a season not yet ripe but no less scrumptious and welcome — was what we dreamed of while we were imprisoned by mounds of ugly, dirty, intractable snow. Interestingly, no one could be heard discussing the government’s delay in plowing streets or impassable sidewalks. Those were distant memories.
Blame the sun for our bout of amnesia.
Though my mind often is filled with policies and politics, I wasn’t thinking about any of that. I didn’t reflect on the continuing battle between the mayor and D.C. Council over the use of the Department of Parks and Recreation’s capital budget for construction contracts that went, without prior approval by the legislature, to a firm headed by one of his fraternity brothers. I didn’t contemplate the thousands of dollars being spent on dog exercise areas.
Instead, I focused on the deluge of diverse people who came to Kalorama Park: black, white, Asian; young and old. Though most didn’t appear rich, they certainly enriched the moment, conveying by their presence that the District is a warm and welcoming place and camouflaging the petty, pedestrian politics that can sometimes be found inside city hall.
As the nation’s capital, the District is a magnet for tourists. Those people come mostly to experience the federal enclave of monuments, museums and galleries. But beyond the White House and Capitol, where ordinary residents are found, the city is quite spectacular.
Clean and well-manicured neighborhood parks bolster that assertion. They help remind us, as I was on a recent Saturday, why we initially fell hopelessly in love with the District.
Jonetta Rose Barras can be reached at [email protected].
