Bricks in DC

My theme (since I feel a need for one) for this post is Bricks in DC- pictures of my current city that involve bricks. Not a surprising element when you recall that much of DC was constructed between 1902 - 1922.
We'll start with one of my favorite buildings in DC, and I'll give you a sort of tour. This is the National Building Museum, which used to be the Pension Bureau and then government offices. They give fascinating tours of the place and its history - for free!

This is a neighborhood building- a corner lot at 12th and P Sts, I believe. Its front yard is covered in bricks, which is not very picturesque. But if one looks UP, one finds the cutest, most picturesque little turret window. I looked up at that turret window for a while (hope the residents didn't get weirded out), and I'm not quite sure how it's used. It's not big enough for a body, so maybe as a skylight? A very creative or very whimsical architect must have been given some free reign (but not with the patio), which makes me grin.


This one is located very near my apartment building. There is a seemingly abandoned building (but in good shape- not sure what the circumstances are) across the street, and which has become a beacon for neighborhood cats. Not because there are plenty of mice-- no, they're too spoiled for that! Someone puts out cat food and water (cat water?) for them here, and they end up hanging out in the grass of the overgrown lawn and having kittens all the time....  it's definitely not a dog's life!
I thought this was a cute one, and knew I just had to bie my time before I would get this shot. I believe this is from my phone camera, as I was coming from or going on a run- pays to keep the eyes open! Now I've made you cat-lovers smile. :-)

Here's an interesting one- I don't know much about the building, although I'd like to.
It's on New York Ave, heading NE after the Convention Center, and I turned around and saw this one morning while running. Gem? Looks like a perfect fixer-upper!
The sign says "Rebirth: Howard Theatre" and so I was able to investigate. Here's what I found:
"The famed Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, at the corner of 7th & T Streets, launched the careers of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack and many many others. This year as this local landmark celebrates its 100th anniversary in a sad state of disrepair, it’s just on the verge of undergoing a 28-million dollar restoration project which will return it to its glorious beginnings."
All RIGHT! Love historical restorations.


I'm currently on the mend from a toe sprain, which I've been informed takes ages to heal, so I may actually have time to catch up on the photos in the mornings! :-) I do hope it heals soon though, as not running now makes me feel less of a fully-alive human bean!