Comments on: DC Mythbusting: The Height Limit!

By: Marie Claire

Marie Claire — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:59:50 +0000

Nice work Kevin!

By: Tom Hancock

Tom Hancock — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:34:40 +0000

Nice thinking but I do believe that any time a property is built in somewhere like DC there is ALWAYS another innuendo. I bet the views are beautiful from the top though lol

By: DC Mythbusting « these vibes are too cosmic

DC Mythbusting « these vibes are too cosmic — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:43:47 +0000

[...] On the building height limit in DC, on whether or not the Washington Monument is on an axis with the White House and the Mall (which [...]

By: andy

andy — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:24:03 +0000

I’ve lived here 30+ years – the story I remember hearing about the height restriction had to do with penny-pinching Congress not wanting to have to spend money on new fire equipment whenever someone else would build a new tallest building in the city. And from what I heard about the way Congress treated the city during most of the 20th century before Home Rule, that makes perfect sense to me.

By: Amanita.net » Blog Archive » Daily Digest for January 5th

Amanita.net » Blog Archive » Daily Digest for January 5th — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:56:37 +0000

[...] has officially broken my brain: http://www.welovedc.com/2009/05/19/dc-mythbusting-the-height-limit/#comment-16332 [...]

By: Leo Lex

Leo Lex — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:13:39 +0000

I say build skyscrapers in DC this city skyline looks like crap to me and I grew up here been here all my life and this is comming from a 24yr old. I think that when the old people die off and and its just us young people left (although we won’t be young in the future) DC will look so different and it will prob be a fun place to live. And yes I am moving, I already know what some of you are going to say.

By: John Athayde

John Athayde — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:40:36 +0000

Even without height restrictions, the wonderful world of zoning FAR (Floor/Area Ratio) would keep monstrous towers from exploding everywhere. Granted, some developers could purchase the FAR of surrounding buildings and areas to increase their own build capacity, but the DC Zoning Commission could smack those transfers down pretty quickly as well.

I for one like the height restriction. And I’d say the office space in Virginia is more because of cost per square foot and tax issues in DC as opposed to height limitations.

http://dcoz.dc.gov/faqs/faq.asp#91

By: Styrax

Styrax — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:35:49 +0000

Wonder, unscientifically, whether the height limit is the reason we don’t have anywhere near the glut of condos/apts that a place like Miami has right now. Obviously, DC doesn’t have a Miami waterfront, but it does have your average developers, who if they’re going to build 30 stories might as well build 50 or 60.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:12:27 +0000

DC is probably the only city where you can find more office space within a 1 mile radius outside of the city than you can find in the city. I’m all for lifting the height restriction.

By: Chicago Has A Washington Monument? « Daniel Strauss

Chicago Has A Washington Monument? « Daniel Strauss — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:44:06 +0000

[...] writes: As a Washingtonian, let me be the first to say Gaaaaaaah. The height limit is based off the size of the street it fronts, with a greater limit existing on Pennsylvania Avenue. Your larger point stands, as there is indeed [...]

By: Another Luke

Another Luke — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:12:48 +0000

Don’t forget the main building at Georgetown (Healy Hall). This may just be another myth, but I believe the Capital is taller from ground to top, while Healy is higher (because it is located on the Georgetown hill).

By: Dave Ferguson

Dave Ferguson — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:53:41 +0000

Oops…if you go far enough east, like past the Anacostia Freeway, you DO find B St. SE. It stops and starts; there’s a section just south of the Benning Road Metro stop.

By: Dave Ferguson

Dave Ferguson — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:50:16 +0000

A look at a street map shows that Constitution and Independence Avenues run where B Street would be. I believe this is why these are the only avenues running east and west, instead of at angles to the grid of numbered and lettered streets.

East of 2nd Street NE and SE, you can find A St NE and SE. West of the Capitol, these are mirrored by Madison Drive NW (= A St. NW) and Jefferson Drive SW (= A St. SW).

By: Nicole

Nicole — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:09:15 +0000

ps. on the comment of J street- does anyone know why we don’t have a ‘b’ street? Thanks!

By: Nicole

Nicole — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:02:36 +0000

So proud I actually knew this one! A friend did one of those dc bus tours- apparently you do actually learn useful things!

By: We Love DC » Blog Archive » DC Mythbusting: Traffic Circles

We Love DC » Blog Archive » DC Mythbusting: Traffic Circles — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:01:15 +0000

[...] Related Posts DC Mythbusting: The Height Limit! [...]

By: mhoek

mhoek — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:48:35 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biiPRmNHr_A

check out this video, 5 minute history of the Cairo. Very good.

By: Meredith

Meredith — Fri, 22 May 2009 02:36:35 +0000

Wow…I’ve lived in DC almost 30 years, and I always – ALWAYS – heard that the height restriction was based on the Washington Monument, not the Capitol.

Then again, I’ve never been to half the Smithsonian museums, either.

By: BeyondDC

BeyondDC — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:04:06 +0000

@Tom Bridge – You’re right. One Franklin Square (210 feet) is one. The other is the 200-foot-tall Healy Building at Georgetown Univ.

By: David

David — Thu, 21 May 2009 02:20:37 +0000

very few people, I think, actually look up when they walk around a city… looking beyond the second floor… it’s a shame really