My logical terms for returning to DC early this year were mainly work. The other side of my brain was curious how the neighbourhoods, Mount Pleasant and around, have evolved since the repatriation in 2020—a tough year for everyone. Inevitably, it was another election year, expecting another intense energy. So, here are some of DC streetscapes in 2020 and 2024 side-by-side.
Unfortunately, the raw files of shop boards in DC were the casualties of data loss I had to get over with. Tracing back the same routes to match those unrecovered files would not help my coping mechanism. However, mobile pics from the new phone were safe. (Older than that was gone!) Most photos of 2020 were PPE, but there were not many streetscapes. So, I tracked some of those spots only from what was left.
Apart from the usual changes of shops, an obvious four-year difference was anti-riot boards. They were on and off in 2020 due to the social and political climate then. In 2024, they were completely absent from the streets. No riots were anticipated. Another development was street dining. During the Pandemic, the city allowed restaurants to seat and serve customers outside on the street. That seemed to stay.
On a personal level, I felt very welcomed being back in Mount Pleasant, checking out my regular places: the pubs, the Latino restaurants, and the American Chinese carryouts. There was some sparkling in their eyes when I walked into their shops for the first time in years. The community has moved on and strengthened, I found.
However, I emotionally bet on the US election too much. Therefore, it cost me loads of emotional loss and took me a while to rebound. It was clear that the mental intensity was relieved when departing the city. Ultimately, there’s no regret in being back in DC in another election year. I got to catch up with the landlady and her friends and family. It led to the planned bucket list and the unplanned one. And I am grateful.