The Wickedest Precinct- #1 in Drunks
In the 50s the Washington Post dubbed the 2nd Police Precinct as the 'Wickedest Precinct'. The 2nd Precinct mostly was what we know as Shaw. It went from K Street NW on the south, the Union Station tracks on the east, Florida Ave NE to North Capitol then S Street NW to the north and 15th St NW to the west.In "Illegal Liquor Sales An Industry in No. 2 :2d Precinct 1st in Drunks." by S.L. Fishbein (March 17, 1954) The Washington Post p.1 there is a lovely map (sorry I don't have a copy to provide to you) showing where there were illegal liquor sales busts and there is a big ol' splotch of 1953 busts at 5th and Neal Place. I'm trying to think if Neal Place is still there, it's where the Co-ops are now. There's a smaller splotch between S and Rhode Island Ave between what looks to be 6th and 7th St. NW. Somewhere around there was a place called Glicks Alley. Anyone have an idea where that was exactly? Is it the unnamed alley between those modernist Susan Reitag buildings? I can find out in time, but I may as well ask.
The only Shaw mention in the article is the mention of Shaw Jr. High students who had the joy of walking past the drunks in the alley as they cut through to get to school.
There is something about 'gill joints' but I'll write about that later.
Labels: neighborhood history
posted by Mari @ 21.1.09
3 Comments:
wicked awesome!
As for the alley being Susan Reitig, would that be between N and Ridge Sts NW? There is a document I found on the MSVNA page with some historical information, and I don't recall seeing any name on that alleyway. And anyway, I though Ridge St was the alley.
Susan Reatig has a bunch of buildings all over Shaw and Mt. Vernon Sq. Her firm did two building on one block. One on the 7th St side and the other on the S Street side, and the alley that goes between them looks big enough to be an alley where people lived.
Correction, I just looked at her firm's site... three buildings on the same block. Two on the 7th St side and one on the S Street side.
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