Patrick Henry Elementary School - Community mapping crew 1

The Columbia Pike Documentary Project has continued its work with Patrick Henry Elementary School teacher Nathan Erwin's third grade class project on community mapping.

Thanks to Mr. Erwin and the enthusiastic students in the League of Learners.

Photography by CPDP intern Chenxing (Charlotte) Yang.

Food Star - a change is gonna come

The Food Star Grocery store, and the stores surrounding it in the small shopping center at 950 S. George Mason Drive in Arlington Virginia (at the corner of S. George Mason and Columbia Pike), has been a fixture for decades.

It is due to be demolished soon, to be replaced by a development named the Columbia Pike Village Center. This new development will be six stories tall, and is planned to have a larger grocery store (possibly one owned and run by the Harris Teeter Corporation), additional retail stores, 365 market-rate apartments, a three-level parking garage, and a public square. It is being developed by Reston-based Orr Partners.

Changes.

It will be interesting to see if any of the ethnic businesses and foods - and pinatas - will thrive or be included after the building phase of this new project has been completed.

CPDP photographer Duy Tran, who has lived along Columbia Pike for his entire life, documented the store and the shopping center for posterity.

Photography by Duy Tran.

Voice of America : video report on the Columbia Pike Documentary Project

Voice of America reporter June Byung Hwa Soh has just posted a piece she has created on Columbia Pike and the Living Diversity book on the VOA website.

It is a cogent and very positive video article on the Pike and our work documenting it.

Take a look by clicking here:

Thanks especially to CPDP photographer Duy Tran, who was also interviewed and provided critical technical assistance with lighting and other logistics (and gets a brief moment onscreen), plus local business owners Claudia Camacho of Cafe Sazon, and Mr. Mohamed of Asni Ethiopian Store. 

All our photographers show up also in a nicely-panned still image of everyone’s faces. (I tried for more inclusive coverage of our team, but I don’t get to edit VOA’s stuff!).

VOA gets beamed worldwide, and has a very large following. This is an exceptional showcase.

It presents us, and the work we have all done together as citizens in Arlington to build and sustain a vital diverse community. It looks good - because we’ve done good. 

I’m proud to live here, and proud of the work our team - Aleksandra, Duy, Mimi, and Paula - along with our many supporters and collaborators - have accomplished.

Enjoy the video.

Voice of America | interviews

Voice of America video reporter June Soh is developing a story on the Columbia Pike Documentary Project. CPDP photographers Lloyd Wolf and Duy Tran were interviewed, and guided the reporter to a variety of locations along the Pike, including Cafe Sazon and Asni Ethiopian Store.

Stay tuned for news of the finished piece!

Photography by Duy Tran.

Barcroft Shopping Center and Columbia Pike Plaza - signs, and signs of spring

Photography by Lloyd Wolf.

Farmers market in spring, nearby street views

The Columbia Pike Farmer's Market is open all year, every Sunday from 9:00 am to 1:00 PM., at the corner of Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike.
One of the vendors pictured, Markos Andreas Panos, is with Bread and Water, a fine local artisanal bakery.

Photography by Lloyd Wolf.