If some residences look a little out of place in Washington, D.C., it may be because they were originally retail shops. A Tumblr is devoted to these homes, and the zoning laws that created them.
Started by two friends and veritable plannerds, DC Former Retail documents the shops-turned-homes of Capitol Hill, Northeast D.C., and other neighborhoods.
Each post includes a photo and a brief dissection of the architectural "tells"—things like oversized bay windows or doors on the corner. They also keep a map of their discoveries.
What’s the deal? It turns out that D.C. zoning regulations dating to 1958 stipulate that if the lease lapses on a retail location, it will be re-designated residential by default.
That will change in September, when a new zoning code will go into effect permits some new stores in residential neighborhoods—although it applies only to corner stores.
As Laura Bliss at CityLab points out, mixing residential and retail uses can make neighborhoods more convenient and walkable for residents, and boost business for shops.
Scroll through the photos at DC Former Retail.
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