Last week we asked Borderstan readers, “Where’s the Gay Neighborhood in DC,” and for the fourth consecutive year Logan Circle was the winner. Once again, it was not even close, with 42% saying Logan Circle, followed by Dupont Circle with 9% and 7% for Shaw. U Street fell from 9% last year to 4% this year.
Logan Circle wins again.
While Dupont Circle was once considered DC’s official gay neighborhood, the percentage of readers declined from 13% last year.
The choice of “Everywhere and Nowhere” actually finished second again this year with 22% of survey respondents. “This is such a 1970s question” got 8% of the votes — you have to figure there is a tie-in to the “Everywhere and Nowhere” attitude of an increasing number of both DC’s gay and non-gay community.
The number of readers selecting Other jumped to 6% this year. A variety of neighborhoods were listed, with Capitol Hill being the most popular write-in choice.
The number of readers who chose those two options this year, 30%, was up from 26% in 2012.
Dupont Circle, once the center of DC’s LGBT community, has gotten almost exactly the same results in the last three years — 13% in 2012, 12% in 2011 and 14% in 2010.
Here’s how Borderstan voters responded, with results for earlier years shown for comparison.
| Where is DC’s Gay Neighborhood? | ||||
| Neighborhood | 2013 Reader Poll |
2012 Reader Poll |
2011 Reader Poll |
2010 Reader Poll |
| Logan Circle | 42% | 38% | 34% | 38% |
| Everywhere and Nowhere | 22% | 18% | 22% | 21% |
| Dupont Circle | 9% | 13% | 12% | 14% |
| Shaw | 7% | 9% | 4% | 2% |
| U Street | 4% | 9% | 8% | 6% |
| This is such a 1970s question | 8% | 8% | 17% | 18% |
| Columbia Heights | 2% | 3% | Not asked | Not asked |
| Other | 6% | 2% | 3% | 1% |
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Where is DC's gay neighborhood? The Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods combined got 60% of the votes.
Last week we asked Borderstan readers, “Where’s the Gay Neighborhood in DC”, and for the third consecutive year Logan Circle was the winner. Once again, it was not even close, with 38% saying Logan Circle, followed by Dupont Circle with 13% and 9% for U Street and 9% for Shaw.
Actually, the choice of “Everywhere and Nowhere” finished second with 18% of survey respondents — probably one more sign that members of the LGBT community are spreading out further across the city.
“This is such a 1970s question” got 7% of the votes — you have to figure there is a tie-in to the “Everywhere and Nowhere” attitude of an increasing number of both DC’s gay and non-gay community. Interestingly, the number of readers who those two options this year (26%) was down from 39% in the 2011 reader poll.
Big Jump for Shaw
The noticeable jumps were for Logan Circle and Shaw, especially Shaw. Logan Circle went from 34% last year to 38% in 2011 (back to the 2010 number) while the percentage of readers who picked Shaw more than doubled from 4% in 2011 to 9% this year (it was just 2% in 2010).
Dupont Circle Remains Steady
Dupont Circle, once the center of DC’s LGBT community, has gotten almost exactly the same results in the last three years — 13% in 2012, 12% in 2011 and 14% in 2010.
Note: Columbia Heights was a new option in the 2012 reader poll on DC’s gay neighborhood and 3% of survey respondents picked it. One might ask, though, “Where is the dividing line these days between Columbia Heights and the 14th and U corridor? Is it still Florida Avenue NW?”
Here’s how Borderstan voters responded, with results for 2011 and 2010 thrown in for comparison.
| Where is DC’s Gay Neighborhood? | |||
| Neighborhood | 2012 Reader Poll |
2011 Reader Poll |
2010 Reader Poll |
| Logan Circle | 38% | 34% | 38% |
| Everywhere and Nowhere | 18% | 22% | 21% |
| Dupont Circle | 13% | 12% | 14% |
| Shaw | 9% | 4% | 2% |
| U Street | 9% | 8% | 6% |
| This is such a 1970s question | 8% | 17% | 18% |
| Columbia Heights | 3% | Not asked | Not asked |
| Other | 2% | 3% | 1% |
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For the past two years, in anticipation of Capital Pride, we’ve asked readers, “Where’s DC’s Gay Neighborhood?” The Dupont-Logan area is the center of LGBT pride events each year, including the parade, which runs from Dupont Circle around to Thomas Circle NW.
Click here to take survey: Where is DC’s Gay Neighborhood in 2012? We will share the results with you next week.
We ask the question because DC’s gay population has been shifting eastward and northward from the one-time center around Dupont Circle. In fact, in the 1980s it began shifting to 17th Street, on the eastern end of Dupont — after being centered along Connecticut Avenue and P Street NW west of Dupont Circle.
In the 1980s DC's gay neighborhood began shifting eastward to 17th Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)
One might ask, “Does DC still have a single gay neighborhood?” Is the LGBT population spreading out across the city at a slow but steady pace?
In the 2010 and 2011 Borderstan reader polls, the top choice of readers was Logan Circle: 34% in 2011 said Logan Circle was not the city’s primary gay neighborhood, with 12% naming Dupont Circle and 8% checking U Street on the poll. In 2010, 38% of readers said Logan Circle and 14% said Dupont Circle while 6% said the U Street area.
Interestingly, in 2011, 22% said the DC gay neighborhood was “Everywhere and Nowhere” and 17% checked “This is such a 1970’s question.” The number of people who picked these options in the 2010 poll were about the same.
Today 17th Street is still pretty much recognized as D.C.’s “gay Main Street” — only a few blocks from the Logan Circle neighborhood. But, overall, is the Logan Circle area the new Dupont Circle when it comes to all things gay? Is 17th Street NW still the city’s gay Main Street?
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We like reader polls here at Borderstan. While unscientifc, they are fun and provide at least some insight into what our readers are thinking and doing.
Check out this week’s reader poll in the right navigation bar: “Where do you work?” This being DC, there are 11 choices and when you see all of them, you will understand why there are so many.
The results of three polls last week provide some interesting insights about (1) when readers who are homeowners purchased their house or condo, (2) where DC’s gay neighborhood(s) is located and (3) where readers say they live.
When Did You Buy?
On Tuesday we asked readers who own their homes to tell us when they purchased them. The results were overwhelmingly tilted toward the past four years–61% of respondents said they had bought some time in the past four years.
- Before 1981: 0%
- 1981 to 1990: 3%
- 1991 to 2000: 22%
- 2001 to 2005: 14%
- 2006 to 2008: 36%
- 2009 to 2010: 25%
Where is the Gay Neighborhood?
On Friday, in anticipation of Gay Pride weekend, we asked readers, “Where’s the DC gay neighborhood in 2010?” Probably the most telling information is that a total of 39% of respondents answered either “Everywhere and Nowhere” (21%) or “This is such a 1970s question” (18%). What does this say about DC? Is it now so easy to be gay and live in DC that the need for a defined gay neighborhood is not a priority for many in the GLBT community? One thing is clear: Borderstan readers do not think the city’s neighborhood in 2010 is Dupont. If DC has a gay neighborhood, the winner is Logan, according to readers. Here is how respondents answered:
- Logan: 38%
- Dupont: 14%
- U Street: 6%
- Shaw: 2%
- Nowhere and Everywhere: 21%
- Such a 1970s question: 18%
Where Do Readers Live?
Our Borderstan Poll of the Week on the landing page was, “Where do you live?” No real surprises in the results with Logan, U Street and Dupont nabbing the top three spots, respectively, and totaling 67% of all respondents. However, we are pleasantly surprised to see the 11% who say they live in Shaw and the 7% who are in Adams Morgan (welcome, readers).
- Logan: 28%
- U Street: 24%
- Dupont: 15%
- Shaw: 11%
- Adams Morgan: 7%
- Other: 15%
Is navigating the Bay Bridge in your holiday plans? (Luis Gomez Photos)
Memorial Day: It’s the traditional beginning of the U.S. summer season… a three-day weekend with parades and barbecues… trips to the beach… and highway gridlock on the eastern seaboard.
So, what are you plans this weekend?
<br /> <a href=”http://polldaddy.com/poll/3266653/”>Memorial Day Weekend Plans?</a></p> <p><span style=”font:9px;”>(<a href=”http://www.polldaddy.com”>polls</a>)</span><br />
May 1: About 35 people were arrested in front of The White House as they protested the recently passed Arizona immigration law. (Luis Gomez Photos)
We thought it would be interesting to see what percentage of Borderstan readers are immigrants. Immigration is back in the news cycle after Arizona passed a law related to illegal immigrants in late April, which led to protests near The White House on Saturday. Moreover, Congress may address immigration reform this year, and yesterday the DC Council weighed in on the Arizona law.
Our neighborhood is a diverse section of a diverse city that is part of a diverse metro area in terms of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and national origin. In addition, part of the region’s diversity lies in its large immigrant population with the DC metro area being a preferred U.S. destination for immigrants.
A 2006 estimate put the number of immigrants at one million in a metro-area population of 5.1 million, almost 20%. In DC, there are an estimated 75,000 immigrants out of 600,000 people, about 13%. These numbers compare to the U.S. population where a 2007 estimate put the number of foreign-born at 37 million, about 12% percent of the population.
The poll is below the fold.
Who’s your choice for DC mayor in the September 14 Democratic primary? The Borderstan reader poll is still open.
Who is your choice for mayor? Vote in the reader polll below. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Are you a newcomer to DC? You’ve probably heard there are some local elections this year… that Mayor Adrian Fenty is up for re-election and that his main opponent is DC Council Chairman Vincent Gray.
If the local political scene has you baffled, here is a very very brief backgrounder on mayoral elections before we get to the reader poll. And, for coverage of DC politics, here are some suggestions.
Read the Washington City Paper; its “City Desk” and “Loose Lips” columns/blogs are very informative. The DC Agenda (the weekly gay newspaper) is another good source of information on DC politics as WAMU-88.5 FM. Naturally, the Post covers local politics in detail and the dcist is another good online source of city news.
As noted, the race for DC mayor is underway. Since this is an overwhemingly Democratic city, the Democratic Primary in September (on the 14th this year) has always determined the winner; the November general election is an afterthought. In 2006, the Republican and Green Party candidates got 6% and 4% of the vote, respectively.
Just how Democratic is DC? There are 12 members of the DC Council and a Council chairman. The city’s homerule charter actually reserves two spots for the non-majority party (the Democrats). Both of those seats are now held by independents (David Catania a former Republican and Michael Brown, who is really a Democrat).
The only time there was a serious general election campaign was 1994 when former Councilmember Carol Schwartz got 42% of the vote as a [liberal] Republican. She was running against Marion Barry who was making a comeback after four years out of office; he is now a member of the DC Council from Ward 8 (there is much more to the Barry story, as you undoubtedly know).
Let’s see how Borderstan readers feel about the race for mayor, specifically the September 14 Democratic primary. (Other declared candidates are Leo Alexander and Donna Alston.) It will be interesting to compare our readers versus those of the Prince of Petworth, who recently ran a poll. We will also have reader polls soon for the At-Large Council seats and the Council Chairman.
Note: DC’s primaries are “closed”–you must be registered in a party in order to vote in its primary. Moreover, if you are not registered in a party, you are ineligible to vote in any primary. If you want to vote in the September 14 Democratic primary (or the Republican or the Statehood Green Party), you must be a member of that party.
What city is this? Vote below. (Luis Gomez)
We bring you another mystery city compliments of Luis Gomez. Make your best guess on the city and vote in the reader poll below; we will give you the answer on Friday.
Our first mystery city was Caracas and last week’s mystery city was Valparaiso.
What city is this? (Luis Gomez Photos)
We bring you another mystery city compliments of Luis Gomez (he has 45 countries on his travel belt). Make your best guess on the city and vote in the reader poll below. The answer will be provided Monday. Our first mystery city was Caracas, Venezuela.
The most recent Borderstan readers poll asked, How Old Are You? The big winner is 20-somethings at 49% with 30-somethings in second place at 24%.
- 20 and under: 0%
- 21 to 30: 49%
- 31 to 40: 24%
- 41 to 50: 19%
- 51 to 60: 7%
- 61 to 70: 2%
- 71 and up: 0%
