Mall rants - Letters

Washington Monthly, Dec, 2002

If Joshua Green ("Monumental Failure," October) has not explored the Mall after living in Washington, D.C., for two years, I certainly feel sorry for him. The Mall is a great place, so taking an hour or two off on an afternoon to walk around looking at it is not "taking full advantage" of it. Green acts like he's Lewis and Clark when he decides to "stroll its entire length." If he cannot handle going to a national monument for a couple of hours without eating or drinking, then I hope he doesn't go to any national parks and write about them in an overly conclusive couple of paragraphs. I think that next time he should stroll down to a mall more suited to his tastes, such as the one at Union Station.

KARL HEMR
via email

Green is completely correct in his assessment that the National Mall could use a facelift. The problem is that the only thing worse than the barren Mall of today would be a Mall decorated with five Starbucks, three McDonald's, two Gaps, a Rite-Aid, and another Cheesecake Factory that no one can get into. We already have that in Georgetown.

Green is correct that if such a space were in Europe it would have some class and culture; but D.C. isn't Europe and the United States isn't known for its class or culture (unless it's pop culture). Invariably, when we try to create spaces that merge art, retail, and nourishment, we end up with Disneyfied, overly commercial areas like Union Station. Or Universal Citywalk. Or the new Times Square. And as much as the National Mall needs something--some classy eateries and couple of fountains would go a long way--it's better off with some austere sense of tasteful tradition.

LISA SANFORD
via email