Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-03-03
BY HUGH A. MULLIGAN
AP Newsfeatures Writer

In the Nations Capital is the
most fused over, fought
over. fretted over. watched
over street in the land-a
wonderful street to visit but
you wouldn't want to live
there.
AS a residential neighbour
hood the sixteen hundred
block Of Pennsylvania avenue
has a certain transient air
that would cramp the hyper
bole of all but the most i'm
aginative composer of real
estate ads.
Schools and churches
nearby? Not anymore. Most
Of the young marrieds lit out
for the suburbs beyond the
Potomac years ago.
Stores within walking dis
lance? A pair of drug stores
on opposite corners, an eye
sore row in the next block
that includes a hamburger
hut. a jeweler, a photog-
rapher, a fortune teller
("Madame Dana - palmist
readings = walk in") and a
barbershop, but nothing
where a housewife can push
a cart around and squeeze
her way through a bin Of
melons.
A quarter of a mile in the
other direction, the Avenue
skirts the downtown shop
ping district before its side
streets fall off into a shabby
assortment of pawn brokers,
burlesque houses and pinball
and peep show parlors.
What about privacy, a lit
tie peace and quiet and the
other intangibles a family
needs to put down roots and
grow with the country.
Well, the big mansion at
1900 Pennsylvania, where
George Washington never
slept but every other Presi-
dent has, is ringed by up
wards of 5000 sightseers a
day, and twice as many in
springtime when the cherry
trees are in bloom and the
kids in the funny hats hit
town for that juvenile junket
known as the senior trip.
There are always limou-
sines rolling through the
high iron gates, peace pickets
parading UP and down, dip
lomats and bureaucrats run
ming in and out, to say MOTH
ing of Inauguration parades,
Easter egg rolls, Christmas
tree nghtings and other sea-
sonal phenomena.
Double Guard
Sad as 1t may seem as q
commentary on the state Of
the Nations mental health,
they even have to double the
guard on nights when the
moon is full. y
It's that kind Of neighbour
hood. Besides which, there's
a traffic problem, a parking
problem, a starting problem.
a squirrel problem, and even
a people problem. Except for
an occasional king or chan
cellor camping out in Blair
House across the way and
the usual crowd Of congress-
men baching 1t at the WASH
ington and Willard Hotels
further down the street, the
area is depressingly short Of
permanent people.
The nearest fulltime neigh
bors to the John F. Ken
nedys are the Carlton Cur
tises. They live in the next
block In a four room, $50 a
month third floor walkup at
17l2 Pennsylvania avenue.
On the ground floor is the
Colonial Cafeteria, which Mr..
Curtis operates and serves as
short order cook. His custo-
mers include the White House
guards and an occasional
Senator or ambassador gulp-
ing q fast cup Of coffee be-
fore. an appointment, but he
has never met his distin-
guished neighbors. Mr.. Curtis
wife freauents different
shops from Mrs. Kennedy
and his boys, ages 81 and IL
are too old TO play with John
and Caroline.
II his window isn't too
steamed up. Mr.. Curtis can
sometimes see the President
heading off 10 st. Stephens
Church farther up the Ave-
nue. at Twenty-fifth street or
riding forth on some mission
OF state. He doesn't see him
nearly as often as he saw
Harry Truman, who passed
by most mornings on his
brisk constitutional.
1--WE only been in the
White House once" drawled
neighbor Curtis. while dis
secting a huge turkey for the
evening special. turkey hash.
II was playing ball over on
the Ellipse. after coming up
from Pas farm, and the older