This is a description based on an observation that was carried out Intersection of Irving and Mount Pleasant St NW in Washington DC, on two typical weekdays.
The intersection connects the one way Irving Street to the two way Mt Pleasant street such that the two streets join in some form of the skewed cross.
The streets leading to the intersection are lined with buildings of different construction styles and which host various types of commercial and residential ventures.
Because the intersection links various busy streets the first notable observation is a multitude of people in transit using the various means of transport.
In the early hours of the day, the roads are virtually devoid of human traffic, but by midday, the sidewalks have a constant flow of pedestrians headed in different directions. Some of these individuals are vendors delivering commodities to stores.
The pedestrians are an amalgamation of all types of races. It was easy to point out Chinese, African Americans, Caucasians, Hispanics and Ethiopians coming from their homes, walking to the stores or trying to catch a bus.
The Spanish language was notably spoken by the Hispanics while some of the African Americans communicated in English heavily laden with slang. Every once in a while a bike rider would pass by the bus stop which by its nature has several commuters awaiting the arrival of their buses.
The streets are generally clean and save for the random, reckless passer-by who spits some bit of gum onto the pavement, most of the pedestrians are responsible enough to know that trash belongs in the trash cans.
Various of the city council cleaners can be seen cleaning the streets using brooms, and it is almost guaranteed that some fitness conscious individuals will be seen jogging by.
Regular and traffic police officers on bikes and in cars are positioned strategically awaiting any occurrence that would warrant their intervention. Postal workers are also seen regularly, and this is occasioned by the presence of a post office at the corner of the block.
Parents, mostly mothers, can also be seen pushing walkers across the various streets that connect at this particular intersection.
The block has several stores, but the one that stands out is a block store that has several items of clothing hung outside its doors.
Other business establishments included Hispanic restaurants, a thrift store selling cell phones owned by a Caucasian family, several beauty salons, a hair salon and a barber shop owned by a Ghanaian lady, a number of apartment buildings, a store supplying beauty products owned by a Hispanic family, an office dealing with tax and legal service and a well-stocked liquor store owned by an American couple.
The liquor store attracts a lot of clients from various walks of life, and it is not strange to see crippled men and women ride up the ramps to purchase their favorite alcoholic drink.
Most of the stores are owned by individuals of either Hispanic or Ethiopian origins, but the clientele is of mixed diversity. It is not strange to see Ethiopians going to a Hispanic restaurant and Asians buying cell phones from the Caucasian owned thrift store.
The buildings and the businesses/rental houses they host are in a fairly good condition, and they give the impression that their owners are well concerned with the maintenance of the structures judging from the numerous cleaners and repairmen seen around taking refurbishing the buildings.
The traffic at this intersection is quite heavy on any given weekday, and this is mainly because the various roads connecting at the particular point generally led into and out of the city square where most individuals go to work.
The major traffic issue is that there is a constant movement of cars coming from the three main directions and need to make turns at the intersection. The huge number of pedestrians particularly around midday; therefore, renders turns at this point impractical for all intents and purposes.
This is particularly worsened by the presence of three pedestrian crossings, one on Irving Street just after the intersection and two on Mt Pleasant Street (one on either side of the intersection).
Pedestrians misuse their right of way at the crossings and sometimes proceed to walk on the road even when the vehicles have been given a green light.
The human traffic is a constant nightmare for drivers, and sometimes individuals can get held up at a light for up to three cycles just because the cars in front are waiting to make varying turns at the intersection.
This, therefore, makes the loud honking and revving of engines a regular feature and if the authorities were more stringent, the intersection could easily be identified as one is where the aspect of noise pollution is ignored.
The neighborhood is physically appealing especially because it carried some decent stores. Some of the buildings in the region are probably over fifty years old judging from their architectural constructions.
The neighborhood is up and coming, and one can easily see the restructuring works going on with some older structures being taken down and replaced with new buildings.
It is very difficult to get directions from the on-foot commuters, and most people will pass you by without any sense of shame even after you have made the visibly conscious effort to stop them.
As such, it is much easier to consult the police officers and the cleaners in the area in case one needs any help in identifying the easiest route to a given place.