Introducing the people who make Brookland their home, one step at a time:

Phil Blair



Phil Blair has always felt at home in Washington even though he was born in Texas and raised in Maryland. He considers himself a Latin American, having lived many years in South America.

Phil moved to Brookland 25 years ago because he heard about the community’s battle to keep people from building a freeway through the neighborhood. He felt good that this place had a history of fighting for the city.

“It was a nice vibe knowing there were people here who fought for something that mattered and won. I like the idea that here you walk down the street, you meet people you know, and you have a conversation. If you want to walk for exercise you don’t do it in Brookland.”

Introducing the people who make Brookland their home, one step at a time:

Mrs. Jackson

Mrs. Jackson grew up in Washington and has taught in Brookland for 29 years.  She moved with her husband into the neighborhood 13 years ago.  She enjoys living near the school and her students. Mrs. Jackson began her teaching career at Brookland Elementary School and when the school transitioned up the street to Brookland Education Campus at Bunker Hill, she remained with her students and is still there teaching second grade.

"Many of the students that I currently teach and have taught over the years, are children of parents which I had taught so many years ago.   I appreciate the fact that most of the older students that have become productive members of

Joe Kim

Kim Hak Mun was a banker in Korea.  He says that was not hard work only using his head. But he came to the US with his wife in 1988 after waiting 10 years for a visa that would allow him to work.  He bought Joe’s Mini Mart on 12th street, named after his nephew, from his brother-in-law, and became known as Joe to the people of Brookland.  He was in the store from six in the morning to nine at night every day to keep it open, cleaning stocking and selling.  After 20 years of running his own store Joe closed it to take care of his wife who was dying of cancer.  Eight years ago, after the death of his wife, he came to work at Yes Organic Market. He moved into the

Bipeds of Brookland

Introducing the people who make Brookland their home, one step at a time. We'll highlight one member of our community each week, photographed and interviewed by Tom Sabella, who came to Brookland in 1995 and still hasn't left.

In 2005 Sara Lucas retired from working for the Superior Court and began to work every day at her flower shop, Petals, Ribbons and Beyond. “My grandmother had rosebushes when I was growing up in South Carolina and I used to love the rosebushes but every week I would get stung by a bee because the bees would come to get the pollen off the roses. So I have always been around flowers outdoors and then I was offered an opportunity in 1988 to buy into a flower business I had 3 other partners, the shop was called