I've had something of a sidewalk snow-clearing obsession recently. I live on A Street SE near Lincoln Park in the District, on the south side of the street. That latter tidbit is an important one. The sidewalk on the north side of the street tends to get a lot more sun in the winter, so what kind of walk you have following a snowstorm largely depends on which side of the street you choose. I almost always cross the street to the north side when I'm heading east toward the Metro, and these photos show exactly why.

Either A Street SE is some kind of Mason-Dixon Line delineating the responsible neighbors from the lazy ones, or the difference in sun exposure makes an even greater difference than I thought. Here's the north sidewalk on my street as of this morning, clear almost every inch for four blocks:

The north side of A Street SE. (Photo: Dave Jamieson)

And here's the south side of the street, an unpredictable patchwork of icy stretches followed by clear stretches followed by still more icy stretches:

The south side of A Street SE. (Photo: Dave Jamieson)

What blows my mind during a post-storm commute is how many people stick to their guns on the south side of the street, perilously skating their way a quarter of a mile to the Metro station. Neighbors, I urge you all to join me on the north sidewalk next time the snow comes. Not only is it safer over there, I assure you it's also a touch warmer, which is nice.