Shooting in Uptown makes for another bloody spring in the 1700 block of Emerson

The Uptown District used to be known simply as North Capitol Hill before all the hip restaurants and new condos started popping up, bringing with them flocks of young, educated singles who love living in areas that are urban, but not, you know, urban-urban.

Residents of the Emerson Uptown Lofts at the corner of 17th Avenue and Emerson Street certainly got a glimpse of the latter early Sunday morning. Police say that 31-year-old Steven Brush was walking through the neighborhood around 2:30 a.m. on April 19 when he got into an argument with an unknown person in front of the entrance to the Emerson Uptown Lofts. The person shot Brush in the chest and took off. The cops haven't returned calls at this writing, so no word on Brush's condition.

This is the same block where a man was shot and killed by a state parole officer almost a year ago. Officer Steve Crigler had gone to a multi-family house in the 1700 block of Emerson Street on the night of May 13, 2008, to check on another parolee who was staying there. When he went inside, he recognized James Stewart, 36, who was wanted in a string of adult-bookstore robberies. An investigation by the District Attorney's office concluded that Stewart pulled a gun on the officer, forcing Crigler to fire. Stewart was pronounced dead at the hospital.

On March 14, 2008, a man was robbed and stabbed in the alley of the same block. Investigators released this photo of the suspect. Officials are also are asking for tips in the Brush shooting and are offering a $2,000 reward for information. Call CrimeStoppers at 720-913-STOP.

So, is this what the real-estate brochures mean when they say "urban living"?