What do you think of the Wharf & Navy Yard?

[Anonymous]

So fun for a day or night out, but living in that beehive of activity would be awful to me.

[Anonymous]

I work in Navy Yard. There is very little retail. No place to shop, no place to get your nails done. I would not want to live there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Navy Yard is okay. I don’t care for the Wharf, it has a suburban feel and most of the restaurants are too expensive/not kid friendly.

I love the Wharf and think the exact opposite. Its the only neighborhood in DC with waterfront access and amazing amenities. The outdoor entertainment with live musicians feels like the kind of thing you'd see in Miami and California. We're lucky to have it here.

What? It's definitely not the only area of DC with waterfront access. Georgetown waterfront has been around for a while even before the new park opened up. Alexandria also has waterfront and water views.

A) Alexandria is in Virginia.

B) I know about Georgetown hence my qualifier 'and amazing amenities'. Georgetown's waterfront is boring and sad. And its their own fault. The local community has been fighting development in business and transportation for decades. Well now stores are closing left and right, and people are flocking to other areas of D.C. and the Wharf to get what they could have been.

Georgetown is a real residential neighborhood with functional amenities, there is shopping, entertainment, drug stores and banks and grocery stores and hair salons, schools and major universities as well as offices. It's not just a tourist or a night out destination. There are more food choices there than what Wharf has to offer, there is fast food and fancy restaurants and euro bakeries and coffee shops. Sure it's not a hot new culinary destination, but there are still more options there and it's a much more developed area. You make it sound like it's urban decay. Boring is in the eye of the beholder, every area has its charms. Wharf charm is largely artificial, similar to Mosaic or Reston, e.g. suburban outdoor mall but without retail. It's natural charm is waterfront, but the area is too small for more than a day outing. People are flocking wherever it's convenient, I doubt any of these neighborhoods will completely lose their patrons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in Navy Yard. There is very little retail. No place to shop, no place to get your nails done. I would not want to live there.

That is one of the reasons why it didn't feel like a real neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in Navy Yard. There is very little retail. No place to shop, no place to get your nails done. I would not want to live there.

I’ll give you there is little retail, but the nail salon on 4th Street is steps from Yards Park is always packed.

[Anonymous]

We own a condo in SW that we rent out, I’ve been back a few times and I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan. The Wharf seems really separated from the rest of the SW instead of being integrated into the neighborhood. The view is gone, and so much green space in the neighborhood hasn’t been eliminated. Navy Yard seems like more of a cohesive design from what I’ve seen.

[Anonymous]

We love the Wharf for the fish market and I hope it stays in business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Spent last Saturday at the Wharf and it was packed. Plenty to see, do and eat. Live DJ, there was a dragon boat race going on, and you can sit with a coffee or ice cream and watch the boats/people.

Went from there over to Navy Yard / Yards Park and had a sampler of local beers at Bluejacket then walked along the boardwalk.

Some call these two waterfront neighborhoods too shiny or planned, and yes that's fair, but I for one love having another neighborhood to check out that is different than the rest of D.C. I won't be living there, but these are fun places to visit on a weekend afternoon.

These two neighborhoods...are you a fan, or not a fan?

It would be better if these two areas were somehow connected by something other than infrequent and slow ferry. It's hard to get from one to another.

The circulator connects them. So does the green line metro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love the Wharf - sure, its expensive and touristy and kind of hoky - but feels like a little vacation when I go there jus tto walk around/rent a kayak/eat for a couple hours.

I see the appeal of the waterfront and boats, but it really isn't a culinary attraction. I found restaurants to be disappointing and more expensive than necessary.

+1. Spent $21 for ice cream for two kids at B&Js. One was a single scoop with sprinkles for $8 and other had waffle cup for $12. Ridiculous. I won’t be going back. If I do, I’ll stick with getting a pound of steamed shrimp for $14. Btw, the fish market validates parking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We own a condo in SW that we rent out, I’ve been back a few times and I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan. The Wharf seems really separated from the rest of the SW instead of being integrated into the neighborhood. The view is gone, and so much green space in the neighborhood hasn’t been eliminated. Navy Yard seems like more of a cohesive design from what I’ve seen.

pp here, it should say much of the green space has been eliminated. It was one of my favorite things about living in the neighborhood before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in Navy Yard. There is very little retail. No place to shop, no place to get your nails done. I would not want to live there.

I’ll give you there is little retail, but the nail salon on 4th Street is steps from Yards Park is always packed.

One nail salon. One. That’s not retail. That’s not shopping. That’s not a neighborhood. Where do I get a heel resoled? Where do I get a watch battery in five minutes? Where can I get a quick slice of pizza? Pop in and get a cheap blouse because I accidentally stained mine at work?

Zip. Zero. Bupkes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We love the Wharf for the fish market and I hope it stays in business.

I have worked close by for two decades and NEVER understood the appeal of the fish market. The fish is trucked in and then then put into boats to be sold. My understanding is that there is a tax advantage if they sell fish on boats. The fried fish stinks in the summer. Are the prices really good for what you get? Do they have superior fish sources to other retailers? What is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in Navy Yard. There is very little retail. No place to shop, no place to get your nails done. I would not want to live there.

I’ll give you there is little retail, but the nail salon on 4th Street is steps from Yards Park is always packed.

One nail salon. One. That’s not retail. That’s not shopping. That’s not a neighborhood. Where do I get a heel resoled? Where do I get a watch battery in five minutes? Where can I get a quick slice of pizza? Pop in and get a cheap blouse because I accidentally stained mine at work?

Zip. Zero. Bupkes.

NP here, somehow I've managed to live (happily) in Navy Yard for 4 years without the above being an issue. In fact, there are too many places to eat. Capitol Hill/Pennsylvania Avenue is a short walk away and I work downtown if I need a blouse or shoe resoled. Between that I'm good outside of a monthly trip to Target or Costco. Curious where do you live that you never have to leave your neighborhood for anything?

[Anonymous]

Navy Yard is sterile and boring. But if you like chain restaurants, dig in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in Navy Yard. There is very little retail. No place to shop, no place to get your nails done. I would not want to live there.

I’ll give you there is little retail, but the nail salon on 4th Street is steps from Yards Park is always packed.

One nail salon. One. That’s not retail. That’s not shopping. That’s not a neighborhood. Where do I get a heel resoled? Where do I get a watch battery in five minutes? Where can I get a quick slice of pizza? Pop in and get a cheap blouse because I accidentally stained mine at work?

Zip. Zero. Bupkes.

NP here, somehow I've managed to live (happily) in Navy Yard for 4 years without the above being an issue. In fact, there are too many places to eat. Capitol Hill/Pennsylvania Avenue is a short walk away and I work downtown if I need a blouse or shoe resoled. Between that I'm good outside of a monthly trip to Target or Costco. Curious where do you live that you never have to leave your neighborhood for anything?

Never have to leave my neighborhood for anything? That's quite a twist on what I'm looking for.