What do you think of the Wharf & Navy Yard?

[Anonymous]

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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.

Ok, one nail salon doesn't make it a neighborhood. Honestly the areas around are a bit sketchy and not so nice, some ugly housing around outside shiny condos and it feels isolated to me, I would not live there, not to mention with kids and school options.

Wut? What sketchy areas are there near 4th Street SE?

I know, right? Where is the ugly housing and sketchy areas? The Potomac River is south. Head east to Barracks Row. Head west to SW waterfront. Head north and you are in Capitol South and the Brent catchment. Maybe all those senators are too sketchy for PP.

I am not the PP, however, if you walk along M street between the Wharf and Navy Yards there is a not insignificant amount of low income housing along the way. I concede I do not know a lot about that housing and tend to assume it is public housing from how it looks. I take that walk regularly during lunch on nice days, I would not feel comfortable walking there alone at night.

Its all west of South Cap, though, its in SW, not in Navy Yard.

Also you should walk in Eye Street, not on M - there is still some public housing (Greenleaf Gardens) but its much more pleasant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fun for 20-30somethings without kids.

What?!? Yards Park is awesome for kids, especially ones who aren't comfortable swimming in a regular pool. And adults can get coffee, ice cream, cocktails and nice food nearby. It's one of my family's favorite spots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I live in DC and haven't yet been to the Wharf, but came across this review of Wharf restaurant La Vie. Pretty brutal.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/la-vie-on-the-wharf-is-so-bad-im-only-writing-about-it-as-a-warning/2018/08/20/6ac7e7ee-98dd-11e8-843b-36e177f3081c_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.62adaffc6552

La Vie is much better for the social scene. I’ve been twice, never for food, and it was one of the nicer spots I’ve enjoyed.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Fun for 20-30somethings without kids.

What?!? Yards Park is awesome for kids, especially ones who aren't comfortable swimming in a regular pool. And adults can get coffee, ice cream, cocktails and nice food nearby. It's one of my family's favorite spots.

Plus Van Ness ES is THE wave of the future, the best school in the District, the greatest thing since sliced bread .....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fun for 20-30somethings without kids.

What?!? Yards Park is awesome for kids, especially ones who aren't comfortable swimming in a regular pool. And adults can get coffee, ice cream, cocktails and nice food nearby. It's one of my family's favorite spots.

I’m assuming this person was commenting on The Wharf, not Navy Yard. And I agree with you.

Re: wharf and kids, there is a splash park near Hank’s that’s like the town in Fairfax where the kids all play, but other than that, not anything for kids to do (outside of the handful of water activities). Restaurants aren’t made for picky eater kids, though you have a few options with hanks, pizza, Shake Shack.

I think that’s the point of the pricing and retail strategy, to target a certain type of market specific to boating, luxe living, etc.. The people getting watches repaired ($50k watches) and buying there are not stopping at a mall kiosk for a battery. And those are the people buying the multi-million dollar condos and $80k garage parking there.

[Anonymous]

We live in SW a few blocks from the Wharf. The Wharf is fun for us to visit during the week or early on the weekends. With 2 young kids, it’s too busy during the afternoons/evenings for us.

But we love the Navy Yard area. On the weekends we are down there for our workouts, coffee, breakfast, grocery shopping, dinner, beer and ice cream! It’s a quick walk or Circulator ride down M ST.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fun for 20-30somethings without kids.

What?!? Yards Park is awesome for kids, especially ones who aren't comfortable swimming in a regular pool. And adults can get coffee, ice cream, cocktails and nice food nearby. It's one of my family's favorite spots.

I’m assuming this person was commenting on The Wharf, not Navy Yard. And I agree with you.

Re: wharf and kids, there is a splash park near Hank’s that’s like the town in Fairfax where the kids all play, but other than that, not anything for kids to do (outside of the handful of water activities). Restaurants aren’t made for picky eater kids, though you have a few options with hanks, pizza, Shake Shack.

I think that’s the point of the pricing and retail strategy, to target a certain type of market specific to boating, luxe living, etc.. The people getting watches repaired ($50k watches) and buying there are not stopping at a mall kiosk for a battery. And those are the people buying the multi-million dollar condos and $80k garage parking there.

I think PP was referring to the Navy Yard. They have a kids area that is truly awesome. I love the wharf more, but if I had kids, Yards Park is the place to go!

[Anonymous]

I've worked in the Navy Yard neighborhood for over 10 years. The transformation of the last 5 or so years has been UNREAL. When I first started down there in 2006 my boss told me to always leave work before it got dark. And if I felt uncomfortable to have someone walk me to my car. Now? There are restaurants! It used to be one Subway, that's it. You had to go over to Barracks Row to get a sit down meal.

The Harris Teeter finally solved the "no grocery store" problem. Retail is still lacking. But it's come really so far. I thought about buying a place down there 10 years ago. But the main issue was I didn't want to live there at all. Mainly bc there was no grocery. Now? I'd totally live down there.

[Anonymous]

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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.

There are more food options in Georgetown, it's true. Of course, with a few exceptions, they universally suck. Seriously, other than Baked 'n Wired and Chez Billy Sud, where's the good food in Georgetown?

What's good in Wharf/Navy Yard? Even if you are new to the city and just look at Yelp you are surely going to find way more 4 star rated options in Georgetown than in the Wharf, with larger variety of food from casual and bakeries and fast food to fine dining. Sounds like you had never been to Georgetown of haven't been in years and only have this stereotypical view that it's a dying neighborhood about to become urban wasteland. It's far from it, despite major retail dying all over it still draws its crowds for shopping and most chain places are open as well as boutiques. Waterfront is usually packed, as well as movie theater and restaurants aren't empty either. It's still closer and more convenient option for people living in NW DC and nearby suburbs and these people are not about to pack up and depart DC metro to move to SW DC.

I don't understand why there is this need to put down some older established neighborhoods to aggrandize new ones, not necessary. Wharf/Navy yard are doing just fine and are great options, I love to have them. Having a ferry service between Georgetown and Wharf is awesome too. Good times to enjoy both, why the need to compete? It's very small town thinking that one area must die for another to take off. A big vibrant city would naturally have many such areas equally thriving and enough people to visit them. What I would like to see is more development around Wharf and Navy Yard, easier options to get there and a way to get from one to another, better food choices too.

I hate to break this to you, but according the the Georgetown BID, they are NOT thriving. Georgetown is concerned b/c they are watching all of the hot restaurants go to other parts of town b/c of zoning, the historic districts and volumes of tourists.

I don't know what agenda you have and what secret information. Georgetown has been around and stores and restaurants opened and closed and you or others had made similar predictions of the entire area becoming a dump years ago and yet it still stands and still looks pretty good and places are still open and people still come. There are many affluent neighborhoods around Georgetown and it's convenient option for them, I don't see them driving on regular basis to the Wharf/Navy Yard for a meal, some shopping or a movie, do you? Maybe it's an older crowd, families with kids and students and tourists, maybe it's not hip/cutting edge and that's your concern. But I didn't see abundance of hip people in the Wharf either and saw plenty of tourists too, and food was overpriced and overrated. For example, the Asian fusion restaurant there was terrible, one of the worst meals I had, Bangkok Joe's around Georgetown Harbor is incomparably better, at least it's eatable.

Georgetown is still a great option for a family to spend time and for a nice stroll on beautiful residential streets or waterfront, kayaking, some trails nearby, playgrounds and plenty of meal options as well as bars and pastry shops. You can argue with that all you want, people will still live there and will still come there. Wharf can benefit from more food choices, some retail and definitely redevelopment of the nearby shabby areas and extending waterfront, it's work in progress. Tourists are good for DC economy and these days they demand great dining options, they are not coming for food chains. You don't see Downtown dining scene being ruined by the hoards of tourists staying there.

Your comment is so weird. I have no agenda. Georgetown is struggling to be hip and relevant. They see new restaurants going to other parts of the city. Kojo Nnamdi did a show about it on NPR.

Many of us don't care if it's hip and relevant. It's still beautiful, historic, unique and enjoyable, child friendly and closer and more convenient. Unless all homes get boarded up and it becomes truly trashy, people will still come. Food is decent IMHO, you can argue all you want, it has a reputation and this reputation is not grounded in reality for those of us who go there. Some areas naturally get hyped up and others brought down, I don't care much about it. To me it's about other things I care about. I will continue being a Georgetown fan as are many others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in SW a few blocks from the Wharf. The Wharf is fun for us to visit during the week or early on the weekends. With 2 young kids, it’s too busy during the afternoons/evenings for us.

But we love the Navy Yard area. On the weekends we are down there for our workouts, coffee, breakfast, grocery shopping, dinner, beer and ice cream! It’s a quick walk or Circulator ride down M ST.

I get it if you live in SW, but for those living in NW there are other areas way more convenient. It maybe worth a trip once in a while but in now way these areas are so great that they had become our regular destinations. I can have a decent meal in many more convenient parts of DC and kids stuff to do as well.

[Anonymous]

What makes a neighborhood suitable for "hip" places is low rent as much as anything. Maybe Georgetown's landlords will adjust if they don't get new tenants and cooler stuff will move in. Vacant spaces just mean the rent is too high.

[Anonymous]

I love them both! I don't live down there but I'm so happy now to have fun waterfront neighborhoods to visit. They really changed the way I feel about DC, to be honest, which is impressive for <5 year old neighborhoods.

The Wharf is a bit much to do all the time and the crowd is a little weird but the music venues are great and I love all the public space. Navy Yard is my favorite though... it has such a low key vibe that feels like a totally different city. We pick up pizza and sit by the splash pool all day, then stop at one of the bars on the pier before heading home.

I'd love to live in Navy Yard, especially with such easy access to Barracks Row. I'm not quite sure I would live in the Wharf yet, but maybe after they finish the construction.

[Anonymous]

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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.

There are more food options in Georgetown, it's true. Of course, with a few exceptions, they universally suck. Seriously, other than Baked 'n Wired and Chez Billy Sud, where's the good food in Georgetown?

What's good in Wharf/Navy Yard? Even if you are new to the city and just look at Yelp you are surely going to find way more 4 star rated options in Georgetown than in the Wharf, with larger variety of food from casual and bakeries and fast food to fine dining. Sounds like you had never been to Georgetown of haven't been in years and only have this stereotypical view that it's a dying neighborhood about to become urban wasteland. It's far from it, despite major retail dying all over it still draws its crowds for shopping and most chain places are open as well as boutiques. Waterfront is usually packed, as well as movie theater and restaurants aren't empty either. It's still closer and more convenient option for people living in NW DC and nearby suburbs and these people are not about to pack up and depart DC metro to move to SW DC.

I don't understand why there is this need to put down some older established neighborhoods to aggrandize new ones, not necessary. Wharf/Navy yard are doing just fine and are great options, I love to have them. Having a ferry service between Georgetown and Wharf is awesome too. Good times to enjoy both, why the need to compete? It's very small town thinking that one area must die for another to take off. A big vibrant city would naturally have many such areas equally thriving and enough people to visit them. What I would like to see is more development around Wharf and Navy Yard, easier options to get there and a way to get from one to another, better food choices too.

I hate to break this to you, but according the the Georgetown BID, they are NOT thriving. Georgetown is concerned b/c they are watching all of the hot restaurants go to other parts of town b/c of zoning, the historic districts and volumes of tourists.

I don't know what agenda you have and what secret information. Georgetown has been around and stores and restaurants opened and closed and you or others had made similar predictions of the entire area becoming a dump years ago and yet it still stands and still looks pretty good and places are still open and people still come. There are many affluent neighborhoods around Georgetown and it's convenient option for them, I don't see them driving on regular basis to the Wharf/Navy Yard for a meal, some shopping or a movie, do you? Maybe it's an older crowd, families with kids and students and tourists, maybe it's not hip/cutting edge and that's your concern. But I didn't see abundance of hip people in the Wharf either and saw plenty of tourists too, and food was overpriced and overrated. For example, the Asian fusion restaurant there was terrible, one of the worst meals I had, Bangkok Joe's around Georgetown Harbor is incomparably better, at least it's eatable.

Georgetown is still a great option for a family to spend time and for a nice stroll on beautiful residential streets or waterfront, kayaking, some trails nearby, playgrounds and plenty of meal options as well as bars and pastry shops. You can argue with that all you want, people will still live there and will still come there. Wharf can benefit from more food choices, some retail and definitely redevelopment of the nearby shabby areas and extending waterfront, it's work in progress. Tourists are good for DC economy and these days they demand great dining options, they are not coming for food chains. You don't see Downtown dining scene being ruined by the hoards of tourists staying there.

Your comment is so weird. I have no agenda. Georgetown is struggling to be hip and relevant. They see new restaurants going to other parts of the city. Kojo Nnamdi did a show about it on NPR.

Many of us don't care if it's hip and relevant. It's still beautiful, historic, unique and enjoyable, child friendly and closer and more convenient. Unless all homes get boarded up and it becomes truly trashy, people will still come. Food is decent IMHO, you can argue all you want, it has a reputation and this reputation is not grounded in reality for those of us who go there. Some areas naturally get hyped up and others brought down, I don't care much about it. To me it's about other things I care about. I will continue being a Georgetown fan as are many others.

Georgetown cares. They must stay relevant to sustain their place in DC. Neighborhoods don't stay in vogue forever. The Georgetown BID cares about the neighborhood being hip. The landlords can't get those prices if lots of tourists who don't spend money visit.