WASHINGTON, D.C.
D.C.’S newest riverfront district comes to life at night.
The single largest development in the history of the capital, The District Wharf hummed with activity when its first phase opened in October 2017. Stretching for one mile along the waterfront in once-downtrodden southwest D.C., the $2.5billion, mixed-use project brings stunning water views, live music, dozens of new restaurants, hotels and residences together in one location.
Although temporarily halted during the pandemic, once restrictions are lifted, live music will again make The Wharf an important nightlife district, with three new performance stages. The Foo Fighters launched
The Anthem, a 6,000-capacity concert hall. Pearl Street Warehouse patrons are never more than 25 feet from the stage where rock, country, folk, soul and blues acts perform. Union Stage came along at the end of December 2017 with a 450-capacity music venue. Adding to the entertainment mix is nearby Mead Center, the second-largest performing arts space after the Kennedy Center. Its Arena Stage specializes in American theater.
A lively bar scene adds to the energy level in The Wharf ’s restaurants and hotels. The Spanish seafood restaurant Del Mar, temporarily closed, features a classic cocktail program with Spanish influences and offers outdoor seating spaces. Garage-style doors raise onto the waterfront promenade at The Brighton, an English-style gastropub. Hank’s Oyster
Bar on The Wharf (with locations also in Dupont Circle and Old Town Alexandria) is open for distanced indoor dining and outdoor dining on two covered and heated patios with views of the waterfront.
The Intercontinental Washington D.C. – The Wharf, one of three hotels in the development, joined Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C., which helped kick-start the redevelopment of southwest D.C. when it opened in 2004. Its Empress Lounge — closed during D.C.’S pause in indoor dining — has long served as a gathering place for Washington power brokers.
While The Wharf welcomes the LGBTQ+ community — hosting the first National Coming Out Day at The Wharf in October 2020 — it’s too soon to tell whether it will match the popularity of the capital’s lively gayfriendly districts such as Adams Morgan, home of the Duplex Diner and sports bars Pitchers and A League of Her Own; Dupont Circle, where JR.’S does business; and the U Street Corridor, with Nellie’s Sports Bar and The Dirty Goose, offering rooftop seating.