We already know that Navy Yard is the mothership of young Trump-lings in DC (thanks, Politico!).
But did you know that Navy Yard is one of the 12 coolest neighborhoods on the entire planet? Neither did we!
According to a recent Forbes article, Navy Yard is one of the hippest places you can hit up on Mother Earth. Forget about any neighborhoods in London, Tokyo, or Mexico City—they ain’t got nothin’ on the Capitol Riverfront BID.
Navy Yard is one of two American neighborhoods to make the list, and Forbes references its “waterfront location, industrial infrastructure, and historic roots” as selling points, arguing that it’s one of the world’s “up-and-coming neighborhoods where local creatives are settling in and setting up shop.”
Let’s deconstruct, shall we?
First of all, Navy Yard is definitely cooler than some other places in DC. We won’t name names, but at least no one’s trying to sell you a T-shirt with an airbrushed Trump face, and you’re not in danger of getting mowed over by herds of visiting families on Segways.
Yes, there are plenty of places to check out in Navy Yard—grab a beer at Bluejacket, eat seafood at the Salt Line, get a cone at Ice Cream Jubilee, or shop local makers at Steadfast Supply. The waterfront walkway makes for a pleasant stroll, and there’s always Nats Park or the Trapeze School if you’re feeling sporty.
All this can be described as cool, sure, but like, the coolest-spot-in-the-world cool? Probably not.
In general, we’re still arguing whether DC is cool or not (remember this?), but if it is, Navy Yard probably wouldn’t be the first place I’d point to as evidence.
When compared to spots like Petworth and Bloomingdale, NaYa (as we’ve deemed it in-office) feels…planned. That’s because, well, it mostly is. You can walk around its high-end apartment buildings and glass-walled stores and see nary a gritty facade in sight, as opposed to aforementioned places whose ecosystems have organically evolved over time.
To be fair, Navy Yard does have historic roots, but that’s kind of a non sequitur in a city where almost every building has a plaque on it declaring some old white dude in a wig once spent the night there.
And, I’m sorry, but any neighborhood that has a Domino’s, Potbelly, and Subway all within walking distance of each other just cannot be one of the coolest places in the world. I refuse to believe that ordering a five-dollar footlong with a Diet Coke tops having fresh churros in Madrid or checking out a seafood stall in Hong Kong.
So, Navy Yard: A cool spot to spend an afternoon in DC? Sure! The newest seventh wonder of the world? Probably not. The Parisian arrondissements can rest easy—y’all are still on top.
Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. Her work has appeared in Outside Magazine, Washington City Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Petworth.
