What’s the Deal With These Goofy DC Building Names?

Apartment-building names around DC can often feel pretty random, disconnected from any sense of place: Anthology, the Kelvin, Lyric, etc. But sometimes the monikers do nod to their location, and the results can get a little silly. Here are a few that stand out.

The Wendy

An apartment building opening later this year . . . on the site of a former Wendy’s.

Off Twelfth Condominiums

“Where are you?”

“Off Twelfth!”

“Yes, but what building?”

“OFF TWELFTH!”

F1RST Residences

Making use of letters and a number to ensure that you really, really understand this Navy Yard building is on 1st Street.

SoNYa

NoMa is a genuine DC neighborhood. We’re pretty sure that SoNYa–short for “south of New York Avenue,” apparently–is not.

eNvy Condominiums

It’s on N Street!

ONE501

The address is 1501. So why is the first digit spelled out in the name? We just have to 1der.

This article appears in the July 2024 issue of Washingtonian.

Daniella Byck

Lifestyle Editor

Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Northeast DC.