Where To Live Now: Hip Neighborhoods

H Street

AVA H Street
Close to all of the H Street restaurants and bars, AVA H Street is a brand new apartment complex with an industrial design and modern feel. Grill outside in the barbecue areas, or take part in one of the many community-sponsored social events for residents and friends. The building is extremely pet-friendly, with a variety of amenities for your pets including grooming services and pet sitting and walking. 318 I St. NE, DC; www.avaloncommunities.com

Biergarten Haus
The beer garden is one of the best in the area, with a massive outdoor space that accommodates sports viewing, with ample outdoor television screens and seating. Grab yourself a liter for $15 of one of their 12 German beers on draft to clench your thirst, while ordering up from the menu of German classics, including their famous sausage wurst platters ($12-$20). 1355 H St. NE, DC; www.biergartenhaus.com

H Street Festival
The annual festival has grown from a neighborhood gathering to one of the most highly anticipated events in the District. Nearly 200,000 people attended last year’s event, and the number is sure to rise. Held in mid-September, the festival showcases the food, drinks and music of H Street, with area businesses offering a variety of food and drink specials, plus food trucks, pop-up specials, and live music and DJs all day. 729 10th St. NE, DC; www.hstreetfestival.org

Maketto
The brainchild of famed DC chef Erik Bruner-Yang and Will Sharp, founder of the street wear company DURKL, this 6,000-square-foot, multi-level, two building space is unlike anything the neighborhood has seen, and likely why it immediately became a go-to for all. The Asian-inspired communal marketplace combines retail, restaurant and café, with patrons able to grab a coffee and spot to work; purchase some pretty cool clothing and kicks; and then in the evening grab dinner on the second floor, with Bruner-Yang’s glorious Taiwanese-Cambodian fare. 1351 H St. NE, DC; www.maketto1351.com

Rock & Roll Hotel
This three-floor independent music venue has grown a reputation for hosting original bands from the DC area, as well as nationally and internationally, with an eclectic sound. Tickets for events generally run you $15 and shows are standing room only, unless otherwise noted, with a full schedule available on their website. Live music takes place on the first floor, with the second floor housing a dance space with DJs, and then a rooftop bar that gets packed come summertime. 1353 H St. NE, DC; www.rockandrollhoteldc.com

Q&A with Erik Bruner-Yang

Chef, Maketto

On Tap: What is special about living on H Street?
Erik Bruner-Yang: I’ve lived in this area for almost 10 years, and it’s great to see so many families that have put their roots down here and had their first date at one of my places, and then got married and had a kid.

OT: What makes Maketto work in this neighborhood?
EBY: I think people were happy to have a nice, new, big place to go to that just has delicious food. And for us, it was really important to have the retail experience because it ties to the history of H Street. In the 50s and 60s, H Street was one of the most important retail corridors in DC, and we wanted to emulate that.

OT: What are your favorite places to eat on H Street?
EBY: Sally’s Middle Name is great; our friends are the owners and our kids play together. And now with two kids, we eat differently, so having the Whole Foods opening down here is great too.

OT: How has the neighborhood changed since you’ve been here?
EBY: You see a lot of great businesses close and a lot of great businesses open, and there is a lot of good and bad to that. There was a lot of anxiety during the construction of the trolley, so it is nice to see it completed, and it has changed the neighborhood. This is a place that is constantly evolving, but not too rapidly. It has a natural growth.

Maketto: 1351 H St. NE, DC; www.maketto1351.com

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