Where To Live Now: Hip Neighborhoods

Ivy City

Behind the Name
Ivy City got its namesake from a Civil War-era poet and author who was apparently really into ivy (his home was called Ivy Hall). While the parcel of Northeast DC is no longer as green – having long-since been converted into one of the city’s few industrial neighborhoods – it is seeing a renaissance.

Easy Access & Nearby Green Space
There’s easy access in and out of town via New York Avenue or Union Station, and for those craving green space, the National Arboretum is right around the corner. Could this be DC’s (much cooler, obviously) version of NYC’s Meatpacking District? United States National Arboretum: 3501 New York Ave. NE, DC; www.usna.usda.gov

Industrial Chic
Noted DC developer Douglas Jemal has no-so-slowly and surely transformed the 30 acres into an edgy, urbanite community, complete with legitimate industrial fixings. The cornerstone of the community is the former Hecht Warehouse, now a hip residential and retail center. Hecht Warehouse: 1401 New York Ave. NE, DC; wwwhechtwarehouse.com

Libation-Making
Multiple distilleries and breweries (Atlas Brew Works, Jos. A. Magnus, New Columbia Distillers, One Eight Distilling and Republic Restoratives) have laid claim to the abandoned warehouses and started a new industry for the city. Check out their websites for information about tours, tastings and events.
Atlas Brew Works: 2052 West Virginia Ave. NE, DC; www.atlasbrewworks.com
Jos. A. Magnus & Co.: 2052 West Virginia Ave. NE, DC; www.josephmagnus.com
New Columbia Distillers: 1832 Fenwick St. NE, DC; www.greenhatgin.com
One Eight Distilling: 1135 Okie St. NE, DC; www.oneeightdistilling.com
Republic Restoratives: 1369 New York Ave. NE, DC; www.republicrestoratives.com

Thriving Nightlife
Ivy City’s nightlife is picking up rapidly, with New Orleans-meets-Brooklyn-inspired bar Big Chief from the team at Tin Shop (complete with a vintage airstream on the roof and home to themed events like the Pancakes & Booze Art Show) and soccer fan mecca Dock FC. Even the neighborhood’s blow dry bar, Sip & Dry, has a bar inside of it offering cocktails to customers and folks who just want to pop in and have a nightcap with Sahar Bozkurt.
Big Chief: 2002 Fenwick St. NE, DC; www.bigchiefdc.com
Dock FC: 1400 Okie St. NE, DC; www.dockfcdc.com
Sip & Dry Bar: 2004 Hecht Ave. NE, DC; wwwsipanddrybar.com

Q&A with Chelsea and Drew Xeron

Owners, Studio 52

On Tap: What first put Ivy City on your radar?
Chelsea Xeron: What drew us to Ivy City was that every time Drew had to go to New York City for a job, we would drive down New York Avenue and see Hecht Warehouse under construction and think, ‘What’s it going to be like?’

OT: What’s it like to live at Hecht?
Drew Xeron: We love it. We have a corner, sunset-facing unit with views of the Monument, the Capitol and the Basilica. And our terrace is 1,600 square feet. It’s ridiculous. And it was so reasonable because we were in so early. You could literally run – honey, what do you call them?
CX: [Laughs] Side sprints on our terrace.

OT: What inspired you to open your event venue and video production company, Studio 52?
CX: We really loved the whole vibe of the neighborhood. We drank the Kool-Aid and moved in, and it wasn’t too long after we moved in that we started looking for a retail space for Studio 52. There was just so much opportunity and they were willing to work with us to help us find the perfect retail space, which is nice.

OT: Tell me a little bit about the community in Ivy City.
DX: The unofficial name for me is the Mayor of Ivy City, and you can ask a lot of people and they’ll tell you that. Chelsea, is that true?
CX: Yes, he knows everyone. And everyone knows him.
DX: We frequent all the restaurants and bars. We got to Dock FC and watch UFC, and we have dinner at La Puerta Verde all the time. There’s so much more activity and there’s so many more faces and a lot of energy, which we didn’t necessarily feel at first. We just rented our space from someone who walked by coming out of yoga looking for an event space. The garage is only $7 all day, and the first two hours are free.

OT: What else is coming to the neighborhood?
DX: It’s about to turn a corner as soon as the Compass Coffee plant opens. That’s a 50,000-square-foot processing plant along with other businesses that are about to pop up, and that is going to be a shift; really turn it to turbo.

OT: If I only had an hour, what’s the one thing I should do in Ivy City?
DX: I’d go see Chef Carlos at La Puerta Verde and eat the steak and chorizo. That’s like, my favorite thing to do.
CX: And the elotes.
DX: Oh my god, yes. Just go see Chef Carlos; he’ll fix you up.

Studio 52: 1508 Okie St. NE, DC; www.studio52dc.com

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