June 22, 2011

The Yards Featured on 365 Things To Do In DC

What's New, D.C.? The Yards.
By Stephanie Ostroff

It was a case of serendipity. When Forest City Enterprises generated plans for a new social hotspot on D.C.'s waterfront in 2003, they had no idea baseball was about to move in. But what can only be described as sheer luck brought Nationals Park right next door to what would soon be known as The Yards, and together they're positioning themselves as D.C.'s sophisticated new playground on the riverfront.

At its height during the mid-1940s, the Washington Navy Yard employed 26,000 people in 132 buildings. But after World War Two's end, the Navy Yard's importance diminished, and bit by bit, buildings were razed. Today, just a smattering of war-era edifices remain.

That's where Forest City came in. The company specializes in adaptive reuse-revamping existing structures to breathe life back into historic properties. They envisioned a vibrant hub of residential and retail space at the site where factory workers once produced ship paraphernalia.

The first major project at the 42-acre site, Yards Park, was completed in September 2010. Since then it's been hailed as D.C.'s "Best New Public Space" by Washington City Paper-and rightly so.

The park features an ultra-modern pedestrian bridge, a canal, waterfall (complete with a kids' splash pool) and riverfront boardwalk. One section includes a special dog play area, while another is shaded by birch trees and filled with grooved benches and chaise lounges-perfect for a leisurely afternoon of lunch and reading. Yards Park is also the latest link in the 18-mile Anacostia Riverwalk, which will connect joggers and bikers to Georgetown.

"We wanted to do a world-class waterfront park, and for that to be the front yard of this neighborhood," says Gary McManus, director of marketing at Forest City. "A good urban park is very compartmentalized and very open to various urban-related uses, and this project falls into that category."

The park's garden amphitheater has been the backdrop for free weekly Wednesday lunchtime concerts, attracting audiences as large as 1000. Similarly, Friday evening concerts are becoming a D.C. summer staple, bringing in R&B, Caribbean and Motown musicians. During the Friday concerts, Mie N Yu  sets up a beer garden, and boardwalk-style savories like crepes are available.

"Once people get here they're just amazed," says Kathleen Kruczlnicki, manager of park programming and marketing. "It feels like you're on vacation at the park. You feel so far from the city, but you hop on the Metro and in seven minutes you're in Gallery Place. It's such a huge amenity for the city as a whole."

Besides hosting free concerts twice a week, the park has tons of events and festivals lined up for the rest of the summer. National Freedom Fest will bring 50 bands and DJs to the Capitol Riverfront on July 3 and 4, and on July 15 and 22 the D.C. Bocce League is scheduled to set up shop. The Caribbean Rum Festival will take place on July 23 and 24.

Next in the works at The Yards: 170 apartments with sweeping views of the Anacostia River begin leasing in July. The apartments, called the Foundry Lofts, are a piece of living history. Built in 1917, the structure was originally called the Pattern and Joiner Shop, serving as large scale woodworking shop and pattern storehouse.

In the next several years, historic buildings such as the Lumber Shed and Boilermaker's Shop will transform into retail pavilions. Eight restaurants, a grocery store and a major fitness club have already committed to move in.

"History will blend in with the new construction," says McManus. "What we're after here is someplace that has an authentic urban fabric, where you've got different kinds of architecture and new next to old."