It's actually quite surprising that this is my first time at the Wharf considering how close I live and how much hype it's gotten over the past few years. This new-ish development is a hip lil' mixed-use community on the Potomac featuring condos & apartments, waterfront restaurants, parks, boat docks, bars and more. The energy is vibrant and modern with a relaxed vibe.
Candice and her boyfriend flew in from Austin, TX last week and Ashlyn is in town from Chapel Hill, NC so we decided to go up to DC and explore the Wharf. I couldn't be more excited to hang with my old roomies in a new and exciting area. Becca is the only one who has been there before, so the experience was brand-new for most of us.
Ashlyn and I arrived first and went to Tiki TNT which is a cute eatery with outdoor bar areas overlooking the water. We walked in to the bar and it was packed to the brim with people our age, like seriously there were ONLY people our age. It became clear that this was a major watering hole for socialites.
We couldn't find any seating downstairs so we ventured up and eventually made it to the rooftop bar. Luckily we snagged a table. We were mildly sweating from the heat—there was nothing blocking the sun and fans were nonexistent. It's a good thing the both of us thrive in warm weather.
We ordered some drinks and I remembered why I don't go out in D.C. lol. One baby drink was $14, which is the biggest rip off in the world. Despite the outrageous price tag, I ended up ordering 3. I justified the $70 check (which included an order of loaded tots) with the fact that I rarely get to see everyone so a celebration was in order. Candice, Lukasz (Polish boyfriend) and Becca arrived and we ended up spending an hour and half at this bar. As the sun began to set, we decided to walk around and check out the scene.
The strip traced alongside the water which was filled with bobbing boats and yachts.
Looking up, we spotted what looked like a rooftop bar, so we decided to go check it out and see if we could get in. The place is called La Vie. We were greeted by a doorman/bouncer guy who guided us into an elevator to take us up to the rooftop. We were informed that there was a private party going on, but there was little to no clarification on where it was or what it was about. When the doors opened, we walked out into a large room filled with well dressed people. When we spotted the giant gold "50" balloon, we knew we were in the wrong place and had somehow managed to stumble into the private party.
Hesitant at first, we debated on whether or not to leave, but ended up wandering out to the balcony to watch the sunset. It was absolutely breathtaking. The sun was setting and reflecting off of the water as we watched the boats and people below. To one side, we could see the monuments and to the other, we saw the Capital building. Moments like those make everything seem surreal and dream-like. I was so happy we decided to stay, though we were probably sticking out like sore thumbs.
After the sun disappeared behind the trees, we left the bar and walked along the rest of the boardwalk to the very end and eventually said our goodbyes. The entire experience was an overall good one. There's a lot going on at the Wharf and plenty to do. Most of the restaurants feature a garage-like door that opens up to the water, so most tables are able to dine al fresco. I would definitely recommend checking it out, just be sure to up your allowance for food and drink because it's far from cheap.