WASHINGTON — The District’s Navy Yard has been named one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world by Forbes.
The Forbes list of the 12 coolest neighborhoods from late last month put the Southeast neighborhood alongside areas in Amsterdam, Johannesburg and Panama City. Navy Yard got the nod because it is a fast-growing area with a long history and lots for visitors to do, the article said.
Melissa Biggs Bradley, the founder of the boutique travel agency Indagare, was quoted as praising Navy Yard’s waterfront location, industrial infrastructure and historic roots.
Navy Yard visitors can take in a baseball game or other event at Nationals Park; they can grab dinner at microbrewery Blue Jacket Brewing or upscale Italian restaurant Osteria, and get some dessert at Ice Cream Jubilee, Bradley told Forbes.
This isn’t the first time parts of Navy Yard have been highlighted by national publications. Capital Riverfront made Money’s list of The 10 Coolest Neighborhoods in America last year.
The neighborhood is arguably the fastest-growing area in the city.
In April, developer Forest City Washington unveiled its second phase of expansion at The Yards, announcing it will break ground in 2019.
The entire addition will be completed in 2030. It will bring an additional 3 million square feet of mixed-use development on an undeveloped 18 acres of land on the western side of The Yards, between 1st Street Southeast and New Jersey Avenue.
The current development along the Anacostia is at the center of the Capital Riverfront Business Improvement District.
Phase two includes an additional 1,200 residential units, 1.5 million square feet of Class A office space, and another 150,000 square feet of retail and dining.
The Forbes list also noted the Amsterdam Noord neighborhood for its art galleries and bars, Johannesburg’s Maboneng neighborhood for its museums and restaurants and Panama City’s Casco Viejo neighborhood for its restored buildings, gift shops and rooftop bars.
