washington D.C. - best places/stores to shop?

[Mauro]

^^^ of course it is. If it wasn't it would be sad. Considering there are 12 million people in NYC monday through Friday and only 1 million in DC.
For the population density and the political climate I would say DC is doing a damn good job of holding their own.

Redeem on 14th st sells some of my stuff. I am still working on "lost boys" which would be the best fit.

Trunk show details go out tomorrow!

 

[NameBack]

Originally Posted by sq4you

well i was semi joking. but the fact that you declare everything in DC to suck leads me to question your taste in everything. obviously dc fashion (oxymoron) is non-existent, but there is tons of good food, lots of good bands come to DC, there are lots of great bars, GT is awesome, the verizon center is pretty cool, chinatown is great, U st, H st, lots of different types of girls, raggae nights at ESL, latin nights at madame's organ, etc etc etc.

Can I get a "non-white" in there? Personal favorite thing about DC right there.

 

[NameBack]

Originally Posted by Mauro

^^^ of course it is. If it wasn't it would be sad. Considering there are 12 million people in NYC monday through Friday and only 1 million in DC.
For the population density and the political climate I would say DC is doing a damn good job of holding their own.

Redeem on 14th st sells some of my stuff. I am still working on "lost boys" which would be the best fit.

Trunk show details go out tomorrow!

Yeah, sometimes I forget how small DC really is. It reminds me of growing up in Portland, OR.

Personally, I prefer the whole megalopolis thing, but I decided to make my career in politics like an idiot. Sigh.

 

[Mauro]

but that's the good thing about DC. It really is rich in diversity. For people who can't deal with the huge cities like NYC, Tokyo, Paris, LA ( if not so spread out). You can get whatever you want right here, great food, art and entertainment, fashion, and people.
The saddest part about DC , for me s that the level of pretentious . It really is an academic city and wealthy city . People think they can do whatever they want and feel entitled to it and that's just wrong.

 

[notwithit]

Originally Posted by sq4you

well i was semi joking. but the fact that you declare everything in DC to suck leads me to question your taste in everything. obviously dc fashion (oxymoron) is non-existent, but there is tons of good food, lots of good bands come to DC, there are lots of great bars, GT is awesome, the verizon center is pretty cool, chinatown is great, U st, H st, lots of different types of girls, raggae nights at ESL, latin nights at madame's organ, etc etc etc.

I agree with the parts in bold, and I pretty much disagree with everything else. Ethiopian food is great, and there are a ton of restaurants. Beyond that, I don't think DC food is that amazing. Everything else, well, that's just a matter of personal preference. Regardless, at least some of these things are going to appeal to you. I'll also add that there's some decent art. Nothing along the lines of NY/LA/Chicago, but there's some interesting stuff to be found.

I can understand seeing DC as a significant step down from Chicago. Chicago is the third-largest city in the country. It gets all the same bands (maybe more, and they have the Pitchfork festival), I'm sure the food is better, I'm sure the nightlife is at least on par with DC's and probably a good clip better. The only things DC really has on it (other than the Ethiopian food) is that it's a global city - whereas my understanding is that Chicago is somewhat more provincial - and a good chunk of NW, Capitol Hill, and scattered other places are almost entirely 20-somethings. These things may or may not appeal to you.

My opinion is that, in order to enjoy DC, a) you need a reason to be there, probably job-related, and b) you actually have to work at it. You're not just going to stumble into a comfortable niche full of interesting people and enjoyable social and cultural experiences. There are a ton of douchebags (perhaps disproportionately so compared to other cities), and a lot of the bars are overrun by striped shirts, gelmets, and low-alcohol shots on the weekends.

I could probably keep going, but this doesn't have anything to do with shopping. Also, the query I was working on finally stopped running.

 

[dfagdfsh]

dc is ok. the bar scene isn't that great and is pretty pricey, and notwithit hit it on the head: lots of douches.

 

[puddin]

Originally Posted by notwithit

I agree with the parts in bold, and I pretty much disagree with everything else. Ethiopian food is great, and there are a ton of restaurants. Beyond that, I don't think DC food is that amazing. Everything else, well, that's just a matter of personal preference. Regardless, at least some of these things are going to appeal to you. I'll also add that there's some decent art. Nothing along the lines of NY/LA/Chicago, but there's some interesting stuff to be found.

I can understand seeing DC as a significant step down from Chicago. Chicago is the third-largest city in the country. It gets all the same bands (maybe more, and they have the Pitchfork festival), I'm sure the food is better, I'm sure the nightlife is at least on par with DC's and probably a good clip better. The only things DC really has on it (other than the Ethiopian food) is that it's a global city - whereas my understanding is that Chicago is somewhat more provincial - and a good chunk of NW, Capitol Hill, and scattered other places are almost entirely 20-somethings. These things may or may not appeal to you.

My opinion is that, in order to enjoy DC, a) you need a reason to be there, probably job-related, and b) you actually have to work at it. You're not just going to stumble into a comfortable niche full of interesting people and enjoyable social and cultural experiences. There are a ton of douchebags (perhaps disproportionately so compared to other cities), and a lot of the bars are overrun by striped shirts, gelmets, and low-alcohol shots on the weekends.

I could probably keep going, but this doesn't have anything to do with shopping. Also, the query I was working on finally stopped running.

You must not live here now, cause U Street is one of the best strips for dancing/bars in the city right now. Starting from 9th through 14th street U Street has: DC9, Velvet Lounge, Dodge City, U Street Music Hall, Patty Boom Boom (the place you should really be going for reggae/dancehall nights), and Marvin. Venturing a block away from any of these places off U street brings up a few more places worth going to. If you like current r&b and rap there are plenty of other places of note too.

H Street is definitely the best strip of bars, but U Street Music Hall is one of the best dance clubs in the Country, easily.

DC has it's share of weak points, but the music scene is pretty much killing it right now. So many creative people putting in work. Compared to 5 years ago, it's a whole different world.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

I'm LOL @ the DC bashing (almost certainly from posters who have not spent any length of time in the area) that always seems to crop up in DC threads. DC is not New York or Chicago, and does not aspire to be. What it is is a livable city with smart, interesting people (albeit who tend to take themselves way too seriously) in which it is pretty easy to find your niche. Outdoor activities are plentiful and the live music scene is great. The restaurant scene is decent and rapidly improving, particularly around H Street and Logan Circle. Cultural activities abound, regardless of whether your taste is museums, theater, or comedy. There are a lot of nightlife opportunities ranging from dive bars to clubs to after-hours parties at museums. Yes, shopping is not great, but not terrible considering DC's size. In sum, if you hate DC you probably haven't given it a chance.

 

[notwithit]

Originally Posted by puddin

You must not live here now, cause U Street is one of the best strips for dancing/bars in the city right now. Starting from 9th through 14th street U Street has: DC9, Velvet Lounge, Dodge City, U Street Music Hall, Patty Boom Boom (the place you should really be going for reggae/dancehall nights), and Marvin. Venturing a block away from any of these places off U street brings up a few more places worth going to. If you like current r&b and rap there are plenty of other places of note too.

H Street is definitely the best strip of bars, but U Street Music Hall is one of the best dance clubs in the Country, easily.

DC has it's share of weak points, but the music scene is pretty much killing it right now. So many creative people putting in work. Compared to 5 years ago, it's a whole different world.

I lived in DC for a little over two years, and I moved away at the end of 2009. I really like DC9 (shame about what happened), I like the Velvet Lounge, and I liked Axis and Polly's when they were still around <sniff>. I'm not really into dancehall, rap, or R&B, so the other places - while I have no doubt that they're good or even great for what they are - don't appeal to me. Totally a matter of personal preference.

I also spent a semester in DC when I was in college, pre-U Street transformation. The 9:30 Club (great, great venue) was already there in its current location, but otherwise it was a totally different place than it is now. No question that the changes have been astronomical.

 

[gumercindo]

Originally Posted by Mauro

actually DC has very good shopping. it's the politics that suck. It's very interesting to me how people bash DC shopping when it's the consumer who dictates what is being sold. The washington area in a test ground for department stores. It's hard for a specialty store to succeed when the customer base is a handful of people and of the handful of people half only want something on sale.

Think about it.

2 saks and a saks mens store
2 neimuns
2 or 3 bloomies
at least 3 nordies
2 barney's co-ops

and that's just the beginning.
Specialty stores-
lost boys
redeem
rue14
relish
passport
and other that I dont know exist.


I'll have to check out those places on U st (passport, rue14). Relish is aiight, but wasn't crazy about how the stuff fit me (I found most of their shirt offerings to be too boxy/baggy). Lost boys, imo, has some nice stuff, but still a lot of $300 BoO shirts. You're right on the dept stores, though, but I don't think that's ever been a question. I think folks are talking more about the non-B&M stores.

 

[shoreman1782]

I like it here. I think the perception of shops in DC is that no matter how cool they aspire to be they still have to carry pleb merch to keep their heads above water, in a way that NY shops do not. There are decent shops with good staffs and owners but there's no Odin or Tres Bien or what have you. Those shops are few and far between even in larger cities but there's really nothing like that here, especially since Farinelli's closing. It seems to me that someone with a decent amount of capital and some vision could still do well here. It would certainly help if they had a crackerjack e-commerce site to back the local store up. I'm not sure DC is ready for an Atelier or Seven type place but could we at least get a decent men's contemporary store. A place that mixed up vintage and new stuff would be great--the vintage scene has gotten MUCH better since Dr. K opened his doors on U st--the furniture/housewares shopping int hat area is really, really good. Also, we should do another DC happy hour soon.

 

[dfagdfsh]

Originally Posted by shoreman1782

I like it here.

I think the perception of shops in DC is that no matter how cool they aspire to be they still have to carry pleb merch to keep their heads above water, in a way that NY shops do not. There are decent shops with good staffs and owners but there's no Odin or Tres Bien or what have you. Those shops are few and far between even in larger cities but there's really nothing like that here, especially since Farinelli's closing.

It seems to me that someone with a decent amount of capital and some vision could still do well here. It would certainly help if they had a crackerjack e-commerce site to back the local store up. I'm not sure DC is ready for an Atelier or Seven type place but could we at least get a decent men's contemporary store. A place that mixed up vintage and new stuff would be great--the vintage scene has gotten MUCH better since Dr. K opened his doors on U st--the furniture/housewares shopping int hat area is really, really good.

Also, we should do another DC happy hour soon.

i just don't see that working. sure there exists enough wealthy people with excess disposable income, but i don't see them willing to spend $300+ on brands they've never heard of. i feel that a big part of why those stores in nyc are successful (besides the obviously population differences) is because they exist in a climate where fashion is adventurous and acceptable.

 

[shoreman1782]

Originally Posted by Teger

i just don't see that working. sure there exists enough wealthy people with excess disposable income, but i don't see them willing to spend $300+ on brands they've never heard of. i feel that a big part of why those stores in nyc are successful (besides the obviously population differences) is because they exist in a climate where fashion is adventurous and acceptable.

You actually worked in retail here so I respect what you're saying. But that's a tired argument--that DC isn't sophisticated enough / is too conservative to deal with fashion. There's truth there but it doesn't apply as much as it used to. We can't support a Soho-type district full of shops, sure, but we could support a couple of decent places. It's not just that DC has improved, it's that the level of interest in menswear has risen a lot in recent years. I understand you and I are more plugged into that than most and so not your "average customer"

Like I said a really well-run web shop would help. Look at Need Supply in Richmond. Of course NS does carry more accessible stuff but I bet the site lets them be a little more adventurous with orders.

 

[notwithit]

^ I think it's also a matter of critical mass. In New York, you've got enough people that you can scrape together a population segment to support almost anything. Want to start a knitting circle for left-handed gay ballerinas? In NYC, no problem. What's more, they probably all buy their rainbow-striped ballet slippers and left-handed crochet needles at the same stores, maybe to such an extent that they can support retailers that cater specifically to their subculture.

In DC, the same percent of the population may be left-handed gay ballerinas, but the numbers just aren't there. Sure, they can probably form a knitting circle with just a couple of people, and they have to get their crochet needles and ballet slippers somewhere, but they're much more likely to have a much smaller selection and have to buy from retailers that cater more to the general population. There just aren't enough of them to support niche retailers by themselves.

This may not be the best example, since NYC is obviously a magnet for the arts in general and dance in particular. Although DC is disproportionately gay, so maybe it evens out. Not so sure about southpaws and knitting circles. Probably more knitters in Williamsburg, I guess, given its current hipster cachet.

 

[Mauro]

Disposable income in this city is high. However, how people spend their money is another story.
I have said this a million times and hold firm to this belief. The majority of DC doesn't give a **** about fashion. They do like status. So cars, big dinner and bar tabs are very common but no one really wants to stand out more than the next guy. No one whats to show up their boss or explain why they spent 400.00 on a pair of pants that weren't Brioni or Ralph. It's not smart career wise to seem you are better than your co-workers, this goes for men and women. Now there are a handful of people that are exceptions ( non-law or politics related) to this rule but there aren't enough to sustain a specialty store like "farinellis".
Lost boys and redeem have better systems were they juggle fashion forward with acceptable.
I don't even want to get on "sale" shoppers.


That's a good reason why WvG should be sold in Lost boys ( plug).


As far as food and night life DC is very good. I love Hst and how it's coming along.

Teger, AC, and Puddin are correct.


If anyone hasn't heard Puddin spin you guys should check him out. He knows how to lay down the beats.