North End Of Shaw Christened At Atlantic Plumbing Neighborhood Rooftop Welcome Dinner

SHAW -- Being neighborly can be understandably intimidating, when the proverbial girl next door is the legendary 9:30 Club (Rolling Stone ranked it the nation's top large music venue).

In building the recently opened Atlantic Plumbing and Shay apartment complexes, however, developer The JBG Companies more than rose to the challenge.

With spaces inspired by the artist lofts of NYC's Meatpacking district, floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors and porcelain tiles, and stainless steel appliances, the industrial chic buildings are ruggedly handsome modern marvels.

And taking full advantage of Atlantic Plumbing's prized rooftop deck, a handful of lucky Washingtonians were invited to a private welcome dinner last week to toast the unveiling of the North End of Shaw neighborhood.

The menu for the evening was prepared by chefs from soon-to-open area eateries Daikaya, Freehand, Hazel, and Declaration (naturally, the after dinner coffee came courtesy of the already bustling Compass Coffee).

In addition to a healthy mix of journalists, tastemakers, and culture vultures, Friday's gathering also brought together many of the nearby retail businesses.

Fashion designer Steven Alan had traveled down from New York for the occasion, as did Chicago-based Michael Alter, CEO of The Tie Bar. Popular eyewear purveyor Warby Parker was also well represented.

With the unveiling of the North End of Shaw, JBG is helping foster another epicenter of cultural creativity for Washington residents.

The 9:30 Club is now a destination unto itself.