National Harbor is a master planned community with hotels, retail, restaurants, condos and single family homes, and a marina and public plaza that attract visitors from the entire DC area. The area is very walkable, always buzzing, with local diners and shoppers as well as national conference goers. It boasts a ferris wheel that can be seen for miles, a central pedestrian artery, The Esplanade, modeled after Las Ramblas in Spain, and a sand-filled central plaza with The Awakening, an iconic sculpture/statue of a man emerging from the ground. Originally only offering condos, a variety of new homes have been built around the perimeter of National Harbor.

 

Aside from the several hotels with restaurant and retail outlets within, the restaurants and retail at National Harbor are concentrated in a several block area, fanning out from the central plaza. Diners can choose from restaurants like Rosa Mexicano, Succotash, McCormick & Schmicks, Caddilac Ranch, Fiorela's Italian Kitchen , and Grace's Mandarin - an upscale pan-Asian eatery. In terms of entertainment, visitors and residents can enjoy live music venues like Bobby McKey's Deuling Piano Bar. You can't talk about National Harbor entertainment without mentioning MGM National Harbor, an entertainment metropolis in and of itself. It has its own restaurant scene, casino, and entertainment venue that serves up everything from Cirque Du Soleil to boxing matches to Mariah Carey. Tanger Outlets is located adjacent the the MGM National Harbor, with an outdoor southern California retail feel, and featuring premium brands and shops.

 

National Harbor doesn't have a Metro station, but it does have frequent bus lines to Branch Avenue Metro station (Green line). Water taxis connect residents and visitors to Old Town Alexandria, Georgetown, The Wharf and Navy Yard - although some complain the fare is pricey. There is a a bike trail that takes cyclists over the Potomac River via the Wilson Bridge to Alexandria. Realistically speaking, unless you work in National Harbor, you may want a car. National Harbor is located just south of the intersection of I-295 and I-495, making it easy to access DC and many parts of the Maryland and Virginia.