SAUMYA IN THE CITY- CITY CENTER DC

It’ been a while, precisely a month,  since I featured a new local hotspot over here. In case you are new to my blog or just need a memory refresh, I write a monthly series called ” Saumya in the city ” where I take up a local attraction and share some fun facts about the same. It could be a restaurant, a hotel, a museum, a shopping mall or even a building of national interest- the idea is to show you the real DC area.

Well, today’s feature is a very posh, upscale location in DC- City Center DC. A $1 billion project that took almost a decade to complete, blame it on all the political controversies involved, is now owned by the Qatari government. Back in 2013 the Qatari government invested $650 million into the City Center project, thereby becoming the main owner. It is one of the hotspots in the heart of DC that looked recession free. With all the line up of high-end stores and restaurants this place is always bustling with tourists and enthusiastic localites.

CityCenterDC is a mixed-use development consisting of two condominium buildings, two rental apartment buildings, two office buildings, a luxury hotel, and public park in downtown Washington DC. It encompasses 2,000,000 square feet (190,000 m2) and covers more than five city blocks. The main spine through CityCenter is Palmer Alley, a three-block long pedestrian mall running east-west through the middle of the development. Palmer Alley is one of Washington, DC‘s only pedestrianized streets, on which cars and other motorized vehicles are not allowed.

SHOPPING

City Center is a shopping mecca for all who come to DC. It is home to stores like Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Hugo Boss, Gucci, Kate Spade, Moncler and a few other high-end brands. Stores like Caudalie, Allen Edmonds, Alexis Bittar, and Tiffany & Co. are some other retailers that are a part of City Center.