Even though I’ve lived in Washington, DC for more than five years now and have tried to become knowledgeable about the food scene in the city, last weekend was my first trip the Maine Avenue Fish Market, also referred to as “The Wharf” by many locals.
While the market is certainly not a secret — its been a neighborhood favorite for more than two centuries — to tourists it’s virtually unknown, and even most transplanted DC residents have no idea there’s a fresh fish market located conspicuously under an I-395 overpass, just blocks from the Capitol.
The Maine Avenue Fish Market is the oldest continually operated outdoor fish market in the United States, and has served hungry Washingtonians the day’s local catch on the Southwest waterfront since the early 1800s.
When I walked into the market and past the moored barges that make up the vendors’ stands, the first thing I noticed was how affordable everything seemed to be. Prices for fresh salmon fillets, shrimp and clams rival frozen products offered in Safeway and Giant, and are cheaper than much of the seafood found at Whole Foods and other high-end grocery stores.
After talking to one of the workers at the market, I also found out that each and every stand at the Maine Avenue Fish Market accepts food stamp benefits as payment.
This all sounds great, I know, but there is one logistical problem with market. Since it is located about a mile from both the L’Enfant Plaza and Waterfront-SEU metro stations, it’s pretty difficult to access unless you have a car or don’t mind waiting for the bus.
This is sort of the opposite of the food desert problem — instead of an area with lots of people but little access to food stores, in this instance, there’s an ample source of affordable food yet no convenient way for people to get there.
With the new Arena Stage being built down the street and the city’s redevelopment plan in full swing surrounding the Waterfront metro station, many observers think that it’s only a matter of time before the the Southwest waterfront becomes the new “it” neighborhood in DC.
My only hope is that as development creeps further north up Maine Street, it doesn’t threaten the future of one city’s best kept secrets for affordable food, and one of the nation’s last remaining open air fish markets.
Photo credit: runneralan2004
