Watergate Cooperative | Residences For Sale | Foggy Bottom
The Watergate is more like a neighborhood than a simple condominium. In fact, the famed complex takes up 10 acres of prime Washington, DC territory with five major structures, including a hotel, an office building, a retail center and luxury cooperatives for sale.
It’s hard to get away from the name, of course, and all the memories that it conjures up. The Watergate provided the setting for the greatest political scandal of the modern era—the break-in of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office complex in 1972 leading to the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon.
Current Listings for The Watergate Cooperative
But that’s ancient history now and the Watergate continues to endure in all its contemporary glory. Built between 1961 and 1971, the development was designed by Italian architect Luigi Moretti. With its distinctive curvilinear look featuring gleaming walls of glass, these sleek high-rises were considered to be way ahead of their time. The residences—of which there are a staggering 630—were delivered in 1968.
This high-end community is in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, bordered by Virginia Avenue to the north, New Hampshire Ave to the east, F Street to the south and the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway to the west. It’s also very close to the Potomac River and just south of Georgetown with all its amazing shops and restaurants.
Residences here are cooperatives rather than condos for sale. Floor plans range from 530 to nearly 6,000 square feet. Recent listings have started around $300,000 and climb to over $3 million for spacious city homes. Don’t get too excited about the affordable entry prices for smaller units—the monthly co-op fees can be steep.
But you’ll get an amazing array of perks for those fees. Amenities include secure garage parking, multiple fitness centers, lobbies and courteous 24/7 concierge service, four different swimming pools, restaurants, a shopping mall, a CVS, medical and dental offices and even a grocery store.
The overall location is also a huge selling point, close to the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station, and next-door to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, George Washington University and the White House.
Decades after the political intrigue that inspired a best-selling book and movie (“All the President’s Men”), the Watergate is still in the thick of things. But now, it’s just about upscale living with all the trimmings.
Foggy Bottom, From Then to Now
Foggy Bottom is one of the oldest parts of Washington and it is also one of the most enigmatic. Back in the mid-1700s, before the District’s formation, it was part of the town of Hamburgh. The 130-acre German settlement was a bit smaller then than the present day community which is roughly bounded by the Potomac River to the west, K Street to the north, 17th Street to the east and Constitution Avenue to the south.
In 1765, the land was sold to immigrant Jacob Funk who subdivided it and sold parts to other investors. The area became known as Funktown, and was primarily residential at the time. That slowly began to change. By the mid-1800s, a number of industrial plants had moved in, including glass manufacturing, lime kilns (limestone was one of the most common building materials in Washington), breweries and the Washington Gas and Light Company. The smoke from belching factories mixed with fog coming off the river to form a murky haze, leading to the name Foggy Bottom.
Over the course of the next 100 years, Foggy Bottom would see a marked decrease in residential use and an increase in industrial waste and pollution. Yet, at the same time, the area also took on prominence as home to many government institutions. By 1942, the OSS (a wartime intelligence agency) had set up shop in the neighborhood. That agency ultimately merged into the CIA which remained in Foggy Bottom until its relocation to Langley, Virginia. Another milestone occurred when the State Department moved in, circa 1947. For much of the 20th Century, Foggy Bottom was synonymous with bureaucrats, spies and diplomats.
Another dramatic shift during the post-World War II era, as upscale apartment, cooperative and condominium development gained traction. The construction of the Watergate complex during the 1960s was perhaps the most significant factor in the neighborhood’s new reputation as a swanky place to live. The old factories are long gone now, replaced by glittering high-rise offices and condos. There is also still a large presence for financial institutions such as the World Bank, as well as government offices including State and the Vice-President’s offices.
Today’s Foggy Bottom is often associated with next-door neighbors like Georgetown and the West End. Local residents have plenty of nearby amenities, including Whole Foods and restaurants such as CIRCA at Foggy Bottom, Founding Farmers DC and Tonic at Quigley’s. There are also attractions like the Art Museum of the Americas, DAR Constitutional Hall and the Family Theatre.
To learn more about co-ops for sale at the Watergate, call Andre Perez at District Partners at Compass (202) 798-3600.
Luxury Condo & Coop Buildings Collection
Adams Morgan
- 1661 Crescent Place Coop
- 1700 Kalorama Lofts
- Adams Alley
- Adams Row
- Delancey Lofts
- The Lofts at Adams Morgan
- Lot 33 Condominium
- Meridian Crescent
Arlington
- The Atrium
- Gaslight Square
- Memorial Overlook
- The Odyssey
- Pierce
- Turnberry Tower
- The Waterview
- The Weslie
- Wooster and Mercer Lofts
Bethesda
- Adagio
- The Darcy
- Hampden Row
- The Lauren
Capitol Hill
- Bryan School Lofts
- Butterfield House
- Landmark Lofts
Chinatown
- Residences at Gallery Place
- Mather Studios
Dupont Circle
- 1745
- Dumbarton Place
- The Northumberland
Friendship Heights
- Chase Point
- Somerset House
Georgetown
- 3303 Water Street
- Flour Mill
- The Montrose
- Residences at Ritz Carlton
- Residences at Harbourside
- Washington Harbour
Logan Circle
- Cooper Lewis
- Lofts 14 I & II
- Logan Station
- The Metro
- Q14
- Solo Piazza
- The Willison
Mt Vernon Triangle
- 555 Mass
- City Center
- City Vista (The K)
- City Vista (The L)
- Madrigal Lofts
- The Sonata
- Ten Ten Mass
- The Whitman
- The Yale Steam Laundry
Penn Quarter
- The Artisan
- Clara Barton
- Lafayette at Penn Quarter
- The Pennsylvania
- Residences at Market SQ
- The Ventana
U Street Corridor
- 2020 Lofts
- The Beauregard
- City Overlook
- The Floridian
- Union Row Flats
West End & Foggy Bottom
- 22 West
- 2501 Pennsylvania
- The Columbia
- Ritz Carlton West End
- Westlight
- The Watergate
Woodley Park
- Shoreham West
- Wardman Tower
- Woodley Wardman
Adams Morgan
- 1661 Crescent Place Coop
- 1700 Kalorama Lofts
- Adams Alley
- Adams Row
- Delancey Lofts
- The Lofts at Adams Morgan
- Lot 33 Condominium
- Meridian Crescent
Arlington
- The Atrium
- Gaslight Square
- Memorial Overlook
- The Odyssey
- Pierce
- Turnberry Tower
- The Waterview
- The Weslie
- Wooster and Mercer Lofts
Bethesda
- Adagio
- The Darcy
- Hampden Row
- The Lauren
Capitol Hill
- Bryan School Lofts
- Butterfield House
- Landmark Lofts
Chinatown
- Residences at Gallery Place
- Mather Studios
Dupont Circle
- 1745
- Dumbarton Place
- The Northumberland
Friendship Heights
- Chase Point
- Somerset House
Georgetown
- 3303 Water Street
- Flour Mill
- The Montrose
- Residences at Ritz Carlton
- Residences at Harbourside
- Washington Harbour
Logan Circle
- Cooper Lewis
- Lofts 14 I & II
- Logan Station
- The Metro
- Q14
- Solo Piazza
- The Willison
Mt Vernon Triangle
- 555 Mass
- City Center
- City Vista (The K)
- City Vista (The L)
- Madrigal Lofts
- The Sonata
- Ten Ten Mass
- The Whitman
- The Yale Steam Laundry
Penn Quarter
- The Artisan
- Clara Barton
- Lafayette at Penn Quarter
- The Pennsylvania
- Residences at Market SQ
- The Ventana
U Street Corridor
- 2020 Lofts
- The Beauregard
- City Overlook
- The Floridian
- Union Row Flats
West End & Foggy Bottom
- 22 West
- 2501 Pennsylvania
- The Columbia
- Ritz Carlton West End
- Westlight
- The Watergate
Woodley Park
- Shoreham West
- Wardman Tower
- Woodley Wardman