Watergate Complex

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  • Address
    2650 Virginia Ave NW, Foggy Bottom
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  • Phone
    965 2300
  • Website
  • Transport
    underground rail: Foggy Bottom-GWU

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Lonely Planet review

The riverfront Watergate complex is a posh private community encompassing apartments, designer boutiques and a deluxe hotel. It is synonymous with American political scandal: In 1972 a break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters here was linked to Nixon supporters, resulting in the unprecedented resignation of the sitting president. With its undulating facade and dragon-tooth balconies, it's among DC's most recognizable landmarks.

Its curious name derives from a never-realized 1930s' plan to build a ceremonial water gate in the Potomac, a stairway onto which visiting dignitaries could disembark. The upscale restaurant Jeffrey's at the Watergate is a romantic dinner-date destination with a lovely view of the Potomac.