Near D.C.'s Corridors Of Power, A Channel Of Laid-Back Houseboat Life

In Washington, D.C., a stone's throw from the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court, there's an oasis from the high-power, high-stress world of politicians, lobbyists and lawyers.

Founded on the Washington Channel in 1977 and nestled at the intersection of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers, Gangplank Marina is a laid-back community of about 150 boat-dwellers who care less about your professional pedigree than about the beer you're bringing to happy hour.

For decades, Gangplankers lived in a quiet quadrant with a salty twist. A Washington Post article from 1983 described life on the channel as a "sun-soaked Margaritaville."

The gritty but sleepy neighborhood — a mix of brutalist government buildings, modernist residences and a few restaurants beloved as much for their existence as their menus — felt devoid of bustle. And the southwest waterfront remained set apart and difficult to access, despite the total overhaul of Southwest D.C. decades earlier — an between the