The D.C. Office of Motion Picture and Television Development is pleased to honor the Main Avenue Fish Market as the November One City Location of the Month. The Fish Market, also known as “the Wharf,” offers distinctive waterfront scenery that contrasts nicely with the historic government buildings and monuments that adorn the nation’s capital. The Southwest Fish Market, one of the last surviving open air seafood markets on the east coast, also serves as a location that could easily double for neighboring cities.

The Wharf has been in operation since 1805, serving as the oldest continuously operating fish market in the United States. It was relocated in the 1960s, within a few blocks of its original location on the Washington Channel.

Located on the Southwest waterfront along Maine Avenue, the Fish Market is comprised of ten stores on floating barges, each known for its own seafood specialty. Each barge is topped with a brightly colored marquee and lined with a multitude of fresh seafood including crabs, mussels, squid, oysters, and an assortment of whole fish. It is open every day of the week, including holidays, and serves as a popular marketplace for the locals, particularly in the warmer spring and summer months.

The Maine Avenue Fish Market has been featured in a number of films and television programs, most recently receiving prominent display in the political thriller “State of Play,” starring Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck.

In March, the DC Film Office launched its One City Location of the Month to bring attention to the wide range of varied, cinematically compelling locations that are available to film and television productions. Former One City Location of the Month recipients this year include Ben’s Chili Bowl, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, the Hillcrest neighborhood in Southeast Washington, the Atlas Performing Arts Center, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rock Creek Parrish, The Yards Park in Southeast, and the Brookland neighborhood in Northeast.

To learn more about the Maine Avenue Fish Market and to view photos please visit the One City Location of the Month feature on our web site. If you are interested in using the Maine Avenue Fish Market for a future filming location, please contact us at film@dc.gov.