Inside the Epic Sand Drop at the NY Avenue Beach Bar

Grid View

• This is the full bar in the back of the beach bar, where you'll be able to get mixed drinks and draft beers.
• The boardwalk starts here with the merchandise table.
• An area in the back with seats and tables to be topped with granite counters.
• Why not?!
• The sand is ready in two piles, some 20 tons each.
• Let's go.
• Owner Karl Graham directing the sand drops.
• Karl Graham and Tom Brown watching it all come together.
• Filling out the edges.
• Smoothing it out.
• When there's sand, might as well jump around in it.
• Filling in the other edge of the boardwalk.
• This is what a parking lot filled with sand looks like.

BOOM — the beach has arrived. The New York Avenue Beach Bar received its previously reported sand delivery this very morning and Eater was on hand to watch the whole thing go down. This sand hails straight from Ocean City, Maryland, so yes, it is actual honest-to-goodness beach sand. And, assuming all goes well, Washingtonians may very well get their first chance to step flip-flopped foot in it just in time for Memorial Day weekend. The plan is to open on Friday. Take a tour of the space above, and here below some of the key things you need to know about the New York Avenue Beach Bar before it opens.

1) As promised, they've got a few bars, one booth for selling t-shirts and flip-flops and a boardwalk surrounding the edges of the lot.

2) Sandals or shoes are required, but the mentality is "flip-flops and tank tops rule."

3) You can check your regular shoes at the merch table and buy flip-flops instead.

4) The sand will be scattered with lounge chairs and picnic tables, as well as umbrellas for some shade. There's also a Sea-Doo off by the boardwalk because why not?

5) The plan is still to bring in food trucks, but the team is still in negotiations with some unnamed trucks.

6) YES, you can wear your swimsuit.

7) For those who do wear swimsuits, they're building a larger fence along the streetside of the lot to keep some level of privacy available.

8) Owners say they're not concerned about rain in the beach bar, saying they believe the site has good drainage.

9) Cruzan is one of the booze sponsors, providing chairs and umbrellas to the bar.

10) While at first they won't have a spigot for washing your feet afterward, that's something they're planning for.

11) A Slushee machine is COMING.

12) The drinks here are going to be more along the lines of what you'll find at the beach rather than trendy tiki cocktails, according to co-owner Tom Brown. So expect some Orange Crush here and the aforementioned slushees. Beer is on tap and in cans — glass will be prohibited on the beach.

13) There's also going to be a lifeguard chair on the premises, of course, and they've got an orange whistle to keep everyone in line.

14) The ground should be covered in approximately 80 tons of sand once everything is complete — all sourced directly from Ocean City, MD.

15) The tentative opening is Friday evening for one big old beach party. Will keep you updated on that.

· New York Avenue Beach Bar [Official Site]
· All Previous New York Avenue Beach Bar Coverage [-EDC-]