Can a bar created to cater to young professionals itself be gentrified? That’s the question on the minds of some Columbia Heights residents who have watched Wonderland Ballroom race rapidly from a non pretentious neighborhood hangout to an aggressively hip lounge, complete with the corresponding aggressive pricing and Orange Line clientele. After opening in 2004 in a residential neighborhood in Columbia Heights at the old site of the gay bar Nob Hill, Wonderland developed a reputation as a neighborhood hangout for local scenesters.

A quick comparison between an October 2004 review by the Post’s Fritz Hahn and a recent visit reveals quite a few changes. The bar upstairs and its beer selection has been expanded (see the taps above), prices have increased, and more sport coats and button downs can be found in the Friday night crowd than just a few weeks ago. All of this makes us wonder whether Hahn’s pronouncement he has “a feeling it’s not going to be overrun by ‘outsiders’ anytime soon” might need some revising. It is also no wonder that Wonderland has been one of the targets of a “Stop Gentrification” stenciling campaign.

> See DCist on Columbia Heights gentrification, and City Paper cover story.