The Lane Ivy City

Hosted a celebration for families there last weekend. It was really nice. We reserved the rooftop and semi private space. It was awesome. The staff (Danielle and Robyn) were super helpful with setting up and clearing things out. Minimal decorations were needed because the party space was so beautiful. We will be back 😊🌟😊

As a parent who lives in Washington, D.C., I often find myself driving out to Virginia or Maryland to keep my daughter entertained during the winter months. Thanks to The Lane Social Club, I'll never leave the District. Here's why every parent should visit The Lane Social Club: 1) Space: In a growing city like D.C., large spaces are hard to come by leaving people in cramped spaces. Not The Lane Social Club. It's in a stand alone large industrial building right next to the historic Hecht Warehouse (apartment building) in Ivy City. Inside, the ceilings are high and there's plenty of open space for your kids to run around. If you take the stairs to the very top of the building, you'll find a cafe, a nursing room, more family restrooms, a party room (with a capacity of 60 people), and a large rooftop for events and outdoor play. 2) Play areas: There's plenty for children to do. On the bottom level, there's several play areas with toys for infants and toddlers. The floors in these areas are cushioned. There's a reading nook with bean bags, a ball pit, a shelf of more toys, a kid-sized rock climbing wall, and a few other spaces for kids. If you go up the stairs, you'll find two net tunnels leading to a net slide (the nets can carry up to three eleplants, so it's very safe for your children). There's also a 12-foot winding slide that's very fun. 3) Amenities: There's plenty for kids, but what stands out are the spaces for adults. There are two cafes/bars (one on each floor) with bar seating and tables. The menu includes locally roasted coffee (from Small Planes Roastery nearby), wine, beer, smoothies, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner food (the avo toast and bagels look great!). 4) Events: Their party room is great for a kid's birthday and they plan to do many activities throughout the day from sidewalk chalk to crafts to hula hoops. 5) Price: For such a large space filled with amenities, it's not a bad price. It's $95 a month for unlimited visits a month for two parents, two kids, and one caregiver. It also gets you 10% food and drink. If you drop in, it's $20 for all of those people. They also do a new parent membership for $175 for three months of unlimited visits and 10% off food and drink. The Lane Social Club is the space D.C. parents have been dreaming of and we're glad it's a local business started by two locals.

Full disclosure: I am heavily biased in favor of The Lane because of a deep seated desire for it to thrive. In simple terms, there’s nothing like it anywhere within DC for parents and kids. If I’m not mistaken they just, and I mean only just now, opened and everything shows so much promise. It’s open, it’s friendly, it’s terrifically accommodating, and it’s also so very shiny and new. The owners have a Herculean task ahead of them with regard to long term maintenance. I am hopeful that guests will maintain decorum in an arena that has yet to establish written rules about hand hygiene, where to take off shoes, respecting the elements, and cleaning up after their kids. It is early, it is deserving of a 6-star start. If you live nearby and are searching for anything that’s an indoor/outdoor space for kids and parents you’ve found it. You must come and see.

This is an inviting, open space with a couple different areas for play. There are tables where you can eat. They sell small snacks and coffee. It was not very crowded on a rainy Sunday. This place is best for toddlers, maybe kids up to five. We were able to find street parking.

I can’t say enough good things about The Lane. I’ve recommended it to dozens of local friends, and even to some out-of-towners when they come to DC with kids. It’s an amazing space for kids that, most importantly, is GREAT for parents too! As apartment dwellers, we are always venturing out of the house for more stimulation. The Lane is so much fun for our daughter, who adores all the toys and activities and play spaces. It’s one of those amazing, and nearly impossible to find, spots that has enough to keep kids of all ages entertained for hours. And we parents enjoy the coffee and beer and rooftop deck and sunshine and clean, safe, creative, and thoughtful space within which to let our daughter roam free! It’s a great alternative for winter or rainy weather, but we love it so much that it’s become a regular part of our weekend routine, even when the weather is nice!

Alert new management so take reviews from before the last 6 months with a massive grain of salt! My team recently planned an awesome holiday party event at the lane social club. This was our second year in a row at the location and I owe tremendous gratitude to Ray for working with us on a last minute timeline. Ray was flexible on a number of items and arranging the space to fit our needs at the last minute. Given the new management in place we did face some communication issues with the full team vs Ray who is one of the owners. My advice is when planning your event work with their management and make sure you align on all the documents they will need before the event. Looking forward to doing another event there in the future

I'm half of one of those lucky couples that got married in 2020... or attempted to and then had to reschedule and re-plan before finally tying the knot. Lucky for me though after having to cut our guest list and find an indoor-outdoor spot, I came across The Lane and Molly's team by complete chance. And while wedding planning itself may have been a dumpster fire in 2020 - The Lane and Molly made the venue portion SO EASY and SO SEAMELESS. I was hugely impressed by not only the space, my groom and I did an impromptu "send off" down the slide obviously, but also the kindness and flexibility of the whole team at The Lane. If you're looking for a spot for a small-medium indoor/outdoor gathering (whether you're reading this during Covid or after) - definitely check out The Lane. The rooftop makes for some pretty photos even though you're in the heart of DC, the bar makes it easy for hired caterers to come in and the flexibility and ease of what The Lane offers makes them an awesome venue to work with. I can't wait to return once the world goes back to normal and eventually make use of their family friendly offerings!

It’s a great place to bring your young one. I think it’s ideal for age 4-6, but there’s plenty to keep the babies and toddlers occupied. Extra points for having a food and drinks. I’ve also hosted a birthday party here and the staff was great.

Was planning on going to a different bar but the owner was outside handing out menus so we decided to come inside. The rooftop bar is very nice, they have a cornhole area, swings and a TV with tons of movies. The bartender was nice and the music is trendy but not too loud. Great place to chill and relax on a night with a drink. Also no cover charge like the place across the street !

Very disappointed in this play experience. It's probably 1/4 of the space of many other play spaces in the area (scramble, wiggle room, etc.), toys just scattered about vs. built in structures, and filthy! Both the bathrooms and furniture needed attention. There was one slide and a couple see saws but everything else was loose toys all over the place. We weren't impressed.

What a much needed city oasis! The Lane is in Ivy City with a lot of street parking and a large parking garage. It is conveniently located near restaurants, breweries, Target, and other retail options in case you want to bundle activities. The Lane has been a godsend for those cold winter or hot and humid summer days. It has a number of play options for kids of all ages - a large slide, a ball pit, a rock climbing wall, reading area, and many other toys and games. They've got a bar and snack area if you want a beer/wine break and they have tables and internet if you want to sneak in work while your kid plays. It's great for birthdays with a side section and private rooftop. We are so glad that so many people are enjoying the Lane!

Light on things to do but wide enough space for your kids to enjoy. Kids may max out at 7-8 years so most within 4-7 May enjoy best. $20 for kid and $5 for adult for walk in. They also run daily summer camps. Enough staff but made us check in on computer.

We went before they increased prices for adults, but haven't gone back. There's no area sectioned-off for younger kids so any kid under 5 gets trampled by older kids running around. I was also surprised by how many of the toys were broken or poorly maintained, given how few toys there were in general. All of the tricycles had tires so flat that they were shredding apart and the wheels hardly turned over. The ball pit was a good idea, but they used foam blocks and fabric sofas around it that look (and smell) like they've absorbed all the pee and puke forever. I don't know why they aren't using materials (i.e., plastic balls and plastic-covered foam barriers that you can wipe off) that are easier to clean. It looks bright and fun when you walk in, but then I you realize there's not much for toddler-age kids to do and everything is kinda broken and dirty. Great concept, poorly executed.

So glad we experienced The Lane for ourselves. We attended a birthday party on Saturday & the venue was great especially the bounce house on the rooftop where the party was located. The staff was very attentive & professional. The mixologist was fantastic for the adults & they even assisted us with our playlist for our party area. 5 stars for us.

I'm finally getting around to writing this review.. back in July, I hosted my son's spider man themed third birthday party on the rooftop at the Lane.. such a wonderful experience - for the kids and the adults! The planning with the lovely folks at the Lane was an excellent experience -- special shout out out Bethlehem (Betty) - who project managed the day, and Chef Amy who came up with an excellent and creative catering brunch menu :) Loved it!

I very rarely take the time to write reviews anymore, but my experience hosting my 2-year-old's birthday party here was so dreadful that l feel the need to warn others. Do not host an event here! (Don't just take my word for it, as of this writing, every review related to events on this page is negative.) The event staff made us feel unwelcome from the moment we entered the building. We arrived a half hour before the 12:30 start time with the cake and other items we wanted to set up in the room before our guests arrived. We were initially told that we would not be allowed into the room until 12:30. A supervisor had to be called (none were onsite) in order to allow us in. This was just the beginning of what would be 2 hours of us being treated like we were not welcome. When we entered the room, we were told by a staff member that their #1 priority was ensuring the event space was clear by the 2:30 event end time. We were also told that if our guests had not vacated the building--not the event space, but the entire facility--by 2:30, we would be charged extra. (Something that was not disclosed prior to the event.) We were also told that we were to clean the room after the party. (Something else that was not disclosed prior.) So instead of ending the event at 2:30, we ended it at 2:15 so that our guests could leave and we could clean the room by 2:30. My aunt made the mistake of purchasing a drink from the bar at 2:10 and attempting to drink it. At 2:30 she was given the bum's rush and made to put the drink in to-go cup Among other general issues, communication with the event staff became nonexistent after I made the payment, the food order was bungled (l ordered 8 pepperoni and 4 cheese pizzas, but got 8 cheese and 4 pepperoni), and the security deposit that l was told would be returned immediately after the event remains unreturned 2 weeks later. (I'll likely have to do a credit card dispute to get it back.) The event space itself was actually very nice. It's a rooftop, customizable hybrid indoor/outdoor space. Because it was a February party we stayed inside, but we were immediately imagining hosting warm weather events there. But of course we won't be making that mistake.

Used to love coming here for an hour or two for my kiddo to "get her wiggles out" (she called it her "wiggle house"). However, whatever the heck is going on, the new membership and pricing structure is utterly absurd. $40 per adult (er, "grown-up kid"??) plus $15 for my kid for day passes?? So I can follow her around while she plays for an hour or two, gets tired, and is ready to go home? I get wanting to maximize use of the space and certainly looking at ways to use it after-hours make sense, but seriously, what families in the area can afford $600-$1000 per month membership fees (depending on number of kids)??? Not to mention, just found out today about a new indoor play area nearby that costs $13 per kid. TOTAL. Including parents. I don't care how fancy your "craft cocktails" are, I will 100% pay $13 for my kid to play elsewhere and save my $40. I can only assume that they do not really WANT kids to come play there anymore, and if their aim is to burn up any and all goodwill amongst families in the area, I guess good job?? Good luck with whatever weird subset of DC will be a $250 per person "initiation fee" plus $299 per month per person to join an "adult indoor playground"...? SO disappointing.

A great spot for kids 4 and under! Very fun, great part location for children's birthdays.

This space is great for littles to play in (I think age range under 4 will benefit most from what The Lane offers play wise). We hosted our daughter's 2nd birthday here. Listen, they have their hooks in this market and I realized and understood that walking into this. We have a toddler with a January bday, there's only so many places to host that. So here's the good and bad if you're thinking to host here Good: 1. Space is super aesthetically pleasing, lots to do for young toddlers. 2. The event folks answered emails or phone calls quickly 3. You can bring in your own food, so long as it's not homemade Bad: 1. It is very expensive. For VERY LITTLE TIME. Expect absolutely 0 help from the staff present in setup or even checking in on you. 2. They provide nothing but the room and empty tables. You need to bring your own tablecloths, cutlery, etc. 3. They will not waiver in their "policies" to make your experience just a little bit better. We needed an extra table, there was a literal room beside ours full of unused tables and they wouldn't let us use one. Stated it was policy and someone else may need them (which is an interesting answer, seeing that their policy bars anyone from using extra tables but okay) 4. As soon as you get in the room, they are reminding you when you need to leave. Our time was over at 11:30 am. At about 9:04 (4 minutes after I got there) they informed me they'd be in at 11 to start cleaning up. I had the room til 11:30! I couldn't believe it. 5. They made us store the cart of our things right in front of the party door, so when our guests arrived they had to walk past a huge ugly cart of empty boxes. Would be great to have some storage for folks paying very large amounts of money to host there. 6. There was some weird disorganization with their event staff. I got a super strange phone call one night accusing me of filing a fraud claim against one of their charges (I didn't). It wasn't even an amount I had paid them. It was weird. We like it here! It's a cute space in the city for kids and parents. I wouldn't host another party here, the juice isn't worth the squeeze in my opinion and I look forward to just using it for open play throughout the cold winter months.

This is the best fit for kiddos in the 1-3 range, although I'm certain my 4 year old will have fun on the rock climbing wall. I can't speak for the camps, but if you are here with your children, you're going to want to stay nearby and vigilant. There are varying degrees of caregiver engagement, and the staff are not floating to engage with kids. Some of our small friends are still working on sharing and gentle touch, which we had a couple of issues with. The good news is, the place isn't that large and there's lots of comfy seating areas for parents. Not crazy about: The shoe policy (keep 'em on if you want!) The Covid policy (masks and vaccination "required" but not enforced) Overall: Add it to your list of places to hang with littles! It's a good "pre-nap time, bring lunch with you, stay for an hour or so" stop!

Welp.... I'm hooked. May enjoy this place more than my daughter This place is perfect. From the lighting, to the space, to the bars! Lol Also, next to target and TJ Maxx....heaven! There is a parking garage next to place, which is so nice! We came here for the grand opening to check out the space and it did not disappoint. It's two levels filled with open space for kiddos to run around and enjoy. The floors are well padded for falls/crawling. We have a 10 month old, and she was crawling and climbing all over. The first floor has a ball pit, little nook for reading, a place for infants to crawl around, a space for Legos/building, and a place for little scooters. They have a bar on the first floor that has drinks and bites! I had the coffee and chocolate chip banana muffin...thank God for good coffee. The coffee was great! Also really enjoyed the scones haha! The second floor/rooftop has another bar (so great!) and a private room that can be closed off! Also, has another space for kiddos/parents to hang out. The rooftop is awesome, a great space and just beautiful. Now, the money part....as much as we loved this place, don't know if I would pay the monthly price just because we'd probably only come on Saturdays. Now, if I was at home with my child or on maternity leave, I'd probably do the membership. I could see myself coming here 3 times a week easily! We inquired about the membership fees. I believe 90 or 95 a month, which comes with some perks, but they also have a drop in option, which has a fee for 20 or 25 for each kid, with a limit of 2 hours! We'll definitely be back. Absolutely loved this place so much!

If you haven't been here in a while or have never gone, I HIGHLY recommend throwing your child's next birthday party at The Lane. The Lane has been open for a few years and remarkably, they adapted during COVID to be a safe and fun place for kiddos and adults. They've kept a lot of their cleaning and sanitation protocols in place, so those of us who are still concerned about health & safety will have our concerns addressed. The place is under new management which has elevated the experience from fun to spectacular. We've celebrated the special day for our little girl there twice and the most recent party exceeded our expectations. The staff and management were friendly, accommodating, and SOLUTION-oriented. They bent over backwards to make sure we maximized our time and space. It was a great time. Her school friends are still talking about the party! Recommendations for a stellar experience: 1) Have a planning call with the events team a few days before the event to hammer out any preferences or details. 2) Walk through the space so you have a good sense of decoration 3) Don't try to park on the street, just plan to use the garage next door. 4) Take plenty of pictures!

As a parent who lives in Washington, D.C., I often find myself driving out to Virginia or Maryland to keep my daughter entertained during the winter months. Thanks to The Lane Social Club, I'll never leave the District. Here's why every parent should visit The Lane Social Club: 1) Space: In a growing city like D.C., large spaces are hard to come by leaving people in cramped spaces. Not The Lane Social Club. It's in a stand alone large industrial building right next to the historic Hecht Warehouse (apartment building) in Ivy City. Inside, the ceilings are high and there's plenty of open space for your kids to run around. If you take the stairs to the very top of the building, you'll find a cafe, a nursing room, more family restrooms, a party room (with a capacity of 60 people), and a large rooftop for events and outdoor play. 2) Play areas: There's plenty for children to do. On the bottom level, there's several play areas with toys for infants and toddlers. The floors in these areas are cushioned. There's a reading nook with bean bags, a ball pit, a shelf of more toys, a kid-sized rock climbing wall, and a few other spaces for kids. If you go up the stairs, you'll find two net tunnels leading to a net slide (the nets can carry up to three eleplants, so it's very safe for your children). There's also a 12-foot winding slide that's very fun. 3) Amenities: There's plenty for kids, but what stands out are the spaces for adults. There are two cafes/bars (one on each floor) with bar seating and tables. The menu includes locally roasted coffee (from Small Planes Roastery nearby), wine, beer, smoothies, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner food (the avo toast and bagels look great!). 4) Events: Their party room is great for a kid's birthday and they plan to do many activities throughout the day from sidewalk chalk to crafts to hula hoops. 5) Price: For such a large space filled with amenities, it's not a bad price. It's $95 a month for unlimited visits a month for two parents, two kids, and one caregiver. It also gets you 10% food and drink. If you drop in, it's $20 for all of those people. They also do a new parent membership for $175 for three months of unlimited visits and 10% off food and drink. The Lane Social Club is the space D.C. parents have been dreaming of and we're glad it's a local business started by two locals.

I recently had a rude experience with an employee who turned out to be the "owners brother". The employee double parked and blocked my car in. When I politely asked the employee if he could move his car so that I could get out, he responded, "I don't give a F*ck about you." When I went to the lane to complain, the staff laughed and said there was nothing they could do because it was the owners brother. The entire experience was unpleasant and unnecessary. Frankly, this employee is not someone who should be interacting with children or adults. Further, the reaction of the staff was disheartening. I have since seen the individual working in the café area. I will not be supporting the lane and I encourage you to refrain as well.

We love love LOVE The Lane. We have been coming regularly for almost a year and our son is no less excited when we pull up outside. I can't say enough good things about the staff. Today, as usual, our little man was crying hard when it was time to leave. The woman sitting at the front desk saw his tears and took him to the café to get some goldfish before we left. They truly treat each child as their own and go out of their way to make sure everyone is having a good time. Whether you live nearby or far away, you won't want to miss out on bringing your littles to The Lane. And if you need caffeine after an especially tough day, they have that too!

Do not -- do not -- host a birthday party here. I reserved two party blocks for a full-service party for my daughter's 1st birthday (including decorations and food), just to ensure they could prepare without any rush. When I arrived, 45 minutes into our blocked time, the floors of the room weren't swept. There was a broken chair in the room somebody could've sat on. The cloths covering the consoles to display the food were dirty. I had to ask for plates, cups, napkins, silverware -- and then was told our package didn't include it. The room looked absolutely nothing like any of the parties pictured on their website. Very frustrating and disappointing.

This is a really great place to take little ones - especially when the weather is bad. The staff are really nice and the location is fun. I hope they update their COVID masking policies soon, at least for the 2-4 year old fully vaccinated crowd. Overall we really like it.

The Lane has a ton of fun toys and activities. It can get crazy busy but there still seems to be plenty of room to run around. We also lovely that there's a place to purchase emergency snacks (or wine for mom). Can't wait to go back and see what's in store as my son gets older. He can't wait til his big to climb the rope obstacle course.

This was not on our original itinerary of places to go when we filled out our schedule for visiting DC, but after visiting the Target nearby, we did some research and realized the space looked like it would be a lot of fun for our two year-old daughter to burn off some energy and have some fun. There's a small amount of street parking available, although the structure right across Hecht Avenue has more than enough space to park as well. As for The Lane itself, there is plenty to keep kids occupied, with the target range likely in the years 2-5 range. Whether it's the ball pit (which our daughter loved spending time in) to multiple slides, different scooters for the kids to sit on, a huge peg board, two faces to rock climb on...there is more than enough for a kid to play with. For refreshments, there is a small bar that serves snacks for kids (and I think might have wine for the parents who need to take a load off), as well high chairs and a few tables to sit down and eat at. Before having kids, I would not have even given this a second look, and if I did, I would probably think it would have been massively chaotic. But before Christmas in the late afternoon, there was more than enough space for plenty of other kids to be present but for our daughter (who was on the younger side of kids present) to have plenty of fun and not feel like she was getting boxed out. Do make sure to grab a reservation online ahead of time, but at $20 for 2 hours of unlimited fun (2 adults can come for free), it is a great value when it comes to having your kids engaged with lots of activities - especially when you are from out of town and may be limited in what is readily accessible.

I don't know what I would do without the lane! It's where I feel safe to drop of my kids, monthly membership is well worth it! We also Celebrated my niece bday here and it was amazing! The owner and all the stuff were soo attentive to our needs...

I usually don't write reviews, not that I don't want to but I never have the time. However, this place deserves a review. My family and I all love the Lane. We had our eye on this place Pre Covid before we moved to the DMV area. Unfortunately Covid took place and they had to close. I was devastated; for them as business owners who had just opened and no idea that they'd have to close and for us as new residents that were extremely excited to come here. After a while had passed we were able to host our daughter's 2nd birthday party here and it was amazing. The staff and owners were so helpful in allowing us to use their space and kept asking if we needed anything. Of course the kid's and adults didn't want to leave. Fast forward to presently, we love it here so much that we make it our duty to come weekly, it allows our daughter to be active during the day especially as the cold weather approaches and it also helps me and my husband have some time together while she's busy in play heaven. We usually order the egg and cheese sandwich and it's great. They also have adult beverages too which is also great! There are so many events that The Lane offers that will keep you and your kiddos begging to come back. The owners are wonderful business women for sure, you would typically see them interacting with parents, staff and always working on projects, events, improvements etc. Its clear that they love people and seeing everyone have a great time. There is so much good to say about this place that I'm probably leaving out like how clean it always is when we go. But I think that everyone should experience it for themselves.

It's ok. Staff were friendly and seemed to be working well. It just wasn't what we expected from their online site. Good marketing/photography obviously worked. I think the idea is nice but a lot of the materials there were tatty and need replacing. The slide is a bit dodgy in the way the kids ended up getting all scrunched up coming down. The ball pit is too small. I don't like the idea that people can wear shoes inside where all the kids are on the floor. It's not especially big considering and my kids got bored quite quickly.

We reserved seating for a jewelry making event and accidentally overpaid online. The owner refused to correct the mistake when asked, claiming that the charge was per child, when in fact it was per table. An employee let us know while we were on the way out. We ended up paying $60 when we should've paid $30. We literally paid $60 plus $78 for food to sit at a table with yarn, beads and print out instructions. A night we could've had for free at home. Not to mention the mandated mask wearing policy, which we were emailed about prior to, WAS NOT enforced. Safe to say, I will not be returning.

My three year old daughter attended the winter camp at The Lane a few weeks ago and she had an amazing time. We were slightly nervous about sending her because of omicron but the staff was very serious about covid protocols and did a great job keeping all the kids safe. In particular, I greatly enjoyed talking with MS. GLOVER each day. She was so kind, caring and attentive to my daughter and all of the kids. The facility is also very cool, clean and fun for the kids. My daughter loved it and didn't want the week of camp to end! We are very grateful for this excellent experience and would definitely recommend The Lane to anyone is interested.

Very nice play space with a good deal of fun options for the kiddos, and lots of places to sit (and eat/drink) for parents. Breakfast food options were quite good. Be advised - during our visit quite a few kids (including our own) took a rough ride on the twisty slide. Not sure if it's the design of the slide, kids just going too fast, or what, but worth keeping an eye on. Overall a good experience.

So much fun for me and my 2.5 and 5 year old girls. Great activities for the kids and tastey drinks and relaxing spaces for me!