Arlington is an urban county of about 26 square miles located directly across the Potomac River from Washington DC. Arlington's central location in the Washington DC metropolitan area, its ease of access by car and public transportation, and its highly skilled labor force have attracted an increasingly varied residential and commercial mix. Arlington has a number of prominent villages such as Rosslyn and Crystal City on the metro.
Glebe Road near Ballston Common Mall and Ballston Metro
Many people consider Clarendon the center of Arlington's social scene because of its active nightlife and many dining spots. Clarendon offers tastes for every tongue from Texan to Thai food. The nightlife includes everything from salsa and ballroom dancing to blues or electro-modern. The post-modern high-rises along Wilson Boulevard stand along 100 year oaks, and just a few blocks away bungalows and colonials remind us of old Arlington County.
Residents of Crystal City enjoy a remarkably convenient lifestyle. Centered along a stretch of Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. 1), Crystal City consists of a dramatic streetscape of office buildings, hotels, high-rise apartment buildings, shops and restaurants — all shaded by trees and linked by brick sidewalks.
"Court House" Metro station is located at the Arlington County "Courthouse". The area surrounding the courthouse is commonly called Court House owing the station here on the Orange Line. Immediately surrounding the courthouse at Court House, there are a number of restaurants and shops, and a movie theater. The Arlington campus of Strayer University is right above the Metro station, making easily accessible to students across the DC metro area. High-rises, both residential and commercial, dominate the skyline near the metro, but just few blocks away one will find garden-style homes and single family homes. Verizon is a large employer headquartered here in Court House.
Fairlington was built in the 1940s as the largest housing project financed by the Defense Homes Corporation during World War II. For this reason, Fairlington is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and on the Virginia Landmarks Register. The community of Fairlington has many brick townhouse-type condominiums.
Rosslyn is located in the northeastern corner of Arlington County, north of Arlington National Cemetery and directly across the Potomac River from Georgetown in Washington, D.C. The numerous high-rise buildings of Rosslyn appears (in some ways) more urban than nearby Washington.
Added to the mix are new condominiums, lively restaurants and exciting shops, all with easy access to Washington and close-in proximity to Interstate-395, the Pentagon and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Will Nesbitt
With its established café culture, live theater and pedestrian promenade, Shirlington has declared itself arts and entertainment capital of Arlington. Anchoring the Village at Shirlington is a multi-million dollar theater-library complex, home to Arlington's nationally-known Signature Theatre, and the state-of-the-art Shirlington Library.
