Arlington (Virginia)

The dense Rosslyn-Ballston corridor is a series of five "urban villages" following Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards west from Rosslyn, just across the Potomac from Georgetown. This area has been massively redeveloped since the 1980s. While Rosslyn is largely offices and hotels, and depopulated at night, the pricey high-rises and group houses to the west are home to the largest concentration of restaurants, bars, and entertainment in Arlington— and to the young professionals who patronize them. The corridor is literally a textbook case of transit-oriented development, with the thriving neighborhoods of Courthouse, Clarendon, Virginia Square, and Ballston clustered around their eponymous Orange/Silver Line Metrorail stations. At the center is the shopping and restaurant district of Clarendon, which was Arlington's "downtown" until the 1960s.

Crystal City is the principal commercial area in South Arlington, consisting of highrise buildings centered on U.S. Route 1 (formerly Jefferson Davis Highway). Located adjacent to the airport, this neighborhood has perhaps the largest concentration of hotels in Arlington as well as many restaurants. Underneath it all is the Crystal City Underground, a subterranean network of interconnected shops and restaurants— and a handy alternative to walking in bad weather, provided you don't get disoriented. Adjacent to Crystal City to the north is the Pentagon City shopping district.

Just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., adjacent to the Pentagon, this national military cemetery includes John F. Kennedy's tomb and the house of General Robert E. Lee (whose property this was, before it was seized during the civil war). This article also covers the areas surrounding the cemetery, including Fort Myer, the Pentagon grounds, and Columbia Island.

The Columbia Pike corridor, centered on Columbia Pike east of Glebe Road, is an up-and-coming district, with a number of new high-rise developments, restaurants, and bars joining the landmark Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse. The Pike is served by frequent Metrobuses connecting it to the Pentagon Metro. Shirlington is a mixed use development with a variety of restaurants as well as art and event space, and of course shopping, accessed mainly via I-395 (the Shirley Highway).

The far northern region of Arlington is mainly an upscale residential area, similar to McLean which borders it to the north. However, there are some points of interest there. The small western neighborhood of Westover has a selection of neighborhood restaurants along Washington Boulevard between North Mckinley and Longfellow Streets. It is noted for Westover Market's Beer Garden, offering food and live entertainment during the summer.