Arlington

So instead of my usual drivel about the upcoming weekend or something else boring I thought I'd talk a little bit about where we live, Arlington Virginia. It has an interesting history and I thought I would share some facts for those interested. We like living in Arlington because it is close to DC and still metropolitan and urban without the higher taxes and car insurance rates. We can get on the Metro and be in DC within one stop on one line and three stops on the other line.

Arlington hosts two pretty significant landmarks, the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery. From what I gather the county is named after the cemetery and not the other way around since the plantation that eventually became Arlingtion National Cemetery was in existence first. The Lee House, former residence of Robery E. Lee resides on a hill in Arlington National Cemetery and is used as the unofficial symbol for the county.

Arlington used to be part of the District of Columbia. The land designated to be the nations new capital in 1791 was a square, 10 miles on each side with the Potomac River running through it. If you look at maps of Arlington now you can see how those existing boundaries are still in play (Arlington County is below in white). In 1846 the land that was part of the District of Columbia that is to the west of the Potomac River was returned to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Arlington County is the smallest self-governing county in the United States. It is made of a number of neighborhoods and unincorporated areas but it contains no incorporated cities. The county seat is the neighborhood of Courthouse where the county offices, jail and court houses reside (how creative). Arlington County has won awards for its smart growth development over the past 30 years. Transit-oriented development is in full effect here and we love the accessibility, hence becoming a 1-car family.

Other sites of note in the county include the Iwo Jima memorial just outside of Arlington National Cemetery in the Rosslyn neighborhood, the Air Force memorial just off of 395 south near the Pentagon and the Pentagon Memorial. (I still haven't been able to bring myself to go see the Pentagon Memorial although it is walkable from my residence because memories of that time in my life are a little tough for me. I should really suck it up and go though.)

Notable Arlington residents or former residents include Sandra Bullock, Katie Couric, Warren Beatty, Shirley McLaine and Alexander Ovechkin of NHL fame (Go Caps!).

I will wrap up by saying that if you are coming to the DC area Arlington is a great option for hotels. Typically you can get cheaper rates and better availability of rooms and if you book on the Metro line you'll be downtown within 10-15 minutes. Crystal City is a great option particularly if you're flying into Reagan National Airport, it's very convenient!

So you can thank Wikipedia for all these little bundles of knowlege (and photos)! Happy weekend to everyone!