Great place, lots of outdoor activities and cultur - 1/18/2023

Lived here 17 years, amazing place

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If you an afford it, life is pretty good here - 2/4/2022

Resident for 20 years. There is nothing hidden about Arlington. It is an affluent inner suburb of DC with a highly educated, mostly professional, population. The schools are excellent, the government/county services are generally responsive, crime is low, there are tons of parks and recreational paths, a whole lotta of pets, and plenty of very healthy people who like to exercise. People are generally friendly, volunteer a lot, mostly lean left politically. Washington Nationals MLB is very big; lots of youth sports and activities. Tons of shopping; restaurants of just about every ethnicity you can think of and probably others that you never have (and if Arlington doesn't have it, DC or Fairfax Co. almost certainly will) If Arlington is not enough, all the culture and attractions of DC are right across the river but then you can leave DC and go back to VA at the end of the day. Even the "seedy" parts of Arlington, including where I live, are laughably safe compared to other places. Some homeless issues, but nothing like DC. In sum, Amazon liked the area so much, they picked it for their East coast HQS. The result of all these positives is that real estate and, to some degree, the cost of living is eye-wateringly expensive compared to most of the rest of the country. (But once you buy something it will probably never go down in value.) That's the trade off. Climate is pleasant enough if you like four seasons. It's not Southern CA, but you get a gorgeous East Coast spring and fall; put up with hot and humid summer days mainly in July and August, and winter will usually have some very cold days along with some snow almost every year, though it's unusual to get much more than 1-3 inches here and there. Unlike Southern CA, you will not have to worry about wildfires. Most serious natural disasters here are the leftovers of hurricanes that swing through every 8-10 years. Watch out for localized flooding from torrential summer thunderstorms once in a while also. Recreation, lots of bicycling and running opportunities -- along the Potomac River is particularly nice. You can also sail and kayak, etc. on the Potomac. The are lots of gyms, CrossFit, and so forth. Many transportation options, metro subway system is great, tons of walkable places, plus two airports -- DCA, which is super convenient --it's in Arlington, and IAD, about 45 minutes to the west. Cons? Yeah, it's expensive. Plenty of traffic in Northern VA, which stinks (though if you just stay in Arlington, it's tolerable). Do you like lots of space, uninterrupted natural vistas? You won't get that here much, but you knew that already. Just drive 1.5 hours to Shenandoah NP. I spend time researching alternate retirement locations across the country, particularly warmer ones, and while it would be fun to try somewhere else for a while, I'm not sure it is worth ever leaving Arlington permanently, given all the positives of the area.

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Convenient, Lovey, Expensive Washington Neighbor - 10/3/2021

We've lived in Arlington for the past 7 years, and have enjoyed it but would prefer a less expensive, more open area. We live in a townhouse in Rosslyn, close to the Potomac and Georgetown. There's a huge diversity of demographics, density and housing in Arlington, so beware of generalizations. This place offers almost anything you could want, but housing is VERY expensive, and the growing number of residential towers in Ballston, Courthouse and Rosslyn are turning Arlington into a much more urban, dense place than it used to be. This leaves the remaining Arlington single family homes costing often twice what you would pay in parts of Fairfax, for example. On the other hand, Arlington is one of the best managed cities in the country, and has an excellent school system. Here are a few pros and cons that come to mind. PROS Next to Washington, but not in Washington Walk to Georgetown on the Key Bridge Good subway system Great selection of ethnic restaurants Good selection of local and regional parks Great utilities, wifi Cons Expensive housing High state and local taxes; annual property taxes on cars of about 3.5% FMV Hot humid summers with lots of mosquitos Green space is shrinking Aging subway system Reagan Aircraft noise can be awful Traffic can be terrible, but was fine during the pandemic

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I mean...eh - 4/2/2021

I mean...the job market, materialistic things to do, nightlife make this a fun place. There are some great outdoor activities and parks, and you're close to DC, but good lord you can barely find a time when everything isn't overcrowded (unless you go away from DC area). Really great schools. The cons? - Stupidly expensive. I'm talking $2000 for a 1 bed 1 bath apt (though it is a nice place, and we are closer to Tyson's). - You want a job? Tons of jobs are federal/govt based or they are your clients. Stay private if you can. -Most things to do involve spending absurd amounts of money. Everyone in the Tyson's/Mclean area is obsessed with showing off the most expensive items they have. -Horrendously overcrowded. If your maps says 15min to get somewhere, add about 10-15min just getting through the constant traffic jams and overcrowding. I used to work in downtown DC and I kid you not, it took me an hour to get less than 12 miles around rush hour times. - The majority of people are rude and entitled. Since it's quite a high-earning area (I work in consulting so I know) and educated area, the "Northeast" mentality is prevalent. Everyone seems to be stressed and uptight most times. Not necessarily a bad thing, but dampers your mood a lot. - I'm a moderate, but if you aren't a social justice warrior or lean much more liberal, you're basically dead and uneducated to most people. Will be moving west where we can actually enjoy the mountains and outdoors, less traffic, lower housing costs, etc.

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Expensive, but Nice - 6/13/2018

I lived in an apartment building near the Ballston Metro Station for 2 years before I had kids. Even back when I lived in the area, we were renting a 1 bedroom apartment for over $1600/month, so living so close to everything was expensive! It was nice to be in easy walking distance from restaurants, bars, doctors, coffee shops, entertainment, movies, groceries, and everything else. One thing I really miss about the city is having everything so close. The mall there was always so-so, but they've since closed it down for renovations and is supposed to be much nicer when completed. I lived there before the Silver line was around, but the commute to DC was nice and easy, no car required. If you're looking for a family-friendly area, it's probably way out of your budget though.

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Can't Wait To LEAVE Arlington, Va. - 1/5/2017

I have been a homeowner in Arlington for the last 6 years and the day I leave this area cannot come soon enough. The only positive to living here is the profit I will make on the sale of my home. If you like crawling 9 miles to downtown D.C. in the morning and it taking 45 minutes, this is the place for you. If you have an elitist attitude, this is the place for you. If you don't speak English, this is the place for you. I live in a nice neighborhood with some nice neighbors, my backyard is a park, I live 1 block from an elementary school which has a national schools rating of 1/10, my property taxes increase 5% every year, I have to pay to park in front of my home even though I have a driveway. All in all, this place sucks and 50% of the population does as well. Can't wait to get out of Arlington.

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Arlington Exploding with Construction - 11/27/2015

Here in cozy Northwest Arlington, about a third of the homes have been bulldozed in the last ten years -- and reincarnated as "McMansions." These teardowns are escalating. Houses once 2,000 sq. ft. are becoming 5,000 sq ft. Their whole-house vacuum systems, heat pumps, grease fans, blinding security and architectural lighting, and sheer height and girth, make them scary neighbors. Schools are bursting, their athletic fields littered with portable classrooms. New schools can't be built fast enough. Massive road projects and other construction ringing and bisecting Arlington, occur 24/7 -- and traffic is only getting worse. There's gridlock in the Lee-Harrison shopping center now, where ten years ago, its large parking lot was more empty than full. The Metro has added the Silver Line. Noise from the trains and mounting traffic are becoming a din. The Rosslyn-to-Ballston metro corridor is becoming more and more lined with condos towers averaging about 22 stories, creating a relatively energetic, successful urban village, where the goal is for people to be able to work, live, and shop without being reliant on the automobile, which has, heretofore, dominated life in Arlington. If you're young and coming up, Arlington can be a great place. If you've lived here 20 years in a small house on a small lot, albeit in a nice neighborhood, you may be getting really sick and tired of the endless construction, no matter where you go -- for Arlington is one of just dozens of localities that comprise the exploding (with construction) Northern Virginia area. The beauty and charm of DC and its suburbs has been tainted by incessant construction, increasingly affluent, over-educated, competitive, entitled go-getters. The incidence of lame, insipid, even nasty, vanity license plates must be way near the top of the charts. Things like, "MyBeemer," and "EnvyHer." There are many good people here and some clever pleasant vanity plates. You'll be sitting in so much traffic that you'll be seeing tons, and tons of license plates, unless you do what the county government hopes and buy a condo along the metro corridor and walk to work, stores, and attractions. Tremendous arts and culture and beauty available. Your experience may vary.

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Fun but expensive - 9/2/2014

Great access to everything but housing is crazy expensive.

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How's Arlington - 2/8/2013

Not really a review, more of a "help" post. I have three kids, one soon to be in jr. high and two in elementary. I would like to hear your opinions on the best jr. high school to attend. I'm also interested in information for the best elementary school, if you can please help me. Moving to the area where the schools are is not an issue. Thanks, really appreciate it!

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Rude locals - 8/24/2012

After living in the city for over 15 years, I have to say that it has not remained the same. Quality of people and respect for common folks has disappeared. The city officials have become rude and greedy.

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Nice Place - 4/19/2011

Great urban area.

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Arlington's a great place to live, if you can affo - 2/8/2011

Like many DC-area neighborhoods and cities, Arlington has much to offer residents of all ages and stages of life. And, like many DC-area neighborhoods and cities, it has the housing prices to match.

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Transportation - 12/5/2010

Public transportation is excellent with the metro (subway)and buses for local travel. Roads are excellent for privately owned vehicles. Highways and main streets are crowded during rush hours morning and night.

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As a musician... - 11/4/2010

It's hard to get gigs here. While this area does have a few good venues (IOTA, Jammin' Java, etc), there are more musicians who want to play than the venues can handle. There doesn't seem to be a guaranteed crowd anywhere, either. Places are hit-or-miss, and so venues focus on a band's ability to bring people, not so much their actual talent. Which makes it hard to move here, because you can't get a gig without a crowd of fans. You can't get crowds of fans without gigs. Catch 22. The people at open mics are pretty nice and the community of musicians itself is friendly and welcoming. It's not a bad place to play out if you don't care about getting paid or doing anything regularly. It's a weird scene here, though. So far (I've been here about 4 months), I see a lot of old rich (usually ex-government types) people walking their dogs and driving big SUVs, and I see a lot of blue collar or serving position people from everywhere in the world you can imagine. Which means there's awesome ethnic food here: it's cheap and authentic. But there seems to be a lack of people here who are 20s-30s and culturally aware. Most of the people around the DC area I've met in that age bracket seem to care a lot about their budding careers and are making more money than they know what to do with. But they listen to really bad music and play stupid drinking games like they never left college. It's been hard to find the group of struggling artist types I normally call friends.

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what recession? - 4/10/2010

Arlington is a booming city, unaware of the economic misfortune of other urban areas outside of US cities. It's young, hip and on the move.

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Overall great place to live - 12/4/2009

Arlington's proximity to DC makes it a super place to live. There are endless cultural and sports opportunities in the area. Some are expensive, but there are plenty of events that are free. The pols are a little full of themselves, but it is always an interesting show. Rents/properties are pricey, but there are some neighborhoods that are affordable. Traffic is pretty bad. Spring and Fall are delightful. Winters aren't bad. Summer is stifling hot/humid.

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Hot and muggy summers with mosquitos - 11/10/2009

Hot and muggy summers with mosquitos make it less likely you will enjoy the beautiful yards and parks.

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Quality of Life in Arlington VA - 3/29/2009

For a region where life is very fast-paced and work-focused, Arlington is a good choice for a more balanced place to live. You can easily get into DC on the metro lines and go to the Kennedy center, the Smithsonian museums, or take part of the nightlife/ live music at the 9:30 club. Depending on where you work and where your clients/customers are, the commute is probably better than other areas in the DC metro region. Yes, it is more expensive to live in Arlington than other cities in Northern Virginia, but for us the higher costs are worth it because we get to fully participate in the cultural and urban attractions in DC.

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high cost of living - 2/17/2009

some of the highest cost of living in the country; but, good schools, services and security

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Arlington, VA - 8/17/2008

Arlington is a great place to live. We have very good schools, responsive county government and good transportation options.

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