Arlington, VA Reviews

Great place, lots of outdoor activities and cultur - 1/18/2023
Lived here 17 years, amazing Read More

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 Read More

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 Read More

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 Read More

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 Read More

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 Read More

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 Read More

Fun but expensive - 9/2/2014
Great access to everything but housing is crazy Read More

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 Read More

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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