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About Ballston
When you're in Ballston, you can't help but feel like you're "downtown." Ballston-MU Metrorail station is a major transportation hub, connecting Metrobus and ART buses with Metrorail's Orange Line. Upon exiting the Metro, you'll notice taller buildings here than in most parts of Arlington. Ballston is indeed a very busy place, as more than a few nationally-known organizations, both public and private, are major employers within blocks of the Metro station. The National Science Foundation, Qwest, and the Nature Conservancy are among some of the more prominent. Other signs of a big-city downtown are apparent here as well: multiple bus routes, designer coffee shops, and delicatessens that cater to the 9 to 5 crowd, to name a few.
Stacy Arshadi, owner of the Eat'n'Run Deli, has seen a lot of development in the area since she and her husband opened shop across from the Metro station 12 years ago. And though the bulk of the changes have been the construction of the large office and apartment buildings, she says that they do a fair amount of business for dinner as well, noting that the area "stays pretty happening at night", with some lively nightlife. She adds that it is an area that feels very safe, with people always out and about, even late at night.
John Wilcox and Lora Strine lived in the Ballston area for three years before they decided to buy a house here last year. The neighborhood appeals to the married couple because of its proximity to public transportation and the shopping and other perks of the Ballston "downtown". Yet their home is in an area that's "like a little oasis" where "you can't hear anything" of the bustle only a few blocks away. With two large parks within walking distance and activities like outdoor theater in the summer, "It's a fun area." |
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Arlington's urban villages are walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods well served by public transportation. People who live in these neighborhoods are able to walk to shopping or to restaurants and hop on Metrorail, Metrobus or ART when they need to go anywhere else in the Washington Metro area. More about Arlington's urban villages. |
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But Ballston is more than a few big office buildings. A few blocks from the Metro is a 4-level shopping center, the 
And it really should come as no surprise – once you get away from the few blocks where Ballston resembles a busy little metropolis, the area blends into a nice little hamlet, as the high density growth tapers off to residential neighborhoods with parks, schools, and single-family homes. This community feeling is also evident in such local activities as tai chi classes and community garage sales.