Shirlington

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About Shirlington

Shirlington is a young professional's playground. It is simply a bastion of convenience, located a stone's throw from employers in Washington and Arlington. A stylish collection of restaurants and entertainment options, surrounded by a mix of apartments, condos, and traditional neighborhoods, it is hip enough to attract crowds from other parts of the metropolitan area, but still quiet and quaint enough to be a relaxing home to thousands of residents.

Like Columbia Pike, Shirlington is another urban village that is not directly centered on a Metro station. Rather, it is served by an extensive network of Metrobus routes that take commuters to the Pentagon City and Crystal City Metro stations, among other destinations.

Originally constructed in the 1940's, the Shirlington shopping center, focused on 28th street, was renovated in the late 1980's and now boasts more than ten restaurants. Choices range from a gourmet deli to Thai food to the Carlyle Grand Café, a modern American restaurant with art nouveau décor that is one of the Washington area's favorite dining destinations. Nightlife is highlighted by the Capitol City Brewing Co, which serves several varities of beer, brewed on-site, and Bungalow Billiards, featuring a dozen pool tables, huge-screen TV and darts.

Once your stomach is full, Shirlington offers several places to fill your brain too. The local Cineplex Odeon, with 7 theatres, is one of the DC area's best places to catch foreign, art, or independent films. A book store on 28th Street encourages cerebral activity, as does the Shirlington branch of the Arlington County library. WETA, Washington's outlet for PBS television and NPR radio, is also headquartered here and somehow contributes to the area's erudite atmosphere. Another neighborhood treasure is the Classika Theatre, which features a steady diet of plays and dramas, ranging from children's theater to more serious classical and contemporary favorites. With all this, "culture" is easy to come by in Shirlington.

Another great aspect to life in Shirlington is how much green space there is in close proximity. Most of the apartment buildings that surround Shirlington's shopping center are beautifully landscaped with rolling lawns and meandering walkways. In addition, there are several parks in the area, including Utah Park, Jennie Dean Park, and a dog park and exercise area. And the WO&D bike trail, which stretches into rural Virginia, originates very close to this area as well.

All these factors have combined to make Shirlington a prime residential location too. The area appeals not only to young professionals, but to demographic groups from families with children to seniors. Pat Williamson of WETA also likes the variety in housing – "It's kind of neat to have this mix of garden apartments, high-rises, and Shirlington Village, all near the restaurants."

And plans to expand Shirlington, and add more commercial and residential space, are in the works. With a nice mixture of leisure activities, great housing, and of course, outstanding public transit access, Shirlington is another of the unique little neighborhoods that make Arlington great.

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.