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DESTINATION: WASHINGTON D.C.
A Guide for Future Elon Alumni…by Elon Alumni Page 2 …… DC Chapter of the Elon Alumni Association Page 27 …… Alexandria, VA Neighborhood Guide Page 3 …… The Basics Page 28 …… Fairfax County, VA Neighborhood Guide Page 4 …… Area Newspapers Page 30 …… Dulles Corridor Neighborhood Guide Page 5 …… Area Utilities Page 31 …… Montgomery County, MD Neighborhood Guide Page 6 …… Getting to, from and around DC Page 32 …… Prince William County, VA Page 11 …… Shopping Page 32 …… Prince George's County, MD Page 14 …… DC Sports Page 33 …… What Alumni Think of the Area Page 15 …… DC Neighborhood Guide Page 49 …… Best of DC (Elon Alumni Edition) Page 24 …… Arlington County, VA Neighborhood Guide Page 50 …… DC Area Map
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THE D.C. CHAPTER OF THE ELON UNIVERISTY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION The DC Alumni Chapter is the 2nd largest chapter out of the 14 in the Association. With over 3,000 Elon Alumni in the area, there is a great opportunity for networking, social, and service events. In addition to being one of the largest chapters, we work to be one of the most active, sponsoring a flag football and softball team in the Capital Alumni Network (CAN, an association for all college alumni chapters in the D.C. area.), hosting monthly happy hours around the region; participating in the National Elon Alumni Service Day; having alumni nights at Nationals, Wizards and Capitols games and much more. The Executive Council of the DC Chapter began serving their term in the Fall of 2007 with some new additions in 2008, and has worked hard to provide numerous opportunities for networking, career development, entertainment, socializing and to maintain a close connection to Elon. They represent many different fields and interests and are of service to you and all alumni in the area. The officers are:
• Lindsey (Goodman) Baker, ‘04 – President – ElonInDC@yahoo.com • Kristin White, ‘04 ‐ Secretary and Service Coordinator • Nick Palatiello, ‘06 – Capital Alumni Network Representative and Chapter Sports Coordinator • Taylor Loftus, ‘05 ‐ Program Coordinator • Meghan Toomey, ‘08 ‐ Program Coordinator • Jason Alexander, ‘00 ‐ Young Alumni Liaison • Melissa Echols, ’06 – Young Alumni Coordinator • LaToya Smalls, ‘07 ‐ Young Alumni Coordinator • Rebecca LeFevre, ‘04 ‐ Happy Hour Coordinator • Megan Timmerman, ‘04 ‐ Happy Hour Coordinator
DC is also fortunate to have seven members of the Elon University Young Alumni Council, an advisory board to the Office of Alumni Affairs and the university on programming and communication with young alums and current students. Those members are:
• Gretchen (Hall) Archibald, ’02: Gainesville, VA catwoman1022@comcast.net • Cindy Beidel, ’02: Centreville, VA cbeidel@hotmail.com • Brett “Coop” Cooper, ’05: Arlington, VA bccooper@gmail.com • Erryn Gallasch, ’07: Alexandria, VA erryng@gmail.com • Chris Gaylor, ’03: Arlington, VA cgaylor254@yahoo.com • John Kalas, ’07: Potomac, MD jmk227@law.georgetown.edu • Shelby Peterson, ’06: Arlington, VA speterson06@gmail.com
We are all dedicated to the Chapter and have some really exciting ideas and plans for future events and get‐togethers! If and when you decide to move to DC, you should take these few easy steps to ensure that you are completely in the loop with chapter news and events.
1. Update your address and new email information with Elon – your parents address won’t be helpful in finding out what’s going on in your new area, wherever it is.
2. Visit our website, www.elonalumni.org for updates on events, sports teams, and happy hours in the area. 3. Join the Alumni in DC group on Facebook and the Washington, DC Chapter group on E2. This way you will get
the invitations and emails about what’s happening! 4. Email us at elonindc@yahoo.com at anytime with any questions about the area or if you have ideas about
how we can better serve alumni.
We are thrilled that you may be joining us in the DC area soon, and look forward to having you at our events! Please email me if you have questions or comments!
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THE BASICS
CLIMATE Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Record high 79°F 84° 93° 95° 99° 102° 106° 106° 104° 96° 86° 79°
Normal high 43° 47° 56° 66° 75° 84° 88° 86° 79° 68° 57° 47°
Normal low 27° 30° 37° 46° 56° 65° 70° 69° 62° 50° 40° 32°
Record low ‐14° ‐15° 4° 15° 33° 43° 52° 49° 36° 26° 11° ‐13°
Precipitation 3.2 in. 2.6 3.6 2.7 3.8 3.1 3.7 3.4 3.8 3.2 3 3.1
RADIO STATIONS Station Call Sign Format Station Call Sign Format
88.1 FM WMUC College, Radio 630 AM WMAL News/Talk, Radio
88.5 FM WAMU Public Radio, Radio 730 AM WKDL Spanish, Radio
89.3 FM WPFW Jazz, Radio 780 AM WABS Religious, Radio
90.1 FM WCSP Public Radio, Radio 900 AM WILC Spanish, Radio
90.9 FM WETA Classical, Radio 950 AM WCTN Religious, Radio
91.9 FM WGTS Christian Contemporary, Radio 980 AM WTEM Sports, Radio
92.7 FM WBZS Spanish, Radio 1030 AM WWGB Religious, Radio
93.9 FM WKYS Hip Hop, Radio 1050 AM WPLC Business News, Radio
94.7 FM WARW Classic Rock, Radio 1120 AM WUST International, Radio
95.5 FM WPGC Hip Hop, Radio 1220 AM WFAX Religious, Radio
96.3 FM WHUR Urban Contemporary, Radio 1260 AM WWRC Sports, Radio
97.1 FM WASH Adult Contemporary, Radio 1310 AM WDCT Asian, Radio
97.5 FM WRYR Variety, Radio 1340 AM WYCB Gospel Music, Radio
97.7 FM WMDM Oldies, Radio 1390 AM WZHF Spanish, Radio
98.3 FM WSMD Classic Rock, Radio 1450 AM WOL News/Talk, Radio
98.7 FM WMZQ Country, Radio 1460 AM WKDV Spanish, Radio
99.1 FM WHFS Alternative, Radio 1500 AM WTOP News, Radio
99.5 FM WIHT Top‐40, Radio 1540 AM WACA Spanish, Radio
100.3 FM WBIG Oldies, Radio 1560 AM WKIK Country, Radio
101.1 FM WWDC Rock, Radio 1580 AM WPGC Gospel Music, Radio
102.3 FM WMMJ Urban Contemporary, Radio 1600 AM WLXE Spanish, Radio
102.9 FM WKIK Country, Radio 1690 AM WPTX Sports, Radio
103.5 FM WGMS Classical, Radio
104.1 FM WWZZ Hot AC, Radio
105.1 FM WAVA Religious, Radio
106.7 FM WJFK Talk, Radio
107.3 FM WRQX Hot AC, Radio
107.9 FM WFSI Religious, Radio
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NEWSPAPERS Paper Format Website
Alexandria Times Community paper for Alexandria www.alextimes.com
Baltimore Sun Daily “paper of record” for Baltimore and
northern parts of our area www.baltimoresun.com
City Paper Free Alternative Weekly www.washingtoncitypaper.com.
Connection
Community paper with individual issues for Alexandria, Arlington, Asburn, Burke, Centreville,
Fairfax, Great Falls, Herndon, McLean, Mt. Vernon, Reston, Springfield, and Vienna
www.connectionnewspapers.com
D.C. North Monthly Neighborhood paper for Northeast, D.C. www.capitalcommunitynews.comDuPont Current Monthly Neighborhood paper for DuPont Circle www.currentnewspapers.comEast of the River Monthly Neighborhood paper for Anacostia www.capitalcommunitynews.com
Express Free daily summary paper produced by the
Washington Post www.readexpress.com.
Fairfax Times Community paper for Fairfax County, VA www.restontimes.comFalls Church Press Weekly paper for Falls Church, VA www.fcnp.com
Foggy Bottom Current Monthly Neighborhood paper for Foggy Bottom www.currentnewspapers.comGeorgetown Current Monthly Neighborhood paper for Georgetown www.currentnewspapers.com
Hill Rag Monthly Neighborhood paper for Capitol Hill www.capitalcommunitynews.comLeesburg Today Community paper for Leesburg, VA www.leesburg2day.com
Loudoun Times Mirror Community paper for Loudoun, VA www.loudountimes.comManassas Journal Messenger Community paper for Prince William County, VA www.insidenova.com
Metro Weekly Free locally focused weekly serving the gay,
lesbian, bi‐sexual and transgendered community www.metroweekly.com.
Northwest Current Neighborhood paper for Northwest DC www.currentnewspapers.com
Observer Community paper with individual productions
for Fairfax and Loudoun Counties www.observernews.com
Politico Free daily covering political news www.thepolitico.com.Roll Call Subscription daily covering Congress www.rollcall.com
Silver Spring Voice Independent paper for Silver Spring, MD www.silverspringvoice.com
Street Sense Bi‐Weekly $1.00 paper that “covers
homelessness and poverty issues while providing a source of income for the homeless”
www.streetsense.org.
Sun Gazette Affluent paper mailed throughout Northern VA www.sungazette.netTakoma Voice Independent paper for Takoma, MD www.takoma.com
The Gazette Community paper with individual productions for Montgomery and Prince Georges County
www.gazette.net
The Hill Subscription daily covering Congress www.thehill.com.Voice of the Hill Neighborhood paper for Capitol Hill www.capitolhillvoice.com
Washington Afro Free weekly and the oldest family owned African‐American paper in the nation
www.afro.com.
Washington Blade Free weekly nationally recognized paper serving as the paper‐of‐record for the gay, lesbian, bi‐
sexual and transgendered community www.washingtonblade.com.
Washington Business Journal Daily subscription business newspaper www.washington.bizjournals.comWashington Examiner Free conservative daily paper www.examiner.com/dc.
Washington Informer Free weekly serving the local African‐American
community www.washingtoninformer.com.
Washington Post Daily “paper‐of‐record” for the area www.washingtonpost.com.Washington Times Major subscription conservative daily www.washingtontimes.com.
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Utilities ELECTRIC AND GAS
• POTOMAC EDISON (A division of Allegheny Power): Serving Montgomery and Frederick Counties in Maryland. o Website: http://www.alleghenypower.com/ o Phone Number: 800‐Allegheny (800‐255‐3443)
• PEPCO: Serving DC and all Maryland counties in the DC area. o Website: http://pepco.com/home/ o Phone Number: 202‐833‐7500
• BALTIMORE GAS AND ELECTRIC: Serving all Maryland counties in the DC area. o Website: http://www.bge.com/ o Phone Number: 800‐685‐0123
• DOMINION POWER: Serving all Virginia counties in the DC area. o Website: http://www.dom.com/ o Phone Number: 888‐667‐3000
• WASHINGTON GAS: Serving DC, Maryland, Virginia. o Website: http://www.washgas.com/ o Phone Number: 703‐750‐1000
PHONE and INTERNET • VERIZON: Serving DC, Maryland and Virginia.
o Website: http://www22.verizon.com/Residential/Phone/ o Phone Number: 202‐954‐6263 (DC) o Phone Number: 703‐954‐6222 (VA) o Phone Number: 301‐954‐6260 (MD)
• COMCAST: Serving DC, Maryland, Virginia. o Website: http://www.comcast.com/ o Phone Number: 800‐COMCAST (800‐266‐2278)
• RCN: Serving DC, Montgomery County, MD, and Falls Church, VA. o Website: http://www.rcn.com/ o Phone Number: 800‐RING‐RCN
• CAVALIER: Serving DC, Maryland, Virginia. o Website: http://cms.cavtel.com/ o Phone Number: 800‐291‐9699
WATER • DC WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY: Serving DC, Maryland, Virginia.
o Website: http://www.dcwasa.com/ o Phone Number: 202‐787‐2000
• WASHINGTON SUBURBAN SANITARY COMMISSION: Serving Montgomery County and Prince Georges County. o Website: http://www.wssc.dst.md.us/ o Phone Number: 800‐828‐6439
• FAIRFAX COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY: Serving Fairfax County. o Website: http://www.fcwa.org/ o Phone Number: 703‐698‐5800
• CITY OF FALLS CHURCH DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS: Serving Falls Church. o Website: http://www.fallschurchva.gov/ o Phone Number: 703‐248‐5071
• LOUDON COUNTY SANITATION AUTHORITY: Serving Loudon County. o Website: http://www.loudounwater.org/ o Phone Number: 703‐771‐1092
• PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY SERVICE AUTHORITY: Serving Prince William County. o Website: http://www.pwcsa.org/ o Phone Number: 703‐335‐7900 o Phone Number: 410‐685‐0123
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GETTING TO, FROM AND AROUND D.C.
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) 1 Saarinen Circle, Dulles, VA 20166. Served by: Aeroflot Air Canada Air France Aer Lingus Air Tran All Nippon Airways (ANA) American Airlines
Austrian Airlines Avianca British Airways Cayman Airways Continental Airlines Copa Airlines Delta
Ethiopian Airlines Iberia JetBlue KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Korean Air Lufthansa Northwest Airlines
Qatar Airways Saudi Arabian Airlines South African Airways Southwest Scandinavian Airlines Systems (SAS) Sun Country Airlines
Grupo TACA United Airlines United Express US Airways US Airways Express Virgin America Virgin Atlantic
Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) Thomas Ave & Abingdon Dr. Arlington, VA 22202 Served by: Air Canada Air Canada Jazz AirTran
Alaska Airlines American Airlines Continental Airlines
Delta Frontier Midwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines Spirit Airlines United Airlines
U.S. Airways U.S. Airways Shuttle U.S. Airways Express
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) Aviation Blvd & Elm Rd. Baltimore, MD 21240 Served by: Air Canada Air Jamaica Air Tran
American Airlines British Airways Continental
Delta Northwest Southwest
United USA3000 US Airways
Union Station (WAS) 50 Massachusetts Ave, NE. Washington, DC 20002 Served by: Amtrak Acela Express Amtrak Capitol Limited Amtrak Cardinal Amtrak Carolinian
Amtrak Crescent Amtrak Palmetto Amtrak Silver Meteor Amtrak Silver Star
Amtrak Northeast Regional Amtrak Vermonter MARC Brunswick Line MARC Camden Line
MARC Penn Line VRE Manassas Line VRE Fredericksburg Line METRORAIL Red Line
METRORAIL: www.wmata.com Washington’s METRO is the 2nd busiest subway system in America. Over 702,000 people travel through METRO’s 88 stations and on its 106 miles of track along its 5 colored lines every day. The system is unique to most subway systems
in that it is a zoned‐fare system with fares ranging from $1.35 in off‐peak hours travelling very short distances to $4.50 for the longest trips during peak hours. You can either get a paper pass at any METRO station or get a hard SmartTrip card that is $10 ($5.00 for the card and $5.00 minimum to fill the card) that can be purchased at any METRO station with a parking garage, at several retail locations in the area or at the Metro Center Station and its refillable at any station. Nearly half of the METRO stations have parking; however it is limited and only available towards the ends of each line. The fee is $4.50 for the day and a SmartTrip card is required to exit these lots.
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GETTING TO, FROM AND AROUND D.C.
VRE (Virginia Railway Express): www.vre.org The northern Virginia commuter rail service with a “Fredericksburg Line” that runs from Fredericksburg, VA, through eastern Prince William County, eastern Fairfax County, Alexandria, Arlington County and Washington DC to Union Station and a “Manassas Line” that runs from Manassas through western Prince William County, across central Fairfax County, though Alexandria,
Arlington and Washington DC to Union Station. Fares range from $2.70 to $9.75 depending on distance travelled.
MARC: www.mtamaryland.com 43 stations line the 187 miles of the MARCs three lines. The “Brunswick Line” travels from Union Station through Montgomery and Frederick Counties to Martinsburg, West Virginia.
The “Camden Line” travels from Union Station through Montgomery, Prince Georges and Howard Counties to Baltimore. The “Penn Line” is the fastest commuter rail line in North America and travels from Union Station through Prince Georges and Anne Arundel Counties, to Baltimore‐Washington Airport, through Baltimore and Harford Counties, and ending in northeastern Maryland. Fares range from $4.00 to $14.00 depending on distance travelled.
METROBUS: www.wmata.com Washington’s primary bus system uses 1564 buses that run on 171 lines covering 1,500 square miles and 12,301 bus stops, transporting 460,000 people each day. Prices range from $3.10 for an express limited stop bus to $1.25 for a standard fair using the SmartTrip Permanent Pass discount.
CIRCULATOR: www.dccirculator.com Also operated by METRO, “The Red Bus” operated along 3 major tourist loops; from Union Station to Georgetown along K Street, from Mount Vernon Square to L’Enfant Plaza along 7th Street, and on weekends it runs a Smithsonian (Mall) loop. The buses run every 10 minutes and are $1.00.
ART (Arlington Transit): www.commuterpage.com/art Operates 31 buses on 12 routes only in Arlington County for a fare of $1.35
DASH (Driving Alexandrians Safely Home): www.dashbus.com/ $1.25 gets you a ride on any of the 21 routes throughout Alexandria.
FAIRFAX CONNECTOR: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector 50 routes operate throughout Fairfax County ranging in price from $1.35 to $3.10 for express routes.
THE BUS: http://www.co.pg.md.us/Government/AgencyIndex/DPW&T/ 25 Route Bus system for Prince Georges County, MD with 1.00 cent fares.
RideOn: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/tsvtmpl.asp?url=/content/dpwt/transit/index.asp 82 routes traverse Montgomery County, MD with $1.35 fares.
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GETTING TO, FROM AND AROUND D.C
Area Roads
Driving in and around the area can be an frustrating experience. Roads are always congested, frequently change names or directions without notice, and if you finally do get to your destination, there is no parking. This will hopefully help.
I‐95 This “East Coast Highway” serves as the primary means of getting to the area from the south and leaving the area to the north. Coming from Elon, you will hit 95 in Petersburg, VA and continue up into Northern VA, travelling through Fredericksburg, Stafford County and Prince William County. Near Dumfries, VA, you can hop on the High Occupancy Vehicle‐3 (HOV‐3) Lanes for a faster trip up through Fairfax County to the Beltway. The HOV‐3 lanes on I‐95 are reversible lanes that head northbound toward the District in the morning and head southbound in the afternoon. They require 3 people in the car during rush‐hour, but are open to all traffic outside of that window. I‐95 meets the Capital Beltway (I‐495) at the “Springfield Mixing Bowl”, so named because of the confusing confluence of I‐495, I‐395, I‐95, HOV Lanes, 24 lanes of traffic and 50 ramps. I‐95 overlaps the “Outer Loop” of the Capital Beltway through Alexandria and across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge into Maryland then continues around to the east of the DC, exiting the Beltway in College Park, MD, where it continues north to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Boston and Canada.
I‐495 The Capital Beltway is a 64 mile loop around the DC area, travelling though such Maryland communities as Landover, New Carrollton, Greenbelt, College Park, Silver Spring, and Bethesda as well as the Virginia towns of Tysons Corner, Falls Church, Fairfax, Springfield and Alexandria. Since 495 is a loop, instead of using North or East to show which direction you are going, we utilize the terms “Inner Loop” and “Outer Loop”. The “Inner Loop” is the clockwise side of the Beltway, travelling west if you enter I‐495 from I‐95 in Springfield, VA, going through Fairfax County, turning north to cross the Potomac River into Montgomery County, MD, then turning to the east to traverse the county before turning south through Prince George’s County, MD and then turning west to come across the Wilson Bridge into Alexandria, VA, taking you back to the beginning of the loop. The “Outer
Loop” is the counterclockwise side of the Beltway, taking that same route in reverse. I‐395 Ages ago, plans called for I‐95 to continue north into the District instead of to the east of the city. That didn’t happen, but we did get I‐395, a 13‐mile interstate that picks up where I‐95 leaves off at in Springfield, VA and travels through Alexandria, Arlington County, past Landmark Mall and the Pentagon, then across the 14th Street Bridges (Arland Williams, Jr., Rochambeau and George Mason Bridges) into DC. I‐395 then travels east across 12 blocks of Southwest DC before turning north, going under the National Mall and the U.S. Department of Labor before terminating at U.S. Route 50/New York Avenue.
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I‐66 Arguably the most congested traffic corridor in the DC area is I‐66, which travels west from DC through Arlington County, Falls Church, Fairfax and Prince William Counties and on till its terminus at I‐81. Between the District and the Capital Beltway, I‐66 is restricted to HOV‐2 during rush hours. All eastbound traffic is restricted to vehicles with two or more passengers from 6:30am until 9:00 am on weekdays while the same restriction is in place from 4:00pm until 6:30pm on all westbound traffic. Once outside of the Beltway, the restrictions are limited to specific lanes of traffic, however extensive traffic during rush hour, especially between I‐495 and Route 50, and again in the area of Gainesville, VA where I‐66 goes from 8 lanes to 4 lanes, still makes travel difficult.
Virginia State Route 267/Dulles Toll Road/Dulles Greenway Built in the mid 80s to provide a better connection to fast growing areas in northwestern Fairfax County and Loudoun County, Route 267, better know as the “Dulles Toll Road”, from the Capital Beltway to Dulles Airport, and as the “Dulles Greenway” from that point until it ends in Leesburg. Serving Tysons Corner, Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn and Leesburg, Route 267 serves as one of the primary means of travelling from these towns to I‐66 in Falls Church. The tolls on these roads range in price depending on the distance travelled and the time of day that you are travelling. The toll maxes out at .75 cents on the Toll Road and at $4.50 on the Greenway. Both roads accept the SmartTrip
transponder, which is tied into the E‐Z Pass system so if you have to use these roads often, you are encouraged to buy one. I‐295/DC Route 295/Maryland State Route 295 Where I‐395 turns north in the District, I‐295 picks up and continues through Southeast DC and across the Anacostia River on the 11th Street Bridges. Once in Anacostia, things get tricky. If you turn south, you remain on I‐295 and travel through parts of Southeast and Southwest DC, through Anacostia, Congress Heights and past Bolling Air Force Base until entering Maryland in Oxon Hill and terminating at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge on I‐495. However, if one were to turn to the north after crossing the Anacostia River, they would be on DC Route 295, better known as the Anacostia Freeway. Anacostia Freeway continues through Southeast DC, becoming Kenilworth Avenue as it crosses into the Northeast quadrant of Washington. Once DC 295 exits the District, it becomes Maryland State Route 295; the Baltimore‐Washington Parkway. The BW Parkway serves as a major commuter route, taking drivers through Bladensburg, Greenbelt, South Laurel and past Fort Meade (home of the National Security Agency), Baltimore‐Washington International Airport and into downtown Baltimore.
I‐270 More and more alumni are calling the Maryland cities of Rockville, Germantown, Gaithersburg and Frederick home. To get to these cities, you have to take I‐270 from the Capital Beltway up through Montgomery and Frederick Counties. This 34 mile stretch connects to I‐495 in northern Bethesda and travels northwest from the District through the aforementioned towns to its terminus at I‐70 in Frederick, MD. For the high traffic corridor near Rockville, I‐270 is separated into local lanes (that allow exiting) and express lanes that allow more rapid flow into and out of the area.
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U.S. Route 50 Route 50 has many names as it traverses 3011 miles of the United States from Sacramento, CA to Ocean City, MD. Within the DC area alone, it has 8 names as you wind from the western part of our area in Loudoun County along John Mosby Highway to the far
eastern part of our area in Annapolis, where Route 50 is known as the John Hanson Highway. In between, Route 50 brings you past Washington Dulles International Airport and into Fairfax County, where it becomes Lee Jackson Highway. Near the City of Fairfax, it becomes Fairfax Boulevard before becoming Arlington Boulevard on the south side of Vienna. It keeps that name as it brings you through the eastern side of Fairfax County, across Falls Church and Arlington County and across the Roosevelt Bridge into the District. Within DC, Route 50 overlaps Constitution Avenue NW, 6th St NW, and New York Avenue NW and NE until it enters Maryland at its interchange with Baltimore‐Washington Parkway in Cheverly. There, the John Hanson Highway takes you through Bowie and Annapolis to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (just Bay Bridge for short) and onto Maryland’s Eastern Shore. U.S. Route 29 Some will remember Route 29 as O’Henry Blvd in Greensboro and as Tryon St. in Charlotte. The northern Virginia stretch of this 1,000 mile route is known as Lee Highway as it travels through Prince William County. Route 29 largely runs parallel to I‐66 as it travels through the Fairfax County towns of Centreville and Fairfax, bisects Falls Church and then creates a mostly residential corridor across northern Arlington County. Route 29 enters the District on the Key Bridge, but before entering Georgetown, it turns onto the Whitehurst Freeway and then follows K St. After zigzagging through downtown along 11th St, Rhode Island Ave, and 7th St, Route 29 becomes Georgia Avenue and passes Howard University and Walter Reed Medical Center before entering Maryland in Silver Spring and becoming Colesville Rd. After 29 leaves the “Beltway”, it becomes Columbia Pike (not to be confused with the Columbia Pike in Arlington), which will take you through Columbia, MD before it ends in Ellicott City, just west of Baltimore.
George Washington Memorial Parkway It’s said that the GW Parkway connects some of George Washington’s favorite points in Northern Virginia. While this may be true, most of that is forgotten by the countless motorists that use the GW to travel from I‐495 in northwestern Fairfax County (where the Beltway crosses the Potomac River on the American Legion Bridge) through Arlington, Alexandria and down to George Washington’s home of Mount Vernon in southeastern Fairfax County. GW Parkway caresses the Potomac River throughout, giving you spectacular views and providing easy access to such historic landmarks as Old Town Alexandria, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington Memorial Bridge, the Great Falls of the Potomac, the C.I.A, the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial and Ronald Reagan National Airport.
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SHOPPING
GEORGETOWN. 3200 M St. NW and Wisconsin Ave NW. Washington, DC 20007 Stores Include: Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Anthropologie, Banana Republic, BCBG, Bebe, Steve Madden, J Crew, Juicy Couture, H &M, Kate Spade, Lush, Ralph Lauren, Restoration Hardware, Tommy Hilfiger, United Colors of Benetton, Urban Outfitters
UNION STATION. 50 Massachusetts Ave, NE. Washington, DC 20002 Stores Include: GUESS Accessories, Lids, L’Occitane, The Body Shop, FYE, Appalachian Spring, Jos. A. Bank, Ann Taylor, Heydari, Victoria’s Secret, Express, Bandolino, Fire & Ice, Neuhaus Chocolatier, Nine West, Chico’s, Pendleton, lucy, Godiva, Aerosoles, Swatch
BALLSTON COMMON. 4238 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22203 Stores Include: Bath & Body Works, Champs Sports, Cold Stone Creamery, Fabians, FYE, Game Stop, GNC, Island Jewelry, Lenscrafters, Macy’s, Radio Shack, Underground Station, Victoria’s Secret, Wet Seal, Woodmont Weavers, Macy’s Furniture, Lady Foot Locker, Kay Jewelers
CRYSTAL CITY SHOPS. 2345 Crystal City Drive Crystal City Arlington, Virginia 22202 Stores Include: Dress Barn, Dress Barn Woman, Possessions, The Men’s Shop, Shoes By Lara, Washingtonian Shoes, L.A. Moves, Kelly’s Men’s Wear, Daniel’s Boutique, Crystal Boutique, Radio Shack, Metro Camera, Mad About Bears, Puppet Heaven, Ship’s Hatch, Elegant Expressions, The
Engraving Shop, Garden Fantasy
DULLES TOWN CENTER. 21100 Dulles Town Circle Dulles, Virginia 20166‐2400 Stores Include: Dick’s Sporting Goods, JC Penney, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Sears, Old Navy, H&M, The Body Shop, Haverty’s, Jared Jewelers, Banana Republic, GAP, Jos. A. Bank, Wilsons Leather, LensCrafters, The Cheesecake Factory, Brookstone, Sharper Image, The Disney Store,
Spencer Gifts, Yankee Candle, Ann Taylor LOFT, Everything But Water, New York and Company, Victoria’s Secret
FAIR OAKS MALL. 11750 Fair Oaks Fairfax, VA 22033 Stores Include: Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Aveda, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, bebe, Borders Express, Cache, Coach, Coldwater Creek, Eddie Bauer, Fossil, GAP, H&M, Harry and David, Hollister Co., J. Jill, LIDS, The Limited, Macy’s, Pottery Barn, Sephora, Talbot’s, United Colors of
Benetton, Williams‐Sonoma
LANDMARK MALL 5801 Duke Street Alexandria, Virginia 22304 Stores Include: Ann Taylor LOFT, Claire’s Accessories, D7 for Men, Solar Shades, V&M Fashion, Bath & Body Works, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Sears, Select Comfort, GQ Fashion, Waldenbooks, Florsheim, Finish Line
LEESBURG CORNER PREMIUM OUTLETS. 241 Fort Evans Road NE Leesburg, VA 20176 Stores Include: J. Crew, Barneys New York Outlet, Aeropostale, BCBG Max Azria, Burberry, Guess, GAP Outlet, Eddie Bauer Outlet, Diesel, Calvin Klein, Juicy Couture, Kenneth Cole, Liz Claiborne, Reebok, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Timberland, Van Heusen
MANASSAS MALL. 8300 Sudley Road Manassas, VA 20109 Stores Include: JC Penney, Macy’s, Target, Sears, FYE, Radio Shack, H&M, Pac Sun, American Eagle Outfitters, Aeropostale, Victoria’s Secret, Wet Seal, Express, Bath & Body Works
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SHOPPING
POTOMAC MILLS. 2700 Potomac Mills Circle Prince William, VA 22192 Stores Include: Fossil Company Store, H&M, LIDS, Carter’s, Linens ‘n Things, IKEA, Levi’s/Dockers Outlet, Jockey Outlet, Hollister Outlet, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, Ecko Unlimited, Perry Ellis Outlet, Timberland Outlet, NIKE Factory Outlet, The Disney Store Outlet, LEGO Outlet, Papaya
SPRINGFIELD MALL. 6500 Springfield Mall Springfield, VA 22150 Stores Include: Macy’s, Target, JC Penney, Aeropostale, Bath & Body Works, Far Eatern Furniture & Gifts, Men’s Warehouse, Express/Express Men, American Eagle Outfitters, GAP, Chocolate Clothing, Lane Bryant, Charlotte Russe, Victoria’s Secret, Rave, Forever 21
FASHION CENTRE. 1100 South Hayes Street Arlington, VA 22202 Stores Include: Aldo Accessories, Kenneth Cole, Coach, Yankee Candle, Apple, Macy’s, Nordstrom, MAC Cosmetics, GNC, Crabtree & Evelyn, Helzberg Diamonds, MOVADO, Tourneau, Armani Exchange, J. Crew, GAP, The Knot Shop, Brookstone, bebe, Talbots, Ann Taylor, United Colors of Benetton
TYSONS CORNER CENTER. 1961 Chain Bridge Rd McLean, VA 22102 Stores Include: Macy’s, Nordstrom, L.L. Bean, Bloomingdale’s, Express, Lord & Taylor, PacSun, The North Face, H&M, Express, Hollister Co, Levi’s, Coach, Abercrombie & Fitch, Banana Republic, Apple
TYSONS GALLERIA. 2001 International Drive McLean, Virginia 22102 Stores Include: Anthropologie, L’Occitane, MAC, Coach, Cole‐Haan, Tumi, Versace, Chanel, Williams‐Sonoma, Cartier, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, J. Crew, Montblanc, Lucky Brand Jeans, Tommy Bahama, Salvatore Ferragamo, Harold’s, Ralph Lauren, Sigrid Olsen, Nicole Miller, Burberry
PENTAGON ROW. 1201 S. Joyce St. Arlington, VA 22202 Stores Include: Sur La Table, Elizabeth Arden, Banner Hallmark, Aveda, Lucy, Chico’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ann Taylor LOFT, DSW Shoe Warehouse, World Market
MARKET COMMON‐CLARENDON. 2800 Clarendon Boulevard Arlington, Virginia Stores Include: Whole Foods, Apple, Container Store, Crate & Barrel, Orvis, Ethan Allen, Williams‐Sonoma Grande Cuisine, Pottery Barn, Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, Eastern Mountain Sports, All About Jane, South Moon Under, Free People, Palm Beach Tan
FAIRFAX CORNER. 4211 Fairfax Corner East Ave Fairfax, VA 22030‐8622 Stores Include: Aerosoles, Ecco, Lucy, White House/Black Market, Acorn, Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon, Color Me Mine, The Little Gym RESTON TOWN CENTER 11900 Market Street, Reston, VA 20190 Stores Include: Pottery Barn, Eddie Bauer, Nine West, South Moon Under, Talbots, Victoria’s Secret, Banana Republic, Davelle for Men, Jos. A. Bank, Williams‐Sonoma
FRIENDSHIP HEIGHTS. 5300 Wisconsin Ave, NW. Washington, DC 20015 Stores Include: Alpaca International, World Market, Stein Mart, Pottery Barn, La Musa, J. Crew, Bon Voyage, Sunrise News, Ann Taylor LOFT, The Cheesecake Factory, Filene’s Basement, Williams‐Sonoma, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Footlocker, Sahba, FYE, Tabandeh
BELTWAY PLAZA. 6000 Greenbelt Rd. Greenbelt, MD 20770 Stores Include: Target, Marshalls, Burlington Coat Factory, JoAnn Fabrics & Crafts, Fashion Bug, Lana’s Bridal, Last Stop Jeans, Ashley Stewart, Value City Department Store, Mattress Discounters
13
SHOPPING
THE MALL IN COLUMBIA. 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway Columbia, Maryland 21044 Stores Include: Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Sears, Coach, Sunglass Hut, Brighton Collectibles, Aveda, JC Penney, Reed’s Jewelers, Aeropostale, GAP, L.L. Bean, PacSun, Eddie Bauer, Banana Republic, Casual Male, Express, H&M, J. Crew
LAKEFOREST MALL. 701 Russell Avenue Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Stores Include: Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, JC Penney, Sears, FYE, Body Basics, LIDS, Brookstone, Deck The Walls, Ann Taylor, Bandolino, Hot Topic, Victoria’s Secret, Talbots, Charlotte Russe, Hollister Co., Aeropostale, Express
LAUREL MALL. 14828 Baltimore Avenue Laurel, Maryland 20707 Stores Include: Macy’s, Bath & Body Works, GNC, Whitney’s Jewelry, Things Remembered, Champs Sports, Burlington Coat Factory, Game Stop
WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY 7101 Democracy Boulevard Bethesda MD 20817 Stores Include: Armani Exchange, Bakers, Ann Taylor, Apple, Bath & Body Works, Hollister, Coach, Sears, Sephora, Old Navy, Macy’s, J. Jill, Solstice, Nordstrom, Sears, J.
Crew, Lucky Brand Jeans, GAP, Everything But Water, Banana Republic, Zara, Pac Sun
PRIME OUTLETS AT HAGERSTOWN. 495 Prime Outlets Boulevard Hagerstown , Maryland 21740 Stores Include: Banana Republic Factory Store, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Calvin Klein, Chico's Outlet, Gap Outlet Kids & Baby, Gymboree Outlet, Puma, Coach, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Tommy Hilfiger
ROCKVILLE TOWN SQUARE. 30 Maryland Avenue Rockville, MD 20850 Stores Include: BedHeaders Home, The Papery, Toy Kingdom, Ten Thousand Villages, Red Orchard, The Cottage Monet, Cloud 9 Clothing, Pomegranate & Co., The Waygoose
WESTFIELD WHEATON. 11160 Veirs Mill Road Wheaton MD 20902‐1094 Stores Include: Macy’s, Target, JC Penney, G by Guess, Express, Deb, Old Navy, Charlotte Russe, Ann Taylor LOFT, American Eagle Outfitters, Hollister, Downtown Locker Room, Journeys, Victoria’s Secret, New York & Co., Up Against The Wall, Wilson’s Leather, Pac Sun
WHITE FLINT MALL. 11301 Rockville Pike North Bethesda, MD 20895‐1021 Stores Include: Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor, Borders Books, Claire’s Accessories, Dave N Buster’s, Pottery Barn, Williams‐Sonoma, GNC, Christian Bernard, Banana Republic, Rockport, H&M, GAP, Bruno Cipriani, Coach, Talbots, Coldwater Creek, Aram, Nine West
IVERSON MALL. 3737 Branch Avenue Hillcrest Heights, MD 20748 Stores Include: Ashley Stewart, Honeycomb Hideout, Queen’s Accessories, Illusions, La Moda, Rainbow, KLC Couture, Vizions, London Bridges, Last Stop, GNC, Value City Furniture
THE MALL AT PRINCE GEORGES. 3500 East West Highway Hyattsville, MD 20782 Stores Include: Macy’s, JC Penney, Marshalls, Target, GAP, Downtown Locker Room, Old Navy, Up Against the Wall, Men’s Wearhouse, Jimmy Jazz, Lady Foot Locker, LVLX, Rave, Ashley Stewart, KB Toys
NATIONAL HARBOR SHOPS. 137 National Plaza, Suite 300 National Harbor, MD 20745 Stores Include: America!, Harley‐Davidson Apparel and Accessories, Fossil, Govinda Gallery, Erwin Pearl, Jake’s at National Harbor, Stonewall Kitchen, South Moon Under
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DC AREA SPORTS
WASHINGTON NATIONALS (MLB)
Nationals Park (2008) 1500 South Capitol St, SE. Washington, DC 20003‐1507
www.nationals.com
WASHINGTON WIZARDS (NBA)
Verizon Center (1997) 601 F Street, NW. Washington, D.C. 20004‐1603
www.nba.com/wizards
WASHINGTON MYSTICS (WNBA)
Verizon Center (1997) 601 F Street, NW. Washington, D.C. 20004‐1603
www.nba.com/wizards
WASHINGTON CAPITALS (NHL)
Verizon Center (1997) 601 F Street, NW. Washington, D.C. 20004‐1603
www.nba.com/wizards
GEORGETOWN HOYAS (NCAA Men's Basketball)
Verizon Center (1997) 601 F Street, NW. Washington, D.C. 20004‐1603
www.nba.com/wizards
WASHINGTON REDSKINS (NFL)
FedEx Field (1997) 1600 FedEx Way. Landover, MD 20785
www.redskins.com
D.C. UNITED (MLS)
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium "RFK" (1961) 2400 East Capitol St., SE. Washington, DC 20003
www.dcunited.com
MARYLAND TERRAPINS (NCAA Football)
Harry Byrd Stadium (1950) Campus Drive. College Park, MD 20742
http://umterps.cstv.com/
MARYLAND TERRAPINS (NCAA Basketball)
Comcast Center (2002) 201 W College Park St. College Park, MD 21201
http://umterps.cstv.com/
GEORGE WASHINGTON COLONIALS
(NCAA Basketball)
Charles E. Smith Athletic Center (1975) 600 22nd St, NW. Washington, DC. 20052
www.gwsports.com
GEORGE MASON PATRIOTS (NCAA Basketball)
Patriot Center (1985) 4500 Patriot Circle. Fairfax, VA 22030
www.patriotcenter.com
AMERICAN EAGLES (NCAA Basketball)
Bender Arena (1988) 4400 Massachusetts, Ave., Washington, DC 20016
http://aueagles.cstv.com/
HOWARD BISON (NCAA Football and Basketball)
Greene Memorial Field and Burr Gymnaisum 2400 Sixth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20059
http://www.howard‐bison.com/sports/
POTOMAC NATIONALS (Class‐A Carolina League)
G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium (1984) 7 County Complex Ct. Woodbridge, VA 22192
www.potomacnationals.com
BOWIE BAYSOX (Class‐AA Eastern League)
Prince George's Stadium (1994) 4101 NE Crain Highway Bowie, MD 20716
www.baysox.com
15
WASHINGTON, DC NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE
Adams Morgan/Woodley Park/Cleveland Park While some have called the area along 18th Street between Florida Ave and Columbia Road in the Northwest Quadrant, DC’s own Greenwich Village, most people know Adams Morgan to be the best damn party, period. Though a residential neighborhood that is a center for immigrant life, especially the Latino community, which can find numerous supportive churches and businesses that will employ and cater to them, Adams Morgan boasts over 90 restaurants, dance clubs, pool halls and pubs with liquor licenses, offering rooftop and open‐air parties lasting long after 3am on weekends. In Adams Morgan, a neighborhood named for the two formerly segregated schools that served the area, you will find countless row houses converted to clothing, antique, and jewelry boutiques as well as restaurants offering Jamaican, Ethiopian, French, Vietnamese, Ghanaian, Peruvian, Indian, Thai, Cajun, Salvadorian, and Turkish fare…as well as your late night pizza joint.
Though gentrification, revitalization and the higher cost of living have led to many minorities moving out of the area, a rich international culture remains and is demonstrated prominently in the Adams Morgan Day festival in September, the variety of ethnic cuisines that can be found throughout the area, and the Art and Famers Markets held every Saturday during the warmer months. Be warned however, that despite the redevelopment of the Adams Morgan, crime is still problematic and one should not be alone in the area. Additionally, driving and parking in the area on weekends is not suggested, as parking is scarce, and the overflow of revelers into the streets slows traffic to painful crawl.
Woodley Park and Cleveland Park are two residential areas in Northwest DC served by Metro’s Red Line and based around Connecticut Ave. Though home to many winding streets and architecturally unique homes, this area is also the home to several landmarks including the National Zoo, the National Cathedral, Rock Creek Park and the Historic Uptown Theater, boasting the largest movie screen in the DC Area and home to several Hollywood premiers. Adjacent to the Mount Pleasant, Adams Morgan and Kalorama neighborhoods, Woodley and Cleveland Park boast many old row houses along Connecticut Ave that have been converted to shops, chic local restaurants as well as upscale chains like Chipotle. These neighborhoods also include several upscale apartment buildings and largest hotels in DC; the Omni Shoreham and the Marriott Wardman Park, both popular for conventions and political conferences.
• Access Via: o Red Line Metrorail Stations Cleveland Park and Woodley Park‐Zoo/Adams Morgan o Metrobus o Limited Parking o Parking garage in Adams Morgan
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Anacostia In the shadow of the Washington Navy Yard and the new home of the Washington Nationals baseball stadium is Anacostia. Though separated by the Anacostia River from the heart of DC, Anacostia is rich in its own history, as it has served as a home for soul legend Marvin Gaye, abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass, opera diva Denyce Graves, poet Ezra Pound and other established contributors to American culture and the area has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Though still a culturally rich area that is home to the Town Hall Education Arts and Recreation Campus (THEARC), the Anacostia Museum (part of the Smithsonian) and the Honfleur Gallery which sponsors poetry nights and displays nationally known works of art as well as local artists, Anacostia has garnered a much seedier reputation. In the 1950s, Anacostia was nearly 87% White. Today, it is 92% African‐American and 5% Hispanic. Public housing apartments grew rapidly over that 50 year period and now there is very little in the way of shopping and dining outside of the corner market. Anacostia is known for a high crime rate (31% of DC Homicides in 2005 occurred in Anacostia) and while revitalization related to the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative and the new baseball stadium will bring change in the future, Anacostia is still not the best place to live in.
• Access Via: o Green Line Metrorail Stations Anacostia o Metrobus o On‐Street Parking
Friendship Heights/Tenleytown
Tenleytown serves as the “town” for American University. Centered on Tenley Circle and sitting upon the highest point in DC (429 feet above sea level), the area is home to several sidewalk restaurants and tree‐lined streets that dominate this residential area. Just to its northeast is the commercial hub of Friendship Heights. Straddling the border of DC and Maryland, Friendship Heights is dominated by numerous department stores, boutiques, day spas, high end casual dining restaurants like Maggianos, Cheesecake Factory, and Rock Creek Mazza and high end shopping in the Mazza Gallerie that includes Ann Taylor, Neiman Marcus, Williams‐Sonoma, Saks Fifth Avenue Men's Store, and Harriet Kassman. Friendship Heights also serves as the corporate headquarters for GEICO,
Ritz Carlton, and several local television affiliates.
• Access Via: o Red Line Metrorail Stations Tenleytown‐AU and Friendship Heights o Metrobus o On‐Street Parking o Parking Garages
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Capitol Hill/Eastern Market Much more than the Capitol Dome, the Library of Congress, and the Supreme Court, Capitol Hill is one of the largest residential areas in Washington, D.C. Home to two square miles of “Federal Style” townhomes, Victorian row houses and numerous basement apartments, Capitol Hill serves as home to nearly 35,000 people, roughly a third of the members of Congress, and the historic Eastern Market, a hive of weekend activity as farmers sell organic goods and fresh meats, entrepreneurs hawk their wares at the weekend flea markets and someone looking for a good book or an antique record can find a great deal.
Though somewhat pricey to live in (two bedroom row houses range from $1,900 to $2,500), Capitol Hill has the virtue of easy access to the rest of the area (with three Metrorail stations on the Red, Blue and Orange lines running through the area). Very popular amongst the many young congressional staffers and law students that call “The Hill” home, are the numerous restaurants and boutiques scattered throughout the area, especially in Union Station and the historic pubs like “The Pour House”, “The Hawk and Dove”, and “My Brother’s Place” where one can find a lobbyist fundraiser one night and a local kickball league party the next.
•
• Access Via: o Red Line Metrorail Station Union Station o Orange and Blue Line Metrorail Stations Capitol South and Eastern Market o Metrobus o On Street Parking o Garage parking at Union Station o Foot or Bike
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Columbia Heights/Mount Pleasant /U St. To the east of Adams Morgan and north of the city center is the culturally rich neighborhood of Columbia Heights which was built as an upscale community to attract federal judges and high ranking government officials. Meridian Park was a symbol of this, with it’s 13‐basin cascading fountain and sculptures of Dante and Joan of Arc that served as homage to the gardens of Italian cities. In the mid‐20th Century, Columbia Heights evolved into a home for middle‐class African‐Americans and professors at the nearby Howard University. However, the neighborhood was devastated by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968 as riots ravaged Columbia Heights and many DC communities. In 1999, the city launched an initiative to gentrify and revitalize the area. A new metro station opened and with a revival of the ornate Tivoli Theater and the opening of the GALA Hispanic Theatre, a new Dance Institute of Washington, and the new DC USA mall anchored by Best Buy and Target. In contrast however to most gentrified neighborhoods, Columbia Heights remains an ethnically and economically diverse community, featuring luxury condos, apartments and townhouses along with public and middle income housing.
East of Columbia Heights is one of the most populated neighborhoods in DC. Mount Pleasant has long been a home for the immigrant community, but has also been home for both well off and lower income working class families. White flight in the 1950s and 60s led to a great transition of the neighborhood into a middle and upper class neighborhood for minorities, but following the 1968 race riots, Mount Pleasant declined into a neighborhood of high crime with poor management of public housing. Mount Pleasant’s revival began nearly a decade before the one in Columbia Heights as Latino immigrants, young college graduates, and a middle aged gay community began calling the area home along with businesses to cater to them. Half of Mount Pleasant contains old row houses and town homes while the other half of the area (with nearly 2/3 of the 12,000 people who live in Mt. Pleasant) is dominated by mid‐rise
apartment buildings. Serving as the center for night life for the northern end of the city is what was once known as “The Black Broadway.” U Street has long been home to the Lincoln Theater, the Howard Theatre, Bohemian Caverns and Duke Ellington. Though U Street suffered through the white flight of 50s, the race riots of the 60s and the drug, crime and prostitution that plagued it and many communities in DC throughout the 70s and 80s, U Street has once again emerged as a center for music and culture in DC. From Ben’s Chili Bowl to the Florida Avenue grill that serve as landmarks of African‐American food, to the 930 Club, Black Cat, Busboys and Poets, and the countless other bars and music hotspots in the area, U Street is one of the trendiest addresses in DC. Though still affordable to live in the area, over 2,000 luxury condos and apartments have been built in the area in the past 10 years, aiding in the revitalization that has made U Street the place to be.
• Access Via: o Green and Yellow Line Metrorail Stations U St/African‐Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo and the
Columbia Heights Station o Metrobus o Limited On‐Street Parking o Garage parking at DC USA Mall o Foot or Bike
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Downtown (Gallery Place‐Chinatown, Metro Center, Penn Quarter, Federal Triangle, Mt. Vernon Square) The heart of DC is of course, Downtown and the areas known as Gallery Place‐Chinatown, Metro Center, Penn Quarter, and Federal Triangle. Formerly just a gauntlet of government buildings, museums and offices, Downtown has transformed itself as the premier area to work and play. Home to the National Archives, the National Portrait Gallery, Fords Theater and several federal Departments, Downtown all serves as home for the Verizon Center, the Washington D.C. Convention Center, Stephen Colbert’s portrait, and some of the top restaurants in the area. While Metro Center and Federal Triangle are largely limited to office buildings, hotels and coffee shops, Gallery Place‐Chinatown posses unlimited options for entertainment.
Though the majority of the Chinese population that once called this area home is now only visible in the approximately 20 Chinese and Asian restaurants owned and operated by Chinese families, DC has worked hard to ensure that the impact Chinese immigrants have had on this area are not forgotten though gentrification may have forced them out. All establishments in the area are required to have external signage in both English and Chinese. The largest traditional Chinese gateway arch in the world is on H Street in Chinatown. Spurring the gentrification was the opening of the Verizon Center in 1997, which serves as home to concerts, the Washington Wizards and Capitals and Georgetown Hoyas basketball. Aiding
in this revitalization was the $200 million spent to further transform the area into a bustling scene for nightlife, shopping and entertainment, with high‐end establishments such as Clydes, Legal Sea Foods, Gordon Biersch, Matchbox, McCormick and Schmicks and nearly 200 other restaurants. Gallery Place‐Chinatown is often considered part of the Penn Quarter, an area that has also prospered in the past 15 years thanks to gentrification, revitalization and the boon of the Verizon Center. Dotted by art galleries, restaurants five museums and nine theaters, one could spend an entire day in the Penn Quarter and never get bored. If you can afford the average studio apartment monthly rent that ranges between $1300 and $1600 or the 2‐bedroom apartment rant that ranges between $2,700 and $3,200, you can be one of the nearly 10,000 people who call the Penn Quarter and Gallery‐Place Chinatown home.
• Access Via: o Green and Yellow Line Metrorail Stations Mt. Vernon Sq‐7th Street Convention Center, Gallery Place‐
Chinatown, Archives‐Navy Memorial‐Penn Quarter o Red Line Metrorail Stations Metro Center, Gallery Place‐Chinatown and Judiciary Square o Orange and Blue Line Metrorail Stations McPherson Square, Metro Center and Federal Triangle o Metrobus and Circulator Bus o Very Limited On‐Street Parking o Extensive (but expensive) garage parking o Foot or Bike
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Dupont Circle/Logan Circle/Shaw A bohemian village surrounded by three‐story rowhouses, high priced condominiums and mansions turned embassies, Dupont Circle is busting at the seems with life, whether it be at its restaurants and cafes during the day, its bars, shops and bookstores at night, its Farmers Market and park scene on the weekends, or its protest rallies throughout the year. Though now a vibrant community, Dupont Circle did not escape the blight that followed the 1968 Race Riots. The gay community took hold in the area in the 1970s as it became one of the nationally historic communities for gay America. Many pioneering gay establishments existed on P Street and though most have since closed, new institutions such as JRs, Badlands, Cobalt, Omega and Lambda Rising serving the community. Not limited to restaurants, bars (such as the world record holding Brickskeller), and gay life, Dupont Circle is also home to a number of prominent think tanks including the Brookings Institution, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Peterson Institue, the Eurasia Center, and the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. Dupont is also home to the first museum of modern art in America, The Phillips Collection.
Though an expensive place to live, with 1‐bedroom apartments ranging from $1500 to $1900 in monthly rent, immediately to the east is a more affordable alternative in Logan Circle where you can find a similar room between $900 and $1300. Logan Circle is home to several art galleries, a live theater but is primarily a residential area, with a commercial corridor on P Street. Given its prime location in DC, centered between U Street, Dupont Circle and Downtown, its hard to believe that Logan Circle is as affordable as it is, but it only recently has become a safe
residential area, home to a new Whole Foods Market and other trendy establishments catering to its new demographic. Similar in its residential feel, with Victorian row houses, townhomes and trees lining the streets is the historic neighborhood of Shaw, immediately to the east of Logan Circle. The name Shaw also encompasses the aforementioned U St. Corridor and is home to Howard University. Historically a black neighborhood, with 92% of the community being African‐American in the 1970s, gentrification has transformed the area and now African‐Americans represent only 56% of the community. This change to an area that predated Harlem as home of the “Black Renaissance” has not come without resistance and tension continues with the Ethiopian community that has dubbed a few blocks around U St and 9th Street as “Little Ethiopia” Nevertheless, Shaw is an affordable choice with great access to the rest of the city.
• Access Via: o Red Line Metrorail Station Dupont Circle o Green and Yellow Line Metrorail Stations U St/African‐Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo and Shaw‐
Howard University (Logan Circle and Shaw Only) o Metrobus and Blue Bus Metro Connector (Dupont Circle Only) o Limited On‐Street Parking o Foot or Bike
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Farragut Square/Foggy Bottom Named for its low lying position on the banks of the Potomac River that served as a basin for fog and for the smoke that wafted from its breweries and factories, Foggy Bottom is now synonymous for two things: The US Department of State and The George Washington University (GW) that call it home. However, the area also includes The World Bank, Constitution Hall, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the infamous Watergate Hotel. Once primarily the home for German, Irish and Black laborers, Foggy Bottom now primarily serves diplomats, government employees, and GW students who frequent places such as McFaddens, 51st State, Marshalls and the Exchange that sit next to embassies and some of the top hotels in DC. Unfortunately, renting in this area favors those diplomats and government employees who can afford the 1 bedroom apartments that have rent ranges from $1500 to $1800.
To the east of Foggy Bottom is the western end of Downtown DC, centered on Farragut Square. A hub of for lobbyist’s (the renowned K Street Project of recent political lore), major hotels, law offices and news media offices, Farragut Square has the majority of its life between 7am and 7pm. The commercial life of this area was built to serve a lunch time crowd, so you will find many sandwich and pastry shops including Potbelly, Cosi, Caribou Coffee, Corner Bakery, Redhook…and of course Starbucks. Also catering to the lunch time crowd are the numerous street vendors as well as the free jazz concert series, “Farragut Sounds in the Square” held on Thursdays in the heart of the summer. You won’t find anywhere to live in the
Farrgut area, but with nearly 4,000 businesses in the area, there is a decent chance you may work there.
• Access Via: o Blue and Orange Line Metrorail Station Foggy Bottom‐GWU and Farragut West o Red Line Metrorail Station Farragut North (Farragut Square Only) o Metrobus and Circulator o Very Limited On‐Street Parking o Parking Garages in Farragut Square area. o Foot or Bike
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Georgetown Formerly a city onto itself, Georgetown has come a long way from the shipping and industrial area it was throughout the first century and a half of its existence. Being at the Fall Line, it was the furthest any oceangoing ships could travel up the Potomac, so Georgetown is where they offloaded their wares to be taken further up river along the historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The area was dominated by lumber yards, cement works, a Flour mill, a meat rendering plant and smoke from the garbage incinerator and a power plant clouded the area. Georgetown became a slum following a flood in 1890 and the use of trains rendered the C&O Canal obsolete. Gentrification began early in Georgetown however (in comparison to the rest of the city). Following World War II, many well‐educated new residents arrived who took an interest in maintain the historic homes and buildings that
had been intact since the early 19th Century. Though becoming a popular area for hippies in the 1960s and 1970s, the Georgetown that we know now emerged in the 1980s, as the city’s political elite began calling the area home. The old warehouses along the canal and the Potomac riverfront have been renovated to become prime condominiums, office spaces and restaurants. M Street and Wisconsin Ave have become the center of a shopping mecca, featuring local boutiques and national lines such as J. Crew, Banana Republic, United Colors of Benetton, BCBG, Coach and Juicy Couture as well as premier restaurants and night life which caters to both the Georgetown University crowd as well as the area elites that still call Georgetown Home. Unfortunately, it’s primarily only the elite who can call
Georgetown home, as one bedroom apartments start at $1550 and finding an apartment in the first place in an area that has not had new residential development in nearly 20 years is a challenge onto itself.
• Access Via: o Blue and Orange Line Metrorail Station Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom‐GWU o Red Line Metrorail Station Dupont Circle o Metrobus, Circulator, and Blue Bus Metro Connector o Very Limited On‐Street Parking o Parking Garages in Georgetown Park Mall o Foot or Bike
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Navy Yard/Southeast Waterfront As urban revitalization and gentrification has swept Washington over the past two decades, it has only reached the Southeast DC area of the Navy Yard in the past couple years with the announcement that the new ballpark for the Washington Nationals would be built in the area. A thriving community that catered to the Washington Navy Yard, once the largest shipbuilder on the East Coast, and its related industries, the area met its downturn after World War II when access to the yard from the Anacostia River became limited by pollution and a new interstate crossing. Crime and adult entertainment became synonymous with the area.
The Federal government and the city began planning for reviving Southeast DC since 2005. The U.S. Department of Transportation built a new office complex in the area in 2007, and the new $600 million stadium that opens in March 2008 has prompted extensive investment and development in the area. Already under construction are over 25 million square feet of residential, hospitality, office and retail space in such development as “Florida Rock”, “The Yards”, “The Ballpark District”, “Maritime Plaza”, and “Diamond Teague Park”. Also part of this redevelopment is four public parks, the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail System and
the demolition of the Capper/Carrollsburg Projects and its replacement with 700 units of workforce housing townhomes. The Navy Yard and Southeast DC area will be constantly under construction for the next 20 years, but living in this are will place you on the cusp of a community that will rival Gallery Place‐Chinatown, Columbia Heights, and U Street as a commercial, residential, and professional hub in DC.
• Access Via: o Green Line Metrorail Stations Navy Yard and Waterfront‐SEU o Metrobus o Limited On‐Street Parking o Parking Garages at the Stadium and in future developments
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ARLINGTON COUNTY, VA NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE Wilson Boulevard serves as the main conduit through central Arlington County and connects five of its so called “Urban Villages” that serve as centers for commercial, professional and residential life in the county. Home to a “downtown skyline” with the tallest buildings in the metro area, the Arlington National Cemetery, Fort Myer, and the Iwo Jima Memorial, it wasn’t until 1964 that Rosslyn transformed from an area known for pawnshops and used car dealerships into a virtual downtown that boasts residents such as Boeing, Price Waterhouse Coopers, the Spectrum Theatre and the annual Rosslyn Jazz Festival. That year, the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge opened and connected I‐66 to DC through Rosslyn. Also connecting in Rosslyn are Lee Highway (U.S. 29), Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 110), George Washington Memorial Parkway, Arlington Boulevard (U.S. 50) and the Blue, Yellow and Orange Lines of the DC Metro System. There are several jogging and biking trails that have heads in Rosslyn such as the paved Custis Trail, paved Mount Vernon Trail, the Potomac Heritage Trail, the Capital Beltway Trail and the 45 mile long Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail.
Down the road is the Court House community, centered around the Court House Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange Lines and the Arlington County Court House and government buildings which give the area its namesake. Not limited to government offices however, Court House features high‐rise condo and apartment buildings, office buildings housing the Washington Post and Verizon, the outdoor fountains, gardens and coffee shops that populate Courthouse Plaza, and a burgeoning night life evident in places like King Street Blues, Gua Rapo, Irelands’s Four Courts, Rhodeside Grill, and Summers.
Clarendon was the the first area that was considered “Downtown Arlington” and though no longer serving that purpose, is still a thriving neighborhood and considered to be the center of nightlife in Arlington. Clarendon sits in the middle of the Wilson Corridor, midway between its endpoints of Rosslyn on the Potomac River and Ballston on the western border of the county. While Clarendon served as the retail center of Northern Virginia throughout the first part of the 20th Century, Clarendon is now known for having block after block of food, music and fun. Places such as Whitlows, Ri Ra, Mister Days, Clarendon Ballroom, Liberty Tavern, Iota, Mexicali Blues, Hard Times Clarendon Grill and Iota are second homes to most 20 somethings in the area. The provide a late night complement to the dining at 3, Cheesecake Factory, Bertuccis and Harry’s Taproom and the shopping of Clarendon Market Common featuring Barnes & Noble, Crate & Barrel, and Pottery Barn. For the health conscience person out there, Clarendon features a Whole Foods Market and a farmers market on Wednesdays. Also rich in community activities, Clarendon hosts the Arlington Neighborhood Day Parade in May, a Mardi Gras parade, Clarendon Day in October, and the largest one‐day professional and amateur bike race in the America.
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ARLINGTON COUNTY, VA NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE Continued
To the west is Virginia Square, a neighborhood that feeds much of the Clarendon night life. Its home to many high‐rise apartment buildings, garden apartments and single family homes that date back to the 1940s. Virginia Square is also home to the Arlington Campus and Law School of George Mason University, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Mario’s Pizza, a late night haven for those seeking sustenance following a typical Clarendon night.
Serving as a bookend to the Wilson Boulevard Corridor in Arlington is the area of Ballston. Named for the family that owned Ball Tavern at a historic crossroads that existed in this area in the early 19th Century, has served as a commercial base in the county since Parkington Shopping Center and the headquarters for Hecht’s opened here in 1951. Parkington has since been replaced by Ballston Common Mall, and with its high rise apartments, condos, and office buildings, Ballston almost perfectly parallels the community at the other end of the corridor, Rosslyn. In contrast though, Ballston is one of the most popular areas for twenty‐somethings to call home, whether it is in the aforementioned apartments or in the single family homes sitting next to schools, churches and parks just a couple blocks away from the center of the area. Numerous tech companies, government agencies and contractors, and non‐profit groups call Ballston home, including The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Science Foundation, Quest, the Nature Conservancy, CACI, ESI International and SAIC. After 5:00 however, you will find these offices emptied out and the barstools at Carpool, Front Page, Don Julios, Rock Bottom and Baileys full. Living in any of these areas will be somewhat expensive as the prime real estate in the DC area are places close to metro stations. As you move into the neighborhoods a few blocks off the Wilson Boulevard Corridor, you can find rent as much $500 cheaper. The countywide average for rent is $1400 for a one bedroom and $1875 for a two‐bedroom. Expect this figure to be higher in the center of the aforementioned communities.
• Access Via o Orange Line Metrorail Stations Rosslyn, Court House, Clarendon, Virginia Square and Ballston o Blue Line Metrorail Station Rosslyn o Metrobus, Arlington Transit (ART) Bus, and Blue Bus Georgetown Metro Connector (Rosslyn Only) o Moderate On Street Parking o Garage Parking in Rosslyn, Clarendon and Ballston. o Foot or Bike
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Other Arlington Communities: • Crystal City: From the outside, Crystal City brings the term “concrete
jungle” to life with blocks upon blocks of concrete high rise condos, hotel and office buildings that house the 6,000 people who live in the area, and employ the 60,000 who come to work here each day. But one quickly learns that life in Crystal City is largely underground in its shopping district that sits under the city, spans over 6 blocks and connects all of the above ground buildings to each other through tunnels. Accessible via Metrobus, ART and the Blue and Yellow Line Metrorail station of the same name.
• Pentagon City: Complementing the worker’s paradise of Crystal City is its shoppers paradise sister community to the northwest. Pentagon City, though home to several large high rise apartments, is known for the Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, Abercrombie and over 130 other shops and restaurants in the Fashion Centre and for the Best Buy, Borders, Harris Teeter and skating rink in Pentagon Row. Accessible via Metrobus (Pentagon City serves as an end point for several routes), ART, and the Blue and Yellow Line Metrorail station of the same name.
• Shirlington/Fairlington: Two residential communities located at the southern tip of Arlington, Fairlington has the historical significance of being the largest housing project financed by the Defense Homes Corporation after WW II. Since converted to condos, it is served by the more commercial center in Shirlington that boasts over ten restaurants including the Carlyle Grand Café’ and the Capitol City Brewing Company as well as the Classika Theatre. Access to this area is limited to use of Metrobus and ART though the area has easy access to I‐395 travelling into DC or south into Virginia and Route 7 travelling east to Old Town Alexandria or west through Tysons Corner to Dulles Airport.
• Lee Highway: Also known as U.S. 29, Lee Highway, much like Wilson Boulevard, serves as a major thoroughfare through North Arlington. Unlike Wilson Blvd however, Lee Highway connects primarily residential communities, including Cherrydale, Lyon Village, Williamsburg, Lee Heights and Lee‐Harrison. Featuring several small shopping centers and a diverse array of locally owned restaurants, the Lee Highway Corridor is an area where one would raise a family, walk the dog and otherwise escape the hustle and flow of DC and the Wilson Boulevard “Urban Villages.” This area is accessed via Metrobus and car, though the southern parts of these communities are within a 10‐15 minute walk of the Metrorail stations along Wilson Boulevard and Lee Highway itself has its eastern terminus in Rosslyn.
• Falls Church: Though technically the smallest independent city in America at only 2 mi2, Falls Church shares many services with Arlington. Just to the west of Ballston between Arlington and Fairfax Counties, Falls Church once led the way in Virginia in showing tolerance of African‐Americans, rejecting the Commonwealth’s urge for segregation. A mosque opened in the city in 1983 and now is one of the largest and most influential mosques in America. Falls Church is now a popular place for those starting families, though the city has a great music scene in places like The State Theater and Sign of the Whale. Falls Church is served by two stations on the Metrorail Orange Line, taking the name of the East and West side of the city, as well as Metrobus and eventually, the Metrorail Silver Line to Dulles.
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ALEXANDRIA, VA NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE Those outside of the area may best know Alexandria as home of T.C. Williams High School, the school that inspired the movie “Remember the Titans”. However, this city of 128,000 is far richer in history and culture and thrives today as a great place to live, work and play. Alexandria was once part of DC and served a major port city. Now, Alexandria still is a large part of the DC culture, as Alexandria’s largest employers are the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Department of Defense and related defense strategists such as the Institute for Defense Analyses and the Center for Naval Analyses. Also fond of calling Alexandria home are numerous charities and foundations, most famously being the national headquarters of the Salvation Army.
The center of history, business and nightlife in Alexandria is the area known as Old Town, served by the King Street station of the Metrorail Yellow Line. An expensive place to live, with over 40% of the condos in the area assesses at over $550,000 in value, Old Town is a great place to shop in its many boutiques or in Market Square, the oldest continuously operating marketplace in America. The area is also a great place to have a drink, tour art galleries, such as the Torpedo Factory, or absorb history in a community that is laid out the same as it originally was in 1749 and maintains significant colonial architecture.
North of Old Town is the development of Potomac Yard, a suburban shopping center featuring Target, Best Buy, Old Navy, Barnes & Nobles, Staples, a stadium theater, several casual dining restaurants and continued development of high‐end condominiums that bridge Crystal City in Arlington and Old Town Alexandria. To the west of Potomac Yard is Arlandria, also known as Little El Salvador or Chirilagua which serves as a bastion for Latin American immigrants. To the west of Old Town, travelling along Duke Street, you will run into an enclave for Ethiopian, Afghan and Pakistani immigrants and the shopping area known as Landmark.
Alexandria is a popular place for those seeking advanced degrees, as campuses for several universities are in the city. The largest seminary in the Episcopal Church (Virginia Theological Seminary) and a campus for Northern Virginia Community College are all in Alexandria, as is Virginia Tech’s graduate campus for Urban Affairs and Planning, Public and International Affairs, and Architecture. Also in Alexandria is Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Social Work, George Washington University’s executive MBA program and graduate programs in Urban Planning and Security Studies as well as a campus for Regent University.
Alexandria is accessible via Metrorail’s Yellow and Blue line stations at King Street, Braddock Road, its Yellow Line Station at Eisenhower Ave. and its Blue Line Station at Van Dorn Street which allows park and ride. One can also get to and around Alexandria by utilizing Metrobus and the DASH bus system. Limited on street parking exists in Old Town with a couple of parking garages and is otherwise available in shopping centers throughout the city.
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FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE With a median household income of over $100,318, Fairfax County, Virginia is the richest county in America and one of the most popular places to live for those who work in Washington, DC. Essentially the first suburb of DC, many parts of Fairfax County have now become urban centers onto themselves, yet Fairfax maintains its suburban and residential feel.
Along the northeastern border with Arlington County sit the neighborhoods of Annandale and Bailey’s Crossroads. A completely suburban residential community, Annandale boasts two of the best high schools in the nation in Annandale High School and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Just to its north is historic Bailey’s Crossroads, a commercial but also residential area that sits at the intersection of Leesburg Pike (Route 7) travelling east to Old Town Alexandria and west through Tysons Corner to Dulles Airport and Columbia Pike (Route 244)
travelling north to the Pentagon and south to Annandale. Named for the family that provided the Bailey to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, Bailey’s Crossroads has a large Latino population and provides a key feature to the area’s scenery, the 26 story Skyline Center apartments. Also in this area are several shopping centers, a campus of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and offices for the Department of Defense. The area is only accessible via car and use of Metrobus along Columbia Pike and Leesburg Pike. South of this area are the adjacent communities of Burke, Springfield, Franconia and Kingstowne. While mostly residential areas, Springfield is home to the second regional shopping center in the area in Springfield Mall which will be undergoing renovation to convert it from an enclosed mall to an open air town center. Additionally, Kingstowne has several upscale shopping centers accompanying mostly new townhomes, condominiums and traditional neighborhood development. The area also serves a major transportation center with the endpoint of Metrorail’s Blue Line in the Franconia‐Springfield Station (a park and ride station that also serves as a stop on the Virginia Railway Express system) and the infamous Springfield “Mixing Bowl” Interchange, recently reconstructed during a 8‐year, $676 million project designed to better handle the 430,000 cars that travel through this intersection of I‐495 (The Capital Beltway), I‐95, I‐395, Route 644 and Route 617 every day.
Even further south and slightly to the east are communities such as Fort Belvoir, Newington, Lorton and Mount Vernon. More historic in nature than the communities to its north, these areas are only now beginning to catch up to the suburban sprawl that has become the norm in other parts of Fairfax. Lorton was once the site of the District of Columbia Correctional Facility and a Nike Missile site. Additionally, the area is home to Gunston Hall, the historic home of founding father George Mason and Mount Vernon, the historic plantation of George Washington. The major employer in this area is the U.S. Department of Defense and the 10 major Army commands, 26 different
agencies, and the eight elements of the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard based in Fort Belvoir. This area (save for Newington) is poorer and more diverse than most of Fairfax County. As you head from east through Mount Vernon, you will find low to moderate income trailer parks and apartments, yet they don’t distract from the million dollar estates along the river and premier homes in Newington.
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FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE Continued Often considered part of the City of Alexandria, though actually in Fairfax County, are the communities of Groveton, Huntington and Hybla Valley. Hybla Valley is a largely a historically African‐American community but also serves as the retail center for this area, with several shopping centers along Route 1 that cater to the residents of the low and middle income garden apartments and mobile home parks in this area. Slightly to the north is Groveton, more well to do in income, but equally diverse as Hybla Valley. Huntington is dominated by several high rise apartment complexes and duplex homes and condos that are a popular “first home” for many home buyers. Huntington sits at the end of Metrorail’s Yellow Line, and also is a traffic focal point as Route 1 meets I‐495 and which is carried into Maryland by Wilson Bridge less than a mile to the east.
As you head west in Fairfax County, you reach Vienna, recently ranked the 4th best place to live by CNN and Money Magazine. The end of Metrorail’s Orange Line, Vienna serves as a major community for those looking for affordable housing outside of the Capital Beltway, but still looking for easy access to the city. Aside from being on the Orange Line, Vienna also sits on I‐66, Lee Highway and Arlington Boulevard; major thoroughfares into the city as well as the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Park Trail . Vienna shares this virtue with the adjacent communities of Oakton, Dunn Loring and Merrifield (Dunn Loring‐Merrifield has its own station on Metrorail’s Orange Line). Further west you will run into George Mason University and the towns of Fairfax, Centerville and Chantilly, historic battle sites during
the Civil War and now affluent residential suburbs of DC. Along the northern border of Fairfax County are Wolf Trap, McLean and the second most office and retail space on the East Coast in Tysons Corner. Tysons has over 25.6 million square feet of office space and continues to build new office buildings every year, playing host to AT&T, Booz Allen Hamilton, Capital One, Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, Gannett IBM, McGuire Woods, Mitre Corp, Northrop Grumman, and Sun Microsystems. Tysons also has the 6th largest mall in America in Tysons Corner Center and between it and an upscale mall across the street, Tysons Galleria; make the area a shopping mecca with over 4 million square feet of retail space. Tysons however is not the most resident friendly area, as traffic is regularly choked on Leesburg Pike and Chain Bridge Rd (Route 123) and until the Metrorail Silver Line opens next decade, the only other access is via Metrobus and the Fairfax Connector bus line. To the west of Tysons Corner is Wolf Trap, a national park and one of the best music venues in the area. To the east is McLean, an upscale residential town that is the home of many diplomats, Congressmen, CEOs and other government executives.
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DULLES CORRIDOR NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE The Dulles Toll Road and the Dulles Greenway serve as a bridge between the immediate DC area and the exurban towns of Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, and Leesburg.
Reston is the best educated city in Virginia, with 63% of adults possessing at least a Bachelors degree and was the first modern community planned after World War II. Sitting on the border of Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, it is internationally renowned for urban planning, incorporating high density housing, mixed use industrial, business, recreation and housing areas as well as open spaces. This carful planning and zoning has allowed Reston to develop large wooded areas along streams, two golf courses, close to 20 public swimming pools (one in each neighborhood), a lake and many biking and walking trails. Reston consists of five village centers that include green spaces and satisfy the commercial needs for the village, and
all of these feed into the Reston Town Center; a retail and professional hub that hosts free summer concerts on Saturdays and is home to several Fortune 500 companies including NVR, Sprint Nextel and Sallie Mae. The Silver Line of the DC Metrorail will finally bring trains to two stations in Reston when the line is completed in the next decade. Until then, residents must rely on the Reston Internal Bus System to take them to the West Falls Church Metrorail Station on the Orange Line or their own cars to make the 24 mile trip into DC. Formerly a dairy farming hub and vacation town for local residents, Herndon now serves as a major link in the Dulles Technology Corridor. Prompting this change was a decision by the Federal government to build a second airport to serve the DC area and selecting the area at the western edge of the town to build Washington‐Dulles International Airport. Aside from Dulles, AOL, Verizon Business, Network Solutions, Airbus and Volkswagen all call Herndon home. More then a business destination, Herndon hosts many community events for its residents, including the “Taste of the Town” in April, the “Herndon Festival” in June, the “Annual Motorcycle Poker Run” in September and free concerts and Farmers Markets during the warmer months. Part of Washington‐Dulles International Airport also sits in the affluent residential exurb town of Sterling, just northwest of Herndon.
West of Sterling is the exurban commuter town of Ashburn. The headquarters for the Old Dominion Brewing Company, the training grounds and business headquarters for the Washington Redskins and several other high tech businesses that are part of the Dulles Technology Corridor consider Ashburn to be home, as do the 73,000 people who see Ashburn more as a commuter exurb for DC and a virtual suburb for closer urban areas like Reston and Tysons Corner. At the northwestern end of the corridor is Leesburg, a bedroom community and county seat for Loudoun County. Primarily just a place to live, with shopping centers that serve the residential population, the town does operate the Leesburg Executive
Airport, a relief airport for Dulles that pumps $45 million annually into economy of the region and provides a means for the CEOs and other executives of DC to travel via private means.
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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE North and northeast of Washington, DC is Montgomery County, Maryland. One of the most affluent counties in America and prospering due to the suburban sprawl of DC, 873,000 people call this county home. Taking Wisconsin Ave out of DC through Friendship Heights, you run into Chevy Chase and the urban center of Bethesda. Much of Bethesda’s growth followed the opening of Metrorail’s Red Line station in Bethesda as neighborhoods such as Bethesda Row and Woodmont Triangle sprung up, featuring luxury condos, restaurants and office space. Once just a stop on a toll road, Bethesda is now the best educated city in America, with 49% of adults possessing graduate degrees. Bethesda is home to the National Institutes of Health, the National Naval Medical Center (served via its own Red Line Metrorail station), the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Lockheed Martin and Marriot International
Heading northwest along I‐270, you reach Rockville‐the 2nd largest city in Maryland. It wasn’t really until the 1970s when Metrobus service was extended to the area and the two Metrorail Red Line Stations of Rockville and Twinbrook opened in 1984 that Rockville began to really grow as a suburb of Washington. It was this development that helped revitalize the declining Rockville Town Center, though it was only recently that it became a new center for life in the area with revitalization of boutiques, chain restaurants and apartment complexes. Rockville is home to the Food and Drug Administration, the
Music Center at Strathmore arts center, one of the largest Chinese communities on the East Coast as well as large Korean, Jewish and Indian populations. Further out along I‐270 are Gaithersburg and Germantown. Gaithersburg is the 4th largest city in the state and contains both a historic Old Town that date back to the 18th Century as well as new high rise apartments, suburban subdivisions and urban offices housing the National Institute of Standards and Technology, IBM, AstraZeneca and Sodexho. Metrorail’s Red Line ends at the Shady Grove station in Gaithersburg where one can board a MARC train to travel out of the area or board a Metrobus or Ride‐On Bus for shorter travel. Just a skip up the road is Germantown, an area founded by German business owners in the 1830s that has experienced significant growth in townhomes, single‐family homes, and in its urban town center since 1980.
At the northern tip of the District of Columbia is Silver Spring. Founded in the mid‐1800s, by 1950, it was the second busiest retail center between Baltimore and Richmond. The area began to decline in the 1960s however and it was only within the past decade, as Metrorail’s Red Line expanded through Silver Spring to include stations in Forest Glen, Wheaton and Glenmont, that this affluent city experienced its urban renaissance, with new retail development and the opening of a Whole Foods Market, Men’s Warehouse and Ann Taylor Loft to accompany new restaurants like Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Panera Bread and Baja Fresh.
Silver Spring is also home to the world headquarters of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service. Other major communities in Montgomery County include Takoma Park, sometimes considered the “Berkeley of the East.” Containing a large immigrant population, it sits to the southeast of Silver Spring and was the first planned commuter suburb in the area. To the west of Georgetown is the extremely affluent community of Potomac, featuring traditionally suburban neighborhoods, and 20 miles to the north of DC is Olney, the 17th best place to live in America.
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PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA
To the south and west of Fairfax County is the 19th highest income county in America, Prince William County. 385,000 people and about 125 Elon alumni reside in “PWC”, but it wasn’t until the late 60’s that people who work in DC really began living here. Since then, however, the population has nearly quadrupled. Now, instead of being centered around the eastern towns of Woodbridge and Occoquan (pronounce Auck‐o‐kwan), which supported a major port until the Civil War, or being in the historic district of Manassas, where the first battle of the Civil War took place, the population is spread throughout Dumfries, Lake Ridge, Dale City and Montclair in the east to Nokesville, Bristow, Haymarket and Gainesville in the central and western part of the county.
It’s a good bet that you won’t be working in PWC unless you are a teacher in the 2nd largest school system in the state, or are a Marine or FBI or DEA agent stationed or training at Quantico. However, there are plenty of great reasons to visit Prince William. The 15,000 acres of Prince William Forest Park offer 37 miles of hiking trails and 21 miles of cycling trails. Nissan Pavilion, west of Manassas in Bristow, seats 25,000 for the largest concerts in the area. Potomac Mills Outlet Mall in Woodbridge is the largest single floor mall in the state, and with 225 retailers, is the 10th most popular tourist destination in Virginia. Though you may not work in PWC, it’s not a bad idea to live there if you can survive the commute. Prince William has some of the lowest rent and median home sale value in the area.
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, MD
Back in the 18th Century, the eastern half of Washington, D.C was part of Prince George’s County, Maryland. Now, “PG”, the 2nd largest county in the state, surrounds the Northeast and Southeast quadrants of DC, and is home to the US Census Bureau, US Department of Agriculture, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Andrews Air Force Base, Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor, FedEx Field, and the National Harbor. Many would suggest avoiding PG County, and for a decent reason. It
has not always been the safest place to be. Much like Anacostia, the rich history, culture and amenities of Prince George’s County are drowned out by its recent history that included nearly 300 murders between 2005 and 2006. Since 1985, 45% of all Maryland murders have occurred in PG and crime increased by 23% between 2000 and 2004. If you only look at those figures, they would be missing so much of what the county has to offer. In the north, half way to Baltimore is Laurel, a small town surrounded by the National Security Agency and Laurel Park Racecourse. A little ways south is Hyattsville and College Park, home of the Terrapins at the University of Maryland. Continue along the inner loop of the Capital Beltway and you travel through Greenbelt (northern end of the METRO Green Line), New Carrollton (eastern end of the METRO Orange Line), Landover, home of the Washington Redskins, and Largo (eastern end of the METRO Blue Line). Continue around 495 and some of the communities inside the Beltway (Suitland, Seat Plesant, Capitol Heights, and District Heights) live up to the aforementioned reputation. However, outside of the Beltway is Bowie, the 5th largest city in the state, and suburban towns like Clinton, home of Air Force One, Upper Marlboro, and Fort Washington. Also just outside the Beltway in the shadow of the Wilson Bridge is the largest mixed‐use entertainment and convention complex on the East Coast; the National Harbor.
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What Alumni Think! We asked several alumni to provide their thoughts on the DC Metro area so you could here from them what they like about the DMV. These responses have been unedited and are completely the point of view of the author. If their contact information is below, they encourage you to contact them with any questions you have about the area.
Megan Timmerman ‘04. megssalot@yahoo.com.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o I live in the Mount Vernon/Fairfax County area. I am about a mile from the Mount Vernon Estate and
about a 15 minute drive to Old Town Alexandria, Va. I work in DC right off the Mcpherson Square Metro stop. I am a few blocks away from the White House.
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o One of the best advantages of this area is that you can get the feel of a large city or the suburbs. The
area offers many different and vast things to do...whatever a person's interest might be. The area is also great if you are interested in a career in politics or working for the government in another capacity. A couple of downsides to living in this area are that it is expensive to live here and the morning and evening rush hours are highly congested with traffic.
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Traveling around the area is very easy and convent...many locations are reachable by public
transportation (metro or bus). These systems are also pretty reliable in terms of being on‐time and if they are not there are delay alerts. This area also offers Train as a public transportation option for people that live a bit further out. Traveling to and from this area by plane or train is also very convent and inexpensive.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o The best nightlife areas of the moment are:Clarendon, Ballston, Shirlington, Old Town, Alexandria,
Adams Morgan, Georgetown, downtown Bethesda, and Silver Spring. There are also many places to catch a good happy hour after work downtown.
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o Most of Prince George's County, Md, SE, Dc, NE, Dc (except right on Capital Hill) and Anacostia.
• Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to this area? o The young professional hot spot is Arlington in Clarendon and Ballston. Another emerging area is
Silver Spring, Md.
Nicole Nenna, ‘06
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Lived in Georgetown for 2 years, now in Arlington
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Young, busy, congested, fun
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Metro doesn't always save you time. Finding parking in the city is rough or expensive. Recommend
walking and biking if possible. • What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, dance clubs, etc) in this area?
o DuPont Circle, Clarendon, Adams Morgan • Are there any places to avoid in this area?
o Chinatown at night unless in big crowds, Anacostia
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Britten Ginsburg ‘06. britten.ginsburg@gmail.com.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Live in Columbia, Maryland; work in DC.
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Working in DC affords many opportunities to get out and about, while living in Maryland makes it the
best of both worlds. As a non‐city person, going home to the suburbs every night is perfect for me. • How is traveling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)?
o Traffic and parking deter me from driving into the city. From Maryland, I take the MARC train which runs on a schedule and is a convenient solution when only traveling to the city for the work day. After the typical work day, the trains run on a far more spaced out schedule and limit what you can do in the city. Also, no weekend trains. The Metro is crowded, but gets you from Point A to Point B in the city more efficiently than traveling by car could.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o Anywhere around the Verizon center, Dupont Circle, Georgetown, and Clarendon.
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o Anything along H Street is a little too sketchy for me.
Anne Grosvenor ‘03. Anne.Grosvenor.ctr@darpa.mil (571) 214‐9641
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Currently live in Alexandria/Shirlington Area. But I am from here and lived in Fairfax before college
and Reston and Arlington after. I work in Arlington. • What is it like to live or work in this area?
o It is a very fast paced area with plenty going on. Everyone is very proactive in most aspects of their life. There is a huge collection of young professionals.
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o My drive is about 15 minutes to and from work. I used to walk about a mile and then metroed two
stops. They all resulted in a 15 minute commute. But some people have well over 1 hour commutes so it's best to get the job first, then look for local housing. Metro is easy during commuting hours, but in the middle of the day you may have to wait a while for trains to come.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o There is something for everyone. I enjoy smaller bars and restaurants and don't care for clubs or
cover charges at all. I like going out mostly in Arlington because it is the most convenient. My favorites are Carpool, Whitlows, Jays, Guapos, Bistro Bistro and Tallulah
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o As far as visits... you want to avoid certain areas alone and after dark. The Southeast quadrant of
the city and the Anacostia area within are known as fairly dangerous. For living, if the rent is cheap... there is a good reason. Use your judgment.
• Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to this area? o Rent is almost always cheaper in a house with multiple roommates than in an apartment. Plus you
can have parties and not bother your neighbors as much. Downside: mowing the grass.
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Lisa Diaz ‘05. lisajdiaz@gmail.com.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o I live in Arlington (Ballston) and am in Consulting so I'm all over but our main office is in Tysons. Used
to live in Alexandria near Old Town. • What is it like to live or work in this area?
o I love Arlington (Courthouse, Clarendon, Ballston areas) lots to do and lots of people our age. • How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? Easy to get around on
the metro or bus. o Parking can be a little bit of a pain unless you don't mind paying to park in a parking garage.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o Clarendon‐lots of places to eat, lots of bars. I like Whitlows, Liberty Tavern, Eleventh. In Ballston I like
Carpool, and Courthouse I like Irish Four Courts. • Are there any places to avoid in this area?
o Not really. • Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to
this area? o Try to find a job if you can before picking a place to live because traffic is awful and you want to avoid
a bad commute!
Jason Alexander ‘00. Jason.Alexander@cushwake.com. (703) 847‐2729
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o I work in Tysons Corner and live in Reston. When I graduated from Elon, I lived in Arlington and
would highly recommend it to other recent grads. Reston is a good place to "settle down" with a significant other. It's close enough to DC but since you're not going there every weekend it also offers lots of outdoor activities.
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Arlington is the best place to live in Northern VA as a recent college grad!
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Fine.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o Whitlow's for Arlington. Tysons has some decent places for happy hour after work but you're better
off going back into Arlington, especially to Rock Bottom on Wednesday's night for $1 beer night. • Are there any places to avoid in this area?
o Springfield. • Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to
this area? o Find a roommate.
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Julie Irving ‘05. indiglo_789@hotmail.com.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o I have lived in Falls Church, Oakton, Arlington. I work in Rockville.
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Falls Church is ok, its near Tysons Corner which is nice. Oakton sucked, boring, lots of families. I
looove Arlington, lots of young people, lots to do. Rockville is very suburban and strip mallish, good for families, not the most happening place for young people.
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Arlington is easy to take a cab to the metro, or depending on where you live, to walk to the metro.
There are bike paths. Traffic is not bad for me because I have an opposite commute, and most that work in the city probably take the metro.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o Clarendon area is the best place. There are tons of places to eat and tons of bars. Ballston is second
best after that. I enjoy going to these places better then going to DC, because I feel like I fit in more, the people are classier then what you can find at some DC clubs, it is college continued...
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o Not particularly, but I would recommend living anywhere in North Arlington over South Arlington
because there are so many young people here. South Arlington is pretty Hispanic, and less young professionals
• Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to this area? o I highly recommend living in Arlington if you have a car, or in the city if you don't have a car. Rent is
high, but you can find good deals on craigslist that make it affordable. Don't live in Fairfax because its boring, and the traffic sucks....move there if you are married and planning on having kids soon...its great for that...otherwise no.
Katie Pesce ‘06 katiespesce@yahoo.com.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Teacher‐ Fairfax County, VA (LOTS of jobs avail.) Live‐ Courthouse section of Arlington
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Reverse commute is great, Courthouse is pretty good, good location but not as close to bars as
Ballston/Virginia Square • How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)?
o I live across the street from the metro and am able to walk anywhere in this area very easily. Parking is somewhat ok, better than what it would be in DC
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o Brooklyn Bagel, Guahillo (spelled wrong), Cafe Asia, Rio Grande, Chipotle, Listarani's, lots of good
Thai food. • Are there any places to avoid in this area?
o Not really, potentially south Arlington but no one ever goes there anyway • Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to
this area? o Arlington is VERY young, you feel like you're in an area with everyone your own age. there's a ton to
do, ton of different people and you always have something to do. I would highly suggest you live here, and it's very accessible to DC.
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Caitlin Jacobs ‘05. cejacobs@gmail.com.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Capitol Hill (live and work)
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Great to be able to walk to work ‐ very neighborhoody ‐ lots of parks ‐ a very dog‐friendly
neighborhood. • How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)?
o Three easily‐accessible metro stations (Capitol South and Eastern Market on the orange and blue lines and Union Station on the red line). Very walkable, pretty decent bus lines, parking is pretty easy, but gets more difficult the closer you are to the Capitol.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o Barracks Row (8th Street SE), Pennsylvania Ave SE between 2nd and 7th, Massachusetts Ave
between 3rd and 4th NE • Are there any places to avoid in this area?
o Gets less safe the farther you are from the Capitol. I would personally avoid living/being farther east than Lincoln Park, farther north than F Street (H Street NE is up and coming, but as a young female I don't feel comfortable there yet), or farther south than the river/bridge.
• Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to this area? o It's fantastic to walk to the Mall and see the Capitol every day! I still get a little thrill from it.
Katherine Michaud ’06.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Old Town Alexandria, VA and currently Farragut West
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Old Town was very quaint, easy to metro to with lots of good lunch options and shopping as well.
Farragut West is more exciting as it is in the heart of the city. Great for leaving work to meet friends for dinner/drinks or running by the monuments.
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Farragut West super easy to metro to, old town is as well especially if you aren't too far by the
waterfront. There is a shuttle to take you to the waterfront of old town though. • What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area?
o Depends on what you're looking for, dupont, u st, georgetown, arlington all have cool spots • Are there any places to avoid in this area?
o Be careful in certain parts of NE and SE of DC, some not so good neighborhoods can be mixed in with good ones.
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Brendan Gleason ‘05. bgleason2005@yahoo.com.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Best areas for new graduates to live is without a doubt Arlington, specially in the Ballston/Clarendon
area off the metro. This area is full of recent college grads, offers great bars, food, and stores all right off metro and walking distance from one another. I have lived in Fairfax Country my entire life (with exception of my time at Elon), and while Fairfax County is great, it doesn’t have accessibility that Arlington offers. I recently moved to Courthouse neighborhood in Arlington and love being steps from metro. Downtown DC is a great place to work. Lots of people work in Reston, Tysons, Fairfax, or Arlington. These are all great places, especially since traffic and parking is horrible getting into the District, but when it comes to work place environment and networking‐you have to be in the city. That’s where the action is. Whether you’re on Capitol Hill, Georgetown, or off K Street, you are right in the middle of the action, interacting and networking with key people in the Washington DC area. DC, especially Capitol Hill is full of young, recent grads, or graduate students looking to have a good time and trying to meet as many people as possible at bars, events, classes, ect.
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o I work just off Capitol Hill, across from the Capitol building. It’s a building full of associations, lobbyist
shops, and lawyers. Its extremely nice building, and as a young professional, it is common like you shouldn’t be there, but you realize that there are a lot of people in the same situation.
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Being just a few steps from the Capitol, my building is an easy walk from Union Station, where I can
take metro or VRE (the local Virginia light train). When I lived in Fairfax County, getting to work was probably the worst part of my day. Sitting in traffic, sometimes up to an hour and half was fairly routine. For those who live outside Vienna/Fairfax metro station, or really any station‐parking and riding doesn’t save time or money. Parking at metro cost almost four dollars a day, this is on top of the 3.75 or so it cost to ride metro each way. Most jobs cover the expenses of metro if they don’t provide a parking space. I was extremely lucky that my office offered a parking space for me in the building, this is uncommon for young professionals, parking is expensive for companies and organizations. Two keys to traveling in the DC area: Elliot in the Morning, DC’s shock jock on DC 101 is makes driving worth the hour commute time. Station is 101.1 FM. Elliot also promotes so of the coolest parties and gathering in the area. Know alternate routes to and from work. DC, VA, MD is notorious for bad accidents, traffic jams, and road closures. Know alternate routes to and from work will save you considerable time when going to and from work.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o Arlington Nightlife: Clarendon Ballroom offers some of the best cover‐bands in the mid‐Atlantic
region. Bands travel the Philly, Baltimore, DC area all year around. Clarendon Grill, one block away, also provides some great bars. For those looking to watch a Redskins game with the Skin‐faithful, it doesn’t get any better then Bailey’s in the Ballston Mall. This massive bar is like being in the stadium concourse watching the game. For those who are not Skins fans, best advice to you is learn to become one. For those who are West Virginia football fans‐Ragtime in Courthouse offers great food and a great hang out bar with live music every night. DC Nightlife: There are several areas to hang out in DC, all with its own crowd. Capitol Hill bars, such as Hawk n Dove, Tune Inn, Capitol Grill, and Pour House all are full of young preps and Hill staffers blowing off steam from their over worked, low paying jobs. Happy hours are awesome on Capitol Hill with interesting nightlife crowd. Other areas like Georgetown’s waterfront or M Street are great areas flooded with Georgetown and George Washington students. Waterfront is great area on weekends and weekday happy hours during the summer. Then there is Adams Morgan…This is every young person dreams…bar after bar full of single people. Few places have cover charge and it is extremely common to hit up three or four bars in one night. Also‐late night food is always JUMBO pizza‐I wouldn’t worry about ordering more then one or two slices they are so big. <continued>
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• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o Southeast or Northeast DC outside beyond Capitol Hill and the new Stadiums. I would also avoid PG
County in Maryland, especially at night. • Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni interested in this area?
o Summertime: Two things you have to do: Dewey Beach and Country Concerts at Nissan Pavilion. Dewey Beach: Every Friday, anyone under the age of 30 finds themselves packing into a car with fellow friends driving three hours over the Bay Bridge to a little beach town know as Dewey Beach. I have had the privilege to call this beach town home for two summers, working in the bars and experiencing everything from drinking with Big and Rich (no joke), watching Vanilla Ice make a fool of himself on stage, and partying till the sun comes up over the beach (pretty cool by the way). Dewey beach has three bars that are most hits, Rusty Rudder, Bottle & Cork, and Starboard. All have different deals and stories that I could write a full book on‐but for this purpose, I am just going to have to say, trust me and go, and you’ll figure it out. Country Concerts at Nissan Pavilion (the mega ticket). I don’t’ care if you don’t like country music. I have dozens of friends in the area who can’t stand country music, but they love the concerts. Why? Almost every other weekend, thousands of people drive out to Nissan Pavilion almost 8 hours before the show starts to start partying in the parking lot. Its become such a party, the cops have started to ask if you have tickets to enter the parking lot realizing people would just come for the party (this doesn’t mean you need a ticket, cops just want to ask, 99% of the time they don’t ask you to show your ticket). For people who love country music, the concert itself is pure bonus, and get to see the likes of Rascal Flats, Kenny Chesney, Toby Kieth and Brooks and Dunn. Buy the Mega Ticket from 98.7 WMZQ for half price the price everyone else pays. If there is a show you can’t go too, its almost a guarantee to make money off extra tickets for those people not smart enough to buy ahead of time.
Jason Boone ‘05. boonejason@hotmail.com.
• What area do you live or work in? What is it like to live or work in this area? o I work in DC, on Capitol Hill on Pennsylvania Ave SE. I'm with a private political software company
which manages large amounts of political data and offers campagin finance software to all types of political committees. The area is excellent to work in; a couple blocks from the Capitol, the Mall, Eastern Market and the new Nats stadium. It's more laid back than some other centers (like Farragut and McPherson) and generally more casual. I live in Rosslyn currently. Rosslyn is a great jumping off place for nightlife in Arlington or DC with easy access to metro and within walking distance to a lot of restaurants in Clarendon or Georgetown.
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o I've found parking in Arlington to be pretty accessible and easy to manage. DC is a little more difficult
and traffic is typically a huge hassle. If you get a parking ticket, pay it and don't let them add up. But I commute via Metro 90% of the time and it is exceedingly simple. I am planning on riding a bike as often as possible this spring and I know many people who commute on a bike in Arlington and DC. There are bike lanes and paths that make it safer and simpler.
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o I wont t say there's any places to avoid outright. But someone coming here for the first time would
be wise to explore with someone familiar with the area. Northeast DC has a stigma of being an undesirable area to live but I have friends who live there comfortably. Arlington is obviously a big draw for its convenience to the city while still being removed and technically in a outlying community. Being a Northern Virginian, I say avoid Maryland at all costs but that may be just me...
• Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni interested in this area? o Anyone Elon alumni looking to move to the DC area should talk to as many different people who live
here as possible. But don't take their opinions as gospel since a lot of people have different priorities for where they live and work. Most of all, don't rule anything out. It can be tough enough to find work or a place to live without limiting your options from the start.
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Karen Baum ‘06. baum.karen@gmail.com.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Live: Clarendon/Virginia Square, Va, Work: Suitland, Md
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Living: Great place to live, Lots of young folks, Active, Lively, Lots of resaurants and shopping, close to
metro, environmentally friendly county. Working: Bad area, would not suggest even a visit unless you are in the Federal Complex:)
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Clarendon is VERY close to metro, easy to ride (bike), walk, bus, etc. If you live in a highrise the
parking can be very expensive ($50‐100) but houses have driveways and zoned on‐street parking. • What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area?
o All the bars in Clarendon and Ballston are pretty good....something for everyone. Carpool in Ballston is also a favorite
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o Not really
• Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to this area? o Really nice area, you can live in highrise apartments for city style living, town houses, garden style
apartments or single family homes but still be very close to metro and accessible to lots of the same things you would be near in the city. A little quieter and more residential. Literally TONS of young people and a great place to live!
Esha Patel ’06.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Alexandria, VA; Washington DC; Arlington, VA
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o VERY NICE! Great areas; large diversity of people you encounter; plenty of hang out places in
Alexandria, Arlington, and DC. • How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)?
o Regular rush hour traffic; parking on streets and some paid parking garages. For commuting into DC, metro might be the best option. My apartments were not close to the metro, however, our apartment had shuttles during rush hour to take us to the METRO.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o Arlington has great places to chill and eat; lots of good bars and lounges. Theaters and dance clubs
are more in Adams Morgan area and DuPont Circle in DC. • Are there any places to avoid in this area?
o Not that I know of… • Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to
this area? o You don't have to live in DC to enjoy all it has to offer. There are a lot of good places in Northern VA
and MD that are close to the city, and more affordable than the city.
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Chelsea Cathcart ‘05. chelsea.buffington@gmail.com.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o I work on Capitol Hill and live in Chesapeake Beach, MD
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Working on Capitol Hill is a fantastic way to be connected to young people while getting yourself
established in the DC area. There are always things to do, protests to observe (or take part in) and everyone's so connected to the real world‐‐ which should be the reason you're coming to DC! I also lived on "the hill" (as everyone calls it) and it was a fantastic experience. I was in a little row house and it felt so DC. The metro and bus system are great ways to get around the city and you can do so with ease on the hill. As far as Chesapeake Beach, my fiance and I just bought a house in a great neighborhood which is about a mile from the Chesapeake Bay. It's about 45 minutes outside of the city, but rarely do I hit traffic. For someone who is looking for a more lowkey area with a great school system, I can not recommend it enough.
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o For work, I park in Union Station, which is also the closest metro to the Senate side, which is where I
work. You can park around in the neighborhoods, but with Fenty's new parking initiative, you'll be lucky to make it without a ticket (if you park over 2 hours). The bus does run near my building as well, so it is really accessible.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o For meals during the day, there are plenty of places to eat. I love eating in Union Station (the bottom
floor) because they have such a variety. As far as night life is concerned, people will go to Union Pub for drinks after the work day, but it's not as lively as going to a dupont or adam's morgan. If you want to stay on the hill, there are plenty of bars on pennsylvania (SE) from 2nd‐7th street.
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o I don't recommend going too far away from the hill. Going anywhere north of D street and East of
10th street, as well as going south Pennsylvania and east of 9th street. • Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to
this area? o I recommend joining a kickball league. They're ALOT of fun and a great way to meet people outside
of the office.
Katherine Dodson, ’08. khdodson@gmail.com
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o I live in Glover Park; work in Alexandria
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o The area is awesome ‐ really young and fun. I live with 3 other Elon alums so the transition has been
pretty easy. I haven't started my job yet but I'll be working on the army base at Ft. Belvoir. • How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)?
o Parking is hard. We have a driveway but it doesn't fit all of our cars, and street parking requires a permit, so we have to keep one of our cars away from the house. I used to work downtown and myself and all of my roommates take the bus to work. It's not that bad, but I'm looking forward to driving now instead.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, dance clubs, etc) in this area? o Glover Park bars: Gin & Tonic, Breadsoda, Townhall. Georgetown bars: Third Edition, Garretts,
Guards, Saloun. Adams Morgan bars: 18th & Red, Roxanne's, Grand Central • Are there any places to avoid in this area?
o Nope it's really safe/fun no matter where you go
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Gretchen Hall Archibald '02 catwoman1022@comcast.net
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in) o Live in Gainesville, VA, Work in The Plains, VA
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Gainesville is suburban, about 30 min. west of DC. Easy access to DC, shopping, restuarants, etc...
while still being close to the country. • How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)?
o Driving is pretty much the only option. Traffic can be bad. • What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, dance clubs, etc) in this area?
o DC offers the best variety.
Carly Johnston '05
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Work: Suitland, Maryland. Home: Arlington, VA (Pentagon City and Shirlington)
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Work: It's not a very good area but we have a $1million dollar fence that has 6 guard stations.
Home: It's a great area with a metro station, 3 floor indoor mall, grocery store, banks, park, pharmacies, Bally's Total Fitness gym, Costco, library. It's within 1‐2 miles of: the Air force memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Regan National Airport, Regal Cinema Movie theater, Target, Crystal City, Old Town Alexandria.
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Work: It's a pretty easy drive and we have our own parking lot. The traffic is taxing and to go the 10
miles it takes 30‐45 minutes depending on if it's my 7am morning commute or my 5:30pm evening commute. The metro takes 45‐50minutes because you have to go into DC and then ride out to Maryland. Home: Traveling in the Pentagon City area is pretty easy but the exits off of 395 take some getting use to because it's easy to end up in DC and get totally lost. The parking is hit or miss, sometimes you can find public street parking or there is the mall parking garage where you can pay to park. If you live in the area you would most likely need a zoned parking sticker that you purchase through the county.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, dance clubs, etc) in this area? o Work: It's not a good place to hang out after work. It's a fairly dangerous area after dark. While I
have worked in the area over the past 3 years there have been deaths and robberies in the area. Home: There is a theater in Shirlington called Signature, there are good bars pretty much anywhere you go‐ Arlington (Sine, Whitlows on Wilson, Bungalow Billiards, Capital City Brewery, Carpool, Crystal City Sports Pub), Alexandria (Murphy's, Rustico, Southside 815), and DC (anywhere on M St. in Georgetown, Kelly's Irish Times, Adams Morgan)
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o Work: Unless working for the US Census Bureau, it's best to avoid this area entirely. Home: There is
not really anywhere to avoid in Arlington... there is a high Mexican population on Columbia Pike from the intersection of Gleebe Road all the way down past the Bailey's Cross Road area (on King St/Leesburg Pike) and it also extends on N./S. Gleebe road from Columbia Pike to N. Quincy (in Ballston). So for girls I would not recommend living in these areas or walking there late at night.
• Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to this area? o The cost of living here is extremely high. Expect to pay $800‐$1200 for rent/utilities WITH sharing a
house/apartment that has 1‐3 other people. The traffic here is nearly all the time and it is highly unpredictable (any fender bender can add 20‐60+ minutes to your travels)
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Natasha Christensen, ‘07. natasha.christensen@gmail.com 240‐344‐7619
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o I live in Columbia Heights and work for the Department of State, which is in the Foggy Bottom/GWU
area. I have also lived in the U St. Corridor and worked for the law firms Thelen LLP, which was located in Downtown DC.
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Columbia Heights, and the U St. Corridor which is right down the hill and one‐metro stop away, is a
developing area which has seen a major growth in the past year bringing new stores, housing, restaurants, and a diverse group of people into the area. It is located in Ward 2 of the city which is the most diverse ward in the city, so it is easy to find any number of things to do and people to see around this area. Furthermore, the U St./Columbia Heights areas are within walking distance to two major nightlife areas of the city, Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan – whether you’re looking for theatres, clubs, or just a good bar, you will find it in either one of these areas. Working downtown was great because it is in the center of most shopping, restaurants, nightlife, etc. so it is easy to transition from work to after‐work life. Working in Foggy Bottom now is interesting as well, albeit less fast paced, I work right next door to the Kennedy Center and am surrounded by government buildings which makes my job a lot easier.
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Traveling from my area is great because I live on the same block as the metro. There are bus stations
around the 14th St. area and then on 16th st as well. Finding a cab is easy should you need one and it is easy to walk down to U St. or Dupont on a nice day if you want to. Biking is simple as well if it’s what you prefer, on the streets as you get closer to Dupont there are specific lanes for bikers. Parking is its own nightmare in DC. Most apartment complexes offer parking but it is for an additional monthly fee up to $250; also most companies offer subsidized parking but it can also run $200 dollars or more (less if you’re lucky and outside the general city area – i.e. not downtown). In most areas street parking is the preferred method of parking but in order to do so, you will need to change your plates, etc to DC plates and also remember to note if you are living in an area which is zoned for residential parking on the street – NOT all areas are zoned for this and if you don’t ask beforehand you could end up having to park 10 blocks away from your residence.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, dance clubs, etc) in this area? o For music there are any number of venues around town – if you want to pay to see a show some of
the best places are the 9:30 club and Black Cat and the Verizon Center. If you want to see a free show check out the Kennedy Center (for classical or established groups passing through) or any local bars which may have local talent in the area or talent nights. Busboys and Poets, has a couple locations around town, and they host music, poetry events, and cultural events which are free to the public but encourage a small donation. The best time to see a play in the city is during the first weekend of it’s run – most theatre productions have this as the designated “pay‐what‐you‐can” date (normally it’s the Saturday matinee showing) and you literally pay whatever you can whether its $20 or $.25 and you get to see a great show – a lot of theatres participate including the Studio Theatre, Wholly Mammoth, Shakespeare Theatre, etc. I think the Studio Theatre and Wholly Mammoth are excellent, and so is Theatre J which is the theatre company for the Jewish Community Center in DC. These theatres tend to showcase compelling, off‐the‐wall, and sometimes controversial work and they do it in style. Also, their ticket prices are decent. If you are an Opera or Ballet, etc. fan, I would suggest subscribing to the numerous deals out there for young professionals in the city – i.e. the Smithsonian Young Benefactors program or the Generation O with the Washington National Opera – you’ll get an inside scoop on cheaper tickets and excellent seats reserved specifically for people under 35 at a number of various shows and events. The best dance places I’ve been to in the city are in Dupont Circle. You’ll find anything from house, to Latin places and hip‐hop or a mix of all three. Furthermore, you’ll also find lounges, bars, and clubs all within walking distance of one another so you can pick and choose which you want to go to throughout the night – AND you have the benefit of having
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Fuddruckers open late for those who stay out late and need some food before heading home. In terms of a bar in Dupont Buffalo Billiards is great if you just want to play some pool, darts or watch a game or just hang out – if you want a more dance oriented crowd Front Page is located in the same building right above Buffalo Billiards and they normally have great happy hour deals on drinks and food, a younger crowd, and they open the floor up for dancing after 6.
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o I would generally avoid SE DC all together but especially at night. Also, the H Street area late at night
is not very cool if you’re on your own. In general in DC there are always people milling around at all hours of the day and on the weekends at all hours of the night but it’s just being vigilant and not putting yourself into unsafe situations. Essentially, if a cabbie won’t go out there after a certain hour (i.e. Anacostia) then I won’t go there. In my opinion the best place to avoid in DC is the metro on the weekends! While they are ‘fixing’ the numerous problems with the metro you can end up sitting underground forever waiting to get to your stop. If you do take it, do it early morning or just walk to where you need to go if possible.
• Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to this area? o If you want to move into the area, plan EARLY! Figure out what contacts you have in the area, where
you want to try and live – and recognize that just because an area is close to where you will be working does not mean it’s an area you can afford to live in. Don’t jump into living situations without working things out first, i.e. rent, utilities, etc. With housing, if something sounds too good to be true it probably is – so check it out before you place a deposit (even if you can’t make it to the city, find someone who is willing to check it out for you). I would not suggest moving to the city without a job or employment, everyone in the city is competing for jobs and opportunities. Do you’re homework ahead of time, make contacts before you come, and try to be as prepared as possible. I think the best advice to anyone from Elon moving to the area is to note that just because you have a college degree doesn’t mean you will be able to get a job without putting in the work and effort to make yourself stand out. So, don’t let senioritis get the better of you and plan AHEAD – other than that…get ready to live the champagne lifestyle on a beer budget!
Elizabeth White ‘06. elizabethwhite@cox.net.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Vienna / Tysons Corner
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Vienna/Tysons ‐ a little more residential but close to many jobs. Huge mall, lots of restaurants, less
expensive than closer to the city. Very few places for "going out". Usually travel to Arlington or DC for night life
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Parking is easy, close metro stops ‐ Dunn Loring or Vienna, nice bike paths and trials to run on
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o Tysons Corner (great restaurant choices in the malls or very close), Basin's is a trendy restaurant in
Vienna. • Are there any places to avoid in this area?
o Not in Vienna. Last year it was rated #4 place to live in the US.
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Jennifer DeSimone, ‘07. jend24@gmail.com. 202 494 9937
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Live, Columbia Heights. work, McPherson Square
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Its amazing, always something to do
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Metro everywhere
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, dance clubs, etc) in this area? o U street
• Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to this area? o Look around for apartments, alot of hidden gems
Nick Palatiello, ’06. npalatiello@gmail.com. 571‐263‐2070
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Live: Arlington (Bailey’s Crossroads), VA. Work: Reston, VA
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Bailey’s Crossroads is a good area to live. It is 3 miles from Ballston Metro and the Ballston Mall. It is
5 miles from Clarendon where there are a lot of restaurants. Bailey’s Crossroads offers a little more affordable housing with grocery stores and shops in a short radius. There is no metro but there are continuous bus routes in the area. Reston is a good area to work. Driving to work in the morning is a breeze. Traffic on the way home is bad and depending on when you leave can take anywhere from 45‐70 minutes. Reston is a planned community that has many shops and restaurants in the area. It is a growing area for singles and those in their mid‐twenties but is still a family area.
• How is traveling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o There is a good amount of street parking plus most apartment complexes have their own parking
lots/garages for residents. Bus stops are abundant. 4 Mile Run, a section of the W&OD Trail system runs from a total of 8.8 miles from Falls Church to Shirlington and is a great trail for exercise. Reston has no metro in the area. Bus runs from West Falls Church Metro to Whiele Avenue. Abundant parking in Reston.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, dance clubs, etc) in this area? o The best place near Bailey’s Crossroads for nightlife is Ballston/Clarendon. Ballston has a movie
theatre, restaurants and bars. Clarendon has more of the same with a more condensed section of bars/clubs.
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o Most of this entire area is safe to live and walk around.
• Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to this area? o Bailey’s Crossroads is a great area if you own a car and don’t mind driving and taking bus/cab. If you
work in a area that is convenient to metro you may want to consider living closer to Ballston/Clarendon as you will most likely not drive your car as often.
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Valentine (Woods) Breitbarth ’05. vbreitbarth@gmail.com.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o I live in Glover Park (north of Georgetown), work in Shaw, and have worked in Anacostia.
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Glover Park‐ I love living here. It's an interesting part of the city in that you can walk outside your
apartment and not really hear the "city sounds"‐‐lots of trees, families, very peaceful‐‐yet, there are also good restaurants in easy walking distance, groceries, bars, etc. Shaw‐ this has the reputation for being a not‐so‐great part of town, but it's changing rapidly! In the 2.5 years I've worked in Shaw the neighborhood has gentrified quite a bit. However, I've felt quite comfortable in this area from day 1 and like it that it's on the short list of areas my husband and I are hoping to buy a home. It's close to Dupont, Gallery Place/ Chinatown, U Street corridor‐‐great place to be! Anacostia‐‐also has the reputation for being a not‐so‐great part of town and having worked there, I would agree with that analysis. I was very pleased when my department was transferred to the Shaw office full‐time.
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Glover Park‐ great to walk and bike, ample buslines, decent amount of street parking, but no metro
station in the area. Shaw‐ Same as Glover Park except that it's also easily accessible by the green/ yellow metro lines. Anacostia‐ there is a metro station but unless you're going somewhere near the metro it's best to drive. I would not advise much biking in Anacostia because traffic laws aren't always obeyed. Walking is fine although after dark I would not feel particularly safe.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o Glover Park‐ Town Hall is a great restaurant. They have good Happy Hours, 1/2 price wine night, etc.
Bourbon easily has the best brunch. Rockland's BBQ is also very good. We don't have much in the way of nightclubs, but my neighbors really like the Grogg and Tankard although I admit I don't go much. Shaw‐ limited on restaurants, although Dukem on U Street is not far and is excellent (Ethiopian...around 8 or 9 pm they start with the live music and Ethiopian dancing on weekends...come early and plan to stay a while). Azi's Cafe is a really good local coffee shop and is good for breakfasts and lunch. I've never been in the evenings. (9th and O Sts NW). Anacostia‐ I would not advise going out in Anacostia.
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o Glover Park‐ No, I've always felt perfectly safe here. As with anywhere, be aware of your
surroundings, but it's a good neighborhood. Shaw‐ This neighborhood requires a bit more caution after dark, but I don't think it needs to be avoided. Anacostia‐ I just don't think there's much to offer in Anacostia. If you're not born and raised there, there's not much reason to spend a lot of time there.
• Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to this area? o While it is possible to get around in this area without a car, unless you live very close to where you
work or unless both home and work are near a metro station, a car is very helpful. It's also nice to have a car for Target runs and weekend trips to Annapolis, Philadelphia, NYC, Virginia, etc. Zipcar is also something to look into if you don't want to bring your car with you.
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Danielle Smith ’05. daniepsmith@gmail.com.
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o I live in Fairfax, VA and work in Arlington, VA
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o I love where I live because its so close to grocery stores, the mall, movie theatres, and tons of
shopping. The area of Arlington I work in is really nice because it is close to lots of restaurants and take out places so you have lots of options for lunch or dinner.
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Where I live I drive everywhere because its too far to walk but it only takes about 10 minutes to get
to most places I need to go in the immediate area. If you want to you can drive to the metro and park there and take it into Arlington or DC.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o Well I don't go out much but when I do I like to hit up the bars and clubs in downtown Arlington like
Clarendon Ballroom, Whitlows on Wilson, and Mr. Days. There is also a really nice Italian restaurant near my apartment that has great food for cheap.
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o There are sketchy parts of just about every area that you want to avoid but I can't think of any off of
the top of my head. • Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to
this area? o The DC area is a great place to live and work. There is so much to do and a lot of great schools if you
decide to further your education.
Liz White ’06. elizabethwhite@cox.net.
• What area do you grow up in? o Georgetown
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Great location for going out ‐ very urban; able to walk to stores, etc. Really cute and trendy.
Everything is pricey though. Parking is hard if you don't have a reserved spot or driveway. Georgetown University students are everywhere the closer you live to campus.
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o Parking is hard (and can be expensive) if you don't have a reserved space or a driveway
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o There are always new places to try! My favorite place is the Tombs ‐ It's an underground resturant
below 1789 (owned by 1789 and Clyde's). It's got a crew theme and happy hours and late night bring many folks to the bar part of the resturnant. Every night has a different theme (country, 80's, etc) and often turns into a dance party. During the day and evening though, it's a great casual resturant. Other favorite resturants include Cactus Cantina (Down Wisconson near the Catherdral) and Peacock Cafe (in the heart of Georgetown). The water front area is really nice too. Tons of places to go out on M street and Wisconson. Elon ‐ ish bars include 3rd Edition, Rhinos, The Guards.
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o It's the nicest area of DC, with many historic and expensive homes, but street robbery at night is still
common. Don't travel alone in DC late at night. • Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to
this area? o There is no Metro stop in Georgetown (one of the reasons for less crime) so to travel to different
areas at night, taking a cab is the best bet. The closest Metro station is Rosslyn, a short walk over the Key Bridge or you can take the Georgetown University Transpertation System (called the GUTS Bus).
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Melissa Echols, ‘06. maechols@gmail.com. (404) 316‐3499
• What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)? o Tysons/Falls Church
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Right next to a large mall and near many ethnic grocery stores at the same time. You many have to
deal with some snooty BMW drivers working in Tysons. • How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)?
o Tyson's is a mad house around Christmas (because of the mall) and there is no metro (but there might be one in 2010)
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o Not a lot of bars or clubs, but there are a lot of nice (read expensive) places to eat, ie. Capital Grille,
M&S, Legal Seafood, Brio • Are there any places to avoid in this area?
o The mall at Christmas • Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to
this area? o Get a roomate, rent is expensive
Brett “Coop” Cooper, ’05. bccooper@gmail.com. (336) 260‐1345 • What area do you live or work in (or what area have you lived or worked in)?
o Currently live in the Courthouse area of Arlington. I have previously lived in the Columbia Heights area of Northwest, DC and spent 2 months on an air mattress in the Merrifield area of Fairfax County. I work in Georgetown.
• What is it like to live or work in this area? o Living in Courthouse is great. Unlimited access to whatever you need within walking distance. Its
great being able to walk to the Metro, walk to the store and most importantly, walk home from the bar. Working in Georgetown is also great. I have an office on one end of Georgetown, and I also bartend on the other end. In between is great food and shopping.
• How is travelling and parking in this area (easy to walk/bus/metro/drive/bike)? o I pretty much just walk around everywhere or use the bus or Metro. I do have parking at my office,
which is a rarity anywhere in the city, but is great in the winter. Parking in Georgetown is awful but there are several parking garages‐you just have to pay an arm and a leg to use them. I have never had to park in Courthouse, so not sure how it is, but walking and Metro in the area are effortless.
• What are the best places to eat and enjoy nightlife (music, theater, bars, nightclubs, etc) in this area? o Clydes in Georgetown is my favorite watering hole. Old Glory, Chadwicks, and Garrets are good
places as well. Clarendon Ballroom is a great club near Courthouse and Iota has good music. If I am not out in Georgetown, I am usually on U St or in Gallery Place.
• Are there any places to avoid in this area? o Driving anywhere during the morning or afternoon rush hours. Don’t try to leave the area between
3pm and 9pm on a Friday‐its complete gridlock everywhere. As for being in the city, I am a pretty large person so I find most places less intimidating than most, but in general, don’t go anywhere alone and don’t go to Trinidad (area north of Union Station) or Anacostia at all.
• Do you have any additional thoughts that may be helpful to Elon Alumni who may want to move to this area? o Be ready to spend a lot of money to do anything around here. Be prepared for a culture shock if you
are from a smaller town or suburbia. It took me a while to adjust to the attitudes and behavior of people in the area. It’s not as bad as I make it sound, but this is far from Elon.
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The Best of… For the 2nd year, we asked Elon Alumni what they felt was the Best of DC. Best Bakery/Pastry Shop: Georgetown Cupcake, La Madeline, Firehook, Au Bon Pain
Best Burger: Five Guys, Ted’s Montana Grill, Liberty Tavern, Commonwealth Gastropub, Fuddruckers
Best Chinese Food: Café Asia, Thai Shirlington, Great Wall Szechuan House (Logan Circle), Dim Sum (Silver Spring), P.F. Changs
Best Dance Club: Ultra Bar (Gallery Place/Chinatown), Andalu (Dupont Circle), Lima (McPherson Square)
Best Golfing: Washington Golf and Country Club (Arlington, TopGolf Driving Range (Kingstown), Stonewall Golf Club (Manassas), Virginia Oaks (Gainesville)
2008 Best Gym: Washington Sports Club, Sport and Health, Gold’s Gym, Fitness First
Best Happy Hour: Café Asia, Mister Days (Clarendon), Whitlow’s on Wilson (Clarendon), Bar Louie’s (Gallery Place/Chinatown), Rockbottom, Café Citron (Dupont Circle), Front Page (Dupont Circle), Baileys
Best Italian Food: Maggianos, Atlantis (Fairlington), Buca di Beppo (Dupont Circle), Tutto Bene (Ballston), Filomena (Georgetown), 2Amy’s (Cathedral), La Tomate (Dupont Circle)
Best Late Night Food: Silver Diner (Clarendon), Ben’s Chili Bowl (U St.), The Diner (Adams Morgan), Five Guys, Sine’s (Pentagon City)
Best Mexican Food: Rosa Mexicana (Gallery Place/Chinatown), Uncle Julio’s Rio Grande (Ballston), Lauriol Plaza (Dupont Circle), Alero (U St.), Cactus Cantina (Cathedral)
Best Music Venue: Clarendon Ballroom, 930 Club (U St.), Clarendon Grille, Verizon Center (Gallery Place/Chinatown)
Best Place for Coffee: Starbucks, Busboys and Poets, Saxby’s
Best Pace to Watch the Game: Crystal City Sports Pub, Buffalo Billards (Dupont Circle), Carpool (Ballston), Mister Days (Clarendon), Baileys (Ballston)
Best Romantic Date Spot : Georgetown Waterfront, Ruths Chris (Crystal City), The FDR Memorial, Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria, Monuments at Night
Best Shopping Area: Tyson’s Corner, Georgetown, Potomac Mills (Woodbridge), Arundel Mills (Near BWI), Pentagon City
Best Vegetarian Food: Busboys and Poets
Best Dessert: Maggianos, “Brownie” at The Tombs (Georgetown), Cheesecake Factory, “Sticky Toffee Pudding” at Commonwealth Gastropub (Columbia Heights), “Gelato Cookie” at Matchbox (Gallery Place/Chinatown)
Best Ice Cream: Thomas Sweets (Georgetown), The Dairy Godmother (Del Ray), Coldstone Creamery, Haagen Dazs, Maggie Moos
Best Place to Avoid: Anacostia, Driving in DC, Metro on the Weekends, Trinidad
Best Deli/Sandiwich Shop: Jettie’s (Georgetown), Lost Dog Café (Westover)
Best Pizza: Goody’s (Clarendon), Matchbox (Gallery Place/Chinatown), Pete’s New Haven Style APizza (Coumbia Heights), Pizza Movers (Georgetown), Ledo
Best Seafood: Legal Seafood’s, Southwest Waterfront Fish Market, Clydes Gallery Place, McCormick & Schmick’s, The Dancing Crab (Tenleytown)
Best Steak: Mortons, District Chop House (Penn Quarter), Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Philips (Southwest Waterfront), The Capital Grille (Penn Quarter), Rays the Steaks (Rosslyn), McCormick & Schmicks, Fogo de Chao (Federal Triangle), Hank’s Oyster Bar (Dupont Circle)
Best Cocktails: Matchbox (Gallery Place/Chinatown), Lima (McPherson Square), Habana Village (Adams Morgan), Busboys and Poets, Mie N Yu (Georgetown), Founding Farmers (Foggy Bottom)
Best Gay/Lesbian Bar or Club: Freddie’s (Crystal City), Town (U St.)
Best Place to Get a Beer: Rustico (Alexandria), RFD (Gallery Place/Chinatown, Commonwealth Gastropub (Columbia Heights), Fado’s (Gallery Place/Chinatown), Brickskeller Saloon (Dupont Circle), Bourbon, Capital City Brewery
Best Wine List: Proof (Gallery Place/Chinatown), Town Hall (Glover Park), Clydes
Best Hiking/Biking Area: 4 Mile Run (Arlington), Great Falls National Park, Roosevelt Island, Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria, C&O Canal (Georgetown), Mount Vernon Trail, National Mall
Best Museum: Newseum (Penn Quarter), Smithsonian Museum of American History (National Mall), International Spy Museum (Penn Quarter
Best Place to See a Play: Fords Theater (Federal Triangle), Kennedy Center (Foggy Bottom), Studio Theater (Logan Circle)
Best Place for Picking Up Singles: Clydes of Gallery Place, Bar Louie (Gallery Place/Chinatown)
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