Arlington

Half a century ago, when the Metro was drawn, the county made a choice its peers did not: bury the line and stack the density on top of it. The result is the Rosslyn to Ballston corridor, five urban villages, Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, Virginia Square and Ballston, each grown around its own station. What ties it together is proximity. From Rosslyn the airport is about ten minutes on the Blue Line and downtown Washington a similar ride; the Pentagon, the trails, the river and the District are all inside a short reach.

On the corridor and in National Landing, the dominant form is the high-rise condominium. Rosslyn, Ballston, Pentagon City and Crystal City stack towers directly over Metro, most with elevators, garage parking, a gym and a grocery in the base. Away from the stations, the county turns to residential streets of colonials and bungalows.