Arlington, located in Northern Virginia and across the Potomac River from Washington D.C., is a lively city with a lot to offer. Thriving with businesses, restaurants, nightlife, and history, Arlington is a great place to visit and an even better place to live. We have compiled a few of our favorite activities, restaurants, and neighborhoods for you – read on, and see if Arlington is the place for you!

What to Do

Arlington National Cemetery Tour

Arlington is rich with history, and the Arlington National Cemetery Tour is the perfect way to get a glimpse of it all. This tour bus service includes six different stops on weekdays, and nine different stops on the weekend. The Arlington National Cemetery is one of the main stops on this tour. It consists of 600 acres of land, and is the burial site of over 40,000 active service members, veterans, and their families. In addition to the cemetery, other stops include the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Memorial of the U.S. Coast Guard. For just $12 dollars, this tour is a must.

Arlington Farmers Market

With over 30 vendors, the Arlington Farmers Market is the place to be on Saturday mornings from 8:00 AM till noon. Run by Community Foodworks, this farmers market promotes anything fresh and local. Vendors bring in fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, dairy, and more. For those living in the area, it is a great way to get outside, mingle with other Arlington residents, and support the local community.

Trolley Pub Arlington

via Facebook: Trolley Pub Arlington

If you are looking for a way to celebrate, or simply just have a fun night out on the town, Trolley Pub Arlington is a great way to get a taste of the city’s nightlife. This 14 passenger, pedal powered trolley takes riders on a pub-crawl through the streets of Arlington. The tour includes seven different stops, and each stop offers riders a discount. While deals are offered to groups that fill the trolley on their own, they do allow mixed group tours where riders can buy individual seats. Led by entertaining tour guides who know the area well, a fun time is guaranteed.

Where to Dine

Breakfast

via Yelp: Bracket Room

Whether you are looking for a standard breakfast or an all-out brunch, Bracket Room is an Arlington staple. Wander into Bracket Room on a Saturday and Sunday and you will find this sports bar packed with people enjoying their All You Can Eat Brunch. From 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM you can enjoy anything on the All You Can Eat Brunch menu for just $30. Additionally, they offer a wide variety of breakfast options ranging from “Breakfast Pizza” to standard Breakfast Sandwiches.

Lunch

via Facebook: Good Stuff Eatery

Good Stuff Eatery specializes in “freshness, fellowship, and friendliness”. This is a casual, yet delicious spot where one can grab either a burger and fries, or a salad. Add in a milkshake with your order, and you can get the full Good Stuff Eatery experience. Ingredients are always fresh and organic, and if possible, they are local as well. They even have an app that you can pre-order your meal on, what more could you want?

Dinner

via Facebook: Don Tito’s

If you are looking for a fantastic dinner, and one of the best rooftop views of Arlington, Don Tito is the place for you. Don Tito has a wide variety of Mexican and American inspired dishes including tacos, wings, nachos, and ahi tuna tostados, just to name a few. Taco Tuesday’s here are a must. Can’t make it for dinner? They offer lunch, brunch, and a late night menu as well!

Something Sweet

via Facebook: Nicecream Factory

For those with a sweet tooth, the Nicecream Factory is not a place you can miss out on. Their ice cream is made fresh and right before your eyes – Nicecream has their own fresh ingredients, which they combine with liquid nitrogen, making this an incredibly cool and delicious experience. They offer flavors of the month, ice cream samplers, and even have a happy hour.

The Happiest of Hours

via Facebook: A-Town Bar & Grill

A-Town Bar & Grill in Ballston is an Arlington hot spot starting with Happy Hour and continuing well through the night. Their happy hour food specials vary daily, but you can expect drinks to be in the $2.50 to $5.00 range for beer, rail liquor, and wine. Monday nights they offer half price sushi, tacos for just $2 on Tuesday, and Friday night all appetizers are half off. These prices and a fun atmosphere can’t be beat!

Where to Live

Arlington is comprised of eight “Urban Villages”. While all of these are great neighborhoods to live in, we chose three of our favorite spots. Between restaurants, activities, businesses, and transportation, these neighborhoods have major perks.

Clarendon

If you are looking for bustling neighborhood with plenty to do, Clarendon is for you. Between the countless bars, restaurants, and shopping one will never be bored. Additionally, you will find many offices, apartments, and family homes making it a comfortable neighborhood to live in. While this is a very popular neighborhood for post-graduate young-professionals, you will also find families living here as well. It is possible to walk most places, but public transportation (bus, metro, Capital Bike Share) is very easily accessible.

The Clarendon neighborhood has plenty of great apartment options, too. Fort Strong Properties has several properties in the area, most of which are newly renovated, pet friendly, and in walking distance to public transportation. They have studio, 1 bedroom, and 2 bedroom options, and typically are in a great price range for those on a budget. Fort Strong Properties is a great resource for anyone looking to live in the Clarendon neighborhood.

Ballston

Ballston is another great neighborhood filled with restaurants, shopping, and businesses. Both Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. are easily accessible from the neighborhood, but you can walk or utilize public transportation through Ballston to find anything you need. Between Taste of Arlington, Ballston Farmers Market, and the Arts and Crafts Market, Ballston brings a lot of culture to the city of Arlington.

The Horizons Apartments is a great community in the Ballston neighborhood. Pet friendly, studio, and one to three bedroom apartments are available. Apartments come with beautiful bathrooms and kitchens, private balconies, and a hard-to-beat view of the Arlington and DC area. Community amenities include a gym, on-site maintenance and management, and easy access to public transportation. Whether you want to enjoy the Ballston neighborhood, or make a quick getaway to DC, The Horizons Apartments are a great option for you!

Rosslyn

Rosslyn earns the name “urban village” with its high-rise office buildings, high-end apartment complexes, and young professional residents. While Rosslyn’s social scene is somewhat tame compared to Arlington’s other neighborhoods, it still has its fair share of delicious restaurants and culture. Throughout the year, there are a variety of festivals including five different film festivals and a Jazz Festival.

Rosslyn Vue is a high-end apartment complex located in the heart of Rosslyn. These one to two bedroom pet-friendly apartments come equipped with appliances, ceramic-tile bathrooms, wall-to-wall carpeting, and large living and bed rooms. The community offers residents on-site maintenance and management, two pools, and both a fitness and business center.

Rosslyn Vue is located next door to Rosslyn Heights, which is another great community in the neighborhood. Both communities are in walking distance to restaurants, shopping, and more!

Keep In Mind

While we have shared some of our personal favorites, Arlington is a huge area with so much to do. With nearby attractions in DC, phenomenal restaurants all over Northern Virginia, and great apartments to choose from in the area, there truly is something for everyone!