About Clarendon

Clarendon is often thought of as the laid-back, cool kid in Arlington's class of Urban Villages. This is a place where t-shirts, baseball caps, and Volvos prevail over pin-stripe suits and BMWs. You will find a nightlife destination where people can have a tasty yet moderately priced dinner before heading to one of several local bars. Of course, Clarendon is much more than that. Not just a hip place to hang out after work, it also offers mid-sized office buildings near the Clarendon Metro station and safe, stable neighborhoods full of single-family homes and tree-lined streets, offering great opportunities to live and work, in addition to 'playing.'

Clarendon plays host to businesses of all sorts and sizes, many of them with nationally recognized names. Gold's Gym is the destination of many a nine-to-fiver trying to keep fit, and the Clarendon Market Common shopping center just joined the retail market here, featuring a Barnes & Noble, Crate & Barrel, and Pottery Barn. But Clarendon is probably better known for its local, homegrown businesses. David Tax, owner of the Lazy Sundae ice cream parlor and the recently opened Big Belly Deli, stated simply – "It's a place where small businesses can thrive." This combination of local and national results in a shopping and retail scene that is quite varied and unique.

The prevalence of small businesses also contributes to the strong sense of community that pervades the area and manifests itself through a variety of neighborhood organizations and special events. One such organization, The Clarendon Alliance, is a neighborhood association that unites residents with business owners, both local and national, to address community issues and concerns and to market the community. Regular events in the area include a farmers market every Wednesday afternoon during the summer and a year-round antique and collectibles market on Saturdays. There is also an annual 5K race in the spring and the "Clarendon Day" festival in the fall. These other events reinforce the feeling of welcome and camaraderie that can be felt just spending an evening here. Joel Dabu, who has worked for the Clarendon Alliance for two years, may have put it best, saying that Clarendon is "like being in the city, but it's just more comfortable here."

Clarendon's reputation for good food and lively bars is very well deserved, as people from throughout the DC metropolitan area come to the neighborhood to sample the ethnic restaurants. Favorites range from Chinese to El Salvadoran to the best Peruvian chicken you've ever had, but you can also find Japanese, Greek, Cuban, American, Barbecue, Moroccan and several Vietnamese eateries all within walking distance of the Metro Stop. Of course, people stay for the nightlife once they're here. Whether it's the laid-back atmosphere and local music at Iota or the Galaxy Hut, the faster-paced, better-dressed scenes at the Clarendon Ballroom or Mister Day's, or somewhere in between, like Whitlow's, there is fun to be had after dark in Clarendon.

With its comfort, community, and cuisine, it's no surprise then that the area is attracting more and more people. Newly constructed housing options are presenting more opportunities for prospective residents seeking to join in the fun. However, even as more people arrive, the locals tend to agree that Clarendon will be able to retain its unique individuality as a young, quirky, and exciting Urban Village.

Click here to view available homes in Clarendon. Zip 22201.