Courthouse, Virginia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Courthouse is a neighborhood in Arlington County, Virginia and is home to a stop on the Orange Line of the Washington Metro.

The neighborhood gets its name from the Arlington County Courthouse and consists mainly of high-rise residential and business buildings including offices of washingtonpost.com, Verizon and an 8-screen AMC movie theater at Courthouse Plaza. It is essentially the county seat of Arlington and houses a justice center (consisting of a jail, courthouse and police HQ) and the main county government administrative complex. It is home to more than 25 bars and restaurants, ranging from informal lunch take-out spots, to a venue for local bands, to upscale Cuban and Thai evening establishments.

The Courthouse neighborhood also features one of the first garden-style apartments complexes built in the United States. Built in the 1930s 1, Colonial Village consists of both private condos and affordable apartments for rent and is listed as on the National Register of Historic Places. [1]

As with many neighborhoods in central Arlington, the exact boundaries of the Courthouse neighborhood are unclear. Arlington County's Courthouse Sector Plan includes the area bounded by Wilson Boulevard, Cleveland Street, Fairfax Drive, Arlington Boulevard and Courthouse Road. The Clarendon-Courthouse Civic Associatin has similar boundaries. However, an argument can be made to extend the Courthouse neighborhood to lie between the midpoint of the locations of the Courthouse and Clarendon Metro stations and the midpoint of the Courthouse and Rosslyn Stations -- which would be Danville and Rhodes Streets, respectively.

With its proximity to downtown Washington, Georgetown and other popular destinations, as well as its Metro stop, Courthouse has become a high-rent neighborhood. Still, it is typically less expensive than the trendiest neighborhoods in Washington and offers many of the same urban conveniences. Also, Virginia's lower income taxes make it popular for those who want to live near, but not in, D.C.

For late-night revelers, note that the Wendys in Courthouse lets individuals walk through their drive-thru window. This is not a fluke, but policy; the window does not say "no walkups." Simply go to the window and knock politely, place your order, and stand to the side to avoid being run over by cars in the drive thru. When your order is ready, they will hold the bag out the window for you. The Taco Bell next door is not as accommodating.