Clarendon, Virginia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clarendon is a neighborhood in Arlington County, Virginia, USA, located between the Rosslyn area and the Ballston area. The main thoroughfares are Wilson Boulevard (one-way westbound) and Clarendon Boulevard (one-way eastbound).

1 Boundaries and geography
2 History
3 Clarendon today
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Boundaries and geography

Because of the local street network configuration, many of Clarendon's 35-40 blocks resemble triangles rather than squares. The precise dimensions of Clarendon are not defined, and several different sets of boundaries are often used. These include:

Arlington County's Clarendon sector plan area (bounded roughly by Cleveland Street, 10th Street, Kirkwood Street, 13th Street, Highland Street and Wilson Boulevard)
the boundaries of the civic associations comprising the Clarendon Alliance association (i.e. Ashton Heights, Clarendon-Courthouse, Lyon Park and Lyon Village, and bounded by Lee Highway, Veitch Street, Wilson Boulevard, Arlington Boulevard, Glebe Road, Wilson Boulevard, and Kirkwood Street)
the area unsuccessfully proposed to have been incorporated as a city in the 1930s
the boundaries of the Clarendon-Courthouse Civic Association (Wilson Boulevard, N. Courthouse Road, Arlington Boulevard, and N. 10th Street)

In any event, the central geographic/cultural/economic features of Clarendon are the Clarendon Metro stop on the Orange Line of the Metrorail system at Wilson Boulevard and Highland Street and the Whole Foods Market at Clarendon Boulevard and Edgewood Street. As Clarendon's profile both as a popular destination and marketing location have increased, its informal boundaries have expanded west toward Virginia Square and east toward Courthouse, two adjacent Metro station areas.

[edit] History

First platted in 1900 at the top of a hill on the Georgetown-Falls Church Road (now Wilson Boulevard), Clarendon evolved into Arlington County's original "downtown" after the arrival of streetcars into its area in 1896. During the early 20th century, two interurban trolley lines converged in Clarendon a short distance west of today's Clarendon Metro station.

One of these trolley lines traveled between Rosslyn and Clarendon along the present routes of Lynn Street, Fairfax Drive and Clarendon Boulevard to a station at the present intersection of Clarendon Boulevard and Washington Boulevard. Metrorail's Orange Line now closely follows this line's former route.

The other line traveled from downtown Washington, crossed the Potomac River over the Highway Bridge and traveled along Washington Boulevard to reach the Clarendon station. Trolleys from both lines traveled between Clarendon, Ballston and Falls Church along the present routes of Fairfax Drive,I-66 and the Orange Line. Some of these trolleys traveled as far as the towns of Vienna and Fairfax. Like many other interurbans around the country, these lines were to remain in service until the mid-1930s, when they succumbed to the automobile and Great Depression era economics.

In 1920, the same year in which Arlington County adopted its name, a movement to incorporate Clarendon as a town was defeated in the courts.^[1]

Over time, Clarendon became Northern Virginia's retail center. Department stores including J.C. Penney and Sears opened stores in Clarendon, and other retailers extended west along Wilson Blvd and Fairfax Drive to Virginia Square (anchored by Kahn's Department Store) and, farther west, the Parkington Shopping Center, which was later enlarged and renamed as the Ballston Common Mall.

Clarendon was also selected as the location for Arlington's first Post Office building, dedicated in 1938 and now a historic landmark. Until then, Arlington's mail was handled in Washington, D.C.

Since the opening of the Clarendon Metro station in the early 1980s, Clarendon has become well-known for its eclectic mix of unique shops, trendy bars, and small restaurants. More recently, luxury apartments, office buildings and upscale chain stores have been constructed and gentrified the area, although some of the original businesses do remain. The former Sears store's parking lot and automotive department, briefly considered as a site for a Home Depot, was developed as a mixed residential/commercial project that now includes townhouses, luxury apartments, and national chain retail stores.

[edit] Clarendon today

Clarendon is viewed as a national example of smart growth and transit-oriented development. It has been speculated that the term "urban village" was coined in reference to the plans for modern Clarendon. Yet some residents argue that these terms conceal part of the story, as businesses serving residents' needs (hardware store, drug store, dry cleaner, etc.) have been faced with displacement by high-rises and businesses luring people from outside the neighborhood.

Notable restaurants in the area include: Whitlows on Wilson (beer, sandwiches, lite fare), Faccia Luna (pizza, pasta and salads), The Boulevard Woodgrill (seafood, meat, grilled specialties), Kabob Bazaar (kabobs, middle eastern food) and a large Whole Foods Market. A variety of Indian, Thai, Salvadoran and Vietnamese restaurants provide additional dining choices.

There are several spots for nightlife in Clarendon: Whitlows on Wilson has live bands and cheap beer after 10pm, the Galaxy Hut offers twenty-five beers on tap and bottle and features live music three nights a week, IOTA offers a wide selection of drinks and national touring folk-rock acts, while Dr. Dremo's (a former Oldsmobile dealership on Wilson Boulevard near Courthouse) has live local comedy and a pool hall. The Clarendon Ballroom offers live bands and DJs each week.

Clarendon is also host to several local and County-wide events each year, including Arlington's Neighborhood Day parade (held the second Saturday in May), the Mardi Gras parade and Tax Blues Night. The largest event of the year, "Clarendon Day," is held on a Saturday in mid-October and features four live music stages, local restaurant and coffee house booths, clothing, jewelry, antiques and collectibles sales, children's games and rides, an ice-cream eating contest and other local traditions. Additionally, each spring Clarendon is host to the CSC Invitational, one of the largest one-day professional and amateur bicycle races in the U.S.

A farmer's market at Clarendon's Central Park is held Wednesday afternoons from Memorial Day until Labor Day and features organic produce, baked goods, plants and herbs, homemade soaps and other items for sale.