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). This article is the current U.S. Collaboration of the Week. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The skyscrapers of Rosslyn as seen behind The Pentagon. ... View above Fairfax Drive Ballston is a neighborhood in Arlington County, Virginia and is home to a stop on the Orange Line of the Washington Metro. ... Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924) was the 28th President of the United States (1913–1921). ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

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. A neighbourhood or neighborhood (see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community located within a larger city or suburb. ... A Municipal Corporation is a legal defintion for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, and towns. ... Clarendon station. ... The Washington Metro, or simply Metro, is the public transportation system of Washington, D.C., and neighboring suburban communities in Maryland and Virginia, both inside and outside the Capital Beltway. ... Whole Foods Market NASDAQ: WFMI is an Austin, Texas–based natural foods grocer, which, as of May 2006, consisted of 183 locations in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. ...

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. 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Falls Church is an independent city located in Virginia. ... map from 1901 showing trolley lines in Arlington The earliest electric railway, or streetcar line, in Northern Virginia opened in 1892. ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Clarendon 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. Passengers bustle around the typical grand edifice of Londons Broad Street station in 1865. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732–December 14, 1799) commanded Americas war for independence (1775–1783), and was the first President of the United States, from 1789 to 1797. ... The Orange Line of the Washington Metro consists of 26 subway stations from Vienna/Fairfax-GMU to New Carrollton. ...

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. Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ... The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... The Arland D. Williams Jr. ... Interstate 66 (abbreviated I-66) is an interstate highway in the eastern United States. ... Vienna is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. ... Fairfax is an independent city located within the confines of Fairfax County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ...

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. 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. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Great Depression was a worldwide economic downturn which started in 1929 (although its effects were not fully felt until late in 1930) and lasted through most of the 1930s. ... Northern Virginia is a regional area consisting of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford counties and the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, and Manassas Park. ... A department store organizes its goods by departments, such as womens clothes, home furnishings, electronics, and the like. ... J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc (NYSE: JCP; most commonly known today by the name JCPenney or simply Penneys) is a mid-range chain of American department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. ... Sears Holdings Corporation NASDAQ: SHLD is the third largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart and The Home Depot. ...

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. Small-town post office and town hall in Lockhart, Alabama A post office is a facility (in most countries, a government one) where the public can purchase postage stamps for mailing correspondence or merchandise, and also drop off or pick up packages or other special-delivery items. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ...

Since the advent of the Metro 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. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Toms Restaurant, a restaurant in New York made familiar by Suzanne Vega and the television sitcom Seinfeld For other uses, see Restaurant (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products. ...

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. Smart growth is a concept and term used by those who seek to identify a set of policies governing transportation and land use planning policy for urban areas that benefits communities and preserves the natural environment. ... Aerial view of growth patterns in Arlington County, Virginia. ... An urban village is an urban planning concept. ...

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. This article is about the food item. ... Spaghetti with seafood (Spaghetti allo scoglio). ... Whole Foods Market NASDAQ: WFMI is an Austin, Texas–based natural foods grocer, which, as of May 2006, consisted of 183 locations in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. ...

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 with live independent music three nights a week, IOTA offers a wide selection of drinks and national touring folk-rock acts, while Dr. Dremos (down Wilson Blvd.) has live local comedy and a pool hall. The Clarendon Ballroom offers live bands and DJs each week.^[1] In the Saturday evening moonlight, young professional couples promenade along Wilson Boulevard.

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, Clarendon is host to one of the Nation's biggest one day professional and amateur bicycle races each Memorial day weekend.

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.

References

1. ^ Clarendon Ballroom's calendar.

External links

• Arlington's Urban Villages - Clarendon
• Clarendon Alliance
• Clarendon Sector Plan