Arlington Mill - Arlington, VA

Although Arlington Mill was built in 1808, the development of Columbia Heights West took place after World War II when the Washington region underwent tremendous growth. By 1965, 94 percent of the housing in Columbia Heights West was completed. In the 1980s and early 2000s more housing was added as technology businesses created another boom in the D.C. area.

You have to travel outside the Columbia Heights West area to visit museums, but D.C. has plenty of them only 20 minutes away. Shirlington, Arlington County’s arts and entertainment district, sits just to the southeast and includes the Signature Theater, a Tony Award-winning regional theater company.

The Columbia Pike Blues Festival takes place annually in June about two miles from Columbia Heights West. This free festival features live bands and food in a family-friendly, block-party atmosphere.

The service can be slow at Atlacatl Restaurant & Pupuseria, usually because it's so busy. While you nibble on some complimentary fried yucca with salsa, the friendly owner of this Salvadoran restaurant might stop by to chat. Locals return here for the papusas and recommend the combination papusas with rice, refried beans and plantains.

During his presidency, George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara frequently ventured to the Virginia suburbs to dine at Peking Gourmet Inn. Every president since has followed in his footsteps to experience the table-side carving of the restaurant's signature Peking duck. The duck comes with homemade pancakes and spring onions grown on the owner's family farm in Purcellville. Make sure you make a reservation at this popular spot.

For classic American diner fare, head to the City Diner for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. The huge menu here ensures that everyone finds something that he wants. The diner has a reputation for making some of the best soups in the area, especially the matzoh ball, and you can see the wonderful dessert selection for yourself in the display case as you enter.

Babylon Futbol Cafe gives the sports bar concept an international flair. Among a number of TVs, it includes a giant 16-by-19-foot projection screen for watching soccer, cricket, football and basketball games. You can also enjoy hookah, an international food menu, and music and dancing with live bands or a DJ seven nights a week. Be warned, they charge a $10 cover on some nights.

The hole-in-the-wall L.A. Bar and Grill makes no apologies for being a simple neighborhood bar with karaoke, darts, bar trivia, and cheap drinks. A couple miles east on the Pike, you can catch a movie or some stand-up comedy while you sip your beer at the ever-popular Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse.

Most people in the area rely on their cars, but some errands can be done on foot. The area also has some bike infrastructure for getting around on two wheels. Bike-friendly side streets and bike lanes on South Arlington Mill Road make cycling fairly safe. Cyclists can also use Four Mile Run Trail on the east side of the neighborhood to connect to other communities or trails. For those without a bike, Capital Bikeshare operates a station at the Arlington Mill Community Center.

Good public transportation in the area helps residents support Arlington County's "Car-Free Diet" initiative to get fewer cars on the road. You can easily catch a Metrobus or an Arlington Transit bus in the area, because about 12 bus lines pass through Columbia Heights West. If you commute into D.C., a bus gets you to the Pentagon in about 15 minutes. From there, you can catch a Metro train to work. A train from the Pentagon to Metro Center in D.C. takes 12 minutes. If you need a ride, the ride-sharing service Uber provides service in the area, or you can call a local cab company for a pickup.

When you need to drive, South Arlington Mill Road, Columbia Pike and South Carlin Springs Road serve as the main streets around the neighborhood, and they make it convenient for residents to connect to Routes 7 and 50 and Interstate 395. Residents don't have trouble parking near home. Apartments and condominium complexes provide parking, and you can park for free on the side streets. Shopping centers include ample parking in their lots, and the Arlington Mill Community Center's garage lets you park for free for the first four hours.

The only park in the neighborhood, Glencarlyn Park, lies in the northeast corner of the community and includes everything you could want in a park. With almost 100 acres you can go fishing, have a picnic, hike on the nature trails, stroll the paved paths or take the kids to the playground. The trails connect to the larger Four Mile Run and Washington and Old Dominion Trails if you want to go for a longer run or a bike ride. The Glencarlyn Dog Park within the park gives your dog a chance to run free in a large wooded area. The park includes ample parking and free admission.

The Long Branch Nature Center, located within the park, features a children’s discovery room, live animal displays, exhibits, interpretive gardens, a viewing pond and a space for birthday parties.

The cost of living in Arlington Mill rests 14 percent below that of Washington, D.C., which is a bargain considering Arlington County as a whole costs 13 percent more than D.C. You can expect to pay an average of $1,325 per month to rent a one-bedroom apartment. You'll pay about 9 percent more for gas than the national average here, and a beer at a local bar runs between $5 and $6. A regular bus fare costs $1.75, and taking the Metro from the Pentagon to Metro Center in D.C. costs $2.15 during rush hour.

You can find several large shopping centers at the intersection of Columbia Pike and Route 7. These include chain stores such as Target, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. While chain stores dominate the area, you can find a few independent shops mixed in.

Khan El-Khalili, named after the famous market in Cairo, Egypt, sells merchandise from the Middle East and beyond. You may need some time to explore the store's 7,000 square feet crammed with rugs, furniture, housewares, clothing, jewelry, food, and hookah supplies.

The German Gourmet sells more than fresh bratwurst and pastries. Browse the selection of wine, beer, European chocolates, decorative household items, and special holiday gifts and decor in this small store.

The closest mall, Ballston Common, sits less than three miles away to the northeast, and for upscale boutique shopping, the Village at Shirlington lies three miles southeast of the neighborhood.

For groceries, residents shop at the Giant on South Jefferson Street on the other side of Columbia Pike or at Trader Joe’s on Route 7. A Filipino Global Supermarket, a Food Star Supermarket specializing in Hispanic and Latin foods, and an Asian Grocery Market all can be found close by.

The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization operates a farmers market every Sunday morning in Pike Park. Along with fresh foods, you can buy handcrafted items from different local artisans most weeks.