Located just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., Arlington is only a few minutes drive to the White House. This close-in location is just one of the reasons Arlington is such a desirable place to live. It is also one of the most urban areas in the D.C. area, with the highest concentration of Metro (subway) stations offering commuter ease to downtown or the outlying high tech corridors. It offers all of the amenities associated with downtown living without any of the hassles!

Arlington is a small and heavily treed county with friendly, charming and intimate neighborhoods. It features many graceful older colonials, farm houses, Sears bungalows, tudor-styled homes, townhouses and ramblers built from the turn of the century to sparkling new luxury homes and condos all with the lowest property taxes in the Northern Virginia area. Prices range from the low $100,000's to over $3 million. It is also a study in contrasts with an incredible array of ethnic restaurants, great bars and clubs, shopping and a wide variety of recreational opportunites ranging from several Gold's Gyms to acres of forested hiking and walking trails, playing fields, swimming, tennis courts, and bike paths.

Arlington National Cemetery, which is on 612 acres, is a famous tourist attraction with memorials and tombs of those who have served our country. The eternal flame on John F. Kennedy's grave can be seen from as far away as the nation's capitol.

The Pentagon, one of the largest buildings in the world and headquarters to the U.S. Department of Defense, is also located in Arlington.

Arlington also features the Newseum, the first interactive museum dedicated to news and those journalists that have lost their lives to report world events.

Shopping
Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is a four-story shopping mall with 130 stores serving a variety of shopping needs. Its bright food court and movie theaters add to this area attraction. Nordstorm and Macys are the anchor stores. Pentagon Row across the street has just been completed and offers similiar high end shopping and a Harris-Teeter grocery store. A new California-style mall is opening in Clarendon (across from Fresh Fields) and will include a Crate and Barrel superstore, Pottery Barn and similar upper end retailers.

More than 200 stores are featured at Ballston Common Mall, including retailers JCPenney and Hecht's. You'll also find numerous small book stores, gift shops, florists, wine and gourmet food merchants located in small shopping blocks throughout the county.

Business
When it comes to business, Arlington is an international leader. With one of the highest employment rates in the country, communications, technology and international businesses all thrive throughout the county and are located just minutes from the nation's capitol and internationally recognized businesses and organizations.

It was at the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency and the National Science Foundation that the internet was first started. The Arlington area is known as the "Netplex" region, a communications hub, Internet service provider and Web development hot spot.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Located in southern Arlington along the Potomac River, the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport offers flights to all over the country through the major airlines and numerous commuter flights. Because of the region's excellent Metro subway, transportation within Washington, D.C., and the Northern Virginia and Maryland areas is made even more convenient.

Parks and Recreation
Arlington is surprisingly one of the greenest and scenic urban environments in the country. Take a beautiful, leisurely drive along the Potomac River on the George Washington Memorial Parkway as it winds from Mount Vernon to Great Falls, and passes numerous view points, memorials, and parks, such as Theodore Roosevelt Island. Or play tennis on of the many free, well-maintained and lighted courts throughout the county, run on the wooded trails that meander through the parks or bike from downtown D.C. all the way out to the foothills of the Shendandoah.

Arlington features 36 miles of hiking and walking trails, and 49 miles of trails along the streets for riding bikes. These trails help one escape the city pressures as they wind through forests and past streams. Also located nearby is one of the nation's oldest golf clubs, the Washington Golf & Country Club.

Contributed by Mike Pugh

Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the region of land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia. The region is also known as Tidewater Virginia and sometimes, the Seven Cities. It includes the communities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Smithfield and Isle of Wight County on what locals call "the Southside" (southside of the James River, that is). "The Peninsula" makes up the rest of Hampton Roads and includes: Williamsburg, James City County, York County, Poquoson, Newport News, and Hampton.

Hampton Roads is notable for its year-round ice-free harbor, for U.S. Navy, Air Force, NASA, and Army facilities, shipyards, coal piers, and hundreds of miles of waterfront property and beaches, all of which contribute to the diversity and stability of the region's economy. The GLBT community is strong and growing, with our new GLBT and GLBT-supportive Chamber of Commerce, launched in May 2007, being the newest group promoting a friendly Hampton Roads. Equality Virginia, the Commonwealth's GLBT advocacy group, is growing support in Hampton Roads with two Community Action Teams currently operating grass roots political efforts. In 2006, Virginia voters passed an amendment to the state constitution defining marriage to be only between a man and a woman, but it only passed by a narrow margin statewide and was defeated locally in the cities of Norfolk and Williamsburg. Williamsburg, James City County and the City of Virginia Beach all have employment anti-discrimination policies in their city laws.

The social scene is very lively with several friendly bars and local social networking groups open to new members. Hampton Roads Pride is the local non-profit that sponsors Out in the Park, our yearly pride festival averaging over 3000 attendees, as well as several educational events, a film festival and "fun" raising for local charitable concerns. There are also several gay- friendly churches scattered around the region that provide support and community.

There is always something to do in Hampton Roads. Most activities are free, too! Natural beauty surrounding water and beaches provide many water sports and activities. Throughout the year, Hampton Roads cities host several festivals and special events that cater to most every taste and interest.

There is a prolific arts community with Hampton Roads being the home of the Virgina Symphony, Virginia Opera, the Chrysler Museum as well as many, many other theaters, galleries and museums being scattered around the various communities. Several colleges and universities add to the cultural life in Hampton Roads including William & Mary, Old Dominion, and Hampton University among others.

Hampton Roads also abounds in history, of course. We have the Historic Triangle of Williamsburg-Jamestown-Yorktown, as well as many civil-war era historical sites. For thrill seeking fun, we have Busch Gardens Williamsburg and several top-notch water parks-indoor & out! Whatever your interests, you are sure to find it in Hampton Roads!

Contributed by Pat Mulligan