Driven by innovation and urban cool, Ballston is a lively neighborhood surrounded by quiet park-laced residential areas.
With 75 percent of the population under 45 and myriad scientific research agencies and universities, Ballston is hip, smart and sophisticated. It’s the Washington metro region's hub of innovation, learning, technology and science as a base for the federal Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Office of Naval Research, as well as campuses of George Mason University, George Washington University, Marymount University and Virginia Tech University.
At neighborhood centerpiece Ballston Quarter, an indoor/outdoor mall, you can shop for affordable fashions at Gossip on 23rd, dine on globally inspired cuisine at Quarter Market food hall eateries, take a class at Cookology Culinary School, learn how to paint (while sipping wine) at Muse Paint Bar and watch the Washington Capitals practice or skate yourself at MedStar Capitals Iceplex.
More than 15 gyms and fitness studios — from boxing to CrossFit to yoga — make Ballston the “fittest neighborhood of the fittest city in the country.” Families enjoy Mosaic Park as well as high-tech gaming at the Electric Gamebox. Everyone gathers in shady Welburn Square for the weekly Ballston Farmer’s Market, while art lovers beeline for the Museum of Contemporary Arts Arlington, one of the largest non-federal venues for contemporary art in the Washington area with nine exhibition galleries, working studios for 12 artists and three classrooms.
More than 80 restaurants line a five-block radius offering something for everyone — from Belgian to Italian to Mexican. The Salt Line marries classic New England seafood dishes with the bounty of the Chesapeake. Enjoy tacos and margaritas in Crayola-colored El Rey Ballston. Sit at a long communal table for German-American food and beer at Bronson Bierhall or take a culinary journey through Spain at award-winning SER. A high-energy neighborhood bar and restaurant, Ballston Local features comfort food and handcrafted cocktails. Don’t miss the smoked, brined and flash-fried wings and tenders at Ted’s Bulletin. Also in Ballston Quarter, enjoy international social plates at the WHINO restaurant, bar and art gallery and upscale Latin street food in resort-like bartaco. Rustic Italian rules at the cozy Rustico while star chef Robert Wiedmaier shows off his Belgian roots at Mussel Bar & Grille. Sichuan meets Nashville at Hot Lola’s, where the fried chicken turns up the heat with in-house chili oil and Sichuan spices with cayenne pepper. Got the family in tow? They’ll enjoy Ice Cream Jubilee, an Asian American-owned ice cream parlor with dozens of classic and exotic flavors made from all-natural, 18-percent-butterfat, grass-fed cream.
Barbecue, beer, billiards and 25 TVs guarantee fun at CarPool. Late-night crowds frequent American gastropub Punch Bowl Social for craft cocktails, karaoke, bowling, ping-pong and vintage arcade games. Brew fans love World of Beer for almost 300 craft beers plus live music, themed trivia and TV sports. Go local at Crafthouse, which boasts 50 craft beers on tap and more than 250 bottled craft beers and ciders, as well as local and regional spirits, wines, scotches, whiskeys and bourbons.
The Cooperative Plaza Conference Center is a 10,000 square-foot meeting facility that accommodates from 12 to 550 people in three conference rooms. The center offers…
Travel through a series of real, physical environments, taking part in a live-action story while you encounter challenges, games and puzzles. Your successes and failures…
Cookology is the culinary school in Arlington’s Ballston Quarter. Attend a culinary boot camp with professionally taught, hands-on cooking classes in commercial kitchens. Classes are…
MedStar Capitals Iceplex is a state-of-the-art facility located atop the Ballston Common Mall Parking Garage in Arlington, Virginia. It is the official home of the…
Strategic Analysis’ Executive Conference Center has 5,755 square feet of sleek, modern, meeting space in the Ballston neighborhood designed to serve groups of 10 to…
Set a pace that suits you at the Residence Inn by Marriott® Arlington Ballston. Whether you are with us for a few days, a few…
The Holiday Inn® Arlington at Ballston hotel is located in the vibrant urban neighborhood of Ballston, near all of the popular DC area attractions, and…
The Westin Arlington Gateway is a short walk from the Ballston Station and four miles from Reagan National Airport. Here you will find fine dining…
Grand Cru Wine Bar and Bistro offers a quaint European style atmosphere for private parties and events. With world class chef crafted cuisine, more than…
Punch Bowl Social is the first experiential food & beverage brand to bring a scratch kitchen and craft beverages together with social gaming under a…
Eat. Drink. Love. in Ballston
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Cooking Classes Are a Recipe for Delicious Team Building
Add a little spice into your next meeting or event with a cooking class: dinner plus team building equals success.
Clarendon
An original urban village
This upscale village defines urban chill with a mix of upscale businesses and mom-and-pop shops, of buzzy coffee shops and hip restaurants.
Columbia Pike
Culturally Diverse
The world in a zip code, this 3.5-mile-long corridor represents 150 nationalities and Arlington’s largest selection of ethnic restaurants.
Courthouse
Urban food and fun
Considered Arlington county’s civic center, Courthouse has the bustling appeal of an urban city but the quiet and charm of a suburb.
Crystal City
National Landing
High-tech and innovative, Crystal City is a high-octane urban community and Arlington’s largest downtown, perched on the Potomac River.
Rosslyn
Flourishing social and cultural hub
Take in some of the region’s best capital views, including Georgetown and the National Mall.
Langston Boulevard
Historic and welcoming
Family-friendly Langston Boulevard boasts inviting recreational parks, fascinating historic sites and great restaurants, local and exotic.
Pentagon City
National Landing
It’s an incomparable shopping mecca, for sure, but Pentagon City also boasts trendy cafes and restaurants and iconic national attractions.
Westover
Find hidden treasures
Considered a hidden neighborhood gem with a small-town feel, this suburban residential community is highly livable, walkable and bikeable.
Shirlington
Al fresco dining on a tree-lined promenade
Stroll through the Village of Shirlington's tree-lined sidewalks and spot sidewalk cafes, local boutiques and bustling restaurants.
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