Ballston
When you're in Ballston, you can't help but feel like you're "downtown."
Ballston is located on the Wilson Boulevard-Clarendon Boulevard corridor, which was named one of 10 "Great Streets" in the U.S. by the American Planning Association in 2008. Ballston-MU Metro station is a major transportation hub, connecting Metrobus and ART buses with Metrorail's Orange Line. Near the Metro station, tall office and residential buildings, hotels, restaurants, and sidewalks full of people create that big-city, downtown feel. A few blocks from the Metro is Ballston Common Mall, a four-level mall complete with restaurants, a food court, a 12-screen movie theater, and the Kettler Capitals Iceplex.
Nationally-known organizations, both public and private, are major employers within blocks of the Metro station. The National Science Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, Quest Diagnostics, and Marymount University are some of the prominent organizations with offices in Ballston.
Even though there are a lot of office buildings, Ballston stays active at night. The combination of residences, restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and the Metro station keep the neighborhood alive after five.
Once you get away from the few blocks where Ballston resembles a busy little metropolis, the area blends into a nice little hamlet, as the high density growth tapers off to residential neighborhoods with parks, schools, and single-family homes. Residents enjoy living on quiet streets, just a short walk from Metrorail, shopping, and all of Ballston's other amenities.
