Rosslyn, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Rosslyn is an unincorporated area in Northern Virginia
located in the northeastern corner of Arlington County, Virginia
, north of Arlington National Cemetery
and directly across the Potomac River
from Georgetown
in Washington, D.C.
Rosslyn encompasses the Arlington neighborhoods of North Rosslyn and Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights. Characterized as one of several "urban village
s" by the County, the numerous skyscraper
s in the dense business section of Rosslyn make its appearance in some ways more urban than nearby Washington.
The local TV station affiliate of ABC
in the Washington, D.C. area WJLA-TV
"ABC 7" is located in Rosslyn at 1100 Wilson Boulevard. The Art Institute of Washington
is located at 1820 North Fort Myer Drive. The United States Marine Corps War Memorial, also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, is located in Rosslyn adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery
, Arlington Boulevard
(U.S. Route 50
), and Fort Myer
. On the grounds of the Memorial, and offering views of the Lincoln Memorial
, Washington Monument
, and United States Capitol
, is the Netherlands Carillon
. Freedom Park, opened in 1996, offers seating and views of Washington DC.
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In Virginia's colonial period, Rosslyn's shoreline contained a landing for Awbrey's ferry
, which transported travelers to and from Georgetown. A community that gradually developed behind the shore became known as Ross Lynn, the name of a local farm owned by William and Carolyn Ross. During the 1830s and 1840s, the Aqueduct Bridge
was constructed between Georgetown and Rosslyn. When completed in 1843, this bridge carried the Alexandria Canal, which transported canal boats from the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
in Georgetown to the downstream port of Alexandria, Virginia
.
Following the American Civil War
in the 1860s, a lawless community developed at the base of the bridge. Known primarily for its gambling
halls, pawnshops
, saloons
, brothel
s and unsavory inhabitants, the community failed to attract much development other than a large brewery
, which became a Cherry Crush soft drink
bottling plant after Prohibition
went into effect. Eventually, spurred by the real estate
potential that the arrival of electric trolleys
in the 1890s inspired, developers and reform
ers ousted Rosslyn's more unsavory elements in the early 20th century. Nevertheless, Rosslyn remained primarily known for its pawnshops and used car dealerships for many years. The Aqueduct Bridge connecting Rosslyn to Georgetown was replaced by the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge
in 1923.
In 1964, the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge
opened to carry Interstate 66
(I-66) between Washington, D.C., and Rosslyn. Soon afterwards, a development boom in the 1960s began to revitalize Rosslyn with the construction of a large number of high-rise office buildings and hotel
s in its center and a smaller number of residential buildings on its outskirts. Arlington County widened Rosslyn's major streets to accommodate the increased motor vehicle
traffic
that this new development would bring. A skywalk
system carried pedestrian
traffic over these widened streets. While planners expected retail
establishments to develop along the skywalks, few such establishments actually opened. As a result, the skywalk system attracted few pedestrians. The Arlington County government has since announced plans to dismantle some or all of the bridges that carry the skywalks over Rosslyn's broad streets.
During the Watergate scandal
of the early 1970s, "Deep Throat
" (W. Mark Felt
) passed information to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward
in the middle of the night in an underground parking garage at 1401 Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn.
In 1977, Metrorail's
Blue Line
reached Rosslyn. In subsequent years, the Blue Line and the Orange Line
were extended from an underground junction near the Rosslyn station
to serve Northern Virginia's suburbs. In the early 1980s, I-66 was extended through Rosslyn to reach the Capital Beltway
. The extensions of Metrorail and I-66 attracted additional high-rise development to Rosslyn.
In 2003, the Virginia Baseball Stadium Authority attempted to attract the relocating Montréal Expos
to Northern Virginia
by proposing three Arlington County locations for a new baseball stadium. Two sites were in the urban village of Pentagon City
; the third was a site in the southeastern corner of Rosslyn that was already occupied by four cooperative buildings, formerly the historic Arlington Towers, which were the first high-rise towers in Arlington County, now known as River Place. The issue proved highly divisive, and Virginia's bid failed when Virginia Governor
Mark Warner
ruled out state financing for stadium construction. The Expos moved to D.C. after the 2004 season to become the Washington Nationals
, with a new stadium built in southeast Washington.
newspaper, owned by the Gannett Company
, was located in Rosslyn. Both the company and the newspaper occupied two high-rise silver-colored towers, built in the early 1980s, which adjoin each other at 1100 Wilson Boulevard. Gannett did not own these buildings, and moved from their original home to a new campus in Fairfax County, Virginia
in 2002. In the same year, the ABC-affiliated Channel 7 news station for Washington, D.C. (WJLA-TV
) moved into the space in Rosslyn previously occupied by USA Today.
As of 2010, Rosslyn has 8100000 square feet (752,514.6 m²) of office space and 6,365 housing units. Some of the tallest condominium
buildings in the Washington metropolitan area
are located in Rosslyn, including Waterview tower, River Place, and Turnberry tower.
The Annual NoVa International Jewish Film Festival is held each spring in Rosslyn and other Virginia locations. The Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival runs in the spring and summer months showing popular films for free in Gateway Park Friday evenings at dusk. Slapsticon is a four day film festival in July that features silent films, occasionally accompanied by live musicians, as well as early films with audio tracks. The Rosebud Film & Video Festival is an all day event in November that features original works by regional film and video makers. The Rosslyn Jazz Festival, started in 1991, attracted 10,000 attendees in 2006. The annual US FreedomWalk Festival, started in 2000, draws walkers from around the world each Fall for a weekend of walks in Rosslyn and nearby areas.
Rosslyn is a transportation hub for the subway and highway systems. It contains the intersection of U.S. Route 29
(Frances Scott Key Bridge
and Lee Highway
), Virginia State Route 110
(Jefferson Davis Highway
), the George Washington Memorial Parkway
, and I-66 (Custis Memorial Parkway). U.S. Route 50 (Arlington Boulevard) connects with all of these routes in and near Rosslyn. Washington Metro
's Blue
and Orange Lines
service the Rosslyn Metro station
.
There are 14 Metro bus
lines to the urban village. There is a shuttle run by Georgetown University
. A DC Circulator
route connects Rosslyn with Georgetown
and Dupont Circle
in Washington, D.C. There are 2 private bus companies that provide service between the Rosslyn Metro Station and New York City. Vamoose Bus provides daily service from 1801 N Lynn Street in Rosslyn to Penn Station
/Madison Square Garden
in Midtown Manhattan
in New York City. Tripper Bus provides daily service from 1901 N. Moore Street to the Macy's
flagship store on 34th Street In New York City.
s are present in Rosslyn, connecting Northern Virginia
and Washington, D.C. The paved Custis Trail
travels through Rosslyn along Interstate 66. By traveling southeast on the Custis Trail and crossing the George Washington Memorial Parkway, one can reach the paved Mount Vernon Trail
, which travels downstream
on the Virginia side of the Potomac River to Alexandria
and Mount Vernon
, as well as the unpaved Potomac Heritage Trail
, which travels upstream
near the riverbank
to the Capital Beltway
. By heading west along the Custis Trail, one can reach the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail
, which travels for 45 miles (72.4 km) through Northern Virginia. One can also cross the Francis Scott Key Bridge
at the end of Lynn Street and pick up the unpaved C&O Canal
towpath
or the paved Capital Crescent Trail
in Washington. By heading south on North Lynn Street, one can cross over U.S. Route 50 and travel through the grounds of the Marine Corps War Memorial to reach a paved trail that travels along the wall of Arlington National Cemetery
to Memorial Drive
. A sidewalk and paved path along the Drive connects in Lady Bird Johnson Park on Columbia Island
to the Mount Vernon Trail and to the wide sidewalk
of the Arlington Memorial Bridge
, which crosses the Potomac into Washington.
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
located in the northeastern corner of Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
, north of Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
and directly across the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
from Georgetown
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown is a neighborhood located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Rosslyn encompasses the Arlington neighborhoods of North Rosslyn and Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights. Characterized as one of several "urban village
Urban village
An urban village is an urban planning and urban design concept. It refers to an urban form typically characterized by:* Medium density development* Mixed use zoning* The provision of good public transit...
s" by the County, the numerous skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s in the dense business section of Rosslyn make its appearance in some ways more urban than nearby Washington.
The local TV station affiliate of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in the Washington, D.C. area WJLA-TV
WJLA-TV
WJLA-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliated television station in Washington, D.C.. It is the flagship station of the Allbritton Communications Company, which also operates local cable station NewsChannel 8. The two stations share broadcast facilities in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, Virginia...
"ABC 7" is located in Rosslyn at 1100 Wilson Boulevard. The Art Institute of Washington
The Art Institute of Washington
The Art Institute of Washington – is one of The Art Institutes, a system of more than 40 for-profit educational institutions located throughout North America, providing education in design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts...
is located at 1820 North Fort Myer Drive. The United States Marine Corps War Memorial, also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, is located in Rosslyn adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
, Arlington Boulevard
Arlington Boulevard
Arlington Boulevard is a major arterial road in Arlington County, Fairfax County, and the independent City of Fairfax in Northern Virginia in metropolitan Washington, DC, United States. It is designated U.S...
(U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
), and Fort Myer
Fort Myer
Fort Myer is a U.S. Army post adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. It is a small post by U.S...
. On the grounds of the Memorial, and offering views of the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
, Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
, and United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
, is the Netherlands Carillon
Netherlands Carillon
The Netherlands Carillon adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery was a gift from the people of the Netherlands to the people of the United States of America in 1954. The gift was made to thank the United States for its aid during and after World War II. First installed at a nearby site in 1954,...
. Freedom Park, opened in 1996, offers seating and views of Washington DC.
History
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
, which transported travelers to and from Georgetown. A community that gradually developed behind the shore became known as Ross Lynn, the name of a local farm owned by William and Carolyn Ross. During the 1830s and 1840s, the Aqueduct Bridge
Potomac Aqueduct Bridge
The Aqueduct Bridge was a bridge between Georgetown, Washington, D.C., and Rosslyn, Virginia, in Arlington County. It was built to transport cargo-carrying boats on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Georgetown across the Potomac River to the Alexandria Canal...
was constructed between Georgetown and Rosslyn. When completed in 1843, this bridge carried the Alexandria Canal, which transported canal boats from the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal, and occasionally referred to as the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. The total length of the canal is about . The elevation change of...
in Georgetown to the downstream port of Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
.
Following the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in the 1860s, a lawless community developed at the base of the bridge. Known primarily for its gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
halls, pawnshops
Pawnbroker
A pawnbroker is an individual or business that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as collateral...
, saloons
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
, brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
s and unsavory inhabitants, the community failed to attract much development other than a large brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
, which became a Cherry Crush soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
bottling plant after Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
went into effect. Eventually, spurred by the real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
potential that the arrival of electric trolleys
Northern Virginia trolleys
The earliest electric railway, or streetcar line, in Northern Virginia opened in 1892. At their peak, when merged into a single interurban system , the successors of this and several other lines ran between downtown Washington, D.C., Rosslyn and Arlington Junction – present day Crystal City...
in the 1890s inspired, developers and reform
Reform
Reform means to put or change into an improved form or condition; to amend or improve by change of color or removal of faults or abuses, beneficial change, more specifically, reversion to a pure original state, to repair, restore or to correct....
ers ousted Rosslyn's more unsavory elements in the early 20th century. Nevertheless, Rosslyn remained primarily known for its pawnshops and used car dealerships for many years. The Aqueduct Bridge connecting Rosslyn to Georgetown was replaced by the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge
Francis Scott Key Bridge (Washington)
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, more commonly known as the Key Bridge, is a six-lane reinforced concrete arch bridge conveying U.S. Route 29 traffic across the Potomac River between the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia and the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C...
in 1923.
Theodore Roosevelt Bridge
The Theodore Roosevelt Bridge is located in Washington, D.C. It carries Interstate 66 and U.S. Highway 50 over the Potomac River near the Kennedy Center, connecting the Rosslyn area of Arlington, Virginia, with Washington...
opened to carry Interstate 66
Interstate 66
Interstate 66 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. As indicated by its even route number, it runs in an east–west direction. Its western terminus is at Middletown, Virginia, at an intersection with Interstate 81; its eastern terminus is in Washington, D.C., at an...
(I-66) between Washington, D.C., and Rosslyn. Soon afterwards, a development boom in the 1960s began to revitalize Rosslyn with the construction of a large number of high-rise office buildings and hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s in its center and a smaller number of residential buildings on its outskirts. Arlington County widened Rosslyn's major streets to accommodate the increased motor vehicle
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
that this new development would bring. A skywalk
Skyway
In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
system carried pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
traffic over these widened streets. While planners expected retail
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
establishments to develop along the skywalks, few such establishments actually opened. As a result, the skywalk system attracted few pedestrians. The Arlington County government has since announced plans to dismantle some or all of the bridges that carry the skywalks over Rosslyn's broad streets.
During the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
of the early 1970s, "Deep Throat
Deep Throat
Deep Throat is the pseudonym given to the secret informant who provided information to Bob Woodward of The Washington Post in 1972 about the involvement of United States President Richard Nixon's administration in what came to be known as the Watergate scandal...
" (W. Mark Felt
W. Mark Felt
William Mark Felt, Sr. was an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation , who retired in 1973 as the Bureau's Associate Director...
) passed information to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward
Bob Woodward
Robert Upshur Woodward is an American investigative journalist and non-fiction author. He has worked for The Washington Post since 1971 as a reporter, and is currently an associate editor of the Post....
in the middle of the night in an underground parking garage at 1401 Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn.
In 1977, Metrorail's
Metrorail
Metrorail may refer to:* Metrorail , a commuter rail system operator in South Africa** Metrorail Eastern Cape, commuter rail lines serving Port Elizabeth and East London...
Blue Line
Blue Line (Washington Metro)
The Blue Line of the Washington Metro in the United States consists of 27 rapid transit stations from Franconia–Springfield to Largo Town Center. It has stations in Fairfax County, Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Prince George's County, Maryland...
reached Rosslyn. In subsequent years, the Blue Line and the Orange Line
Orange Line (Washington Metro)
The Orange Line of the Washington Metro consists of 26 rapid transit stations from Vienna to New Carrollton. It has stations in Fairfax County and Arlington, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Prince George's County, Maryland. Half of the line's stations are shared with the Blue Line, and over...
were extended from an underground junction near the Rosslyn station
Rosslyn (Washington Metro)
Rosslyn is a rapid transit station on the Blue and Orange Lines of the Washington Metro in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia. One of three interchange points on the Metrorail system west of the Potomac River and located in a growing business district, Rosslyn is the busiest station...
to serve Northern Virginia's suburbs. In the early 1980s, I-66 was extended through Rosslyn to reach the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
. The extensions of Metrorail and I-66 attracted additional high-rise development to Rosslyn.
In 2003, the Virginia Baseball Stadium Authority attempted to attract the relocating Montréal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
to Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
by proposing three Arlington County locations for a new baseball stadium. Two sites were in the urban village of Pentagon City
Pentagon City, Virginia
Pentagon City is an unincorporated neighborhood located in the southeast portion of Arlington County, Virginia, near The Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery...
; the third was a site in the southeastern corner of Rosslyn that was already occupied by four cooperative buildings, formerly the historic Arlington Towers, which were the first high-rise towers in Arlington County, now known as River Place. The issue proved highly divisive, and Virginia's bid failed when Virginia Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Mark Warner
Mark Warner
Mark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving in the United States Senate as the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of...
ruled out state financing for stadium construction. The Expos moved to D.C. after the 2004 season to become the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
, with a new stadium built in southeast Washington.
Economy
The original corporate headquarters of the USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
newspaper, owned by the Gannett Company
Gannett Company
Gannett Company, Inc. is a publicly-traded media holding company headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia, United States, near McLean. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. Its assets include the national newspaper USA Today and the weekly USA Weekend...
, was located in Rosslyn. Both the company and the newspaper occupied two high-rise silver-colored towers, built in the early 1980s, which adjoin each other at 1100 Wilson Boulevard. Gannett did not own these buildings, and moved from their original home to a new campus in Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
in 2002. In the same year, the ABC-affiliated Channel 7 news station for Washington, D.C. (WJLA-TV
WJLA-TV
WJLA-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliated television station in Washington, D.C.. It is the flagship station of the Allbritton Communications Company, which also operates local cable station NewsChannel 8. The two stations share broadcast facilities in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, Virginia...
) moved into the space in Rosslyn previously occupied by USA Today.
As of 2010, Rosslyn has 8100000 square feet (752,514.6 m²) of office space and 6,365 housing units. Some of the tallest condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
buildings in the Washington metropolitan area
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...
are located in Rosslyn, including Waterview tower, River Place, and Turnberry tower.
Annual cultural events
The Arlington County Government operates the 367-seat Rosslyn Spectrum Theater. Five annual film festivals are held in Rosslyn. The Washington DC Independent Film Festival runs for nearly two weeks in March showing independent films from around the world in various locations in and around Washington, DC. In 2011 Rosslyn hosted over 30 film screenings as well as classes, seminars and workshops led by industry professionals.The Annual NoVa International Jewish Film Festival is held each spring in Rosslyn and other Virginia locations. The Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival runs in the spring and summer months showing popular films for free in Gateway Park Friday evenings at dusk. Slapsticon is a four day film festival in July that features silent films, occasionally accompanied by live musicians, as well as early films with audio tracks. The Rosebud Film & Video Festival is an all day event in November that features original works by regional film and video makers. The Rosslyn Jazz Festival, started in 1991, attracted 10,000 attendees in 2006. The annual US FreedomWalk Festival, started in 2000, draws walkers from around the world each Fall for a weekend of walks in Rosslyn and nearby areas.
Museums and other points of interest
The Marine Corps War Memorial in Rosslyn is visited by over 1 million annually. Among these visitors are audiences for the Sunset Parades performed Tuesday evenings during the summer months by the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps with the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon. Crowds also gather at the Memorial on the 4th of July to watch the national fireworks display.Transportation
U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 29 is a north–south United States highway that runs for from the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland, to Pensacola, Florida. This highway's northern terminus is at Maryland Route 99 in Ellicott City, Maryland...
(Frances Scott Key Bridge
Francis Scott Key Bridge (Washington)
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, more commonly known as the Key Bridge, is a six-lane reinforced concrete arch bridge conveying U.S. Route 29 traffic across the Potomac River between the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington County, Virginia and the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C...
and Lee Highway
Lee Highway
The Lee Highway was a National Auto Trail in the United States connecting New York City and San Francisco, California via the South and Southwest. It was named after Robert E...
), Virginia State Route 110
Virginia State Route 110
Virginia State Route 110 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Jefferson Davis Highway, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 and Interstate 395 in Crystal City north to I-66 in Rosslyn within Arlington County...
(Jefferson Davis Highway
Jefferson Davis Highway
The Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway was a planned transcontinental highway in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s that began in Washington, D.C. and extended south and west to San Diego, California; it was named for Jefferson Davis, who, in addition to being the first and only President of...
), the George Washington Memorial Parkway
George Washington Memorial Parkway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, known to local motorists simply as the "G.W. Parkway", is a parkway maintained by the U.S. National Park Service. It is located mostly in Northern Virginia, although a short section northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge passes over Columbia Island,...
, and I-66 (Custis Memorial Parkway). U.S. Route 50 (Arlington Boulevard) connects with all of these routes in and near Rosslyn. Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
's Blue
Blue Line (Washington Metro)
The Blue Line of the Washington Metro in the United States consists of 27 rapid transit stations from Franconia–Springfield to Largo Town Center. It has stations in Fairfax County, Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Prince George's County, Maryland...
and Orange Lines
Orange Line (Washington Metro)
The Orange Line of the Washington Metro consists of 26 rapid transit stations from Vienna to New Carrollton. It has stations in Fairfax County and Arlington, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Prince George's County, Maryland. Half of the line's stations are shared with the Blue Line, and over...
service the Rosslyn Metro station
Rosslyn (Washington Metro)
Rosslyn is a rapid transit station on the Blue and Orange Lines of the Washington Metro in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia. One of three interchange points on the Metrorail system west of the Potomac River and located in a growing business district, Rosslyn is the busiest station...
.
There are 14 Metro bus
Metrobus (Washington, D.C.)
Metrobus is a bus service operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . Its fleet consists of 1,480 buses covering an area of in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. There are over 300 bus routes serving 12,216 stops, including 2,398 bus shelters. In fiscal year 2009,...
lines to the urban village. There is a shuttle run by Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
. A DC Circulator
DC Circulator
The DC Circulator is a bus system in Washington, D.C. The system is a public-private partnership between the District of Columbia Department of Transportation, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and DC Surface Transit, Inc., operated by First Transit.The concept of a separate...
route connects Rosslyn with Georgetown
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown is a neighborhood located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years...
and Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle is a traffic circle, park, neighborhood, and historic district in Northwest Washington, D.C. The traffic circle is located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue NW, Connecticut Avenue NW, New Hampshire Avenue NW, P Street NW, and 19th Street NW...
in Washington, D.C. There are 2 private bus companies that provide service between the Rosslyn Metro Station and New York City. Vamoose Bus provides daily service from 1801 N Lynn Street in Rosslyn to Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
/Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
in New York City. Tripper Bus provides daily service from 1901 N. Moore Street to the Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
flagship store on 34th Street In New York City.
Trails
Multiple cycling and pedestrian trailTrail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
s are present in Rosslyn, connecting Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
and Washington, D.C. The paved Custis Trail
Custis Trail
The Custis Trail is a 4-mile, paved bike trail in Arlington County, Virginia that extends from Key Bridge at Rosslyn westward to the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail...
travels through Rosslyn along Interstate 66. By traveling southeast on the Custis Trail and crossing the George Washington Memorial Parkway, one can reach the paved Mount Vernon Trail
Mount Vernon Trail
The Mount Vernon Trail is a popular running and bike path in Northern Virginia that follows the west bank of the Potomac River from near Theodore Roosevelt Island to Mount Vernon. The northern, urban half is open and has views of Washington, D.C. across the river. The southern below Alexandria is...
, which travels downstream
Downstream
-Science:* In geography, away from the source of a stream or river* In meteorology, away from the source of an air parcel or mass, along the normal direction of water or air flow* Downstream , in computer or telecommunications networks...
on the Virginia side of the Potomac River to Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
and Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon
The name Mount Vernon is a dedication to the English Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon. It was first applied to Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States...
, as well as the unpaved Potomac Heritage Trail
Potomac Heritage Trail
The ', also known as the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail or the PHT, is a designated National Scenic Trail corridor in the northeastern United States that will connect various trails and historic sites in the states of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia...
, which travels upstream
Source (river or stream)
The source or headwaters of a river or stream is the place from which the water in the river or stream originates.-Definition:There is no universally agreed upon definition for determining a stream's source...
near the riverbank
Riverbank
Riverbank may refer to:*Riverbank, California*Riverbank, former name of Bryte, California*The RiverBank, a bank offering banking, insurance and investment services*Bank , the bank of a river...
to the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
. By heading west along the Custis Trail, one can reach the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail
Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park
The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park is a popular and unusually-shaped regional park in Northern Virginia. The park's primary feature is the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail , an asphalt-surfaced paved rail trail that runs through densely populated urban and suburban...
, which travels for 45 miles (72.4 km) through Northern Virginia. One can also cross the Francis Scott Key Bridge
Francis Scott Key Bridge
Francis Scott Key Bridge, or Key Bridge can refer to:*Francis Scott Key Bridge , a bridge crossing the outer harbor of Baltimore, Maryland...
at the end of Lynn Street and pick up the unpaved C&O Canal
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal, and occasionally referred to as the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. The total length of the canal is about . The elevation change of...
towpath
Towpath
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...
or the paved Capital Crescent Trail
Capital Crescent Trail
The Capital Crescent Trail is an long, shared-use rail trail that runs from Georgetown in Washington, D.C., to Silver Spring, Maryland. The portion from Bethesda to Silver Spring is also called the Georgetown Branch Trail but is recognized as the Future Capital Crescent Trail.The Capital Crescent...
in Washington. By heading south on North Lynn Street, one can cross over U.S. Route 50 and travel through the grounds of the Marine Corps War Memorial to reach a paved trail that travels along the wall of Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
to Memorial Drive
Memorial Drive
Memorial Drive may refer to:Streets* Memorial Drive , Georgia* Memorial Drive , Alberta* Memorial Drive , Massachusetts* Memorial Drive * Memorial Drive...
. A sidewalk and paved path along the Drive connects in Lady Bird Johnson Park on Columbia Island
Columbia Island (District of Columbia)
Columbia Island is located in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., and is part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Boundary Channel separates the island from the Virginia shoreline to the southwest...
to the Mount Vernon Trail and to the wide sidewalk
Sidewalk
A sidewalk, or pavement, footpath, footway, and sometimes platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb...
of the Arlington Memorial Bridge
Arlington Memorial Bridge
The Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C. crosses the Potomac River, connecting the Lincoln Memorial and Columbia Island. The northeastern end of the bridge marks the western edge of the National Mall...
, which crosses the Potomac into Washington.