Check out these stories!

See why these DC area residents love their neighborhoods and check out the winning story! We also still want to hear from you—if you haven't submitted your neighborhood story yet, please submit your story here. Your story won't make it into our contest but we would love to continue to add to our list of stories and neighborhoods!

Winning Story!: Stacy in Sheridan-Kalorama, D.C.

This is a love story. To quote the gifted soulstress, Erykah Badu, “Right here what we gonna do is go back / Way back.” I was 18 and entering freshman year at Howard University in 1990. My dorm was off campus at 12th & Vermont, my introduction to Northwest DC. In the early 90s, NW DC could be gritty and dangerous but it was filled with an electric vibrancy promoted by diverse and interwoven communities. With each footstep melding concrete from M street to Massachusetts, New Hampshire to Connecticut Ave, my Love for DC grew stronger. I celebrated dance at local night clubs—The Ritz, Sports Fan club, Circle Underground, Red, ESL. I dined at fantastic restaurants, built lifelong friendships, and survived bad romances. But NW DC was always my first Love. Then, fast forward twenty years later, and I was saying goodbye to DC. It was a heartbreak to leave my beloved city, and it was not by choice. However, six years later, and after a tumultuous breakup fraught with grief and longing, DC and I found our way back to each other. Sheridan-Kalorama, or the Rama as I fondly call her, is now the neighborhood of my heart for the last year. Surrounded by Beaux-Arts beauty, I feel like I'm transported to Europe each day. A Europe I miss due to the constraints of not traveling during the pandemic. Yet, as soon as my foot hits pavement, I absorb the grandeur of my neighborhood history. Lunch on the Spanish Steps, dog-watching at Mitchell Park, or envisioning my life in the Bezos estate on S Street (one can dream). I thrill in the opportunity to explore tree-lined streets filled with chirping sparrows and rowdy robins. In the Rama, I disconnect from the city hustle or feel my youth of thirty years ago when I skip (exaggeration) over to AdMo where bass and boom permeate the air in spring and summer. It is then with my mask off, social-distanced, I breathe in this neighborhood and know that I am Home. Sheridan-Kalorama: Love of my life.

Jamie in Herndon, VA

The idea of home has always been a feeling and less of a place. Living in northern Virginia for over two decades, varied places in the DC metro region have been called home. The recent milestone of marriage brought a new single-family neighborhood to our story to begin our lives as a new couple. A community built in Herndon Virginia, in the late 70's would be our new place to make roots. My husband’s love to build a family unit together was refreshing after years of living the single life. Speaking of roots, the area is filled with mature trees and a local park path with streams and wildlife that is truly more impressive than the homes that are lucky to live in their shadows. Coming from a city apartment, and retreating from a new build townhouse, it had been a while since we both had lived near established trees.

A few years now, we are grateful to be surrounded by the strength and comfort of nature and have found our home to be more than just a house. In a time with mixed emotions and harder feelings seemed more familiar than good, our own feeling of family was more important than ever in the footprint of our little neighborhood in big Fairfax County. The trees symbolize our need to feel grounded when all else feels up in the air. As the season's change, the greenspace is ever changing with both the temperatures and the times. A broken limb or dying shrub would be nurtured with a new row of cypress “children” all in line to continue the tradition. From the new life of spring, a snowy refuge for the residential birds and squirrels, to the bright summer grass with shade from the oaks- the feeling of home is plentiful. The last few years have given me the perspective to keep looking up when things continue to feel down and find gratitude in our home outside of the things inside or shelter it brings. With the love of my husband and our love for the nature that surrounds us every day, I couldn’t ask for a better hug and home.

Susan in Fredericksburg, VA

My husband and I have lived on Capitol Hill and on a farm in King George County. But, the city of Fredericksburg is the best of both worlds! It's a historic city dating from 1728 with almost 400 dwellings within its Historic District. This charm gives it a small town feel yet there are many sophisticated people who live here. Some have arrived recently and others, like my husband's family, have been here for centuries. Fredericksburg has been billed as America's Most Historic City. There is always something to learn about on every corner of this town. I love where I live!

Jennifer in Reston, VA

“Live, Work, Play.” This motto reflects the vision of Robert E. Simon when he founded Reston, Virginia in the 1960s and the motto remains true today more than ever. Reston was created to be a place where people can not only live, but thrive, and enjoy all life has to offer. There's really no place quite like Reston in the DC area—there are 4 lakes, 55 miles of interconnected trails including the W&OD trail, over 800 acres of natural areas, 2 golf courses, 15 pools, 50 tennis courts, a wide variety of shopping and restaurants, and convenient commuter access with 2 Silver Line metro stations. Within walking distance from where I live, I am able to enjoy a lovely boat ride on one of the lakes, shop for any convenience I need, enjoy a high quality meal at a restaurant, go for a walk or a bike ride for miles on the trails, or walk to the metro and head to DC. Places like the Reston Town Center and Lake Ann offer dining, shopping, and outdoor entertainment including a variety of festivals and events. There is a strong business presence in Reston with numerous top-rated companies located throughout. Reston has even been recognized by Money Magazine as one of the best places to live. I have thoroughly enjoyed calling Reston my home and being able to enjoy the high quality life that it has to offer.

Charles in Adams Morgan, D.C.

Good architecture, extensive green spaces, a variety of delicious food, and an open and diverse community are the things I love most about any place I travel or live. In my Adams Morgan neighborhood at the top of Kalorama Hill in the Northwest Quadrant of Washington, DC, I can experience all of these things by taking about a 10-minute walk from my front door. Here in my neighborhood in the area bounded by Rock Creek Park and the main streets Connecticut Avenue, Calvert Street, 18th Street & Florida Avenue, I enjoy walking and biking the many tree-lined residential streets. As an avid photographer, I never tire of taking pictures of the mostly brick townhouses of varied late 19th/early 20th Century architectural styles and periods that lace up and down this first hill of Washington as you head up 18th Street NW from downtown. This neighborhood is blessed with a wide variety of small independently-owned businesses run by people who proudly welcome you in and are eager to tell you about themselves and how they have made their businesses. Among these are not only a wide variety of shops, but nearly 100 restaurants large and small, upscale and simple within a 10-minute walk of my front door. These represent an abundance of choice in vast array of over 25 types of cuisine—from well-known American to European to Asian, and even less familiar ones like Armenian and Azerbaijani and Nepali. Sitting outside on the terrace of any of these restaurants or the dozens of cafés and bars that dot Adams Morgan features the best of both worlds: good food and drink and a nonstop show of people-watching. Walking along Columbia Road never fails to make me appreciate the architectural majesty and details of the many grand residential buildings. Turning right onto 18th Street and descending the hill along the bustling, main commercial corridor provides wonderful views of the city. As I am lucky to live near the top of the hill, I wake up to that view every morning and look out over the city below. As I scan the horizon, I can see a full panorama of the city below. As Washington is a low-rise city, tall major landmarks stand out. I can see the full line of the arc of the horizon, punctuated by the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, the US Capitol, The Washington Monument, and the dome of St. Matthew’s Cathedral. In warm weather I can go out and have coffee or breakfast on the porch and ponder that view. In winter I can lie in bed and watch magnificent late morning sunrises that bring that skyline out of darkness in a splendid show of multiple bursts of colors. At night the whole central city below twinkles in lights at the bottom of the hill of what I proudly call my neighborhood.

Carol in Columbia Heights, D.C.

During the pandemic, I started walking in my Columbia Heights neighborhood, mostly up and down 11th Street NW, between Harvard Street and Monroe. One day, I walked through a small passageway between Lamont and Park road. It led to a garden behind a high fence, on top of which was a sign reading “Bienvenidos,” or “welcome” in Spanish. I had discovered a community garden, founded in 2011, seven years after I had moved into a house on Harvard. I visited the garden often. I met the upbeat, positive millennials who volunteered there, directed by the farm manager, who taught agricultural science at Maryland University. I learned that in 2020 the gardeners donated 600 pounds of organic produce to charity. It has been a joy for me to be in the garden, to sit among the flowers and other plants, to see the enthusiasm of the gardeners. The garden is known as Columbia Heights Green.

Stephanie in Kentlands, MD

We live in the most amazing and beautiful place called the Kentlands, which is a new urbanist neighborhood in Gaithersburg, MD. The Kentlands has so much charm with its various traditional architectural home and business styles including Federal, Victorian, Colonial, farmhouse and more. The lakes, creeks, trails, woods, and many brick sidewalks make it a very accessible and walkable place. Whenever we are out enjoying a walk or the scenery, it will always include running into neighbors and friends, or a heron, a fox, hawks, squirrels, rabbits, box turtles, and many other forms of wildlife. Each season offers beautiful and inspiring flowers, blossoms, colorful leaves, and snow-covered trails to enjoy. Everything is within walking distance including a preschool, elementary school, dance company, gym, swimming pool, tennis courts, grocery stores, many restaurants, shops and services too. There are so many fun annual events to participate in or help with including the Kentlands 5K, Oktoberfest, horse and carriage rides with Santa, concerts on the lawn, art shows at the Mansion, holiday decorations contests and more. There are also many ways to get involved, from book groups, wine clubs, a needle arts group, to a Go Green Committee, and other volunteer committees that serve the neighborhood to keep its design integrity in tact while also progressing with the times. We have looked at other neighborhoods, but nothing compares to what we have here. Hope you will visit soon.

Kristen in Greenbelt, MD

I love Greenbelt because it has a mix of old and new, historical complexity and modern energy. Greenbelt was built during the New Deal as a planned government housing community, known for interior walkways and pedestrian underpasses between greenspaces. Later, when the government was ready to sell, the residents formed a housing cooperative, one of many cooperative businesses in the city. Within the city limits is also one of the first mall-type shopping centers in the United States. But it's not just historic housing, there are also more recently-built townhomes and apartments, and plans for a redevelopment of that same mall to turn it into a modern town center using more current urban design concepts, located within a short distance of the Greenbelt Metro Station. Greenbelt has a strong sense of community, with a weekly farmers' market and other events, the annual Labor Day Festival and parade, artists' studios, a cooperative daycare in the Greenbelt Community Center (considered one of the ten best Art Deco style structures in the U.S.), and fun recreation activities like the Tour de Greenbelt bike ride led by the mayor and the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot around Greenbelt Lake. In pre-COVID times, there were also multiple music festivals in the Roosevelt Center plaza and inside the New Deal Café, as well as film festivals held at the also fabulously Art Deco Old Greenbelt Theater. Environmentalism is important in Greenbelt, with a number of initiatives to reduce the city's carbon footprint, including electric and hybrid city vehicles, various composting initiatives, and the Greenbelt Forest Preserve, more than 250 acres of woodland protected and conserved in its existing state.

Barbara in Reston, VA

Reston is my hometown since 1971. My husband and I love this place because it is an inclusive environment for all ages, ethnicities, and incomes. We enjoy the many wooded areas, miles of paths, and the lakes in this environmentally aware town. There are the small shopping centers in various areas, as well as the town city center which provides adequate shopping, cultural activities, clubs, resources, and entertainment. Our children attended the schools here, and our church community has been a part of our life here, also. It is a well planned place “to live, work, and play” as RESton (Robert E. Simon, the developer) said when he visualized his dream.

Nancy in South Arlington, VA

I have lived in south Arlington on and off (between overseas assignments) since 1976, and now that I am retired and could live anywhere else, that’s where I choose to stay. The neighborhoods I have been part of (first Barcroft, then Douglas Park) have been vibrant and neighborly, and I’m never further than a walk or short bike ride from a library, grocery, or gym, from a plethora of restaurants, or from a bus line or bike trail that will take me into DC, or out to Mt Vernon or Leesburg. I am a short drive (or longer bus or metro ride) from at least eight professional theaters, and a quick hop on public transportation from Reagan National Airport which makes my love of both theater and travel very convenient. In the summer we have difficulty deciding whether to take in a free concert down the road at the Air Force Memorial, or a short jaunt across Arlington Boulevard to the Lubber Run Amphitheater to see a free live performance. The apartment complex across the street from me has been selling summer memberships to its pool to non residents, and we have been enjoying that privilege for decades. Then there are my neighbors: I’ve been participating in my neighborhood book club for almost twenty years! I’ve got people I can turn to in a pinch and they have me. I like living in an established neighborhood with big trees and sidewalks, plenty of places to walk to, and diverse and friendly inhabitants.

Tim in Parkview, D.C.

I live in Parkview, the best neighborhood in Washington, DC. I had lived right downtown, which can be very hectic with so many people and so much traffic. As much as I loved it there, I had no outdoor space for over a decade, so when we were looking, that became crucial. That’s when we came across our home in Parkview. Directly across the street is a huge park (originally intended to be the Central Park of DC). We have 2 decks off the front of our house that overlook a huge field, woods, a golf course and a lake. This is the backside of the property that the old soldiers home sits on. We can sit outside and be a total part of nature with a half mile view…all 5 blocks from the metro. When the sunsets behind us, it lights up the tops of all the trees in a bright orange. Plus we fill the decks with tons of flowers. It feels like we are living in the country, but we are only 20 blocks from downtown in the dead center of the city. All that is great, but what we love most here is that just over the top of that hill across the street is Lincoln’s Cottage. Lincoln lived there through most of his presidency, and actually wrote the Emancipation Proclamation in that building…right there at the top of the hill. It gives us such a sense of pride and history to know we are in the front lawn of a place of such importance, especially today.

Jennifer in Woodley Park, D.C.

I LOVE my neighborhood of Woodley Park! I have lived here for more than 25 years. It's a beautiful, quiet neighborhood which fortunately has become more diverse over the years. There is beautiful architecture and an abundance of natural and landscaped public places to enjoy like the Smithsonian National Zoo, the Tregaron Conservancy and the national treasure that is the Washington National Cathedral, with its spectacular Bishop's Garden and Olmstead Woods. Walking, hiking and biking is easy to do here with many great routes accessible to everyone. There are great restaurants, several farmers markets and a variety of unique retail shopping options. Woodley Park is conveniently located on a metro line and has several bus routes that convene here so you can travel most places easily and inexpensively. Neighbors are friendly and helpful. I love seeing the changing seasons in my neighborhood, I especially enjoy the trees changing in the fall and the spring. I have thought about moving somewhere else in DC or in the US, but I can't imagine living anywhere else. The art, culture, nature, food, free services, etc. cannot be denied. This is why I LOVE my neighborhood, my home, Woodley Park, Washington, DC.

Sharon in Kentlands/Lakelands Gaithersburg, MD 

For 20 years we were residents of the Kentlands/Lakelands subdivision in Gaithersburg, MD. Much has been written about the New Urbanist movement but living it is amazing. Life there is marked by strong communal bonds, an idyllic, small-town atmosphere and neighborly interactions. Our children grew up with a strong sense of place and community and even the local shopkeepers kept an eye out for them. There are special neighborhood events like the Kentlands 5K, the Kentlands Under the Lights Community Dinner, lots of clubs and organizations, and active swim teams for the kids. To have all of these things in a suburb of DC seems too good to be true!

Scott in Cathedral Heights, D.C.

In 2004, I moved to Washington, DC and settled in the U Street Corridor neighborhood where I lived until 2017. That year, my partner and I purchased our first condo in Cathedral Heights across from Washington National Cathedral. We love hearing the bells on Sundays. I often imagine we're in a medieval European town. My go-to spot for rest and rejuvenation is the Bishop's Garden. It's especially beautiful during the spring. When we moved to Cathedral Heights, we felt like we were on vacation for the first year. The neighborhood is a little more spacious, quieter, and parking is plentiful, unlike our old stomping grounds! Fortunately, we didn't lose walkability and that was essential when deciding to purchase. We have plenty of transportation options. We also have access to a well-stocked grocery store and flavorful restaurants that take us around the world: Asian, Indian, French, Spanish, and Tex Mex. Another asset to the neighborhood is access to the Glover-Archbold Trail, which runs from Tenleytown to the Capital Crescent Trail on the banks of the Potomac River. It's a lovely spot to walk, run, or just take in the trees and local wildlife. I'm there a lot, reconnecting with nature and taking in the smell of the woods. We both grew up in the country, so we appreciate greenspace, and this is a godsend in the city. If you lived here, you'd love where you live just like we do!

Lindsey in City of Fairfax, VA

It all started when I met my husband in college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We got married in 2009 and about a month and half later moved to the City of Fairfax and never looked back! My husband grew up in the City of Fairfax and he loved it so much that he brought me back. As a young married couple we bought a small fixer upper in the City of Fairfax. Then, five years ago we bought my husband's parent's house when they downsized (to a condo in Fairfax City) because we loved being in the City of Fairfax - now my son is growing up in the same bedroom as his dad and he even goes to the same elementary school! We love taking family walks to Old Town Fairfax and participating in all the events the City puts on. My younger (preschool-aged) son loves our beautiful library, Funday Monday and playing at Ratcliffe park. My kids love playing outside with our neighbors who have also become their best friends. As a former teacher, I also chose to teach within our city and I still see my former students around town. We just love that while we live in such a huge metropolis area, the City of Fairfax truly feels like living in a small town. We couldn't imagine life anywhere else. 

David in Old Town Alexandria, VA

After decades living around the world in the Foreign Service we consider ourselves lucky to be retired in Old Town Alexandria. Like many of our neighbors, we delight in the spectacular sunrises across the Potomac each morning enhanced by the now complete opening of the Alexandria shore line from north to south. As avid bikers the expansive DC metro trail system invites us to ride to Bethesda, College Park, Vienna (or even Purcellville) and Mount Vernon any day. Or we can walk to hundreds of shopping and restaurant destinations in Old Town or Del Ray.

Jason in Dupont Circle, D.C.

I moved from the DC suburbs to DC proper in May and wow, what a difference. I love it here in Dupont Circle! There are a ton of great restaurants here, but within about a mile, I can walk to dining options in Georgetown, West End, Adams Morgan, Logan Circle, and downtown. Plus, the Phillips Collection and the Spanish Steps are right here!

And, you can always play the “which embassy is that” game as you walk through Dupont (and neighboring Kalorama)! There is even an annual Embassy Day and a European Union Open House.

The Dupont farmers' market is huge and has an amazing selection of fresh local produce, meats, alcohol, and prepared foods. Depending on the season, I've even found duck eggs, Cambodian eggplant, purple cauliflower, edible flowers, and more apple and tomato varieties than I'll ever remember the name of.

Other sights or things to do: There is even an impressive church on P street that was built in 1903, Church of the Pilgrims. And, there is P Street Beach (a field you can hangout on or have a picnic) by the river on the outskirts of Rock Creek Park, but don't get your hopes up...since if it was ever a usable beach, it was a very long time ago. Plus, you can play golf at Swingers or attend a comedy show. Have fun exploring Dupont Circle!

Janet in Wheaton, MD

I grew up in the Wheaton area. I understand that Wheaton Plaza (now Westfield Wheaton) was the first shopping mall in the country. It started out as two strips of stores with an open plaza between them, with trees and flower beds. My dad used to take my little brother and me to Sligo Creek Park. He'd pick up litter while my brother and I played in the creek. There were many other small parks within walking distance, where I could meet friends to play. When I was older, I'd ride my bike on the bike path through Sligo Creek park. As a teenager, I'd go to Brookside Nature Center and Brookside Gardens, and to Wheaton Regional Park (and especially the Riding Stables there). Wheaton was a great place to grow up, with lots of green space, friendly neighborhoods, and lots of shopping. The housing includes bungalows like where I grew up, and progresses to larger houses and condos now, especially near the Wheaton Metro Station and Westfield Wheaton. It's now very diverse, with Asian, Latino, European, and American restaurants and shops.

Beverley in Eckington, D.C.

In 2007 I was introduced to my lovely home—I drove into the now fashionable Eckington area kicking and screaming. “Why are you bringing me over here (the then barren Eckington area) I don’t want to live over here,” I protested. She silently turned the key into the show house that I have occupied since 2007. Architecturally, I could not resist it. The only feature this area had in its favor then was easy access to the Red Line for my son to get to school across town, when I could not drive him there. Sometimes I don’t recognize my neighborhood, a stones throw from Union Market with fresh organic foods, vibrant restaurants, bike lanes, walking paths, parks, two hotels, a pop-up cinema and recently a climbing gym with a sauna just behind me. I love, love, love my neighborhood. And during these pandemic months the natural light that pours in from my ceiling-to-floor windows has kept me sane. I had just departed a 20-year marriage so this home was my Redemption Song. It was easier to walk away with nothing than than fight him back and forth on material things. As a family, my son and I have blossomed just like the neighborhood. I have written three books in the time frame, taking long walks on the MBT trail to stretch my legs. My son went off to college and is now gradating in June with a PHD in economics. The demographics have changed tremendously. A lot of young couples with babies, this neighborhood is so ready for the next generation!!!

Dennis in Falls Church City, VA

Falls Church City is small, has its own school system, and because it is small, some children attend school with the same people from K-12. Besides that, it has its own library, and police, and City Hall and celebration events. Some old historic properties like The Falls Church, which had the declaration of independence read from its steps, had George Washington involved in its founding. Plus, a lot of new buildings and houses were built where WW2 houses used to exist but were replaced by modern structures. Because they are done one at a time, there is a lot of variety. There are metro stops on either end of town: both East and West Falls Church metros. There are some unique restaurants like Claire and Dons Beach Shack, which is like going to the beach here in the little city. And there's much more. But the Big Story is that in little Falls Church City, you can get your arms around the entire place.

Gordon in Palisades, D.C.

Eclectic architecture and mid-century modern homes, including mine..a Japanese style house. With the aid of the DC Preservation League, I sought historic designation of his unique Japanese style house—once owned by former Chief Judge David Bazelon of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, and later by Senator George McGovern (S.D.), the Democratic Presidential candidate against Richard Nixon in 1972. As a result of my efforts, the Bazelon-McGovern House was ultimately listed by the DC Historic Preservation Review Board on the DC Inventory of Historic Sites, as well as listed by the National Park Service in the National Register of Historic Places (see Kent Connection, May 2021).

Patty in Capitol Hill, DC

I live in Lovejoy Condos on Capitol Hill close to the H Street corridor. This building used to be a school for Black Americans built after the Civil War and named for the abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy. It was one of a number of schools sold by the District to developers in the early 2000s. Not only is it wonderful to live in a former brick school but it is wonderful to live in this neighborhood. My neighbors are constantly creative and aware of what is going on in our world and always celebrating the seasons with joy!

Lauren in Leesburg, VA

In the summer of 2020, when we were confined to our homes due to the pandemic, my family and I took it as an opportunity to explore nature's beautiful landscapes offered by our hometown, Leesburg. After searching for the perfect fishing spot, we stumbled upon Goose Creek, or the Goose, as we like to call it. This tributary of the Potomac River runs from the Blue Ridge Mountains and cuts through both Loudoun and Faquier counties. With its quiet rapids and abundance of wildlife (bugs, flowers, fish, and snakes), that summer, the Goose provided our family with an oasis with which to escape, rest, and reflect. A short drive five minutes from home, fishing at the Goose truly became a sort of stay-at-home vacation for us to spend our summer days outdoors; almost two years later, trips to Leesburg's Goose Creek have become a tradition each summer.

Caitlin in Riverdale Park, MD

I live in Riverdale Park, MD, and love the small town feel. We have everything we need right at the town center, just next to the MARC train station, including the DMV's best Texas-style bbq, a full service liquor and wine store with beers on tap, a Vietnamese bistro, and a tapas restaurant. We're super close to the Trolley Trails for walking and biking, right off Route 1 to get us into D.C. very easily, and our tight-knit community is eclectic. We have art installations throughout the community, a historic mansion and park (Riversdale Mansion), and lots of parks. Families of all ages really love it here.

Marda in Shirlington, VA

Nearly 42 years ago as a single mom I moved from Rochester, Michigan to Arlington, Virginia with my two daughters. We found a townhouse in Fairlington and began our new life. We would often venture down the steep hill on S. 31st Street to Shirlington Village to visit the Shirlington Deli and once in a while have an ice cream or milkshake at the Weenie Beenie on Shirlington Road. We were happy. My girls went through the Arlington public schools and on to college and careers. As they matured so did Shirlington. The deli moved on and the Carlyle Grand opened, the drapery shop closed and Thai Shirlington opened. I remarried and moved 20 miles south on I-95 but when we got together it was in Shirlington. Four years ago my husband and I did what so many folks our age are doing. We down-sized. There was never a second thought as to where we wanted to be—Shirlington. We love where we live in the happiest little village in Northern Virginia. No one can deny that COVID and the pandemic have been a challenge but we feel like the happiest, luckiest people anywhere. I look out my living room window on the 11th floor of the Shirlington Village Condominiums and I see the Washington Monument and once again planes flying in and out of National Airport. I look down on Four Mile Run and some days it’s a lazy little stream and during an afternoon thunderstorm it can be a raging rapids. I see men, women, children, dogs, and bicycles on the path along Shirlington Park. We can walk to more than a dozen restaurants, shops, stores, salons, spas, and a full-service grocery store. There is a public library, a U.S. Post Office, three banks, two gyms, a dry cleaners, a veterinarian, multiple doctors and dentists, a multi-screen movie theatre, the award winning Signature Theatre, and WETA! All within walking distance. Yes, all this makes me love where I live but the frosting on the cake—the people! Shirlington Village is home to some of the best, smartest, funniest, most beautiful people anywhere. We come from all over the country and the world. We come in all sizes, shapes, and colors and we are all happy to call this our home. Whether I am viewing the Fourth of July fireworks from venues dotted along the Potomac in DC, Virginia, and Maryland; watching traffic backup on 395; seeing dogs and their owners gamboling in the dog park; volunteering at the Arlington Food Assistance Center; observing a new class of ACFD trainees scale the fire tower at the Arlington County Trade Center; or sitting on one of the many benches on the plaza...I LOVE WHERE I LIVE, SHIRLINGTON!

Laura in Capitol Hill, D.C.

I live on Capitol Hill (NE) and I adore both NE and SE. I walk every day (almost) and I KNOW I have been down every block, every alley, every nook and cranny multiple times. But each walk I take I still find myself seeing things for the first time, sometimes getting lost (in a good way) in each of the four seasons. And nowadays, I do not even need to get in any transportation to find anything I need or want. Capitol Hill has everything—even a beautiful waterfront! We blossom larger every day!

Mona in McLean, VA

As an immigrant, it is hard to recreate a feeling of home and belonging. I've been living in McLean, VA for over a decade and in NoVA since 1995. In McLean, even though I'm different from many of my neighbors and friends, I found a home. I bump into friends an acquaintances wherever I go, while doing grocery shopping, walking my dog, having a coffee or watching kids play sports. When people start knowing our name and care enough to be a part of our everyday life, it feels a lot like my country of origin, Egypt, where I grew up in a tight-knit community and there's a feeling of belonging. As a city girl, I like that I can be in the city in ten minutes and be able to access so much culture and fantastic restaurants.

Katrina in Downtown Fairfax, VA

I grew up in rural western NY and am a country girl at heart, so moving to the DC area was difficult for me. I've been living in NoVA for 6 years now, and am currently settled in downtown Fairfax. I've been surprised by how the town has slowly grown on me. I've come to love the history of the main strip, the lights at Christmastime, and the brick sidewalks. I'm also a runner, so I particularly appreciate all the well-maintained parks and trails in the area. As a serious cook and foodie, the access to restaurants and ingredients from a vast array of different cultures continues to blow my mind. I still miss the quiet and space of my hometown, but I've learned that I can be happy here too!

Lourdes in Columbia Heights, D.C.

It was love at first sight with Columbia Heights, DC. I remember the very first time I walked around. I was on Irving walking east from metro towards 11th St. I vividly remember a truck at the light playing Latin music, then another car with rap and hip hop and finally a group of people listening to country music. When you walk around you hear so many languages! There is no other place with more diversity in DC. In one block you can find Ethiopian, Cuban, Dominican, Vietnamese, Mexican, Salvadoran. Of course, like many love stories, we have our share of issues: crime and violence, poverty and drugs, and that breaks my heart, but I don't know where else I would feel the way I feel about my neighborhood. Where else would I feel this included, accepted, at the same time upset and annoyed, but always wanted? If you lived here you would find personality, independence, connection, color, noise and music!

Robert in Warrenton, VA

Warrenton, VA is a jewel of a community. The old clearly blends in with the new. Main Street America truly comes alive in this community. There are so many things to do. The Fauquier County School District provides a quality education. All kinds of cultural activities are available for your pleasure.

Nicole in Fairfax, VA

Growing up in Fairfax, there was always something to do or a new place to explore! We were just a metro ride away from DC or a short car ride from one of the many town centers (Reston Town Center was our absolute FAVORITE! Especially the TUBS at Ted's Bulletin) Having recently moved to a more rural area, I have to admit that sometimes I miss my old commute in the morning RT28 traffic. I didn't realize that all those times I was stuck on RT28, 66, 50 were times I could truly be by myself and reflect. Fairfax is and will always be home.

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