We walked around National Landing, the new neighborhood in Virginia Amazon carved out for its HQ2 - here's what it looks like today
Crystal City and the areas of Pentagon City and Potomac Yard that make up National Landing already have office space, housing, recreational space, three metro stations with commuter-rail access, and the Reagan National Airport all within a mile radius.
And there are plans to add to the existing environment and infrastructure.
Local developer JBG Smith plans to kick-start several of its unfinished projects in the area ...
Source: Business Insider
... including a 130,000-square-foot shopping and entertainment space known as Central District Retail ...
Source: Business Insider
... and an entertainment district anchored by a 49,000-square-foot theater called the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
Source: Business Insider
JBG Smith has also given Amazon exclusive rights to purchase some of its land and lease space in several of its buildings.
Source: Business Insider
As you walk through Crystal City and Pentagon City, you can already see that the area is changing.
And when all is said and done, the new neighborhood carved out by Amazon could look and feel very different from what's there right now.
JBG Smith has investment plans to build a pedestrian bridge from National Landing directly to the Reagan National Airport.
Currently, a car-only bridge provides traffic direct access from the airport to the Crystal City and Pentagon City area.
In order to access this bridge, drivers must exit the major highway I-395 vessel that connects Washington D.C. to Virginia onto Route 1.
The government has already provided the city with funding to make the neighborhood accessible to all forms of transportation, and at the moment there is plenty of parking for residents and commuters alike.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which operates the second largest heavy rail transit system and the sixth largest bus network in the U.S., provides the area with rail and bus service.
Through this system, commuters can reach various parts of the Washington metropolitan area, including parts of Maryland and Virginia.
One of the bus lines has a route directly through the entire Crystal City area, leading south to the Alexandria Old Town Historic district.
The city will see additional entrances to its Metro stations at Crystal City and Potomac Yard.
Source: Business Insider
As an alternative to driving cars, some commuters opt to ride scooters or motorcycles to save on gas costs and time on the train.
Almost 400,000 rental apartments, condos, townhouses, and houses are located within a five-mile radius of National Landing, and there are 40,000 more in the pipeline.
Source: National Landing
The area serves both commuters and residents alike, who can take advantage of a mall, shops, and food offerings in the area like ...
... Starbucks, an essential for corporate officer workers ...
...local food vendors ...
... fast food chains ...
... and fine dining restaurants.
Currently only two blocks contain all of the food and entertainment options that Crystal City has to offer within walking distance of the neighborhood.
And the bulk of the foot traffic takes place during the lunch hour.
The area seems to cater specifically to individuals and companies that work in the area.
Already the area of the National Landing has multiple high-rise corporate buildings, and more are set to be built in the next ten years.
Amazon will rent out 500,000 square feet of office space for its incoming employees, so that foot traffic will likely increase.
Source: Business Insider
Pedestrians can take in some art while they walk, too.
On various boxy structures, you can see massive painting installations ...
… that are visible from multiple angles.
Walls throughout the area are painted with bright colors and organic shapes.
Some are more vibrant than others, and none seem to coincide with a theme that matches the usage of the building.
Over the years, multiple artists have created artwork for Crystal City to make its largely concrete buildings feel more welcoming.
Source: Arlington Magazine
You also can find other art installations around the city, like these blue, stick-like pieces.
And you can also take in the views from the chairs and benches littered throughout the area.
There are various recreational spaces with bright colored chairs placed amongst the courtyards in between the shopping area and the corporate buildings.
JBG Smith Properties has plans to create additional recreational spaces that will be free for the public to use.
However, when you start to walk south of Crystal City towards the end of the National Landing area, the amount of people walking around begins to decrease.
On the opposite side of Route 1 there are factories and large warehouses.
Multiple hotels such as the Hyatt Regency are on these southern blocks due to their convenient location of being across from the airport.
In juxtaposition to the bustling lunch hour two blocks away, these streets are isolated.
Sporadically a group or person would walk by.
"It has long been a goal of the area to have a more unified downtown," said Tracy Gabriel, Crystal City Business Improvement District's president and executive Director.
Source: Crystal City
From the hotels you can see the construction of luxury residential complexes.
Because of Amazon’s move to the Arlington area, the dozens of complexes being built will now have guaranteed occupation of their high rises.
Because of the amount of development that will go into the Crystal City area, current residents can expect to see more construction cranes.
Parallel to National Landing, you can take in views of the city from George Washington Parkway.
Alongside the parkway is a major commuter and recreational trail, Mt. Vernon Trail, that also runs alongside the Potomac River.
”Gravelly Point” is the name of the parking lot where people park to access this park along the Potomac and watch the airplanes take off the runway.
The area doesn't just boast easy access to Washington D.C. — the view of D.C. from the park is also pretty nice.
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