"Shirlington's modern mini downtown" Shirlington by Ewingjr98

Shirlington, like the Rosslyn, Courthouse, Ballston, Crystal City, Pentagon City, and other urban communities in Arlington County, is not an actual city, but defined as an urban village under the county's administration. Unlike most of these other urban villages, Shirlington does not lie on the Metro, but rather on busy I-395, also called the "Shirley Highway," hence the community's name.

Shirlington boasts a population of about 10,000, mostly in the 25 to 35 year old age group. This area is younger with more unmarried people than most of Arlington. While Shirlington is popular and trendy, real estate is a little cheaper here than most of Arlington, probably because of the absence of a convenient Metro stop.

The areas businesses, restaurants, nightlife, and theaters are centered around Shirlington Village, a compact, three street area that is one of the busiest little spots in all of Northern Virginia. Shirlington Village began in the 1940s, and was completely revamped in the 1980s, and expanded in 2005 to its current pedestrian-friendly designed with plenty of free parking in the surrounding garages. Shirlington is serviced by the Shirlington Bus Station, a transport hub in southern Arlington that handles some 2,000 commuters daily.

During our visits we have ventured into several of the bars and restaurants including Busboys and Poets, Ping, Guapos, Carlyle, and the Bungalow. My personal favorite place to eat was Ping, theough the food was cheap and good at Busboys and Poets, and the service was better.