Whether you live in Arlington, Virginia or are thinking of moving here this site is for you. Presented by Elizabeth Bouchard, Arlington native and longtime real estate professional.
Arlington County’s Parks and Recreations Department offers fitness, arts, dance, music, swimming and wellness options for kids, teens, adults and seniors. Check out their online catalog for the latest offerings.
There are also many opportunities for learning new skills in art, cooking, photography, foreign languages, music, computers and more through Arlington Community Learning.
Below freezing temperatures this time of year might keep you from exercising outdoors but you can still get a good workout by swimming at one of Arlington’s three indoor swimming pools, located at the three public high schools. Washington-Liberty’s natatorium just opened in 2009 and features a 25 meter x 25 yard pool with a movable bulkhead, two 1m springboards, a separate instructional pool, a wet classroom and a spectator area. The other two pools are six lane 25 yard pools with a separate instructional tank. The pools open for community swim as early as 5:30 a.m. and stay open some days to 8:30 at Wakefield and Yorktown and 9:30 at Washington-Liberty. There are designated lap lanes, open swim areas, a tank pool for children and they offer swimming and aqua fitness classes. Daily passes are available or you can purchase multi-use passes or memberships. Free swim times for Arlington Seniors and Arlington Children and Youth are also available each week. Check the Arlington Public Schools Aquatics website for more information and links to community swim schedules, lane and tank availability, class descriptions, and fees.
The pools are located at:
They are currently offering gift cards for memberships so if there is an avid swimmer on your gift list you might want to check it out.
Have you seen the new Karate Kid movie? Do Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith inspire you to want to learn martial arts? Jhoon Rhee Tai Kwon Do at Lee Harrison shopping center offers classes for knee-high ninjas all the way up to adults as well as a kardio kickboxing class.
The annual Marine Corps Marathon is typically held the last Sunday in October. Come out and cheer them on as they run through Arlington and Washington, DC. There are five locations recommended for spectators.
Visit the Marine Corps Marathon website or download the free APP for the iPhone.
Opening ceremonies will be held at the MCM Start Line on Route 110 in Arlington accessible on Metro’s blue/orange line at the Rosslyn or Pentagon Station. Metro will open at 5 AM and the race begins at 7:55 AM. After the start you can cross the Arlington Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial in DC where you’ll be able to see runners at mile 11 and mile 16. If you head east on Constitution Avenue, past the Washington Monument to the National Mall you will be in a good position to see the runners at miles 18 and 19. From there take the Metro via the Smithsonian station and head back into Virginia on the Blue or Yellow line to Crystal City where you can see the runners at miles 22 and 23. There will also be live music and family activities. At the finish line near the Marine Corps War Memorial there will be bleacher seating. Take Metro’s blue line to Rosslyn or the MCM shuttle from 23rd Street in Crystal City.
The Marine Corps Marathon Finish Festival is usually held in Rosslyn with a family link up area, music, food samplings and a beer garden.
Looking for a spot to watch Washington Commanders with other fans without going to the game? Want to gather with friends to watch the Super Bowl without having to host a party? Here are some local Arlington sports bars you might check out.
Renegade in Clarendon
Courthaus Social in the Courthouse neighborhood
World of Beer on Glebe Road in Ballston (Permanently closed)
Bronson Bier Hall in Ballston
Spider Kelly’s in Clarendon
Thirsty Bernie’s on Glebe Road near Lee Highway
First Down Sports Bar on Fairfax Drive
