National Landing (Pentagon City/Crystal City/Potomac Yard), VA

National Landing (Pentagon City/Crystal City/Potomac Yard), VA

National Landing, aka: Amazon’s HQ2, is the blending of three neighborhoods: Crystal City, Pentagon City, and part of Potomac Yard. In November 2018, Amazon announced that Arlington County would become it’s second headquarters and the development in the area hasn’t stopped since. From state and county road upgrades to a slew of new buildings for Amazon itself, and of course, housing. With thousands of tech workers still on the way, it’s no surprise that Amazon land is rife with apartment development. Currently, 6,800 residential units are under construction or slated to be built, adding to the 15,000 units already in the area.

The restaurant scene on 23rd has been the “main street” of the area for a long time with great spots like Portofinos, Freddie’s Beach and Drag Bar, Crystal City Sports Pub and Bob and Edith’s Diner, but new eateries are coming to the area, like Wild Tiger BBQ, The Freshman and Sur—yes, named after California’s Big Sur—just south in Potomac Yard. Plus a Bowlero with 32 lanes and Napoli Salumeria at 1301 S. Joyce St., an Italian market selling fresh pastas and sauces. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Amazon Store and Whole Foods have been announced, but the exact locations have not.

Virginia and Arlington County road and pedestrian upgrades have reinvented Route 1 from an elevated highway to street level, creating a much more pedestrian-friendly corridor as well as improved access to DCA. The Potomac Yard Metro Station is set to open and upgrades to the Crystal City Metro has made travel to and from the area much easier.

National Landing welcomes Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus by the new Potomac Yard Metro Station. The campus will focus on graduate-level education in computer science and engineering. Construction of the campus’s first new academic building in Potomac Yard is on track to start next summer and to open to students in 2024.

Amazon’s actual headquarter buildings—a pair of 22-story office towers—won’t be complete until later this year, Amazon has been using over 345,000 SF in existing buildings.