The Clarendon Builds On Area's 'Urbanism'

Complex Caters to Young Professionals

The Clarendon, a 292-unit apartment complex in Arlington, sits a half block from the Clarendon Metro station. The neighborhood "is very pedestrian friendly," resident Catherine Goshe said. (By Susan Straight For The Washington Post)

The most striking exterior feature of the Clarendon, an apartment community a half block from the Clarendon Metro station, is its three-story central archway, which spans a through street that links North Herndon and North Hudson streets. The arch connects the complex's four-story, low-rise section with its 12-story, high-rise tower.

The building is one of several to pop up around the Metro station in recent years, as the neighborhood has shifted from a low-key cluster of ethnic restaurants to one of the region's densest and liveliest mixes of stores, cafes and high-rise residences. Nam Viet, an adjacent Vietnamese restaurant that has long been a neighborhood fixture, has a deal with management of the Clarendon to use a part of the building that was constructed on what used to be the restaurant's ship-shaped patio.

The Arlington building caters to young professionals. Unofficial estimates put about 80 percent of the residents under age 30. Parties are frequent: Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and fall and spring are all occasions for residents to gather in the pool and the party room.

Inside, there are 60 floor plans or unit styles, including one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. There are some layouts with lofts, some with bumped-out windows and some with terraces. There are also six townhouse units in an attached wing accessible only through townhouse residents' exterior front doorways.

The Clarendon began leasing about two years ago; owner Clark Realty recently completed the last of the 292 units. There are still about 12 units left that have never been occupied, for those who care about the newness of their home. One of these is a penthouse unit, which has a large outdoor terrace with views of the Washington National Cathedral, Georgetown, Ballston and the leafy green neighborhoods of North Arlington.

Catherine Goshe is one of the Clarendon's original occupants. She moved from Alexandria, shortening her commute to downtown Washington significantly. Because she travels frequently, she wanted a building with 24-hour front-desk service to accept packages and generally take care of things in her absence. "I don't worry about it at all when I'm gone," she said.

Goshe is moving within the building from a one-bedroom to a two-bedroom this summer. Her fiance is giving up his D.C. apartment to join her because they like the neighborhood so much.

The other thing Goshe appreciates about the location is that it is easy to accomplish everything she wants to without a car. "Clarendon is very pedestrian friendly," she said.

Resident Peter Zander does not have a car, either. The interior designer moved in about a year ago. Zander, who has lived in Toronto and San Francisco, said Clarendon, on Metro's Orange Line, is the most successful of the subway system's hubs. "This area is so unique in its urbanism. It's not the city, but it's not a suburb."

With the blessing of building management, he has transformed his studio using his design skills, creating a wall out of hanging mouse pads linked with binder rings, painting some walls and hanging curtains over his four large windows. The 12-foot ceilings enlarge the studio living space. He softened the glazed concrete floor with carpet circles.

The finishes in the units include laminate or granite, glazed concrete or carpet, and 10-foot or 14-foot ceilings in the regular units and 18-foot ceilings in the loft units.

Resident Tony Titus didn't care about the high ceilings as much as he did the width of the doorways. Titus, a congressional staffer, uses a wheelchair and found the Clarendon's new construction most accommodating to his needs. About 3 percent of the building's units are wheelchair accessible, in accordance with current building rules.

"I wanted to live in D.C., but it's very hard to find wheelchair-accessible" housing there because older buildings are not required to update their layouts, Titus said.

He wanted accessible housing near Metro, safe and pedestrian-friendly, so he wouldn't have to have a car. "I lucked out. . . . If you can afford to live here, I'd tell anyone to do it," he said.