Colonial Village:
Quiet and Diverse

By Erin Marcus
Washington Post Staff Writer
January 18, 1992

It lies in the flight path of National Airport, a short walk from Rosslyn's modern glass towers. But sit in one of the courtyards of Arlington's Colonial Village apartment complex and you'll feel as if you're on a college campus, far away from urban life.

So say several of Colonial Village's residents, who like the brick architecture, grassy courtyards and collegiate feel. Many said they chose the complex because it offered garden apartments and were surprised to find such a place so close to downtown Washington.

"In a garden-style complex you have more of a sense of community than you do in a high-rise," said Dave Harvey, 29, who moved to Colonial Village from Rockville 2 1/2 years ago. "When the weather's nice, you'll see a lot of people around."

Built in the 1930s, when slate roofs and copper gutters were a matter of course, Colonial Village has about 1,000 condominium, co-op and rental apartments, most of which have one or two bedrooms. About 300 of the units are in buildings that have been designated as historic by the state and federal governments because they are part of the first Federal Housing Administration-insured garden-style apartment complex built in the United States. The units cannot be altered on the outside without government approval.

Most of Colonial Village's residents are single, since most of the apartments are too small for families. The residents range from 24-year-olds just out of school to 84-year-olds who have lived there since the 1940s.

"It's always been a nice place to live," said Arlene Martin, 72, who enjoys gardening in one of the complex's main courtyards, King's Court, with her neighbors. "We've always had nice tenants ... It's kind of a family."

But many tenants said that while they enjoy the friendly atmosphere, their main reason for choosing Colonial Village is its convenience. The 50-acre complex is a 20-minute walk from downtown Georgetown and a block from the Courthouse stop on Metro's Orange Line. "It has a sense of community and yet it's so convenient to downtown," Harvey said. "On the weekends it's nice to be at the Smithsonian in five minutes."

Harvey, a budget analyst with the Fairfax County government, also said he was surprised to find housing so close to Washington that he could afford to buy. The complex has 640 one- and two-bedroom condominium units, which sell for $89,000 to $139,000. It also has 76 co-op apartments, which require a down payment of $5,000 to $8,000. One-bedroom apartments in the complex rent for $665 to $730 a month, while two-bedroom apartments rent for $825 to $890.

Those rents are higher than the Arlington median of $558 for one-bedroom units and $694 for two-bedroom apartments. But Colonial Village officials said the rates are relatively low for housing near a Metro stop.

Seventy-five of the 240 rental units are subsidized for lower-income families, and the rent is less.

Most of the rental apartments are occupied by older residents, officials said, while younger people tend to be clustered in the condominiums. About three-quarters of the condominiums are occupied by their owners, while most of the rest are rented out by people who bought them as their first home and then moved out when they could afford a larger place.

The atmosphere of the complex also differs between areas that have a lot of condominiums and those where rental units predominate. For example, Queen's Lane, a courtyard bordered by condominiums, has a young feel, with residents tossing around a football on sunny days or sunbathing.

King's Court, which is bordered by older renters, is a bit more sedate. There, one may find people sitting on benches in the courtyard or planting flowers in gardens near the buildings. But those who venture onto the grassy knoll in the middle of the courtyard will quickly be reminded to keep off the grass, residents say.

"People sit there to eat their lunch and I run them out," said Leigh Beach, 84, who has rented at Colonial Village since 1947. "We're very proud of it."

Residents are allowed on the grass only one day of the year, when the King's Court residents have their annual picnic. The three condominium associations also have summertime cookouts.

Beach said she loves Colonial Village but is worried about what will happen when her rental unit changes management later this month. Late last year, 162 of the rental units were sold from Colonial Village Inc. to Wesley Housing Development Corp., a nonprofit group, which has said it will try to keep the rents affordable.

The condominiums are managed by three different condominium associations, while the subsidized apartments are run by Arlington Housing Corp., a private group.

Beach said her main complaint about her apartment stems from the building's age. She said her building does not have central air conditioning and that there is no thermostat in her apartment. "You turn the radiator on and you're either burning up or you're freezing," she said.

Many apartments have been renovated and have thermostats, however.

Other residents have different complaints. Martin said that finding parking on the streets surrounding the complex, which has little off-street parking, can be difficult. Harvey said planes flying overhead can be noisy, but that he has gotten used to it.

Residents said they generally feel safe in the complex, although there have been some break-ins. But some complain that proximity to the Metro brings increased traffic through the courtyard. Others complained about a nearby restaurant and bar that has scantily clad female dancers.

"Some people just find it unseemly that that sort of thing is in the neighborhood," one resident said.

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