NATIONAL LANDING

Inside National Landing: A Neighborhood in Motion

Beyond the front door of The Zoe and Valen, National Landing has spent the last several years remaking itself into a complete neighborhood. Nearly 14 million square feet of office space, more than 17,000 residential units, and a growing roster of restaurants, parks, and cultural anchors now sit alongside the Pentagon, Amazon's HQ2 campus, and Virginia Tech's Innovation Campus.

National Landing's character has changed substantially since 2019, when Amazon's HQ2 announcement reframed the area's economic trajectory. Crystal Drive, once a sleepy retail corridor between mid-century office towers, is now lined with outdoor patios, public art, and the Water Park outdoor food hall. The Pentagon City side has anchored its identity around Fashion Centre at Pentagon City and the streetscape along South Hayes Street. Potomac Yard, the southern third of the district, is home to Virginia Tech's new Innovation Campus and a growing biotech and research corridor. Together, the three sub-areas form a district that is younger, denser, and more international than Arlington's averages, and one that the National Landing BID actively programs with markets, fitness classes, public art, and seasonal events year-round.

Open Space, the Potomac & Outdoor Life

For a high-density urban district, National Landing has unusually strong access to green space and waterfront. The Potomac River and its trail system, combined with several new park installations from the Amazon HQ2 development, give residents real outdoor options without leaving the neighborhood:

• Long Bridge Park — 30 acres of riverside park space along the Potomac, with athletic fields, an aquatics and fitness center, an esplanade, and panoramic skyline views.
• Metropolitan Park — the central public green at Amazon's HQ2 campus, with open lawns, a dog run, a playground, and seasonal programming including a weekly farmers market.
• Mt Vernon Trail — a paved 18-mile waterfront trail that runs from National Landing south to George Washington's Mount Vernon estate and north into Old Town Alexandria, Georgetown, and beyond.
• Virginia Highlands Park — a large neighborhood park with athletic fields, a basketball court, playgrounds, and a community garden.
• Gravelly Point Park — a National Park Service site just south of Reagan National, with open lawn directly under the flight path and unobstructed views of jets on final approach.
• Arlington National Cemetery — located directly north of National Landing, the cemetery's 639 acres of grounds form one of the most significant public landscapes in the region.

Trains, Planes & Bike Trails Beyond the Metro

Beyond Metro and DCA, National Landing sits at the intersection of an unusual number of regional transportation modes, putting most of the Eastern Seaboard within a half-day reach:

• Virginia Railway Express — commuter rail service from the Crystal City VRE Station to Fredericksburg, Manassas, and points south, with a relocated station planned as part of the Mobility Next program.
• Amtrak — long-distance service from Alexandria Union Station, approximately 10 minutes south of National Landing, with direct service to New York, Boston, Richmond, and beyond.
• CC2DCA pedestrian bridge — a planned direct walking and biking connection from Crystal City to Reagan National Airport, projected for delivery in 2028, which will make National Landing the only US downtown with a short direct pedestrian link to a major airport.
• Four Mile Run Trail — a paved bicycle and pedestrian route connecting National Landing to Shirlington, Bluemont, and the W&OD Trail network through Northern Virginia.
• Capital Bikeshare — multiple docking stations within National Landing, with a flat street grid and protected bike lanes that make the neighborhood one of the most ride-share friendly in the metro area.