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Arlington Ranks #4 on List of the ‘Rich and Single’

by ARLnow.com | August 27, 2012 at 9:45 am | 6,067 views | 55 Comments

Arlington is moving up in the rankings of places for the single and wealthy.

The county has ranked #4 on CNN Money’s 2012 list of “Best Places for the Rich and Single.” That’s up from our #7 ranking last year.

Also on this year’s list were Alexandria, at #12, and Towson, Md., at #8. Newton, Mass. ranked #1 on the list, which takes into consideration a place’s percentage of single people and the median family income.

According to figures cited by CNN Money, Arlington’s population is 41.5 percent single and has a median family income of $132,580. In writing about Arlington’s well-to-do single scene, the publication observed:

When the sun goes down, it’s time to turn the BlackBerry off and move and shake to a different groove. With its namesake Ballroom, the Clarendon neighborhood is the area’s hub for singles-spotting. Still, Arlington’s other “urban villages” are catching up. Head to Restaurant Row in Crystal City or Shirlington’s burgeoning nightlife scene to engage in a little bipartisan congress.

nunya

time to turn the BlackBerry off …..not in this town.
- John Fontain
  
  No kidding. 50% of couples or groups eating at restaurants these days are sitting silently, staring at their phones and not engaging in real convervations with their fellow diners. I find that extremely odd.
  - Ed
    
    They have to check out where they rank among hot places to live.
  - nom de guerre
    
    Here’s a link to a recent article about a LA restaurant that is offering a 5% discount to patrons that surrender their phones prior to dining.
    
    http://www.nbc33tv.com/news/national-news/restaurant-offers-discount-to-diners-who-turn-off-their-cell-phones-and-other-gad
    - Love this idea
      
      More people should put their phones away and be engaged in the life happening around them. It’s so sad to watch. Kudo’s to this restaurant for this effort.
      - R0bespierre
        
        Yeah because whomever doesn’t choose to default to the most extroverted mode of communications in a social outing is clearly missing out on the optimal life experience. I futz with my phone, I enjoy silent mutual futzing with my girlfriend. I love her, she loves me, we both happen to think that most of you are blabbermouths who just keep on talking at all times despite having nothing much of substance to say. Chatter. Chatter. Chatter. Chatter. Chatter. Sometimes it’s just about the ambience of BEING somewhere, not filling the place with drivel.
      - BlueSkies
        
        Sometimes silence is golden, but the point being made is that BEING somewhere means paying attention to and experiencing what’s around you, not physically sitting in a location with all attention focused elsewhere, funneled through a little electronic device.
      - NoVapologist
        
        I enjoy silent mutual futzing with your girlfriend too.
      - ArlingTony
        
        I agree it’s sometimes about the ambiance of BEING somewhere, but you are NOWHERE when you are sitting there texting back and forth with the person in front of you or the person across town.
        
        Plus it ruins the ambiance for everyone else. Nothing ruins a nice dinner like the futzing putz at the next table clicking away at his phone and casting a dim electronic glow all over the ambiance.
  - http://purple.com/purple.html Captain Pup McPuppo
    
    but social media brings us closer together…. right?
  - bman
    
    They are busy doing research on how much of a loser the other person is or how many partners they have had.
B22201

Is it weird that I miss Arlington before Clarendon was built up to what it is now?
- ArLater
  
  Yes
  - drax
    
    You clearly weren’t here then, because Clarendon has seen better days.
- OldTimer
  
  I think a lot of people who were here for a while feel similarly. I like the additional people walking around but I miss many of the restaurant and shops. The shop owner and residents don’t seem as engaged personally in the place. The events like Clarendon Day have lost a little interest because they don’t seem as home-grown as they used to and it just isn’t the big contrast that it was. The streets used to come alive at those events in the 90′s, now they are always busy (which, again is not really a bad thing) which makes the events seem less special. I think it will take a while for things to settle out. All the built up places in Arlington need a little aging and time to figure out what their personality is going to be.
  - http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6HREq1sU1W4/Skor1G7y4vI/AAAAAAAAATM/SfqVrym34bk/s320/Bad+Brains+-+Quickness+-+00+-+Capa.jpg Joe Strummer
    
    There are a lot of people that feel the same. Personality and Arlington in 2012? Just look around, there is no personality anymore.
  - Mary-Austin
    
    I think a lot of young people who grew up here like myself feel the same way too.
- ArlRat
  
  No, it’s not bc all my local friends and I are on your same boat!
- Westover
  
  Mid-’90s Clarendon was great. Mid ’80s-early ’90s Clarendon was scary. It was great when you could go to Whitlow’s and have the entire old Sears lot to park in before Clarendon Commons was built.
- Me ke
  
  Yes it really is
- anonymouse
  
  Nope – it has an “add water and mix” type of vibe, doesn’t it?
tom

So they use SINGLE marital status and median FAMILY income as the two indicators–that does not make sense. They should only be looking at the income of the single people.
- B22201
  
  They take into account that most of the single people in Clarendon have roommates and pets. They’re counted as family.
  - JamesE
    
    4-5 Bros in one townhome is like a median income of 200k!
    - Ballston
      
      That’s only true if you file your taxes together. If you file seperately you’d each be counted as a family for tax purposes.
  - K22206
    
    My dog does bring in a lot of income.
  - Flawed Data
    
    Family income is joined income earned from blood and/or married persons
JamesE

Hell yeah Brah, hit up the Ballroom for some grinding then go and slam some PBR’s at Liberty.
Elmer

Rich, single AND immature.
Hurley

Damn. I am neither of these things.
- http://purple.com/purple.html Captain Pup McPuppo
  
  me too, man. pssshh
Southeast Ben

People still use BlackBerry’s? Maybe they work for DoD…
SHLady

where can I meet these rich single people?
Westover

Too bad I am married and middle class….
- Justin Russo
  
  Better than divorced and poor!
  - Westover
    
    Divorced would probably mean she would be paying me alimony, so not so sure! j/k honey
Arlington Cat

But hey, if you are married with children, you get a free bus pass for your kids… wait a miinute…..
Hattie McDaniel

Arlington is moving up in the rankings of places for the single and wealthy.

Does that mean we’re getting more wealthy or more single?
- QED
  
  Sadly- both!
YTK

From what I’ve encountered, (mostly in Clarendon) they’re not that rich in the brains and manners category.
David M.

This article is spot on. I’ve worked hard and made all my own money. I’m 34, single and live in a ~ $1,110,000 house in N. Arlington. I drive a moderately expensive car (~$82,000). I could afford more, but I don’t drive much here — I take Arl’s other transit options. I basically set my own hours and could care less about being “always connected”. I date a lot of girls and go out 3 days a week. Usually I travel out of town for fun on weekends. I’ve never even posted on this site before. I just read and get a few chuckles. My fav. quote is “Money can’t buy you happiness, but it’ll buy you a yacht big enough to sail right up next to it!”. I don’t own a yacht, but I do own a 54′ boat. Life is good in Arlington.
- Clarendon Skank
  
  How come you never called?
  - SomeGuy
    
    Nice to see you woke up from your Sunday Funday. I was looking for you earlier in the Morning Notes.
- Amanda
  
  You sound like a really fun, normal person. I imagine that everyone is very impressed by your ~$82,000 car (but could afford more) ,~$1,100,000 home and 54 foot boat. I, for one, absolutely believe all of this is true. Please chime in again to let us know about your many leatherbound books!
  - CW
    
    That classist satire is absolutely indistinguishable from potential factual statements on these topics really sums up the area. Where is YoungCondoOwner today?
    - Quoth the Raven
      
      I miss him too. He was awesome.
- Footnotes
  
  This article is spot on. I’ve worked hard and made all my own money. I’m 34, single and live in a ~ $1,110,000 house in N. Arlington (THANKS DAD!!!). I drive a moderately expensive car (~$82,000) (You really can get a LOT MORE for your money by leasing). I could afford more, but I don’t drive much here — I take Arl’s other transit options. I basically set my own hours and could care less (you mean you couldn’t care less, but we’ll let that pass) about being “always connected”. I date a lot of girls (I use Match.com to lure women in and have sex with them with no intention of every dating them) and go out 3 days a week. Usually I travel out of town for fun on weekends. I’ve never even posted on this site before. I just read and get a few chuckles. My fav. quote is “Money can’t buy you happiness, but it’ll buy you a yacht big enough to sail right up next to it!”. I don’t own a yacht, but I do own a 54′ boat (DAD!! That’s really too much, but i’ll take it!). Life is good in Arlington.
  - David M.
    
    Well, to be fair, most what you say is true. I inherited $900,000 (savings/investments) and $1,000,000 (life insurance) from my mother (amusing you assume it was my dad) when she passed – but that was over nine years ago. The rest I’ve done, and continue to do, on my own. I work hard and invest wisely.
    
    True about the dating, too. The women I date know this up front since I’m frank about it. It’s not all about the sex, either; we have a ton of fun. Sometimes I don’t call them back, sometimes they don’t call me back. Never heard of match.com, but I presume you’re alluding to/joking about a dating site. I’ve never had to use one.
    
    Most (perhaps all) readers will be disgusted to know that I ordered a 2013 Ferrari 458 three weeks ago. I paid cash (i.e., check). So much for leasing. True, I’ll hardly drive it, and will never get it out of 1st (maybe 2nd) gear around this area, but what a beautiful machine! So if you see one driving around Arlington in the next couple of months (wait-listed), that’ll be me. Maybe when I’m older and (perhaps) wiser I won’t do such things.
    
    No leather-bound books and no “library” in the house. But I do have a large vintage video arcade room and a 32-track music recording studio. Both are unique and a lot of fun!
    
    All I’m saying, and it’s a cliché, is that life (and money) are what you make of them.
    
    You’ll be happy to know that this is my last post – I just wanted to chime in on this “Rich and Single” article because, well, I am. And so are a lot of other people. Nothing wrong with that. Enjoy your day!
- LoL
  
  lol. . .hilarious. . .funny how people define themselves in these parts.
CMo

Love the line about leatherbound books…
Kemper

David M and All, I was wild and single but focused on my work and family also and it took many 30+yrs to reach what the Washington area considers and calls success. Idid not get married until I was 43yrs old and never got caught up to much in material things even if I could afford them. It is amazing how money and connections can change allot of people.The most important things to me now at 53 yrs of age our Family,Health and Living in the moment as much as possible with close longtime friends that you can trust reguardless of what you own or who you know, surround yourself with Love. But a few classic cars are fun to have also. Arlington has done exactly what it planned to do attract young smart professionals to grow the area to the next levels of success. All THE BEST
Kemper

Also stay motivated and humble !
http://gwbthird@gmail.com geebee

Headline should have been “Rich, Single, and Straight.” Not much in the way of diversity on this side of the river.
Waycroft Mike

I’m sorry… Towson? #8?
Former John

Rich and single eh? Clearly I’ve been spending on the wrong things! But seriously i’m not rich but I am terminally single they forgot to poll me.

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