Arlington Among 'Best Places for the Rich and Single'

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by ARLnow.com August 23, 2011 at 10:30 am 5,015 67 Comments

Do you have a boatload of money but no mate? If so, you’re apparently not alone.

Arlington has placed seventh in this year’s Money magazine ‘Best Places for the Rich and Single’ list.

“Home to the Pentagon and several other government agencies, Arlington is filled with policy wonks, analysts and researchers,” the magazine said of dating scene in the county. “Bar hop in the Clarendon-Court House neighborhood, where happy hour, pub quizzes and karaoke nights make playing the field fun and easy.”

Manhattan Beach, Calif. placed first on this year’s list, Tyson’s Corner placed second, Herndon placed 20th and Alexandria placed 23rd. The list was published in the September 2011 issue of Money.

Last year Arlington placed 11th.

Flickr pool photo by Michael T. Ruhl

Richard Cranium

Tyson’s Corner? Seriously?
Tysons?

Tysons came second? Are you sure this wasn’t the “best places to get run over trying cross a busy intersecion” list?
- BerryBerryCold
  
  Who walks in Tyson’s? Everyone is driving their BMWs and Audis.
  - Bluemontsince1961
    
    LOL! Don’t forget Lexus and Mercedes. I see a lot of them too when I go over to Tysons on my lunch hour.
- Bluemontsince1961
  
  I work across from Tysons and you’re right! Its as crazy as some intersections in Arlington.
- Overgrown Bush
  
  Remember, it is not “rich OR single”. It is “rich AND single”. There are a lot of gold-digging skanks who frequent tysons to try to hook up with the high profile businessmen there. Makes for a great one-night stand atmosphere.
  - Deeman804
    
    I’m 100% sure its because of young singles under 30 making 50-75 K and living as roomates. When I first moved to the area, I was in arlington with 2 other roomates all govt consultants. On paper our household was rich, in reality we were paying school loans and helping our families in areas (Florida) not immune to the recession
CW

I was a little surprised by the Tyson’s selection, but Arlington makes it in every year. I haven’t looked into their research methods but it seems weird…if it were done by demographic data from where people reside, I don’t see how Tyson’s would qualify – nobody lives there.
- Maria
  
  I guess the TGIFriday’s is popular with the money-making crowd…?
- JamesE
  
  Parking gets so crowded at Tysons 1 and 2 your address gets changed while waiting.
- david
  
  I think that research methods may be a stretch. It looks like they just looked at % of residents who were single and then looked at average household income for those singles.
  - CW
    
    My point exactly. How does one end up being considered a “resident” of Tysons? Sleeping under their desk at the [insert DoD contractor here] building?
    - JamesE
      
      Not going to lie, I have considered pulling the George Costanza while at work.
    - Maria
      
      I used to live in an apartment right on the other side of the beltway from the mall, so I think that would be considered living in Tyson’s (the address was McLean). However, I’m not sure the $1100 a month, 2 bedroom garden apartment was really a draw for high rollers…
      - CW
        
        I bet it’s now a $3000 a month, 2-bedroom garden apartment, if it’s not been bulldozed.
- Newt
  
  Tysons is noce because the Tiffany’s is right there for picking up a nice little something for the date.
Bard

The article also suggested taking your dates to Shirlington. Dunno bout that, Money
- LP
  
  Huh, why?
  
  I personally think Shirlington is a great spot, and this comes from someone who lives in North Arlington. Gasp!
  - Bard
    
    It feels artificial to me, sort of like Reston Town Center or Columbia Town Center. It’s fine, I guess, but if you’re gonna pick one place to recommend as a date spot in a national publication, choosing the Carlyle in Shirlington seems a little odd, especially with everything else the county has to offer.
    - CW
      
      Nothing is as wretched as the barren wasteland that is Reston. I hope that someday the Ents return to exact revenge upon whatever savages clear-cut that whole area to throw up that monstrosity.
      - Sauruman
        
        I hope your wish does not come true.
- meh..
  
  Shirlington’s history as a go-to eating destination in Arlington has a much longer and deeper history than perhaps any other section of town. Definitely more so than Clarendon which just recently blossomed. I’d venture to say that it is 10x more authentic than Clarendon.
  - Lou
    
    What’s your time frame of reference for that?
    - Bard
      
      I think the Carlyle has been there since the mid-to-late 80’s, which is right around when the Reston Town Center was constructed. Seems like the “faux neighborhood” concept was all the rage back then.
      - CW
        
        That’s because the whole area was still a bunch of sleepy little ‘burbs and urbanism (even faux urbanism) seemed like a novelty.
      - Lou
        
        Yes, and back before that there were places like the Jolly Archer. Regardless, there’s no way Shirlington ever trumped Clarendon for a place to go eat.
- blahnikgal
  
  Agreed. Ticky tacky Shirlington is not what I think of as representing Arlington. Too car-reliant, too many chains.
  - Scott
    
    I live in Shirlington and work in downtown DC. I get to work in under 30 minutes without a car. No metro station doesn’t have to mean car dependent.
Rebecca

It’s just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as it is a poor man. Choose wisely, ladies.
- Squidward Tentacles
  
  Why settle for less when you can have the best of both worlds; a man who is attractive and with money aka myself
- Overgrown Bush
  
  Except there a 100 times more skanks lined up to compete with when going for the rich man.
Nunya

funny. the flickr image was taken in dc. couldnt find a pair of clarendon brown flipflops anywhere?
JamesE

This list is very flawed, while I may be rich and single, I have a terrible personality.
- KalashniKEV
  
  Me too.
  - AllenB
    
    We know.
- novasteve
  
  Then you’d fit in perfectly in Arlington.
Richard Cranium

You can be poor, you can be ugly. You just can’t be both.
- CW
  
  But you can’t fix ugly.
novasteve

I wonder how many men on the Arlington “Car free diet” are being successful with women after giving up their automobiles? No doubt, women just love doing all the driving. Yup, that will really help these men out. Nope, no double standards here.
- Smilla
  
  I’d rather date a guy who doesn’t have a car than you. Hell, I’d rather date a guy who rides a Segway than you!
  - AllenB
    
    I’m with ya, Smilla.
    - Tabby
      
      I’m with Smilla and AllenB. I couldn’t care less about what kind of car a man drives. Actually, if he drives a big SUV, he’s a tosser. And certain sports cars scream “something else is missing.”
      - SomeGuy
        
        I’m familiar with a lot of slang, but “tosser?” Please share.
      - ArlingtonNative
        
        Tosser is typically U.K./Aussie slang = to wanker, loser or wearer of Brown flip-flops.
      - SomeGuy
        
        Thanks. I learned something. And I’ll be sure not to wear my brown flip-flops in the U.K. or Australia now that I realize how douchey those blokes think it is.
      - AllenB
        
        Missing, or at least in short supply.
      - JamesE
        
        I have a sports car, I bought it just to compensate for my size really, not because it is amazingly fun to drive.
  - Funny
    
    I guess that’s why you are still dating.
KalashniKEV

Ironically, Arlington is also in the “Top Ten Places to be Poor and single…”
- JamesE
  
  Likes long walks on Fairfax Dr and stopping at 7-11
  - CW
    
    metro tunnel vents = public restrooms
    - KalashniKEV
      
      Soup Kitchen at the A-SPAN dorms.
G Clifford Prout

Just like they say when you’re playing cards. If you don’t have a good partner, you better have a good hand.
Tabby

What is the threshold for “rich”?

Or for that matter, “single”? Some men around here seem confused about that.
- AllenB
  
  Some women too.
  - Tabby
    
    True.
- SomeGuy
  
  Not sure if you’re asking that question seriously or not. But I think they just took Census/IRS data and filtered it for places that have a minimum of 30% single residents. Based on that filtered list, they ranked the places in order of “2010 median family income” from highest to lowest.
  
  However, that’s just a guess, as I couldn’t find a methodology on the linked site.
  
  But I also suspect you were just sarcastically commenting on infidelity, friends with benefits, and “it’s complicated” relationships around here?
NOVApologist

I have always thought of Tysons as a great place to be rich and married and looking for some side action from a 30-something bleached blond divorcee with breast implants.
- KalashniKEV
  
  Yeah, but they all have kids.
  - Overgrown Bush
    
    That is how you can be assured they won’t seek anything serious.
    - Richard Cranium
      
      Goose, this is what I call a target-rich environment.
Hana

A little misleading. Unfortunately – looks like Rich and Single may be two separate things. They aren’t saying the median income listed is specific to the percentage of singles outlined for each region. Tyson’s Corner may be the mecca for rich married people and poor single people.
Hana

Not to be Debbie Downer……
blahnikgal

I suppose it is if you are under 26, but those of us not…
JD

Maybe we are single because we refer to ourselves as “wonks.”
James

“Bar hop in the Clarendon-Court House neighborhood, where happy hour, pub quizzes and karaoke nights make playing the field fun and easy.”

Don’t forget the part after that says “….easier to catch an STD”
- blahnikgal
  
  Hahaha. The modern pick-up line: “so, what antibiotics have you taken lately.”

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