My family and I live in a small Arlington subdivision called Larchmont. The plat is dated December 1933 and the deed was recorded on Jan. 12, 1934. Larchmont is bounded by Washington Boulevard (then known as Memorial Drive) to the south and 16th Street (formerly Mt. Olivet Road) to the north. We live on Greenbrier Street, which was originally named Larchmont Avenue. Frederick Street, one block to the east, was then called Lacey Road—presumably in memory of Union Army Captain Robert Stinson Lacey, who started purchasing the surrounding land in 1864 and built a home called Broadview in 1881. Fun fact: Our friends Ginger and Ken Brown now own Broadview. It’s a really cool historic house. But I digress.
Our subdivision, like many in Arlington, was zoned for single-family homes from its inception. We bought our home because we loved the curb appeal and its country-cottage charm. The style is called “Tudor Cape”—which isn’t an architectural designation, but does sound nice. We also loved the quiet street, the huge old oaks, the other pretty houses on our block, and the close proximity to Westover and Ballston. I don’t have anything against row houses, townhomes, duplexes or other housing types—I’ve lived in many of them—but we never envisioned them on our street.
On March 22, the county board voted 5-0 to upend decades of tradition and expectations by allowing a variety of housing types to now be built in single-family neighborhoods. Some applauded the decision because they believe it will make Arlington more affordable, more welcoming and more diverse. Some castigated the decision because they feel it tears up the single-family homeowner compact and will lead to increased traffic, overcrowded schools, declining property values and other problems—the end to our neighborhoods as we know them now.
What do I think? Our job is to report on an issue in a manner that is fair, thorough and balanced. We take that responsibility very seriously. We’re not in this business to share our opinions. Although I have many thoughts on this topic (buy me a beer), I will say this: I would love for our daughters to grow up, get married and buy homes in Arlington—without having to be one-percenters. I’m not sure if these changes will help our community fulfill my selfish dream. Only time will tell.
It’s also worth noting that Larchmont, like other area neighborhoods, had racially restrictive covenants. Prior to the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, Black people and other non-WASPy types were often prohibited from buying here. So I do think it’s worth recognizing that, just because something is tradition, it doesn’t mean it’s right or holds up particularly well today.
I hope you find our May/June Food & Drink issue useful, informative and entertaining. I’ve used up all my space waxing on about my neighborhood and the missing middle decision (see p. 118 for our story on this topic), and I haven’t given you a preview of all the other great content contained in these pages. So please read on and, as always, tell us what you think by emailing me at greg.hamilton@arlingtonmagazine.com. Send your letters to the editor to jenny.sullivan@arlingtonmagazine.com. Thanks for supporting Arlington Magazine. It’s an honor to serve you. Have a great spring.
Greg Hamilton, Publisher