Crystal City
About
Crystal City is a fascinating neighborhood in transformation. Its prime location along the Potomac offers stunning views of Washington, D.C., and the national monuments. Underground, you will find the Gallery Underground as well as shops and access to the many hotels, office buildings and residential high-rises. The Restaurant Row on 23rd Street South is also noted for a diversity of restaurants and active nightlife. Crystal City boasts more than 4,600 hotel rooms and 170,000 square feet of meeting space. It’s close to both the Pentagon and Washington National Airport and within walking distance of the Crystal City Metro station, providing convenient access to points beyond.
A neighborhood with a heavy defense industry presence, Crystal City was significantly impacted by the government’s Base Realignment and Closure plan in 2005 that moved many defense contractors out of the area. A community planning effort provided the roadmap for transformation, detailing plans for a more vibrant, walkable and transit-oriented development with more housing options and improved public spaces.
Public Projects
- 12th Street South Extension: South Eads Street to South Fern Street
- 12th Street South Complete Street Project
- 15th Street South/South Clark-Bell Street Realignment
- 18th Street South Realignment
- 23rd Street South Realignment
- ART Bus Facility
- Boundary Channel Drive Interchange Project
- Crystal City Metro Station Second Entrance
- Crystal City Multimodal Center
- Crystal City Potomac Yard Transitway
- Crystal Drive Two-Way Conversion Phase 3
- DCA South Pedestrian Access Improvements
- Four Mile Run Restoration Project
- Long Bridge Drive Utility Undergrounding & Roadway Realignment
- Potomac Interceptor Phase 3
- South Clark-Bell Street Demolition
- South Eads Street Complete Street
- VRE Crystal City Station Improvements
Private Development Projects
Active
Community Facts
- Crystal City is home to the offices of numerous defense contractors, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Environmental Protection Agency.
- Businesses with offices here include: Consumer Electronics Association, PBS, Conservation International, Boeing and the Bureau of National Affairs.
- Major Retail Areas: The Crystal City Underground and Crystal Drive Shops.
- Community Events: Crystal City hosts outdoor movie nights, Food Truck Thursday and a farmers' market seasonally, in addition to a year-round calendar of arts-related events and gallery openings.
- There are two performing arts venues: Dominion Stage and Synetic Theater.
- Crystal City derived its name from a 1960s-era apartment building called the Crystal House and the large crystal chandelier that graced its lobby.
- The Crystal City Sector Plan developed to transform and reinvigorate this neighborhood won the 2013 National Planning Achievement Award for Innovation in Economic Planning and Development from the American Planning Association (APA). A 40-year roadmap for Crystal City, it was developed jointly by community members and County planners.