City Culture in a Small Village

How many of us enjoy the restaurants and theater of downtown DC?  And how many of us would like it better without the hassle of traffic and paid parking?
Well I have news for you -- the Village of Shirlington in Arlington, Virginia has everything you want and nothing you don't.  You can enjoy cabaret theater, musicals, and plays at the Signature Theater, and eat at any number of ethnic and American restaurants.  There are fountains, outdoor seating, and free parking -- thanks to a very walkable area.
Signature Theater won a Tony for the best regional theater and has two theaters with a show in them at all times.  If you attend a cabaret, you can get wine and cheese at the theater and take it with you to watch the show.  For the young residents of Shirlington, the singers in the cabaret are perfect -- young, vibrant, and talented.  For that same crowd, there are a series of restaurants to meet the hip village that Shirlington has become.  These restaurants include Busboys & Poets and Capital City Brewery, two of the region's favorites.
There is also a movie theater, a frozen yogurt shop, and a wonderful bakery/coffee house.  Indeed, all the town is missing, as a friend astutely commented, is a piano bar.

For the young crowd budding around Shirlington, dinner and a movie or dinner and a show is just the beginning!  Aside from the pool hall in town, there really isn't anywhere to go for the later Friday and Saturday night hours.  I'd bet that this town could support a couple of different kind of late night establishments -- such as a piano bar and a comedy bar.
For those of you who live in NoVa, want the culture of DC without the hassle, give Shirlington a try.  Just do this fan a favor -- don't spread the word too far!  Leave some parking for us regulars. ;-)

Street & Road Map of Arlington, Virginia VA - Printed poster size wall atlas of your home town