Westover, Arlington, Virginia

Westover is a community in Arlington, Virginia centered around Washington Boulevard between North McKinley Road and North Longfellow Street.

General characteristics

Westover Village, as it is sometimes called, is home to many Arlington institutions, to include: Ayers Variety & Hardware, The Lost Dog Cafe, the original Lebanese Taverna, and Arax Cafe. Residences in the neighborhood are comprised mostly of modest, pre-World War II single family homes and garden style apartment complexes such as the Westover Apartments.

A true model of Mid-century Urbanism, Westover remains a pedestrian friendly neighborhood which sees its residents walk to shops, work, and public transportation. The neighborhood is between the Ballston Station and the East Falls Church Stations, both part of the Washington DC Metro and is serviced by many Metro Buses.

The Reed School

Westover is also home to Walter Reed Elementary School, for which a large scale renovation is under way. The school ceased functioning as a traditional educational facility in 1984 due to declining enrollment and the view of then-school superintendent Charles M. Nunley. The closing occurred in spite of a County funded study which predicted that within 20 years, Reed would be desperately needed to meet the needs of the projected population. True to prediction, the elementary schools that absorbed Reed's student population (McKinley and Tuckahoe elementary schools) are currently (as of SY 2007) the most overcrowded in county. Reed school was the last "walking school" in Arlington, with 90% of the student body walking to school. After it closed, 100% of those students living in former Walter Reed districts were required to ride buses to their redistricted schools.

It should be noted, however, that the Reed School was entirely unsuited for use as an elementary school according to modern standards. Not only did it contain large amounts of asbestos and lead paint, it also was extremely difficult to heat and cool and was plagued by problems with mold and excessive humidity. It also was not and could not be made ADA compliant. An addition to the Reed school, built in the late 60s, until recently housed "The Children's School", a head-start and day-care center, and continues to be used as a polling place and community meetingplace. The renovation proposal includes the addition of a new Westover Branch Library, which presently resides on a nearby lot at the corner of North Lexington Street and North 18th Street.

External links

* [http://www.commuterpage.com/art/villages/westover.htm Arlington's Urban Villages- Westover]