At its beginning, National Landing was pitched as more of an idea than a neighborhood. But today, it inched closer to having actual boundaries when the Crystal City Business Improvement District officially renamed itself the National Landing BID, with a jurisdiction that also includes Pentagon City and the Arlington portion of Potomac Yard.
The BID’s new area is 70 percent larger than its old turf and marks a dramatic end to debates over which of the neighborhoods around Amazon’s new headquarters can claim the Whole Foods or the Costco. For the purposes of the BID, National Airport, Arlington Cemetery, and the Four Mile Run trail all now are part of Natty L.
The BID’s new logo includes the colors of the two Metro lines that serve the neighborhoods, with the blue doing double duty as representing the Potomac and green representing the “area’s abundant natural green spaces and parks.” The logo’s “clean, rounded edges reflect transit systems, the airport and motion,” according to a press release.
The rebranding also includes some interesting language from a historical viewpoint: A video accompanying the relaunch states that the three neighborhoods are “Stronger Together,” which was also the motto for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
