AP Photo/Cliff Owen
- Ardine Williams, vice president of workforce development at Amazon, told Business Insider that the company's new HQ2 complex in Arlington, Virginia, is slated to open at the end of September.
- The city outside of Washington, DC, has been evolving since it was first announced as the location for Amazon's second headquarters in November 2018.
- We visited the neighborhood while attending Amazon Career Day on Tuesday. Here's what we saw.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
In the year since Amazon announced plans to open its second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, the city just outside of Washington, DC, has transformed to welcome the e-commerce giant.
Ardine Williams, vice president of workforce development at Amazon, told Business Insider that while there are currently 70 employees working in a temporary building in Arlington's Crystal City neighborhood, a permanent office is slated to open at the end of September.
Crystal City is located in the southeastern corner of Arlington and is best known for its proximity to the Pentagon. The area — which is filled with office buildings and sleek, modern high-rise apartments — is significantly quieter and more corporate than its capital city neighbor.
"It's a sleepy, mostly office-and-hotel neighborhood, separated from the more residential and livable parts of the area by a giant, eight-lane highway," former Business Insider reporter Kif Leswing wrote while visiting Crystal City in December.
When Amazon announced it had selected Arlington for HQ2, it said it had essentially created a new area called National Landing — encompassing Crystal City, Pentagon City, and Potomac Yard — for the project. When we visited the area for Amazon Career Day on Tuesday, however, the focus was all on Crystal City and how it has continued to pave the way for Amazon's arrival.
Here's what we saw.
As you drive in to Crystal City, you can see the National Monument in the near distance. The neighborhood is just a short drive away from Washington, DC.AP Photo/Susan WalshFor those without a car or commuting from other neighborhoods, there is also a Metro station located in the heart of Crystal City.Kif Leswing
The first thing we noticed was that there were tons of brand-new high-rise buildings.AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Amazon Career Day took place at "The Grounds," a recently opened "art and public space activation where Crystal City and Pentagon City meet."Bethany Biron/Business Insider
"This newly repurposed parking lot will provide residents, workers and visitors a fun and beautiful space to play and enjoy along a rapidly developing corridor that connects Crystal City and Pentagon City," the official Crystal City website states.
At the event, we found a booth dedicated to spotlighting upcoming events in Crystal City.Bethany Biron/Business Insider
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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