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When my kids were little, we went to the zoo nearly every week from Arlington and McLean, by car. It usually took about 20 minutes -- across the Roosevelt Bridge and up Rock Creek Parkway (after 9:30 am, when it ceases being one way in the wrong direction). (IMO, going to the zoo by Metro with little children is more trouble than it's worth, because of the long walk from the metro stop).
Parts of Arlington are much closer to DC than you might think. You can also zip into DC on the Metro from Arlington fairly easily.
I personally just hate driving in DC. I grew up in NOVA and the only times I ever tried driving in the city I got horribly lost, and couldn't park. And the traffic circles terrified me (new driver. . . ) So I didn't go to the city if I could ever help it.
I loved Arlington though. When I was in high school/college, I thought it was the best place in the world. It might still be, I don't know. I'm coming up tomorrow (!) to take a look-see.
When I was in New York, I'd take the subway up to the Bronx zoo -- from Brooklyn -- with my kids, often by myself, and they were really little. My youngest was a babe in arms, which meant I was carrying her the whole way. And then it would start raining on us. That stunk. So I can see your point about a long walk from the Metro stop to the zoo. I'll check that out.
I didn't venture to Arlington too much, but I got the impression that Bethesda was one of the most desirable areas in the metro. Arlington is better for young people and nightlife. Bethesda has a Bentley/Rolls Royce dealership and is adjacent to Friendship Heights: with Neiman Marcus/Gucci/Saks/etc. That gives you an idea of what you're working with in Bethesda. A doctor/lawyer old money kind of place. Lots of families. Dead at night.
Don't know which ones you liked, but Arlington still has a ton of Vietnamese places.
Clarendon used to be almost nothing but small, independent but top-notch Vietnamese restaurants, at least a half dozen of them all together, and I think more of them than that. Now it looks like a shopping mall with less parking. The playground in front of the bookstore was cute. I guess the idea is you can dump your kids there while you browse William Sonoma? I've noticed a few Vietnamese places around NoVA tucked into strip malls here and there. I wonder how many of them are places that got booted out of Clarendon years ago?
Some of the best Vietnamese restaurants can be found at the Eden Center in Falls Church. The Four Sisters, which is our personal favorite, is there now, but moving soon to a new mixed-use development in Merrifield. Back in the day, we used to go to Queen Bee in Clarendon nearly every weekend, but it's gone now.
Yes, I remember the Queen Bee. I liked Nam Viet too. They actually served the shrimp paste on sugar cane that every Vietnamese place in the world has on the menu, but will never actually sell to you. Where is Merrifield?
I have to disagree with all the people who said South Arlington is dodgy. It really isn't all that bad, as long as you don't have a problem with people who aren't all white and might not be native English speakers (or speak much of it at all yet...). And keep in mind that all of these wonderful areas are also in South Arlington: Crystal City, Pentagon City, Shirlington, Fairlington. Plus Columbia Pike is undergoing heavy revitalization, with new shops popping up and plans for a streetcar system to run from the Pentagon up to Baileys Crossroads.
Another mention was about the schools not being as good in the southern parts of the county. That may be true if you compare them to the schools in the northern part, but it's all relative. Schools in South Arlington are still in the top tier nationwide, and that's nothing to scoff at.
I happen to live in North Arlington now, but spent over a year in Fairlington and loved it. Not really a place for younger folks to meet people, but for families or empty-nesters looking to downsize it's a wonderful community. And Shirlington has really improved lately; despite its lack of a metro stop it is still a good destination in its own right. I guess to be fair you could say there are a few somewhat sketchy pockets here and there still in Arlington, but overall the county is very safe, and as long as you follow common sense(tm) you'll be fine.
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