Arlington, Ma. is a northwest suburb located 6 miles from Boston. Many of the working class people of this town are now gone and in are people who are able to spend over $350K on a basic Cape-style house. Perhaps Arlington's location, six miles away from Boston and with some spectacular views, has become a real estate marketing angle. Arlington is considered a bedroom community of Boston, as the majority of the residents that work in corporate America work in the city. Specialty shops and restaurants of virtually every ethnicity have sprung up in a town saturated with professionals driving Volvos. Arlington almost makes Lexington now look like Mayberry RFD in comparison. Arlington is bordered by Winchester, Somerville, Medford, Cambridge, Belmont, and Lexington.
Arlington is also home to the historic
Capitol Theatre as well as foodie haven
Penzey's.
Arlington was established in 1635 as a village within
Cambridge, Ma., under the name Menotomy, an Algonquian word. It was not until 1867 that the name Arlington was given to separate this town in honor of the heroes buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Massachusetts Ave runs straight through Arlington, which was founded over 350 years ago and is the site of one of some of the Revolutionary War's most intense fighting. Arlington is probably most well known, in part, by Paul Revere's famous midnight ride but also because it's the rightful birthplace of Uncle Sam. Samuel Wilson was almost nine years old when the Battle of Menotomy took place. He started a meat-packing business in Troy, N.Y., where he became known as Uncle Sam. People say that the U.S. stamped on boxes of meat for the U.S. Army during the War of 1812 stood for Uncle Sam. Arlington has preserved many of its historical and colonial buildings. Today, Arlington is well kept, family-friendly, middle-class town with a thriving small business community.
