Stories from the Underground

Arlington’s Crystal City Underground (CCU) shopping mall opened in September 1976. Billed as a “turn-of-the-century shopping village,” it featured antique leaded glass shop windows and cobblestone “streets.”  For the next five decades, CCU expanded (and contracted) paralleling economic trends. The Metro arrived in 1977 and the 1980s saw new and renovated office spaces open hosting thousands of employees. CCU had bars, restaurants, retail, a supermarket and that fixture of the 80’s shopping center, a food court.

The 1990s and 2000s saw the relocation of many Crystal City offices and with that CCU closures. In “decline” (or because of it) CCU came to represent living in Crystal City. Residents took pride and fought closure of its unique tunnel system and a new mix of smaller, unique, locally owned businesses opened and persevered. The mall is scheduled to close by the end of 2024. While landlord JBG Smith stresses businesses are closing but tunnels will remain open, it’s still the end of a unique part of Arlington history.

“Stories from the Underground” is an Arlington Historical Society (AHS) project to capture the essence of the CCU and preserve its history. AHS is reaching out to businesses and local residents to encourage them to share their stories and tell how unique and special the Underground was.