The Williamsburg neighborhood is located in the northwest corner of Arlington County and occupies an area bounded by North Kensington Street, North 27th Street, North Trinidad Street, and the Arlington County line. The natural lay of the land is gently rolling terrain with low-lying hills. Minor Hill, at 464 feet, is the highest point in Arlington and the community's most prominent feature.

The neighborhood is a rich mixture of frame houses, modest brick and wood colonials, one story ramblers, Cape Cods, and a few cottages. There are only 16 townhouses in Williamsburg, all off Rochester Street. The average house is over 40 years old, with few houses less than 10 years old and little land available for building any new single-family homes.

The sole shopping area within Williamsburg is the Williamsburg Neighborhood Shopping Center, two small strips of shops (zoned C-1) at the intersection of Williamsburg Boulevard and Sycamore Street.

Nottingham Elementary School is located within the boundaries of the Williamsburg Civic Association. In addition, Tuckahoe Elementary School, Williamsburg Middle School, Yorktown High School and Bishop O'Connell High School are nearby and serve community residents as well. Little Falls Presbyterian Church is the only place of worship located within Williamsburg's boundaries.

Tree-lined streets give Williamsburg much of its peaceful and comforting atmosphere, which has attracted home buyers from all over the metropolitan area. The close proximity of the East Falls Church Metro Station and easy access to I-66 are major factors in bringing people to live in the community. The neighborhood has a charming character, a spirited history, and a well developed sense of community pride and involvement.

Census data from 1990 does not correspond exactly to the present boundaries of the Williamsburg Civic Association but still provides interesting and reasonably accurate statistics. The data reveals that approximately 2,571 people lived in the Williamsburg area in a total of 1,029 households. The median household income was $75,256. Especially noteworthy were the 465 Armed Forces veterans residing in the community.

More than 95 percent (95%) of residents had a high school diploma, and over 60 percent (60%) had completed a Bachelor's degree or higher education level. In 1990, 492 residents were enrolled in school, including college. It is interesting to note that despite the sustained high quality of public schools in the Williamsburg area, 21.7 percent (21.7%) of all elementary and secondary students were enrolled in private schools.

Less than 20 percent (20%) of Williamsburg residents in 1990 were born in Virginia. There were 141 foreign-born residents and more than 70 ancestries represented in the community, attesting to the increasing racial and ethnic diversity of the neighborhood.

The neighborhood survey results revealed that 98 percent (98%) of residents live in single family houses, and 96 percent (96%) own their own homes. Responses indicate the typical resident has lived here for slightly more than 22 years. Rehabilitation and replacement of aging and inadequate housing stock is, and will continue to be, the chief means of meeting housing needs. Significant remodeling and repair work are being done by many homeowners. Despite its age, housing in Williamsburg has continued to appreciate in value, and appreciated nearly 100 percent (100%) between 1980 and 1994, even accounting for inflation. In general, older homes in the neighborhood retained their value due to the high quality of their construction, their potential for additions and/or refurbishing, lot sizes, and the desirable location and atmosphere of the neighborhood.

Respondents said they liked the community's quiet and safe surroundings and convenient location and gave high marks to quality of housing and schools. Traffic and speeding led the list of dislikes. Some of the major concerns were in-fill and pipestem construction, the destruction of trees, lack of parkland and recreational facilities and the unsightly appearance of rental housing.

Williamsburg is a community very much in transition. Many long-time residents are now elderly, and younger families are moving into the neighborhood. More and more children are seen on the streets and in the schools. The changing demographics are putting pressure on the very limited recreation and park areas of Williamsburg and raise serious concerns about street and pedestrian safety.