U.S. Senator from New York Calls Arlington a 'Soulless Suburb'

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York has apologized for a remark calling Arlington County a “soulless suburb” in her new book, after it was reported yesterday by ARLnow and commented on by its readers.

In her book, “Off the Sidelines,” Gillibrand says, talking about her husband: ”I appreciated Jonathan’s viewpoint. We lived in a soulless suburb. It wasn’t the right place for us and we needed a change.” No word about what part of Arlington County the couple lived in.

After the ARLnow report, the Senator tweeted: “Sorry, Arlington, didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. ”

The couple reportedly pulled out of their doldrums after her husband found a job and the two moved to Capitol Hill, according to news reports.

Maybe they didn’t get out enough? Arlington County has repeatedly made top 10 lists, including coming in second in the nation as the best place to live, in this story by BusinessWeek.

Arlington County Board Member Walter Tejada reacted in the Washington Post: “I’m going to issue a challenge to Ms. Gillibrand. Come spend some more time in Arlington. I’d be happy to escort her and see what she thinks.”