Why one place on stack exchange is called "area51"?

Why this place on stack exchange is called "area51"? Is it a special idiom in English for some places where things are being developed? Does 51 have some special meaning besides being just a number?

Solution 1:

Area 51 is a military base in Southern Nevada often found at the center of UFO stories.

From Wikipedia:

Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. ... The intense secrecy surrounding the base, the very existence of which the U.S. government barely acknowledges, has made it the frequent subject of conspiracy theories and a central component to unidentified flying object (UFO) folklore.

As to why StackExchange called that site Area 51?

From the Area51 FAQ, "We like the little aliens."

Solution 2:

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_51 for information about Area 51. In a nutshell, it's a humorous reference to a place where strange, secret things happen.

Solution 3:

'Area 51' signifies the 'exclusivity'- in this case a group of people who are 'stakeholders' in shaping projects which may or may not see the light of the day, which are a 'secret' to the outside world until they become 'live' (public).