Falls Church, Fairfax City blow Reston Away (Centreville, Herndon: cul-de-sac, apartments)

[TheseGoTo11]

I find it remarkable that Falls Church and Fairfax City can support Irish pubs and odd ethnic restaurants in their "downtown" areas, while Reston Town Center is still chain-filled garbage after all these years

went out with some friends who live in Centreville, and had a great time meeting them at the Auld Shabeen, place felt like Greenwich Village compared to Reston Town Center

now I know there's been some inside the beltway vs. out the beltway stuff here in the past, and I don't want to get into that debate, I can understand not everyone wants to deal with $3 a foot apartments and mega-liberal pols like I deal with DC, but why can't the Dulles Corridor support a little pedestrian neighborhood with an Irish Pub? is the center of Herndon always going to be it for local flavor?

[michgc]

RestonRunner, I think you may have just found your new best friend.

[cdmurphy]

My favorite local Irish pub is in my basement.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by TheseGoTo11

I find it remarkable that Falls Church and Fairfax City can support Irish pubs and odd ethnic restaurants in their "downtown" areas, while Reston Town Center is still chain-filled garbage after all these years

went out with some friends who live in Centreville, and had a great time meeting them at the Auld Shabeen, place felt like Greenwich Village compared to Reston Town Center

now I know there's been some inside the beltway vs. out the beltway stuff here in the past, and I don't want to get into that debate, I can understand not everyone wants to deal with $3 a foot apartments and mega-liberal pols like I deal with DC, but why can't the Dulles Corridor support a little pedestrian neighborhood with an Irish Pub? is the center of Herndon always going to be it for local flavor?

I live within walking distance to Reston Town Center (RTC) and still prefer "real" places like Jimmy's in Old Town Herndon over "poseur"-dominated places like Jackson's in RTC. Auld Shebeen is another of our favorites. For what it's worth two more businesses are about to open, albeit both are local yuppie-oriented chains. Sweetgreen will be RTC's fourth yogurt/ice cream/gelato place after Yogen Fruz, Pitango Gelato, and Ben & Jerry's (not to mention the Baskin Robbins in North Reston or the Dairy Queens in South Reston or Old Town Herndon). We're also getting the Red Velvet Cupcakery, capitalizing upon the "cupcake craze" of late.

Why can't the Dulles Corridor support a little pedestrian neighborhood, you ask? Have you looked around you lately? People here in Reston are wetting their pants and proclaiming "the end is near" because of a much-needed commuter train's impending arrival. I personally think Lake Anne has excellent potential to be redeveloped into such a purpose as you, I, and many others seek, but the NIMBYs here would try to stop that from happening, too. Apparently "viva la cul-de-sac" is the battle cry of Fairfax County.

RTC is what it is. It's clean. It's sparkling. It's trendy. It's chic. It's safe (despite the high number of car break-ins). Is it "cozy?" No. Is it "quaint?" No. Does it offer "local flavor?" No. Is it "down-to-earth?" No. People in Greater Reston don't want nostalgia. They want corporate, shiny, and "super rad awesome." To be fair there are places like Cafesano in South Reston that provide some nice local flair, but places like this---attached to busy newer strip malls---aren't really going to stack up in my book against Jimmy's or Auld Shebeen.

Originally Posted by michgc

RestonRunner, I think you may have just found your new best friend.

Oh I actually have tons of friends in the area. I'm not the big (insert synonym for donkey) in "real life" that people on here think I am. LOL! This is also proof that I'm by far not the only one who wishes an area as massive as the Dulles Tech Corridor had an alternative to the tiny area known as Old Town Herndon for some DECENT "local flavor."

Originally Posted by cdmurphy

My favorite local Irish pub is in my basement.

Sign me up!

[normie]

Originally Posted by TheseGoTo11

but why can't the Dulles Corridor support a little pedestrian neighborhood with an Irish Pub?

There's always O'Faolain's Irish Pub in Sterling.

[Alicia Bradley]

Auld Shabeen is excellent - I've been there thrice at this point (2nd time was for my SO's birthday abouth a month ago). Courthouse Thai next door probably the best DC-area Thai place I've ever been to... the owner(s) will tell you what really fresh produce, fish, etc. they've purchased that day and what interesting (often semi-chef-created) Thai dishes they can make with it. Thai foodie heaven, and the atmosphere is adorable. Choices By Shawn (just across the street) is really, really, really good (and, again, oozing with charm), also. And it's also nice/healing just to stand at the intersection where all those places are and just breathe in the cuteness.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by TheseGoTo11

I find it remarkable that Falls Church and Fairfax City can support Irish pubs and odd ethnic restaurants in their "downtown" areas,

I'd love to hear more about some of the odd ethnic restaurants in FC! Which kind are there?

[scaredycat]

The City of Falls Church Restaurant Guide.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by scaredycat

The City of Falls Church Restaurant Guide.

As a person who absolutely LOVES Vietnamese restaurants...it is amazing just how many Vietnamese restaurants there are in Falls Church.

[reeze]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

As a person who absolutely LOVES Vietnamese restaurants...it is amazing just how many Vietnamese restaurants there are in Falls Church.

Well, that area in Falls Church has a high concentration of Vietnamese people.

In fact, I think NoVA has either the 3rd or 4th largest concentration of Vietnamese people behind Southern Cal, Frisco, and Houston.