Walking to bars, restaurants, shopping. Besides Reston Town Center (Arlington: best city, apartment complex)

[NYmama_]

Wondering about towns/neighborhoods/communities in Northern Va where you can walk to shops, restaurants, etc.

Immediate reason for asking: looking for places I can drive to, park, and get my dose of walking on (I'm a NYer!)

And for a year from now, if Ashburn is way too much car culture for me, also want to learn of potential areas to move to. I've seen Reston Town Center, and I'm wondering if there are places that feel less planned and more neighbory.

Thanks!

[Caladium]

If you're out in eastern Loudoun/western Fairfax you might like downtown Leesburg (especially on the first Friday of each month). Other than that most of the town centers are planned and somewhat like Reston Town Center. If that's not your cup of tea, look closer in to DC where you might like Old Town, Shirlington,and other such areas.

[NOVAEER]

Orange Line Arlington is mostly walkable.

[tysonsengineer]

Reston Town Center is the best in Fairfax county by far, unfortunately its a very small, and not particularly dynamic town center. For the most part people who live in Reston can't generally walk to Reston Town Center. I mean you could, its physically possible, but there are the sociological barriers of Reston Parkway/Sunset Hills/Dulles Toll Road, and Fairfax County parkway that kind of box the area in, and don't make it seem very walkable. Once you are in the town center it is pretty great though. My only beef is, most of the stuff is franchise restaurants, the bars are a bit tame, and the architecture for my taste is a bit bland though impressive.

Thats the best city area in Fairfax, Tysons/Vienna/Fallschurch would be the next one after that, though that entire area is a work in progress over the next 20 years. In the next year to two years there will be significant improvements in walkability in Tysons. In Vienna/Fallschurch there is the mosaic district (also known as Merrifield also known as Dunn Loring Metro). That area is almost complete, and looks very walkable, like a shorter version of reston town center.

When most people want a traditional urban feel in Virginia, they look at Arlington. Honestly its really the closest thing to a truly organic urban environment. There are lots of restaurants from many different regions of the city, all walkable one way or another without massive sociologic gashes for the most part. There is a good mix of townhouses, houses, condos, and highrises. It just has its own unique vibe that urban areas of fairfax can't replicate without 20 years of effort in advance.

Sadly, even Arlington is really only a minor urban area when you really look at it. I just came back from St Louis, and except for the availability of Jobs (which nova has in spades) St Louis is just a far better city. Strange I know. Charlotte is a much better city. Clearly NYC and Chicago are better walkable cities. This area is the 4th largest consumer and economic center of the US, and yet we have no real city to show for it.

Back on track, living in RTC is nice from what I hear from friends who do, but often they say they get bored and stay (honeymoon period lasted very short). I like Tysons because what it could become and its central location keeps more urban areas within a quick metro bus ride or train. And Arlington is the best place for that environment if you can afford it.

[GustavoFring]

Old town is great too.

[brooklynborndad]

the best place for long walks amidst shops restaurants and bars in NoVa, in my book, is Old Town Alexandria. period, bar none.

because of

A. The total length and walkability of the main commercial strip (king street)
B. The diversity of it - shops of various sorts, not JUST restaurants and bars
C. many interesting commercial side and back streets
D. The visual interest of the non commercial town house blocks, of which there are many
E. The visual interest of the waterfront
F. The visual interest of the adjacent "uptown" areas like Rosemont and Del Ray
G. The critical mass of walkers


After that is North Arlington - the Rosslyn Ballston corridor, - though its somewhat less vibrant at either end than in the center at Clarendon, and its more "linear" than Old Town, and its fairly "gappy" in spots, and the retail is, from my recollection, not as diverse (though more diverse than some give it credit for)

Other choices (and it goes way down from those two) are Falls Church, Shirlington, the inner part of Columbia Pike in Arlington, old Town Fairfax, Church street in Vienna. Which of those you prefer, and whether you prefer any of them to RTC, will very much depend on which attributes of an area matter most to you.

If none of those work for you, the best bet is DC.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

. This area is the 4th largest consumer and economic center of the US, and yet we have no real city to show for it.

of course, we do, if you look at the actual history and functioning of the metro area and not at political boundaries.

[Cardiff Kook]

north arlington or king street alexandria

[CAVA1990]

You could live in an apartment complex behind one of the shopping centers on Route 1 and you'd be able to walk to shops and restaurants.

[hilsmom]

I agree - Old Town is the best in NoVA for that. I miss living near/working in Old Town - it is really the best walkable area behind downtown DC. I also enjoy Shirlington and RTC for what they are. I loved the area around Shirlington - would walk around those neighborhoods and then wind up at one of the restaurants and maybe the movie theater (before the redevelopment, though).