Two Herndon Neighborhoods: Lotsa Photos (Fairfax, Victoria: high crime, homes, living in)

[normie]

Yesterday a bunch of people here got riled up when a person from out of state posted a satellite photo of a neighborhood and then said some disparaging things.

The general reaction was you can't tell much about a neighborhood from satellite photos, you have to walk around in it before you judge it. Well, I had a free morning today so I decided to do just that.

The following are photos of the Frying Pan Park neighborhood that was so disparaged. I parked on Monroe Manor. (I shose that street because it was right in the middle of the satellite photo that was posted). I walked around a few side streets, and then headed north to Sunrise Valley.

Then, I drove to the section of Old Herndon between Chestnut Grove Cemetary and downtown, and did the same thing. I parked on Grant, walked some side streets, then walked down Monroe to the downtown area.

I also took a drive down Herndon Parkway and got some shots of Stuart Woods, since people were asking about it.

I'd like to note I am 73 years old and recovering from lymphoma. While these walks took some time, I was more than able to do them. And yes, I walked on sidewalks the entire time. The photo shoot was done on a Wednesday morning between 10-11:30.

[normie]

Frying Pan Park neighborhood:

[normie]

More of Frying Pan Park neighborhood:


I took this shot because of the toys left on sidewalk overnight. That tells me this neighborhood doesn't have a high crime problem.

Please note the pond next to this house. Photo below this also shows how the Frying Pan Stream Valley winds through the entire development. This is one of the reasons for the curving street design. Now I suppose they could have cemented the streams over and created a grid design for the streets, but that would not have been smart urban design. Especially during flood season. Grid streets are not always smart. In addition, ponds and streams help the environment and make the neighborhood a nice place to live.


The woods are community property. Frankly, I think have wooded areas behind and between homes is very smart urban design.

Three blocks from where I parked is Fox Mills Road. This gives access to Rt. 29, Fairfax Cty. Parkway, and Dulles Airport. Walk two more blocks north and you get to Sunrise Valley Parkway. There are dozens of corporations and office buildings here, as well as a major shopping plaza. As you can see I could easily walk to the shopping plaza, where I found a Harris Teeter, Chevy Chase bank, and medical offices.


The parking garage is for the Metro Park and Ride. In addition to having the Park-n-Ride within walking distance, this neighborhood has access to the toll road (267) about 1/4 mile down the road.

For those who prefer a more densely packed urban atmosphere, this neighborhood has several of these ginormous complexes. They don't appeal to me, but affordable housing is important and they seem clean and pleasant enough.

Took this on the way home, it's actually in Sterling. Just wanted to show how pretty the trees are here, and how the sidewalks are placed away from the roads, making it pleasant to walk even along the major roads.

[normie]

So there you have it. Someone who doesn't know the area randomly chose a neighborhood to disparage as an example of poor urban design. But on closer examination, this very neighborhood is an example of excellent urban design. It's extremely walkable, has stores, churches, offices buildings, metro, and major corporations all within walking distance. In addition, Dulles Airport and the toll road are right there.

Best of all, this neighborhood has a gorgeous park. If you have never been to Frying Pan Park I urge you to check it out. They have wonderful equestrian events there as well as a working farm with crops and animals, and all sorts of green spaces. They also have a center where they teach classes on ecology, green living, etc. And you can meet the presidential turkey. That's right, the turkey that gets pardoned each Thanksgiving lives right here in Frying Pan park (oh, the irony...)

[normie]

OK, now this is the older section of Herndon. Some people call it Herndon Proper. I parked on Grant, then eventually walked down Monroe to Pine Street.

[normie]

More of Herndon Proper


Pine Street. You can (sorta) see the W&OD trail here. It ges next to the Red Caboos/Railroad museum, and past the library.

The stores in Herndon are often built in historic homes. The store on the right is a clock shop, on the left is a beauty shop. Lots of restaurants and interesting shops here.

Dr. Finley is a top notch optometrist. Even if you get your exam somewhere else I highly recommend getting glasses here.

Historic homes are right next to the downtown.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by normie

Frying Pan Park neighborhood:

I didn''t see a sidewalk there. Isn't that one of his complaints?

[fdeitz]

Good job, Normie. Those pictures are really great with all the effort you had to put in to take them. That other guy on the other thread who is trying to judge something he's never seen, just from a satellite picture, is a bit crazy to say the least. Then again, he's never going to like living in a suburban area from the sounds of his posts. He should have taken a job that let him live in some place where he didn't need a car - like downtown DC.

[normie]

More Herndon Proper:


Not all of the homes in Herndon are huge Victorians. There are many small ranch homes in thie neighborhood, too.


This should be with the first set of photos--I had trouble resizing it, which is how it ended up here.

[normie]

Originally Posted by dkf747

I didn''t see a sidewalk there. Isn't that one of his complaints?

The whole area has sidewalks, that's what I was walking on. Hard to get everything in a photo as you're walking along. Also some areas had them on one side of the street, some had them on both sides.