Why No Upscale Grocery Stores in Burke? (Richmond, Alexandria: sale, house)

[lindy112]

Isn't there a Wegman's going up in the Kingstowne area in a few years? Maybe the corner of Telegraph and Beulah?

[Yankeesfan]

Yes, the Wegman's will open at Beulah and Telegraph (in where Hilltop Field is now) in 2012.

Home | Hilltop Village Center

[becwells]

Originally Posted by car54

I heard the Fairfax City Harris Teeter closed due to a major dispute with the landlord. I tend to believe that because the store was open such a short time...I'd say a year or two max. HT spent a fortune building that store so even if it was unprofitable, I would think that, under normal circumstances, they would have given it more time to catch on.

Different area...but there are Harris Teeters all over the place heading out west along Rt. 50. They're building a new one over by Pender, another one just before you get to South Riding, and there's another about 4 miles down the road at Stonebridge! I'm not sure how many they think are needed?

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by car54

Wow, I don't think I've EVER noticed the floors in a grocery store! Is there something wrong with me? (Don't answer that!)

I only noticed them because they "renovated" and tore up the way the store looked and then put the new floors in. You couldn't miss it. Also, they aren't real hardwoods--they are laminates and they are only in specific areas of the store like the bakery and wine area and over in some places in the produce section. They are trying to give those areas a "market" feel versus the regular tile in the other aisles. I'm sure they are perfectly safe. Real hardwood would probably never survive a grocery store.

[VicodinES]

The Giant off of burke center parkway at burke commons by the wal-mart was originally a "gourmet" giant, that had all of the upscale groceries along with the regular fare you'd find in any other giant. I don't know if it's still like that, since it's been 10 years since I lived there.

[Skapov]

Originally Posted by JakilaTheHun

I'm a Harris Teeter fan, too. I started shopping there when I lived in Chapel Hill, NC and was happy to see there are some in this area, too. But I'm with you on the lack of grocery stores. I've never lived in an area with such a sparsity of grocery stores. And there aren't even any Super Wal-Marts or Super Targets to theoretically compete them away.

Unfortunately, I think this is the consequence of out-of-control suburban sprawl coupled with out-of-control real estate prices. It makes grocery stores not all that commercially viable. Of course, people still need food so there are some; they are just very spread out and you have very few options, unfortunately.

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned it yet, but there is a Harris Teeter in Annandale on Columbia Pike. That's a little closer than the one in Alexandria (not sure if you're talking about the same one I'm familiar with in A'andria).

Yeah, apparently there are no Super Wal-Marts around here which I find odd, because when I lived in the MidWest you always always always could find a Super-Walmart. Another disappointment is that we don't have a Lowe's in Burke, I think the nearst one is in Dale City, and I much prefer Lowe's to Home Depot especially when it comes to the Garden Center.

Thanks for pointing out that Harris Teeter has an Annandale branch, it's just that I'm not familiar with Annandale at all, but I'm very familiar with Alexandria so even though it may be further I at least know how to get there. I'm now gonna have to check out the Target by Burke Centre, because so far I've never been out thataways either. I'm a newer resident and so maybe I just need to spend a day exploring all the nooks-and-cranies of Burke before I complain.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by Skapov

Yeah, apparently there are no Super Wal-Marts around here which I find odd, because when I lived in the MidWest you always always always could find a Super-Walmart. Another disappointment is that we don't have a Lowe's in Burke, I think the nearst one is in Dale City, and I much prefer Lowe's to Home Depot especially when it comes to the Garden Center.

My co-worker, who lives off 123 in Fairfax drives down to the Lowe's in Woodbridge every Sunday morning. He much prefers it over Home Depot.

[torpor]

They recently renovated the Giant at the corner of Rolling Road and Old Keene Mill Road in West Springfield, which might not be too far away for the OP, depending on which part of Burke she lives in. I still wouldn't consider it "upscale," but it's definitely nicer than the standard Giants/Safeways of the area and could be a decent compromise for upscale places like Whole Foods or Wegmans.

[Fairfax Mom]

Skapov - you need to explore more - there is a Lowes down Lee Highway past Fair Oaks Mall - I think it might be Chantilly - much closer than Dale City.

And I think there is a "Super Target" in Falls Church.

I noticed that a lot of stores are hard to find around here because they are hidden behind trees - in the summer I moved here I could barely find the Burke Target and Walmart because they are hidden behind treed lots. The Target is in a really odd place - in the middle of townhomes with no other stores around.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

Skapov - you need to explore more - there is a Lowes down Lee Highway past Fair Oaks Mall - I think it might be Chantilly - much closer than Dale City.

And I think there is a "Super Target" in Falls Church.

I noticed that a lot of stores are hard to find around here because they are hidden behind trees - in the summer I moved here I could barely find the Burke Target and Walmart because they are hidden behind treed lots. The Target is in a really odd place - in the middle of townhomes with no other stores around.

My friend who drives down from Fairfax to the Woodbridge Lowe's says the Fair Oaks Lowe's is a "nightmare." Not sure why--his words!