Vienna - Info (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax: homes, neighborhoods, buy)

[neighborhoodfind]

I'm considering moving to Vienna. I've driven through the area two or three times and the traffic through 123 was horrendous. Church street had a couple of blocks of nice quaint shopping, but that was it. The sidewalks end past the very small retail section on church street making it pedestrian unfriendly to walk to the shops on Church from many parts of Vienna. 123 is a series of unpleasant strip malls. Am I missing something? Is this the best that NOVA has to offer?

Anyone know if the city has plans to make the retail areas along 123 more walkable and pleasant? I see the area as having a lot of potential but I haven't seen much forward thinking in Northern Virginia in terms of city planning. They could easily rebuild some of the decaying strip malls into very nice walkable retail areas, with outdoor dining, parking in the back and so forth. Any plans in place to do this?

[Caladium]

If you don't like it, don't move there.

I don't believe there are any plans in the works to turn Vienna into a town you'd approve. So sorry, pleasing you is just not a top priority, the city council would rather spend their money to build things that please the people who actually live there.

[neighborhoodfind]

I think it a pretty common desire to want what I want and that is to live in a place that feels like a community and not a series of disconnected homes and strip malls. A place where my kids can walk to school, where you can walk to parks, restaurants, and the library. Where you can get to work easily. In fact, I believe all of these things are the reasons people would want to move to Vienna since it is touted as having these things.

[CaseyMac]

I think the question Neighborhoodfind posted is very reasonable--let's try and be a little warmer in our response to him/her. .

To answer the question, yes Vienna's stretch of 123 is a bit commercialized. The reason why Vienna is championed over many other comparable Northern VA places is because it has some features about it that are a bit unique here:

1) W&OD Bike Trail comes right through the town as it goes from Purcellville to Arlington
2) You do have a "town" in the sense there is a nicer community center, a big open space with a flag saluting the military and a very involved community.
3) Better than usual Fairfax Co. schools. James Madison HS has to be one of the best public high schools in the area.
4) Close proximity to Tysons and the Vienna Metro station.

I think outside of Arlington, you will find a really good community atmosphere in Vienna. And unlike other places here, the community is a lot more homogenous socio-economically speaking. Neither good nor bad, just something that is more noticeable in Vienna.

Good luck to you!

[villageperson]

I have to agree with neighbor’. Things that please people are not endless traffic, choking on exhaust, and the hellish heat of massive parking lots baking in 100 degree sun. All across the country people are learning from the past and looking to the future where the car is not king and pulling into a drive-thru for a donut fix is not what brings ultimate bliss !!!

Sorry about that ... seriously though, bliss aside -- take a look at this link: "http://www.brentwoodtowncenter.net/Home_Page.html. Read the intro and check out the Plan tab. This is standard thought in urban planning for the 21st century, and although the images are a bit cutesy, the driving principles (no pun intended) are what make these types of downtown cores places that people WANT to be ... they are what people who live there DO like, they bring development, businesses and increased rents. People flock to towns that are for people, not for their cars. Oh, add to that great education, natural beauty, culture ... Vienna has everything but the plan. I've read it. It's wimpy. Yes, Church street is charming, complete with a wine shop available to help you relax after your slow drive into town and the reg's are there for that particular street. Now, have the ----- to implement change on a grand scale. You can handle traffic and make it walk able, even improve both.


Sure, sure -if you don't like it, don't move there" - no need to be rude, it seems like neighbor' is just frustrated.

[springfieldva]

There are some gorgeous neighborhoods in and around Vienna. Many people value being close to Wolftrap, metro, DC and other area job centers. And of course Vienna is home to Jammin' Java.

[neighborhoodfind]

I do love that Vienna is close to metro, Tysons, w/od trail and Wolftrap. I think the area has great potential. But I don't see it as having a nice core town center really, as Church street is miniscule and 123 unpleasant. Why not start to build a better town center down the 123 corridor?

I get the defensiveness. You have a lot of people moving here who moved from places with a better quality of life and then criticizing it when natives have found their nitch and a way to eek out a pleasant life here.

But I do believe that many of the criticisms are valid and if future planning was done in a thoughtful way, the quality of life for the residents here would improve tremendously. Isn't critical questioning of the past and planning for the future a positive thing? Isn't that the way to build better lives and better communities?

[normie]

I'm all for giving people a warm welcome, but I've got to admit I'm not a fan of posts like the OP's. She's frustrated, I hear that, but I'm tired of people who move here from out of state and immediately want to change things to be like the place they left.

To me, it sounds like the OP wants to live in a place like Santa Barbara. And I agree, Santa Barbara is a lovely place for people who want to park in pricey garages and then walk several blocks to shop at over priced gift shops and eat at over priced cafes. If you need to live near DC, Old Town Alexandria is like that, too. Go live there, if that's what you're seeking.

Personally, I like Vienna the way it is. It may not be designed for tourists but I don't need adorable gift stores. I like having mom and pop stores that sell things I need--and the prices are decent because they don't have to spend a fortune making the stores cute. I don't need an expensive parking garage, what I like about Vienna is I can park in front of the hardware store and quickly run in to get something I need.

And who's going to pay for this? My taxes could be spent to build cafe-filled malls such as the one you describe, but we don't really need one. I'd rather see them being spent on more pressing needs.

The OP says "They could easily rebuild some of the decaying strip malls into very nice walkable retail areas." Oh really? Does she have some sort of magic wand she can wave to make this happen? Is she willing to foot the bill or deal with the traffic nightmare of building those walkable retail areas?

I'm glad to welcome you to Virginia. But if you really want to live in Santa Barbara, why not move there? Wait, let me guess--you can't get a job there and it's extremely expensive and taxes are insane (because they spend their tax money building projects like this). Maybe the reason Virginia has jobs and lower taxes is we don't need to make every town look like Santa Barbara.

[Fern435]

Originally Posted by normie

I'm all for giving people a warm welcome, but I've got to admit I'm not a fan of posts like the OP's. She's frustrated, I hear that, but I'm tired of people who move here from out of state and immediately want to change things to be like the place they left.

To me, it sounds like the OP wants to live in a place like Santa Barbara. And I agree, Santa Barbara is a lovely place for people who want to park in pricey garages and then walk several blocks to shop at over priced gift shops and eat at over priced cafes.

Personally, I like Vienna. It may not be pretty for visitors but I don't need gift stores. What I need is to be able to park in front of the hardware store and buy something for a reasonable price. My taxes could be spent to build a cutesy area such as the one you describe, but we don't really need one. I'd rather see them being spent on more pressing needs.

The OP says "They could easily rebuild some of the decaying strip malls into very nice walkable retail areas." Oh really? Does she have some sort of magic wand she can wave to make this happen? Is she willing to foot the bill or deal with the traffic nightmare of building those walkable retail areas?

I'm glad to welcome you to Virginia. But if you really want to live in Santa Barbara, why not move there? Wait, let me guess--you can't get a job there and it's extremely expensive and taxes are insane (because they spend their tax money building projects like this).

Is it necessary to bring Santa Barbara, California into a Vienna, Virginia thread? The OP said nothing about coastal California communities with mountain views. She asked about Vienna, Virginia. What does Santa Barbara have to do with this?

Rambling and presumptuous.

[neighborhoodfind]

There's no question you need retail thats driveable. No one is is going to be walking to Costco and carrying 3 24 packs of coke home. However, there is room for both pedestrian friendly retail and other types of retail.

And developers could make a ton of money transforming even just one strip mall into pedestrian friendly retail, shops restaurants, with parking in the back. It would not add to the congestion on 123....that can't get any worse.

BTW, my income taxes in Virginia are higher than they would be in California.