Vienna After Dark (Mount Vernon: apartments, college, living)

[Alicia Bradley]

Hehe.. I don't mean bars (I'm a non-drinker as well as a non-driver ).

I'm thinking of moving to Vienna from a pretty sketchy area of Fairax Co. and have been wondering -

Would I be able to ride my bike after dark (with really good head- and tail lights, obviously) on the sidewalks of the commercial areas of Vienna (i.e., Maple Ave.) and in the quieter residential areas of the community? (Not too close to Tysons, obviously.)

Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Alicia Bradley

Hehe.. I don't mean bars (I'm a non-drinker as well as a non-driver ).

I'm thinking of moving to Vienna from a pretty sketchy area of Fairax Co. and have been wondering -

Would I be able to ride my bike after dark (with really good head- and tail lights, obviously) on the sidewalks of the commercial areas of Vienna (i.e., Maple Ave.) and in the quieter residential areas of the community? (Not too close to Tysons, obviously.)

Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

No way. I made a special trip to Del Ray today just to make sure there were still sidewalk cafes and bakeries there, together with the bungalows, four-squares, and post-collegiates in their 20s and 30s strolling about just being naturally casual and hip. They are.

Vienna is just another future hellhole or Mid-Atlantic suburban armpit in waiting. It'll take more than a sidewalk or two, a Whole Foods, a Jammin Java, the W&OD bikepath running through the center of town, and a recommendation or two from Denton56 or Saganista to change that.

[Alicia Bradley]

JEB - tee hee! I do like Del Ray. It's (among other things) a mecca for former Midwestern foodies in the D.C. area, with the Dairy Godmother and Cheesetique reflecting their owner/founders' Wisconsin and Chicago backgrounds, respectively. The problem is (and the same is true of Old Town), it's close enough to D.C. proper to be too dense for me to really enjoy riding my bike around. In that sense, I think I'd be happier in a place that was a little more sparse, but where I could still ride my bike to places like Whole Foods or Jammin' Java - as long as I stayed on the sidewalk or residential streets, that is, of course.

The one thing I miss about PGC is the Anacostia Tributary Trial system - particularly the Indian Creek Trail. It was like my own secret/private trail but was in a thoroughly boring/non-dangerous area (by the College Park airport). For that reason, I'll be glad to have the W&OD so close - it's actually one of the main reasons I'm leaning towards Vienna. I am wondering how it compares, popularity-wise, to the Mount Vernon Trail on weekday afternoons (i.e., in the middle of the day, not rush hour). The Mount Vernon Trail is too crowded to be fun, even at 2:00 p.m. on a cold-ish, say, Tuesday. (Plus, I have to cross the GW Parkway at a random point - no crosswalk! - to get there.)

And you never answered my question about the sidewalks/residential streets after dark.

[terrence81]

I'm no expert but I will say that Vienna is pretty quiet after dark. So I'm sure it would be fine biking at night (after rush hour of course).

[lchoro]

I would try the residential streets behind the Magruder's/Rexall's Drugs. The streets are fairly quiet between Maple Ave and Cedar Ln and have wide shoulders that can accomodate bikes. Most of the traffic is fairly slow-moving and confined to Cottage St and Park St. It's very close to the W&OD trail. I believe there are some apartments across from the trail and the Vienna community center. Behind that is the Whole Foods and a Giant which also have some mid-rise garden apartments behind them.

[Alicia Bradley]

Thanks! That part of Vienna is where I've been thinking living, so that's really good news.