Is it basically Old Town/Del Ray that people like of Alexandria...and the rest of it?? (Arlington: gardens, suburbs)

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by normie

Or, maybe someday those of you who find it "meh" will move away to a place you like better. Meanwhile, those of us who find it appealling will continue it enjoy it. Like it or not, there are quite a few people who love being in those places you consider "meh" and don't consider their towns to be urban planning gaffes.

We'll see just who has the last laugh when traffic congestion continues to worsen and gas prices rise again to record levels. Developing massive areas like Tysons Corner where tens of thousands of people have to access the area daily by car and car alone really is an "urban planning gaffe." The fact that places like Tysons Corner have so many apologists on this sub-forum concerns me.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

We'll see just who has the last laugh when traffic congestion continues to worsen and gas prices rise again to record levels. Developing massive areas like Tysons Corner where tens of thousands of people have to access the area daily by car and car alone really is an "urban planning gaffe." The fact that places like Tysons Corner have so many apologists on this sub-forum concerns me.

Areas have up's and down's. I think many of us believe that Fairfax is going to have to engage in some smart planning in the future to make sure large swaths of it aren't stuck between revitalized, urban and semi-urban areas like Arlington and Alexandria, and newer, prosperous suburbs out in Loudoun. You may feel it already is, but that's your view. Relatively few people here will cry too many tears over the fact that it's not Scranton or Winchester, when they consider their overall circumstances and quality of life.

And, had your equivalent arrived in the area 25-30 years ago, instead of in 2009, you probably wouldn't be complaining about Tysons, but instead about how much of the City of Alexandria had been allowed to deteriorate, and how "meh" a lot of Arlington was, with lousy retail, run-down garden apartments, the concrete canyons of Crystal City and Rosslyn, and just a few Vietnamese restaurants that had recently arrived in Clarendon to perk one's interest.

[FairfaxGuy73]

It's just worth differentiating suburban in Alexandria outside of Old Town vs suburban generally in Fairfax County. I was in an historic area outside of Old Town that had a patch of woods on a hillside. Much less wood than you'd see on on a random VDOT right of way, probably about an acre. The townhouses were 1950s vintage and quite small and crammed together, in red brick, of course. The narrow road was a speedway. But the small patch of trees and the quaint townhouses with lawns that you could mow with at weed wacker, were "soooo wooonderful" to the residents.

In regular NOVA suburbia, it is standard for SFHs and townhouses to have garages and real lawns (1/3 acre lots or more). In the the closein suburbs, with the combination of postage stamp lots and shared walls, the neighbors will drive you crazy with their selfish behavior. In the exburbs, they just ignore you.

[marie5v]

I'm afraid I have to agree about the "meh" factor in NOVA. I love my neighborhood, but that's mostly in comparison to the rest of NOVA. NOVA offers lots of benefits and I can think of lots of reasons to live here, but good urban planning is just not one of them. The random, sprawling development is just inexcusable. Seems like a whole lot of people want walkability, public transportation, houses that aren't "cookie cutter." But is that what is built in 95% of NOVA? Nope. Cookie cutter houses in exclusively residential areas, a sparse metro, and ugly strip malls that everyone has to drive to (and wouldn't really want to live near anyway.) How I wish I could walk to a couple of restaurants, a nice clothing store, a small general store, a post office....just like I did in Old Town. But all I can walk to is more houses just like mine.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by marie5v

How I wish I could walk to a couple of restaurants, a nice clothing store, a small general store, a post office....just like I did in Old Town. But all I can walk to is more houses just like mine.

More of us feel this way than you think. The fact that most rent prices are over $2,000/month for a shoebox-sized 1-BR apartment in most of North Arlington (and even East Falls Church as I've just found out) shows just how desirable it is to live in an area where you can walk to some restaurants, shops, houses of worship, parks, and other points of interest. Sadly, though, that's NOT what's been happening in 95% of NoVA. If there were more places like these---traditional "neighborhoods" with businesses and homes mixed together---then the cost of housing for the few that we do have wouldn't be so outrageous because supply would finally come near to meeting demand. There are two newer developments in East Falls Church I profile in another thread. One had well over 100 condo units and is sold out, even though they were very expensive. The other has a few hundred apartments. I just saw an ad on CraigsList for this complex advertising a 2-BR apartment for over $4,200/month.

There's just so little for people in this area who aren't wealthy but don't want to be stuck with cookie-cutter, cul-de-sacs, strip malls, parking lots, etc. I know I grate on people's nerves with my continued ranting on this subject, but why should only the wealthy (or those in subsidized housing) be able to live in walkable areas while the middle-class gets "stuck" in places like Ashburn, Reston, Sterling, and other areas that are safe, have good schools, and are clean, but have the walkability factor of Tibet? BRAMBLETON is pretty much the only compromise, but I don't see any other Brambleton-like projects coming down the pipeline---just more cookie-cutter hell.

[normie]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

while the middle-class gets "stuck" in places like Ashburn, Reston, Sterling, and other areas that are safe, have good schools, and are clean, but have the walkability factor of Tibet?

LOL, Tibet must be pretty walkable then, since Ashburn, Reston, and Sterling all have very walkable areas. Don't believe me? I've got a whole bunch of photo tours done while I was taking a walk through these communities. Check it out for yourself.

Lowes Island (part of Cascades, which is the northern section of Sterling) Let's start with Sterling. This photo tour not only shows sidewalks, walking trails, stores within walking distance, and tunnels under main roads, it includes plenty of shots of people walking. And even some people carrying grocery bags.

Next, let's look at Reston. Reston has one of the most extensive walking trail networks in the country and earned a 75/100 or "Very Walkable" score from walkscore. It is very easy to walk to stores, office buildings, the RTC, and community buildings, as these photo tours show.

Reston-South Lakes
Reston-Town Center and Lake Anne

And, while we're at it, here are photo tours of Herndon and Brambleton. You have only to look at these to see how walkable these communities are, too. BTW the Sterling and Reston photo tours were done by people while they were taking a walk.

Brambleton (a part of Ashburn)
Herndon

In addition, Ashburn, Sterling, and Reston were all mentioned in
https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...l#post15949393

[CAVA1990]

I have to agree with the "meh" crowd that zoning is really poor here, as it is in most of America. Amazing how the places we like to vacation, like charming small European towns, have residential areas interspersed with small shops and eateries that one can walk to, while that's almost non-existent in the suburbs where we live. Places like Route 1 and Tysons Corner are an abomination.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

small European towns, have residential areas interspersed with small shops and eateries that one can walk to, while that's almost non-existent in the suburbs where we live.

FWIW, here's what's in a half-mile walking distance from my house (Lowes Island in the Cascades HOA of eastern Loudoun): A Chinese restaurant, Veolocity 5 tavern, an Italian restaurant, a Korean restaurant, a Greek restaurant, two coffee shops, Subway, Papa John's, my dentist, my optician, my bank, Rite Aid, Bloom, a karate school, my vet, a doggie day care, a nail salon, a dry cleaners, Chesterbrook Academy, and a couple of other stores I can't recall at the moment.

These stores are all part of a shopping plaza. I don't even have to cross a main street to get there, since there's a tunnel under Algonkian Parkway, and a tunnel under Lowes Island Blvd. Five of the restaurants are non-chain restaurants. One has outdoor seating. I see plenty of people walking to this plaza all the time. Among other things, you can catch a bus there that will take you to WFC metro.

So much for such things being non-existent in the suburbs. Perhaps they're more existent than you think, walkable neighborhoods just look different in a suburban than an urban neighborhood. Stop to actually see what's within an easy walking distance, there may be more than you think.

[stpickrell]

Saturday -- walked, wagon in tow, from home to the Vienna Community Center for a soccer class. Then walked along the trail over to one of the cafes on Church Street, then walked to the Patrick Henry Library, checked out some books, and then walked home. Hell, I even saw folks walking in Fair Lakes/Fairfax Corners whilst driving to Wegmans later that PM.

Guess it all depends where you will walk.

[NYmama2dallas]

As far as Alexandria goes, I think the Fairlington neighborhood is really nice and I also think the neighborhoods south of Old Town along the parkway and the Potomac River are quite attractive.