Old Town, Alexandria vs Arlington ?? (Springfield, Fairfax: 2015, apartment, house)

[slim04]

Originally Posted by gomason

Old Town is definitely older but I think you can find a 1BR in either place for around $2000. I'd dispute that Clarendon doesn't have as many dogs as Old Town. Ballston has the only Chipotle that I've ever seen that had to put a sign on the door that says "no dogs." People pretty much take their dogs everywhere and there are tons of them.

I would say Old Town is a slightly more expensive. Their food selection is almost exclusively over priced crappy restaurants (I guess you can get away with that if your neighborhood is a tourist trap). Bar scene is pretty dismal too. There are definitely more reasonable places in the Clarendon area and a wider selection of both bars and restaurants. Also, Clarendon area has way more fast-casual options especially if you include Ballston that Old Town does.

Clarendon is within a mile of the Custis Trail and about 2 miles of the Mount Vernon trail. There are also bike lanes on Wilson Boulevard if you bike.

You are basically talking about tourist restaurants that are near King St. and Union. The further you go west out of the tourist zone the restaurants are much better and those off side streets are often quite good (Café Majestic, the original Hard Times Café, Restaurant Eve, La Bergerie, A La Lucia, Teasim, Columbia Firehouse, Momo Sushi, Southside 815, Rustico). The rents near the tourist zone on King St. are very high, so they have to be high volume restaurants that aren't dependent on repeat customers. There are a few 2BR condo complexes near the Braddock Street Metro where the owners rent and prices can be around $2,000. They usually allow pets as well. They aren't available all the time, but they pop up now and then.

[pcity]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

At any rate, Ballston isn't part of Clarendon and is about a mile beyond it. (However, it was considered part of "Clarendon, Virginia" back before WWII, when Clarendon was the only developed area in Arlington County.)

I think of Clarendon as being somewhat sterile, full of chain restaurants plus a few higher-end independent ones (and the odd holdout like Summers sports bar).

For someone who just corrected another poster about the Ballston/Clarendon distinction, you should probably know that Summers is in Courthouse and not Clarendon.

[gomason]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

Not to pick on you, but this is a good chance for me to ask: I've always wondered why a few cyclists ride on Wilson instead of using the nearby dedicated bike path--the Custis Trail. I used to be a bike commuter but would never have chosen a road with cars on it over a separate bike path. It would be one thing if the bikes could go as fast as the cars, but they end up getting in the way.

The closest Custis trail entrance is a mile out of the way and it is a very hilly trail - not flat like Wilson Boulevard. I don't know how we're getting in the way - I meant the Fairfax Drive/Wilson Boulevard/Clarendon Boulevard sections that all have bike lanes. The Arlington government is finally reconstructing the "Clarendon Circle" interchange so that there are less conflicts between bikes and cars because there's no bike lane connecting Wilson Boulevard with Fairfax Drive. If we're ever getting in the way, it's because a driver is getting in our way because they are illegally parked in the lane or are parking. The government will put in bollards separating the bikes from parking soon enough hopefully.

Cars really don't go much faster than bikes on Wilson Boulevard especially when there's traffic. I'm always amused when someone speeds up to get in front of me only so that I can pass them again at the next red light.

And I'm not always commuting. Sometimes I'm just biking over to a friend or bar in DC.

[ACWhite]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

AC, are you a table squatter? For shame.

They do this while the fork is still en route to your mouth!

[Old Guard]

Originally Posted by ACWhite

They do this while the fork is still en route to your mouth!

We know, all the people hogging those seats are just a bunch of selfish forkers!

[ACWhite]

Originally Posted by Old Guard

We know, all the people hogging those seats are just a bunch of selfish forkers!

Hahaha!

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by gomason

The closest Custis trail entrance is a mile out of the way and it is a very hilly trail - not flat like Wilson Boulevard. I don't know how we're getting in the way - I meant the Fairfax Drive/Wilson Boulevard/Clarendon Boulevard sections that all have bike lanes. The Arlington government is finally reconstructing the "Clarendon Circle" interchange so that there are less conflicts between bikes and cars because there's no bike lane connecting Wilson Boulevard with Fairfax Drive. If we're ever getting in the way, it's because a driver is getting in our way because they are illegally parked in the lane or are parking. The government will put in bollards separating the bikes from parking soon enough hopefully.

Cars really don't go much faster than bikes on Wilson Boulevard especially when there's traffic. I'm always amused when someone speeds up to get in front of me only so that I can pass them again at the next red light.

And I'm not always commuting. Sometimes I'm just biking over to a friend or bar in DC.

Interesting. It's more of an issue west of Ballston, near where I live. There are multiple entrances to the trail nearby, and yet some idiot will be biking on the road, making an entire lane unusable. (West of George Mason, it's easy to do the 35-mph limit.)

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by ACWhite

They do this while the fork is still en route to your mouth!

OK, that is obnoxious. I would say to them, "The longer you stare at me, the slower I'm going to eat."

[gomason]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

Interesting. It's more of an issue west of Ballston, near where I live. There are multiple entrances to the trail nearby, and yet some idiot will be biking on the road, making an entire lane unusable. (West of George Mason, it's easy to do the 35-mph limit.)

Well, I hate to tell you, but Arlington is going to take away that travel lane away and add two bike lanes: Wilson Boulevard Improvements - Projects & Planning.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by gomason

Well, I hate to tell you, but Arlington is going to take away that travel lane away and add two bike lanes: Wilson Boulevard Improvements - Projects & Planning.

No, I knew about that. Resigned to it, I guess. Slowing down the traffic is a plus. If it results in a giant flustercluck/backups, I'm sure they'll restripe it to be the way it was.