Dranesville, Herndon 14th Best Place to live (Fairfax, Vienna: post office, firms)

[sonnymarkjiz]

That's surprising. What's even more surprising is that Dale City made the list also!

[dkf747]

Seems like they aren't describing Herndon at all. Aren't they really talking about the really nice area on the north side of Rt. 7?

[NOVA_guy]

I always laugh when the term “small town” is used to describe anywhere in this area. Truly shows perception is reality, people will convince themselves of anything.

[skeddy]

Originally Posted by BOS2IAD

I once talked with a man who was born in 1949 and was a life long Herndon resident. He told me that when he was a kid, Leesburg Pike was a 2 lane road with flashing red and yellow traffic lights at the intersection of Dranesville Road.

I didn't know about the mini Mosaic District. Traffic is already congested around there. Once the building is done, it will be ever worse---yikes!

Dranesville ....Parents moved there in 1958, I was 6. Seneca Road - 20K to build the house, 5 acres at 1K an acre. Total cost ... 25K . Neighbor wanted to sell adjoining 5 acres for 5K, too expensive according to my Dad. Sold house and property after they died for 2M+, 12 years ago. Tysons Corner was a traffic light at the intersection of Route 7 and 123, next light was in Leesburg. No beltway, no Dulles, no Reston, no Ashburn, he worked in Falls Church, a 20 minute commute on the 2 lane road.. At the corner of 193 and 7 was a gas station and country store - Harry's Market...If you wanted to go to Maryland, had to drive through DC.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by dkf747

Seems like they aren't describing Herndon at all. Aren't they really talking about the really nice area on the north side of Rt. 7?

The Dranesville District referenced in the Money article includes:

Most of McLean (some of Tysons/McLean is in the Providence District);

Some of Falls Church/Fairfax County (including Pimmit Hills and the areas near Haycock ES);

All of Great Falls;

Part of Vienna/Fairfax County (near Wolf Trap); and

Most of Herndon (including the Town of Herndon and other areas north of the Dulles Toll Road; while some of Herndon south of the Dulles Toll Road is in the Dranesville District, other parts are in the Hunter Mill District).

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/maps/static-map-gallery

[BOS2IAD]

Originally Posted by skeddy

Dranesville ....Parents moved there in 1958, I was 6. Seneca Road - 20K to build the house, 5 acres at 1K an acre. Total cost ... 25K . Neighbor wanted to sell adjoining 5 acres for 5K, too expensive according to my Dad. Sold house and property after they died for 2M+, 12 years ago. Tysons Corner was a traffic light at the intersection of Route 7 and 123, next light was in Leesburg. No beltway, no Dulles, no Reston, no Ashburn, he worked in Falls Church, a 20 minute commute on the 2 lane road.. At the corner of 193 and 7 was a gas station and country store - Harry's Market...If you wanted to go to Maryland, had to drive through DC.

Actually, when we moved here in 1980, Ashburn was a sleepy town with a population of 250. Driving up Leesburg Pike, if you blinked you would have missed it.

It's too bad that your parents didn't buy those extra 5 acres, although I understand why they didn't --- 5k was a lot of money back then.

[TheseGoTo11]

A Fairfax County supervisor district seems like an odd place to classify as a town. Either way, I remember driving out there in the late 90s when the Fairfax County Parkway was being built over route 7. Was around the time the Dulles mall was still being built and a co-worker who lived in Sterling/Cascades was excited that a McDonald's was going to open nearby.

[leighland]

This whole town indy city thing is very strange. City of Falls Church has a FFX District supervisor, Penny Gross. FCC is in Mason District although they are independent. Blame Lord Fairfax. Its the Monarchy's fault.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by leighland

This whole town indy city thing is very strange. City of Falls Church has a FFX District supervisor, Penny Gross. FCC is in Mason District although they are independent. Blame Lord Fairfax. Its the Monarchy's fault.

Falls Church City is an independent city. I don't think it's part of Mason or any other magisterial district in Fairfax County. The portions of Fairfax County with Falls Church mailing addresses are in multiple county magisterial districts, including Dranesville, Mason and Providence. Penny Gross does participate in some local events where Falls Church City representatives are present, presumably because they are of common interest to FCC and the county.

Feel free to prove me wrong, but that's my clear understanding. The towns in the county (Clifton, Herndon, and Vienna) are different and are represented on the Board of Supervisors.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by TheseGoTo11

A Fairfax County supervisor district seems like an odd place to classify as a town. Either way, I remember driving out there in the late 90s when the Fairfax County Parkway was being built over route 7. Was around the time the Dulles mall was still being built and a co-worker who lived in Sterling/Cascades was excited that a McDonald's was going to open nearby.

Agree completely, but that's the type of thing that happens when you have a national publication that doesn't really know a locality trying to find ways to compare areas of comparable size. Sometimes they'll use CDPs (Census Designated Places) instead, so there will be an article with information about "Wolf Trap, VA" or "Jefferson, VA," the boundaries of which would be less than obvious to most area residents.