How has NOVA changed last 3 years? (Arlington, Alexandria: condo, house, job market) - Northern Virginia - Virginia - City-Data Forum

MishaMacDowell · 05-13-2010, 11:23 PM

I'm so excitied. We are coming home!!! We've been overseas for 3 years and just found our next assignment lets us move back onto our house (about 15 minutes from Springfield Metro or Burke VRE). But, I haven't seen Virginia in 3 years. I'm sure it more or less looks the same but the world has changed. New administration, bad economy, base relocations, etc. So, my question is how do you think things have changed? What will I not see immediately but notice over time?

Dazed&Confused · 05-14-2010, 06:26 AM

Great question! We are moving back in a couple of weeks and have been gone for almost four years. By the way, I'm excited for both of us! I haven't been overseas but I've been in Alabama and might as well have been on a different planet.

Claire2900 · 05-14-2010, 10:20 AM

Welcome back

You will definitely be stunned driving the beltway. Trees gone, construction every where. The WW bridge is finished and the over pass to 95. Truly, you won't recognize you're driving in the same area.

SteelCityRising · 05-14-2010, 11:04 AM

Metro is expanding with the "Silver Line", which will fork off of the Orange Line between the East Falls Church and West Falls Church stations, have four stops in Tysons Corner, two stops in Reston, one stop in Herndon, a stop at Dulles Airport, and another stop or two in Loudoun County. Traffic has become terribly congested along the Route 7 corridor and the Dulles Toll Road at rush-hour, and this is part of a multi-faceted solution to try to make it better for we poor souls who live in Reston and must commute east.

Overall I'd say probably not a lot has changed in just three years. The population has grown since you left. Traffic is probably about the same, if not a little worse. Housing is still expensive. In the year I've lived here it seems like the area has gone from uber-liberal to "middle of the road" politically. When I first moved here nearly every other vehicle in Reston had an "Obama" bumper sticker. Now nearly no vehicle does.

oneasterisk · 05-14-2010, 11:20 AM

If you ever went to Springfield Mall, they are closing it down and planning to revamp it. The Springfield Mixing bowl is much better than 3 years ago. It still has a ton of traffic, but way better than all the construction that they had there 3 years ago.

I don't think BRAC has really taken affect yet. It'll still be a couple years before that kicks in.

VA now has a Republican Governor as well since you left.

FindingZen · 05-14-2010, 11:52 AM

Unlike most of the country, NOVA has held its own in the job market. This has resulted in more people coming to the area which places more stress on the roads and rails. Housing values have moderated by local standards. Thanks to the aforementioned job market, there has been no housing "bust" except perhaps in parts of Prince William County.

Other than that...they opened up a new bank near me where a Wendy's used to be. I have mixed feelings as while it happens to be my bank, I'm half-tempted to walk in and ask the teller for a #6 value meal!

While I said traffic isn't much better, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge expansion is complete.

The Dissenter · 05-14-2010, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tone509

Unlike most of the country, NOVA has held its own in the job market. This has resulted in more people coming to the area which places more stress on the roads and rails. Housing values have moderated by local standards. Thanks to the aforementioned job market, there has been no housing "bust" except perhaps in parts of Prince William County.

Other than that...they opened up a new bank near me where a Wendy's used to be. I have mixed feelings as while it happens to be my bank, I'm half-tempted to walk in and ask the teller for a #6 value meal!

While I said traffic isn't much better, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge expansion is complete.

They worked magic with that new WW bridge at least going into MD. Too bad the delays now moved to the inner-loop heading from Telegraph to Eisenhower in the afternoon.

They are building a new office building for BRAC in the Mark Center area in Alexandria that is going to being the Seminary Rd area to its knees traffic-wise. I'd be mad at BRAC if it wasn't my stepping stone out of Northern Virginia.

The Mixing Bowl construction project is now complete in Springfield.

Oh and I moved out.

Hesky · 06-10-2010, 04:25 PM

Nothing in NOVA has changed as much as Merrifield, good thing you don't live there, that place is a mess.

In the last three years all of the following have closed: Bank of America, Boston Market, Taco Bell, the Multiplex movie theater, 7-11, Pizza Hut, KFC, Einstein Bagels, Dad's Backyard Burgers, Z-pizza, a couple of gas stattions, the shady body shop, etc. The sidewalks are unwalkable, the piece of Gallows Road that goes through there is loaded with potholes and is as bumpy as a gravel road. All in the name of a never-ending project that is supposed to see the water mains replaced and Gallows widened.

Hopefully one day it will look nice, but right now its a mess and its taking forever.

perries · 06-10-2010, 05:32 PM

Others may well disagree, but it seems to me there are less luxury cars on the road than there used to be at the height of the housing bubble. On the other hand, I had a baby in 2007 and work near home, so it could also just be that I don't get out much anymore. And of course, you left just as the bubble was deflating, and it is plenty more deflated now. This area has come off relatively well thus far, compared to many other parts of the country, but the bubbliciousness is long gone.

More cupcake places, and tangy style frozen yogurt. Up at Reston Town Center they added a bunch more retail and office buildings where the large parking lot used to be at the western end - I think that opened in 2008. And Matuba's Arlington location just closed this month (waah, that was where my husband and I went on our first date).

Carlingtonian · 06-10-2010, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

In the year I've lived here it seems like the area has gone from uber-liberal to "middle of the road" politically. When I first moved here nearly every other vehicle in Reston had an "Obama" bumper sticker. Now nearly no vehicle does.

I'm not sure one can gauge political sentiment by bumper stickers. I think it's kind of pointless to keep a sticker on your car long after any election. If your guy won, you look like you're trying to rub the other side's nose in it--and if your guy lost, you look like a sore loser who can't face reality.

As to what has changed, the other posters nailed it with the highway expansions. I would add that there are probably a lot more huge condo buildings and McMansions in any given area.