What happened to Clarendon?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just wish a library was closer.

To what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a DC resident, I cannot distinguish between Clarendon and Ballston. They both seem like ugly stretches of heavy traffic with giant ugly buildings. The only thing I noticed when I had to travel to Ballston over the summer several times for business there is how WHITE it is compared to the Orange/Silver line in the other direction that I usually take.

Not many giant in Clarendon. Not sure what you're talking about.

Ok maybe not giant, but all indistinguishable and characterless on the street level.

They are of a style, as are, say, all those Wardman rowhouses in DC. They are conservative - in fact they are mostly trying to reference traditional prewar apt buildings in upper NW. Which themselves were mostly not adventerous. Yeah, you can find some more exciting architecture in some new buildings in EOTP DC. But Clarendon and Ballston are still pretty much the most walkable places, most attractive from a pedestrian POV, of any parts of NoVa outside Old Town Alex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clarendon has literally nothing that makes me want to go there.

I heard so much hype about Ballston Quarter but when I went there it looked just like the mall. Even still has the sad Macy’s.

The restaurants that are coming to Ballston overlap with Mosaic and I’d much rather go to Mosaic and walk around than hang out in an old mall on crowded streets filled with ugly buildings.

Yeah but you have to drive half an hour to get to mosaic. They have a lot more real estate to do work with so it was a lot nicer

Out side of the advantage of being able to do a target run I don't see much difference between Mosaic and Ballston.

Mosaic was Fairfax County's version Clarendon. When it opened in the mid-2010s, it was a stark departure from the way that Fairfax Country had previously approached development planning. Today it feels like a larger version of Clarendon, and no one gives it a second thought. But that just shows how far the area has come.

https://www.naiop.org/en/Magazine/2013/Fall-2013/Development-Ownership/The-Mosaic-District

My question is why is Mosaic more successfully than Reston Town Center? Both are similar, but I know people in Herndon who prefer to come to Mosaic rather than the much closer RTC...

I think it's the opposite. I rather go to Reston Town than Mosiac. Mosiac feels random and out of place.

I think the issue with Clarendon and Mosiac is the concept is kinda outdated. At least with Clarendon you're near something iike dc.

Reston TC was envisioned long ago by Bob Simon as the completion to Reston, though the Restonites don't seem to quite all see Simon's urbanist vision.

Mosaic was what FFX Cty managed to squeeze in on a target (ha!) of opportunity, the old movie complex. As Merrifield fills in, it will be less isolated (just as RB corridor filling in has improved it)

Mosaic is "hotter" mostly because its closer to very income areas in FFX than RTC is. But RTC has MUCH more employment, and I am pretty sure more residences.

I see no evidence that the urban village concept is outdated, though changes to retail are a challenge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Don’t think the posters were talking about residential real estate. We get that. Rather, the concern is with ... what exactly is Clarendon these days? Some weird shell of it’s old self.

40 YOs missing the old bars that have moved on, as far as I can tell. or 35YOs?

Anyway, folks too young to remember when Clarendon was all Viet Namese restaurants and down scale shops, and they hadn't been replaced by whatever dives y'all are nostalgic for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish a library was closer.

Because 1 mile to the library on Quincy is too far?

It is for young kids carrying books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clarendon has literally nothing that makes me want to go there.

I heard so much hype about Ballston Quarter but when I went there it looked just like the mall. Even still has the sad Macy’s.

The restaurants that are coming to Ballston overlap with Mosaic and I’d much rather go to Mosaic and walk around than hang out in an old mall on crowded streets filled with ugly buildings.

Yeah but you have to drive half an hour to get to mosaic. They have a lot more real estate to do work with so it was a lot nicer

Out side of the advantage of being able to do a target run I don't see much difference between Mosaic and Ballston.

Mosaic was Fairfax County's version Clarendon. When it opened in the mid-2010s, it was a stark departure from the way that Fairfax Country had previously approached development planning. Today it feels like a larger version of Clarendon, and no one gives it a second thought. But that just shows how far the area has come.

https://www.naiop.org/en/Magazine/2013/Fall-2013/Development-Ownership/The-Mosaic-District

My question is why is Mosaic more successfully than Reston Town Center? Both are similar, but I know people in Herndon who prefer to come to Mosaic rather than the much closer RTC...

I think it's the opposite. I rather go to Reston Town than Mosiac. Mosiac feels random and out of place.

I think the issue with Clarendon and Mosiac is the concept is kinda outdated. At least with Clarendon you're near something iike dc.

Reston TC was envisioned long ago by Bob Simon as the completion to Reston, though the Restonites don't seem to quite all see Simon's urbanist vision.

Mosaic was what FFX Cty managed to squeeze in on a target (ha!) of opportunity, the old movie complex. As Merrifield fills in, it will be less isolated (just as RB corridor filling in has improved it)

Mosaic is "hotter" mostly because its closer to very income areas in FFX than RTC is. But RTC has MUCH more employment, and I am pretty sure more residences.

I see no evidence that the urban village concept is outdated, though changes to retail are a challenge.

I think in 10-20 years, the urban village concept will die and we'll see a return of shopping malls again. Town centers like Rtc used to be popular back in the day, then shopping malls took over, then we went back to urban town centers. These trends move in cycles. I think Clarendon is seeing it now since it's nearly a ghost town of amenities compared to 10 years ago when they HD all,of the bars like Mister Dayes and the Grill.

[Anonymous]

I don't get what everyone is talking about

That area has been clarendon ballroom zone for decades

Overpriced crappy drinks with loser dudes trying to hit on semi average 20 something white girls

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish a library was closer.

Because 1 mile to the library on Quincy is too far?

It is for young kids carrying books.

Consider a stroller, the bus, or a metro ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clarendon has literally nothing that makes me want to go there.

I heard so much hype about Ballston Quarter but when I went there it looked just like the mall. Even still has the sad Macy’s.

The restaurants that are coming to Ballston overlap with Mosaic and I’d much rather go to Mosaic and walk around than hang out in an old mall on crowded streets filled with ugly buildings.

Yeah but you have to drive half an hour to get to mosaic. They have a lot more real estate to do work with so it was a lot nicer

Out side of the advantage of being able to do a target run I don't see much difference between Mosaic and Ballston.

Mosaic was Fairfax County's version Clarendon. When it opened in the mid-2010s, it was a stark departure from the way that Fairfax Country had previously approached development planning. Today it feels like a larger version of Clarendon, and no one gives it a second thought. But that just shows how far the area has come.

https://www.naiop.org/en/Magazine/2013/Fall-2013/Development-Ownership/The-Mosaic-District

My question is why is Mosaic more successfully than Reston Town Center? Both are similar, but I know people in Herndon who prefer to come to Mosaic rather than the much closer RTC...

I think it's the opposite. I rather go to Reston Town than Mosiac. Mosiac feels random and out of place.

I think the issue with Clarendon and Mosiac is the concept is kinda outdated. At least with Clarendon you're near something iike dc.

Reston TC was envisioned long ago by Bob Simon as the completion to Reston, though the Restonites don't seem to quite all see Simon's urbanist vision.

Mosaic was what FFX Cty managed to squeeze in on a target (ha!) of opportunity, the old movie complex. As Merrifield fills in, it will be less isolated (just as RB corridor filling in has improved it)

Mosaic is "hotter" mostly because its closer to very income areas in FFX than RTC is. But RTC has MUCH more employment, and I am pretty sure more residences.

I see no evidence that the urban village concept is outdated, though changes to retail are a challenge.

I think in 10-20 years, the urban village concept will die and we'll see a return of shopping malls again. Town centers like Rtc used to be popular back in the day, then shopping malls took over, then we went back to urban town centers. These trends move in cycles. I think Clarendon is seeing it now since it's nearly a ghost town of amenities compared to 10 years ago when they HD all,of the bars like Mister Dayes and the Grill.

Clarendon sucks, but I hope that that soulless suburban sprawl strip mall crap never comes back into popularity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish a library was closer.

Because 1 mile to the library on Quincy is too far?

It is for young kids carrying books.

Consider a stroller, the bus, or a metro ride.

Yes, we manage, but it’s be nice to have a branch closer since we go often. That’s all.