What’s wrong with Ashburn?

[Anonymous]

Nobody ever wants to live in, or visit Ashburn. They go because they have to.

[Anonymous]

People complain that western Fairfax is nothing but chains and big box stores. Not e tire my true, but I’m with the Ashburn poster who says, as a parent, who cares? I’m not taking my kids to fancy places. And I’m happy to be close to target and wegman’s.

[Anonymous]

E tire me = entirely

Stupid autocorrect ;p

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone out there thinks they are rich because they make $250k and live in a $1m house. In Arlington or McLean, that’s poor.

This. The people I know out there are UMC, but not rich. However, they act like they’re rich. They don’t seem to know what life in McLean, Bethesda, CC or NW is like.

Lol that’s a laughable statement to anyone who is even remotely familiar with Arlington, which has far more actual poor people living in section 8 housing than anywhere in Ashburn. Nobody in Arlington thinks someone with a $1M home is poor, Arlington is not the rich utopia you’re making it out to be.

[Anonymous]

all those data centers ...every corner...just so many data centers..no trees.. no parks.. you have to join a sport club to find grass. The home yards as so tiny you cant even play catch. so many data centers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:all those data centers ...every corner...just so many data centers..no trees.. no parks.. you have to join a sport club to find grass. The home yards as so tiny you cant even play catch. so many data centers.

Of course there are parks. Ashburn isn’t all that aesthetically pleasing to me either, but let’s not outright lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People complain that western Fairfax is nothing but chains and big box stores. Not e tire my true, but I’m with the Ashburn poster who says, as a parent, who cares? I’m not taking my kids to fancy places. And I’m happy to be close to target and wegman’s.

Yes, Ashburn is great for family with kids lifestyle only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People complain that western Fairfax is nothing but chains and big box stores. Not e tire my true, but I’m with the Ashburn poster who says, as a parent, who cares? I’m not taking my kids to fancy places. And I’m happy to be close to target and wegman’s.

Yes, Ashburn is great for family with kids lifestyle only.

not sure why you are saying that like it's a bad thing. a place geared towards families is pretty much the goal for a large majority of people in our age brackets/stage of life.

[Anonymous]

I think they are trying to make it more of a hub for 55+ folks. There are a lot of new 55+ TH style homes or condos being built. It kind of makes sense for tgat group...not worried sbout commuting, and like a plsnned community with smenities. Plus it's close enough to places where your adult kids would live (near job centers). I would definitely consider it as a next step...but that tollroad makes me worried about it being a disincentive for friends to come over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you like Ashburn good for you!
I hate it.
I like tree canopy and old houses.
I also hate Howard County new builds and would hate my life if I had to live on places like “Paternal Gift Dr.” (This is seriously road with a farm crop of McMansion s in Howard County).
Green spaces do more for your well being than having money at a certain point:
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/03/17/the-picture-of-health/
https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/what-is-a-tree-worth

I don’t disagree the name of the road in Howard County is a bit silly, but it is the name of the farm the development sprung out of. I’m a little surprised you picked this development to pick on—it’s quite an interesting story, and preserved a lot of green space—given the awards it won for conservation. (Also, there is a horse boarding facility.) We live down the road and if you want trees, they’re not hard to find in our area .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternal_Gift_Farm,_Maryland

I am also confused by ppl dislike of the Paternal Gift. Looks nice and green when I pass by on 108. Not like the new subdivision that grew on the corner of 108 and 32.
I can't afford it but, it seems nice for that type of expensive suburban housing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People complain that western Fairfax is nothing but chains and big box stores. Not e tire my true, but I’m with the Ashburn poster who says, as a parent, who cares? I’m not taking my kids to fancy places. And I’m happy to be close to target and wegman’s.

Yes, Ashburn is great for family with kids lifestyle only.

I don't want this to sound like I'm arguing, but given the PP's note that she doesn't take her kids to fancy places--I think places like Ashburn appeal to families who have a certain take on "kids lifestyle." I have literally nothing against the suburbs, live in one myself though different in character to Ashburn, but I would be thoroughly depressed to only have big-box stores and chain restaurants close by. I love dining out with my kid and exposing her to different foods, as well as just dining out generally. She is five and we really like our evenings out as a family, as well as the mommy-daughter brunches I take her to every other week after soccer practice.

Also, my husband and I also like having a good variety for date nights as well as evenings with friends.

Anyways, "as a parent," I care quite a bit...but others have a different type of lifestyle. Just always think its odd when folks lump "parents" into one group. We are still individuals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People complain that western Fairfax is nothing but chains and big box stores. Not e tire my true, but I’m with the Ashburn poster who says, as a parent, who cares? I’m not taking my kids to fancy places. And I’m happy to be close to target and wegman’s.

Yes, Ashburn is great for family with kids lifestyle only.

I don't want this to sound like I'm arguing, but given the PP's note that she doesn't take her kids to fancy places--I think places like Ashburn appeal to families who have a certain take on "kids lifestyle." I have literally nothing against the suburbs, live in one myself though different in character to Ashburn, but I would be thoroughly depressed to only have big-box stores and chain restaurants close by. I love dining out with my kid and exposing her to different foods, as well as just dining out generally. She is five and we really like our evenings out as a family, as well as the mommy-daughter brunches I take her to every other week after soccer practice.

Also, my husband and I also like having a good variety for date nights as well as evenings with friends.

Anyways, "as a parent," I care quite a bit...but others have a different type of lifestyle. Just always think its odd when folks lump "parents" into one group. We are still individuals.

True. But at a certain point, your daughter will be spending more time on HER friends and activities, and the character of those outings will change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People complain that western Fairfax is nothing but chains and big box stores. Not e tire my true, but I’m with the Ashburn poster who says, as a parent, who cares? I’m not taking my kids to fancy places. And I’m happy to be close to target and wegman’s.

Yes, Ashburn is great for family with kids lifestyle only.

I don't want this to sound like I'm arguing, but given the PP's note that she doesn't take her kids to fancy places--I think places like Ashburn appeal to families who have a certain take on "kids lifestyle." I have literally nothing against the suburbs, live in one myself though different in character to Ashburn, but I would be thoroughly depressed to only have big-box stores and chain restaurants close by. I love dining out with my kid and exposing her to different foods, as well as just dining out generally. She is five and we really like our evenings out as a family, as well as the mommy-daughter brunches I take her to every other week after soccer practice.

Also, my husband and I also like having a good variety for date nights as well as evenings with friends.

Anyways, "as a parent," I care quite a bit...but others have a different type of lifestyle. Just always think its odd when folks lump "parents" into one group. We are still individuals.

True. But at a certain point, your daughter will be spending more time on HER friends and activities, and the character of those outings will change.

Sure! But as she moves toward more independence, it’ll be even more important for me to really enjoy my own surroundings as an adult woman. The schlepping of kids to play dates and sports happens in whatever setting you live in and obviously is a time suck—but I still like being able to pop around the corner to a great wine bar or art show with my husband, a pal, or even just myself when I can!

[Anonymous]

Maybe I'm wrong, but my impression of Ashburn is that it appeals to socially conservative (though not necessarily politically conservative) Gen X and Millennials who are well off but not really affluent by DMV standards, and who embrace a safe and "family-friendly" lifestyle oriented around raising their kids (and therefore don't mind that it's boring to DC and inside-the-Beltway sophisticates.

They make enough money to own nice houses, though many of their homes on postage-stamp lots; they take nice vacations, although they are more likely to rent a big house for their extended family on the Outer Banks every year than travel abroad; they are happy if their kids go to VT and JMU rather than an Ivy or a prestigious OOS school; they make all their kids participate in some type of "group" activity in school; and they'd be fine with only visiting DC once or twice a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People complain that western Fairfax is nothing but chains and big box stores. Not e tire my true, but I’m with the Ashburn poster who says, as a parent, who cares? I’m not taking my kids to fancy places. And I’m happy to be close to target and wegman’s.

Yes, Ashburn is great for family with kids lifestyle only.

I don't want this to sound like I'm arguing, but given the PP's note that she doesn't take her kids to fancy places--I think places like Ashburn appeal to families who have a certain take on "kids lifestyle." I have literally nothing against the suburbs, live in one myself though different in character to Ashburn, but I would be thoroughly depressed to only have big-box stores and chain restaurants close by. I love dining out with my kid and exposing her to different foods, as well as just dining out generally. She is five and we really like our evenings out as a family, as well as the mommy-daughter brunches I take her to every other week after soccer practice.

Also, my husband and I also like having a good variety for date nights as well as evenings with friends.

Anyways, "as a parent," I care quite a bit...but others have a different type of lifestyle. Just always think its odd when folks lump "parents" into one group. We are still individuals.

True. But at a certain point, your daughter will be spending more time on HER friends and activities, and the character of those outings will change.

Sure! But as she moves toward more independence, it’ll be even more important for me to really enjoy my own surroundings as an adult woman. The schlepping of kids to play dates and sports happens in whatever setting you live in and obviously is a time suck—but I still like being able to pop around the corner to a great wine bar or art show with my husband, a pal, or even just myself when I can!

But in Loudoun, our wineries are just around the corner. And we do have great wine bars too.

I enjoy my life here. All my neighbors are the same age and we have huge bonfires in the culdesac on Halloween and weekend nights. Tons of kids for mine to play with and nice trails to bike. We work out here, so it wasn't like we were ever going to live in DC. Our options were pretty much Reston or Loudoun County so we could be close to job centers.