What is it with McLean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean for it's high income is considered second-tier. Very new money, Johnny come lately. It's not NW DC or Bethesda/CC and you can tell. People there do ANYTHING to flaunt their wealth.

Not feeling it, sorry.

If second-tier means being OK with neighbors who made, rather than inherited, their money, I'm fine with that.

And anyone with a pair of eyes can tell you that there's much more bling to be found in Bethesda than in McLean.

Carry on. Let's see how far the resentment can take you.

There may be more bling in Potomac than McLean but Mclean signifies the new money defense contractor war profiteer wannabe culture more than anywhere else. And there isn't anything on Foxhall as hideous as some of the garish (prefab)homes in McLean.

Do you even know where most of the "defense contractor war profiteer" HQs are? Yes, Maryland. Along with their CEOs and executives. Northrop Grumman is planning on relocating to Falls Church from California, but none of them
are here yet.

Really, if you don't know what you're talking about, maybe you just....should not.


ps. The Kennedys home was in McLean. Colin Powell lives here. Sununu. Steven Case, founder of AOL. THe family of the deposed Shah of Iran. The former Queen of Jordan. The Saudi Royal Family.

Do they really qualify as "new money"? Maybe Steven Case, and Colin Powell...but

Oh brother. I just realized I've been arguing with a 16 yr old. First of all only 1 Kennedy lived in Mclean. Ted lived in Kalorama, and JFK lived in Spring Valley back in the day. I'm not going to get in this who lives where battle because DC wins every time but you really sound childish.

[Anonymous]

McLean used to be that way only on the Langley side. Now the whole place is like that. I grew up there, and have no interest in living there as an adult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Oh brother. I just realized I've been arguing with a 16 yr old. First of all only 1 Kennedy lived in Mclean. Ted lived in Kalorama, and JFK lived in Spring Valley back in the day. I'm not going to get in this who lives where battle because DC wins every time but you really sound childish.

Guess it's an occupational hazard for 17 yr old's with too much time on their hands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McLean used to be that way only on the Langley side. Now the whole place is like that. I grew up there, and have no interest in living there as an adult.

Great - can I buy your house?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Oh brother. I just realized I've been arguing with a 16 yr old. First of all only 1 Kennedy lived in Mclean. Ted lived in Kalorama, and JFK lived in Spring Valley back in the day. I'm not going to get in this who lives where battle because DC wins every time but you really sound childish.

As I recall, that one Kennedy sired a lot of other Kennedies. Also, Jackie Kennedy spent most of her teenage years at Merrywood, her stepfather's estate in McLean.

So it's probably safe to say that, in recent years, there have been more than one Kennedy's-in-waiting, Kennedies, and Kennedy has-beens living in McLean at any one time.

You can keep Ted, and Vickie too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean for it's high income is considered second-tier. Very new money, Johnny come lately. It's not NW DC or Bethesda/CC and you can tell. People there do ANYTHING to flaunt their wealth.

Not feeling it, sorry.

If second-tier means being OK with neighbors who made, rather than inherited, their money, I'm fine with that.

And anyone with a pair of eyes can tell you that there's much more bling to be found in Bethesda than in McLean.

Carry on. Let's see how far the resentment can take you.

There may be more bling in Potomac than McLean but Mclean signifies the new money defense contractor war profiteer wannabe culture more than anywhere else. And there isn't anything on Foxhall as hideous as some of the garish (prefab)homes in McLean.

Do you even know where most of the "defense contractor war profiteer" HQs are? Yes, Maryland. Along with their CEOs and executives. Northrop Grumman is planning on relocating to Falls Church from California, but none of them
are here yet.

Really, if you don't know what you're talking about, maybe you just....should not.


ps. The Kennedys home was in McLean. Colin Powell lives here. Sununu. Steven Case, founder of AOL. THe family of the deposed Shah of Iran. The former Queen of Jordan. The Saudi Royal Family.

Do they really qualify as "new money"? Maybe Steven Case, and Colin Powell...but

Oh brother. I just realized I've been arguing with a 16 yr old. First of all only 1 Kennedy lived in Mclean. Ted lived in Kalorama, and JFK lived in Spring Valley back in the day. I'm not going to get in this who lives where battle because DC wins every time but you really sound childish.

Wow, isn't that a clever response? Oh wait, it's commonly used on here when someone can't think of something better.

Check your facts. Again. And take PP's advice to just be quiet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McLean for it's high income is considered second-tier. Very new money, Johnny come lately. It's not NW DC or Bethesda/CC and you can tell. People there do ANYTHING to flaunt their wealth.

Not feeling it, sorry.

If second-tier means being OK with neighbors who made, rather than inherited, their money, I'm fine with that.

And anyone with a pair of eyes can tell you that there's much more bling to be found in Bethesda than in McLean.

Carry on. Let's see how far the resentment can take you.

There may be more bling in Potomac than McLean but Mclean signifies the new money defense contractor war profiteer wannabe culture more than anywhere else. And there isn't anything on Foxhall as hideous as some of the garish (prefab)homes in McLean.

Do you even know where most of the "defense contractor war profiteer" HQs are? Yes, Maryland. Along with their CEOs and executives. Northrop Grumman is planning on relocating to Falls Church from California, but none of them
are here yet.

Really, if you don't know what you're talking about, maybe you just....should not.


ps. The Kennedys home was in McLean. Colin Powell lives here. Sununu. Steven Case, founder of AOL. THe family of the deposed Shah of Iran. The former Queen of Jordan. The Saudi Royal Family.

Do they really qualify as "new money"? Maybe Steven Case, and Colin Powell...but

Oh brother. I just realized I've been arguing with a 16 yr old. First of all only 1 Kennedy lived in Mclean. Ted lived in Kalorama, and JFK lived in Spring Valley back in the day. I'm not going to get in this who lives where battle because DC wins every time but you really sound childish.

Looks to me like that was in response to your brilliant observation that everyone in McLean was "new money".
I'm going to venture that you are in the category of "no money".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in McLean, and I completely agree with the underwhelming downtown. Then again, since it takes 15 or 20 minutes to get to Georgetown, Bethesda, or Arlington, and 10 to Tyson's I don't know that a good retail area would survive the competition. But a few nice little restaurants, etc, would be great.

Kazan's, Pasa Thai, McLean 1910, Evo Bistro, Tachibana, Cafe Oggi are all decent or better, IMHO.

[Anonymous]

Don't the Cheney's live in McLean too? Or is that Great Falls?

[Anonymous]

I've lived in McLean for over ten years and have not really run into these beige-haired stuck-up people that these posts refer to.

Our neighbors are neighborly and friendly (though some do pay a little too much attention to how much the most recent home sale was).

The parents at our ES are normal, down-to-earth people. I have yet to have someone flaunt their wealth or status (though our children have come home from some playdates wondering why our house is SO much smaller than their friends'). Those who may be well-connected or vastly more wealthy than others have appeared to actually downplay the differences and focus on the things we all have in common -- concern about our kids, weekend activities, etc.

I have no idea where all of this hate for McLean comes from. I love that it feels like a small town and we run into people we know when we go to the grocery store. I love that there are small-town-type events throughout the year. I love that you can feel like you live in the ex-urbs (in the western side of town) when you're really still so close to the city.

Yes, houses cost more there than similar houses would elsewhere. But there really is a lot of value in living here and I wouldn't live anywhere else -- not for the supposed cache of living here, but for the REALITY of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McLean for it's high income is considered second-tier. Very new money, Johnny come lately. It's not NW DC or Bethesda/CC and you can tell. People there do ANYTHING to flaunt their wealth.

Are you including the owners of Hickory Hill in that description?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hickory_Hill_(McLean,_Virginia)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in McLean for over ten years and have not really run into these beige-haired stuck-up people that these posts refer to.

Our neighbors are neighborly and friendly (though some do pay a little too much attention to how much the most recent home sale was).

The parents at our ES are normal, down-to-earth people. I have yet to have someone flaunt their wealth or status (though our children have come home from some playdates wondering why our house is SO much smaller than their friends'). Those who may be well-connected or vastly more wealthy than others have appeared to actually downplay the differences and focus on the things we all have in common -- concern about our kids, weekend activities, etc.

I have no idea where all of this hate for McLean comes from. I love that it feels like a small town and we run into people we know when we go to the grocery store. I love that there are small-town-type events throughout the year. I love that you can feel like you live in the ex-urbs (in the western side of town) when you're really still so close to the city.

Yes, houses cost more there than similar houses would elsewhere. But there really is a lot of value in living here and I wouldn't live anywhere else -- not for the supposed cache of living here, but for the REALITY of it.

It's so nice to hear this.

We just bought a house in McLean and are moving there this weekend from out of state. We tried to buy in Potomac and then Vienna, but ended up in McLean. I'd heard many comments about McLean being snooty, while hearing how great Vienna was, and I was concerned. When you say "western side of town" are you referring to west of the beltway?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't the Cheney's live in McLean too? Or is that Great Falls?

Both of Cheney's daughters attended McLean HS. They still live in McLean, but they had a house built near the CIA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It's so nice to hear this.

We just bought a house in McLean and are moving there this weekend from out of state. We tried to buy in Potomac and then Vienna, but ended up in McLean. I'd heard many comments about McLean being snooty, while hearing how great Vienna was, and I was concerned. When you say "western side of town" are you referring to west of the beltway?

Welcome. Are you the C-D poster moving here from Charlotte?

Anyway, I hope you like the area. We live in a neighborhood with quite a mix of homes and families of all different ages. For us, it's a good balance of comfort and convenience. Apart from wanting a spiffier downtown (although that might create more congestion), couldn't be happier.

[Anonymous]

Yes, when I referred to the "western side of town" I meant outside the Beltway, 22102 zip of McLean.

We lived for ten years in 22102 and are moving to 22101. I love McLean for all the reasons I cited above. I was afraid of the stereotype when we first moved here from Arlington, but was so pleasantly surprised by what I found when we got here. I wouldn't live anywhere else.

Hope you love it, too....we'll probably see you at McLean Day, the farmer's market, ArtFest....