Was Your Neighborhood Nicer 20 Years Ago?

[Anonymous]

Depends on what you mean by “nicer.” Are you equating it with “wealthier?“

For example, a previous poster from 22207 says that that area was not “nicer“ 20 years ago. Actually, we were in the thick of raising kids there 20 years ago and from what I read on DCUM now I would argue that it was, in fact, “nicer” then. It was more affordable, the schools were smaller and less crowded, and the people generally seemed a lot nicer. We still live in the area and on occasion find ourselves in 22207, and the only thing different that we say about it now is that the smaller houses have been replaced with McMansions and I don’t think that makes it a “nicer” neighborhood. It just makes it a less affordable one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:City of Alexandria checking in. Yes, much, much, much nicer.

Del Ray checking in. Ehhhh. It was just turning the corner. We bought there in 2000 and it was still pretty rough around the edges.

I thought 20 years ago Del Ray was hip and bohemian. GW was arguably stronger back then too.

45 years ago it was still working class with the adjacent, massive railroad switching yard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Silver Spring was probably nicer 20 years ago. It had a trendy clothing retail scene with American Apparel and others. Discovery HQ was a shining beacon for the neighborhood. The area felt safer, but not sure about the actual crime stats. 25-plus years ago, Montgomery Blair HS was still a strong anchor for the neighborhood, before it left. Since then the historic facility has largely been neglected and left to deteriorate.

I think the construction of the Purple Line has a lot to do with why Silver Spring feels worse now. As a resident of 20910, I am hoping that once the PL is finally finished the neighborhood will start to pick up again. It's still nice now (particularly the residential neighborhoods surrounding downtown) but the construction is downright awful and has been very disruptive to businesses. But if metro is any indication, once it's finally done, the area should be poised to recover and improve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Silver Spring was probably nicer 20 years ago. It had a trendy clothing retail scene with American Apparel and others. Discovery HQ was a shining beacon for the neighborhood. The area felt safer, but not sure about the actual crime stats. 25-plus years ago, Montgomery Blair HS was still a strong anchor for the neighborhood, before it left. Since then the historic facility has largely been neglected and left to deteriorate.

People always see what they want to see, and I guess you're a glass-half-full type of person. American Apparel was always empty and the entire company went out of business. We now have H&M, Loft, Ulta, Nike, and Uniqlo, which is actually a very good retail mix of stores that people actually use. Discovery was never a "shining beacon" -- that building has always looked and functioned the same because it has no street-level retail, which is a major flaw from when it was built. In fact, the Discovery "garden" used to be only open during certain hours, but since they left, it is a much more open park area that is open all the time. As for Blair, I have no clue what you're referring to -- it was never an "anchor" for anything as it is a good distance away from the commercial area.

I've lived in the area for 25 years, and it is way, way better than it was back then -- it's not even close. The AFI theater was restored in the early 2000s, we also now have the Fillmore concert venue (which is constantly packed for all of its shows), we have the Black Box independent live theater, we have the new county-run indoor pool, we have the ice rink and veterans plaza building, we have more and better restaurants (including two breweries with a third on the way, as well as one food hall with a second one about to open).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends on what you mean by “nicer.” Are you equating it with “wealthier?“

For example, a previous poster from 22207 says that that area was not “nicer“ 20 years ago. Actually, we were in the thick of raising kids there 20 years ago and from what I read on DCUM now I would argue that it was, in fact, “nicer” then. It was more affordable, the schools were smaller and less crowded, and the people generally seemed a lot nicer. We still live in the area and on occasion find ourselves in 22207, and the only thing different that we say about it now is that the smaller houses have been replaced with McMansions and I don’t think that makes it a “nicer” neighborhood. It just makes it a less affordable one.

+1 for our neighborhood in 22201. It was a great place to raise kids 20 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, CCDC.

I would only disagree because Friendship Heights had tons more shops 20 years ago.

You had L&T, Hechts, Borders Books, Linens N Things, Neiman Marcus (yeah...not really a day-to-day store), an AMC 8 movie theatre, Loehmanns, TJ Maxx, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma...Sur La Table just a block down.

Yes, we now have a Bloomingdales and some upscale shops on the CC MD side, but FH was decimated by the Internet and Covid.

Let's hope the new Trader Joe's, Total Wine, new TJ Maxx and the new Mazza-replacement (ground floor retail, plus apartments on top) are the start of lots of great new things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC version. Connecticut Avenue corridor from DuPont to Chevy Chase, no. Ditto U Street, Columbia Heights, and Petworth. Everywhere else, yes.

This is not true. Barracks Row/CH, Navy Yard, the Wharf…

Union Market and the Mass Ave corridor leading up to Union Station are also dramatically better compared to 20 years ago.

[Anonymous]

We're in Silver Spring. I have no idea if it's nicer or not based on the metrics DCUM is usually talking about (crime, wealth), but we have a neighbor who grew up there and then moved back into her childhood house with her kids when her mom died. She is always talking about how much nicer it is now, because there's more kids and parents around than when she was a kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:City of Alexandria checking in. Yes, much, much, much nicer.

Del Ray checking in. Ehhhh. It was just turning the corner. We bought there in 2000 and it was still pretty rough around the edges.

I thought 20 years ago Del Ray was hip and bohemian. GW was arguably stronger back then too.

45 years ago it was still working class with the adjacent, massive railroad switching yard.

It was working class all the way up until about 25 years ago. Some of the northern portions closer to Rt 1 were very working class until a decade ago.

[Anonymous]

22030 in Fairfax City, much worse than 20 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Oh yeah, City of Alexandria was much nicer than it is now, it's in a fast downhill spiral now.

[Anonymous]

20816 - lived in my neighborhood for 25 years (and grew up nearby) and I think it is better in most ways. The Westbard development is an improvement, Spring Valley is nicer now. I like downtown Bethesda (certainly better than it was when I grew up here).

Downsides are increased crime (car break-ins, smash and grabs at everything from CVS to Lululemon), and less friendly neighbors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC version. Connecticut Avenue corridor from DuPont to Chevy Chase, no. Ditto U Street, Columbia Heights, and Petworth. Everywhere else, yes.

This is not true. Barracks Row/CH, Navy Yard, the Wharf…

Union Market and the Mass Ave corridor leading up to Union Station are also dramatically better compared to 20 years ago.

Agreed! 20002 resident here

[Anonymous]

Have been in McLean/22101 for about 15 years. Housing stock has definitely gotten upgraded with more expensive homes in more neighborhoods. Retail was blah then and blah now, but there's a bit more variety. Schools are still good but overall confidence in FCPS leadership and basic competence has declined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have been in McLean/22101 for about 15 years. Housing stock has definitely gotten upgraded with more expensive homes in more neighborhoods. Retail was blah then and blah now, but there's a bit more variety. Schools are still good but overall confidence in FCPS leadership and basic competence has declined.

Way back when most of us were still kids, the architects who designed Seaside Florida and Kentlands (in Gaithersburg) proposed a massive overhaul of downtown McLean with shops, European/style streets with cafes and apartments above, offices, upscale retail, urban parks, and a town center or town green with community amenities. What the heck happened to that? That would’ve been amazing. Instead, downtown McLean looks the same—aging strip malls minus the Pizza Hut, Gourmet Giant, and Evan’s Farm Inn.