Arlington Envious of Mosaic District

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too many poors nearby in ballston areas

Not after affordable housing is a reality. Now there are poor working people in Ballston in market rate rentals. The County is going to transform that housing into affordable housing so that the County police, sheriff's deputies, teachers and firefighters will be able to live where they work. Just ask the politicians. All is good

http://wtop.com/arlington/2015/05/multiple-people-injured-in-arlington-co-shooting/

I used to know some kids who lived in that apartment complex. They were extremely trashy. Country types from ARE COUNTRY virginia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't like Arlington, but no one can possibly be envious of Mosaic. Mosaic is about one block of stuff in the middle of Merrifield.

I see millennials pushing their strollers through industrial parks and across 3-lane highways, to get to this contrived oasis. Somehow they think this is cool. In reality, they look like recent immigrants who can't afford cars, and need to walk along major highways. I think the developers are laughing all the way to the bank.

1. Rte 29 is way more than 6 lanes. But no you can get there from the metro, or from many adjoining areas, without going through an industrial park.
2. I am glad that walking in the suburbs is less something associated with poor immigrants. Not that I am against poor immigrants. The cool part of course is their experience IN Mosaic. Some people of course live in Mosaic and can participate in it without walking across Rte 29. Some drive or bike to it.
3. There is more than just Mosaic happening in Merrifield - there is the new development closer to the metro station. It is all rather disconnected for now, but it is much better than it was
4. If you live in DC, enjoy. But for those for who that does not work, for any number of reasons, Mosaic is a good place. It shows the demand for walkable urban places in the suburbs.
5. Arlington also has many advantages. As a county it is not envious of Mosaic - but Ballston Common, which is a legacy of neourbanist North Arlington, may well be improved by adopting some features that Mosaic also has.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't like Arlington, but no one can possibly be envious of Mosaic. Mosaic is about one block of stuff in the middle of Merrifield.

I see millennials pushing their strollers through industrial parks and across 3-lane highways, to get to this contrived oasis. Somehow they think this is cool. In reality, they look like recent immigrants who can't afford cars, and need to walk along major highways. I think the developers are laughing all the way to the bank.

1. Rte 29 is way more than 6 lanes. But no you can get there from the metro, or from many adjoining areas, without going through an industrial park.
2. I am glad that walking in the suburbs is less something associated with poor immigrants. Not that I am against poor immigrants. The cool part of course is their experience IN Mosaic. Some people of course live in Mosaic and can participate in it without walking across Rte 29. Some drive or bike to it.
3. There is more than just Mosaic happening in Merrifield - there is the new development closer to the metro station. It is all rather disconnected for now, but it is much better than it was
4. If you live in DC, enjoy. But for those for who that does not work, for any number of reasons, Mosaic is a good place. It shows the demand for walkable urban places in the suburbs.
5. Arlington also has many advantages. As a county it is not envious of Mosaic - but Ballston Common, which is a legacy of neourbanist North Arlington, may well be improved by adopting some features that Mosaic also has.

Will parking be free and plentiful at Ballston? Because I think that's one of the big reasons that Mosaic is so appealing.

[Anonymous]

The thing w/ Mosaic is that it's ... well ... in Merrifield, not somewhere more attractive or attractively located.

So the comparison at all but a superficial level is off the mark.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't like Arlington, but no one can possibly be envious of Mosaic. Mosaic is about one block of stuff in the middle of Merrifield.

I see millennials pushing their strollers through industrial parks and across 3-lane highways, to get to this contrived oasis. Somehow they think this is cool. In reality, they look like recent immigrants who can't afford cars, and need to walk along major highways. I think the developers are laughing all the way to the bank.

1. Rte 29 is way more than 6 lanes. But no you can get there from the metro, or from many adjoining areas, without going through an industrial park.
2. I am glad that walking in the suburbs is less something associated with poor immigrants. Not that I am against poor immigrants. The cool part of course is their experience IN Mosaic. Some people of course live in Mosaic and can participate in it without walking across Rte 29. Some drive or bike to it.
3. There is more than just Mosaic happening in Merrifield - there is the new development closer to the metro station. It is all rather disconnected for now, but it is much better than it was
4. If you live in DC, enjoy. But for those for who that does not work, for any number of reasons, Mosaic is a good place. It shows the demand for walkable urban places in the suburbs.
5. Arlington also has many advantages. As a county it is not envious of Mosaic - but Ballston Common, which is a legacy of neourbanist North Arlington, may well be improved by adopting some features that Mosaic also has.

Will parking be free and plentiful at Ballston? Because I think that's one of the big reasons that Mosaic is so appealing.

I doubt it, but then Ballston Commons is much easier access to the metro, is walkable to more density, is an easier bike ride to more density, etc. They may have some design principles in common, but they will be different places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't like Arlington, but no one can possibly be envious of Mosaic. Mosaic is about one block of stuff in the middle of Merrifield.

I see millennials pushing their strollers through industrial parks and across 3-lane highways, to get to this contrived oasis. Somehow they think this is cool. In reality, they look like recent immigrants who can't afford cars, and need to walk along major highways. I think the developers are laughing all the way to the bank.

1. Rte 29 is way more than 6 lanes. But no you can get there from the metro, or from many adjoining areas, without going through an industrial park.
2. I am glad that walking in the suburbs is less something associated with poor immigrants. Not that I am against poor immigrants. The cool part of course is their experience IN Mosaic. Some people of course live in Mosaic and can participate in it without walking across Rte 29. Some drive or bike to it.
3. There is more than just Mosaic happening in Merrifield - there is the new development closer to the metro station. It is all rather disconnected for now, but it is much better than it was
4. If you live in DC, enjoy. But for those for who that does not work, for any number of reasons, Mosaic is a good place. It shows the demand for walkable urban places in the suburbs.
5. Arlington also has many advantages. As a county it is not envious of Mosaic - but Ballston Common, which is a legacy of neourbanist North Arlington, may well be improved by adopting some features that Mosaic also has.

Will parking be free and plentiful at Ballston? Because I think that's one of the big reasons that Mosaic is so appealing.

I doubt it, but then Ballston Commons is much easier access to the metro, is walkable to more density, is an easier bike ride to more density, etc. They may have some design principles in common, but they will be different places.

ballston commons mall is nothing more than a metro parking garage, you can pump up a turd but it will pop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't like Arlington, but no one can possibly be envious of Mosaic. Mosaic is about one block of stuff in the middle of Merrifield.

I see millennials pushing their strollers through industrial parks and across 3-lane highways, to get to this contrived oasis. Somehow they think this is cool. In reality, they look like recent immigrants who can't afford cars, and need to walk along major highways. I think the developers are laughing all the way to the bank.

1. Rte 29 is way more than 6 lanes. But no you can get there from the metro, or from many adjoining areas, without going through an industrial park.
2. I am glad that walking in the suburbs is less something associated with poor immigrants. Not that I am against poor immigrants. The cool part of course is their experience IN Mosaic. Some people of course live in Mosaic and can participate in it without walking across Rte 29. Some drive or bike to it.
3. There is more than just Mosaic happening in Merrifield - there is the new development closer to the metro station. It is all rather disconnected for now, but it is much better than it was
4. If you live in DC, enjoy. But for those for who that does not work, for any number of reasons, Mosaic is a good place. It shows the demand for walkable urban places in the suburbs.
5. Arlington also has many advantages. As a county it is not envious of Mosaic - but Ballston Common, which is a legacy of neourbanist North Arlington, may well be improved by adopting some features that Mosaic also has.

Will parking be free and plentiful at Ballston? Because I think that's one of the big reasons that Mosaic is so appealing.

Ballston has a huge parking garage and I haven't seen anything in the plans about getting rid of that. You do have to pay for parking, but I rarely pay more than a $1 when we go there (pretty much only to see a movie).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Mosaic District is awful. There are better versions of everything there in DC. If forced to live out there, I would be glad it's nearby, but I'm thankful that's not the case.

I'm glad you like DC and that it works for you. Personally, you could not force me or pay me all the money in the world to live in the city. But I respect other people's choices and can see the appeal for people with different preferences than me.

I think living near Mosaic is great. I can afford a nice SFH with top notch schools in a safe area to raise a family, can take a quick bus or uber ride out to dinner at Mosaic, and can still metro or uber into DC to enjoy the amenities there. And I don't work downtown so I enjoy a short commute.

What you think is awful others enjoy and vice versa. My friend who lives in Shaw swears it's becoming family friendly even though there was a stabbing outside her place when she had friends over for a dinner party one night and she has to have packages delivered to her office because of package theft. Other friends are stressing about the charter school lottery. I'm glad they seem happy with their choices, but no thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Mosaic District is awful. There are better versions of everything there in DC. If forced to live out there, I would be glad it's nearby, but I'm thankful that's not the case.

These areas outside of DC allow people to expderience for city life without the high crime and later go home in their nice big houses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington just opened its own Moms grocery store so half way there.

Ballston is so depressing, no question there.

Ballston WAS depressing, bitches.

Go over to arlnow.com and look at the incredible renovation with pedestrian mall and landscaping...and all the Mike Isabella restaurants. It looks like it is going to be fantastic!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington just opened its own Moms grocery store so half way there.

Ballston is so depressing, no question there.

Ballston WAS depressing, bitches.

Go over to arlnow.com and look at the incredible renovation with pedestrian mall and landscaping...and all the Mike Isabella restaurants. It looks like it is going to be fantastic!!

https://www.arlnow.com/2015/11/18/county-board-unanimously-approves-ballston-quarter-project/

There are some really great new restaurants in that area too--three different Mike Isabella restaurants, SER, Mussel Bar, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing w/ Mosaic is that it's ... well ... in Merrifield, not somewhere more attractive or attractively located.

So the comparison at all but a superficial level is off the mark.

I go out there for my kid's soccer practice. Mosaic District is nice- but it's just a giant mall you have to drive too and park in a lot. There is no walkability surrounding it. It's not like a city neighborhood like the Clarendon-Ballston corridor or Betesda that have the same stuff but also single family houses all along the corridor that are walking distance and 5 Metro stops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington just opened its own Moms grocery store so half way there.

Ballston is so depressing, no question there.

Ballston is a SHIT SHOW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington just opened its own Moms grocery store so half way there.

Ballston is so depressing, no question there.

Ballston is a SHIT SHOW.

For now--thTs why they are spending millions in the next few years to make it great. Hold onto your properties they will go through roof like Clarendon and Rosslyn

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Mosaic District is awful. There are better versions of everything there in DC. If forced to live out there, I would be glad it's nearby, but I'm thankful that's not the case.

These areas outside of DC allow people to expderience for city life without the high crime and later go home in their nice big houses.

City life in an actual city includes some amount of ambient crime. That's how it works.

Insta-Towne Centres plunked in the middle of the suburbs with suburban people with suburban mindsets is not interchangeable with "urban" -- for better and for worse.