Why downtown Mclean is such a drab?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some people want to move to the suburbs and get the nice big house, the top schools, and a highly convenient location along with some cute walkable retail blocks that will slightly remind them of a city neighborhood and make them feel better about living in the suburbs.

If this is you, remember: McLean. Does. Not. Care. About. Your. Feelings.

Or, more accurately, the Montgomery family that owns three of the major strip malls in central McLean doesn't care about your feelings. They'll redevelop their properties and take advantage of the up-zoning approved by the county when they are ready, not when you are ready. Or maybe never, since most of their properties are leased and have paying tenants.

That's why it's best for people who live in McLean to never expect anything to change, and then just be pleasantly surprised when it does.

"We're getting a Chipotle? Great."

"Chopt and Cava moved in? Yeah."

"Santini's opened up? Fine."

"Divan, that new Persian place? Have to try it sometime."

"Matchbox is coming? Sounds good."

Awww, bah humbug.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s basically one developer that owns downtown McLean and until the County creates a plan that developer likes, nothing is going to happen. I don’t think it’s a matter of the County listening to old residents. Haggling over building heights in the plan may ultimately be moot when who knows what aspects of the plan the developer sees as dealbreakers. It could be any number of things and is a total mystery.

I’d love mixed use development there but I’m guessing the only thing that would be profitable is luxury apartments since that’s all that developers want to put anywhere. Density doesn’t bother me if here are actual amenities that come with it like parks/playgrounds, shops, and restaurants. But if it’s just cramming a bunch of people into tall buildings, ugh.

This

I don't think residents have any say in this. It's the county government and the developer who owns most of the CDC properties. Honestly the development in the whole country is slow. Which city and town has a significant upgrade in the last 20 years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s basically one developer that owns downtown McLean and until the County creates a plan that developer likes, nothing is going to happen. I don’t think it’s a matter of the County listening to old residents. Haggling over building heights in the plan may ultimately be moot when who knows what aspects of the plan the developer sees as dealbreakers. It could be any number of things and is a total mystery.

I’d love mixed use development there but I’m guessing the only thing that would be profitable is luxury apartments since that’s all that developers want to put anywhere. Density doesn’t bother me if here are actual amenities that come with it like parks/playgrounds, shops, and restaurants. But if it’s just cramming a bunch of people into tall buildings, ugh.

Who is the developer with so much clout in downtown McLean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it were redeveloped, there would be lots of mixed use. Which means apartments where poor people might live. And the poor people would send their kids to the local schools. The rich wealthy people do not want this.

Yup.

McLean is full of apartments and condos with low income kids who are already in the schools. The only difference is that most of the low income kids are mostly Asians because the elementary schools feed into Longfellow Middle School which at one time had a good admission rate to TJ. Not sure how popular those buildings will be now that TJ has skewed its admittance policies. But kids can still go to McLean or Langley which are both good schools.

McLean downtown has one? Apartment building and it is filled with retirees.

There are eight apartment buildings or condos in downtown McLean. The building you might be thinking of is McLean House. It was once filled with retirees but now has many investors who rent the units to people who want their kids in Longfellow Middle School for a path to TJ or -- at worst -- McLean High School. The apartment and condo buildings off McGarity and Anderson also feed into Longfellow making them highly desirable. Again, if more multifamily housing comes to McLean, it will have striving immigrants rather than poor people who drag down the schools -- unless Fairfax County makes the developers make some of the units affordable to those with 40% to 60% of Median Income. If they use McLean, that will be a very high number. If they use Fairfax County, you might actually get some poor people in the buildings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it were redeveloped, there would be lots of mixed use. Which means apartments where poor people might live. And the poor people would send their kids to the local schools. The rich wealthy people do not want this.

Yup.

McLean is full of apartments and condos with low income kids who are already in the schools. The only difference is that most of the low income kids are mostly Asians because the elementary schools feed into Longfellow Middle School which at one time had a good admission rate to TJ. Not sure how popular those buildings will be now that TJ has skewed its admittance policies. But kids can still go to McLean or Langley which are both good schools.

McLean downtown has one? Apartment building and it is filled with retirees.

There are eight apartment buildings or condos in downtown McLean. The building you might be thinking of is McLean House. It was once filled with retirees but now has many investors who rent the units to people who want their kids in Longfellow Middle School for a path to TJ or -- at worst -- McLean High School. The apartment and condo buildings off McGarity and Anderson also feed into Longfellow making them highly desirable. Again, if more multifamily housing comes to McLean, it will have striving immigrants rather than poor people who drag down the schools -- unless Fairfax County makes the developers make some of the units affordable to those with 40% to 60% of Median Income. If they use McLean, that will be a very high number. If they use Fairfax County, you might actually get some poor people in the buildings.

The apartment and condos off McGarity and Anderson are not in McLean center and are part of Tysons. There are still many retirees in McLean House.

[Anonymous]

I know of 6 families who live in n Arlington and rent in McLean for the schools. We may do it for hs. No one actually lives there, just a mailing address.
I think McLean will have to invest in a more livable community or else the renters who do not spend money there will grow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know of 6 families who live in n Arlington and rent in McLean for the schools. We may do it for hs. No one actually lives there, just a mailing address.
I think McLean will have to invest in a more livable community or else the renters who do not spend money there will grow.

If this were true, it would say more about APS than the “livability” of McLean. And there are far more people renting in North Arlington than in McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know of 6 families who live in n Arlington and rent in McLean for the schools. We may do it for hs. No one actually lives there, just a mailing address.
I think McLean will have to invest in a more livable community or else the renters who do not spend money there will grow.

If this were true, it would say more about APS than the “livability” of McLean. And there are far more people renting in North Arlington than in McLean.

Renting a 2k a month apartment in McLean is a lot cheaper than private school. So renting a place that sits empty is a better play.
We could afford to live in McLean in a decent 2.5m home; but compared to the walkable area we live in n Arlington would never consider it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know of 6 families who live in n Arlington and rent in McLean for the schools. We may do it for hs. No one actually lives there, just a mailing address.
I think McLean will have to invest in a more livable community or else the renters who do not spend money there will grow.

If this were true, it would say more about APS than the “livability” of McLean. And there are far more people renting in North Arlington than in McLean.

Renting a 2k a month apartment in McLean is a lot cheaper than private school. So renting a place that sits empty is a better play.
We could afford to live in McLean in a decent 2.5m home; but compared to the walkable area we live in n Arlington would never consider it.

You still haven’t explained why people in Arlington would pay rent on top of a mortgage for access to McLean schools when they could just send their kids to APS.

It’s certainly not the case that the facilities in FCPS are better, so it must relate to the quality of the instruction and the peer groups - which reflect those living in McLean and nearby areas in Fairfax County and their expectations for their kids and their kids’ schools.

Personally, I’d feel like a schmuck to live in an area of North Arlington with greater walkability (parts of North Arlington are less walkable to amenities than the McLean neighborhoods closest to the central area) but think so poorly of my neighbors’ kids and their schools that I was willing to shell out an additional $2K to send my kids to schools in a different jurisdiction, especially since you could get booted out of FCPS schools if they find out your primary residence is in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know of 6 families who live in n Arlington and rent in McLean for the schools. We may do it for hs. No one actually lives there, just a mailing address.
I think McLean will have to invest in a more livable community or else the renters who do not spend money there will grow.

You could just send your kid to a top DC private for that. I’m happy with LHS but paying $3,000 a month for it? Why???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know of 6 families who live in n Arlington and rent in McLean for the schools. We may do it for hs. No one actually lives there, just a mailing address.
I think McLean will have to invest in a more livable community or else the renters who do not spend money there will grow.

You could just send your kid to a top DC private for that. I’m happy with LHS but paying $3,000 a month for it? Why???

Not realistic. Top privates in dc are more like 60k per kid.
Also commute would suck daily and renting for McLean mailing address covers ALL our kids, not tuition for just one.
People do it in Arlington for preferred schools in the county and other counties like fairfax. It is rather common in n Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And why are there no ice cream shops?? Seems like there should be some quaint homemade ice cream place.

Several of the sandwich/salad/coffee and bakery places have ice cream or gelato. If you crave a Blizzard you will have to go to Vienna.

A blizzard? Gross. I'm talking about a good homemade ice cream shop like Tobys in Arlington. No chain crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know of 6 families who live in n Arlington and rent in McLean for the schools. We may do it for hs. No one actually lives there, just a mailing address.
I think McLean will have to invest in a more livable community or else the renters who do not spend money there will grow.

You could just send your kid to a top DC private for that. I’m happy with LHS but paying $3,000 a month for it? Why???

Not realistic. Top privates in dc are more like 60k per kid.
Also commute would suck daily and renting for McLean mailing address covers ALL our kids, not tuition for just one.
People do it in Arlington for preferred schools in the county and other counties like fairfax. It is rather common in n Arlington.

Sounds like fiction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And why are there no ice cream shops?? Seems like there should be some quaint homemade ice cream place.

Yes, there are. Starnut gourmet is one.

Curious do they make their own? I never know this... just looked on their site and no mention of ice cream. Thanks for the tip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McLean is for people who want an easy commute and good schools

And value their privacy.