Is McLean Really That Desirable?

[Anonymous]

We love how walkable McLean is, and even more that our kids can walk to school and to restaurants and 7-11 lol. It also has a very small town feel, and you can't go anywhere without seeing people you know.

But....some people are intensely crazy, and the houses are not architecturally interesting for the most part. We have found our people, but I can see why it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Also to pp who mentioned 2941- that's really really not McLean

[Anonymous]

While reading this thread I noticed that posters from McLean were measured and down to earth in their responses whereas the ones criticizing McLean for being pretentious were unhinged in their criticism. Go figure!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dont move there if you like to eat out. Worst restaurants- it makes no sense!

It is a weird “Main Street”. It’s outdated and not many good restaurants.

I liked the location though. I felt like I could get everywhere in 20 minutes.

Most of the new construction is hideous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dont move there if you like to eat out. Worst restaurants- it makes no sense!

Dumb comment. L'auberge chez francois. In McLean, 2941, Nostos, Modan, Capital Grille and the other great Tysons steakhouses.

None of those are in McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dont move there if you like to eat out. Worst restaurants- it makes no sense!

It is a weird “Main Street”. It’s outdated and not many good restaurants.

I liked the location though. I felt like I could get everywhere in 20 minutes.

Most of the new construction is hideous.

Disagree. The new construction in McLean is as nice as anywhere in the DC area and nicer than in many local areas with new construction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dont move there if you like to eat out. Worst restaurants- it makes no sense!

Dumb comment. L'auberge chez francois. In McLean, 2941, Nostos, Modan, Capital Grille and the other great Tysons steakhouses.

None of those are in McLean.

oh, wow, you have to drive five minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While reading this thread I noticed that posters from McLean were measured and down to earth in their responses whereas the ones criticizing McLean for being pretentious were unhinged in their criticism. Go figure!

Well, you don't have to "figure" - it's envy - like everything else on this board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dont move there if you like to eat out. Worst restaurants- it makes no sense!

Dumb comment. L'auberge chez francois. In McLean, 2941, Nostos, Modan, Capital Grille and the other great Tysons steakhouses.

None of those are in McLean.

oh, wow, you have to drive five minutes.

Stupidest comment of the night. If you have to drive 5 minutes (call it 3 miles), then it’s a different place entirely, especially when the discussion is about walkable areas.

That’s like listing Georgetown restaurants if you live in Arlington…which are even physically closer.

[Anonymous]

Location, location, location
And decent schools for most children

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dont move there if you like to eat out. Worst restaurants- it makes no sense!

Dumb comment. L'auberge chez francois. In McLean, 2941, Nostos, Modan, Capital Grille and the other great Tysons steakhouses.

Learn Geography.

L'auberge chez Francois is Great Falls. 2941 (overrated) is Falls Church. Nostos is technically Vienna.

And get out of here with Tysons chain steakhouses.

Give me 5 GOOD restaurants with a McLean address.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dont move there if you like to eat out. Worst restaurants- it makes no sense!

Dumb comment. L'auberge chez francois. In McLean, 2941, Nostos, Modan, Capital Grille and the other great Tysons steakhouses.

Learn Geography.

L'auberge chez Francois is Great Falls. 2941 (overrated) is Falls Church. Nostos is technically Vienna.

And get out of here with Tysons chain steakhouses.

Give me 5 GOOD restaurants with a McLean address.

In "downtown" McLean:
Neutral Ground
Otosan
Pikoteo
Chiang Mai
Aracosia
Peter Chang

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different places are desirable to people with different preferences.

If you asked me, the answer is no, it’s not desirable to me— it’s too far outside the city and car-dependent. The thought of spending that much daily time driving is simply a nonstarter for me. But obviously it’s desirable to many who live and are hoping to live there, given the real estate values.

This is absurd and must have been written by someone not from here.. Parts of Mclean (huge parts actually) are waaaaay closer to DC than there are parts of DC. For instance, if you are a physician at Georgetown, Mclean is so much closer to work than Navy Yard is. And on and on and on.

+1

My commute to Georgetown was quicker than many of my DC colleagues' commutes.

In a car?

Yes. In a car. I went over Chain Bridge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dont move there if you like to eat out. Worst restaurants- it makes no sense!

Dumb comment. L'auberge chez francois. In McLean, 2941, Nostos, Modan, Capital Grille and the other great Tysons steakhouses.

Learn Geography.

L'auberge chez Francois is Great Falls. 2941 (overrated) is Falls Church. Nostos is technically Vienna.

And get out of here with Tysons chain steakhouses.

Give me 5 GOOD restaurants with a McLean address.

Completely overrated. I've tried it like four times now, and every time ... meh. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's really good food. But for the price and hype? Meh. I won't bother again. Too many other places to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dont move there if you like to eat out. Worst restaurants- it makes no sense!

Dumb comment. L'auberge chez francois. In McLean, 2941, Nostos, Modan, Capital Grille and the other great Tysons steakhouses.

Learn Geography.

L'auberge chez Francois is Great Falls. 2941 (overrated) is Falls Church. Nostos is technically Vienna.

And get out of here with Tysons chain steakhouses.

Give me 5 GOOD restaurants with a McLean address.

Well, Tysons does have a Mclean address. But as someone mentioned above, that's a whole story and it shouldn't have a Mclean address. It does though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different places are desirable to people with different preferences.

If you asked me, the answer is no, it’s not desirable to me— it’s too far outside the city and car-dependent. The thought of spending that much daily time driving is simply a nonstarter for me. But obviously it’s desirable to many who live and are hoping to live there, given the real estate values.

This is absurd and must have been written by someone not from here.. Parts of Mclean (huge parts actually) are waaaaay closer to DC than there are parts of DC. For instance, if you are a physician at Georgetown, Mclean is so much closer to work than Navy Yard is. And on and on and on.

+1

My commute to Georgetown was quicker than many of my DC colleagues' commutes.

In a car?

DP.

For me it was on bike. Straight down Chain Bridge, hook a right then a left on Arizona and boom I'm at work.