Walkable towns in NOVA

[Anonymous]

Saying that Westover makes that part of Arlington walkable is like saying that the areas in Sterling by Cascades shopping center (which has significantly more than Westover) are walkable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pimmit hills, the parts close to McLean metro is somewhat walkable now and will be more in the future.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Saying that Westover makes that part of Arlington walkable is like saying that the areas in Sterling by Cascades shopping center (which has significantly more than Westover) are walkable.

If you live in a safe walking distance to either of those areas then I'd say both areas are "walkable". Can you safely cross the streets at the Sterling Center and are there sidewalks?

I consider "walkable" to be areas walkable (roughly <=1/2 mile) to a concentrated area of destinations. What's your definition?

[Anonymous]

AbbyNTuck wrote:Anyone living in Vienna within walking radius to Maple Ave: We are looking to move to Vienna soon and wanting Madison HS for our kids.
1. Any thoughts on how living above Maple or below Maple might be different?
2. Any thoughts on living east or west of Park St.?
3. Is is safe and easy for teens to go out on foot/bike to meet friends for Starbucks, basketball in park, etc.?
Trying to hone in one areas that would be walkable to stores, coffee, etc. not just for parents but kids too. Any advice appreciated!

I don't think it matters where you live exactly. You're either closer to Church St or closer to the community center. Personally I like the green house for sale on Ayr Hill in NW, even though its on a slightly busy corner because you could walk to town, coffee, a bar and Glyndon Park. But its further from the farmers market and the community center. I wouldn't want to be right on Park Street myself but you're a little closer to Mosaic there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am no troll, and you'll have to find it yourself.

I went to GGW, did a search on Potomac Yards Slums and it returned "no results"

Whether you are misremembering, or lying, I know not.

But there is good reason for the internet rule that he who claims something is the one who must provide the citation.

You have presented no argument as to why PY will fail, merely an appeal to authority. But an authority you can't even cite. And which may not exist, or may not say what you claim, or may have already been rebutted on GGW.

No worries. I recall and said what I read, and it was under the "comment" section. I'd gladly provide the exact link if I could.

They get thousands of comments.

Can you tell me why PY is doomed to failure, but Clarendon, Navy Yard, Eisenhower East, Crystal City, Bethesda, to name a few, are not?

My recollection is twofold: a) the shear volume of proposed density itself in PY (probably included North and South Potomac Yards) with the type (business class) of big boxes and street after street of homes and b) Route 1 not able to be widened in major areas due to homes abruptly adjacent to it with chronic traffic backups discouraging drivers.

1. The total density is not going to be much higher (if at all) than the places I listed above.
2. Big boxes? You understand the big box retail is going to be gone? The area is going to be a mix of residential, office, hotel, and street facing urban style retail. Not big boxes. Or do you use big box to mean an office building?
3. Yes streets of homes. As in any urban area. Whats the big deal.
4. Alexandria was never going to widen rte 1. That won't make the area a slum. People are going to use metro and the Bus rapid transit line. They will walk and bike. People who live there and insist on driving will use the parallel streets within PY, including Potomac to get to Crystal City, not Rte 1. Some people from Old Town, and from Fairfax, and from Maryland who want to keep rte 1 free flowing to access Arlington will be unhappy. You think City of Alexandria cares about cut through drivers?

[Anonymous]

Alexandria City seems committed to developing Potomac Yard into a new transit/retail/office hub, and a Metrorail station is a critical to that vision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am no troll, and you'll have to find it yourself.

I went to GGW, did a search on Potomac Yards Slums and it returned "no results"

Whether you are misremembering, or lying, I know not.

But there is good reason for the internet rule that he who claims something is the one who must provide the citation.

You have presented no argument as to why PY will fail, merely an appeal to authority. But an authority you can't even cite. And which may not exist, or may not say what you claim, or may have already been rebutted on GGW.

No worries. I recall and said what I read, and it was under the "comment" section. I'd gladly provide the exact link if I could.

They get thousands of comments.

Can you tell me why PY is doomed to failure, but Clarendon, Navy Yard, Eisenhower East, Crystal City, Bethesda, to name a few, are not?

My recollection is twofold: a) the shear volume of proposed density itself in PY (probably included North and South Potomac Yards) with the type (business class) of big boxes and street after street of homes and b) Route 1 not able to be widened in major areas due to homes abruptly adjacent to it with chronic traffic backups discouraging drivers.

1. The total density is not going to be much higher (if at all) than the places I listed above.
2. Big boxes? You understand the big box retail is going to be gone? The area is going to be a mix of residential, office, hotel, and street facing urban style retail. Not big boxes. Or do you use big box to mean an office building?
3. Yes streets of homes. As in any urban area. Whats the big deal.
4. Alexandria was never going to widen rte 1. That won't make the area a slum. People are going to use metro and the Bus rapid transit line. They will walk and bike. People who live there and insist on driving will use the parallel streets within PY, including Potomac to get to Crystal City, not Rte 1. Some people from Old Town, and from Fairfax, and from Maryland who want to keep rte 1 free flowing to access Arlington will be unhappy. You think City of Alexandria cares about cut through drivers?

PP here who referenced GGW. Your #3 bolded is what bothered he/she the most. Street after street, row after row, of similar houses, far from fire and police, but adjacent to Route 1 and future potential Metro. What could go wrong in another severe economic downturn?

[Anonymous]

Alexandria - if you don't need schools. Old town, rosemont, or del ray

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am no troll, and you'll have to find it yourself.

I went to GGW, did a search on Potomac Yards Slums and it returned "no results"

Whether you are misremembering, or lying, I know not.

But there is good reason for the internet rule that he who claims something is the one who must provide the citation.

You have presented no argument as to why PY will fail, merely an appeal to authority. But an authority you can't even cite. And which may not exist, or may not say what you claim, or may have already been rebutted on GGW.

No worries. I recall and said what I read, and it was under the "comment" section. I'd gladly provide the exact link if I could.

They get thousands of comments.

Can you tell me why PY is doomed to failure, but Clarendon, Navy Yard, Eisenhower East, Crystal City, Bethesda, to name a few, are not?

My recollection is twofold: a) the shear volume of proposed density itself in PY (probably included North and South Potomac Yards) with the type (business class) of big boxes and street after street of homes and b) Route 1 not able to be widened in major areas due to homes abruptly adjacent to it with chronic traffic backups discouraging drivers.

1. The total density is not going to be much higher (if at all) than the places I listed above.
2. Big boxes? You understand the big box retail is going to be gone? The area is going to be a mix of residential, office, hotel, and street facing urban style retail. Not big boxes. Or do you use big box to mean an office building?
3. Yes streets of homes. As in any urban area. Whats the big deal.
4. Alexandria was never going to widen rte 1. That won't make the area a slum. People are going to use metro and the Bus rapid transit line. They will walk and bike. People who live there and insist on driving will use the parallel streets within PY, including Potomac to get to Crystal City, not Rte 1. Some people from Old Town, and from Fairfax, and from Maryland who want to keep rte 1 free flowing to access Arlington will be unhappy. You think City of Alexandria cares about cut through drivers?

PP here who referenced GGW. Your #3 bolded is what bothered he/she the most. Street after street, row after row, of similar houses, far from fire and police, but adjacent to Route 1 and future potential Metro. What could go wrong in another severe economic downturn?

1. Its actually going to be all mixed up, with parks and schools and offices and multifamily and all that. The extensive areas of THs are in PY South, are already built, and look great. Lots of areas of extensive THs are among the most desired neighborhoods in the country.
2. There IS a fire station right in the middle of the development. Sheesh. https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8315281,-77.0500782,3a,75y,205.43h,88.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sH6KF_quTD5orZBdXbyoDDQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Also not sure what you mean by far from police. Alexandria does not have neighborhood police stations, it has one police HQ, and police patrol throughout the City.

3. Are you trying to imply that metro leads to crime? Is that what you mean by the Baltimore reference? No, metro does not lead to crime. And no, that is not what happened in Baltimore, either.

In another severe downturn, the million dollar THs would sell for 600k or 700k instead. Fine with me. I would be a lot more worried about the current 400K homes in Loudoun.

What you are saying makes no sense. If someone put it on GGW, I am sure it was cut to threads.

[Anonymous]

Westover is walkable, but there isn't THAT much housing within say 1/2 mile of the main street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, all! Budget is up to $1M but ideally I'd much rather stay under $850K. Kids are 2 and 1YO and schools are definitely important, but if I've learned anything from DCUM I know not to put all my faith just in Great Schools ratings. We looked at a few open houses in Vienna last weekend and I would be absolutely content in a smaller, older house that either has been redone or is "cheaper" and we could do some renovations as time goes. I think most important to me at this point is TIME. I waste so much time in traffic commuting and I'm just over it.

There aren't many single family homes in the Mosaic/Dunn Loring area, but there's a 395 south Express lane entrance off 29 (just east of Gallows), that would get your husband to Springfield quickly (for a price, but worth it, in my opinion). Gallows Road north in the morning towards Tysons isn't awesome, but it's not that bad.

With your budget, you might consider Dunn Loring Woods (basically Cottage between Gallows and Cedar). Walkable to Dunn Loring metro (and not that far from Mosaic), with easy commutes.

Vienna is awesome - my only gripe about it is the commute to DC from there and you won't have that problem!

[Anonymous]

I think you can walk to Dunn Loring as the crow flies from this house due to trails, so it's actually closer than it might look:

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Vienna/2602-Amanda-Ct-22180/home/9839636

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Westover is walkable, but there isn't THAT much housing within say 1/2 mile of the main street.

Just like anywhere else - there is a limit to the # of SFHs within 1/2 mile of X.

We looked there but nothing came on the market while we were house hunting. And then 6 months after we closed on a house elsewhere a great home a few blocks away from Westover came on the market. Sigh. If you are lucky and/or have the patience to find a home it's a great little area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Westover is walkable, but there isn't THAT much housing within say 1/2 mile of the main street.

Just like anywhere else - there is a limit to the # of SFHs within 1/2 mile of X.

We looked there but nothing came on the market while we were house hunting. And then 6 months after we closed on a house elsewhere a great home a few blocks away from Westover came on the market. Sigh. If you are lucky and/or have the patience to find a home it's a great little area.

I lived in Westover one block from the store fronts back in 1978. A small two story home on a circle. It was great! Commuted to Washington Hospital Center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Saying that Westover makes that part of Arlington walkable is like saying that the areas in Sterling by Cascades shopping center (which has significantly more than Westover) are walkable.

If you live in a safe walking distance to either of those areas then I'd say both areas are "walkable". Can you safely cross the streets at the Sterling Center and are there sidewalks?

I consider "walkable" to be areas walkable (roughly <=1/2 mile) to a concentrated area of destinations. What's your definition?

Yes, there are a number of neighborhoods, all connected by sidewalks. There are also neighborhoods in Great Falls that can walk to a small shopping center. I am sure this is true in other places in Loudoun and Fairfax counties.

I just do not understand why Westover is always hailed as one of the few walkable areas in VA where it is really just a shopping center and there are tons of other areas that offer that same very limited walkability. I guess it is because it is a more expensive are and people like the Great Schools rating.