why is MoCo so dumpy now?

[Anonymous]

Anybody that complains about MoCo without acknowledging that Arlington has the same issues is being dishonest. Arlington has awful cookie cutter houses just like northern Bethesda and east rockville/silver spring. Outside the wealthy areas in North Arlington, Arlington is equally dumpy.

On top of that, it’s a mess of highways and strip malls. Nothing aesthetic about it

Fairfax is the same: has nice areas but it’s bad urban planning

Lastly, I wonder the type of person that complains about MoCo like this: are yall retirees in MoCo? I don’t have a reason to cross the bridges to NoVa except for the airports. I literally never think about NoVa in my daily life. Do y’all travel to MoCo for work? So weird. These threads always sound like y’all got a chip on your shoulder.

And the Bethesda compound comment is just peak DCUM. I’m sure your kids are real well-adjusted with that attitude…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anybody that complains about MoCo without acknowledging that Arlington has the same issues is being dishonest. Arlington has awful cookie cutter houses just like northern Bethesda and east rockville/silver spring. Outside the wealthy areas in North Arlington, Arlington is equally dumpy.

On top of that, it’s a mess of highways and strip malls. Nothing aesthetic about it

Fairfax is the same: has nice areas but it’s bad urban planning

Lastly, I wonder the type of person that complains about MoCo like this: are yall retirees in MoCo? I don’t have a reason to cross the bridges to NoVa except for the airports. I literally never think about NoVa in my daily life. Do y’all travel to MoCo for work? So weird. These threads always sound like y’all got a chip on your shoulder.

And the Bethesda compound comment is just peak DCUM. I’m sure your kids are real well-adjusted with that attitude…

NP. It's fair to compare similar areas in the same metro area. NoVa courts Fortune 500s and other job-creating business while MoCo courts illegal aliens and the results are clear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I left MoCo bc its trajectory was obvious and I didn't want to lose too much on the house sale. People still have a rosy view of MoCo so cash out while you can.

You're happy you left, we're happy you left, win-win. Time to put it behind you.

What a childish response. This person is simply offering their experience / opinion and you throw a childish "good riddance" tantrum rather than add your own unique input.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the decline.

[Anonymous]

Frederick county is bad too. The whole country is in decline....look at NYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much arrogrant racism and classism in this thread. And I have to wonder with some of it how long *your* families have actually lived in the US.

How is pointing out how much trash is thrown on the street or in parks racist and classist? I'm sorry, but I have absolutely zero respect for anyone who liters and/or dumps. They are the lowest of the low scum on the planet.

Here's a helpful guide.

Not racist or classist: Littering is bad.
Not racist or classist: I don't like to see litter.
Not racist or classist: I don't like people who litter.
Not racist or classist: I see a lot of litter in [place].
Racist or classist: [Areas where poor and/or non-white people live] are dumps.

NP - You can't deny that people who grew up in third world countries have different expectations for behavior. Parts of MoCo are 30%+ foreign born (and that, of course, doesn't include their U.S. born children. We are overwhelmed and can't acculturate people fast enough, so yes, things are starting to appear more and more like the third world. Is that racist?

Yes. "Foreign-born people and their US-born children litter" is a racist statement.

OK - sure. Go travel in Central America, Africa, and parts of Asia and the Caribbean and let me know what you see...

No where did I say that people can't learn new behavior or that it was based on their genetics. It is part of their culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much arrogrant racism and classism in this thread. And I have to wonder with some of it how long *your* families have actually lived in the US.

How is pointing out how much trash is thrown on the street or in parks racist and classist? I'm sorry, but I have absolutely zero respect for anyone who liters and/or dumps. They are the lowest of the low scum on the planet.

Here's a helpful guide.

Not racist or classist: Littering is bad.
Not racist or classist: I don't like to see litter.
Not racist or classist: I don't like people who litter.
Not racist or classist: I see a lot of litter in [place].
Racist or classist: [Areas where poor and/or non-white people live] are dumps.

NP - You can't deny that people who grew up in third world countries have different expectations for behavior. Parts of MoCo are 30%+ foreign born (and that, of course, doesn't include their U.S. born children. We are overwhelmed and can't acculturate people fast enough, so yes, things are starting to appear more and more like the third world. Is that racist?

Yes. "Foreign-born people and their US-born children litter" is a racist statement.

OK - sure. Go travel in Central America, Africa, and parts of Asia and the Caribbean and let me know what you see...

No where did I say that people can't learn new behavior or that it was based on their genetics. It is part of their culture.

"It's part of Central American/African/Asian/Caribbean culture to litter" is also a racist statement.

[Anonymous]

here is what I don't get about close in suburbs in Moco or N. Arlngton. given the fact that the cost of land is sky high, and there is high demand for more housing etc. Why are there so many dumpy single story strip malls. When I see this in N. arlington I can't figure out why a developer hasn't been able to buy out the site and build a mixed use 4-8 8 story building. Its kind shocking how crappy some of these little strip malls are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:here is what I don't get about close in suburbs in Moco or N. Arlngton. given the fact that the cost of land is sky high, and there is high demand for more housing etc. Why are there so many dumpy single story strip malls. When I see this in N. arlington I can't figure out why a developer hasn't been able to buy out the site and build a mixed use 4-8 8 story building. It’s kind shocking how crappy some of these little strip malls are.

Because there’s not enough density for a bigger retail center. That’s what happens when you only allow detached SFHs to be built

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:here is what I don't get about close in suburbs in Moco or N. Arlngton. given the fact that the cost of land is sky high, and there is high demand for more housing etc. Why are there so many dumpy single story strip malls. When I see this in N. arlington I can't figure out why a developer hasn't been able to buy out the site and build a mixed use 4-8 8 story building. It’s kind shocking how crappy some of these little strip malls are.

Because there’s not enough density for a bigger retail center. That’s what happens when you only allow detached SFHs to be built

This isn't the case for most other parts of the country that have less density and bigger retail. I think it's because housing is so expensive here (and education) that everyone is house poor and doesn't spend their money on anything, not enough to sustain retail and dining the way it is in other parts of the country. People who grow up here don't realize how strange this area is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:here is what I don't get about close in suburbs in Moco or N. Arlngton. given the fact that the cost of land is sky high, and there is high demand for more housing etc. Why are there so many dumpy single story strip malls. When I see this in N. arlington I can't figure out why a developer hasn't been able to buy out the site and build a mixed use 4-8 8 story building. It’s kind shocking how crappy some of these little strip malls are.

Because there’s not enough density for a bigger retail center. That’s what happens when you only allow detached SFHs to be built

This isn't the case for most other parts of the country that have less density and bigger retail. I think it's because housing is so expensive here (and education) that everyone is house poor and doesn't spend their money on anything, not enough to sustain retail and dining the way it is in other parts of the country. People who grow up here don't realize how strange this area is.

One third of households in Montgomery County rent. Also there are a lot of people who spend plenty of money on plenty of things.

The PP is complaining about shopping centers that don't look upscale. Why are there so many shopping centers that don't look upscale? Because they're making enough money for their owners even though they don't look upscale, or nobody has made a redevelopment offer to the owners that's more lucrative than the current use, or both. For example, for the Glenmont shopping center, I assume the owners either don't want to sell or are waiting for someone to offer them more. Or the Twinbrook shopping center, which does not look upscale but seems to have plenty of business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:here is what I don't get about close in suburbs in Moco or N. Arlngton. given the fact that the cost of land is sky high, and there is high demand for more housing etc. Why are there so many dumpy single story strip malls. When I see this in N. arlington I can't figure out why a developer hasn't been able to buy out the site and build a mixed use 4-8 8 story building. It’s kind shocking how crappy some of these little strip malls are.

Because there’s not enough density for a bigger retail center. That’s what happens when you only allow detached SFHs to be built

This isn't the case for most other parts of the country that have less density and bigger retail. I think it's because housing is so expensive here (and education) that everyone is house poor and doesn't spend their money on anything, not enough to sustain retail and dining the way it is in other parts of the country. People who grow up here don't realize how strange this area is.

One third of households in Montgomery County rent. Also there are a lot of people who spend plenty of money on plenty of things.

The PP is complaining about shopping centers that don't look upscale. Why are there so many shopping centers that don't look upscale? Because they're making enough money for their owners even though they don't look upscale, or nobody has made a redevelopment offer to the owners that's more lucrative than the current use, or both. For example, for the Glenmont shopping center, I assume the owners either don't want to sell or are waiting for someone to offer them more. Or the Twinbrook shopping center, which does not look upscale but seems to have plenty of business.

Nah, go to a city away from the East Coast. Find out what the rest of the country looks like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So much arrogrant racism and classism in this thread. And I have to wonder with some of it how long *your* families have actually lived in the US.

How is pointing out how much trash is thrown on the street or in parks racist and classist? I'm sorry, but I have absolutely zero respect for anyone who liters and/or dumps. They are the lowest of the low scum on the planet.

Here's a helpful guide.

Not racist or classist: Littering is bad.
Not racist or classist: I don't like to see litter.
Not racist or classist: I don't like people who litter.
Not racist or classist: I see a lot of litter in [place].
Racist or classist: [Areas where poor and/or non-white people live] are dumps.

NP - You can't deny that people who grew up in third world countries have different expectations for behavior. Parts of MoCo are 30%+ foreign born (and that, of course, doesn't include their U.S. born children. We are overwhelmed and can't acculturate people fast enough, so yes, things are starting to appear more and more like the third world. Is that racist?

Yes. "Foreign-born people and their US-born children litter" is a racist statement.

OK - sure. Go travel in Central America, Africa, and parts of Asia and the Caribbean and let me know what you see...

No where did I say that people can't learn new behavior or that it was based on their genetics. It is part of their culture.

"It's part of Central American/African/Asian/Caribbean culture to litter" is also a racist statement.

Travel to the US South, it's also southern culture to litter. Maryland looks almost spotless in comparison. Source: I am from Georgia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:here is what I don't get about close in suburbs in Moco or N. Arlngton. given the fact that the cost of land is sky high, and there is high demand for more housing etc. Why are there so many dumpy single story strip malls. When I see this in N. arlington I can't figure out why a developer hasn't been able to buy out the site and build a mixed use 4-8 8 story building. Its kind shocking how crappy some of these little strip malls are.

It's for the same reason MoCo looks the way it does. Except Arlington has boxed them into a smaller area. I got a good laugh at people trying to defend moco by saying Arlington looks the same. No. Those posters are referencing the part of Arlington that houses lots of migrants. Most of Arlington doesn't look like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:here is what I don't get about close in suburbs in Moco or N. Arlngton. given the fact that the cost of land is sky high, and there is high demand for more housing etc. Why are there so many dumpy single story strip malls. When I see this in N. arlington I can't figure out why a developer hasn't been able to buy out the site and build a mixed use 4-8 8 story building. It’s kind shocking how crappy some of these little strip malls are.

Because there’s not enough density for a bigger retail center. That’s what happens when you only allow detached SFHs to be built

Not accurate, Arlington allows sixplexes now. Have fund with overcrowded streets and the destruction of the county. So glad I don't live there.