Tell me about Centreville

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Centreville and the rest of the greater Fairfaxland area (can't tell where any portion begins or ends) are indeed boring and ugly. It's endless generic, ugly suburban sprawl, disorientingly the same for miles. I drive around Centreville, Chantilly, and general "Fairfax" daily. It feels like those old cartoons, where the background runs in a short, repeating loop.

You have to drive (in perpetually heavy traffic) to do anything. People go shopping at big box chain stores as the main entertainment. You can also drive to a park to walk around.

There are a lot of people who live in Centreville and the rest of Fairfaxland because cookie cutter vinyl developments and chain restaurants really appeal to them. If these are your people, you will like it here very much. It's safe.

Pray tell, where do the condescending snobs live?

[Anonymous]

please - all you folks who bitch about big box need it from time to time. Don't act like you don't.

[Anonymous]

cant live without Costco....even Arlington has one!

[Anonymous]

It is an affordable middle-class area with good schools within decent commuting distance to a lot of jobs. If it was much nicer, it would no longer be affordable.

I did laugh at the snob up-thread who laments the traffic in Fairfaxland....while her entire job seems to be driving around Fairfaxland. Ummm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is an affordable middle-class area with good schools within decent commuting distance to a lot of jobs. If it was much nicer, it would no longer be affordable.

I did laugh at the snob up-thread who laments the traffic in Fairfaxland....while her entire job seems to be driving around Fairfaxland. Ummm.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Centreville and the rest of the greater Fairfaxland area (can't tell where any portion begins or ends) are indeed boring and ugly. It's endless generic, ugly suburban sprawl, disorientingly the same for miles. I drive around Centreville, Chantilly, and general "Fairfax" daily. It feels like those old cartoons, where the background runs in a short, repeating loop.

You have to drive (in perpetually heavy traffic) to do anything. People go shopping at big box chain stores as the main entertainment. You can also drive to a park to walk around.

There are a lot of people who live in Centreville and the rest of Fairfaxland because cookie cutter vinyl developments and chain restaurants really appeal to them. If these are your people, you will like it here very much. It's safe.

My husband and I are educated, well travelled people. Before kids, we resided in various cities (Manhattan, London, DC), walking distance to everywhere. We loved it! Now we have children, and we absolutely LOVE our Fairfax neighborhood. I guess for you it is cookie cutter, for me it is beautiful, full of trees and families like us. I wouldn't trade our safe cul-de-sac for the city at this point in our lives. For us, as well as for most of our friends, who I think are very interesting people ("these are our people"), this is the right and perfect place to be with our children. You can't beat good schools, tons of neighborhood friends (play date who?), and the safety. When our kids are in high school, we have discussed spending a year or two abroad, but that is much later down the road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:...I can walk to schools, library, parks and shopping. There are days I don't get in my car. And even when I get in my car, I drive very short distances to go anywhere.

which neighborhood?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...I can walk to schools, library, parks and shopping. There are days I don't get in my car. And even when I get in my car, I drive very short distances to go anywhere.

which neighborhood?

I live in 22033 in what the pp called "Fairfaxland" - Greenbriar. The smallest SFH is just a bit above the $400K mark at this point - they start around $450K now?

We're not far from centreville or chantilly. We basically are chantilly, given the HS is on the same side of stringfellow and basically in our neighborhood. Chantilly Library is just steps from the HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, it's um, close to Chantilly.

Is this an insult?

Yes. It is.

What's wrong with Chantilly?

[Anonymous]

20 years ago I commuted from Centreville to Tysons for a summer job. The commute was pure hell. Even on back roads. I can't imagine that it has improved with time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...I can walk to schools, library, parks and shopping. There are days I don't get in my car. And even when I get in my car, I drive very short distances to go anywhere.

which neighborhood?

I live in 22033 in what the pp called "Fairfaxland" - Greenbriar. The smallest SFH is just a bit above the $400K mark at this point - they start around $450K now?

We're not far from centreville or chantilly. We basically are chantilly, given the HS is on the same side of stringfellow and basically in our neighborhood. Chantilly Library is just steps from the HS.

I wish we could walk to Dogfish Head!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20 years ago I commuted from Centreville to Tysons for a summer job. The commute was pure hell. Even on back roads. I can't imagine that it has improved with time.

Takes me about 40 minutes. Working 7-3:30 so depends on your schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...I can walk to schools, library, parks and shopping. There are days I don't get in my car. And even when I get in my car, I drive very short distances to go anywhere.

which neighborhood?

I live in 22033 in what the pp called "Fairfaxland" - Greenbriar. The smallest SFH is just a bit above the $400K mark at this point - they start around $450K now?

We're not far from centreville or chantilly. We basically are chantilly, given the HS is on the same side of stringfellow and basically in our neighborhood. Chantilly Library is just steps from the HS.

I wish we could walk to Dogfish Head!

I prefer bonefish, but it is nice to actually be able to walk to a few places to eat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:20 years ago I commuted from Centreville to Tysons for a summer job. The commute was pure hell. Even on back roads. I can't imagine that it has improved with time.

Takes me about 40 minutes. Working 7-3:30 so depends on your schedule.

That sounds pretty hellish to me. That is almost an hour and a half of every single day. Even with an off-hour schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:20 years ago I commuted from Centreville to Tysons for a summer job. The commute was pure hell. Even on back roads. I can't imagine that it has improved with time.

Takes me about 40 minutes. Working 7-3:30 so depends on your schedule.

That sounds pretty hellish to me. That is almost an hour and a half of every single day. Even with an off-hour schedule.

Look, be happy you don't have a long commute. You're lucky and privileged. A good portion of people have hour long commutes each way.