What happened to Clarendon?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clarendon has literally nothing that makes me want to go there.

I heard so much hype about Ballston Quarter but when I went there it looked just like the mall. Even still has the sad Macy’s.

The restaurants that are coming to Ballston overlap with Mosaic and I’d much rather go to Mosaic and walk around than hang out in an old mall on crowded streets filled with ugly buildings.

Yeah but you have to drive half an hour to get to mosaic. They have a lot more real estate to do work with so it was a lot nicer

Out side of the advantage of being able to do a target run I don't see much difference between Mosaic and Ballston.

Mosaic was Fairfax County's version Clarendon. When it opened in the mid-2010s, it was a stark departure from the way that Fairfax Country had previously approached development planning. Today it feels like a larger version of Clarendon, and no one gives it a second thought. But that just shows how far the area has come.

https://www.naiop.org/en/Magazine/2013/Fall-2013/Development-Ownership/The-Mosaic-District

My question is why is Mosaic more successfully than Reston Town Center? Both are similar, but I know people in Herndon who prefer to come to Mosaic rather than the much closer RTC...

I think it's the opposite. I rather go to Reston Town than Mosiac. Mosiac feels random and out of place.

I think the issue with Clarendon and Mosiac is the concept is kinda outdated. At least with Clarendon you're near something iike dc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clarendon has literally nothing that makes me want to go there.

I heard so much hype about Ballston Quarter but when I went there it looked just like the mall. Even still has the sad Macy’s.

The restaurants that are coming to Ballston overlap with Mosaic and I’d much rather go to Mosaic and walk around than hang out in an old mall on crowded streets filled with ugly buildings.

Yeah but you have to drive half an hour to get to mosaic. They have a lot more real estate to do work with so it was a lot nicer

Out side of the advantage of being able to do a target run I don't see much difference between Mosaic and Ballston.

Mosaic was Fairfax County's version Clarendon. When it opened in the mid-2010s, it was a stark departure from the way that Fairfax Country had previously approached development planning. Today it feels like a larger version of Clarendon, and no one gives it a second thought. But that just shows how far the area has come.

https://www.naiop.org/en/Magazine/2013/Fall-2013/Development-Ownership/The-Mosaic-District

My question is why is Mosaic more successfully than Reston Town Center? Both are similar, but I know people in Herndon who prefer to come to Mosaic rather than the much closer RTC...

1) to get to Reston you have to pay toll. There is NO nearby metro until very recently.

2) Reston is much more residential than Mosaic; not as many storefronts compared to housing.

3) they recently switched to paid parking garages which decimated it further. And garages were on periphery so hard to park and get anywhere quick

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clarendon has literally nothing that makes me want to go there.

I heard so much hype about Ballston Quarter but when I went there it looked just like the mall. Even still has the sad Macy’s.

The restaurants that are coming to Ballston overlap with Mosaic and I’d much rather go to Mosaic and walk around than hang out in an old mall on crowded streets filled with ugly buildings.

Yeah but you have to drive half an hour to get to mosaic. They have a lot more real estate to do work with so it was a lot nicer

Out side of the advantage of being able to do a target run I don't see much difference between Mosaic and Ballston.

Mosaic was Fairfax County's version Clarendon. When it opened in the mid-2010s, it was a stark departure from the way that Fairfax Country had previously approached development planning. Today it feels like a larger version of Clarendon, and no one gives it a second thought. But that just shows how far the area has come.

https://www.naiop.org/en/Magazine/2013/Fall-2013/Development-Ownership/The-Mosaic-District

My question is why is Mosaic more successfully than Reston Town Center? Both are similar, but I know people in Herndon who prefer to come to Mosaic rather than the much closer RTC...

1) to get to Reston you have to pay toll. There is NO nearby metro until very recently.

2) Reston is much more residential than Mosaic; not as many storefronts compared to housing.

3) they recently switched to paid parking garages which decimated it further. And garages were on periphery so hard to park and get anywhere quick

Are there condos in Reston Town Center? I haven't been there in years. I do know that restaurants in Mosaic see lots of traffic from the condos and apartments within the development.

[Anonymous]

No one goes to Reston because of the parking. Seriously. Last time I was there for the Apple store because my iPhone was broken. No way to log into the app to pay for parking. The parking is just annoying. We used to go weekly.

[Anonymous]

Clarendon is packed every night of the week. Ambar and TTT/Buena Vida (amazing rooftop deck), Heritage anchor the dining scene. It is like a city now and when they finish redoing the long block across from Whole Foods up to Whitlows it will keep getting better.

An Escape Room just opened in Market Common, Soul Cycle has joined the 75 other boutique exercise studios and Equinox will be opening. A Jumping Joeys is opening on Clarendon Blvd for the kids.

The biggest difference is the sheer number of people hanging out Day and night and sidewalk tables filled.

There is a changing tide. Crowd is going more upscale/older as younger crowd moves farther up the corridor. And more family type businesses due to kid population explosion are sprouting up.

Whoever declared it dead hasn’t tried to buy a house in the area. No inventory, crazy-competitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Clarendon is packed every night of the week. Ambar and TTT/Buena Vida (amazing rooftop deck), Heritage anchor the dining scene. It is like a city now and when they finish redoing the long block across from Whole Foods up to Whitlows it will keep getting better.

An Escape Room just opened in Market Common, Soul Cycle has joined the 75 other boutique exercise studios and Equinox will be opening. A Jumping Joeys is opening on Clarendon Blvd for the kids.

The biggest difference is the sheer number of people hanging out Day and night and sidewalk tables filled.

There is a changing tide. Crowd is going more upscale/older as younger crowd moves farther up the corridor. And more family type businesses due to kid population explosion are sprouting up.

Whoever declared it dead hasn’t tried to buy a house in the area. No inventory, crazy-competitive.

Thanks Keri

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Clarendon is packed every night of the week. Ambar and TTT/Buena Vida (amazing rooftop deck), Heritage anchor the dining scene. It is like a city now and when they finish redoing the long block across from Whole Foods up to Whitlows it will keep getting better.

An Escape Room just opened in Market Common, Soul Cycle has joined the 75 other boutique exercise studios and Equinox will be opening. A Jumping Joeys is opening on Clarendon Blvd for the kids.

The biggest difference is the sheer number of people hanging out Day and night and sidewalk tables filled.

There is a changing tide. Crowd is going more upscale/older as younger crowd moves farther up the corridor. And more family type businesses due to kid population explosion are sprouting up.

Whoever declared it dead hasn’t tried to buy a house in the area. No inventory, crazy-competitive.

Don’t think the posters were talking about residential real estate. We get that. Rather, the concern is with ... what exactly is Clarendon these days? Some weird shell of it’s old self.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clarendon has literally nothing that makes me want to go there.

I heard so much hype about Ballston Quarter but when I went there it looked just like the mall. Even still has the sad Macy’s.

The restaurants that are coming to Ballston overlap with Mosaic and I’d much rather go to Mosaic and walk around than hang out in an old mall on crowded streets filled with ugly buildings.

Yeah but you have to drive half an hour to get to mosaic. They have a lot more real estate to do work with so it was a lot nicer

+1

Lots of space when you plop down a development in an industrial park.

Yup. If your cultural like centers around Mosaic...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Clarendon/Ballston are places people visit and live when they don't want to be harrassed by friendly gangs of khaki-clad and polo-shirted "akademy" charter school youth, get mugged by thugs, attacked by people high on PCP, be stalked for blocks on end by strange men, or hear gun shots "ring out" when walking Fido.

Visual aesthetics of Clarendon/Ballston are obviously not the draw to those areas. Lol

Huh? It’s not that safe, bro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Clarendon is packed every night of the week. Ambar and TTT/Buena Vida (amazing rooftop deck), Heritage anchor the dining scene. It is like a city now and when they finish redoing the long block across from Whole Foods up to Whitlows it will keep getting better.

An Escape Room just opened in Market Common, Soul Cycle has joined the 75 other boutique exercise studios and Equinox will be opening. A Jumping Joeys is opening on Clarendon Blvd for the kids.

The biggest difference is the sheer number of people hanging out Day and night and sidewalk tables filled.

There is a changing tide. Crowd is going more upscale/older as younger crowd moves farther up the corridor. And more family type businesses due to kid population explosion are sprouting up.

Whoever declared it dead hasn’t tried to buy a house in the area. No inventory, crazy-competitive.

The number of 40 year olds trying to bang ugly GMU & JMU grands is off the hook

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Clarendon is packed every night of the week. Ambar and TTT/Buena Vida (amazing rooftop deck), Heritage anchor the dining scene. It is like a city now and when they finish redoing the long block across from Whole Foods up to Whitlows it will keep getting better.

An Escape Room just opened in Market Common, Soul Cycle has joined the 75 other boutique exercise studios and Equinox will be opening. A Jumping Joeys is opening on Clarendon Blvd for the kids.

The biggest difference is the sheer number of people hanging out Day and night and sidewalk tables filled.

There is a changing tide. Crowd is going more upscale/older as younger crowd moves farther up the corridor. And more family type businesses due to kid population explosion are sprouting up.

Whoever declared it dead hasn’t tried to buy a house in the area. No inventory, crazy-competitive.

Yet none of those places are unique or special. That and it's full of middle aged parents these days. No thanks. Even Northside Social looks more like a daycare with mom's working on their laptop. Clarendon isn't the "cool" place it was 10 years ago.

[Anonymous]

I live in Arlington and never hang out in Arlington. Live here doe the commute and my neighbors.

Yesterday we spent the morning hiking and finished up at Bear Chase and Dirt Farm. If I didn't have to libe here I certainly would'nt! Not exactly the kind of lifestyle I dream of.

No idea if Clarendon or Ballston are cool or not, don't care either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clarendon is packed every night of the week. Ambar and TTT/Buena Vida (amazing rooftop deck), Heritage anchor the dining scene. It is like a city now and when they finish redoing the long block across from Whole Foods up to Whitlows it will keep getting better.

An Escape Room just opened in Market Common, Soul Cycle has joined the 75 other boutique exercise studios and Equinox will be opening. A Jumping Joeys is opening on Clarendon Blvd for the kids.

The biggest difference is the sheer number of people hanging out Day and night and sidewalk tables filled.

There is a changing tide. Crowd is going more upscale/older as younger crowd moves farther up the corridor. And more family type businesses due to kid population explosion are sprouting up.

Whoever declared it dead hasn’t tried to buy a house in the area. No inventory, crazy-competitive.

Yet none of those places are unique or special. That and it's full of middle aged parents these days. No thanks. Even Northside Social looks more like a daycare with mom's working on their laptop. Clarendon isn't the "cool" place it was 10 years ago.

It wasn’t cool 10 years ago. It was better — but not cool.

[Anonymous]

The super high rents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Arlington and never hang out in Arlington. Live here doe the commute and my neighbors.

Yesterday we spent the morning hiking and finished up at Bear Chase and Dirt Farm. If I didn't have to libe here I certainly would'nt! Not exactly the kind of lifestyle I dream of.

No idea if Clarendon or Ballston are cool or not, don't care either.

Cool story, bro.

But seriously, thanks for the recs for the breweries in Bluemont - didn't know they existed.

I live in Arlington yet work in Maryland. I love Arlington because I don't have to leave her if I don't want to. So many parks and trails to explore. Close to DC.

The thing about the R-B corridor is it is alive with people of all ages. I like, too, that I don't have to go on a major highway to get anywhere fun. I can pretty much walk anywhere I need to be.