Reply to Upper NW DC the "Suburbs"?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b]Yes, CCDC is suburban, zero difference from CCMD or Bethesda. [/b]I assume it's not the same suburban experience as someone in Great Falls or Clarksburg or Loudon, but it's definitely urban living. Cmon, OP, you can't really be surprised by this.[/quote]

CCDC is more gridlike and has more sidewalks.  I’m sure there are other differences, but those are the ones I’ve noticed.[/quote]

Having sidewalks and grid like streets is not going to make it urban. For it to be urban it has to have a higher density of commercial within shorter walking distance and higher density of housing, which is only present around metro stations. For me also, there is another factor: car accessibility.   Urban areas are not car oriented even if not high density, businesses/commercial don't offer customer parking, street parking is a PITA, everything is scaled toward walking and PT.  Suburban areas have way more parking lots, most commercial places offer customer parking if at least a few spots, it's easier to park and drive vs. take PT or walk.   [/quote]

You have odd criteria. Even some places in Manhattan offer customer parking.

Also, there are places in the suburbs that have commercial within short walking distance and high density of housing, even if you have to take a bus to the metro and there are parking lots.  [/quote]

You are correct, but the criteria has to do with critical mass of car oriented vs. non car oriented retail and persistent density vs. a small pocket of isolated density that tends to be present in the suburbs around the central commercial area/metro.  Also such suburban shopping/high density residential area will have lots of parking, large swaths of parking lots to walk through, and will be built most likely near intersection of major highways and roads, e.g. will be incredibly car oriented and will feel isolated from the rest of the areas, e.g. not easy to navigate without a car.  Places like Mosaic and Reston are still largely car oriented, they are places you drive to and park and then walk around in that small area.

If you want a simpler criteria, then think about the car use.  Highly urban = car ownership is a PITA (expensive parking, rare occasions to use it),   suburban = hardship without a car or impossible to live without a car. [/quote]

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