Reply to I don't think the neighborhood I'm looking for exists in DC

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What I envision as the perfect neighborhood for my family is in my mind pretty simple - a decent sized house (1800-2200 sq ft) with a small yard, great public schools, able to walk to playgrounds, elementary school, and a central downtown [b]"main street" area[/b], friendly neighbors, safe neighborhood, decent shopping (nice grocery store, target, etc.) in a 10-15 drive and all for under $600,000. And we'd like to stay within 20 miles of DC for commuting.

Why does this not exist around here? [b]I guess it's the "main street" feel I'm missing[/b]. Why don't places like Burke or Alexandria (FFX county) have a "main street" area. I guess it's just a [b]midwest thing[/b]? (I'm from the chicago burbs and they all have that) Does a main street feel exist in more expensive neighborhoods?[/quote]

It's not just a Midwest thing; it's also a New England thing.  Where I grew up in NE, the suburbs are organized by towns, and each town has its own center/main street, with little shops, etc., all on a very human scale.  These towns grew organically (were not planned by bureaucracies) a couple of hundred years ago (or more).

Here, OTOH, there are no "main streets" here because most of the 'burbs were developed in the 20th century, and because they are organized as counties (not towns).

This bothers me a LOT, but it is what it is.

Sorry.[/quote]

Agree with this. I grew up in northern NJ in a cute surburb of NYC, with a main street, top-rated small schools, commuter train to the city. It just is not found in this area. I miss it, but there are other things that are great about this area. If you go out to Leesburg or Middleburg, or to a place like Culpepper or Occoquan, you can find the main streets, but not in the same vein as up north or in the midwest.[/quote]

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