Anonymous wrote:
Where did you get the racial animus? Are you not familiar with the theme song for the Jeffersons? The point, which I think is obvious, but I'll spell it out, is that the residents of the Mosaic District were so very excited by a Chipotle opening up that it reminded me of the glee George and Louise Jefferson felt when them made it to the East Side.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We lived in NYC for 13 years (in the East Village, no less) and now live near the Mosaic District. DH and I were just saying how happy we were to have all this great stuff going in just a couple of miles from our house. I love that while Mosaic has chains, they are mostly local chains and not shitty national chains you'd find in any other strip mall. The whole thing feels very cool and urban in an area that is anything but. I would never drive there from DC or probably even Old Town, but compared to the rest of the junk we get out here in the close-in burbs, Mosaic is awesome!

Yes exactly but it goes against the city dwellers view that we only have applebees and no public transport. Just cause we live out here for better housing and schools doesn't mean we sacrificed boutique stores and public transport. I think that shocks them cause they had to trade that off where we can have it all (theoretically). haha

It's not just Applebees - I think I read somewhere that the Mosaic District recently got a Chipotle! Now THAT'S exciting. Really exciting - akin to George Jefferson movin' on up to a deeeluxe apartment in the sky exciting.

... and there it is, racial animus rears its ugly head! Yet more proof that so-called "urbanists" like their city neighborhoods as long as there are no black people living there. You'd probably love Boston.

Where did you get the racial animus? Are you not familiar with the theme song for the Jeffersons? The point, which I think is obvious, but I'll spell it out, is that the residents of the Mosaic District were so very excited by a Chipotle opening up that it reminded me of the glee George and Louise Jefferson felt when them made it to the East Side.

Anonymous wrote:

10:38 - NP here.

I LOVE YOU.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We lived in NYC for 13 years (in the East Village, no less) and now live near the Mosaic District. DH and I were just saying how happy we were to have all this great stuff going in just a couple of miles from our house. I love that while Mosaic has chains, they are mostly local chains and not shitty national chains you'd find in any other strip mall. The whole thing feels very cool and urban in an area that is anything but. I would never drive there from DC or probably even Old Town, but compared to the rest of the junk we get out here in the close-in burbs, Mosaic is awesome!

Yes exactly but it goes against the city dwellers view that we only have applebees and no public transport. Just cause we live out here for better housing and schools doesn't mean we sacrificed boutique stores and public transport. I think that shocks them cause they had to trade that off where we can have it all (theoretically). haha

It's not just Applebees - I think I read somewhere that the Mosaic District recently got a Chipotle! Now THAT'S exciting. Really exciting - akin to George Jefferson movin' on up to a deeeluxe apartment in the sky exciting.

... and there it is, racial animus rears its ugly head! Yet more proof that so-called "urbanists" like their city neighborhoods as long as there are no black people living there. You'd probably love Boston.

Anonymous wrote:I live about 3-4 miles from Mosaic in Falls Church. We have been going about once every 3 months. Went there this past weekend in fact.

[snip]
Cons:
Fish store seems kind of sad/empty.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We lived in NYC for 13 years (in the East Village, no less) and now live near the Mosaic District. DH and I were just saying how happy we were to have all this great stuff going in just a couple of miles from our house. I love that while Mosaic has chains, they are mostly local chains and not shitty national chains you'd find in any other strip mall. The whole thing feels very cool and urban in an area that is anything but. I would never drive there from DC or probably even Old Town, but compared to the rest of the junk we get out here in the close-in burbs, Mosaic is awesome!

Yes exactly but it goes against the city dwellers view that we only have applebees and no public transport. Just cause we live out here for better housing and schools doesn't mean we sacrificed boutique stores and public transport. I think that shocks them cause they had to trade that off where we can have it all (theoretically). haha

It's not just Applebees - I think I read somewhere that the Mosaic District recently got a Chipotle! Now THAT'S exciting. Really exciting - akin to George Jefferson movin' on up to a deeeluxe apartment in the sky exciting.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We lived in NYC for 13 years (in the East Village, no less) and now live near the Mosaic District. DH and I were just saying how happy we were to have all this great stuff going in just a couple of miles from our house. I love that while Mosaic has chains, they are mostly local chains and not shitty national chains you'd find in any other strip mall. The whole thing feels very cool and urban in an area that is anything but. I would never drive there from DC or probably even Old Town, but compared to the rest of the junk we get out here in the close-in burbs, Mosaic is awesome!

Yes exactly but it goes against the city dwellers view that we only have applebees and no public transport. Just cause we live out here for better housing and schools doesn't mean we sacrificed boutique stores and public transport. I think that shocks them cause they had to trade that off where we can have it all (theoretically). haha

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Militant urbanist here. The Mosaic District will be a great development for the region, as are all of the other "town centers" (and I get that this one is aiming to have some better... programming, I guess, than many of the others) that bring a little bit of "New Urbanist" experience to yesterday's 'burbs.

No reason to knock this little oasis of civilization, but also no reason for us to shlep way the hell out there. And although the Mosaic experience will certainly help to alleviate the painful idiocy of suburban life, you all will still pile into your minivans at the end of your visit and return to either your cookie cutter "townhomes" sitting in parking lots, your formerly working class rambler 'hoods with chain link fences, or perhaps your architecturally unbalanced McMansions that would fall down after the first huff and puff.

So... on the one hand, not too shabby. But on the other, still a resounding MEH.

Yawn. I don't think the expectation is that militant urbanists would trek to the Mosaic District, but rather that the monied suburbanites won't trek to places like Old Town or Dupont for things they can now find at Mosaic.

There really isn't much difference in the types of people who seek out these yuppie comforts in the city and the suburbs. The suburbanites might be a bit more open minded, many previously having lived in cities, but I'm sure there are some who ferociously disdain the Disney-fied stage set that passes for DC urban living these days. In their own way, places like the Mosaic District seem more honest about exactly what they are and are not. Oh, and parking there is a breeze!

Ciao.

You are comparing apples to oranges, the city is the city, a suburban outdoor mall/restaurant/entertainment complex development is just this. People come to the city for different reasons other than to get an easy drive to go shopping, watch a movie, or to have a family dinner. There is a difference.

Anonymous wrote:Militant urbanist here. The Mosaic District will be a great development for the region, as are all of the other "town centers" (and I get that this one is aiming to have some better... programming, I guess, than many of the others) that bring a little bit of "New Urbanist" experience to yesterday's 'burbs.

No reason to knock this little oasis of civilization, but also no reason for us to shlep way the hell out there. And although the Mosaic experience will certainly help to alleviate the painful idiocy of suburban life, you all will still pile into your minivans at the end of your visit and return to either your cookie cutter "townhomes" sitting in parking lots, your formerly working class rambler 'hoods with chain link fences, or perhaps your architecturally unbalanced McMansions that would fall down after the first huff and puff.

So... on the one hand, not too shabby. But on the other, still a resounding MEH.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Militant urbanist here. The Mosaic District will be a great development for the region, as are all of the other "town centers" (and I get that this one is aiming to have some better... programming, I guess, than many of the others) that bring a little bit of "New Urbanist" experience to yesterday's 'burbs.

No reason to knock this little oasis of civilization, but also no reason for us to shlep way the hell out there. And although the Mosaic experience will certainly help to alleviate the painful idiocy of suburban life, you all will still pile into your minivans at the end of your visit and return to either your cookie cutter "townhomes" sitting in parking lots, your formerly working class rambler 'hoods with chain link fences, or perhaps your architecturally unbalanced McMansions that would fall down after the first huff and puff.

So... on the one hand, not too shabby. But on the other, still a resounding MEH.

Yawn. I don't think the expectation is that militant urbanists would trek to the Mosaic District, but rather that the monied suburbanites won't trek to places like Old Town or Dupont for things they can now find at Mosaic.

There really isn't much difference in the types of people who seek out these yuppie comforts in the city and the suburbs. The suburbanites might be a bit more open minded, many previously having lived in cities, but I'm sure there are some who ferociously disdain the Disney-fied stage set that passes for DC urban living these days. In their own way, places like the Mosaic District seem more honest about exactly what they are and are not. Oh, and parking there is a breeze!

Ciao.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Sorry to hijack the discussion, but we live in Vienna and I think there are plenty of finely balanced "McMansions" here. My house was built by Steve Bukont and it is a well thought out architecturally and structural sound home. There's nothing wrong with having a big house on a big lot, just as there's nothing wrong with living in a tiny city rowhouse cramped by 1000 people within 100 feet of you.

"Finely balanced"? Here are examples of Mr. Bukont's restraint:

http://www.ayrhillhomes.com/Slideshows/Exterior%20Photos/EXTERIOR%20PHOTOS/index.html

What sayeth the hivemind?