Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington is on downslope

I agree with you. There are too many people pushing too many things so that nothing is getting done. Plan Langston Blvd has been pushed aside for Missing Middle Housing which will have limited benefit. Meanwhile, every corridor is being stuffed with dense housing and CAFs. We are waiting for our twins to finish fifth grade at one of the elementary schools and then are moving to McLean. You get more land and house for the money and it is just a nicer group of people. We also have the option of getting kids into TJ and better middle and high school classes.

Arlington fell for the Amazon deal hook, line, and sinker and now Amazon is laying off people, not sending its top earners to the area, and probably will have a different business model by the time Virginia Tech and George Mason produce all the new grads who are slotted to work for Amazon. The loss of the commercial and hotel tax base is also showing up in higher property taxes.

As someone who grew up in McLean and now lives in Arlington, DISAGREE. McLean is not somewhere I’d want to live now.

Why not? Genuinely curious. Actually, selfishly asking so I feel better not living there.

It's become home to the Uber Rich, mainly. The upper middle class friends I have living there all moved into their parent's houses. The other poster who talked about how car dependent it is has a good point too. It's the lack of economic diversity that seals it for me. I will also say, I don't live in North Arlington either, where I think some of the same complaints can be made. I really love and value living in a diverse place, racially and economically. On my street we have a family who all works at a fast food restaurant, several houses with teachers, some first responders, and someone high up in government who has their own security. It's an incredible mix that's hard to find elsewhere.

South Arlington isn’t that different than Annandale, Springfield, Wheaton, Woodbridge, or parts of Silver Spring and NE DC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington is on downslope

I agree with you. There are too many people pushing too many things so that nothing is getting done. Plan Langston Blvd has been pushed aside for Missing Middle Housing which will have limited benefit. Meanwhile, every corridor is being stuffed with dense housing and CAFs. We are waiting for our twins to finish fifth grade at one of the elementary schools and then are moving to McLean. You get more land and house for the money and it is just a nicer group of people. We also have the option of getting kids into TJ and better middle and high school classes.

Arlington fell for the Amazon deal hook, line, and sinker and now Amazon is laying off people, not sending its top earners to the area, and probably will have a different business model by the time Virginia Tech and George Mason produce all the new grads who are slotted to work for Amazon. The loss of the commercial and hotel tax base is also showing up in higher property taxes.

As someone who grew up in McLean and now lives in Arlington, DISAGREE. McLean is not somewhere I’d want to live now.

Why not? Genuinely curious. Actually, selfishly asking so I feel better not living there.

NP - my random thoughts
I have lived here for 25+ years. I live in the El Nido neighborhood that matriculates to Chesterbrook. Schools were fine (if you have a hard to teach child it is hard work to get them what they need)- we had the best experience at the HS and my children were extremely well prepared for college- especially in math and science. Commute options are great. The traffic is starting to build again. The tear downs are getting silly- they are now around the $3m and up and are larger and larger. The teardown houses are now $1.4. Personally, I like a medium sized well designed house (2000-3000sqft). When my children went through the school system, it was dual income couples that worked for the government or similar, lawyers, and a few doctors and dentists. There were plenty of families that had one spouse who worked part time. Now the government and similar couples are priced out - I expect it has changed the nature of the schools. People always complain about class sizes and they have always been too large. In ES, my children’s ranged from 25 in the good years to 34 ( worst year ).

We have a few restaurants we like, but could use a few more as long as they are not pizza places. I like that we have a few walks that get us to trails in the “forest” along Pimmit Run. Old Chesterbrook needs to have sidewalks added between Birch and the bridge over Pimmit Run.

There is an area that matriculates to Kent Garden, Longfellow and McLean that is walking to all three and is walking to downtown McLean. I think that would also be a great place to be. Kent Gardens is more crowded than Chesterbrook, though.

Some neighborhoods have the occasional block party, others have nothing. It mainly depends on if there is an organizer in the neighborhood and that changes from time to time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to Loudoun County now that Silver Line is open? Will it decline? Asking as someone who lived there for 5 years, moved to DC, and would return but was diagnosed with MS and like the ease of access but appreciated the quiet.

LOL - why would the Metro cause a spiral in Loudon County - that doesn't even make sense. The stations are basically brownfield locations right now anyhow.

Are you one of these insecure suburbanites who think public transit brings crime?

NP I think Loudoun will have some issues when people are called back to the office. A lot of people bought there assuming perpetual WFH

Loudoun was never supporting of unhoused populations. Look at Tysons now that metro has evolved there. There is more panhandling in Tyson’s than my home in DC.

Yeah, there are some panhandlers off the main commercial drags in Tysons near Metro now. Not nearly as many as in downtown DC, DuPont, Capitol Hill, or in and around the miserable mess that Union Station has become.

With the extension of the Silver Line, Loudoun will get some panhandlers near the areas of Ashburn that get built up. BFD.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington is on downslope

I agree with you. There are too many people pushing too many things so that nothing is getting done. Plan Langston Blvd has been pushed aside for Missing Middle Housing which will have limited benefit. Meanwhile, every corridor is being stuffed with dense housing and CAFs. We are waiting for our twins to finish fifth grade at one of the elementary schools and then are moving to McLean. You get more land and house for the money and it is just a nicer group of people. We also have the option of getting kids into TJ and better middle and high school classes.

Arlington fell for the Amazon deal hook, line, and sinker and now Amazon is laying off people, not sending its top earners to the area, and probably will have a different business model by the time Virginia Tech and George Mason produce all the new grads who are slotted to work for Amazon. The loss of the commercial and hotel tax base is also showing up in higher property taxes.

As someone who grew up in McLean and now lives in Arlington, DISAGREE. McLean is not somewhere I’d want to live now.

Why not? Genuinely curious. Actually, selfishly asking so I feel better not living there.

It's become home to the Uber Rich, mainly. The upper middle class friends I have living there all moved into their parent's houses. The other poster who talked about how car dependent it is has a good point too. It's the lack of economic diversity that seals it for me. I will also say, I don't live in North Arlington either, where I think some of the same complaints can be made. I really love and value living in a diverse place, racially and economically. On my street we have a family who all works at a fast food restaurant, several houses with teachers, some first responders, and someone high up in government who has their own security. It's an incredible mix that's hard to find elsewhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to Loudoun County now that Silver Line is open? Will it decline? Asking as someone who lived there for 5 years, moved to DC, and would return but was diagnosed with MS and like the ease of access but appreciated the quiet.

LOL - why would the Metro cause a spiral in Loudon County - that doesn't even make sense. The stations are basically brownfield locations right now anyhow.

Are you one of these insecure suburbanites who think public transit brings crime?

NP I think Loudoun will have some issues when people are called back to the office. A lot of people bought there assuming perpetual WFH

No dog in this fight as I don't live in Loudoun, but its value hinges on WFH policies. If lots of people only go into their DC office 1-2 days per week, then it makes sense to live in Loudoun to get more house for your money, good schools, etc. If people have to go into the office 3-5 days per week, then it will revert to being a place people pick just because it's cheaper and they can't afford a better commute.

Not sure how dependent Loudoun is on DC jobs. It’s not like MoCo as there are many jobs based in NoVa.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to Loudoun County now that Silver Line is open? Will it decline? Asking as someone who lived there for 5 years, moved to DC, and would return but was diagnosed with MS and like the ease of access but appreciated the quiet.

LOL - why would the Metro cause a spiral in Loudon County - that doesn't even make sense. The stations are basically brownfield locations right now anyhow.

Are you one of these insecure suburbanites who think public transit brings crime?

NP I think Loudoun will have some issues when people are called back to the office. A lot of people bought there assuming perpetual WFH

No dog in this fight as I don't live in Loudoun, but its value hinges on WFH policies. If lots of people only go into their DC office 1-2 days per week, then it makes sense to live in Loudoun to get more house for your money, good schools, etc. If people have to go into the office 3-5 days per week, then it will revert to being a place people pick just because it's cheaper and they can't afford a better commute.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see how Kensington is declining. Building tons of houses in that neighborhood off Cedar I think it is

I ageee that Kensington is vibrant. Some things close and other things pop up, like the great pizza place and the relatively new playa bowls. One thing it needs is a better bus line to metro. We bought on the bethesda side to take advantage of the buses.

Kensington used to be looked at with an air to it in the 80s/90s. It has lost some of that appeal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to Loudoun County now that Silver Line is open? Will it decline? Asking as someone who lived there for 5 years, moved to DC, and would return but was diagnosed with MS and like the ease of access but appreciated the quiet.

LOL - why would the Metro cause a spiral in Loudon County - that doesn't even make sense. The stations are basically brownfield locations right now anyhow.

Are you one of these insecure suburbanites who think public transit brings crime?

NP I think Loudoun will have some issues when people are called back to the office. A lot of people bought there assuming perpetual WFH

Loudoun was never supporting of unhoused populations. Look at Tysons now that metro has evolved there. There is more panhandling in Tyson’s than my home in DC.

This thread has mentioned every area of the DC metro. Maybe it’s really America as a whole that’s declining?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parts of DC that clawed their way toward gentrification but can escape the crime

Reston that feeds into South Lakes High School

Areas around Tysons Corner where Fairfax County wants to dump more affordable housing due to Silver Line extension.

This is a popular take, but crime is actually down in DC in 2022 relative to last year.

DC can be tough for families, but the region is still growing, and the fertility rate is still near all-time lows. The increase in the number of singles and DINKs alone is enough to keep DC out of any real spiral.

Crime reported to the police is down. That's more likely an indicator of police not responding or taking reports.

This. DC police refuse to take police reports. There's much more crime than is reported.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parts of DC that clawed their way toward gentrification but can escape the crime

Reston that feeds into South Lakes High School

Areas around Tysons Corner where Fairfax County wants to dump more affordable housing due to Silver Line extension.

This is a popular take, but crime is actually down in DC in 2022 relative to last year.

DC can be tough for families, but the region is still growing, and the fertility rate is still near all-time lows. The increase in the number of singles and DINKs alone is enough to keep DC out of any real spiral.

Crime reported to the police is down. That's more likely an indicator of police not responding or taking reports.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to Loudoun County now that Silver Line is open? Will it decline? Asking as someone who lived there for 5 years, moved to DC, and would return but was diagnosed with MS and like the ease of access but appreciated the quiet.

LOL - why would the Metro cause a spiral in Loudon County - that doesn't even make sense. The stations are basically brownfield locations right now anyhow.

Are you one of these insecure suburbanites who think public transit brings crime?

NP I think Loudoun will have some issues when people are called back to the office. A lot of people bought there assuming perpetual WFH

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington is on downslope

I agree with you. There are too many people pushing too many things so that nothing is getting done. Plan Langston Blvd has been pushed aside for Missing Middle Housing which will have limited benefit. Meanwhile, every corridor is being stuffed with dense housing and CAFs. We are waiting for our twins to finish fifth grade at one of the elementary schools and then are moving to McLean. You get more land and house for the money and it is just a nicer group of people. We also have the option of getting kids into TJ and better middle and high school classes.

Arlington fell for the Amazon deal hook, line, and sinker and now Amazon is laying off people, not sending its top earners to the area, and probably will have a different business model by the time Virginia Tech and George Mason produce all the new grads who are slotted to work for Amazon. The loss of the commercial and hotel tax base is also showing up in higher property taxes.

As someone who grew up in McLean and now lives in Arlington, DISAGREE. McLean is not somewhere I’d want to live now.

Why not? Genuinely curious. Actually, selfishly asking so I feel better not living there.

Why do you need anyone to convince you why shouldn’t live there. McLean is physically a very nice area to live. I drive through there daily for work. However, it’s car dependent, not as neighborly and therefore can be isolating. It’s not as vibrant as I would like - not much to walk to. Arlington is not as attractive but with the nice parks, convenience, walkability and neighborhoodiness ( not a real word ) it’s nice lifestyle. Downtown Bethesda and it’s surrounding neighborhoods are very nice too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington is on downslope

I agree with you. There are too many people pushing too many things so that nothing is getting done. Plan Langston Blvd has been pushed aside for Missing Middle Housing which will have limited benefit. Meanwhile, every corridor is being stuffed with dense housing and CAFs. We are waiting for our twins to finish fifth grade at one of the elementary schools and then are moving to McLean. You get more land and house for the money and it is just a nicer group of people. We also have the option of getting kids into TJ and better middle and high school classes.

Arlington fell for the Amazon deal hook, line, and sinker and now Amazon is laying off people, not sending its top earners to the area, and probably will have a different business model by the time Virginia Tech and George Mason produce all the new grads who are slotted to work for Amazon. The loss of the commercial and hotel tax base is also showing up in higher property taxes.

As someone who grew up in McLean and now lives in Arlington, DISAGREE. McLean is not somewhere I’d want to live now.

Why not? Genuinely curious. Actually, selfishly asking so I feel better not living there.

Anonymous wrote:What will happen to Loudoun County now that Silver Line is open? Will it decline? Asking as someone who lived there for 5 years, moved to DC, and would return but was diagnosed with MS and like the ease of access but appreciated the quiet.

LOL - why would the Metro cause a spiral in Loudon County - that doesn't even make sense. The stations are basically brownfield locations right now anyhow.

Are you one of these insecure suburbanites who think public transit brings crime?