Parts of Kensington feel like a real town.

Frederick has a nice town center, not new build fake town center, but it’s not commuting distance to DC.

Of the new build fake tiwn centers I’ve been to l like Mosiac the best. London is just too far from DC for me.

I agree that Rio and Crown have been developed beautifully.

Chagrin Falls

This is what makes metro Boston cool — all these towns have town halls, pretty churches, cafes, corner hardware stores, etc.

It’s obvious how small Boston proper is, vs. other major cities. This is key.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boulder, Colorado

https://boulderdowntown.com/visit

Man, I love Boulder so much. I thought it was expensive 10 years ago - it's next level now.

Yuck. Boulder and Colorado Springs are great… if you’re a racist Trump supporter.

Lolololol Boulder is not trumpy in any way, shape of form.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the "town centers" get old fast. It's fun for a month, maybe 3. Then you're over it. No matter what, it's not a small city or town. It's just more crowded burbs.

Sure because town centers like Reston town center and one Loudoun are completely dead, since they got old after 3 months.

Once you live there, you get tired of it. The novelty wears off very quickly.

You can say that about anywhere lol. If I lived in tribeca, I’d get bored of it eventually.

Anonymous wrote:I don't know what the technical requirements for something to constitute a town center, but I personally think the ideal town center would include something free for people to enjoy. Like a garden or playground. Also some kind of service, like a post office or a municipal building. And even better, a place for people to commune that isn't food or alcohol based- like a community center or even a church or temple. Places like Pike and Rose really are just shopping malls. You go there and have to spend money to interact with other people. Then you leave.

+1

Also, a library.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the "town centers" get old fast. It's fun for a month, maybe 3. Then you're over it. No matter what, it's not a small city or town. It's just more crowded burbs.

Sure because town centers like Reston town center and one Loudoun are completely dead, since they got old after 3 months.

Once you live there, you get tired of it. The novelty wears off very quickly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any around here ?
What do you think about Pike and Rose or Silver Spring.

I try to stay away from Pike and Rose. The parking garages are awful and the streets are always congested with double parkers.

I do as well. It's so congested, it's just not enjoyable.

I don't know what the technical requirements for something to constitute a town center, but I personally think the ideal town center would include something free for people to enjoy. Like a garden or playground. Also some kind of service, like a post office or a municipal building. And even better, a place for people to commune that isn't food or alcohol based- like a community center or even a church or temple. Places like Pike and Rose really are just shopping malls. You go there and have to spend money to interact with other people. Then you leave.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boulder, Colorado

https://boulderdowntown.com/visit

Man, I love Boulder so much. I thought it was expensive 10 years ago - it's next level now.

Yuck. Boulder and Colorado Springs are great… if you’re a racist Trump supporter.

Anonymous wrote:All the "town centers" get old fast. It's fun for a month, maybe 3. Then you're over it. No matter what, it's not a small city or town. It's just more crowded burbs.

Sure because town centers like Reston town center and one Loudoun are completely dead, since they got old after 3 months.

DMV has plenty of strip malls, OP!

All the "town centers" get old fast. It's fun for a month, maybe 3. Then you're over it. No matter what, it's not a small city or town. It's just more crowded burbs.

Define “sustainable.”

Sorry, it's a fraught word with multiple meanings. I didn't mean "certified sustainable" (that's important too -- but at this point it's becoming table stakes for DMV developers). I meant a community that will be self-sustaining and become a permanent part of the regional landscape, rather than a trendy flash in the pan that will be hot this year, look dated in ten years, and be torn down in 20. Our area is littered with examples of those. And a place that depends on fickle shoppers and fickle retail lessors seems more likely to fall into that tailspin.