I lived in Annandale off and on for 15 years. Now live in Cap Hill. You can knock Annandale for 236 inside the beltway being ugly and underutilized, but the crime concerns I am reading in this thread are way overblown. Never witnessed a crime or felt unsafe. Yes, at the 7-11 on Hummer there are day laborers. If that makes you uncomfortable, then living inside the beltway might not be for you. In Cap Hill I watch my back. In the parking lot of the Safeway on 236 near those “scary” garden apartments, no so much.

Anonymous wrote:Long run no. Eventually, most of the beltway will become more like Annandale, not the other way around. Exburbs will be the new suburbs.

I doubt it. Annandale has particular problems. Its development was extremely haphazard and it has a mix of uniquely ugly homes. Its central area is horribly run down. Its schools are low rated.

Fairfax, Annandale outside the beltway, Burke, Vienna, the neighborhoods are much more attractive and the housing more fit for modern living.

Annandale inside the beltway has always been a dump since I moved to NOVA more than 20 years ago.

Anonymous wrote:Long run no. Eventually, most of the beltway will become more like Annandale, not the other way around. Exburbs will be the new suburbs.

Maybe if all of us, and that includes the feds, go to 100% teleworking or remote work. Until then, those of us who have to commute in 2 days a week still appreciate the close-in suburbs. More restaurants, access to theaters, and so on.

Anonymous wrote:Cheap gas, good Korean food. It will take off once they raise the housing prices and rental prices in that area.

So basically, prices will go up after prices go up?

Anonymous wrote:Long run no. Eventually, most of the beltway will become more like Annandale, not the other way around. Exburbs will be the new suburbs.

Except the evidence is to the contrary. Look at how prices have gone up in places like South Arlington and Pimmit Hills.

Long run no. Eventually, most of the beltway will become more like Annandale, not the other way around. Exburbs will be the new suburbs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Annandale has gone downhill fast, alongside neighboring Falls Church and Springfield. It’s experienced it’s own white flight, where hispanics and AAs from PG and DC moved down, effectively killing the white population, as evident by their schools. It’s going to continue going downhill, with Fairfax city, Burke and it’s surrounding areas following suit. I would only recommend NW fairfax towards the river to anyone moving to fairfax county, ie. Mclean, Great Falls.

As someone who has lived in Annandale and Springfield, I concur. The costs of housing is causing some places to spiral down and it's dragging down the schools. Both places were nicer and safer places to live 10-20 years ago. Parts of Alexandria, Lakeridge, Herndon are getting less desirable.

Huh? What is the cost of housing causing? Wealthier people to move in?

No, the cost of housing closer-in is causing poor people priced out of DC to move to Annandale & Springfield, causing decline in those areas.

There are a surprising number of wealthy families in the many less-desired areas, but they choose to pupil place their kids to other schools (this means they apply to transfer to another school outside the boundaries of their home). Some of these schools have on average from 100-300 kids transferring out. So, there are plenty of well-to-do families, but they don't go to the local public school.
In some ways it's seen as a way to "cheat" by paying far less mortgage yet attend a different school.

Anonymous wrote:So white people will move into places in DC and gentrify it but they are too scared of Annandale?

They aren't scared of Annandale you just don't gentrify a suburb, you skip over it and go to a better one. Plus the poor are moving to Annandale, gentrification only comes after that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Annandale has gone downhill fast, alongside neighboring Falls Church and Springfield. It’s experienced it’s own white flight, where hispanics and AAs from PG and DC moved down, effectively killing the white population, as evident by their schools. It’s going to continue going downhill, with Fairfax city, Burke and it’s surrounding areas following suit. I would only recommend NW fairfax towards the river to anyone moving to fairfax county, ie. Mclean, Great Falls.

As someone who has lived in Annandale and Springfield, I concur. The costs of housing is causing some places to spiral down and it's dragging down the schools. Both places were nicer and safer places to live 10-20 years ago. Parts of Alexandria, Lakeridge, Herndon are getting less desirable.

Huh? What is the cost of housing causing? Wealthier people to move in?

No, the cost of housing closer-in is causing poor people priced out of DC to move to Annandale & Springfield, causing decline in those areas.

NP but I assure you that Annandale and Springfield are not bastions of affordability for the poors and violent. You aren't making any sense with whatever point you're trying to make.

As usual many of the people commenting are not basing their opinions on personal experience. And much of this is based on Annandale HS which much of Annandale isn’t zoned for. Again, why should any one person or website determine whether a school is good or not. It’s pretty ridiculous. No school is perfect and teenagers face a whole host of challenges. Perhaps you think you are escaping “violence” in once school buy drugs may be a real or at “better” school. Have you seen the stories about teens overdosing at schools in the region?

So white people will move into places in DC and gentrify it but they are too scared of Annandale?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Annandale has gone downhill fast, alongside neighboring Falls Church and Springfield. It’s experienced it’s own white flight, where hispanics and AAs from PG and DC moved down, effectively killing the white population, as evident by their schools. It’s going to continue going downhill, with Fairfax city, Burke and it’s surrounding areas following suit. I would only recommend NW fairfax towards the river to anyone moving to fairfax county, ie. Mclean, Great Falls.

As someone who has lived in Annandale and Springfield, I concur. The costs of housing is causing some places to spiral down and it's dragging down the schools. Both places were nicer and safer places to live 10-20 years ago. Parts of Alexandria, Lakeridge, Herndon are getting less desirable.

Huh? What is the cost of housing causing? Wealthier people to move in?

No, the cost of housing closer-in is causing poor people priced out of DC to move to Annandale & Springfield, causing decline in those areas.

Cheap gas, good Korean food. It will take off once they raise the housing prices and rental prices in that area.

I lived in a condo in the Patriot Dr and Americana area for 8 years, moved away in 2020 when I left the state. My complex was well kept, quiet, well managed, and very little crime. The apartments/townhouses on Patriot and Americana were much different. I'd say the difference is mostly owners vs renters. Thousands of rentals in that area bring it down. I did enjoy living there though, did not feel unsafe most of the time and people in my complex were quite diverse and fine neighbors. Shopping in Annandale was very lame but I didn't have to go too far to get what I wanted or needed. Good location to get anywhere. I think it would be great if Annandale was revitalized.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Annandale has gone downhill fast, alongside neighboring Falls Church and Springfield. It’s experienced it’s own white flight, where hispanics and AAs from PG and DC moved down, effectively killing the white population, as evident by their schools. It’s going to continue going downhill, with Fairfax city, Burke and it’s surrounding areas following suit. I would only recommend NW fairfax towards the river to anyone moving to fairfax county, ie. Mclean, Great Falls.

As someone who has lived in Annandale and Springfield, I concur. The costs of housing is causing some places to spiral down and it's dragging down the schools. Both places were nicer and safer places to live 10-20 years ago. Parts of Alexandria, Lakeridge, Herndon are getting less desirable.

Huh? What is the cost of housing causing? Wealthier people to move in?