Rosslyn-Ballston - not quite a city, not quite a suburb

[jpdivola]

Here goes nothing. Long time lurker, first time contributor.

I’m an amateur, armed with just a cell phone camera and too much time on my hands, so I apologize for the quality. But, I hope this thread gives somewhat of a sense of the Rosslyn-Ballston area.

It’s basically a 2-mile stretch of “urban villages” centered around 5 Metro station. It’s hated by some for its cookie cutter feel and admired by others for its attempt to urbanize a suburb. I guess I tend to fall more into the latter camp.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn't put it on par with the urban cores of Bos, SF, Philly, DC, Chi, etc. But, I think R-B should be graded on a curve. It’s a streetcar suburb that has only been urbanizing for 30 years or so. It can feel contrived and has some real duds, particularly from the early years (60-90s), but it is a work in progress and is gradually getting more urban and textured (if not necessarily organic) with each passing year. IMO, most of the stuff built from 2005 on has basically been on par with low/midrise urban development in the traditional urban cities (take that either way).

I worked backward from Ballston back to Rosslyn/DC.

Ballston definitely has a master planned cookie cutter feel. But, it does have some pretty good height and density near the metro.











Humans!!! Ballston's pedestrian activity is still somewhat sporadic. Mostly people going to the mall or transferring at a bus stop. Not a lot of “third space” activity



See..A lovely “urban” style park, but not a lot of urban activity.. no people hanging out, no musicians, no vendors, etc.


A suburban canyon..






Not exactly Dupont Circle or the West Village, but a little bit of street life starting to emerge…


New high/mid rises next to a strip mall. Still a somewhat common sight on the corridor, but come back in 10 years and I doubt it will still be there.



The urban zone really only extends about a quarter mile from the Metro stations then it’s back to streetcar suburbia (tightly packed SFHs and low-rise Garden Apartments). It’s moderately dense due to the large number of garden style apartments, and much better than ex-urban cul-de-sacs, but still basically suburban.




Some of the old crap on the border between the urban and suburban zone. I’m sure these will eventually get redeveloped. BTW, this is right on the main strip Wilson Bld. As you can see the “urbanization” of R-B is still very much a work in progress.


Making my way down to the next village..Virginia Square. In all honestly, this just feels like an auxiliary stop for Ballston. They seem one in the same to me.




Leaving Virginia Square heading toward Clarendon. This patch is the least developed portion of the corridor.


Some more old crap on Wilson.


The break between Virginia Square and Clarendon is really the only portion of the corridor that I would consider to be really inhospitable to walk. Fear not though, the stumps of Clarendon beckon in the background. Perhaps someday its development will spill over and wash away all the crap in the foreground.


It’s already starting to happen


Welcome to Clarendon, the heart of the corridor, both in terms of geography and vitality.






IMO, this is really the only portion of the entire corridor that has any historical architecture that is even moderately worth caring about.




I love how this building turned out.



In a way, I was a little disappointed that it was St. Patrick’s day. All the people wearing green made the street life seem a little contrived, like it was all just for a special event. It was probably a little busier than it normally would be on a Saturday. But, not by much. This area is usually pretty busy with pedestrian activity.










An urban Trader Joe’s













I love how the building on the left is built tight with the street. Sort of has a neo-East Village/LES type feel. This is pretty rare for the area. Even in DC proper, which is pretty dense and urban, I can’t really think of any examples of this. That city loves it’s wide setbacks.


Reminds me of the board of trade building in Chicago…





New (sub)urbanism at its finest. Can anyone spot the parking?



An outdoor mall.. Clarendon Commons or something. Opened in the early 2000s, I think of this as one of the last “suburban/pretending to be urban” style developments in R-B. Post 2005, the development has been more of the “urban, but with some practical accommodations to the fact this isn’t NYC” school of development.



Requisite Apple store shot.


The development is wrapped with townhouses on the sides to serve as a buffer to the nearby SFH’s .



The last throes of unadulterated sub-urbanism…and it’s a Whole Foods no less. Built in 2000 or so, today this almost certainly would have been an urban market with underground parking and housing on top. Oh well..maybe in 10 years it will be time for an upgrade.


McMansionization is alive and well along the corridor. Personally, I would like to see the SFHs replaced by townhouses or multi-unit SHFs, but the zoning only allows for million dollar SFHs as replacements.

Some of the old stuff alive and kicking.. for now


The plus side of Arlington’s yuppie affluence.. first rate municipal amenities and the mid-rises in the background are part of an affordable housing complex. Arlington has been able to parlay its hot real estate market into redeveloping low-density apartments into higher density complexes, thereby creating new market rate units and using the profits to maintain affordable units. Doing good while doing well…a smug cliché worthy of Arlington.




Quaint townhouses, just like Georgetown





with modern amenities…






Courthouse!!! Almost done. You would never know it from the land scraper streetscape, but there are bars and restaurants on the ground floor.


Much like the Ballston park, this is probably a great urban space in a city like Istanbul or Paris. But, R-B just can't quite pull it off yet.




As with the rest of the corridor, the old stuff that could potentially supply some charm is all so unremarkable.


The building on the far right covers the Metro Stop..pretty urban.

Maybe someday there will be a neo-Flatiron Building rip off, but for now a drive through Wendy’s will have to do.


These two buildings under construction basically complete the link between Rosslyn and Courthouse. Previously, these lots were utter suburban garbage like the stuff we saw earlier. (Bonus points if you can guess which ones)


Although, you only have to look across the street to see suburbia.


This building sort of reminds me of some of the newer infill in Chicago. Take that as you will.



The buildings from the other side…




Entering Rosslyn…


Pseudo-industrial lofts…complete with appropriated NYC names: the Mercer and the Wooster, respectively. Personally, I think they look pretty good. I just hate the side yards. I guess a bow to the reality that this is not in fact a cool old warehouse district.



Looks like a Back Bay row house knock off. Sort of reminds me those mega developments in China where they attempt to recreate old European architectural styles.



What’s that ahead on the right?


I think this actually turned out pretty well…and not just in a well for Arlington kind of way.


Certainly better than the 60s clunker across the street.



Arlington’s newest AND tallest stump!


One more look back…


Rosslyn is working overtime to maintain Arlington’s reputation as the home to a bunch of drab office buildings that have something to do with Defense. With a little help from Crystal City, of course.






This little pocket park will soon be home to Arlington's tallest building: A 377-unit high rise with a matching office tower in the 2nd phase.
(http://www.jbg.com/#Central-Place-Re...operty-gallery)



Not sure if this is site prep work or construction related to a new Metro entrance.



The ground floor of the new tall glass building





Crossing the bridge into DC… people can and do walk it.








All that for a stupid cupcake. What a bunch of losers, think of all the skyscrapers they could have been looking at online.



Made it back safely from suburbia. Better not tell people on 14th street where I was.

[ColDayMan]

Awesome. Simply awesome tour.

[Shawn]

Really great tour and equally great commentary. I know people say NoVa feels contrived in many spots, but I honestly feel a lot of the midrises going up in the area look better than midrises on the whole than in other parts of the country. It's as if DC has been working with its height restrictions long enough that it understands how to wring the most out of 15-20 stories.

Originally Posted by jpdivola

All that for a stupid cupcake. What a bunch of losers, think of all the skyscrapers they could have been looking at online.

That one made me actually LOL in the office, well done.

[OhioGuy]

Good tour! I was just out in Ballston this past Saturday as well. Hadn't been there in about a year despite the fact it's relatively easy Metro ride away (though Metro can be a bit of a crap shoot on weekends).

Originally Posted by jpdivola

IMO, this is really the only portion of the entire corridor that has any historical architecture that is even moderately worth caring about.

The fact these are older buildings makes the area seem less forced and therefore I think it feels the most welcoming to pedestrians.

An outdoor mall.. Clarendon Commons or something. Opened in the early 2000s, I think of this as one of the last “suburban/pretending to be urban” style developments in R-B. Post 2005, the development has been more of the “urban, but with some practical accommodations to the fact this isn’t NYC” school of development.

It's not ideal, but it still opens up onto a main road and is successful at drawing pedestrians into the central area to liven the space. I don't mind it, though I probably wouldn't support allowing any similar types of developments in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.

As with the rest of the corridor, the old stuff that could potentially supply some charm is all so unremarkable.


The building on the far right covers the Metro Stop..pretty urban.

I actually find this area somewhat charming (or at least visually stimulating) mostly because these are older buildings that feel more interesting to walk by than another large condo/apartment/office building. I think it's what I noted above regarding the older buildings in Clarendon... the area just seems less forced and therefore a little more interesting/inviting to pedestrians (particularly in comparison to Ballston/Virginia Square).

Maybe someday there will be a neo-Flatiron Building rip off, but for now a drive through Wendy’s will have to do.

This building always makes me chuckle. It takes me back to my childhood in the 80s. It's a relic of the past. I understand there are better uses for that particular plot of land in the heart of the Court House urban village, but it still makes me smile when I see it.

All that for a stupid cupcake. What a bunch of losers, think of all the skyscrapers they could have been looking at online.

I hate going there and being stuck in the mix with the hoards of tourists, but I must say I still think they have the best cupcakes in DC. Mmmm, red velvet.

[jpdivola]

Originally Posted by OhioGuy

I actually find this area somewhat charming (or at least visually stimulating) mostly because these are older buildings that feel more interesting to walk by than another large condo/apartment/office building. I think it's what I noted above regarding the older buildings in Clarendon... the area just seems less forced and therefore a little more interesting/inviting to pedestrians (particularly in comparison to Ballston/Virginia Square).

Thanks for the comments!

Yeah, I agree the older buildings in the area provide some balance to all the new stuff. But I just wish the old architecture was a little more urban. With the exeption of Clarendon, it's mostly 1-story retail fronts. I really wish there were some older multi-story buildings mixed in, It sort of drives home the point, Arlington isn't an old urban cross-river industrial city like Cambridge, Jersey City, Camden, or even Alexandria.

It much newer and as a result, has a less urban feel in some ways. Not a good or bad thing. Just is what it is. But, I think it makes the development of Arlington in some ways more impressive. They are literally trying to create an urban zone where one didn't exist previously. We can never recreate the old time urban architure from scratch, but we can develop in much smarter ways and I think Arlington stands as an example of that.

[dc_denizen]

Thanks for the pics! great to see how things are progressing in NoVa. Build-out can't be far away at this rate. My old bar (north of rosslyn, had 40 taps or something) is gone I guess.

Get a whiff of Charlottesville from all the brick. Like gargantuan versions of the campus architecture. it'll never be as nice as Alexandria or DC, but it'll do.

[marcus]

This was such a great, in-depth tour, jpdivola!

I think it's a great description to describe these sub/urban areas of Nova as right on the threshold of urban and suburban because it is extremely hard to define them. From my experience in some of these cities, it seems that even when it is lively with people, it still feels soulless. And attempts to make these pockets have their own character, such as adding art for example or little details that can be found in true urban centers, it feels very manufactured and contrived. I think these cities are just very uninviting with the designs of their midrises at street level. It's like they're deigned for people to use, but mostly for robots who do not care about curb appeal. When you scroll through the thread really quickly, the only colors you notice are tans, whites, and red/browns, which to me just feels very depressing and a reflection of suburban pallets. It's interesting because the sub/urban pockets of Maryland like Bethesda and Silver Spring do not feel as contrived as so many of these do in my opinion. Rockville and Gaithersburg do, though, although from afar Gaithersburg is kind of recognizable with the Sodexho building and the fact that it is not a big skyline with endless clone midrises. And Rockville has historic districts. Do these cities have historic districts? It seems Old town Alexandria is by far the prettiest city in Nova, and gives much needed character to that region of Virginia

On the other hand, I really, really love Rosslyn's new tallest! It actually has identity! And I think some of the residential architecture can actually be a little bit interesting. Those Single family homes that you wanted to be townhouses were actually kind of interesting to look at, unlike so much of housing in Nova. Maybe some paint and color and I would even call them cute!

Again, man, this was a phenomenal thread!! I still don't know how to make a good, in-depth thread like this :p

[ukw]

Originally Posted by marcus

This was such a great, in-depth tour, jpdivola!

I think it's a great description to describe these sub/urban areas of Nova as right on the threshold of urban and suburban because it is extremely hard to define them. From my experience in some of these cities, it seems that even when it is lively with people, it still feels soulless. And attempts to make these pockets have their own character, such as adding art for example or little details that can be found in true urban centers, it feels very manufactured and contrived. I think these cities are just very uninviting with the designs of their midrises at street level. It's like they're deigned for people to use, but mostly for robots who do not care about curb appeal. When you scroll through the thread really quickly, the only colors you notice are tans, whites, and red/browns, which to me just feels very depressing and a reflection of suburban pallets. It's interesting because the sub/urban pockets of Maryland like Bethesda and Silver Spring do not feel as contrived as so many of these do in my opinion. Rockville and Gaithersburg do, though, although from afar Gaithersburg is kind of recognizable with the Sodexho building and the fact that it is not a big skyline with endless clone midrises. And Rockville has historic districts. Do these cities have historic districts? It seems Old town Alexandria is by far the prettiest city in Nova, and gives much needed character to that region of Virginia

I agree with the above post 100%. NoVA is a soulless place, where the people are transplants and have no roots or attachments to the area. In contrast to NoVA, the Maryland side of DC does have some roots, and doesn't feel as contrived and bizarre.

A job recruiter I know told me that MD is residential, while NoVA is corporate. I think there's a lot of truth in that statement and it explains a lot.

FYI, if you haven't watched this video yet, this is a satirical look at NoVA, which is exactly on the mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T1RMuoQnKo

[novawolverine]

Originally Posted by ukw

I agree with the above post 100%. NoVA is a soulless place, where the people are transplants and have no roots or attachments to the area. In contrast to NoVA, the Maryland side of DC does have some roots, and doesn't feel as contrived and bizarre.

A job recruiter I know told me that MD is residential, while NoVA is corporate. I think there's a lot of truth in that statement and it explains a lot.

This is true to an extent as well, but there's a little more context needed. DC, in general, is a bit lacking in soul. I wouldn't say MD is more residential. It has a lot of commercial activity, but you could say it's less corporate. MD's developments are older and the area doesn't have a negative cultural stigma to fight like VA does. Not to mention, that the job recruiter probably wasn't talking about PG County, which is basically half of DC's MD suburbs, he was talking about Montgomery County and the Western Half of it mostly.

Being the border of the North-South, Virginia gets shit on a lot from DC and Maryland, let alone the rest of the country who clings to the Civil War stereotypes. Even if you're from Northern Virginia it is kind of annoying having to explain to people from outside of the area that it is literally a stone's throw from DC and not at all like most of the South culturally, even if there are some similarities and lots of historical ties. I know plenty of people who before moving to the area completely out-ruled Virginia has a place to consider living in because of the state's political history.

Northern Virginia is fairly wealthy, educated, less conservative, and relatively pleasant, but most people don't really know that or are just getting to know that over the past decade or so. The Maryland side developed earlier and there's more old-money there so the perception and image of that Old Washington influences what many people think about the area.

I'll lastly say that to many outsiders, they wouldn't notice a huge difference between most of Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland with respect to "soul". There are pockets of old urbanity, but lots of bland residential neighborhoods and bland Smart Growth, even if its scale is impressive and is better than many alternatives.

[Mr Roboto]

Bravo, great tour! Ballston - Clarendon - Rosslyn truly is a unique urban(/suburban) corridor unlike anything else Ive seen in the country. I give the folks out there credit for the way they approached TOD and utilized the metro. I think the area has come a long way since the 90's. Nothing to sneeze at.

[edsg25]

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn't put it on par with the urban cores of Bos, SF, Philly, DC, Chi, etc. But, I think R-B should be graded on a curve. It’s a streetcar suburb that has only been urbanizing for 30 years or so. It can feel contrived and has some real duds, particularly from the early years (60-90s), but it is a work in progress and is gradually getting more urban and textured

I think the DC suburbs are unique; there is nothing else like them in the United States. No city has such delightfully urban suburbs in number and quality as those in both VA and MD outside of Washington.

Why? well, to start with, in the last 30 or so years with the growth of the federal government and all the private businesses that have chosen to locate near its source, there is an incredible amount of money in the metro area.

Washington alone among our major cities has height restrictions which forces many of the clusters of urban density into suburbia. But unlike a lot of cities, much of that density seems to go into the original downtown areas of suburbs throughout the area (I realize that the typical suburban sprawl of a place like Tyson Corner exists, too).

IMHO, NYC has some of this dynamic of suburban urban core, but I don't think it is on the same level as DC's.

[STLgasm]

Thanks for the tour! Many major cities would be jealous of all these rapidly urbanizing developments.

[jtown,man]

awesome awesome tour! Keep them coming. I was very entertained!

On a side note, I think the NOVA corridor along with crystal city are great. They continue to get better too.

[Ant131531]

I love the commentary. It gave a lot of context to the buildings. Great thread overall. Well done!

[DetroitSky]

Great tour! This makes me want to plan a trip to the DC area soon.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Amazingly comprehensive tour. Back in the 80's I worked in shopping mall management. My wife and I took a trip out Wilson Blvd to visit Ballston Commons (fairly new back then). The changes along that corridor are astounding. Thanks for the pics & comments. Guess I better make another trip out that way (once every 30 years or so eh? )

And thanks for joining SSP.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by Ex-Ithacan

Amazingly comprehensive tour. Back in the 80's I worked in shopping mall management. My wife and I took a trip out Wilson Blvd to visit Ballston Commons (fairly new back then). The changes along that corridor are astounding. Thanks for the pics & comments. Guess I better make another trip out that way (once every 30 years or so eh? )

And thanks for joining SSP.

I totally agree. I lived in the area from the mid 1980s until 1994. Wilson Blvd. was just a tease and a promise at the time. One could see the potential, but it was not being realized. There was a metro underneath Wilson, but there was hardly any development between Rosslyn and the new Ballston Commons. By the time I left, only a few apartment towers had been built around Clarendon and the Courthouse. There was absolutely no street life. The Clarendon of today is not recognizable.

[anonymoose]

Oh man, this is making me nostalgic. I love the Rosslyn-Clarendon-Ballston corridor. I worked for several years in the BAE Systems building on 17th (and was born and raised just down the road in Alexandria). If I could have afforded to buy a house in Clarendon, I might not have left the area. Love it there so much. One of my absolute favorite areas in NoVA other than old town of course. Fried Plantains at Guarapo, pints at Ri Ra or Four Courts, beers and laughs at the Ballroom/Whitlow's/Clarendon Grill. Ah I miss it. I JUST DON'T MISS THE COST OF LIVING, THE TRAFFIC, OR THE PEOPLE.

If you ever get a chance to catch The Reflex at Clarendon Grill, it's a good time. 80's cover band. Quite good.

[202_Cyclist]

Shawn:

It's as if DC has been working with its height restrictions long enough that it understands how to wring the most out of 15-20 stories.

The Rosslyn-Ballston corridor is in Arlington, so of course it isn't subject to DC's height restrictions. The Federal Aviation Administration does review heights in Rosslyn and developers have to get FAA approval for buildings above a certain height. This was an issue with 1812 North Moore.

Arlington significantly benefits from the Height Act restrictions that Congress imposes on DC. If it wasn't for the Height Act, many of those 15-20 story buildings in Clarendon and Ballston would be built in neighborhoods like Friendship Heights and Van Ness. Instead, Arlington and Bethesda gets our property taxes and housing prices are more expensive for everyone in the DC region.

[202_Cyclist]

Great photos, thank you for posting.

I like the photo of George Mason's Arlington campus. The building is new and a big improvement on the converted department store where the policy school courses were previously held.

You omitted to mention El Pollo Rico (http://www.elpolloricorestaurant.com/menu.html), one of the best restaurant deals in the entire Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. When you exit the Virginia Square metro station, it almost immediately smells like pollo a la brasa!

1812 North Moore certainly looks nice but it doesn't make the impact on the Rosslyn skyline that I was expecting. I think the Turnberry Tower is more prominent.