Annandale :
Fairfax Underground
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I live in Fairfax City and don't go into Annandale very often. Whenever I make it down that way, I take Little River Turnpike, passing the NOVA campus on my right. I'm curious where the city of Annandale actually begins - is it before or after the campus? I always notice the many signs that Fairfax City has around its boundaries, and know that going towards Annandale, there's one near the Chucky Cheese. However, I assume that there's a bit of county land between where Fairfax City ends and Annandale begins. I don't know whether there's a "Welcome to Annandale" sign or not, but I've never managed to notice one. The only thing that's ever caught my eye is a small sign a little way past the campus, that if I remember correctly, says something along the lines of "Welcome to Downtown Annandale". But would that mark the actual *city* lines, or just the beginning of the "downtown section"?
There is no city of Annandale or even a town. There is an Annandale postal district, and there used to be an Annandale electoral district, but for the most part Annandale is an area which grew out of an early village.
The traditional heart of Annandale is the area where Annandale, Road, Ravensworth Road, Backlick Road, Columbia Pike and 236 all came together. That meant that Fuddruckers, and before it 3 Chefs were in the center of Annandale. Northern Virginia Community College is west of what was traditionally considered Annandale. My guess is that it is within the Annandale postal district.
Ah, okay - that would make sense. I was driving over there again today, and realized that the sign does not in fact say "Welcome to Downtown Annandale", but rather, "Welcome to Annandale Village Center". So would that likely mark the formal boundary lines of the "village", even if some things outside of those lines (like the campus) are within some sort of less formal postal district?