Ventured out to Bernie Streeter family Arby's in Great Falls and noticed many empty office spaces thru out the complex.
btws, Arby's has closed. I believe that was the last Streeter family owned Arby's in Northern Virginia.

Bernie Streeter, long dead, made famous on the old WMAL Ken Beatrice sports talk show withe the curly fries and jamoica milk shakes, Beatrice apparently still alive and living out Gainsville way these days

Arbys is so damn good.

Doesn't the wealth of Great Falls come from all the lobbyists? Those people will always be there. The bad economy doesn't affect them.

7dkmu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Doesn't the wealth of Great Falls come from all
> the lobbyists? Those people will always be there.
> The bad economy doesn't affect them.


No, it comes from tech/finance companies that usually go belly up or have some massive fraud (MCI, AOL, Fannie/Freddie, etc.). These folks then 'retire' and spend their days talking about their 'deals' at Katie's and River Bend.

Never buy anything in downtown Great Falls - it's all marked up 30% versus just going down to Sterling or Reston. Even the fireworks stands from last week had different prices in Great Falls.

There are tons of huge overpriced houses on the market in Great Falls. Who would wnat to live in one of those monstrosities? Also, NO sidewalks. No sense of community.

I don't "get" Great Falls Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are tons of huge overpriced houses on the
> market in Great Falls. Who would wnat to live in
> one of those monstrosities? Also, NO sidewalks.
> No sense of community.


Half of them have no furniture. Great Falls has two kinds - filthy rich and wannabee's. I think the wannabees WAY out number the really rich.

I'd still walk a mile for a slice of Howard's Pizza in Great Falls

Grate Falls Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'd still walk a mile for a slice of Howard's
> Pizza in Great Falls


I've seen this mentioned before, but where it is exactly? Only thing that turned up on google was in Great Falls, Montana...

I'm a realtor. GF is out....nice area but so inconvenient. If you look at the homes for sale, good deals can be had because it is no longer a desirable area to live in. Homes languishing on the market for many, many days. McLean still hot due to close in location and shopping, commercial venues. Many now prefer Vienna and close in Oakton to GF.

jslsdfas;ldfa Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm a realtor. GF is out....nice area but so
> inconvenient. If you look at the homes for sale,
> good deals can be had because it is no longer a
> desirable area to live in. Homes languishing on
> the market for many, many days. McLean still hot
> due to close in location and shopping, commercial
> venues. Many now prefer Vienna and close in
> Oakton to GF.

GF feels very Reagan-era. Hate the winding narrow roads and there is nothing there but big houses on five acres. Of course, for the price of a shitty house in Arlington with nosy neighbors you can buy a mansion there now if you want.

Jesus, the whole East Coast is a shithole

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ialhaxhr7iA

We were looking for a place for around $1.1 million about 5 years ago. Wanted to stay in South Reston on the lake (upgrading from TH), but the lake houses were horribly dated, almost all had "bad bones", and were priced ridiculously. So we started looking in North Reston. We quickly learned that we had many options in Great Falls in our price range, but stuck with North Reston instead:

- Safe
- Sidewalks / trails
- Bus service to metro
- Soon to have metro
- Close to many shopping locations, including RTC, North Point, Plaza America, etc.
- 5 minutes from Giant, Harris Teeter, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, etc.
- 5 mins from Toll Road, Fairfax County Parkway, Route 7, and future metro
- Short drive into Tyson's
- Many routes to get to and from our house


In contrast, Great Falls:

- Low crime, but no fire hydrants - all water relay for fire suppression. Care to watch my video of Chez Francois burn to the ground?
- No sidewalks / zero walk score
- No convenient public trans
- Will never have metro
- One shopping center (more or less) and it is a dump...with an incredibly lame Safeway
- Convenient to nothing, given limited two-lane routes in and out...and a jammed up traffic nightmare during rush hour.


No regrets.

Thought people just moved into Great Falls and McLean so their kids will go to Langley HS.

Fair point, but some houses in North Reston (Herndon zip actually) are also in the Langley pyramid...and our child attends private school.

The only reason to move to Great Falls is for Howards Pizza.

End of Story.

ergedsgsrtdy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We were looking for a place for around $1.1
> million about 5 years ago. Wanted to stay in
> South Reston on the lake (upgrading from TH), but
> the lake houses were horribly dated, almost all
> had "bad bones", and were priced ridiculously. So
> we started looking in North Reston. We quickly
> learned that we had many options in Great Falls in
> our price range, but stuck with North Reston
> instead:
>
> - Safe
> - Sidewalks / trails
> - Bus service to metro
> - Soon to have metro
> - Close to many shopping locations, including RTC,
> North Point, Plaza America, etc.
> - 5 minutes from Giant, Harris Teeter, Trader
> Joes, Whole Foods, etc.
> - 5 mins from Toll Road, Fairfax County Parkway,
> Route 7, and future metro
> - Short drive into Tyson's
> - Many routes to get to and from our house
>
>
> In contrast, Great Falls:
>
> - Low crime, but no fire hydrants - all water
> relay for fire suppression. Care to watch my
> video of Chez Francois burn to the ground?
> - No sidewalks / zero walk score
> - No convenient public trans
> - Will never have metro
> - One shopping center (more or less) and it is a
> dump...with an incredibly lame Safeway
> - Convenient to nothing, given limited two-lane
> routes in and out...and a jammed up traffic
> nightmare during rush hour.
>
>
> No regrets.



Not to mention that you don't have to get stuck in a lot of traffic to get to the gym in order to ride the stationary bicycle.

Big plus +++

Howard's pizza? Are you talking about Romantico's? Or as my kids call it "Pizza by the Slice" - next to 7-11

Rob Cox Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Howard's pizza? Are you talking about Romantico's?
> Or as my kids call it "Pizza by the Slice" - next
> to 7-11

He is trolling, you dumb a$$. Howard's Pizza is in Great Falls, MONTANA!

ergedsgsrtdy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We were looking for a place for around $1.1
> million about 5 years ago. Wanted to stay in
> South Reston on the lake (upgrading from TH), but
> the lake houses were horribly dated, almost all
> had "bad bones", and were priced ridiculously. So
> we started looking in North Reston. We quickly
> learned that we had many options in Great Falls in
> our price range, but stuck with North Reston
> instead:
>
> - Safe
> - Sidewalks / trails
> - Bus service to metro
> - Soon to have metro
> - Close to many shopping locations, including RTC,
> North Point, Plaza America, etc.
> - 5 minutes from Giant, Harris Teeter, Trader
> Joes, Whole Foods, etc.
> - 5 mins from Toll Road, Fairfax County Parkway,
> Route 7, and future metro
> - Short drive into Tyson's
> - Many routes to get to and from our house
>
>
> In contrast, Great Falls:
>
> - Low crime, but no fire hydrants - all water
> relay for fire suppression. Care to watch my
> video of Chez Francois burn to the ground?
> - No sidewalks / zero walk score
> - No convenient public trans
> - Will never have metro
> - One shopping center (more or less) and it is a
> dump...with an incredibly lame Safeway
> - Convenient to nothing, given limited two-lane
> routes in and out...and a jammed up traffic
> nightmare during rush hour.
>
>
> No regrets.


+ 1

I definitely agree with this post. Check out the house listings in North Reston - there is almost no inventory. In contrast check out Great Falls - hundreds and hundreds of houses for sale, and not selling.

exffx Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thought people just moved into Great Falls and
> McLean so their kids will go to Langley HS.

This is true. But, look at all of the money pouring into Reston/Herndon. I would bet that Herndon HS is a totally "upgraded" in the next 5 to 10 years. Just wait.

As great falls,so falls great falls.

Being "Nigger Rich" has taken it's toll. time to pay the fiddler, and he ain't playing a happy song.

I'll own 3 houses in Hoodbridge before I own one in Great Falls....all you are paying for is the acres close to DC and the name! Other than that, nothing special about it!

GFer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Never buy anything in downtown Great Falls - it's
> all marked up 30% versus just going down to

Is there such a thing a "downtown Great Falls?"

Once the metro comes to Ashburn in a few years it will be an even hotter location. Time for me to move back to Fairfax.

I don't know why folks always put down that Safeway. It has all the essentials and never any lines. I'll take that over long lines at my safeway. Or having to pretty much bag my own grocery at Harris Teeters

Btw fk Harris Teeters, if I bag my own grocery and charge my own credit card I want my own name on the receipt as the cashier, not Renee or whomever they always put on it.

"GF feels very Reagan-era. Hate the winding narrow roads and there is nothing there but big houses on five acres."

yea. and one head honcho there is a foreigner with a very large and unusual ring. regan huh? my ass. some are business people that have nothign to do with gov. diverse is what i'd say. homes and people. and the restraunts are foreign some very much so notice, as if for some diplomats, notice that?

GF101. some of them used to grow chickens they've been there so long. they had bigger houses materials were cheaper and so was the land. tysons wasn't higher priced land but better than herndon. back then being a democrat or republican didn't mean a DC turf war.

now recent developments of huge new houses different story.

lemme think. asians with big house total luxury inside you wouldn't guess from outside so expensive, with mini movie theater, one works with accounting in gov ? that's one. hmmmm. very different. and suspicious. and i can guess that's not the only. the mclean. home of beltway bandits. no degree all of the sudden million heir just after "meeting" friends in gov. that i know.

------------------------------
you all can have it. i want to work and be paid and with the suit and facts i've gathered: no isn't in my vocabulary.

it's very late and past time for authority rights or owner talk, for me, with the charges they are skipping in court that is.

svennestle is back!