NBC29 starts a series on Town Center Living – I bet their video is utterly fascinating, but alas it doesn’t work on a mac. (some people use macs – did you know your competitor figured out that people uses macs, and their video works?) Read this story: I Don’t Want to Consume Media that I Can’t Interact With.
Hollymead Town Center up 29 North (no longer available) (near NGIC) A model town center, in Reston (Northern Virginia) (no longer available).
For another look at Charlottesville’s town centers, see this post from May (and read the comments). A completely honest, non-snarky question – will residents of any of our area’s town centers say anything like this in forty years?
I live in Reston, and unlike Columbia, it’s a roaring success, with both internal and external transit services, five village centers — one of which is usually within walking distance of most residents — and a fabulous Town Center (I don’t understand the reference to a “Midtown Town Center” — there’s only one) which is easily accessible by transit, auto, and for the numerous residents in the urban core, as pedestrians. I have lived here for forty years, so have observed the development almost from the beginning.
The map below shows the town centers in the area.
More and more, people want to be able to walk “to stuff;” Hollymead Town Center does not yet qualify for that. So far, it has the feel of a glorified strip mall (with lots of stuff – Bonefish Grill, Target, Harris Teeter, etc) – you just need to drive everywhere.
What’s the basis for this conclusion?
And soon all of the construction will give way to a more relaxed, convenient and environmentally friendly way of life at Hollymead Town Center.
Lastly, showing my ignorance, how will the the addition of a hotel make the site more vibrant and welcoming to residents? Won’t that create more opportunities for people to drive to work?
As an aside, the “terrain” option that I just noticed on Google Maps is very cool.
Update 11/28/2007: I thought I was late to the party when I noted the Terrain feature; apparently I was early.
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I have been been representing buyers and sellers in Charlottesville, Albemarle, and Central Virginia since 2001. Get local insight born of experience.
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