Reston, Sterling, Ashburn...the kid triangle
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6/24/2009
Yes, kids rule. Families rule. This area is not for singles or couple without kids. I totally agree about the endless bombardment of misbehaved kids. And it's getting worse! Reston didn't start out this way. There was suppose to be balance in this planned community. A middle class. A place for seniors and young families alike. It retains some of that, but the influx of wealthier people has made this a have and have-not place. Sterling is worse in terms of children. Ashburn might as well be one big maternity ward. Adults in quest of some quiet cafe or a place to enjoy an adult beverage or two will hate it here, unless of course they have kids. I gave up on going to a nearby sports pub because parents have turned the joint in Disney World. Why they need to invade adult bars is a mystery because there are plenty of kid and family-oriented eateries in these three towns. My feeling is that people are so wealthy here that they think they can do and have it all. That they are indeed entitled to everything this area has to offer and see nothing wrong with sitting four children down at a table at Morton's or changing a diaper at a countertop in Starbucks. I have to go into Arlington just to get away from all these howdy-doody/yuppie families.
The good news is that Reston is changing a bit. Adults are retiring here. Young professionals are buying high-rise condos. The construction of schools and ball fields for kids has subsided. Unfortunately, neighboring Sterling and Ashburn have picked up the slack and are catering to families in ways even Reston never did.
It's an astonishing area. A bit scary. Pregnancy is an epidemic. Not unusual to see a pregnant woman walking by with twins in a stroller and a five year old at her side. I don't know what's in the water, but this whole area is going to explode with teenagers one day, and be fertile for all the problems teens bring. Many of my friends are moving because they are tired of their taxes going up to build schools. And even some large employers have left the area. The promise of Northern Virginia was destroyed by growth. Too much of everything converged all at once. In some ways, I am glad there is a recession, it forced the area to slow down a bit. But still, it's a pretty overcrowded, annoying and expensive part of the state. The over abundance of large families is only one of the problems here.
Vick | Cascades, VA