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I still argue that it was in the favored quarter. From photos I've seen, and accounts from people who are older than I, it was a long declining suburban place that had once been the latest and greatest sprawl ring.

The experience with the expanding rings of suburbia have shown that places in the Favored Quarter can decline, too. The best example I can think of off the top of my head is southwest Ft. Worth, Texas. My best friend grew up in what was the "place to be" in the 1970's and '80s. However, by the beginning of this decade, his neighborhood had been long supplanted by places that are farther out, but still in the Favored Quarter. His old neighborhood is many years into decline.

That being said, I will cede that point since you were here and I was born in 1981 and moved to the region in 1999 to go to college so therefore did not see the Wilson Blvd. corridor in the 1970's

By that line of thought, North Arlington is not actually in the Favored Quarter, but Favored Quarter Adjacent like Wheaton and Silver Spring? I guessed it was in the Favored Quarter because it's between Tysons and Georgetown and they're both clearly in the Favored Quarter. My other reason for thinking that it's in the Favored Quarter is that it was able to revitalize in an urban form at a time when urban places were off-limits in the real estate market, similar the Bethesda. Either way, I think we can all agree that Arlington Co. really had excellent foresight. It's interesting to know about what came before my own experiences.

by Cavan on Oct 23, 2008 1:18 pm • link • report