Seven Corners

[wabbit]

I am staying in the Seven Corners area for a few weeks until I move to Alexandria later this month. Having come from California, I thought the area was nice and quiet. Well, today I decided to go to the Shoppers grocery store and saw on the map it was a 10-15 minute walk, so I walked on Wilson Blvd, then down towards Arlington Blvd (Hwy 50) and ended up going through what looked like housing projects. It was all Mexican and there was gang graffiti, including MS-13 tags, on the stairway to a pedestrian bridge over Hwy 50. Once on the south side of Hwy 50, things began to look American again.
For those who are longtime residents of Alexandria, Arlington, and Falls Church, is this area between Wilson and Hwy 50 just an anomaly or is the rest of Arlington and Alexandria like this?

[zephyp]

Many pockets of this. Mostly in Springfield. Closer you get to DC the less of that you will see. I would highly recommend scouting from a vehicle before walking around. Google maps dont show Indian country.

[gunderwood]

Pockets of MS-13 activity is a serious problem between Baltimore and Richmond from what I've heard.

[chfaunce]

Yep, but Fairfax Co. has done a respectable job with cracking down on gang activity (I haven't heard of any recent machete attacks on Edsall Road, for instance). The downside is that enforcement here in the County has lead to a spreading out of gang members into surrounding jurisdictions.

They're still around though, and they're not the only gang.

[KaosDad]

I grew up about 10 minutes from Seven Corners. Yes, it has become projects & low income housing. Lots of areas south of RT 50 are like that.

[zephyp]

I think the worst area is around route 1 from about 1 mile south of Alexandria heading south and a half mile on either side...it reminds me of AZ border towns...

[TheGearGuy]

I think the worst area is around route 1 from about 1 mile south of Alexandria heading south and a half mile on either side...it reminds me of AZ border towns...

And here I was expecting you to say just North East of Arlington, and 68.3 sq miles big.

[zephyp]

I think the worst area is around route 1 from about 1 mile south of Alexandria heading south and a half mile on either side...it reminds me of AZ border towns...

And here I was expecting you to say just North East of Arlington, and 68.3 sq miles big.

A different kind of vermin and criminal operate in that space...

[jrswanson1]

Where are you going to work? You might be better off living a little further west. Plus housing will cost a lot less. I used to live closer to DC in the Alexandria area, but I think the taxes and cost of living are too much for what you get in Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria.

Jim

[lonestarag]

The irony here is that FFA Cty tax dollars were used to build that nice new bridge over rte 50 two years ago - which has now been "painted" by non-taxpayers.