Shirlington Village: Hip or Hype?

Neighborhood pride is very important to me, yet I sometimes have a very mixed reaction every time I cross into Shirlington Village.  The huge sun-blocking megalith Shirlington Condo (once a parking lot) and IO Piazza (once a plain lot of land) came to town and brought folks who have adopted the Village as their own.  More restaurants and now a hotel have turned Shirlington from a local hangout to a mini-town center.  Having lived in the neighborhood (both in and around) for almost 8 years (before it was "cool") and a staunch defender of most things Shirlington, these changes are both good and bad. In my opinion, here is some of the hip and some the hype:

The Hip:

1. Harris Teeter - Shirlington needed a supermarket, and Harris Teeter is one of the best.  The parking lot is sometimes a challenge since many non-Harris Teeter shoppers park in short term places reserved for the store and opt to spend long term hours eating in a restaurant (instead of parking a floor up or across the street).

2. Signature Theatre - A new face for the Shirlington stalwart (no more Four Mile Run Dr!), but very high quality productions.  Not all their stuff is Tony Award winning caliber, but it's definitely worth seeing.

3. Hilton Garden Inn - I'm excited that a hotel/motel has moved into the neighborhood.  I also think it's a tasteful size.  Maybe it'll bring some restaurants and stores that are able to stay around for a while. 

4. Shirlington 7 (Movie Theater) - One of my favorite movie art house theaters in the metro region.  I think it competes favorably with the E-street Cinema in DC.  The concessions could be more diverse or more upscale and the interior could use an update, but it's still great to have right down the street.

The Hype:

1. Federal Realty Corporation - Over the years tenants to the Village have come and gone, and Federal has tried to keep the stores filled.  I don't know what their lease rates are, but they must be pretty high.  There are quite a few storefront vacancies, and at least three tenants have vanished in the past 12 months or so.  It looks like there's no movement on replacing the lost tenants or bringing new ones to fill the new empty spaces.  The "it's the economy" argument doesn't work here in DC, in my opinion, especially in Arlington County.  I wonder if Federal has utilized all its options to make Shirlington more attractive to business.  Right now, I'm of the opinion that they haven't, but I'll have faith that they'll hopefully figure it out .  Crystal City, Clarendon, and Pentagon City are all more successful models.

2.  Extra Virgin -The second most expensive restaurant in Shirlington (behind Carlyle).  I was initially exited a few years ago when an Italian restaurant came to town, but after I saw the prices I couldn't believe anyone would frequent it.

3. Carlyle Grand - the most OVERRATED restaurant in the DC metro.  It's expensive, the service could be less pretentious, and the food is just average for the price you pay.  The decor and their bread (from Best Buns) are the best thing about it.  It's ironic that Best Buns and Carlyle are from the same restaurant group.  I've been finding better overall restaurants in other close by NOVA neighborhoods and near by in the District.  It's about time they took reservations too, call ahead lists don't accomplish the goal of reducing customer wait time.  I try going back now and again to see if things change, but they never get the experience totally right.