Seeing the suburb streets and cars juxtaposed with nature sounds had me rolling for some reason, I wish driving was that peaceful and quiet haha. Thanks for the informative video.
I’ve lived in Fairfax county all of my life. It’s pretty good. I’ve been to McLean a bunch of times as tysons corner is there. Biggest mall in area. There’s also tysons galleria which folks call the more expensive mall with stores like Gucci, Kate Spade, etc. My great aunt lives in an apartment in McLean and has lived in the area for many years. At McLean High school, you will see students driving luxury cars to school.
Yee's Michelle, I grew up there. It's a great place, yet different. My thing is going to the creek and river where others don't. Snakes, bass, turtles, feedfish, historical markers, I can go on. McLean is much more than $$$
Have lived in NoVA for over 40 years. Grew up in PWC and have lived in FFX Co for over 30 yrs. What makes every part of this area great is - regardless of neighborhood, house you live in, etc, everyone has jobs. The area is basically recession proof. I can remember growing up and hearing about the woes of my family in TX during weather events and recessions. We just don’t have major weather events and even when the government shuts down, everyone keeps shopping, eating out and if they ever have to pick up a new job, it’s easy. The diversity here is amazing and yes, the crime rate is very low in the area. No, we don’t all live in houses like your video shows but you don’t have to to have a great life here.
I can afford all of these homes, but i don't belong there. I'm urbanized for life, and now looking to become a duel citizen. My main goal in life is to maintain "freedom". I grew up in a blue collar household, so was never taught how to invest, and didn't understand any of the terminology. However, my parents unknowingly gave me generational wealth in the form of a personal computer without even knowing it. It kept me out of trouble, and i ended up creating various streams of income via trial/error. Now im so good at it i've obtained the freedom to not have to work. I can literally sit around all day, and expenses are so low, i have funds to invest and or play with recession or not. If more people thought outside the box they'd have this game of life figured out.
I honestly take some pride in being born and raised in Fairfax county. I moved out of the area in 2016 when my parents retired and wanted me to move with them. It was fun being able to grow up about 20-30 minutes outside of Washington DC. The area is also littered with history on top of being extremely wealthy. A couple of really wealthy areas around McLean is Clifton, Vienna, and Reston as well as some parts of Chantilly. Where I went to high school, we had a few students that would get late model or new luxury cars, but most people had normal late model commuter cars that were handed down from their parents.
@Ordinary Member I'm from Alexandria so I was only about 10 miles from DC. Then again, with DC traffic, it would likely be about an hour and a half or more.
That part of Virginia is really changing. Take Reston for instance. When it was first built it was a model city and people who lived there were rich. Something happened there because it sure isn't such a great place anymore. Another place is Annandale. I used to have an apartment there. Now you couldn't pay me to live there, and people are moving out in droves, same with Springfield. Vienna used to be horesy and it used to be fun riding around the Hunter Valley area. There was a riding ring there and beautiful trails. Now it's covered up with mcmansions and I doubt if there is a single horse in Vienna anymore. Alexandria used to be a crime-ridden dump, but got a major revival and is now a richey area with more and more huge buildings going up. Warrenton has always been very, very rich or very, very poor, no inbetween. Burke used to be such a nice place but is now covered up with ugly townhouses, and the same with Herndon. As for McLean I know that plenty of people from the Middle East live there and the primary people living there aren't government contractors. This seems to be a phenomenum going on around the country. Rich and beautiful towns from the 90s and before are turning into hoods and new, snooty towns are being built instead. It seems to be a vicious cycle.
The architecture here combined with the bare winter trees makes it LOOK like Virginia. It’s unmistakable. Kind of like the unnatural greenness of the grass you see in Central Florida.
In theses refined and wealthy areas they pipe in bird sounds with tiny speakers mounted in a the trees. If they could control the weather they would also have scheduled rainfall like in the produce section at fancy grocery stores.
You should also do a video on Vienna, Virginia, which borders on McLean and was twice picked as one of America’s best places to live. Long-time locals believe Vienna feels more like a hometown than McLean.
Yeah those houses on Hunter Mill Rd. I lived off Beulah. I bought a house in 1997 for $280k that needed remodeling. Sold it for $750 ten years later. Now it's worth over one million....regular people can't afford this area.
@@davidhasselhoff619 We are regular folks who live in Vienna but are being pushed out because of property taxes. We live in a 1950s house right in the town limits. We can afford it now but we are in our 60s facing retirement. They only upside is our old little house is worth a ton of money but we really don’t want to sell and move.
Thanks Mr. Johnson for this calm and relaxing driving tour. Yes, these are fortunate people and everything around them has its own beauty even down to a single standing tree in eternal silence.✌️🕊️
@@NickJohnson Thanks for your visual info., a long time bus rider like myself only got a glimpse of gated community in McLean on Old Dominion Drive as a way to know about this wealthy folks' homes. Thanks to your new YT touring clip, I finally learned more about this special pricey and calm neighborhood. ✌️🙂
They spray their lawns with so many chemicals, the soils are ruined. Most of the people are awful and are willing to let people die and suffer to have those homes.
Overall Loudoun is richer per household than Fairfax, but McLean/Great Falls beats any similar sized community in Loudoun. The only ones in Loudoun that are close are those on the West side of Leesburg off Rt 7 & Rt 9.
@@bjdon99 agree with Paula Mc. Not as rich as McLean. Also when you factor in average household size, you realize Fairfax county and Arlington county both beat out Loudoun in per capita income. What drags them down is they have more single earner households (and more single people in general) and Loudoun has more dual income households which brings up the median household income stat.
This is the neighborhood I lived in when I went to college in Washington DC. It is a quiet, clean and safe neighborhood where police cars are frequently patrolled. But the smell of bustling life is hard to feel. If I ever go back to Virginia, I'd like to live in a well-equipped condominium in the heart of the city with restaurants and grocers within walking distance. Fairfax is so good to live in, but now that I'm middle-aged, I'm starting to focus on the convenience of living.
Try Potomac Maryland. Super wealthy folks there. Till this day there is no metro station that leads there. I guess you can say that’s why it’s a hidden gem
I live in FairFax County... McLean is amazing and def high taste! Do Loudoun County in a video - out in Ashburn/Lessburg VA. Loudoun is the richest county in VA... but the McLean, Vienna and Great Falls area is absolutely beautiful!
We got money and principles here im from Richmond and i love my state and city!! And we solid!# Blacks whites and our Latinos ive lived all over the country and our quality of people is unmatched You gotta new subscriber.
See the occasional “small” homes next to the McMansions? - those are the houses people from this area grew up in before the ultra-wealthy bought them and tore them down to build their palaces on. Everyone from this area originally has moved West. Not to ‘The West’ just out to places like Centreville, Haymarket, or Warrenton
I think it says something when the residents are so wealthy, they can afford to be able to have it that way. And perhaps some of them are even custom homes. You go to any random typical middle class neighborhood in the country and what do you see? Many of the houses are of roughly both the same modest size and style. And chances are many were made by the same builder. Conclusion: these people had little other choice but to settle for cookie cutter type homes that probably mostly came from stock plans with few options for customization. XD
Don’t get fooled. These expensive homes are made of plywood and glued together in record time. These are the most overpriced homes in the world and are often plagued by black mold because of the tremendous humidity in the area. I live in the vicinity.
Nick, next time you have a chance to come to Toronto, go and drive around the bridle path. Some of biggest houses in all of Canada are there. 2 years ago when I visited Toronto, I went to my friends house near there and I was amazed at the size of some of those houses while driving by.
@@NickJohnson this is my home town area. there's parts of Northern Virginia that are not all rich. Fairfax County has some poorer areas like Huntington, Springfield, annandale, Richmond highway area. Maybe not poor, but more like you saw in Norfolk, Portsmouth , Newport News, when you went to South Virginia recently. Dolllar stores, fast food restaurants, strip malls, etc. You don't see that in McLean. McLean is boring really. Houses and trees in the woods. That's it. You saw that.
I grew up in McLean and my house did not look like this, there's also smaller homes. This building boom happened in the 80's and never stopped, especially with the opening of I-66 and the expansion of the metro.
It’s fun driving through Great Falls! The homes are gigantic and it’s peaceful. But, it’s definitely too rich for my blood. I live in an 1,100 square foot townhouse, and I hate cleaning that much space. Can’t imagine what it takes to keep those homes clean and maintained.
@@cirodiniro9838 true! I’m still driving my old Toyota and I see people who started out working for maid services and landscaping companies to owning their own businesses and driving Porsches, Audi’s etc. So much opportunity here.
You show so much of the seedy parts of America, I was wondering when you were going to show my hood. I don't live in McLean, but I've lived in Fairfax for many years and places like Fairfax City, Burke, Arlington, Falls Church and Loudoun County are amazing and so safe. When I see how people live in some of your videos it is so sad, but also so foreign to me. But it's mostly just really sad. :(
A decent townhome in McLean is pretty much cost 1 million on average now. I can only imagine it getting more expensive with how the market is behaving.
Just returned to the pacific islands 🇬🇺 2 days ago from spending the summer in the Fairfax County area. Visited with my brother and his family. I fell in love with the beautiful jogging/biking trails, and bright sounds of birds chirping. I miss it already 💔 !!
Wow! Can't take that away! They are beautiful I'm sure so many of them do work for the government! I'm hoping this rich people are very giving! Even a small donation would never put a dent in those pockets! With so many people struggling in life! Thanks Nick another great video 👍 When were some of this homes build? Year? I had heard before that Virginia was one of the most beautiful States! It very quiet there I can even hear the birds!
These rich people are actually pretty cool from my very limited experience. I’m from Richmond and was in a real tough spot and they didn’t get “angry” when I tried to live there for awhile and get work because I had absolutely none and slept in my car at the time. Most rich people will harass and try to arrest you for trying to do that in their areas.
Out there, houses are mostly custom built, but the age can range from being built in the 1940-50s to today. There are a handful of plantations still in the area as well as other homes from the 1800s, but a lot of them were torn or burned down over the years.
McLean is an older area. And yes, their power goes out often. I live in Western Fairfax Co and most of our power lines are underground. Which is clutch because our power almost NEVER goes out.
The homes are gorgeous but they're also massive. I see that many of the lawns are very anemic and could use some care. These houses are meant to impress other people and wonder how friendly they are with their neighbors. I cannot imagine how many rooms are probably empty. My husband and I raised two boys in a three bedroom one bath 1100 ft² home on Long Island. They are now grown men with their own families and we still live in the same house. My one son lives in Culpeper Virginia in a lovely town. As beautiful as these homes are I'd take mine over them. We have visited several towns surrounding Fairfax County and Loudoun County in Virginia and yes they are super wealthy. It's all a matter of what you can afford and your taste.
The house I moved out of was a bit too much for my family. 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms with around 4500 sqft on 3 levels. It was a beautiful house, but not fun having to mow a 1/2 acre of grass at a 45 degree angle.
The reason why most of the grass looked anemic is likely due to all of the shade from the trees. My parents had a house where the builder tried to put sod down and it never quite took. Over a few years, the grass slowly died off no matter what we did, so we used mulch and planted small bushes and trees.
i live in fredericksburg and often visit the area (when traffic isnt a nightmare!) and am often kinda jealous at how big and nice looking the houses are. while the suburbs around here are kinda nice, they are nothing do suburban NoVa!! Great video!!!!!
My mom supervises the testing center at McLean high school. One of the students there was on American Ninja Warrior this year who also plays trombone in the school’s marching band. His name is Max Feinberg and he will be in the National finals in Vegas. The episode will air on August 30 at 8pm
The mansions in Martinsville and Henry County Virginia are just as beautiful, but the cost of living is much less since most of the manufacturing went overseas 30 years or so ago... Lots of folks are moving back here for a slower pace of living... come have a look!
Yes, you can find beautiful houses all over the country. What really makes NoVA unique is its unemployment rates. Everyone has a job. Always. Am I going to be able to afford retiring here? Nope. Until then, I’m so grateful we landed here years ago. Has been a great area to thrive.
Northern Virginia is a company town and that company is US government. Even the service workers (secretaries, janitors, etc.) are extremely well paid when compared to private sector compadres. (especially when benefits like healthcare and retirement are added in). Kind of a false economy.
Wow nick!! I live in neighboring falls church va. It looks like you were here a few months back...i wish i knew you were coming i could have recomended dining and hotel accomidations
I had to move out of Fairfax County due to the cost of living. I'm living in prince William County closer to my job in Ashburn, Virginia. Some of this video is familiar to me, since I drove around and saw these neighborhoods consisting of politicians living there.
Y’all may think those small houses in between aren’t nice and expensive but that’s where you’re wrong. The small houses are fully remodeled with perfect landscaping and will surprise you that they too cost $1 million+ dollars.
The right buying will scoop it up and bulldoze to built an even bigger home once the homeowner there decides to retire and leave from the area to move south.
I live in fairfax and my yes Mclean ,Vienna and Greatfalls are such beautiful places to live only the rich can afford though,the whole d.c. are is expensive period
I lived in Clifton, VA for 30 years, a cute town kind of caught in a timewarp, its another very affluent part of Fairfax County like McClean and Great Falls, I'm now in Loudoun County, also very wealthy like Fairfax, but more rural, its horse and wine country.
I grew up in Fairfax county and feel blessed to have experienced the culture and diversity that comes with it. To me, you could not have grown up in a better place. So close to some much history.
I used to live in Clifton Virginia in 1989 and 2001. Whether people like it or not, culture and the way of thinking can influence the air at night. And I'm sick and tired of people saying that Texas is so much better than Virginia, when most people who say that don't understand that quality of life in the sense of safety and people abiding by rules contributes to this. It allows internal silence to influence a child more deeply and soundly than any form of Parental reinforcement. Parents who care about their children take time and care to refine themselves so that they can achieve things to create silence for a child to bloom. For next generation. The reason why houses in this area are conforming to the land, is because the people who designed them, Reach the form of prosperity, rather than cheap well that was based on an image stuck in their past subconscious. Rather than just constantly reaching for bigger and better or more loud things that flaunt their wealth, their able to signs and acknowledge the more important natural frequencies in life that allow them to conform to the natural environment. And this is reflected in the architecture in that part of Virginia. This is actually true American prosperous culture that many people seldomly understand since so few parts of country actually practice this. You also noticed in many of the house driveways, there are cars that reflect more of middle-class cars rather than Lamborghinis are Maseratis that you would find in cheap wealth areas fabricated by mentalities which can't focus on reality as easily. There is no blame to either side. It's just a matter of how you can refine your own mind to obtain prosperity, ultimately by traveling the least path of resistance for your own life force.
So what are you trying to say about Texas Vs Virginia? We have neighborhoods like this too. Not as lush since climate is different. More Dry here but what else are you talking about?
So I just moved to about 40 mins away in Manassas. Definitely some nice houses still, but pretty affordable compared to the rest of NOVA. Mclean reminds me of parts of the north shore of Nassau County, NY. My grandparents sold their "Normal" 2 story house about 15 years ago that my father grew up in for almost $1M. Poor "normal" houses among the McMansions... feel bad to be one of the norms with the constant reminder of the 1% everywhere you look. I guess there's no actual "town" and not so much history as the rest of NOVA.
I like your videos! My name is Randall J. Borden, I been a dedicated legal advocate for clients throughout Virginia and Maryland, handling litigation involving all aspects of family and estate law.
@@weareorigin Im not exactly sure but right know hes building a 5.3 million dollar house, and hes building it with his brother who also owns the construction company, so probably a 1 million dollar profit per person
@@JoesFlips Wow can we be friends lol! Just joking but the builders here should all be multi- millionaires! We live in Vienna and every other house is being torn down and mansions are going up.
Nick, do a drive thru/field trip of Cedar Swamp Rd in Brookville/Upper Brookville, on Long Island NY. It was part of NY’s Gold Coast. looks just like this but even prettier!
I grew up in mclean and went to mclean highschool. My friends' first cars were bmw, mercedez, or porsche cayennes their moms used to drive. My first job was at a Giant grocery store on Chain Bridge Road that had valet parking lollll yes at a regular grocery store. Luckily the old money in mclean were like "nah...we are not doing that" while the "nuveau riche" flaunted their lamborghinis there. You can easily tell whos really wealthy vs rich there.
I lived there for 15 years. I came to Fairfax in 2000. I run away from there. It reached a point that I couldn't handle anymore to pay a lot of taxes and extra payments for different government fees. Fairfax is beautiful and very neat place but Living in a 17 an hour budget I couldn't make it.. I had to pay tax for my car every year about 700 a year for an old car. I had to pay toll road in an out of the highway. I had to pay Two stickers for my car to legally drive my car. And the list can go on and on...... Fairfax is for rich people... A person with a 25 an hour pay or less will struggle to live there
@@jamestaylor6053 I remember in the year 2000 the toll road was 25 cents and now easily could be 2.00 dollars. And where the money es going. I don't see people are getting back some of that money let say in reduction of health care or something...
@@trabajosdehvacenusa7771 Now small entry/exit toll is $1.50; main toll in McLean used to be 50 cents. Last year I had to take a friend to Rockville for an eye surgery, it was $4.50, now probably costs even more. All local politicians made themself filthy rich, disgusting!
As my sister is in college she tells me about the people from north Virginia and how they can be somewhat rude and snobby, it looks nice up there tho. Heard traffic is really shit up there
I lived here for some time in 2005. Yes, remember the Dixon Line. A bit snobby, yes. Just a few miles South, they're fine. What's your native state though if it's okay to ask? MO and KS are 2 states I didn't find snobby folks at all. Exceptions are there. 😃
I grew up in Clifton, Virginia and Fairfax Station, Virginia which are both in Fairfax County. My childhood home is worth over a million dollars. I had the best childhood.
I always get lost in Reston - highways and forests with few landmarks. About 20 years ago, I remember that the crime rate was rising. They have apartments for "not in my backyard" needy/disturbed folks [not judging]. When I tried to get Senior/Disabled housing here in "affluent Fairfax County", I was told that the waiting list was four years, and also closed! I lucked into a condo at Bailey's Crossroads.
In the United States , we used to have wealthy industrial cities scattered all over the country. They have now turned into crime ridden cesspools in most cases. Our country has been sold down the river by politicians and people that work with them. This is why you see a concentration of wealth in Virginia. Our country was screwed over and we let it happen.
I am from southwest Pennsylvania. With the destruction of the coal and steel industries, the communities are a shell of what they were. I moved to North Carolina because of the economy. When I returned home; I was surprised to see any economic development. Fracking has brought some prosperity back to the area but it will never be what it was. Crime and drugs are now bad in the area.
You made this video in late March? It looks more like winter. In late March, trees start having green leaves, and after cherry blossom in the beginning of April, you can no longer see those houses well because of green leaves. In late spring to summer, the area becomes shadowy and even dark because of dense green. In autumn, the leaves turn bright yellow and red….. I didn’t live in McLean but miss my many years in Bethesda and Potomac, MD., which is just across the river from McLean. Very similar…..
When I first moved to The National Capital Region, I would commute from Herndon to Alexandria every day frequently driving the George Washington Parkway. One morning after I passed Chain Bridge Road I looked over at the car next to me and I saw Edward Kennedy driving the car next to me. Teddy lived in McLean at the "Kennedy Compound" there. At that time I realized I had arrived in Washington...
There is McLean and then there is Great Falls, which I believe is usually defined as the part of Fairfax next to McLean on the other side of the Beltway. It also is full of really nice big houses on big lots under really big trees. The Old Georgetown Pike is an interesting ride to see them (when it's not Rush Hour, when it's a parking lot). Virginia's (and the US's) most well off county is actually Loudoun just to the West of Fairfax. Fairfax I believe is only a lowly 3rd place on the US wealthiest counties list. And Arlington County, just to the East of Fairfax is a bit older, so not as big homes, but it's also in the top 10 in the US. Plus Montgomery County MD just x the Potomac from Fairfax (and Loudoun) is also in the top 10. Its the true Lake Woebegon. Everyone is above average to the West of DC.
I'm amazed that many of the people commenting are assuming that these people work for the government. While there are many high ranking government officials ( Fmr. VP Dick Cheney calls McLean home), many of the homeowners in the area are not actual government works. So not, this is not just your tax dollars at work. Northrup Grumman, Marriott, Hilton and General Dynamics are HQ'd nearby and Lockhead Martin and Amazon have major offices here. It's not all "big bad government".
Here's my entire Unboxing America Series: th-cam.com/play/PLq-_cmf3H6yqgM1vGG305six5T7dqGURF.html
I thought great falls was the wealthiest.
Seeing the suburb streets and cars juxtaposed with nature sounds had me rolling for some reason, I wish driving was that peaceful and quiet haha. Thanks for the informative video.
You and me both!
I’ve lived in Fairfax county all of my life. It’s pretty good. I’ve been to McLean a bunch of times as tysons corner is there. Biggest mall in area. There’s also tysons galleria which folks call the more expensive mall with stores like Gucci, Kate Spade, etc. My great aunt lives in an apartment in McLean and has lived in the area for many years. At McLean High school, you will see students driving luxury cars to school.
Those are kids who parents make money bombing other ccountries.
I suggest a trip outside-the-beltway.... if your criteria are Kate Spade, Gucci and luxury cars for high schoolers......I pity you.
Tysons corner is definitely the nicest mall in Northern Virginia. I saw the Godzilla vs Kong movie there
Yee's Michelle, I grew up there. It's a great place, yet different. My thing is going to the creek and river where others don't. Snakes, bass, turtles, feedfish, historical markers, I can go on. McLean is much more than $$$
@@jamestownvirginia8463 Oh yeah I know. A ton of people view it as money aside from Wolf Trap. I know they have parks and such,
Have lived in NoVA for over 40 years. Grew up in PWC and have lived in FFX Co for over 30 yrs. What makes every part of this area great is - regardless of neighborhood, house you live in, etc, everyone has jobs. The area is basically recession proof. I can remember growing up and hearing about the woes of my family in TX during weather events and recessions. We just don’t have major weather events and even when the government shuts down, everyone keeps shopping, eating out and if they ever have to pick up a new job, it’s easy. The diversity here is amazing and yes, the crime rate is very low in the area. No, we don’t all live in houses like your video shows but you don’t have to to have a great life here.
I can afford all of these homes, but i don't belong there. I'm urbanized for life, and now looking to become a duel citizen. My main goal in life is to maintain "freedom". I grew up in a blue collar household, so was never taught how to invest, and didn't understand any of the terminology. However, my parents unknowingly gave me generational wealth in the form of a personal computer without even knowing it. It kept me out of trouble, and i ended up creating various streams of income via trial/error. Now im so good at it i've obtained the freedom to not have to work. I can literally sit around all day, and expenses are so low, i have funds to invest and or play with recession or not. If more people thought outside the box they'd have this game of life figured out.
Tand tent city in dc
@@MisterUrbanWorld Arlington is a nice city which is right next to DC, Silver Spring, Rockville, and many other DMV cities
I love va
The reason they're prosperous is cuz they're vampires sucking the tax dollars out of the rest of the country.
I honestly take some pride in being born and raised in Fairfax county. I moved out of the area in 2016 when my parents retired and wanted me to move with them. It was fun being able to grow up about 20-30 minutes outside of Washington DC. The area is also littered with history on top of being extremely wealthy. A couple of really wealthy areas around McLean is Clifton, Vienna, and Reston as well as some parts of Chantilly. Where I went to high school, we had a few students that would get late model or new luxury cars, but most people had normal late model commuter cars that were handed down from their parents.
@Ordinary Member I'm from Alexandria so I was only about 10 miles from DC. Then again, with DC traffic, it would likely be about an hour and a half or more.
@Ordinary Member That's best case assuming it's not rush hour.
@Ordinary Member Can you do that at rush hour? I'm in PW County so I am rarely on those roads at rush hour (and don't want to be!)
That part of Virginia is really changing. Take Reston for instance. When it was first built it was a model city and people who lived there were rich. Something happened there because it sure isn't such a great place anymore. Another place is Annandale. I used to have an apartment there. Now you couldn't pay me to live there, and people are moving out in droves, same with Springfield. Vienna used to be horesy and it used to be fun riding around the Hunter Valley area. There was a riding ring there and beautiful trails. Now it's covered up with mcmansions and I doubt if there is a single horse in Vienna anymore. Alexandria used to be a crime-ridden dump, but got a major revival and is now a richey area with more and more huge buildings going up. Warrenton has always been very, very rich or very, very poor, no inbetween. Burke used to be such a nice place but is now covered up with ugly townhouses, and the same with Herndon. As for McLean I know that plenty of people from the Middle East live there and the primary people living there aren't government contractors. This seems to be a phenomenum going on around the country. Rich and beautiful towns from the 90s and before are turning into hoods and new, snooty towns are being built instead. It seems to be a vicious cycle.
Interesting that you have an area named after the capital city of Austria. Do you know why it’s like that?
The architecture here combined with the bare winter trees makes it LOOK like Virginia. It’s unmistakable. Kind of like the unnatural greenness of the grass you see in Central Florida.
An old boyfriend I had many years ago took me through there and I was amazed at how big and beautiful the homes were.
Some of these homes are absolutely massive!
*Epic audio of birds singing is quite nice. Thanks for the early spring drive through beautiful Fairfax VA. Nick & Sage.* 👍💚🇺🇲
In theses refined and wealthy areas they pipe in bird sounds with tiny speakers mounted in a the trees. If they could control the weather they would also have scheduled rainfall like in the produce section at fancy grocery stores.
@@PhilLesh69 funny comment, Phil!
You should also do a video on Vienna, Virginia, which borders on McLean and was twice picked as one of America’s best places to live. Long-time locals believe Vienna feels more like a hometown than McLean.
I know Vienna well.
Yeah those houses on Hunter Mill Rd. I lived off Beulah. I bought a house in 1997 for $280k that needed remodeling. Sold it for $750 ten years later. Now it's worth over one million....regular people can't afford this area.
@@davidhasselhoff619 We are regular folks who live in Vienna but are being pushed out because of property taxes. We live in a 1950s house right in the town limits. We can afford it now but we are in our 60s facing retirement. They only upside is our old little house is worth a ton of money but we really don’t want to sell and move.
@@NickJohnson Sterling is where my aunt lives. near Cascades. alot of big houses out that way too.
@@pjhey947 I would sell it for sure. Traffic in Vienna is the worst. There is nothing to do. You will be able to cash out and escape the madness.
Thanks Mr. Johnson for this calm and relaxing driving tour.
Yes, these are fortunate people and everything around them has its own beauty even down to a single standing tree in eternal silence.✌️🕊️
It is a pretty neighborhood!
@@NickJohnson
Thanks for your visual info., a long time bus rider like myself only got a glimpse of gated community in McLean on Old Dominion Drive as a way to know about this wealthy folks' homes. Thanks to your new YT touring clip, I finally learned more about this special pricey and calm neighborhood. ✌️🙂
SO CLEAN, PEACEFUL, QUIET, PRETTY......LOVE IT!...JUST IMAGINE THE SPRING AND SUMMER!
They spray their lawns with so many chemicals, the soils are ruined. Most of the people are awful and are willing to let people die and suffer to have those homes.
@@elainemccarty1195 oh my!
I loved hearing the birds chirping. Seems peaceful there. 🥰
What a serene environment. I feel relaxed watching this.
as soon as you step out of the residential areas it's chaos, traffic here is some of the worst in the country
You should check out some places in loudoun county, super rich
Not as rich as McLean/Great Falls
Overall Loudoun is richer per household than Fairfax, but McLean/Great Falls beats any similar sized community in Loudoun. The only ones in Loudoun that are close are those on the West side of Leesburg off Rt 7 & Rt 9.
Western Loudoun county is horse and wine country
@@bjdon99 agree with Paula Mc. Not as rich as McLean. Also when you factor in average household size, you realize Fairfax county and Arlington county both beat out Loudoun in per capita income.
What drags them down is they have more single earner households (and more single people in general) and Loudoun has more dual income households which brings up the median household income stat.
Exactly..It makes McLean look like a ghetto
This video was very calming.
This is the neighborhood I lived in when I went to college in Washington DC. It is a quiet, clean and safe neighborhood where police cars are frequently patrolled. But the smell of bustling life is hard to feel. If I ever go back to Virginia, I'd like to live in a well-equipped condominium in the heart of the city with restaurants and grocers within walking distance. Fairfax is so good to live in, but now that I'm middle-aged, I'm starting to focus on the convenience of living.
You lived in this neighborhood in college!? Talk about silver spoon
Try Potomac Maryland. Super wealthy folks there. Till this day there is no metro station that leads there. I guess you can say that’s why it’s a hidden gem
Potomac is the McLean/Great Falls of Md!
Facts Maryland is more wealthy than va actually the median income or houses they got like 80k and they like very economically settled
I saw all the nice expensive cars are from MD. VA wouldn't dare buying those cars cause of the taxes
@@Nga-1984 thank you
100% agree!!! I LITERALLY just said the same thing. Nick need to go to Potomac, md
My brother used to live in McClean, they have a nice train station, that’s all I remember.
Great falls
I live in FairFax County... McLean is amazing and def high taste! Do Loudoun County in a video - out in Ashburn/Lessburg VA. Loudoun is the richest county in VA... but the McLean, Vienna and Great Falls area is absolutely beautiful!
Yeah I go there sometimes
We got money and principles here im from Richmond and i love my state and city!! And we solid!# Blacks whites and our Latinos ive lived all over the country and our quality of people is unmatched
You gotta new subscriber.
See the occasional “small” homes next to the McMansions? - those are the houses people from this area grew up in before the ultra-wealthy bought them and tore them down to build their palaces on.
Everyone from this area originally has moved West. Not to ‘The West’ just out to places like Centreville, Haymarket, or Warrenton
The architectural styles are more varied than I thought.
I think it says something when the residents are so wealthy, they can afford to be able to have it that way. And perhaps some of them are even custom homes.
You go to any random typical middle class neighborhood in the country and what do you see? Many of the houses are of roughly both the same modest size and style. And chances are many were made by the same builder. Conclusion: these people had little other choice but to settle for cookie cutter type homes that probably mostly came from stock plans with few options for customization. XD
Don’t get fooled. These expensive homes are made of plywood and glued together in record time. These are the most overpriced homes in the world and are often plagued by black mold because of the tremendous humidity in the area. I live in the vicinity.
Nick, next time you have a chance to come to Toronto, go and drive around the bridle path. Some of biggest houses in all of Canada are there. 2 years ago when I visited Toronto, I went to my friends house near there and I was amazed at the size of some of those houses while driving by.
Cool idea!
Canada, especially Toronto is very clean, expect for the few hoods in the north York region
That's where Drake the musician lives.
6 God
I love this channel so damn much
Hi Kim!
@@NickJohnson hi!
I never miss one of your videos.
Hi Michael! ❤️❤️
@@NickJohnson this is my home town area. there's parts of Northern Virginia that are not all rich. Fairfax County has some poorer areas like Huntington, Springfield, annandale, Richmond highway area. Maybe not poor, but more like you saw in Norfolk, Portsmouth , Newport News, when you went to South Virginia recently. Dolllar stores, fast food restaurants, strip malls, etc. You don't see that in McLean. McLean is boring really. Houses and trees in the woods.
That's it. You saw that.
These houses are way more than a million. Big bucks. You should check out Katie’s for the cars and coffee.
Most of the houses he showed in the beginning are probably $2-$4 million
I grew up in McLean and my house did not look like this, there's also smaller homes. This building boom happened in the 80's and never stopped, especially with the opening of I-66 and the expansion of the metro.
It’s fun driving through Great Falls! The homes are gigantic and it’s peaceful. But, it’s definitely too rich for my blood. I live in an 1,100 square foot townhouse, and I hate cleaning that much space. Can’t imagine what it takes to keep those homes clean and maintained.
And think about all that yard work! And all that pollution into the Potomac from all the fertilizer and chemicals! 😥
I live nearby.. they all have maids and landscape companys
Often times thats true, but even the maids and landscapers do very well fonancially
@@GeeEm1313 ya well, thats what you me and everyone does.
@@cirodiniro9838 true! I’m still driving my old Toyota and I see people who started out working for maid services and landscaping companies to owning their own businesses and driving Porsches, Audi’s etc. So much opportunity here.
You show so much of the seedy parts of America, I was wondering when you were going to show my hood. I don't live in McLean, but I've lived in Fairfax for many years and places like Fairfax City, Burke, Arlington, Falls Church and Loudoun County are amazing and so safe. When I see how people live in some of your videos it is so sad, but also so foreign to me. But it's mostly just really sad. :(
Happy Weekend Nick and Mappy!!!
A decent townhome in McLean is pretty much cost 1 million on average now. I can only imagine it getting more expensive with how the market is behaving.
McLean and surrounding in fairfax County
It’s not even nice I had friends who lived there and it’s just strange nice home but nothing going on
Loudon County and Montgomery County are also like this
Just returned to the pacific islands 🇬🇺 2 days ago from spending the summer in the Fairfax County area. Visited with my brother and his family. I fell in love with the beautiful jogging/biking trails, and bright sounds of birds chirping. I miss it already 💔 !!
Wow! Can't take that away! They are beautiful I'm sure so many of them do work for the government!
I'm hoping this rich people are very giving!
Even a small donation would never put a dent in those pockets!
With so many people struggling in life!
Thanks Nick another great video 👍
When were some of this homes build? Year? I had heard before that Virginia was one of the most beautiful States! It very quiet there I can even hear the birds!
I don't know when they were built!
These rich people are actually pretty cool from my very limited experience. I’m from Richmond and was in a real tough spot and they didn’t get “angry” when I tried to live there for awhile and get work because I had absolutely none and slept in my car at the time. Most rich people will harass and try to arrest you for trying to do that in their areas.
Out there, houses are mostly custom built, but the age can range from being built in the 1940-50s to today. There are a handful of plantations still in the area as well as other homes from the 1800s, but a lot of them were torn or burned down over the years.
@@DesertMav
Thank you There are all so beautiful!
I got all the way to 11:52 before I noticed the neighborhood doesn't have underground utilities; and I don't care :-) Beautiful place!
McLean is an older area. And yes, their power goes out often. I live in Western Fairfax Co and most of our power lines are underground. Which is clutch because our power almost NEVER goes out.
I love the homes in this area you to love to just drive and look at the homes here and Great Falls Va
I have worked at multiple information technology positions in Fairfax County Virginia, Virginia is very pro business
The homes are gorgeous but they're also massive. I see that many of the lawns are very anemic and could use some care. These houses are meant to impress other people and wonder how friendly they are with their neighbors. I cannot imagine how many rooms are probably empty. My husband and I raised two boys in a three bedroom one bath 1100 ft² home on Long Island. They are now grown men with their own families and we still live in the same house. My one son lives in Culpeper Virginia in a lovely town. As beautiful as these homes are I'd take mine over them. We have visited several towns surrounding Fairfax County and Loudoun County in Virginia and yes they are super wealthy. It's all a matter of what you can afford and your taste.
That's right when is a home too big??
The house I moved out of was a bit too much for my family. 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms with around 4500 sqft on 3 levels. It was a beautiful house, but not fun having to mow a 1/2 acre of grass at a 45 degree angle.
The reason why most of the grass looked anemic is likely due to all of the shade from the trees. My parents had a house where the builder tried to put sod down and it never quite took. Over a few years, the grass slowly died off no matter what we did, so we used mulch and planted small bushes and trees.
@@DesertMav not to mention it was winter when this was filmed. Grass turns pale even yellows.
I live not too far from there (Washington, DC) and it’s a pretty cool county. Only reason why it’s wealthy is because it’s not far from DC…
A lot of money from the middle east live in McLean and vicinity
i live in fredericksburg and often visit the area (when traffic isnt a nightmare!) and am often kinda jealous at how big and nice looking the houses are. while the suburbs around here are kinda nice, they are nothing do suburban NoVa!! Great video!!!!!
So cool!
My mom supervises the testing center at McLean high school. One of the students there was on American Ninja Warrior this year who also plays trombone in the school’s marching band. His name is Max Feinberg and he will be in the National finals in Vegas. The episode will air on August 30 at 8pm
Wasn't that the name of Conan o briens original band leader?
Not sure tbh
What a nice place to live. Maybe in another life time!
The mansions in Martinsville and Henry County Virginia are just as beautiful, but the cost of living is much less since most of the manufacturing went overseas 30 years or so ago... Lots of folks are moving back here for a slower pace of living... come have a look!
Shut up granny
@@ballerbilal8589 don't be rude
Yes, you can find beautiful houses all over the country. What really makes NoVA unique is its unemployment rates. Everyone has a job. Always. Am I going to be able to afford retiring here? Nope. Until then, I’m so grateful we landed here years ago. Has been a great area to thrive.
Hey, i never thought i would see my area on this channel. ha I'm in Loudoun County about 30 minutes away
I love this beautiful place
I graduated from McLean High in 1974. Wow, how it's changed!
They tear down the nice 1960's original homes and built mansions in my neighborhood. Eveyone I knew has moved out.
1971 McLean HS grad for me. It has changed since we were there.
This is amazing
Truly.
Also Clifton VA is amazing
Is Virginia overall as a state considered wealthy? I'm not American. Love and adore the USA, sincerely an Australian 🇦🇺♥️🇺🇸
It’s definitely an above average state but northern Virginia is where all the wealth really is
Yes
They rank high in every metric mainly because it’s close to Washington DC and the people who work in DC commute from Virginia
Northern Virginia is a company town and that company is US government. Even the service workers (secretaries, janitors, etc.) are extremely well paid when compared to private sector compadres. (especially when benefits like healthcare and retirement are added in). Kind of a false economy.
It's the 10th richest state
@@AndrewLaMonica1 Look it up by county
The bird chirping track is hilarius!🤣
Yeah! All i hear around here are cicadas 🤣
Wow nick!! I live in neighboring falls church va. It looks like you were here a few months back...i wish i knew you were coming i could have recomended dining and hotel accomidations
Haha thanks we were just passing through :)
I had to move out of Fairfax County due to the cost of living. I'm living in prince William County closer to my job in Ashburn, Virginia. Some of this video is familiar to me, since I drove around and saw these neighborhoods consisting of politicians living there.
Fairfax county is the third most expensive county in America behind a county in New Jersey and Loudoun county
Virginia is beautiful, but there is nothing to do here in NOVA. It’s all jobs and buildings here. If anyone has suggestions let me know
Y’all may think those small houses in between aren’t nice and expensive but that’s where you’re wrong. The small houses are fully remodeled with perfect landscaping and will surprise you that they too cost $1 million+ dollars.
Dang
The right buying will scoop it up and bulldoze to built an even bigger home once the homeowner there decides to retire and leave from the area to move south.
Born and raised in NoVA. The house at 14:16 is huge! What street/subdivision is it?
You're near me in DC! Come see my neighborhood!
Where is it?
@@NickJohnson Truxton Circle (DC)
I live in fairfax and my yes Mclean ,Vienna and Greatfalls are such beautiful places to live only the rich can afford though,the whole d.c. are is expensive period
Was that chirping bird sitting on the roof of your car riding along with you, enjoying the view too, as you were browsing around the area?
two worlds in one country, a birrzare feeling frankly. and these two worlds are becoming more detached and transparent to each other.
I lived in Clifton, VA for 30 years, a cute town kind of caught in a timewarp, its another very affluent part of Fairfax County like McClean and Great Falls, I'm now in Loudoun County, also very wealthy like Fairfax, but more rural, its horse and wine country.
My family helped with the founding of Clifton we have a cemetery there that goes back to 1899
Im from burke and went to Robinson secondary. Clifton is CRAZY MONEY
Nice video! Thanks!
Nice! Looks just like Mockingbird Valley, Glenview, Indian Hills, and a couple other neighborhoods here in Louisville 😍🤓👍🏼
I grew up in Fairfax county and feel blessed to have experienced the culture and diversity that comes with it. To me, you could not have grown up in a better place. So close to some much history.
I used to live in Clifton Virginia in 1989 and 2001. Whether people like it or not, culture and the way of thinking can influence the air at night. And I'm sick and tired of people saying that Texas is so much better than Virginia, when most people who say that don't understand that quality of life in the sense of safety and people abiding by rules contributes to this. It allows internal silence to influence a child more deeply and soundly than any form of Parental reinforcement. Parents who care about their children take time and care to refine themselves so that they can achieve things to create silence for a child to bloom. For next generation.
The reason why houses in this area are conforming to the land, is because the people who designed them, Reach the form of prosperity, rather than cheap well that was based on an image stuck in their past subconscious. Rather than just constantly reaching for bigger and better or more loud things that flaunt their wealth, their able to signs and acknowledge the more important natural frequencies in life that allow them to conform to the natural environment. And this is reflected in the architecture in that part of Virginia. This is actually true American prosperous culture that many people seldomly understand since so few parts of country actually practice this.
You also noticed in many of the house driveways, there are cars that reflect more of middle-class cars rather than Lamborghinis are Maseratis that you would find in cheap wealth areas fabricated by mentalities which can't focus on reality as easily. There is no blame to either side. It's just a matter of how you can refine your own mind to obtain prosperity, ultimately by traveling the least path of resistance for your own life force.
Also another interesting fact, people in Virginia are typically 3-7 in taller than people in Texas. Genetic inheritance difference.
This has been the most educated well spoken comment i ever read on youtube! I am sure you are well educated and have a great soul
So what are you trying to say about Texas Vs Virginia? We have neighborhoods like this too. Not as lush since climate is different. More Dry here but what else are you talking about?
Seeing all of these amazing houses are inspiring. But something inside me also wonders if the people who own these homes are actually happy?
Yes they are trust me
Rich people are just like poor people.. some of them are very happy.. some of them aren't. It's not the money that determines happiness
True, I've worked in McLean and they don't enjoy what they have.
U know who enjoy those huoses?
The maids that work in them
They are bro i live there
….yes
So I just moved to about 40 mins away in Manassas. Definitely some nice houses still, but pretty affordable compared to the rest of NOVA. Mclean reminds me of parts of the north shore of Nassau County, NY. My grandparents sold their "Normal" 2 story house about 15 years ago that my father grew up in for almost $1M.
Poor "normal" houses among the McMansions... feel bad to be one of the norms with the constant reminder of the 1% everywhere you look. I guess there's no actual "town" and not so much history as the rest of NOVA.
I like your videos! My name is Randall J. Borden, I been a dedicated legal advocate for clients throughout Virginia and Maryland, handling litigation involving all aspects of family and estate law.
My dad builds houses in Mclean and Great falls
Are we allowed to ask what's the profit margin per house sold?
@@weareorigin Im not exactly sure but right know hes building a 5.3 million dollar house, and hes building it with his brother who also owns the construction company, so probably a 1 million dollar profit per person
Also there planning to build a whole neighborhood right next to the house they are building right now
@@JoesFlips Wow can we be friends lol! Just joking but the builders here should all be multi- millionaires! We live in Vienna and every other house is being torn down and mansions are going up.
Awesome! Virginia is super nice.
Indeed
Nick, do a drive thru/field trip of Cedar Swamp Rd in Brookville/Upper Brookville, on Long Island NY. It was part of NY’s Gold Coast. looks just like this but even prettier!
Love your videos- very educational!
I grew up in mclean and went to mclean highschool. My friends' first cars were bmw, mercedez, or porsche cayennes their moms used to drive. My first job was at a Giant grocery store on Chain Bridge Road that had valet parking lollll yes at a regular grocery store. Luckily the old money in mclean were like "nah...we are not doing that" while the "nuveau riche" flaunted their lamborghinis there. You can easily tell whos really wealthy vs rich there.
I lived there for 15 years. I came to Fairfax in 2000. I run away from there. It reached a point that I couldn't handle anymore to pay a lot of taxes and extra payments for different government fees. Fairfax is beautiful and very neat place but Living in a 17 an hour budget I couldn't make it.. I had to pay tax for my car every year about 700 a year for an old car. I had to pay toll road in an out of the highway. I had to pay Two stickers for my car to legally drive my car. And the list can go on and on...... Fairfax is for rich people... A person with a 25 an hour pay or less will struggle to live there
The toll has been increased 900% since 2005, like cash cow. The local politicians are so corrupted and hypocritical, they're all bought by the rich.
@@jamestaylor6053 I remember in the year 2000 the toll road was 25 cents and now easily could be 2.00 dollars. And where the money es going. I don't see people are getting back some of that money let say in reduction of health care or something...
@@trabajosdehvacenusa7771 Now small entry/exit toll is $1.50; main toll in McLean used to be 50 cents. Last year I had to take a friend to Rockville for an eye surgery, it was $4.50, now probably costs even more. All local politicians made themself filthy rich, disgusting!
Have you been to and filmed Loudoun County and Ashburn? It's another wealthy DC suburbs that newly developed and just north of Dulles airport.
Not yet!
Yippee my old neighbour hood..its all goohhhd up in my hood. Thanks
You're the best of the best.
This is why I’m blessed to be from Fairfax County, VA🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 Born and Raised
Come to Loudoun! My county
Wooow such a beautiful neighbourhood
As my sister is in college she tells me about the people from north Virginia and how they can be somewhat rude and snobby, it looks nice up there tho. Heard traffic is really shit up there
I lived here for some time in 2005. Yes, remember the Dixon Line. A bit snobby, yes. Just a few miles South, they're fine. What's your native state though if it's okay to ask? MO and KS are 2 states I didn't find snobby folks at all. Exceptions are there. 😃
@@ranjittyagi9354 I live in Virginia 😂 around Richmond
I grew up in Clifton, Virginia and Fairfax Station, Virginia which are both in Fairfax County. My childhood home is worth over a million dollars. I had the best childhood.
I grew up Springfield and my FedEx route was on McLean and Tyson corner..love it there
Sounds very peaceful
Love the bird noises 😊
Gotta go check out Tysons corner and Reston, I think Reston is one of the best small cities in America
I was just there and it’s mostly nice and tidy. Ashburn / Broadlands /Reston area
It was one of my faves when I lived there.
Yes Reston is the best! Its also where I am from!
I always get lost in Reston - highways and forests with few landmarks. About 20 years ago, I remember that the crime rate was rising. They have apartments for "not in my backyard" needy/disturbed folks [not judging]. When I tried to get Senior/Disabled housing here in "affluent Fairfax County", I was told that the waiting list was four years, and also closed! I lucked into a condo at Bailey's Crossroads.
Some parts of Reston are ghetto. A guy I used to be friends with used to live there. He was a fuckin asshole
In the United States , we used to have wealthy industrial cities scattered all over the country. They have now turned into crime ridden cesspools in most cases. Our country has been sold down the river by politicians and people that work with them. This is why you see a concentration of wealth in Virginia. Our country was screwed over and we let it happen.
I am from southwest Pennsylvania. With the destruction of the coal and steel industries, the communities are a shell of what they were. I moved to North Carolina because of the economy. When I returned home; I was surprised to see any economic development. Fracking has brought some prosperity back to the area but it will never be what it was. Crime and drugs are now bad in the area.
Wow fancy 👀😮 did you have a bird in ur car 😂
Right?? Lol loved it tho!!
True money doesn't buy happiness but neither does poverty
Beautiful estates
Hey Nick Johnson if your going to do Fairfax Va, you should also do Potomac md as well. That one of the Richest areas in the US 🇺🇸 too.
You made this video in late March? It looks more like winter. In late March, trees start having green leaves, and after cherry blossom in the beginning of April, you can no longer see those houses well because of green leaves. In late spring to summer, the area becomes shadowy and even dark because of dense green. In autumn, the leaves turn bright yellow and red…..
I didn’t live in McLean but miss my many years in Bethesda and Potomac, MD., which is just across the river from McLean. Very similar…..
When I first moved to The National Capital Region, I would commute from Herndon to Alexandria every day frequently driving the George Washington Parkway. One morning after I passed Chain Bridge Road I looked over at the car next to me and I saw Edward Kennedy driving the car next to me. Teddy lived in McLean at the "Kennedy Compound" there. At that time I realized I had arrived in Washington...
How do you drive with all those birds in your car?
lol
💯💯😅😅That's my old trash and recycling route
There is McLean and then there is Great Falls, which I believe is usually defined as the part of Fairfax next to McLean on the other side of the Beltway. It also is full of really nice big houses on big lots under really big trees. The Old Georgetown Pike is an interesting ride to see them (when it's not Rush Hour, when it's a parking lot).
Virginia's (and the US's) most well off county is actually Loudoun just to the West of Fairfax. Fairfax I believe is only a lowly 3rd place on the US wealthiest counties list. And Arlington County, just to the East of Fairfax is a bit older, so not as big homes, but it's also in the top 10 in the US. Plus Montgomery County MD just x the Potomac from Fairfax (and Loudoun) is also in the top 10.
Its the true Lake Woebegon. Everyone is above average to the West of DC.
I loved it as well
Looks like some of these homes were built in the 60’s. People would line up to buy, tear down, and rebuild any one of them.
very nice country and peaceful, beautiful houses....I'm from Philippines...
I'm amazed that many of the people commenting are assuming that these people work for the government. While there are many high ranking government officials ( Fmr. VP Dick Cheney calls McLean home), many of the homeowners in the area are not actual government works. So not, this is not just your tax dollars at work. Northrup Grumman, Marriott, Hilton and General Dynamics are HQ'd nearby and Lockhead Martin and Amazon have major offices here. It's not all "big bad government".