As for “calming oasis,” I guess that’s relative. It is, after all, hard against the railroad tracks and the frequent rumble of freight and VRE trains. That’s okay; what’s more problematic is that there are speakers nestled among the shrubbery, piping out pop music and smooth jazz and the sort of Norah Jones tunes you’ve heard over and over at the mall, when all you really want is to listen to the water.

I came across a 70s Washington Post article on Crystal City recently in which a photograph of the Underground was accompanied by this caption: “The Crystal City dweller walks past shops to the appropriate elevator. Wherever he goes, soft music follows. He never needs an overcoat.” Funny how appropriate that caption still is. I take the elevator down to the lobby of my apartment building, where the music starts, walk through the corridors of the adjacent Marriott, where the music continues, descend into the Underground — more music — and surface at the Water Park to more music still. It really blunts the senses.

And yet despite CC’s overall blandness, it somehow manages to be an interesting place to talk (and argue) about, if not actually live in.

You didn’t even mention the long-term planning board that Crystal City has, the Crystal City Business Improvement district, or the history of the shops. Did you see many people around while you in Crystal City on a weekend? Of course you didn’t, because it has more far more office space than residential. It is 9-5 with the exception of 23rd Street and Crystal Drive restaurants. The long-term planning board is to increase the residential share to help Crystal City become a 24 hour destination.

In short, it’s nice to see an article on Crystal City, but do more research.