Skyline City:
A Crossroads of Diversity
By Louie EstradaWashington Post Staff Writer
April 30, 1994
Rising from the level landscape of Baileys Crossroads in eastern Fairfax County, Skyline City is a self-contained skyscraper community where high-rises draw a diverse group of residents.
"There are many kinds of people here, with a variety of cultural backgrounds," said Houda Neal, a native of Morocco, who rents a unit at Skyline Plaza. "Since moving here a little over a year ago, I've met so many people who live here but have come from countries all over the world."
The ethnic diversity of Skyline's residents is a reflection of the cultural melting pot of the Baileys Crossroads area in general, Houda said.
Amal Araya, originally from Ethiopia, moved to Skyline Plaza about three years ago with her husband, Jamal, and said that while the residents include a large number of immigrants, many here are retirees most concerned with security, the amenities of the complexes and easy access to surrounding shops.
"This is the best of all possible places to live," said Anne Raskin, a retired New York schoolteacher, who has lived at Skyline Plaza for 10 years. "The people are very friendly. There is a mixed group of residents. When I first moved here, the residents were mainly white, upper class. Now it's like the United Nations. The elevator is a wonderful place to meet people from all walks of life."
The appeal of Skyline City, Raskin said, is "the convenience of it all" and that Skyline City has never strayed from the original concept proposed by developer Charles E. Smith of a miniature city.
Denise Deigh, 70, and her husband Joseph, 71, bought a condominium there last month after the upkeep of their single-family home became too much to handle. "I miss the feel of a neighborhood, but I'm starting to make friends here," she said.
Skyline City comprises three condominium complexes—Skyline House, Skyline Plaza and Skyline Square—and one rental complex, Skyline Towers. It's home to about 8,000 people. There are seven high-rise office buildings, a shopping mall with more than 40 stores, movie theaters and a state-of-the-art athletic club.
The latest development is Savoy Park, a four-story condominium mid-rise complex next to Skyline Towers. One of the mid-rises has recently opened, another is under construction and two others are planned. The final parcel of land left to be developed within Skyline City will be turned into 240 residential units, said Scott Sterling, a spokesman for Charles E. Smith Cos., which developed Skyline City.
Life can be different for some who have moved to the high-rise city. Mary Russo isn't sure if she'll get much use out of her roller blades anymore. Russo, a medical technician, moved into a one-bedroom condominium at Savoy Park earlier this month from another Charles E. Smith apartment building in western Fairfax County. The change of scenery, however, is dramatic. She said that while once she could strap on her roller blades and glide across paved walks, Skyline doesn't have that kind of open space.
"But I think I'm giving up very little and gaining a lot in my move to Savoy Park," Russo said. "There are a lot of amenities here that fit my personal needs. I'll have to make some minor adjustments, but I think the advantages far outweigh any drawbacks."
A shorter commute to her job in the District also led Russo to move to Skyline. "After a while, sitting in traffic for two hours every day just didn't cut it," she said.
Skyline is built on what was once an airport off Leesburg Pike (Route 7) and is minutes from Shirley Highway (Interstate 395). Sales prices of the condominiums range from $90,000 to $180,000. Apartments at Skyline Towers rent from $650 a month for an efficiency to $1,300 a month for a three-bedroom unit, including utilities.
The development of Skyline City began on a tragic note. In 1973, 14 construction workers were killed and 34 others were injured when an 80-foot-wide section of Skyline Plaza collapsed while under construction. After an investigation, a subcontractor was fined for improperly shoring up freshly poured concrete.
More recently, there has been a continuing dispute between condominium owners and the former management company over repairing deteriorating balconies at Skyline City. Last year owners of 957 condominiums at Skyline Plaza sued the Charles E. Smith management company, which withdrew as management company for Skyline City three years ago, charging that the company knew about balcony defects but failed to tell the homeowners. The case is pending. Meanwhile, repairs on the balconies are being made.
Kevin Madden, a Capitol Hill worker, is expecting his balcony to be refurbished. He recently bought a condo on the 17th floor of Skyline Plaza. "I've always been partial to high-rises," Madden said. "And in this area there aren't many to pick from."
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