Appalachian Spring, One of Reston Town Center's First Tenants, Officially Closes

Columns

by Fatimah Waseem February 7, 2018 at 2:30 pm 43 Comments

It’s official: Appalachian Spring, one of the first tenants in Reston Town Center, has shuttered its doors.

The handcrafted gifts and handmade jewelry store opened its Reston location in 1990.

The company is shifting its focus to its Rockville location after the store on 1187 Market Street officially closed on Jan. 24, a company representative told Reston Now.

When the closure was first made public, the store’s president told Reston Now that customer traffic dipped considerably over the last few months.

Paid parking, which was instituted last year, was a common complaint by customers, he said.

Photo by Fatimah Waseem

Greg

Customer traffic…
- Freddy
  
  Yeah its a shame no one supported their business.
  - Why do you bother?
    
    It’s a shame that BP’s greed kept customers away.
    - Micheal Scott
      
      Fair weathered customers.
      - Why do you bother?
        
        No, big-picture thinker. I wish they had relocated elsewhere in Reston.
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        I think you mean personal economists, as we all are.
      - Greg
        
        Maybe not. Appalachian Spring had an almost three-decade run at RTC. How many businesses, anywhere, last that long? Even at RTC, only the Hyatt (which is owned by Marriott, interestingly enough) and Clydes have been there longer.
        
        Movie palace, too, but it changed owners at least once.
        
        Times change and there are probably far fewer customers today who favor the kitchy, costly stuff Appalachian Spring sells.
    - Fred
      
      And yet it’s the business owners that are getting screwed.
      - Why do you bother?
        
        Which is BP’S FAULT.
      - Fred
        
        Nope, people not giving money to the business is the fault. It’s a shame RTC was a nice place but the entitlement people have ruined it.
      - JoeInReston
        
        This is absurd.
      - Tom
        
        Ok Mr. Entitled 🙂
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        I think you should stand atop your pedestal and take all the blame. This would’ve have happened if you would’ve just given more money to the business.
      - Fred
        
        I have given them quite a bit of money to them over the years sir.
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        Well, by your logic, Sir, you didn’t give them enough. Shame on you!
      - Fred
        
        Haha triggered another entitled person. You say it’s a shame we lost another business to Maryland but weren’t willing to support it while it was here.
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        I don’t think you understand what you’re saying or to whom you’re speaking.
        
        I am entitled, I’m entitled to make my own decisions with my own money and evaluate both my own money and my own time and decide where they are both best spent.
        
        It isn’t worth my money or my time to deal with the bureaucracy of the retarded paid parking money-grab at RTC.
        
        Don’t try to speak to me like I don’t understand that I didn’t support a local business while it remained local. In fact, it’s more likely that I’ll support them in Maryland (I still won’t). I didn’t support it on purpose. You see, like most other Reston residents, we’re playing the long game. By not supporting this business, and many other business at the RTC, and by not supporting their asinine paid parking plan, we are hurting BP. What makes it a shame is that there are other, more business friendly locations in our local area they could’ve chosen to move.
        
        What makes it ironic is that you’re placing the blame on everyone else, while you, yourself, could’ve and should’ve done more.
        
        What makes it embarrassing is how unfriendly Maryland is to businesses but business owners still, on occasion, find it more economical to move to Maryland with all its cons, than Virginia.
        
        Don’t try to win the “troll” game with me, Fred. I’ll outclass you in every conceivable way, especially since your replies don’t matter to me, the readers of this comment section will be the judge, and like most times, they’ll agree.
      - Fred
        
        Lol! You say you my replies don’t matter to you but you just typed out a 7 paragraph response. Better take a better look at who won this “troll” game.
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        Lol! No educated rebuff? Surprise!
      - Fred (champion of Reston)
        
        🙂 You’re putting in a lot of work for someone’s whose comments you don’t care about.
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        The same amount of work that you are, have you finally met your equal?
      - Fred
        
        I’m not the trolling someone whose comments I don’t care about.
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        Yet you keep replying…
      - Fred
        
        Because unlike you I actually have a purpose and am not some entitled person that thinks because a business wants us to pay to use their facilities, I won’t go then think it’s emabarssing when the business goes to a different state because no one will support them here.
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        You have a purpose? What’s that? To make short, barely coherent comments on a journalism website?
        
        Your ability to comprehend actual words is also embarrassing to anyone who received an American education. I can’t help that you didn’t understand the comment.
        
        C’mon dude, try harder.
      - Fred
        
        Lol! No educated rebuff? Surprise!
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        Jesus Christ, you’re really embarrassing yourself now. You’re to the point where you can’t even come up with your own ideas. You’re the reason why people voted against the meals tax to give more money to schools, the voters saw they were beyond help.
      - Fred
        
        Nice strawman agurment, I hope you have a nice time playing the long game with BP because soon there will be no bussiness there and you won’t have a town center anymore. Pathetic!
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        Ah, halfway through English 101 I see. Again, if there are no “bussiness” (sic) at the RTC, we will have won, as economics would suggest that BP would rethink it’s paid parking plan or offset its decision in a more “bussiness”(sic) friendly way.
        
        Try to stick with me here, I know it’s getting super complicated.
      - Fred
        
        Sure you’ll have won but nothing will be there. Sad really, why to bite your nose off to spite your face.
        
        Sorry Fred wins. Yes I referred to myself in the 3 person.
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        And if nothing is there, in the place I don’t visit anyways, how do I lose? All these businesses have now been forced to move to places more friendly to the consumer, including Maryland, which means I, as a consumer, wins.
        
        The only thing you win is the participation prize, just like all of your peers.
      - Fred
        
        Well my dear RTC is and I’m sure before they starting to charge for parking you thought it was a good place to go, will be gone. I felt prideful that we had a place like that and if it’s gone I would be sad.
        
        And sir I am running verbal laps around you so I think you get a participation prize. I however think you should sit out, it’s to much for you.
        
        Fred (the champion)- 1
        Constitutionalist-0
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        Well my dear(,)(the) RTC is(,) and I’m sure before they starting(ed) to charge for parking(,) thought it was a good place to go, will be gone. I felt prideful(proud) that we had a place like that and if it’s(it was) gone I would be sad.
        
        And sir(,) I am running verbal laps around you so I think you get a(the) participation prize. I however(,) think you should sit out, it’s to(too) much for you.
        
        Care to try again?
      - Fred
        
        Haha! You are so riled up. If you wanna win a “troll game” as you called it one doesn’t have to be the last person to post.
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        I’m not riled up. I’m doing exactly as I said I would, outclassing you in every possible way.
        
        Google has a good definition if you’re in need.
      - Fred
        
        Haha well sweetie I would like to thank you for this great conversation it made my afternoon go by fast. I hope you learned not to be so entitled and realize that no local busines will like to be in Reston or will find it hard to survive here because people like you don’t support them.
        
        I hope you have a great rest of your day, it’s been fun. Hugs and kisses
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        🙂
      - The Constitutionalist
        
        As if they have no choice in the equation?
Judith Andersen

I shopped there for Christmas and birthday gifts all the time. I’m really going to miss them. We all know why they had to close, and it’s a shame.
The Constitutionalist

Again we lose a business to Maryland. Embarrassing.
Someone from the inside

It seems some of you may or may not deny that you work or represent Boston Properties. There are many BP employees trolling these Reston news sight. Just thought I let you know.
Someone from the inside

Some of you may or may not deny you work for or represent Boston Properties. There are a lot of BP trolls that comment on Reston news sights and defend BP. These trolls will defend BP at all cost for any BP action being taken. Just thought I let you know.
- Micheal Scott
  
  Just because some one has a different opinion then you doesn’t mean they are a troll. I wish I had your critical thinking skills.

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