

6

"The decades-old, multi-building Vietnamese shopping center in Falls Church serves as a bustling hub of the East End, home to more than 30 restaurants and over a dozen bakeries and cafes almost entirely run by first- to third-generation Vietnamese families. I observed that the center remains busy and is faring well — out of 115 storefronts there’s currently only one small vacancy — and that a brief political stop at one restaurant drew many afternoon visitors. While the center figures in a long-term redevelopment plan that has stalled, management says they are continuing improvements even as the proposal “collects dust.”" - Tierney Plumb