Posted: 9/8/2026 4:19:12 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Dominion21][Edited]
Local cycle-repair place, Crossroads Cycle, is gone.  Stopped by last week and day-laborers were clearing out the building. The rear yard, where literally hundreds of motorcycles were parked, was bare. Some internet sleuthing led to a report that Fairfax County authorities decided to swoop in and condemn the building. No indication of why or how (though I would not be surprised if a hungry land-developer were behind this). Spoke with the neighboring used-tire folks, and they confirmed an urban rumor I’d long heard: there is indeed a MASSIVE underground level / basement. That’s supposedly now empty too. Anyone hear how the founder and owner, Dennis, is doing? Any plan to reopen somewhere else? |
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I used them to get my old Honda v45 roadworthy a few decades ago. Don't know about the status of he business or owner, but I do know that little corner of Baily's Crossroads around Seminary Rd is targeted for redevelopment, similar to the current Merrifield complex. Look for the rest of the business in that area to get shut down for one reason or another in the next year. Edit with a map for the area targeted for redevelopment. A study was being discussed in one of the on-line county planning meetings last year. I forget if they wanted to incorporate the circle, and there was push back on extending it to the storage facility & Acura dealership to the north west. 
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"Life is too serious to be taken seriously" - Ray Bradbury
KoW callsign 'Ribs'
KoW callsign 'Ribs'
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@mbg001 Thanks!  Great info & map. I drive through that area every day on the way to work so this is relevant to me. Mixed feelings on this - with the loss of Crossroads Cycle, but hopefully the area will end up more like Merifield. That area was part of an airport until 1970: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington-Virginia_Airport I’m convinced the oddly shaped self-storage building there was originally built as an aircraft hanger. And Baileys Crossroads is named after the real Barnham and Baileys Circus, who was based there for decades. |
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Originally Posted By chipling: IIRC isn’t the MVC torn down and being redeveloped? I think the McDonald’s on the corner is being worked on as well. I don’t remember the cycle place, but I do recall the DMV that used to be there, it sucked more than most. It’s amazing to me that MVC (originally a porn video store) is still in business at all. Have not been inside but it looks like they mostly sell marijuana bongs now. The McDonalds there wasn’t terrible, but the rebuild took the old building right down to the bare frame. Looks like they bought the adjoining land, where there was a an insurance building (maybe Allstate?). It was torn down earlier this year; it was truly decrepit. Now it will be the new McD parking lot. The business area just behind there is sort of a “little Mogadishu” mixed with businesses catering to half a dozen other ethnicities who rent apartments in this part of Falls Church. There used to be a Greek restaurant there too, but I think they sold out and moved. |
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Originally Posted By Dominion21: @mbg001 Thanks! Great info & map. I drive through that area every day on the way to work so this is relevant to me. Mixed feelings on this - with the loss of Crossroads Cycle, but hopefully the area will end up more like Merifield. That area was part of an airport until 1970: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington-Virginia_Airport I’m convinced the oddly shaped self-storage building there was originally built as an aircraft hanger. And Baileys Crossroads is named after the real Barnham and Baileys Circus, who was based there for decades. I've won a few bar bets on that piece of trivia. An old timer in my neighborhood (now deceased) got his private pilots license there. No. I used them a decade + ago when I was renovating. It was purpose built as a storage facility. Exact same template as other Public Storage facilities I've been to. Crazy to think how much the crossroads have changed over the past 30 years. You remember the Brazilian steakhouse that used to be where the Surf 'N' Suds Laundromat is now? |
"Life is too serious to be taken seriously" - Ray Bradbury
KoW callsign 'Ribs'
KoW callsign 'Ribs'
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Originally Posted By Dominion21: It’s amazing to me that MVC (originally a porn video store) is still in business at all. Have not been inside but it looks like they mostly sell marijuana bongs now. The McDonalds there wasn’t terrible, but the rebuild took the old building right down to the bare frame. Looks like they bought the adjoining land, where there was a an insurance building (maybe Allstate?). It was torn down earlier this year; it was truly decrepit. Now it will be the new McD parking lot. The business area just behind there is sort of a “little Mogadishu” mixed with businesses catering to half a dozen other ethnicities who rent apartments in this part of Falls Church. There used to be a Greek restaurant there too, but I think they sold out and moved. The police calls for that area are crazy. You could listen in until last year when Fairfax encrypted their transmissions. The Somalis started running everyone else out around 2020. I remember one incident (2022 ish) where there was an all out street brawl, over a goat. |
"Life is too serious to be taken seriously" - Ray Bradbury
KoW callsign 'Ribs'
KoW callsign 'Ribs'
|
Originally Posted By Dominion21: It’s amazing to me that MVC (originally a porn video store) is still in business at all. Have not been inside but it looks like they mostly sell marijuana bongs now. The McDonalds there wasn’t terrible, but the rebuild took the old building right down to the bare frame. Looks like they bought the adjoining land, where there was a an insurance building (maybe Allstate?). It was torn down earlier this year; it was truly decrepit. Now it will be the new McD parking lot. The business area just behind there is sort of a “little Mogadishu” mixed with businesses catering to half a dozen other ethnicities who rent apartments in this part of Falls Church. There used to be a Greek restaurant there too, but I think they sold out and moved. It’s been a minute since I’ve actually paid a lot of attention to the area. I do frequent the REI  despite their politics, and my wife likes the Home Goods a little to the east on 7. There is a coffee shop or maybe a bagel shop on the corner in that shopping center that really feels like Mogadishu. Sort of nearby…some of the side streets off of Lacy Blvd used to have some notorious crack houses back in the day. Would not be a shame to see those gone. |
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Originally Posted By mbg0001: I used them to get my old Honda v45 roadworthy a few decades ago. Don't know about the status of he business or owner, but I do know that little corner of Baily's Crossroads around Seminary Rd is targeted for redevelopment, similar to the current Merrifield complex. Look for the rest of the business in that area to get shut down for one reason or another in the next year. Edit with a map for the area targeted for redevelopment. A study was being discussed in one of the on-line county planning meetings last year. I forget if they wanted to incorporate the circle, and there was push back on extending it to the storage facility & Acura dealership to the north west. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/428558/Screenshot_20260908_194304-3824525.png Thanks again for the image and info! For anyone else following this, the condemned building which previously housed Crossroads Cycle is just below the letter “B” in the Afghan restaurant “Bamian” in the image. The crew clearing the property appears to be nearing the end of their work. They piled up a ton of stuff in front of the building and it looked to include many vintage car parts along with old bike parts. Anyone know what happened to the owner, Dennis? And what happened to all the motorcycles that were parked there a month ago? It must have been well over 100 of them. |
