Picture this: Tysons - from sleepy crossroads to high-tech hub

New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams recently called Tysons Corner in McLean, Va., a "sleepy suburb" of Washington. She obviously hasn't visited the place in a long time ? if ever.

Seventy years ago, the area was just a rural crossroads in Virginia. Today, with its proximity to downtown Washington and Dulles International Airport, the business district is the preferred location for many of the country's top government contractors.

With corporate headquarters, high-end restaurants and plenty of office space, the area is a bustling crossroads of high-tech commerce. Just watch out for the traffic on a Friday afternoon.

The intersection of Route 7 and Route 123 in Tysons Corner in 1935.

Samuel R. Pearson

A nearby corner in Tysons Corner today.

Rick Steele