Why is Pimmit Hills better than Hybla Valley?

[Anonymous]

Can any urban planners or amateur real estate enthusiasts explain to me something that I've long wondered about:

-How did Pimmit Hills go from undesirable location/the last trailer park of Fairfax County, to a place with million dollar houses and presumably good schools?

-Why has the Hybla Valley neighborhood of Fairfax County never improved in terms of crime/schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can any urban planners or amateur real estate enthusiasts explain to me something that I've long wondered about:

-How did Pimmit Hills go from undesirable location/the last trailer park of Fairfax County, to a place with million dollar houses and presumably good schools?

-Why has the Hybla Valley neighborhood of Fairfax County never improved in terms of crime/schools?

Pimmit Hills wasn't a trailer park. It was just a neighborhood of small, older single-family houses.

It's near Tysons, which is the largest center of commercial activity in NoVa, as well as other expensive suburbs - Vienna, McLean, and other parts of Falls Church/22043. When builders began to tear down older houses, the fact that the Pimmit Hills houses were smaller and less expensive meant it was easier to buy and replace them.

Hybla Valley is off Route 1, which isn't a major business area and has never been a particularly expensive area. It's near Fort Belvoir, so it has a more transient population, and it's also near a low-income area where many former slaves settled (compared to Pimmit Hills, which originally was a white blue collar area for returning vets from WWII). There's also a larger number of low-income garden apartments in the immediate area, whereas Pimmit Hills itself is exclusively a neighborhood of single-family homes.

Other areas off Route 1 closer to Belle Haven and the City of Alexandria are likely to redevelop before the area around Hybla Valley.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can any urban planners or amateur real estate enthusiasts explain to me something that I've long wondered about:

-How did Pimmit Hills go from undesirable location/the last trailer park of Fairfax County, to a place with million dollar houses and presumably good schools?

-Why has the Hybla Valley neighborhood of Fairfax County never improved in terms of crime/schools?

Pimmit Hills wasn't a trailer park. It was just a neighborhood of small, older single-family houses.

It's near Tysons, which is the largest center of commercial activity in NoVa, as well as other expensive suburbs - Vienna, McLean, and other parts of Falls Church/22043. When builders began to tear down older houses, the fact that the Pimmit Hills houses were smaller and less expensive meant it was easier to buy and replace them.

Hybla Valley is off Route 1, which isn't a major business area and has never been a particularly expensive area. It's near Fort Belvoir, so it has a more transient population, and it's also near a low-income area where many former slaves settled (compared to Pimmit Hills, which originally was a white blue collar area for returning vets from WWII). There's also a larger number of low-income garden apartments in the immediate area, whereas Pimmit Hills itself is exclusively a neighborhood of single-family homes.

Other areas off Route 1 closer to Belle Haven and the City of Alexandria are likely to redevelop before the area around Hybla Valley.

This does totally make sense as hybla valley touched Belle haven.
One reason I think is that there is a high percentage of families at some of the elementary schools where English is a second language, they are recent immigrants, etc, so the needs at the school are different and there are not as many families pushing for change.
That said, I grew up in the area, and even Belle view elementary was pretty terrible in the 80s. Now it’s well regarded and people love it. We have lots of friends who have sent their kids through hollin meadows, a few to mount eagle, etc, so I think things are slowly improving. Bucknell manor was pretty bad when I was growing up, and now it has improved a lot.

[Anonymous]

Because it's close to Vienna, McLean, and Tysons and zoned to the same schools.

[Anonymous]

Route 1 corridor has been wrecked by illegal immigration. The presence of garden apartments, etc. has led to large amounts of migrants moving in. This has not happened by Pimmit Hills, but has in other areas of the Falls Church area (Bailey's Crossroads for instance).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can any urban planners or amateur real estate enthusiasts explain to me something that I've long wondered about:

-How did Pimmit Hills go from undesirable location/the last trailer park of Fairfax County, to a place with million dollar houses and presumably good schools?

-Why has the Hybla Valley neighborhood of Fairfax County never improved in terms of crime/schools?

Pimmit Hills wasn't a trailer park. It was just a neighborhood of small, older single-family houses.

It's near Tysons, which is the largest center of commercial activity in NoVa, as well as other expensive suburbs - Vienna, McLean, and other parts of Falls Church/22043. When builders began to tear down older houses, the fact that the Pimmit Hills houses were smaller and less expensive meant it was easier to buy and replace them.

Hybla Valley is off Route 1, which isn't a major business area and has never been a particularly expensive area. It's near Fort Belvoir, so it has a more transient population, and it's also near a low-income area where many former slaves settled (compared to Pimmit Hills, which originally was a white blue collar area for returning vets from WWII). There's also a larger number of low-income garden apartments in the immediate area, whereas Pimmit Hills itself is exclusively a neighborhood of single-family homes.

Other areas off Route 1 closer to Belle Haven and the City of Alexandria are likely to redevelop before the area around Hybla Valley.

Pimmit Hills is surrounded by high rise and garden apartments off RT 7 and Magarity, but I agree, it benefits from being surrounded by McLean, Falls Church, and Vienna, as well as having access to major highways and Metro. It was a natural place to absorb high earning professionals who were getting priced out of the surrounding areas.

[Anonymous]

The Route 1 corridor is a disaster. It will always be a disaster.

Pimmit Hills is just a neighborhood surrounded by Arlington, Falls Church, McLean, and Tysons. So... you do the math.

[Anonymous]

I think the better comparison to Pimmit Hills, at least in terms of the original housing stock, would be a place like Wheaton. And, again, you'd see how the proximity to a major jobs center and other high-end suburbs has worked to Pimmit Hills' advantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the better comparison to Pimmit Hills, at least in terms of the original housing stock, would be a place like Wheaton. And, again, you'd see how the proximity to a major jobs center and other high-end suburbs has worked to Pimmit Hills' advantage.

I will say soon Twinbrook in Rockville.

[Anonymous]

I don't think the Hybla Valley is much of a comparison, but you might ask this question about Annandale and inside the beltway Springfield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Route 1 corridor is a disaster. It will always be a disaster.

Pimmit Hills is just a neighborhood surrounded by Arlington, Falls Church, McLean, and Tysons. So... you do the math.

I don't know why you think it will always be a disaster. I see upside potential. With the BRT and ongoing eminent domain of many shanty properties along Rt1 to accommodate it, and general gentrification of NoVa, I personally see valve in the area. Of course you could say that I am biased as I'm a rental property investor and own a couple near Rt1 as part of my overall diversified portfolio, but I ran the numbers and felt that I am being compensated for greater risk and willingness to buy value where others' don't see it. So far my properties cash flow well, and I am very optimistic long term.

[Anonymous]

I get the sense the county doesn't care to see the Rt. 1 corridor improve. It's their convenient dumping ground for undesirables.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Route 1 corridor is a disaster. It will always be a disaster.

Pimmit Hills is just a neighborhood surrounded by Arlington, Falls Church, McLean, and Tysons. So... you do the math.

y
There recently were children discovered to have been chained up in their apartment while their mother left. A neighbor turned in the mother. This is Hybla Valley.

[Anonymous]

Closer to jobs and wealthier areas

Middle class vs lower middle class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Closer to jobs and wealthier areas

Middle class vs lower middle class.

A large part of Pimmit Hills is definitely upper middle class now. May not be McLean prices, but it's up there with Falls Church City and Vienna.