Is Pimmit Hills walkable?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: bummer. Someone highly recommended it to DH, but it sounds like it's not my style. I guess there's a reason it's cheaper!

Smelled your bs from post #1, you tried to set this up to prove a point . Nice try.

[Anonymous]

Different neighborhoods. Pimmit Hills appeals to people who take the good, the bad and the ugly in stride, confident that the area is on the upswing. Clarendon appeals to lemmings who want a little bit more of what everyone else just ordered.

[Anonymous]

See, I think it's so funny how people claim that some suburban areas are not walkable when they then tout how walkable an area centered on a major road is. If you can cross Wilson boulevard with no problem at a crosswalk, rt. 7 at a crosswalk is not much different.

I lived in Reston, one of the most walkable suburbs in the area and routinely had people tell me that north Reston was NOT walkable to the rest of Reston south of baron Cameron. Yes, it is a busy road, but that is what the crosswalks and stop lights are for.

But, seriously, I have been more worried for my life with crazy downtown drivers than most busy suburban roads near me. There are different levels of walkability, but if there are sidewalks and crosswalks and amenities worth walking to, it can be done. Don't be a moron and you will be fine.

[Anonymous]

OP, you need to see it for yourself. I have known (visited often) friends in all parts of McLean throughout my life. Frankly, you have just as much of a chance to live near a slob in PH than most other parts of McLean. Not necessarily more of a chance just because its Pimmit Hills; which I think PP is trying to say.

In other words, that should not be the only reason to decide against it. I would take PH over most places in McLean my friends live (even though they are nice areas) - due to location, sidewalks, space and schools alone. What more do you need?

There are knockdowns that are truly increasing in number, so that is in favor of purchasing there. Unless you have something against nice homes? Old homes in Mclean and Arlington are generally very depressing, even with some money sunk into additions. I think a new home purchase in PH would be quite smart.

Comparing Clarendon and PH are really no comparison. But then, if you want a SFH in that price range, your decent options are quite limited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're thinking of renting in Pimmit Hills to get more space/less money. Right now we're two blocks from the Clarendon Whole Foods. I do a lot of walking around the neighborhood for errands, exercise, fun, with the baby in the stroller. Would that lifestyle be doable in Pimmit Hills? We got by very nicely without a car pre-baby, and still don't drive often, but would like not to be a two car family (and DH would be driving to work if we were in Pimmit).

I live in PH and if you ever visited the area, I can't believe that you are in good faith asking whether you can recreate the Clarendon lifestyle there. I think you know perfectly well that you cannot. PH was not set up to be a high-density walkable area like Clarendon, and this fact is immediately obvious to anyone who ever drove through.

Now on a serious note, PH is walkable in that it has sidewalks and you can walk around the neighborhood and you can walk to its numerous parks. If you live in the part of PH close to Rt 123, you can walk to Safeway Commons, which has a casual restaurant (Lost Dog) and a hair salon. You can also walk to Westgate Elementary. Once Tysons East metro is up, you'll be able to walk to it too. Safeway Commons is set for redevelopment with mixed-use things, but I don't believe these plans are final.

If you live in the part of PH closer to Rt 7, you can walk to Trader Joe's, Caribou Coffee, a library with the park that surrounds it, and across Rt 7 (which has perfectly good crosswalks people use all the time) there is a Whole Foods plaza with a Thai restaurant, a noodle shop, and a deli.

Finally, there are no townhouses or apartment buildings in PH. In fact, it is a rare enclave that has nothing but SFH, no churches, no centers, except an old milk barn (the last remaining milk barn inside the Beltway!) that a neighborhood group is working to preserve and turn into another recreation area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're thinking of renting in Pimmit Hills to get more space/less money. Right now we're two blocks from the Clarendon Whole Foods. I do a lot of walking around the neighborhood for errands, exercise, fun, with the baby in the stroller. Would that lifestyle be doable in Pimmit Hills? We got by very nicely without a car pre-baby, and still don't drive often, but would like not to be a two car family (and DH would be driving to work if we were in Pimmit).

I live in PH and if you ever visited the area, I can't believe that you are in good faith asking whether you can recreate the Clarendon lifestyle there. I think you know perfectly well that you cannot. PH was not set up to be a high-density walkable area like Clarendon, and this fact is immediately obvious to anyone who ever drove through.

Now on a serious note, PH is walkable in that it has sidewalks and you can walk around the neighborhood and you can walk to its numerous parks. If you live in the part of PH close to Rt 123, you can walk to Safeway Commons, which has a casual restaurant (Lost Dog) and a hair salon. You can also walk to Westgate Elementary. Once Tysons East metro is up, you'll be able to walk to it too. Safeway Commons is set for redevelopment with mixed-use things, but I don't believe these plans are final.

If you live in the part of PH closer to Rt 7, you can walk to Trader Joe's, Caribou Coffee, a library with the park that surrounds it, and across Rt 7 (which has perfectly good crosswalks people use all the time) there is a Whole Foods plaza with a Thai restaurant, a noodle shop, and a deli.

Finally, there are no townhouses or apartment buildings in PH. In fact, it is a rare enclave that has nothing but SFH, no churches, no centers, except an old milk barn (the last remaining milk barn inside the Beltway!) that a neighborhood group is working to preserve and turn into another recreation area.

Pimmit hills has a lot of parks and green spaces.

Check out this map of parks http://goo.gl/maps/gpFvD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

In other words, that should not be the only reason to decide against it. I would take PH over most places in McLean my friends live (even though they are nice areas) - due to location, sidewalks, space and schools alone. What more do you need?

A reality check would come in handy.

[Anonymous]

Why do you say that? Do you live in Mclean, too? If not, you have no idea.

[Anonymous]

Pimmit Hills isn't in McLean. It's in Falls Church, and it's not the nicest part of Falls Church by any stretch, either. It may be a good choice for some people, but so are lots of other places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pimmit Hills isn't in McLean. It's in Falls Church, and it's not the nicest part of Falls Church by any stretch, either. It may be a good choice for some people, but so are lots of other places.

Pimmit Hills is not as nice as Falls Church City and not as nice as McLean, but it certainly leads other parts of Falls Church based on the combination of location and schools.

[Anonymous]

The argument is location, not what it is called.

It is literally across Magarity Road (2 lanes) from McLean. So if one was also looking in McLean, one would presumably afford far less house in McLean. Point is, if you are worried about the "type" of person PH attracts (often unsaid) - you may not do far worse in many parts of McLean. There are no HOAs in most close in communities. You could be living next door to anyone - and my friends do - from famous politicians to the trashiest of trash, all in McLean.

Certainly that could not be so difficult to believe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pimmit Hills isn't in McLean. It's in Falls Church, and it's not the nicest part of Falls Church by any stretch, either. It may be a good choice for some people, but so are lots of other places.

Pimmit Hills is not as nice as Falls Church City and not as nice as McLean, but it certainly leads other parts of Falls Church based on the combination of location and schools.

People who live in neighborhoods like Falls Hill, Stockwell Manor and the Churchill section of 22043, among others, might disagree with that assessment. I can also think of plenty of neighborhoods in 22041, 22042 and 22044 that are more attractive than Pimmit Hills, although the schools are not as highly regarded.

[Anonymous]

It is the highest appreciating neighborhood in nova though

http://dcist.com/2013/01/pimmit_hills_petworth_listed_as_hot.php

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is the highest appreciating neighborhood in nova though

http://dcist.com/2013/01/pimmit_hills_petworth_listed_as_hot.php

The values in Pimmit Hills are still well below their peak in 2006, so there is more room for appreciation than in some other areas that recovered earlier.

[Anonymous]

Oh good grief. op here: no, I have not visited. It was an idle thought. I'm not from here. I don't know the NoVa suburbs. Someone told my husband it was a great neighborhood for us, it sounded too good to be true, I looked at Google street view, and I asked you all. I'm not trying to make a point, I was curious whether it was worth checking out.