So where are all the nicer mid-century homes at?
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Anonymous
| We don't do mid-century housing here. That's a flyover country phenomenon. |
Anonymous
that area is so fugly but if you want that in N va Lake Barcroft is the place to be and with the lake a hidden gem. |
Anonymous
| I too don't understand why this area of the country doesn't have nicer homes. Just expensive crap. |
Anonymous
That schools district is horrible and the housing prices are taking hits from it. |
Anonymous
| Location, location, location... |
Anonymous
| Reston town center around Lake Anne? Southwest DC is as close to VA as you can get and is full of MCM mid rises and townhouses. |
Anonymous
In Lake Barcroft? The schools have always sucked and the prices are not taking a hit. You clearly have no idea what you are talking about and you have never been there. |
Anonymous
OP is looking for a certain style of older house and Arlington doesn't have many. If you don't know what mid-century looks like, just imagine the Dwell magazine aesthetic of a ranch /split level on a wooded lot and that will get you 70% there. There are some lovely new houses in that style in Arlington and Bethesda, but for original well maintained versions I would look at Martha's Rd in Alexandria (Holin Hills) and Lake Barcroft. You can also look in MD and NW DC along the Potomac. |
Anonymous
yes it is, with the advent of greatschools and google maps on every real estate listing the public is now much better informed about places to avoid. In the past a smooth talking realtor could dance around the terrible schools and horrible surrounding areas, but not anymore. values are trending down http://www.redfin.com/city/24003/VA/Lake-Barcroft |
Anonymous
| Hollin Hills in Alexandria |
Anonymous
Stuart used to be considered one of the elite public high schools in NoVa. That changed in the 1980s with the aging of the original homeowners and the influx of Hispanic immigrants. There's still a lot of wealth in the Lake Barcroft/Sleepy Hollow area. It's more affluent than any part of the Town of Vienna or City of Falls Church, and the homes are nice. But the home prices are definitely lower than they'd be if they fed into schools with fewer ESOL and low-income kids. Some of the more affluent parents send their kids to privates, but others are just fine with the local schools. Generalizations about how the schools "suck" are what some people who live in places with really ugly housing say when they want to convince people it's a great idea to pay $500K or more to live in their neighborhood. |
Anonymous
The values were "trending down" over a relatively short period this year. It's not like there was a lot of new information out regarding the schools. For people who like a community with mid-century homes and lake access, Lake Barcroft will remain desirable. Don't worry, the people who want to tear down shacks and build McMansions will still have Pimmit Hills. |
Anonymous
Unless the OP likes some of the mid-century modern homes in places like Hollin Hills and Lake Barcroft, she may need to acquire a new appreciation for the 1960s split-foyer or split-level, because that's really the local equivalent of the type of house she mentioned from the Chicago suburbs. |
Anonymous
Nope. Your ignorance is showing. OP, this are did not have money until very recently. Certainly not like the north, where there are many large, old houses that have been cared for and well maintained. If you drive around certain close in suburbs, you will notice the 50's and 60's original homes were all brick boxes, as that was a cheap material in those times. The houses were built for government workers and military people. Once in a while, you will see an abandoned one, overgrown and fermenting while the will gets worked out. Now you will notice ramshackle additions, or mostly, knockdowns, which the original owners are up in arms about. In fact, you can barely mention knockdowns without someone getting offended and pretending they "don't want one". When in fact, there is such a huge price discrepancy (you will have noticed if you have been looking), and the choice does not exist for many. |