How far is too far to be considered accessible to metro?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a big development (Cathedral Commons) in NW DC, which is almost a mile walk to the closest Metro. It is marketed as Metro accessible.

Oh gosh, I used to live right by there and it is so not metro accessible.

It shows how PR types and lawyers can spin. They succeeded in getting approval for less parking than what zoning would otherwise have required by convincing the DC zoning commission that it was Metro-accessible.

[Anonymous]

My husband walks 1.5 miles in 25 minutes to his job, or does it in 10 minutes on his bike. Just a couple of traffic lights.

Real estate listings are notorious for straining the truth.
They add illegal bedrooms, state the wrong school cluster, say it's walking distance when it's not, etc.

It's on the buyer to verify these statements.

Some listings are ridiculous with their wording. I was looking at one that said "minutes to the metro." It was a 30 minute walk (maybe a 8 min drive with traffic).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our home is approximately 1 mile from metro. We typically walk or bike with latter taking 10 or less. Walking takes about 25 mins, bus is about 10-15 mins. I don't consider this that much of a problem but for folks around here it appears from a market standpoint that it's too far. It's never been a problem commuting wise. We still get into work within an hour.

Obviously if money is no object, people would want to be as close to the Metro as possible. But as everyone here knows, you will pay a very high premium to live near the metro inside the beltway. What distance is too far where it's not worth it?

I think being about three miles from Metro is ideal. Quick drive, but away from the riff-raff.

No riff-raff in downtown Bethesda, much prefer to be closer in so that we can walk as a family to eat out for dinner and go shopping.

[Anonymous]

I also live about 1 mile to metro. I can walk it by myself in 15 minutes, but walking with a group that includes young kids or older people takes longer. There is also a ride-on bus along my walking route that I will hop on if I am in a rush or carrying something heavy and happen to time it right (the walk isn't long enough to be worth waiting for the bus). I am glad to not be as close to metro as I used to live, since there are also significant drawbacks. I'm happy that some buyers' obsession with being virtually on top of metro meant I could afford a home that I love.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a big development (Cathedral Commons) in NW DC, which is almost a mile walk to the closest Metro. It is marketed as Metro accessible.

Oh gosh, I used to live right by there and it is so not metro accessible.

It shows how PR types and lawyers can spin. They succeeded in getting approval for less parking than what zoning would otherwise have required by convincing the DC zoning commission that it was Metro-accessible.

They could also be referring to metro bus and not metro rail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live a mile from three metro stops (Union Station, Potomac Ave, Eastern Market). I consider our house Metro accessible but I wouldn't promote it that way in a listing. We are just steps from the DC Streetcar, though.

that statement doesn't add up. If you are a mile from each of those you are between stanton and lincoln park and not steps from the streetcar.

If you are steps from the streetcar, you are a good 1.5 m from potomac avenue metro. it is not close.

[Anonymous]

I'd say ~1/2 mile is realistically walkable for most people. I would just say "1 mile to metro" instead of "close to Metro".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live a mile from three metro stops (Union Station, Potomac Ave, Eastern Market). I consider our house Metro accessible but I wouldn't promote it that way in a listing. We are just steps from the DC Streetcar, though.

that statement doesn't add up. If you are a mile from each of those you are between stanton and lincoln park and not steps from the streetcar.

If you are steps from the streetcar, you are a good 1.5 m from potomac avenue metro. it is not close.

I just checked on google maps. 1.3 miles from Potomac Ave, 1.1 miles from Union Station, 1.2 miles to Eastern Market, 1.2 miles from NOMA stop. And, yes, exactly a block from a streetcar stop. Now you can probably figure out my address.

[Anonymous]

For a city person, a mile walk to the metro is pretty far. It's not a walk a normal person would want to do, twice a day, except on nice days or if there are super interesting things to do and see during the walk. If the walk is particularly unpleasant - passing through an unsafe area or the walk itself is unsafe because it's not pedestrian friendly - then a mile might as well be 5 miles.

For a suburban person, a metro stop a mile away is super close.

So I agree with previous posters who say to just list how far it is.

[Anonymous]

I have read before that .5 miles is the distance that most people consider a reasonable walk. I'm slightly under a mile from the metro and walk it pretty regularly (15 min if I hustle, though realistically 20 by the time I'm actually through Union Station and onto the metro platform) - but I think a lot of people would consider that too far to walk. If I was listing my house I'd probably say something like "less than a mile to the metro" or just focus on all the nearby buses and the bikeshare rack...and the streetcar of course

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live a mile from three metro stops (Union Station, Potomac Ave, Eastern Market). I consider our house Metro accessible but I wouldn't promote it that way in a listing. We are just steps from the DC Streetcar, though.

that statement doesn't add up. If you are a mile from each of those you are between stanton and lincoln park and not steps from the streetcar.

If you are steps from the streetcar, you are a good 1.5 m from potomac avenue metro. it is not close.

I just checked on google maps. 1.3 miles from Potomac Ave, 1.1 miles from Union Station, 1.2 miles to Eastern Market, 1.2 miles from NOMA stop. And, yes, exactly a block from a streetcar stop. Now you can probably figure out my address.

NP. Hi neighbor! Pretty sure you're about 3 blocks east of me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live a mile from three metro stops (Union Station, Potomac Ave, Eastern Market). I consider our house Metro accessible but I wouldn't promote it that way in a listing. We are just steps from the DC Streetcar, though.

that statement doesn't add up. If you are a mile from each of those you are between stanton and lincoln park and not steps from the streetcar.

If you are steps from the streetcar, you are a good 1.5 m from potomac avenue metro. it is not close.

I just checked on google maps. 1.3 miles from Potomac Ave, 1.1 miles from Union Station, 1.2 miles to Eastern Market, 1.2 miles from NOMA stop. And, yes, exactly a block from a streetcar stop. Now you can probably figure out my address.

NP. Hi neighbor! Pretty sure you're about 3 blocks east of me

And I didn't even include Stadium-Armory!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our home is approximately 1 mile from metro. We typically walk or bike with latter taking 10 or less. Walking takes about 25 mins, bus is about 10-15 mins. I don't consider this that much of a problem but for folks around here it appears from a market standpoint that it's too far. It's never been a problem commuting wise. We still get into work within an hour.

Obviously if money is no object, people would want to be as close to the Metro as possible. But as everyone here knows, you will pay a very high premium to live near the metro inside the beltway. What distance is too far where it's not worth it?

I think being about three miles from Metro is ideal. Quick drive, but away from the riff-raff.

No riff-raff in downtown Bethesda, much prefer to be closer in so that we can walk as a family to eat out for dinner and go shopping.

I live in downtown Bethesda. Maybe no riff-raff but traffic everywhere, all the time. No improvements of sidewalks and pedestrian safety in the residential area in the last 20 years. Id rather move further out and catch a bus to the metro to be honest. You don't live here, come on, none of us who really live here shop in Bethesda anymore.

[Anonymous]

What gets me is that, depending on the location of major roads, natural barriers, or even the train tracks themselves, being close to the metro as the crow flies doesn't translate to being able to easily walk to the metro. Even a half mile can take 15 minutes if I have to cross major streets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What gets me is that, depending on the location of major roads, natural barriers, or even the train tracks themselves, being close to the metro as the crow flies doesn't translate to being able to easily walk to the metro. Even a half mile can take 15 minutes if I have to cross major streets.

Likewise, 1.5 miles can be very easy and pleasant. But hopefully people are visiting properties before buying them, so this shouldn't be an insurmountable issue.