Why is Arlington so hot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Proximity to DC and Tysons with pretty good schools. No other reason. Repeat: no other reason. Yes, if telework really becomes a major thing then Arlington home price will suffer mightily. However, it's not clear yet whether telework will really take off. So for now, Arlington's location and schools keep it afloat.

Really? You think proximity is the only reason people buy here? I live 2 blocks from a metro station, can walk my kids to multiple parks, can walk to several coffee shops and other non-chain businesses, live near running/bike trails, and have a backyard for gardening and a swing set. I can walk along a nice tree-lined street to my youngest’s preschool. And I have the proximity to other areas you mentioned.

Look, I totally get why people move to other areas besides Arlington. You do have to sacrifice on house and/or lot size here if you’re able to buy new construction. For some people the trade off isn’t worth it, especially if your job is farther out. So I’m not hating on the appeal of other areas. But I think it’s a huge disservice to say people only buy in Arlington because its proximity to other locations.

Yes. Because many other neighborhoods have everything else you listed. It is absolutely not unique to have parks, coffee shops, trails, trees. It's hilarious you think otherwise.

The ONLY thing that makes North Arlington "hot" is schools and proximity to the DC and Tysons job centers. No other reason.

Really? There are plenty of other neighborhoods with metro, trails, parks, restaurants, etc. and good schools? Because we didn’t find much of that out there when we were house hunting.

And even if there are other areas with all these amenities that doesn’t negate the attractiveness of Arlington. I never claimed Arlington is the only place where this type of lifestyle exists. But I do think there is shortage of neighborhoods with transit, green space, and retail throughout the DC region, which is why as a whole these types of neighborhoods are more expensive. The proximity to job centers just further makes Arlington desirable, but isn’t the sole reason people pay so much to live here.

I don’t understand why you’re so defensive about the reasons people who buy in Arlington find it attractive to live here. I’ve never said there aren’t other great neighborhoods or implied Arlington is the best place ever. I’m just explaining that it offers much more than proximity to DC and Tysons. If all it had was proximity and no other amenities of its own, it would likely be much more affordable.

But if you feel better by hating on Arlington, then go for it.

Yes, really. You think MoCo, Fairfax, Alexandria, and DC don't all have restaurants and parks? There are tons of metro stations and most of them have amenities nearby. The only difference with Arlington is good schools and proximity to multiple job centers.

So where specifically has a similar vibe/amenities?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Proximity to DC and Tysons with pretty good schools. No other reason. Repeat: no other reason. Yes, if telework really becomes a major thing then Arlington home price will suffer mightily. However, it's not clear yet whether telework will really take off. So for now, Arlington's location and schools keep it afloat.

Really? You think proximity is the only reason people buy here? I live 2 blocks from a metro station, can walk my kids to multiple parks, can walk to several coffee shops and other non-chain businesses, live near running/bike trails, and have a backyard for gardening and a swing set. I can walk along a nice tree-lined street to my youngest’s preschool. And I have the proximity to other areas you mentioned.

Look, I totally get why people move to other areas besides Arlington. You do have to sacrifice on house and/or lot size here if you’re able to buy new construction. For some people the trade off isn’t worth it, especially if your job is farther out. So I’m not hating on the appeal of other areas. But I think it’s a huge disservice to say people only buy in Arlington because its proximity to other locations.

Yes. Because many other neighborhoods have everything else you listed. It is absolutely not unique to have parks, coffee shops, trails, trees. It's hilarious you think otherwise.

The ONLY thing that makes North Arlington "hot" is schools and proximity to the DC and Tysons job centers. No other reason.

Really? There are plenty of other neighborhoods with metro, trails, parks, restaurants, etc. and good schools? Because we didn’t find much of that out there when we were house hunting.

And even if there are other areas with all these amenities that doesn’t negate the attractiveness of Arlington. I never claimed Arlington is the only place where this type of lifestyle exists. But I do think there is shortage of neighborhoods with transit, green space, and retail throughout the DC region, which is why as a whole these types of neighborhoods are more expensive. The proximity to job centers just further makes Arlington desirable, but isn’t the sole reason people pay so much to live here.

I don’t understand why you’re so defensive about the reasons people who buy in Arlington find it attractive to live here. I’ve never said there aren’t other great neighborhoods or implied Arlington is the best place ever. I’m just explaining that it offers much more than proximity to DC and Tysons. If all it had was proximity and no other amenities of its own, it would likely be much more affordable.

But if you feel better by hating on Arlington, then go for it.

Yes, really. You think MoCo, Fairfax, Alexandria, and DC don't all have restaurants and parks? There are tons of metro stations and most of them have amenities nearby. The only difference with Arlington is good schools and proximity to multiple job centers.

So where specifically has a similar vibe/amenities?

NP, but Vienna, Falls Church.

[Anonymous]

I think there's a lot of similarity between Arlington and the town of Vienna and Falls Church City. Town of Vienna, however, is not close to a metro.

We went house hunting when we started to outgrow our house. Looked in Reston, Great Falls, etc. And none could touch our proximity to 3 *walkable* parks, two bike trails, equidistance to two metro stops, lots of restaurants (no chain) and great schools. We don't have to get in our cars to go food shopping or do outdoor activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Proximity to DC and Tysons with pretty good schools. No other reason. Repeat: no other reason. Yes, if telework really becomes a major thing then Arlington home price will suffer mightily. However, it's not clear yet whether telework will really take off. So for now, Arlington's location and schools keep it afloat.

Really? You think proximity is the only reason people buy here? I live 2 blocks from a metro station, can walk my kids to multiple parks, can walk to several coffee shops and other non-chain businesses, live near running/bike trails, and have a backyard for gardening and a swing set. I can walk along a nice tree-lined street to my youngest’s preschool. And I have the proximity to other areas you mentioned.

Look, I totally get why people move to other areas besides Arlington. You do have to sacrifice on house and/or lot size here if you’re able to buy new construction. For some people the trade off isn’t worth it, especially if your job is farther out. So I’m not hating on the appeal of other areas. But I think it’s a huge disservice to say people only buy in Arlington because its proximity to other locations.

Yes. Because many other neighborhoods have everything else you listed. It is absolutely not unique to have parks, coffee shops, trails, trees. It's hilarious you think otherwise.

The ONLY thing that makes North Arlington "hot" is schools and proximity to the DC and Tysons job centers. No other reason.

Really? There are plenty of other neighborhoods with metro, trails, parks, restaurants, etc. and good schools? Because we didn’t find much of that out there when we were house hunting.

And even if there are other areas with all these amenities that doesn’t negate the attractiveness of Arlington. I never claimed Arlington is the only place where this type of lifestyle exists. But I do think there is shortage of neighborhoods with transit, green space, and retail throughout the DC region, which is why as a whole these types of neighborhoods are more expensive. The proximity to job centers just further makes Arlington desirable, but isn’t the sole reason people pay so much to live here.

I don’t understand why you’re so defensive about the reasons people who buy in Arlington find it attractive to live here. I’ve never said there aren’t other great neighborhoods or implied Arlington is the best place ever. I’m just explaining that it offers much more than proximity to DC and Tysons. If all it had was proximity and no other amenities of its own, it would likely be much more affordable.

But if you feel better by hating on Arlington, then go for it.

Yes, really. You think MoCo, Fairfax, Alexandria, and DC don't all have restaurants and parks? There are tons of metro stations and most of them have amenities nearby. The only difference with Arlington is good schools and proximity to multiple job centers.

So where specifically has a similar vibe/amenities?

NP, but Vienna, Falls Church.

Bethesda, Del Ray, Old Town. Reston.

Arlington's advantage over those last three is either 1) Proximity to both DC and Tysons; and/or 2) Pretty good schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Proximity to DC and Tysons with pretty good schools. No other reason. Repeat: no other reason. Yes, if telework really becomes a major thing then Arlington home price will suffer mightily. However, it's not clear yet whether telework will really take off. So for now, Arlington's location and schools keep it afloat.

Really? You think proximity is the only reason people buy here? I live 2 blocks from a metro station, can walk my kids to multiple parks, can walk to several coffee shops and other non-chain businesses, live near running/bike trails, and have a backyard for gardening and a swing set. I can walk along a nice tree-lined street to my youngest’s preschool. And I have the proximity to other areas you mentioned.

Look, I totally get why people move to other areas besides Arlington. You do have to sacrifice on house and/or lot size here if you’re able to buy new construction. For some people the trade off isn’t worth it, especially if your job is farther out. So I’m not hating on the appeal of other areas. But I think it’s a huge disservice to say people only buy in Arlington because its proximity to other locations.

Yes. Because many other neighborhoods have everything else you listed. It is absolutely not unique to have parks, coffee shops, trails, trees. It's hilarious you think otherwise.

The ONLY thing that makes North Arlington "hot" is schools and proximity to the DC and Tysons job centers. No other reason.

Really? There are plenty of other neighborhoods with metro, trails, parks, restaurants, etc. and good schools? Because we didn’t find much of that out there when we were house hunting.

And even if there are other areas with all these amenities that doesn’t negate the attractiveness of Arlington. I never claimed Arlington is the only place where this type of lifestyle exists. But I do think there is shortage of neighborhoods with transit, green space, and retail throughout the DC region, which is why as a whole these types of neighborhoods are more expensive. The proximity to job centers just further makes Arlington desirable, but isn’t the sole reason people pay so much to live here.

I don’t understand why you’re so defensive about the reasons people who buy in Arlington find it attractive to live here. I’ve never said there aren’t other great neighborhoods or implied Arlington is the best place ever. I’m just explaining that it offers much more than proximity to DC and Tysons. If all it had was proximity and no other amenities of its own, it would likely be much more affordable.

But if you feel better by hating on Arlington, then go for it.

Yes, really. You think MoCo, Fairfax, Alexandria, and DC don't all have restaurants and parks? There are tons of metro stations and most of them have amenities nearby. The only difference with Arlington is good schools and proximity to multiple job centers.

So where specifically has a similar vibe/amenities?

NP, but Vienna, Falls Church.

Bethesda, Del Ray, Old Town. Reston.

Arlington's advantage over those last three is either 1) Proximity to both DC and Tysons; and/or 2) Pretty good schools.

And those by and large tend to be more expensive areas particularly the closer you get to transit and amenities. Add in good schools and being close to two major job centers and it answers OP’s question as to why Arlington is so “hot.”

Which has nothing to do with the desirability of the other areas you noted. Obviously there can be multiple “hot” areas. Arlington being an attractive buy for people is not exclusive of other areas also being attractive to buyers. But I think it’s disingenuous to say it *only* offers access to DC and Tysons as to what it has going for it.

[Anonymous]

Starter home at 1m anything in between that and 2.5m are hot

[Anonymous]

Good job OP. The property values on your street just went up by $1M due to your totally real story, and now the entire word is convinced that Arlington is still desirable even with WFH jobs. Well done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good job OP. The property values on your street just went up by $1M due to your totally real story, and now the entire word is convinced that Arlington is still desirable even with WFH jobs. Well done.

too much real talk for a Sunday

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good job OP. The property values on your street just went up by $1M due to your totally real story, and now the entire word is convinced that Arlington is still desirable even with WFH jobs. Well done.

DC is not going to be a WFH town. Bay Area sure. Maybe NYC. But not DC for a very long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good job OP. The property values on your street just went up by $1M due to your totally real story, and now the entire word is convinced that Arlington is still desirable even with WFH jobs. Well done.

DC is not going to be a WFH town. Bay Area sure. Maybe NYC. But not DC for a very long time.

hahaha, no. people want out of SF and NYC. just look at migration patterns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Proximity to DC and Tysons with pretty good schools. No other reason. Repeat: no other reason. Yes, if telework really becomes a major thing then Arlington home price will suffer mightily. However, it's not clear yet whether telework will really take off. So for now, Arlington's location and schools keep it afloat.

Really? You think proximity is the only reason people buy here? I live 2 blocks from a metro station, can walk my kids to multiple parks, can walk to several coffee shops and other non-chain businesses, live near running/bike trails, and have a backyard for gardening and a swing set. I can walk along a nice tree-lined street to my youngest’s preschool. And I have the proximity to other areas you mentioned.

Look, I totally get why people move to other areas besides Arlington. You do have to sacrifice on house and/or lot size here if you’re able to buy new construction. For some people the trade off isn’t worth it, especially if your job is farther out. So I’m not hating on the appeal of other areas. But I think it’s a huge disservice to say people only buy in Arlington because its proximity to other locations.

Yes. Because many other neighborhoods have everything else you listed. It is absolutely not unique to have parks, coffee shops, trails, trees. It's hilarious you think otherwise.

The ONLY thing that makes North Arlington "hot" is schools and proximity to the DC and Tysons job centers. No other reason.

Really? There are plenty of other neighborhoods with metro, trails, parks, restaurants, etc. and good schools? Because we didn’t find much of that out there when we were house hunting.

And even if there are other areas with all these amenities that doesn’t negate the attractiveness of Arlington. I never claimed Arlington is the only place where this type of lifestyle exists. But I do think there is shortage of neighborhoods with transit, green space, and retail throughout the DC region, which is why as a whole these types of neighborhoods are more expensive. The proximity to job centers just further makes Arlington desirable, but isn’t the sole reason people pay so much to live here.

I don’t understand why you’re so defensive about the reasons people who buy in Arlington find it attractive to live here. I’ve never said there aren’t other great neighborhoods or implied Arlington is the best place ever. I’m just explaining that it offers much more than proximity to DC and Tysons. If all it had was proximity and no other amenities of its own, it would likely be much more affordable.

But if you feel better by hating on Arlington, then go for it.

Yes, really. You think MoCo, Fairfax, Alexandria, and DC don't all have restaurants and parks? There are tons of metro stations and most of them have amenities nearby. The only difference with Arlington is good schools and proximity to multiple job centers.

So where specifically has a similar vibe/amenities?

NP, but Vienna, Falls Church.

Bethesda, Del Ray, Old Town. Reston.

Arlington's advantage over those last three is either 1) Proximity to both DC and Tysons; and/or 2) Pretty good schools.

Isn't Bethesda more expensive than Arlington? Del Ray and and Old Town have issues with school quality. Reston is nice, it has the New Urbanism vibe that Arlington copied for its Urban Village. Reston is a pretty good example now that it has metro, though its Metro is pretty isolated from the walkable bits. I mean RTC is about 0.75 miles from RTC Metro and you have to cross Sunset Hills Rd. But other than that its pretty great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good job OP. The property values on your street just went up by $1M due to your totally real story, and now the entire word is convinced that Arlington is still desirable even with WFH jobs. Well done.

DC is not going to be a WFH town. Bay Area sure. Maybe NYC. But not DC for a very long time.

hahaha, no. people want out of SF and NYC. just look at migration patterns.

I'm confused, aren't we saying the same thing? I said SF and NYC would be WFH, which implies people would be "out" of there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good job OP. The property values on your street just went up by $1M due to your totally real story, and now the entire word is convinced that Arlington is still desirable even with WFH jobs. Well done.

DC is not going to be a WFH town. Bay Area sure. Maybe NYC. But not DC for a very long time.

hahaha, no. people want out of SF and NYC. just look at migration patterns.

I'm confused, aren't we saying the same thing? I said SF and NYC would be WFH, which implies people would be "out" of there?

ah, i understand you now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington isn’t perfect, but it offers something that is in short supply. It has the suburban feel that is nice for raising a family plus plenty of parks, trails, etc. But also close access to the city for date nights, museums, sporting events, and commute (if you work in DC). But also good commuting location to other job centers like Tysons. Plus it offers good (enough) schools from our experience so far. There just aren’t many areas in the region that offer all this.

This is exactly why we live here. It’s kind of like Bethesda, but not snobby.

It’s plenty snobby, the restaurant offerings are awful, and the housing stock is mostly ugly.

[Anonymous]

22207 average sale price $1.1M
20817 average sales price $1.004M.

Per redfin