Pimmit Hills
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Anonymous
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Any thoughts on this neighborhood?
We're looking to buy and it is one of the places we can afford (budget in low 400's), but we know nothing about it other than the schools get good ratings thanks to Vienna and MacLean. Our other option is Annandale, but there seem to be a lot more questionable schools and neighborhoods there. |
Anonymous
PH is a mix of original small homes from the 50s that haven't been updated much, houses with additions (some nice, others tacky) and new homes on the original lots (some nice, some ugly). Compared to the surrounding areas in McLean and West Falls Church, it has a working-class feel (lots of chain-link fences, more trucks in driveways and American flags flying on porches than you'll find in a typical West Falls Church/McLean neighborhood, and a fair number of people who let their kids leave their bikes and toys out in front yards), though there are also quite a few professionals moving there who can't afford a more expensive house. It's probably about 60% white, 15-20% Asian, 15-20% Hispanic and 5% AA. Overall, it seems friendly and fairly safe these days. Some people think the area will get more expensive when the Metro stations in Tysons are completed, but it's hard to say whether that's already baked into the current prices. Pimmit Hills goes to either Westgate or Lemon Road ES, Kilmer MS and Marshall HS. That's a pretty good pyramid, and the other neighborhoods of SFHs that feed into them are more expensive. There are some lower-income apartments that feed into those schools as well, but not as many as in Annandale, which is why the test scores are a good bit higher. |
Anonymous
| Good post by the PP. I looked there when I was looking for my previous house - it was kind of blue-collar at the time, but might have improved since then. (this was about 12 years ago; I haven't been in the neighborhood for maybe 6 years now.) You really can't beat the location if you're working in Tysons, though, and the schools are pretty good. Some of the lots were pretty good-sized. Remember that adding a second floor to a rambler can be pretty expensive, more expensive than a bump-out, so you'd want to buy enough space. I'd probably choose Pimmit over Annandale, though the Tysons traffic should be a consideration. 7 can get pretty backed up. |
Anonymous
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Just FYI: Please checkout the sex offered list. Remembered seeing a few on the list little while ago.
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Anonymous
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PP: You can put any address into the sex offender list and find offenders. Turns out that someone who works at the Giant near my house had child pornography in his possession.
What I'm saying is, be safe. Not paranoid. |
Anonymous
Check out the "sex offered" list? I think you'll have to go to Nevada for that. |
Anonymous
| 12:31 poster had a pretty good description. We rented there for a year when we were new to the DC area (about 6 years ago). It was ok, but it was before my kids were in school and after having lived there a year, I don't think I'd buy there - although we would be in your same predicament - not able to afford houses in too many areas. We rent out near Chantilly now. Anyhow, we had good friends that owned a house there and they lived on a cute street (I want to say Griffiths? and had a nice house. Ours was not as nice. There's a few pockets of nicer places/bigger lots, but for the most part, I wouldn't want to buy there. I didn't think the local elementary was the best - my friend that still lives there says a lot of the families are low income and on reduced lunch - the PTA is uninvolved and doesn't have a lot of money, etc. Not that schools with less money are worse educationally, they just can't afford to do as much. I still remember these nearby residents that had chickens and a rooster in their yard - the rooster crowed every morning! I actually kind of liked it. I also recall the neighbor boy across the street (about 5) that knocked on our door early one morning because he left the house and got locked out. His parents were passed out and didn't hear us pounding on the doors and windows. I left a note on their door I had their kid. When he came to collect the boy and I explained, he just acted like it was no big deal. WTF? We lived on Lisle Ave. btw. |
Anonymous
| Around 1/4 of the students at Lemon Road and Westgate get free/reduced lunches. That's about the same as Cunningham Park in Vienna, and a little bit higher than Poplar Tree in Chantilly, but lower than it is in many schools in Fairfax that students living in $400K homes attend. |
Anonymous
| I'm very pro SFH over a TH for most families with kids, but I just don't think I'd buy there. Lots of rentals, some questionable neighbors, etc. There are much more conveniently located places if your goal is to be near Tysons. In your price range, I'd check out THs near Dunn Loring and Vienna. |
Anonymous
http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/registry I was referencing this. |
Anonymous
Not sure that's the case if OP is talking low $400s. What TH complexes are you referring to? |
Anonymous
Hmm, for some reason I glossed over the low 400s part. If OP could do upper 400s, there are a couple of TH neighborhoods off of Gallows and near Cedar that she could get into. Low 400s is really, really tough, but I would still think twice about buying into Pimmit Hills. |
Anonymous
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OP here
Thank you all for the feedback. I thought the schools here looked good. Free/red lunch much less than other area but mostly due to the other areas that feed in not pimmit hills. Buying in thd high 400s is not an option as we have 2 kids in daycare so that sucks up a good 2000/ month. I do worry/wonder more about the demographics. We are the typical well educated 30 something's with young kids. We currently live in south Arlington and while we love it buying here is not an option. |
Anonymous
| If I were looking in your price range, I would give Pimmit Hills some serious consideration. Demographics have changed over the past 10 years and you can't beat the location for a SFH around $400k. I think you will find families like yours as well as those with less money/education, but the neighborhood is improving. |
Anonymous
| OP, I would not buy there. It's a fairly undesirable neighborhood. Can you stay in S. Arlington? |