What is the most overrated area (neighborhood, town, etc) in the DC metropolitan area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Calling new houses in PH "custom builds" is like saying you got a "custom meal" at McDonald's because you got to choose the number of your Value Meal. These are ugly McMansions, whether in Arlington or PH. The difference is that there's also plenty of good stuff, older and newer, in Arlington, and there really isn't in PH.

Well if these homes are McDonalds what are the original tract ramblers, cap cods, split levels and tiny colonials in this area?

They are the original tract ramblers, Cape Cods, split-levels and colonials in this area. See, that was easy, and no need to link to giant Redfin images, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

1) only the worst of these models can be found in PH
2) work on your reading comprehension ... "it's the 'custom' jobs that make the place humorous" ... THIS is NOT "happening everywhere" and is why people laugh at the PH posse that insists all new/modified houses in PH are on the level of other areas.

1) Not true, the only models out of that list not found in PH are #2 and #6 from the end, and they just happen to be the ugliest.

2) If by "custom" jobs you mean the haphazard building of additions, then this wasn't really a part of discussion, since we're talking about new builds by actual name builders that can be compared oranges for oranges. Secondly, not happening everywhere? Really? Have you seen this place called South Arlington? Around Columbia Pike maybe?

Au contraire ... This was the preamble to that litany of ugly box home pics ... note the bold:

"Even though most of these builders' PH models would be pretty awful in more expensive neighborhoods, they are a HUGE improvement over what they're replacing. What bothers me about the area are the many, many one off new builds by XYZ random GC and the atrocious add-ons that look like a couple of shipping containers bolted only the existing home. Bigger name builders are fine, it's the 'custom' jobs that make the place humorous and will definitely cap the degree to which the hood can improve until they're knocked down themselves."

In addition, I would hardly call South Arlington / Columbia Pike and Pimmit Hills "everywhere" ... but I do think you've found the other horrible area with misplaced and excessive resident pride to which PH should compare itself. Congrats!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please, can people quote those horrible houses more so we can get those big ass graphics over and over?

I'm sure the people using the quote function for those houses must live in PH - no actual DC person would be that annoying.

Haha dumb I will quote the pics to piss you off and I ain't from ph

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

1) only the worst of these models can be found in PH
2) work on your reading comprehension ... "it's the 'custom' jobs that make the place humorous" ... THIS is NOT "happening everywhere" and is why people laugh at the PH posse that insists all new/modified houses in PH are on the level of other areas.

1) Not true, the only models out of that list not found in PH are #2 and #6 from the end, and they just happen to be the ugliest.

2) If by "custom" jobs you mean the haphazard building of additions, then this wasn't really a part of discussion, since we're talking about new builds by actual name builders that can be compared oranges for oranges. Secondly, not happening everywhere? Really? Have you seen this place called South Arlington? Around Columbia Pike maybe?

Au contraire ... This was the preamble to that litany of ugly box home pics ... note the bold:

"Even though most of these builders' PH models would be pretty awful in more expensive neighborhoods, they are a HUGE improvement over what they're replacing. What bothers me about the area are the many, many one off new builds by XYZ random GC and the atrocious add-ons that look like a couple of shipping containers bolted only the existing home. Bigger name builders are fine, it's the 'custom' jobs that make the place humorous and will definitely cap the degree to which the hood can improve until they're knocked down themselves."

In addition, I would hardly call South Arlington / Columbia Pike and Pimmit Hills "everywhere" ... but I do think you've found the other horrible area with misplaced and excessive resident pride to which PH should compare itself. Congrats!

You're taking things out of context, that remark was made well into the discussion. There was a comment that new builds in PH will be either done by builders on the low end of Arlington/McLean new builds, or builders who never work in these areas. Self-styled additions were never part of that discussion. Then the person you quoted chimed in and said she didn't mind new builds but did mind the self-styled addition. That's a valid remark but has no bearing for the comparison of new builds by name builders in PH and elsewhere.

The South Arlington remark was made in response to the comment that PH-style housing would never be found in Arlington. Not N. Arlington, not wealthy parts of Arlington, but the whole of Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please, can people quote those horrible houses more so we can get those big ass graphics over and over?

I'm sure the people using the quote function for those houses must live in PH - no actual DC person would be that annoying.

You must be using "20008" as a replacement for "DC". 'Cause I have a couple of investment properties in 20002 and people who live there are not plenty annoying, but illiterate as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Hill is pretty good damn overrated. Too many olds and strollers to dodge every day and not enough high rise housing stock for singles. Shitty transit access, too, as compared to the "mid-city" area.

Not enough high rise access is exactly why so many people like it. It wouldn't be nearly as pretty if it had new apartment buildings everywhere. But, if you are a young single person, I can see why it might not appeal. It's expensive and definitely geared more for families these days.

Shitty transit access seems like a crazy complaint. You can walk to H Street, the Capitol, the Mall, Nationals Park, there are several Metro stops, a million Capitol Bikeshare locations, plenty of bus stops and Circulator stops, and incredibly easy access to 295 and 395. I don't think you know what you're talking about there. ("Mid-city"? What is that?)

The Hill is at the end of the city. Most people don't go east of the river (Wards 7 and 8) and with the expansive Capitol grounds and the Mall taking up so much real estate, the neighborhood feels cut off from the rest of town.

LOL! You're living in a very weird, very limited bubble, and your perspective on what is "expansive" and "cut off" is bizarre.

Other than Eastern Market, there's nothing to do on the Hill. The Capitol and all the office buildings are closed on the weekends there's simply no one around and nothing going on. It doesn't have the same feel or vibrancy of DuPont, Georgetown, U street, etc. It's boring, dangerous, overpriced and in winter, a depressing place to live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Hill is pretty good damn overrated. Too many olds and strollers to dodge every day and not enough high rise housing stock for singles. Shitty transit access, too, as compared to the "mid-city" area.

Not enough high rise access is exactly why so many people like it. It wouldn't be nearly as pretty if it had new apartment buildings everywhere. But, if you are a young single person, I can see why it might not appeal. It's expensive and definitely geared more for families these days.

Shitty transit access seems like a crazy complaint. You can walk to H Street, the Capitol, the Mall, Nationals Park, there are several Metro stops, a million Capitol Bikeshare locations, plenty of bus stops and Circulator stops, and incredibly easy access to 295 and 395. I don't think you know what you're talking about there. ("Mid-city"? What is that?)

The Hill is at the end of the city. Most people don't go east of the river (Wards 7 and 8) and with the expansive Capitol grounds and the Mall taking up so much real estate, the neighborhood feels cut off from the rest of town.

LOL! You're living in a very weird, very limited bubble, and your perspective on what is "expansive" and "cut off" is bizarre.

Other than Eastern Market, there's nothing to do on the Hill. The Capitol and all the office buildings are closed on the weekends there's simply no one around and nothing going on. It doesn't have the same feel or vibrancy of DuPont, Georgetown, U street, etc. It's boring, dangerous, overpriced and in winter, a depressing place to live.

I ask this honestly: Have you been to the Hill? Like, within the last five years? Barracks Row has some great restaurants now. If you extend your definition of the Hill to include Yards Park and H Street--both walkable from the center of the Hill--there is enough to occupy a family pretty much every weekend. So many parks, playgrounds, spraygrounds, restaurants, bars, coffeeshops, libraries, some nice stores, the Atlas theater, the Folger...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of Washington D.C. if you have kids. The lotteries, going to schools halfway across town, all so you can live in "the city" instead of the suburbs. Give me my walkable suburbs, with a few decent restaurants and shops within walking distance, and a school bus stop around the corner any day!

Go for it, but I'm not leaving Capitol Hill. I love it here. To each his own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of Washington D.C. if you have kids. The lotteries, going to schools halfway across town, all so you can live in "the city" instead of the suburbs. Give me my walkable suburbs, with a few decent restaurants and shops within walking distance, and a school bus stop around the corner any day!

Go for it, but I'm not leaving Capitol Hill. I love it here. To each his own.

I can see the appeal of Rockville/Vienna -- or hell even Frederick/Leesburg/Annapolis -- over the unwalkable/non-Metro accessible parts of NE/SE that really don't have much in the way of schools, amenities, or beautiful houses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Hill is pretty good damn overrated. Too many olds and strollers to dodge every day and not enough high rise housing stock for singles. Shitty transit access, too, as compared to the "mid-city" area.

Not enough high rise access is exactly why so many people like it. It wouldn't be nearly as pretty if it had new apartment buildings everywhere. But, if you are a young single person, I can see why it might not appeal. It's expensive and definitely geared more for families these days.

Shitty transit access seems like a crazy complaint. You can walk to H Street, the Capitol, the Mall, Nationals Park, there are several Metro stops, a million Capitol Bikeshare locations, plenty of bus stops and Circulator stops, and incredibly easy access to 295 and 395. I don't think you know what you're talking about there. ("Mid-city"? What is that?)

The Hill is at the end of the city. Most people don't go east of the river (Wards 7 and 8) and with the expansive Capitol grounds and the Mall taking up so much real estate, the neighborhood feels cut off from the rest of town.

LOL! You're living in a very weird, very limited bubble, and your perspective on what is "expansive" and "cut off" is bizarre.

Other than Eastern Market, there's nothing to do on the Hill. The Capitol and all the office buildings are closed on the weekends there's simply no one around and nothing going on. It doesn't have the same feel or vibrancy of DuPont, Georgetown, U street, etc. It's boring, dangerous, overpriced and in winter, a depressing place to live.

Are you writing from 1988?

[Anonymous]

Georgetown

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The entire city of dc
The entire area of Arlington
Anywhere that is not Potomac or Langley zoned McLean

Really? The entire city?

[Anonymous]

If you add up all the places that make the overrated list from this thread, we should all relocate to another part of the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of Washington D.C. if you have kids. The lotteries, going to schools halfway across town, all so you can live in "the city" instead of the suburbs. Give me my walkable suburbs, with a few decent restaurants and shops within walking distance, and a school bus stop around the corner any day!

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Hill is pretty good damn overrated. Too many olds and strollers to dodge every day and not enough high rise housing stock for singles. Shitty transit access, too, as compared to the "mid-city" area.

Not enough high rise access is exactly why so many people like it. It wouldn't be nearly as pretty if it had new apartment buildings everywhere. But, if you are a young single person, I can see why it might not appeal. It's expensive and definitely geared more for families these days.

Shitty transit access seems like a crazy complaint. You can walk to H Street, the Capitol, the Mall, Nationals Park, there are several Metro stops, a million Capitol Bikeshare locations, plenty of bus stops and Circulator stops, and incredibly easy access to 295 and 395. I don't think you know what you're talking about there. ("Mid-city"? What is that?)

The Hill is at the end of the city. Most people don't go east of the river (Wards 7 and 8) and with the expansive Capitol grounds and the Mall taking up so much real estate, the neighborhood feels cut off from the rest of town.

LOL! You're living in a very weird, very limited bubble, and your perspective on what is "expansive" and "cut off" is bizarre.

Other than Eastern Market, there's nothing to do on the Hill. The Capitol and all the office buildings are closed on the weekends there's simply no one around and nothing going on. It doesn't have the same feel or vibrancy of DuPont, Georgetown, U street, etc. It's boring, dangerous, overpriced and in winter, a depressing place to live.

I ask this honestly: Have you been to the Hill? Like, within the last five years? Barracks Row has some great restaurants now. If you extend your definition of the Hill to include Yards Park and H Street--both walkable from the center of the Hill--there is enough to occupy a family pretty much every weekend. So many parks, playgrounds, spraygrounds, restaurants, bars, coffeeshops, libraries, some nice stores, the Atlas theater, the Folger...

Tell me about the middle schools and high school on the Hill. It's great if you can afford private or play the lottery game. It's not so great when your only option is Eastern High School. Also, let's not forget about the crime on the Hill. My mother lives on the Hill and I grew up there. It's not all butterflies and roses. There are more safer neighborhoods with better public schools in DC than the Hill.