Bluemont neighborhood of Arlington

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bluemont is a lovely part of Arlington, walking distance to Ballston, easy drive to Westover, super easy commute to DC, Tysons, Reston & Beyond and of course CC. If you find a house you like in that area, don't hesitate. If zip code matters to you, you prefer to rub elbows with richer neighbors, and you don't mind driving EVERYWHERE, then look further north in 22207.

Eh all the new builds are $$, but it’s more subtle wealth because they’re prioritizing convenience vs exclusivity. So you get a different type of buyer than you’d see in 22207 even if their HHI / NW is the same.

Also lots of people who moved here for their starter home back in the early 2010s when it was a lot less expensive stick around for the lifestyle (trail, pool / tennis club, Ballston walkability) so you’ve got people making big $ staying in / renovating original houses.

^ that was my point, but ok, I'll spell it out. If zip code snobbery matters to you, you want both the appearance and experience of a rich (mostly white) neighborhood, and you don't mind driving EVERYWHERE, then look in 22207. If you value convenience, beautiful parks, ability to walk into the vibrant part of Arlington, and yes, (GASP), some diversity (ethnic, age, and otherwise), tennis, roses, and walking paths then you will enjoy Bluemont.

PS: about pools - get on all the waitlists because they are glacially slow.

I posted about leaving Clarendon for Bluemont. We could have moved to McLean or north north Arlington with over 1.5 m in equity from Clarendon profits and purchased anything around 2.5m in 2010; which is now about 3.5-4m.

We did purchase a more expensive home in bluemont at the time - but the convenience of location won out over living close to everything but driving everywhere of westover and north and into mclean.

There is really something majestic about walking to everything you need.

Yes, but the neighborhood is still fugly. I am sorry. Having the most expensive home on the street isn't for everyone. We were looking at it over a decade ago and didn't like that most of the supply were very small, poorly laid out old homes. In comparison old ramblers and split levels in N. Arlington and Mclean together with lots sizes are very generous. There were barely any new construction homes then, and when we drove by a few weeks ago I didn't unfortunately see much change. There are more new homes now, but housing stock is still predominantly the same as before. I can see it's an attractive option for you to cash out

Bluemont had the most teardown new construction permits of any civic organization before COVID. Doubtful there hasn’t been much change since 10 years ago.

Our street alone in the past 5 years has had 5 new builds and 5 gut renos.

You don’t live here for the aesthetic. But thanks for the real life example of the people who choose NOT to live here due to focus on status/image over convenience and lifestyle.

Enjoy the 7,000 sq ft mcmansions being built on every 22207 rambler / split level home lot being sold.

You are weird. You just said that there is a lot of new construction in Bluemont and it's a good thing, and then also said that it's a bad thing in other areas? Bluemont has tiny lots, there is no way that new builds look any better there than they do in more residential prettier parts of Arlington with bigger lots or in Mclean.

I said explicitly that you DON’T live in Bluemont for the aesthetic so idk how you extrapolated the above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have personal experience, but I have heard that Kenmore should be avoided. It was the one school that a couple friends in Arlington specifically called out as being problematic.

Oh please. This is ridiculous. It’s middle school. It sucks almost by definition. I can’t imagine advising anyone to avoid that neighborhood and those schools because of the middle school.

I can. Know people who sent their kids there and pulled them out. The PE class is in known to be dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bluemont is a lovely part of Arlington, walking distance to Ballston, easy drive to Westover, super easy commute to DC, Tysons, Reston & Beyond and of course CC. If you find a house you like in that area, don't hesitate. If zip code matters to you, you prefer to rub elbows with richer neighbors, and you don't mind driving EVERYWHERE, then look further north in 22207.

Eh all the new builds are $$, but it’s more subtle wealth because they’re prioritizing convenience vs exclusivity. So you get a different type of buyer than you’d see in 22207 even if their HHI / NW is the same.

Also lots of people who moved here for their starter home back in the early 2010s when it was a lot less expensive stick around for the lifestyle (trail, pool / tennis club, Ballston walkability) so you’ve got people making big $ staying in / renovating original houses.

^ that was my point, but ok, I'll spell it out. If zip code snobbery matters to you, you want both the appearance and experience of a rich (mostly white) neighborhood, and you don't mind driving EVERYWHERE, then look in 22207. If you value convenience, beautiful parks, ability to walk into the vibrant part of Arlington, and yes, (GASP), some diversity (ethnic, age, and otherwise), tennis, roses, and walking paths then you will enjoy Bluemont.

PS: about pools - get on all the waitlists because they are glacially slow.

I posted about leaving Clarendon for Bluemont. We could have moved to McLean or north north Arlington with over 1.5 m in equity from Clarendon profits and purchased anything around 2.5m in 2010; which is now about 3.5-4m.

We did purchase a more expensive home in bluemont at the time - but the convenience of location won out over living close to everything but driving everywhere of westover and north and into mclean.

There is really something majestic about walking to everything you need.

Well done on your real estate choices. $1.5M in equity from a Clarendon purchase that you cashed in around 2010 is amazing appreciation.

Especially since houses hadn’t hit $2m there yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have personal experience, but I have heard that Kenmore should be avoided. It was the one school that a couple friends in Arlington specifically called out as being problematic.

Oh please. This is ridiculous. It’s middle school. It sucks almost by definition. I can’t imagine advising anyone to avoid that neighborhood and those schools because of the middle school.

I can. Know people who sent their kids there and pulled them out. The PE class is in known to be dangerous.

+1. It's pretty common knowledge in North Arlington that you need to avoid Kenmore MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have personal experience, but I have heard that Kenmore should be avoided. It was the one school that a couple friends in Arlington specifically called out as being problematic.

Oh please. This is ridiculous. It’s middle school. It sucks almost by definition. I can’t imagine advising anyone to avoid that neighborhood and those schools because of the middle school.

I can. Know people who sent their kids there and pulled them out. The PE class is in known to be dangerous.

+1. It's pretty common knowledge in North Arlington that you need to avoid Kenmore MS.

We lived in Bluemont and moved right before our kids would have had to go to Kenmore. Some of our neighbors stayed but had saved money for three years of private middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have personal experience, but I have heard that Kenmore should be avoided. It was the one school that a couple friends in Arlington specifically called out as being problematic.

Oh please. This is ridiculous. It’s middle school. It sucks almost by definition. I can’t imagine advising anyone to avoid that neighborhood and those schools because of the middle school.

It can derail some kids academically, socially and emotionally. Too many problems there and a rough age.