McMansions

[Anonymous]

I like the McMansions that are sprouting up in East Bethesda (downtown Bethesda, near Bethesda Chevy Chase High School). The ones done well are all Craftsman-like, and from the outside not huge, though on the inside . . . well, let's just say it took over an hour to find my 5-year old playing in the many rooms, bathrooms, and nooks and crannies of my neighbor's house.

I'm not a proponent of McMansions, I live in one of the ones with real charm. Clapboard. Front porch. Double hung windows. The works. But clearly not so big (we say cozy), very little closet space, and we sure would love one of those monster baths. I cry whenever I see a house being torn down or a tree being yanked from it's 100 year old abode in preparation for the invasion of the latest McMansion. But hey, you really can't stop this type of "progress," in such a close-in lovely area, and when considering some of the godawful McMansions infesting other areas of town, I'll take those faux Craftsman behemoths any time.

[Anonymous]

You can indeed stop the tear-down trend, or if not the tear down itself. the rising of the too-big-for-lot house that replaces it. Various regulatory tools are available in several jurisdictions, or neighborhoods within jurisdictions.

So for example, in Georgetown, a well-heeled developer cannot, by law, come in and buy up 6 of the tiny adjacent rowhouses (circa 1830), level them, and replace them with Hardi-Plank crap boxes that rise 40 feet above the neighbors -- in a mid-century modern style, let's say.

Not saying every neighborhood or town should do this. But it is indeed possible to implement.

[Anonymous]

I personally am totally anti-McMansion hating, but I do completely agree that many of these people could use a good architect! I drive by the actual mansions in Potomac every day and whoever owns Niroo Mansions.....goodness. I think they are so ugly! They're unique and gigantic. On the other hand, there is this one mansion on Falls Rd. with a big wrap-around porch built a couple of years ago and they have hung little flower baskets (well, probably big ones considering the size of the house!) on the porch and I think it's lovely. I don't live in a neighborhood with them because we're in Gaithersburg and there's no need (we're not close enough in and there are plenty of large enough homes here that people don't tear down much), but we're looking in areas like Vienna where they're more common. I don't mind them much there because the yards are larger so they don't look as bad. In McLean though it's a little of an eyesore, except those who have built to fit the neighborhood style, at least. I think some in Bethesda are really nice. I guess for me it's not the size of the home but some of them are pretty ugly. If I had the money I would probably not get a huge home because I'd rather have the money else-where, but I would totally buy a nice-sized home that was the result of a tear-down. And let's face it....in some of these areas they tore down 1K sq. ft. homes to build 5K sq./ft homes and I don't think that's really THAT big a deal.

If you live among these homes, be proud that you are in such a nice neighborhood that people wanted to live in it so badly they put all that money into their home! Also, I agree with the poster who said that the trash in the yard is worse. I see a lot of that around too. I'd prefer to live in a place with eyesore McMansions (provided the people who inhabit them are nice!) than somewhere that people don't take care of their homes.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Not all Mansions are ugly...just most of them. People aren't taking the time and money to it right. There are lots of funny looking small homes, but they just aren't as noticeable because they are small. If you're going to do it big (if you must do it big), please do it right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the McMansions that are sprouting up in East Bethesda (downtown Bethesda, near Bethesda Chevy Chase High School). The ones done well are all Craftsman-like, and from the outside not huge, though on the inside . . . well, let's just say it took over an hour to find my 5-year old playing in the many rooms, bathrooms, and nooks and crannies of my neighbor's house.
.

I don't consider these houses McMansions. If something is nice and solidly built, it's not a McMansion, just a big house. My definition of a McMansion is a house that's new, big and cheaply constructed (not to mention, utterly lacking in charm). They are size over quality. A classic example is a house with a brick front and siding on the sides, cheap doors, vinyl windows, (the previously mentioned garage in front), and little landscaping.

McMansions are totally not my taste, but I sure do like some of the well built newer homes in CC and Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

To the folks that don't understand why others don't like the McMansion, it is because we have to see them. So, we're not jealous, just a little repulsed.

[Anonymous]

How do you prevent someone from building a McMansion in your neighborhood? Just in our neighborhood alone, there are 4 being built! We have huge lots, lots of old, big, beautiful trees-some people are opting to keep them, thank God. How do you go about having regulations? My one desire is to keep with the architecture and not build something that doesn't fit in.

[Anonymous]

pp, those things can cast a shadow so you'll never see the sun again.

[Anonymous]

We have a McMansion, and we got it for the open floor plan (love the kitchen, eat-in kitchen and great room all together), the ample closet space, newish construction that requires less maintenance, the finished basement, and two-car garage. It's really difficult to find all of that outside of McMansions. When we were looking at homes in 2004, it seemed as if we would have to give up something, so we gave up character. We would rather have the space.

But, OP, I feel your pain. We live in a development, and driving past rows and rows of these things almost makes my stomach turn. On the outside, they look like cardboard boxes. But, on the inside, they are pretty nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:pp, those things can cast a shadow so you'll never see the sun again.

They just did a segment on this very topic on NPR!

[Anonymous]

OP here again. I wrote the OP because I suffered an eye sore when driving down a quiet road in Bethesda. I grew up in Bethesda and know just about every house on that street. I had not been back in over a year, and saw to my horror, TWO McMansions side by side on a road that shall remain nameless. These homes sort of belched forward, They signaled "WE HAVE NO TASTE" (my dh told me not to use the word class).
Is this a thing that folks do when they make it? Does everyone have to know that you've arrived? We have enough money for two of those things, but I just know that most of my friends, and all of my family members would have a good laugh. I would have to shut my eyes as a drove into the garage (dangerous).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a McMansion, and we got it for the open floor plan (love the kitchen, eat-in kitchen and great room all together), the ample closet space, newish construction that requires less maintenance, the finished basement, and two-car garage. It's really difficult to find all of that outside of McMansions. When we were looking at homes in 2004, it seemed as if we would have to give up something, so we gave up character. We would rather have the space.

But, OP, I feel your pain. We live in a development, and driving past rows and rows of these things almost makes my stomach turn. On the outside, they look like cardboard boxes. But, on the inside, they are pretty nice.

I have most of that in my 1965 house. The one thing I am missing is the two car garage.

While my house is also tract housing, it was done in '65, and they did things a little different then. Firstly, the quality in the work is there, and secondly my house does not look exactly like the one next door, or the one down the street. They used four basic floor plans, but still had different plans on the outside of the home. I was looking at a huge crop of McMansions, and all I could think was "How do they know which one is theirs?" Seriously, it is totally understandable if someone gets drunk, walks in your house, and passes out on your couch. I don't think that person can really be held responsible, sure the decor inside is different, but outside it is just as tacky as his.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone mentioned the vinyl fences?

[Anonymous]

Many houses in the 50s and 60s are cookie cutter. Maybe built better, but think of the homes in Bethesda on Democracy Blvd....they are tiny and all brick and exactly the same. McLean has many identically built homes from this era. Not everything was better then. Maybe the homes were brick, but they weren't all gorgeous and varied. In some of these areas the updates are what made the homes look different and cute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone mentioned the vinyl fences?

Oh me god!