What's with Glen Echo Heights?

[Anonymous]

We've been looking at some houses. There are many beautiful homes including new construction. But there are all of these rundown wrecks scattered throughout the neighborhood. There was one overgrown mess off of Madawaska with six cars on the property. Questionable given the price of the real estate. What's the deal?

[Anonymous]

It was a working class area 30 years ago. Then the new money moved in. The remnants of the working class are still there, having inherited their houses from an older generation.

They will eventually move on/die/sell...

[Anonymous]

PP is correct. Most of those places are original owners or hand-me-downs. They are gradually going away. The interesting thing is that more of them aren't being sold off at a faster rate. Just one of those lots is worth more than the house that sits on it.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, this area was originally built for non-malarial summer homes and then became working class. It stayed somewhat that fairly working class until the 80s and 90s when it became a McMansion stronghold.

[Anonymous]

Here ya go: https://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/where-we-live-glen-echo-heights-tall-trees-and-friendly-neighbors/2016/03/24/4cca40a0-eb99-11e5-a6f3-21ccdbc5f74e_story.html

[Anonymous]

My grandparents bought their house in GEH when it was new in the 50s, and lived there for 30+ years. A lot of the area was built in the 50s and 60s. It was not, to my knowledge, developed, so there was a huge range of styles, from small split levels (theirs) to MCMs to cottages. Wood Acres had more traditional housing stock but of course had exclusionary covenants so it wasn't an option for some people (my grandparents included). I don't recall it being particularly blue collar in the 60s and 70s, but lots of government workers and regular people. I remember when the first "big" house was built on their street, probably in the 70s. It seemed so grand. It looks pretty unimpressive now.

[Anonymous]

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/551056.page

[Anonymous]

Thread about a specific house but lots of neighborhood info in here also:
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/509355.page

[Anonymous]

it is sort of becoming the new Bradley Hills now that normal multi-millionaires have been priced out of there. Big lots with privacy and great schools and commutes for people who care less about metro

[Anonymous]

There is no HOA in Glen Echo Heights so it is quite easy for those decaying properties to linger. However in recent years Montgomery County has had to respond to an increasing number of complaints fro newer residents. Not that the County does much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no HOA in Glen Echo Heights so it is quite easy for those decaying properties to linger. However in recent years Montgomery County has had to respond to an increasing number of complaints fro newer residents. Not that the County does much.

to be fair there is like 3 crappy houses left and maybe a half dozen of middle class but under utilized ones that no longer belong after that. There are far more 3mil homes than 600k, it doesn't really affect the fabric of the area

[Anonymous]

OP unlike many inner suburbs, Glen Echo Heights is not a post-WWII cookie cutter neighborhood. Like Brookmont, Mohican Hills and Glen Echo proper, it's developed gradually over more than 100 years. I'm not sure what you mean by "questionable," but if you're looking for a more uniform look in a neighborhood, cross Sangamore into Sumner or find a neighborhood where the tear-down/new construction rate is higher (off Bradley Blvd you can find some). Glen Echo Heights is all about proximity to the canal, the CCT and the city, large lots with mature trees, and good schools (though the good schools aren't unique in the area).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP unlike many inner suburbs, Glen Echo Heights is not a post-WWII cookie cutter neighborhood. Like Brookmont, Mohican Hills and Glen Echo proper, it's developed gradually over more than 100 years. I'm not sure what you mean by "questionable," but if you're looking for a more uniform look in a neighborhood, cross Sangamore into Sumner or find a neighborhood where the tear-down/new construction rate is higher (off Bradley Blvd you can find some). Glen Echo Heights is all about proximity to the canal, the CCT and the city, large lots with mature trees, and good schools (though the good schools aren't unique in the area).

Sumner has always been upper class and due to that the base price of the homes in it has been too high to have many tear downs. A few on the sides where the ramblers are and a few here or there but most of the tear downs are in Glen Mar Park. GLH is more than half tear downs and most were built in the last 10 years. You are a little off with your description of a slowly developed area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP unlike many inner suburbs, Glen Echo Heights is not a post-WWII cookie cutter neighborhood. Like Brookmont, Mohican Hills and Glen Echo proper, it's developed gradually over more than 100 years. I'm not sure what you mean by "questionable," but if you're looking for a more uniform look in a neighborhood, cross Sangamore into Sumner or find a neighborhood where the tear-down/new construction rate is higher (off Bradley Blvd you can find some). Glen Echo Heights is all about proximity to the canal, the CCT and the city, large lots with mature trees, and good schools (though the good schools aren't unique in the area).

Sumner has always been upper class and due to that the base price of the homes in it has been too high to have many tear downs. A few on the sides where the ramblers are and a few here or there but most of the tear downs are in Glen Mar Park. GLH is more than half tear downs and most were built in the last 10 years. You are a little off with your description of a slowly developed area.

I think PP meant it was not a development. Sumner was built over a relatively short period of time by the Miller Company. Wood Acres was similarly developed over a short period of time. I live in Sumner and there are several houses in the neighborhood that are the same model/floor plan as mine. GEH was built/rebuilt over a much longer period and by many builders so has much greater variations in styles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP unlike many inner suburbs, Glen Echo Heights is not a post-WWII cookie cutter neighborhood. Like Brookmont, Mohican Hills and Glen Echo proper, it's developed gradually over more than 100 years. I'm not sure what you mean by "questionable," but if you're looking for a more uniform look in a neighborhood, cross Sangamore into Sumner or find a neighborhood where the tear-down/new construction rate is higher (off Bradley Blvd you can find some). Glen Echo Heights is all about proximity to the canal, the CCT and the city, large lots with mature trees, and good schools (though the good schools aren't unique in the area).

Sumner has always been upper class and due to that the base price of the homes in it has been too high to have many tear downs. A few on the sides where the ramblers are and a few here or there but most of the tear downs are in Glen Mar Park. GLH is more than half tear downs and most were built in the last 10 years. You are a little off with your description of a slowly developed area.

I think PP meant it was not a development. Sumner was built over a relatively short period of time by the Miller Company. Wood Acres was similarly developed over a short period of time. I live in Sumner and there are several houses in the neighborhood that are the same model/floor plan as mine. GEH was built/rebuilt over a much longer period and by many builders so has much greater variations in styles.

Fair enough, I too live in Sumner