What is the deal with these skinny houses in CCDC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am at a loss for words to describe how ugly and out of place these buildings are.

Give it time. More will do this.

[Anonymous]

Seriously. Almost everyone who has a garage in CCDC uses it for storing things other than their car. Street parking is ample. PP clearly has never stepped foot in DC.

True, I only go in to DC when I have to and have only been in CCDC a few times. I'm an Arlingtonian and prefer to stay on my side of the Potomac.

But, is a 5,000 sq ft house so small that you still need to use your garage for storage, rather than parking your car? I can understand maybe putting your lawn mower and a few things like that in your garage that you don't want to dirty your house with, but that should still leave room for at least one car.

What does it say about us as a society that we have that much stuff that we can't fit it all in 5,000+ square feet?

[Anonymous]

I love contemporary, modern homes, but prefer a cleaner, more streamlined external aesthetic. These are just random collections of facades.

I wish we'd see more mid century type exteriors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am at a loss for words to describe how ugly and out of place these buildings are.

Give it time. More will do this.

Won’t make these any less hideous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Seriously. Almost everyone who has a garage in CCDC uses it for storing things other than their car. Street parking is ample. PP clearly has never stepped foot in DC.

True, I only go in to DC when I have to and have only been in CCDC a few times. I'm an Arlingtonian and prefer to stay on my side of the Potomac.

But, is a 5,000 sq ft house so small that you still need to use your garage for storage, rather than parking your car? I can understand maybe putting your lawn mower and a few things like that in your garage that you don't want to dirty your house with, but that should still leave room for at least one car.

What does it say about us as a society that we have that much stuff that we can't fit it all in 5,000+ square feet?

DP but the houses are mostly smaller than that and garages are often small or non-existent, so the local market definitely doesn’t suggest you will get dinged for not having one.

[Anonymous]

7 beds and 7 baths and fugly. I’m having a hard time thinking of anyone who would want to purchase and live in these houses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my kindest words, I would say the houses are "not terrible." They will eventually sell, but may go for 20% off the list price. What I don't understand is why these houses don't have an attached garage. Most new duplexes and townhouses have an attached garage. A new SFH for these prices should absolutely have an attached garage.

I wouldn't mind seeing more skinny houses in Arlington, just not as externally ugly as these are. That being said, I don't want to be a NIMBY, nor could I afford to even buy a $1M empty lot in Arlington to stop someone from doing this. And I'm not going to try force my Arlington County leaders to ban a developer from doing this.

The garage point makes me think you’re not familiar with the neighborhood.

But if you're going to ignore everything else about the neighborhood, then you might as well ignore the pattern of unattached garages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Is that a weird display cabinet? Or some sort of appliance?

[Anonymous]

The color of the stone on the front fascade makes it look worse than it is. There are a few similar in AU park also.

[Anonymous]

Someone bought the larger one on the right and paid $2.7 million. Just closed. Some folks have more money than taste. Now the developer will be able to do more ugly projects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know the neighbors are pissed. Nice interiors however.

+1 the interiors are amazing but the exterior is not, I don't know if they could salvage the facade somehow or at least put in a tall tree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I suspect they hated their neighbors and wanted to tank their home value.

False. It’s an African developer. Africans have a different aesthetic — lets just leave it at that.

I suspected it was not an American who developed the lot. To American eyes these are butt ugly. But the future of the U.S. is with immigrants who think this look is attractive.

Be prepared for more ugly real estate. It's coming. Virginia is getting a lot of these hideous developments.

Hey, not all Americans are enamored with decaying shutters and siding coupled with crumbling brick and columns galore surrounded by a pointless lawn and interiors filled with dust and discomfort. Some of us like airy and fresh, especially those who are well traveled and weren't raised to worship old colonials from a small pocket of the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone bought the larger one on the right and paid $2.7 million. Just closed. Some folks have more money than taste. Now the developer will be able to do more ugly projects.

We walk by these often and they really are hideous. The one on the right at least, is looking at some trees in the back. The other one is looking at the alley, though they built the garage, so they're looking at their garage. But, the one on the right has an open coat closet that is visible from the street. We were scratching our head wondering why you'd want those big windows, and for everyone to see your coats hanging up?!?!

Every single house in CCDC that has large windows now has curtains that are closed at all times. That's not how people live when you're not in forest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I suspect they hated their neighbors and wanted to tank their home value.

False. It’s an African developer. Africans have a different aesthetic — lets just leave it at that.

I suspected it was not an American who developed the lot. To American eyes these are butt ugly. But the future of the U.S. is with immigrants who think this look is attractive.

Be prepared for more ugly real estate. It's coming. Virginia is getting a lot of these hideous developments.

Hey, not all Americans are enamored with decaying shutters and siding coupled with crumbling brick and columns galore surrounded by a pointless lawn and interiors filled with dust and discomfort. Some of us like airy and fresh, especially those who are well traveled and weren't raised to worship old colonials from a small pocket of the world.

As Miss Piggy memorably said: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye!”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone bought the larger one on the right and paid $2.7 million. Just closed. Some folks have more money than taste. Now the developer will be able to do more ugly projects.

We walk by these often and they really are hideous. The one on the right at least, is looking at some trees in the back. The other one is looking at the alley, though they built the garage, so they're looking at their garage. But, the one on the right has an open coat closet that is visible from the street. We were scratching our head wondering why you'd want those big windows, and for everyone to see your coats hanging up?!?!

Every single house in CCDC that has large windows now has curtains that are closed at all times. That's not how people live when you're not in forest.

Indeed, respectable people live inside a closed-in box. It's unnatural to want to look out.