New Palace in Forest Hills!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it normal for a home meant an ambassador residence to just go on the market like this? Wouldn't there be a specific plan for who would own it before it is built?

No. The builders clearly had someone fronting the cash for the construction. This was easily $5m in construction costs. The land acquisition was $1.7m. No one builds a place like this on spec. It was a special order for a special client....but it appears that client has now pulled out of the deal.

I think everyone involved with this project is just hoping to break even.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's beautiful but I'm not sure anyone would buy this so close to everyone else. the house that was there before is much more in the keeping with then neighborhood.

Agree that this house is way too big for that lot, and so can't imagine anyone spending that much to have neighbors so close. But I disagree about the house that was there before; it was super-ugly unrenovated 1970s and was ripe to be torn down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's beautiful but I'm not sure anyone would buy this so close to everyone else. the house that was there before is much more in the keeping with then neighborhood.

Agree that this house is way too big for that lot, and so can't imagine anyone spending that much to have neighbors so close. But I disagree about the house that was there before; it was super-ugly unrenovated 1970s and was ripe to be torn down.

My curiosity got to me so I strolled by the other day, and it really is shocking how too-big this house is for this lot, and how insane it looks compared to more other homes in the neighborhood. It looks ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's beautiful but I'm not sure anyone would buy this so close to everyone else. the house that was there before is much more in the keeping with then neighborhood.

Agree that this house is way too big for that lot, and so can't imagine anyone spending that much to have neighbors so close. But I disagree about the house that was there before; it was super-ugly unrenovated 1970s and was ripe to be torn down.

It’s still on google maps so we all can check it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's beautiful but I'm not sure anyone would buy this so close to everyone else. the house that was there before is much more in the keeping with then neighborhood.

Agree that this house is way too big for that lot, and so can't imagine anyone spending that much to have neighbors so close. But I disagree about the house that was there before; it was super-ugly unrenovated 1970s and was ripe to be torn down.

It’s still on google maps so we all can check it out.

Can you share a link?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's beautiful but I'm not sure anyone would buy this so close to everyone else. the house that was there before is much more in the keeping with then neighborhood.

Agree that this house is way too big for that lot, and so can't imagine anyone spending that much to have neighbors so close. But I disagree about the house that was there before; it was super-ugly unrenovated 1970s and was ripe to be torn down.

I live in Forest Hills and can't believe they were able to build this. Ugh. Where were all the do gooders who protected the Polish Ambassadors old house and the one across the street from it that is up against Soapstone. Plus, they just tour down another cool Mediterranean style house at the corner of Ellicott and Lineaen. Hope another monstrosity is not going in there. Time for a historical district ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's beautiful but I'm not sure anyone would buy this so close to everyone else. the house that was there before is much more in the keeping with then neighborhood.

Agree that this house is way too big for that lot, and so can't imagine anyone spending that much to have neighbors so close. But I disagree about the house that was there before; it was super-ugly unrenovated 1970s and was ripe to be torn down.

I live in Forest Hills and can't believe they were able to build this. Ugh. Where were all the do gooders who protected the Polish Ambassadors old house and the one across the street from it that is up against Soapstone. Plus, they just tour down another cool Mediterranean style house at the corner of Ellicott and Lineaen. Hope another monstrosity is not going in there. Time for a historical district ?

You're lucky! I think FH is the most beautiful neighborhood in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The previous home was lovely, mainly on one floor as the house across the street. The other massive estate/house/mansion is now the ambassador of kuwait’s Residence.

This place was nonstop construction for more than a year. I walked by it all the time and there were at least 2 or 3 trucks outside all day. It certainly was a local job creator!

I love the house across the street. It reminds me of the mid-century modern house I grew up in.

I love the former mid-century house as well. I would have liked to have seen an architect like Robert Gurney update it and transform it. Instead, we got a McMansion.

Same here. Loved the house that was leveled. So few of them in Ward 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's beautiful but I'm not sure anyone would buy this so close to everyone else. the house that was there before is much more in the keeping with then neighborhood.

Agree that this house is way too big for that lot, and so can't imagine anyone spending that much to have neighbors so close. But I disagree about the house that was there before; it was super-ugly unrenovated 1970s and was ripe to be torn down.

It’s still on google maps so we all can check it out.

Can you share a link?

Just put the address of the property found in the OP here into google maps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's beautiful but I'm not sure anyone would buy this so close to everyone else. the house that was there before is much more in the keeping with then neighborhood.

Agree that this house is way too big for that lot, and so can't imagine anyone spending that much to have neighbors so close. But I disagree about the house that was there before; it was super-ugly unrenovated 1970s and was ripe to be torn down.

I live in Forest Hills and can't believe they were able to build this. Ugh. Where were all the do gooders who protected the Polish Ambassadors old house and the one across the street from it that is up against Soapstone. Plus, they just tour down another cool Mediterranean style house at the corner of Ellicott and Lineaen. Hope another monstrosity is not going in there. Time for a historical district ?

You're lucky! I think FH is the most beautiful neighborhood in DC.

It's not going to be soon, because multiple builders are allowed to completely clear the lots of all the mature trees and atone by 1) paying the city chump change (based on tree circumference) and 2) planting a few infant twig trees once the new oligarch mansion is finished.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's beautiful but I'm not sure anyone would buy this so close to everyone else. the house that was there before is much more in the keeping with then neighborhood.

Agree that this house is way too big for that lot, and so can't imagine anyone spending that much to have neighbors so close. But I disagree about the house that was there before; it was super-ugly unrenovated 1970s and was ripe to be torn down.

It’s still on google maps so we all can check it out.

Can you share a link?

Just put the address of the property found in the OP here into google maps.

Got it - wow, what a shame!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's beautiful but I'm not sure anyone would buy this so close to everyone else. the house that was there before is much more in the keeping with then neighborhood.

Agree that this house is way too big for that lot, and so can't imagine anyone spending that much to have neighbors so close. But I disagree about the house that was there before; it was super-ugly unrenovated 1970s and was ripe to be torn down.

I live in Forest Hills and can't believe they were able to build this. Ugh. Where were all the do gooders who protected the Polish Ambassadors old house and the one across the street from it that is up against Soapstone. Plus, they just tour down another cool Mediterranean style house at the corner of Ellicott and Lineaen. Hope another monstrosity is not going in there. Time for a historical district ?

The house next to Soapstone sucks: why bother?

The Polish ambassador’s is big and on a big lot, but it’s the only house I’ve seen where the sprinklers appear to go on when it rains!

I guess the downside to FH’s relative architectural open-mindedness is that you’ll inevitably get some truly ugly stuff.

[Anonymous]

Meh.
Maybe everyone involved losing money will keep future mistakes from being built.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meh.
Maybe everyone involved losing money will keep future mistakes from being built.

Good point!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's beautiful but I'm not sure anyone would buy this so close to everyone else. the house that was there before is much more in the keeping with then neighborhood.

Agree that this house is way too big for that lot, and so can't imagine anyone spending that much to have neighbors so close. But I disagree about the house that was there before; it was super-ugly unrenovated 1970s and was ripe to be torn down.

I live in Forest Hills and can't believe they were able to build this. Ugh. Where were all the do gooders who protected the Polish Ambassadors old house and the one across the street from it that is up against Soapstone. Plus, they just tour down another cool Mediterranean style house at the corner of Ellicott and Lineaen. Hope another monstrosity is not going in there. Time for a historical district ?

The house next to Soapstone sucks: why bother?

The Polish ambassador’s is big and on a big lot, but it’s the only house I’ve seen where the sprinklers appear to go on when it rains!

I guess the downside to FH’s relative architectural open-mindedness is that you’ll inevitably get some truly ugly stuff.

Yup. I live in the neighborhood and am watching this happen in real time. There’s a 3.5-story hideous mess of a pop-up just around the corner from this one.