Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I moved here from the NY suburbs (New Canaan). The contrast is striking. Not that I think my former area is perfect, but architecturally it is miles ahead of the DC suburbs architecturally and aesthetically. Very rare to see these strange white brick houses with gold accented columns and other bizarre stuff that look like a McMansion architectural mishmash. Just go on Zillow for Great Falls and then look up New Canaan and look at similarly sized houses on similarly sized lots

Why are Potomac / McLean / Great falls houses so ugly? Curious to hear thoughts.

Different buyer ethnicities

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whenever the NoVa troll criticizes MoCo in this forum, I always think of the McMansions in Nova and how they’re inhabited by the most striver try hard new money type of person. Generally Asian but also US Southern. No taste, loud in trying to impress others they don’t know. The type of person that wants to be buddy with the Rolex AD in hopes they get a Datejust…

I will agree that the Philly and Boston suburbs are nicer, but Bethesda is the closest that this area has to old money. It’s changing into McCraftsman and it’s a shame, but still a lot of beauty close in

I’d rather live amongst strivers with tacky taste than get carjacked shopping for groceries in Bethesda or have my kid duck from bullets in BCC but your mileage may vary. Maybe 20-30 years this would be a different story, but Montgomery County is going down the drain.

Anonymous wrote:I moved here from the NY suburbs (New Canaan). The contrast is striking. Not that I think my former area is perfect, but architecturally it is miles ahead of the DC suburbs architecturally and aesthetically. Very rare to see these strange white brick houses with gold accented columns and other bizarre stuff that look like a McMansion architectural mishmash. Just go on Zillow for Great Falls and then look up New Canaan and look at similarly sized houses on similarly sized lots

Why are Potomac / McLean / Great falls houses so ugly? Curious to hear thoughts.

Anonymous wrote:Whenever the NoVa troll criticizes MoCo in this forum, I always think of the McMansions in Nova and how they’re inhabited by the most striver try hard new money type of person. Generally Asian but also US Southern. No taste, loud in trying to impress others they don’t know. The type of person that wants to be buddy with the Rolex AD in hopes they get a Datejust…

I will agree that the Philly and Boston suburbs are nicer, but Bethesda is the closest that this area has to old money. It’s changing into McCraftsman and it’s a shame, but still a lot of beauty close in

Anonymous wrote:Whenever the NoVa troll criticizes MoCo in this forum, I always think of the McMansions in Nova and how they’re inhabited by the most striver try hard new money type of person. Generally Asian but also US Southern. No taste, loud in trying to impress others they don’t know. The type of person that wants to be buddy with the Rolex AD in hopes they get a Datejust…

I will agree that the Philly and Boston suburbs are nicer, but Bethesda is the closest that this area has to old money. It’s changing into McCraftsman and it’s a shame, but still a lot of beauty close in

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I moved here from the NY suburbs (New Canaan). The contrast is striking. Not that I think my former area is perfect, but architecturally it is miles ahead of the DC suburbs architecturally and aesthetically. Very rare to see these strange white brick houses with gold accented columns and other bizarre stuff that look like a McMansion architectural mishmash. Just go on Zillow for Great Falls and then look up New Canaan and look at similarly sized houses on similarly sized lots

Why are Potomac / McLean / Great falls houses so ugly? Curious to hear thoughts.

I grew up in Stamford, and agree. However, I think Fairfield county rich areas have been rich for a very long time so have long established houses that were custom designed, built, with large properties, etc. at a time when people did prettier homes with more detail in finishes and there was room to purchase a large property that allowed space between homes. Plus the landscaping and general design is older, mature privacy landscaping, hedges, etc., homes hidden from the road as that is how they were designed years ago.

There's more newer/noveau rich in the VA areas, plus people try to fit homes in wherever even when it doesn't make sense based on the geography/landscape.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait until you see Bethesda. About half of it needs to be torn down.

Bethesda is lovely. I know you're the Nova troll that can't just endlessly bashes Maryland on this board, but please try to enjoy your new McLean neighborhood and leave us alone in Bethesda. We're glad you're gone.

Half of Bethesda has been torn down, lol!

--Bethesda resident

Anonymous wrote:I moved here from the NY suburbs (New Canaan). The contrast is striking. Not that I think my former area is perfect, but architecturally it is miles ahead of the DC suburbs architecturally and aesthetically. Very rare to see these strange white brick houses with gold accented columns and other bizarre stuff that look like a McMansion architectural mishmash. Just go on Zillow for Great Falls and then look up New Canaan and look at similarly sized houses on similarly sized lots

Why are Potomac / McLean / Great falls houses so ugly? Curious to hear thoughts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait until you see Bethesda. About half of it needs to be torn down.

Bethesda is lovely. I know you're the Nova troll that can't just endlessly bashes Maryland on this board, but please try to enjoy your new McLean neighborhood and leave us alone in Bethesda. We're glad you're gone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ugly can be a state of mind and it describes a large percentage of DCUM posters - unhappy and frequently over-educated (but low-performing) types who constantly look for excuses to vent their insecurities by looking for new opportunities to tell others "you're not all that," whether it comes to their homes, towns, colleges and universities, or other topics.

It gives them a quick dopamine hit when someone responds, but it doesn't last very long so they have to move on and find something else to complain about or attack.

The only one who really benefits is the owner of this forum, who has found a way to monetize the insecurities of area residents.

Facts, except for the low-performing part, given that many people here are actually high income or come from a wealthy lineage.

That being said, McLean and Great Falls and Potomac is still full of ugly, tasteless McMansions of questionable architectural style. Yes you can find these many places, but the three above areas are particularly concentrated with them. Why is this? Again, places like New Canaan, wealthy boston surburbs, etc don't have these houses to the same degree. Whats the deal here? It's an honest, and fair question and I frankly don't understand why it's such an offense to ask why.