Anonymous wrote:
The term used was "upscale." A lot of other neighborhoods have been thrown around -- Del Ray, for example. Del Ray has certainly become a nice place to live and be, but it's hardly "upscale." The same may come true of Pimmit Hills, but it will never be "upscale." What is or is not "upscale" was established decades ago.

Neither Del Ray nor Georgetown have generations of affluence. Del Ray began to gentrify in I think the late 80s. Gtown in the late 40's. Gtown has advantages Del Ray will never have. Walking distance to downtown DC, the University, and easy proximity to the River. Its got little to do with generations of affluence, and much more to do with location.

McLean resident here. We live in a very un-impressive old and not well constructed small home simply for the schools, location with regard to work,etc. and safety (as compared to previous neighborhood). While all the houses are the same there is also a nitpicky HOA and some annoying politics.

If the elementary school near Pimmit Hills had been stronger we would have probably chosen to live there. I like that there is more ethnic and age diversity in PH. We live in what could be mistaken for a whitewashed/vanilla retirement community. Many of the older neighbors are lovely people, but a few prance around like they own the place and those same people are the ones who have the most time and interest in taking HOA leadership positions and keeping everything the SAME. Wish there were more families with children. Pimmit Hills may look hodge-podge, but cookie cutter isn't a dream either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will never be upscale. The newer construction are mostly tacky McMansions. Most upscale neighborhoods (Georgetown, Wesley Heights, Chevy Chase, Great Falls) have some sense of history or charm to them. You can't create history or charm in PH, thus, it will never be near upscale.

What you call history or charm is really generational affluence, nothing else.

But generational affluence is what defines "upscale." You can try to imitate it, but it never really rings true.

That's BS insofar as this area is concerned, since the area is transient and generations don't really stay in one place. Just admit you want to plug your neighborhood of old houses. It's OK, really. Some of us might even like it.

You can blather about history or charm all you want, but all "upscale" really means is an area where even the entry-level housing is expensive. By that measure, Pimmit Hills isn't upscale, but I'd argue that it's really irrelevant to most people who live there. Some people there may oversell it as an investment opportunity, and others will defend it when it's attacked, but for the most part it's a place that attracts people who are more concerned about finding a convenient place to live and getting on with their own lives than about their neighbors' homes or income levels. That's probably a hard concept for you to grasp.

pp here. you'll notice I did not, in fact, "plug" my neighborhood. I don't NEED to. but since you ask, I live in Country Club Hills.

The term used was "upscale." A lot of other neighborhoods have been thrown around -- Del Ray, for example. Del Ray has certainly become a nice place to live and be, but it's hardly "upscale." The same may come true of Pimmit Hills, but it will never be "upscale." What is or is not "upscale" was established decades ago.

Some of the other factors thrown around -- especially Metro accessibility -- also have no bearing on "upscale." Most "upscale" neighborhoods are notoriously inaccessible to public transportation -- see, e.g. no Metro to Georgetown. Hell, they don't even run BUS LINES in CC Hills -- the Glebe buses detour at Old Dominion and Williamsburg and give CC Hills a deliberate pass. That's likely due to demands back in the day -- the "upscale" citizens of CC Hills didn't want transients accessing their neighborhood. Personally, I don't really LIKE living in CC Hills all that much -- I suspect I'm more of Pimmit Hills person anyway -- but objectively I can tell you the difference between "upscale" and not.

BTW, million-dollar homes in PH are rare and hard to sell. In CC Hills, new builds run north of $2 million now. So there's that, too.

Again, keep in mind: I'm not saying my neighborhood is better than yours. Mine is probably more aesthetically PLEASING, but the people who live here are fucking assholes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it will ever be truly upscale - there are only a few neighborhoods around here that are truly upscale. It has too many houses at different price points and ages and styles to probably get that descriptor.

Country Club Hills is upscale. There are a couple of neighborhoods near CCH that are pretty upscale. Parts of McLean are definitely upscale, but not all of them. Lyon Village has certain upscale streets and the price tags to match.

Pimmit Hills has gotten a LOT nicer there than when I looked at houses there in 1999, and will continue to get nicer as more of the original houses get torn down and new houses go in.

Actually, most of McLean, while not as "dumpy" as some consider old PH; is of the same era and similar construction as PH. You are paying for the land, unless you have a new house, just like PH. There is not as much of a difference as some would lead you to believe.

That's just about completely wrong. One of the things that will continue to make McLean more expensive than PH is the fact that the older homes are nicer and the contrast between the old and new homes is not as stark as in Pimmit Hills. And much of McLean was developed well after all the PH homes were built in the mid-1950s.

You must not be familiar with actual old McLean homes. They are nicer than PH in that they are mostly brick, but they are the same dumpy ramblers. The contrast between them and new builds is rather stark. What McLean has and PH lacks is the quantity of intermediate-build homes - split levels and other 70-s and 80s construction houses, often 2 or 3 stories, and completely livable. PH tends to be either old shacks or very new builds, with a quantity of original houses with additions.

+1

PP here. The other poster sounds like a paranoid old timer McLean person, afraid of getting priced out soon! Ignore.

No, I'm just being accurate about the difference between the two areas. I know that's a problem for you. Getting priced out of Pimmit Hills, now or in the future, isn't something that worries me.

I was not referring to PH, I was referring to McLean. But now you have me convinced it is indeed both.

Anonymous wrote:10:32 PP here - my point was that there are some upscale neighborhoods in McLean, the ones with the giant houses, gated communities, acres of land, etc. Those parts of upscale. Much of McLean has older ramblers similar to those being replaced in Pimmit Hills. Much of Vienna does too, and many of those are being torn down and replaced with giant faux-craftsman homes.

I think we've pretty much answered the question. No, Pimmit Hills will probably never be upscale in the true sense of the word. But who cares? Most of us can't afford to live in the truly upscale communities close-in to DC, and many of us don't want to go far enough out in to the burbs/exurbs to afford upscale communities there. So we live in normal neighborhoods. Pimmit Hills is fairly close-in, convenient to many things and has decent schools and nearby metro. That's a big win for many.

+1

All you need to say is Pimmit Hills to set some with short fuses off!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it will ever be truly upscale - there are only a few neighborhoods around here that are truly upscale. It has too many houses at different price points and ages and styles to probably get that descriptor.

Country Club Hills is upscale. There are a couple of neighborhoods near CCH that are pretty upscale. Parts of McLean are definitely upscale, but not all of them. Lyon Village has certain upscale streets and the price tags to match.

Pimmit Hills has gotten a LOT nicer there than when I looked at houses there in 1999, and will continue to get nicer as more of the original houses get torn down and new houses go in.

Actually, most of McLean, while not as "dumpy" as some consider old PH; is of the same era and similar construction as PH. You are paying for the land, unless you have a new house, just like PH. There is not as much of a difference as some would lead you to believe.

That's just about completely wrong. One of the things that will continue to make McLean more expensive than PH is the fact that the older homes are nicer and the contrast between the old and new homes is not as stark as in Pimmit Hills. And much of McLean was developed well after all the PH homes were built in the mid-1950s.

You must not be familiar with actual old McLean homes. They are nicer than PH in that they are mostly brick, but they are the same dumpy ramblers. The contrast between them and new builds is rather stark. What McLean has and PH lacks is the quantity of intermediate-build homes - split levels and other 70-s and 80s construction houses, often 2 or 3 stories, and completely livable. PH tends to be either old shacks or very new builds, with a quantity of original houses with additions.

+1

PP here. The other poster sounds like a paranoid old timer McLean person, afraid of getting priced out soon! Ignore.

No, I'm just being accurate about the difference between the two areas. I know that's a problem for you. Getting priced out of Pimmit Hills, now or in the future, isn't something that worries me.

10:32 PP here - my point was that there are some upscale neighborhoods in McLean, the ones with the giant houses, gated communities, acres of land, etc. Those parts of upscale. Much of McLean has older ramblers similar to those being replaced in Pimmit Hills. Much of Vienna does too, and many of those are being torn down and replaced with giant faux-craftsman homes.

I think we've pretty much answered the question. No, Pimmit Hills will probably never be upscale in the true sense of the word. But who cares? Most of us can't afford to live in the truly upscale communities close-in to DC, and many of us don't want to go far enough out in to the burbs/exurbs to afford upscale communities there. So we live in normal neighborhoods. Pimmit Hills is fairly close-in, convenient to many things and has decent schools and nearby metro. That's a big win for many.

Will it be upscale? No. Will it be high demand and a good investment? Yes. Location, location, location! It's walking distance to Safeway, a restaurant and the metro. It's a less than 5 minute drive to Whole Foods and Tysons corner.

Not sure how Westgate school is though I know it's not at the level of McLean schools. What middle school and high school are they zoned for? Schools are the 2nd most important factor.

Also, for some there is the appeal of no HOA. HOAs have many benefits-keep neighborhood looking upscale, pool resources, sometimes keep home values up *note sometimes* etc,

There are many downsides to HOAs too control freak leaders, inability to make desired changes, lawsuits. If the HOA is sued everyone suffers. There usually isn't much of a legal fund and any lawsuits become public record and therefore may bring down the value of homes in the neighborhood. Would you want to live somewhere where you have to take legal action so you can build a backyard fence so your dogs can play out there? Would you want the HOA telling you that you chose the wrong type of new windows and if you don't change it they will take legal action? There are still independent minded people out there who would be willing to live in a neighborhood with 12 different types of homes, some of which are not as well kept, as long as they have the freedom to do what they want.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think Pimmit Hills will ever be upscale, but I think because of the lot size, school district, and access to public transit, it'll continue to see development and will eventually be considered a less controversial desirable location.

I don't think there is any controversy left to PH, at least outside of DCUM.

Exactly.

Signed: McLean home owner.

P.S. LOL @ "nice old McLean homes".

+1

Nailed it.

Old homes in McLean are JUST AS smelly as old homes in PH, or anywhere else for that matter. Too bad, so sad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it will ever be truly upscale - there are only a few neighborhoods around here that are truly upscale. It has too many houses at different price points and ages and styles to probably get that descriptor.

Country Club Hills is upscale. There are a couple of neighborhoods near CCH that are pretty upscale. Parts of McLean are definitely upscale, but not all of them. Lyon Village has certain upscale streets and the price tags to match.

Pimmit Hills has gotten a LOT nicer there than when I looked at houses there in 1999, and will continue to get nicer as more of the original houses get torn down and new houses go in.

Actually, most of McLean, while not as "dumpy" as some consider old PH; is of the same era and similar construction as PH. You are paying for the land, unless you have a new house, just like PH. There is not as much of a difference as some would lead you to believe.

That's just about completely wrong. One of the things that will continue to make McLean more expensive than PH is the fact that the older homes are nicer and the contrast between the old and new homes is not as stark as in Pimmit Hills. And much of McLean was developed well after all the PH homes were built in the mid-1950s.

You must not be familiar with actual old McLean homes. They are nicer than PH in that they are mostly brick, but they are the same dumpy ramblers. The contrast between them and new builds is rather stark. What McLean has and PH lacks is the quantity of intermediate-build homes - split levels and other 70-s and 80s construction houses, often 2 or 3 stories, and completely livable. PH tends to be either old shacks or very new builds, with a quantity of original houses with additions.

+1

PP here. The other poster sounds like a paranoid old timer McLean person, afraid of getting priced out soon! Ignore.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it will ever be truly upscale - there are only a few neighborhoods around here that are truly upscale. It has too many houses at different price points and ages and styles to probably get that descriptor.

Country Club Hills is upscale. There are a couple of neighborhoods near CCH that are pretty upscale. Parts of McLean are definitely upscale, but not all of them. Lyon Village has certain upscale streets and the price tags to match.

Pimmit Hills has gotten a LOT nicer there than when I looked at houses there in 1999, and will continue to get nicer as more of the original houses get torn down and new houses go in.

Actually, most of McLean, while not as "dumpy" as some consider old PH; is of the same era and similar construction as PH. You are paying for the land, unless you have a new house, just like PH. There is not as much of a difference as some would lead you to believe.

That's just about completely wrong. One of the things that will continue to make McLean more expensive than PH is the fact that the older homes are nicer and the contrast between the old and new homes is not as stark as in Pimmit Hills. And much of McLean was developed well after all the PH homes were built in the mid-1950s.

You must not be familiar with actual old McLean homes. They are nicer than PH in that they are mostly brick, but they are the same dumpy ramblers. The contrast between them and new builds is rather stark. What McLean has and PH lacks is the quantity of intermediate-build homes - split levels and other 70-s and 80s construction houses, often 2 or 3 stories, and completely livable. PH tends to be either old shacks or very new builds, with a quantity of original houses with additions.

Keep backtracking, and soon enough you'll have gotten it right.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think Pimmit Hills will ever be upscale, but I think because of the lot size, school district, and access to public transit, it'll continue to see development and will eventually be considered a less controversial desirable location.

I don't think there is any controversy left to PH, at least outside of DCUM.

Exactly.

Signed: McLean home owner.

P.S. LOL @ "nice old McLean homes".

Anonymous wrote:I don't think Pimmit Hills will ever be upscale, but I think because of the lot size, school district, and access to public transit, it'll continue to see development and will eventually be considered a less controversial desirable location.

I don't think there is any controversy left to PH, at least outside of DCUM.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it will ever be truly upscale - there are only a few neighborhoods around here that are truly upscale. It has too many houses at different price points and ages and styles to probably get that descriptor.

Country Club Hills is upscale. There are a couple of neighborhoods near CCH that are pretty upscale. Parts of McLean are definitely upscale, but not all of them. Lyon Village has certain upscale streets and the price tags to match.

Pimmit Hills has gotten a LOT nicer there than when I looked at houses there in 1999, and will continue to get nicer as more of the original houses get torn down and new houses go in.

Actually, most of McLean, while not as "dumpy" as some consider old PH; is of the same era and similar construction as PH. You are paying for the land, unless you have a new house, just like PH. There is not as much of a difference as some would lead you to believe.

That's just about completely wrong. One of the things that will continue to make McLean more expensive than PH is the fact that the older homes are nicer and the contrast between the old and new homes is not as stark as in Pimmit Hills. And much of McLean was developed well after all the PH homes were built in the mid-1950s.

You must not be familiar with actual old McLean homes. They are nicer than PH in that they are mostly brick, but they are the same dumpy ramblers. The contrast between them and new builds is rather stark. What McLean has and PH lacks is the quantity of intermediate-build homes - split levels and other 70-s and 80s construction houses, often 2 or 3 stories, and completely livable. PH tends to be either old shacks or very new builds, with a quantity of original houses with additions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think it will ever be truly upscale - there are only a few neighborhoods around here that are truly upscale. It has too many houses at different price points and ages and styles to probably get that descriptor.

Country Club Hills is upscale. There are a couple of neighborhoods near CCH that are pretty upscale. Parts of McLean are definitely upscale, but not all of them. Lyon Village has certain upscale streets and the price tags to match.

Pimmit Hills has gotten a LOT nicer there than when I looked at houses there in 1999, and will continue to get nicer as more of the original houses get torn down and new houses go in.

Actually, most of McLean, while not as "dumpy" as some consider old PH; is of the same era and similar construction as PH. You are paying for the land, unless you have a new house, just like PH. There is not as much of a difference as some would lead you to believe.

That's just about completely wrong. One of the things that will continue to make McLean more expensive than PH is the fact that the older homes are nicer and the contrast between the old and new homes is not as stark as in Pimmit Hills. And much of McLean was developed well after all the PH homes were built in the mid-1950s.