‘Echo boomers’ flock to the District, Arlington

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by The Dissenter

I don't agree with you much but I do here. I'd love to have my own place but sharing isn't so bad. I spent most of the weekend out of the apt so I hardly notice my roommate.

Ha, your status and me agree too. I bet we'd find a lot of stuff in common :P

[Opacy]

There's no doubt that there are lots of affluent 20-somethings in Arlington and DC, but they are almost certainly still the exception rather than the rule. It seems like it's a rite of passage around here to do the group house/roommate thing. I did it for five years and didn't really mind it most of the time. In most cases you're working at least eight hours a day (more for a lot of people in this area), working out at the gym, meeting up with friends etc. Sharing a space or living in a studio isn't a big deal when you're single and not home often.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Why is this kind of living so disturbing to some people. You do understand that hotel rooms are rarely ever bigger than 400sf right? If you get 250sf to yourself (ie sharing with 2 other people a 800sf-1000sf space, with a 250sf common area for kitchen or living room) that is tons of space. Its also a matter of what that space is like. Is it crowded, hot, stuffy? Or is it open, high end finishes, and central air?

Its really not a big deal living with less space. Go on vacation for a couple weeks in a high end hotel in a great city you like. You will not care less as long as its clean and a good place to sleep in

You dont live in your home when you do that, you live in your city.

For goodness sake, in college people share 200sf spaces (dorm rooms) between 2 sometimes 3 people. When your gym is elsewhere, food is elsewhere, entertainment is elsewhere, and children are not to be found then it is quite easy and comfortable I assure you.

It doesn't disturb me. I simply don't think the generation in question aspires to live in cramped quarters indefinitely. Too much evidence of younger locals who want ready access to urban/suburban creature comforts, but also want the big, new house in places like Clarendon once they have kids. Ask Carlingtonian, but I'll bet he'll tell you that, in many cases, it's the Greatest Generation types living in the smaller, older homes expressing their bewilderment at how much space monied people in their 30s seem to think they need in many Arlington neighborhoods. I was certainly happy sharing a place to essentially crash as a grad student in NYC, but it didn't tell me how I'd feel later, when noisy city neighbors next door would make it impossible for my kid to nap.

Not to mention that the NYT is regularly full of articles about people in that generation searching for larger quarters in NYC or the surrounding areas when they find boyfriends or girlfriends and/or have kids. So, yes, there will always be people who prefer a minimalist style, but there will also always be people who can and do prefer bigger living areas. Typecasting an entire generation rarely turns out to be accurate.

[claremarie]

Originally Posted by JEB77

It doesn't disturb me. I simply don't think the generation in question aspires to live in cramped quarters indefinitely. Too much evidence of younger locals who want ready access to urban/suburban creature comforts, but also want the big, new house in places like Clarendon once they have kids.

This. Once they are spending more time at home, I think that the appeal of the tiny living space will start to diminish for many people who are happy to cram in with friends in their early 20's. The foodies among them will definitely want a kitchen for serious cooking, and those who like to entertain will soon tire of having to tell their friends to park three blocks away.

[hgnmx]

Originally Posted by JEB77

It doesn't disturb me. I simply don't think the generation in question aspires to live in cramped quarters indefinitely. Too much evidence of younger locals who want ready access to urban/suburban creature comforts, but also want the big, new house in places like Clarendon once they have kids. Ask Carlingtonian, but I'll bet he'll tell you that, in many cases, it's the Greatest Generation types living in the smaller, older homes expressing their bewilderment at how much space monied people in their 30s seem to think they need in many Arlington neighborhoods. I was certainly happy sharing a place to essentially crash as a grad student in NYC, but it didn't tell me how I'd feel later, when noisy city neighbors next door would make it impossible for my kid to nap.

Not to mention that the NYT is regularly full of articles about people in that generation searching for larger quarters in NYC or the surrounding areas when they find boyfriends or girlfriends and/or have kids. So, yes, there will always be people who prefer a minimalist style, but there will also always be people who can and do prefer bigger living areas. Typecasting an entire generation rarely turns out to be accurate.

While people's personal preferences will certainly come into play as life goes on for our generation, the fact remains that space is running dry. The amount of people wanting to live in newly gentrified urban environments will not let up any time soon, possibly not in this lifetime even. Our generation is not going to be facing the same reality as the generation that came before us. Times change and so must the people living in said times, adapt.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by JEB77

It doesn't disturb me. I simply don't think the generation in question aspires to live in cramped quarters indefinitely. Too much evidence of younger locals who want ready access to urban/suburban creature comforts, but also want the big, new house in places like Clarendon once they have kids. Ask Carlingtonian, but I'll bet he'll tell you that, in many cases, it's the Greatest Generation types living in the smaller, older homes expressing their bewilderment at how much space monied people in their 30s seem to think they need in many Arlington neighborhoods. I was certainly happy sharing a place to essentially crash as a grad student in NYC, but it didn't tell me how I'd feel later, when noisy city neighbors next door would make it impossible for my kid to nap.

Not to mention that the NYT is regularly full of articles about people in that generation searching for larger quarters in NYC or the surrounding areas when they find boyfriends or girlfriends and/or have kids. So, yes, there will always be people who prefer a minimalist style, but there will also always be people who can and do prefer bigger living areas. Typecasting an entire generation rarely turns out to be accurate.

I think this is just a case of differing generations between yours and mine (or perhaps just me). The people in my circle are more akin to be ok with less space than not. I dont mean to imply that I dont know anyone who would like to live in a suburban setting, but statistically speaking its about 2:1 the other way for people I know.

Funny story, this recently came out today

Thinking Beyond the 3BR, 2BA

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by JEB77

It doesn't disturb me. I simply don't think the generation in question aspires to live in cramped quarters indefinitely. Too much evidence of younger locals who want ready access to urban/suburban creature comforts, but also want the big, new house in places like Clarendon once they have kids. Ask Carlingtonian, but I'll bet he'll tell you that, in many cases, it's the Greatest Generation types living in the smaller, older homes expressing their bewilderment at how much space monied people in their 30s seem to think they need in many Arlington neighborhoods. I was certainly happy sharing a place to essentially crash as a grad student in NYC, but it didn't tell me how I'd feel later, when noisy city neighbors next door would make it impossible for my kid to nap.

Not to mention that the NYT is regularly full of articles about people in that generation searching for larger quarters in NYC or the surrounding areas when they find boyfriends or girlfriends and/or have kids. So, yes, there will always be people who prefer a minimalist style, but there will also always be people who can and do prefer bigger living areas. Typecasting an entire generation rarely turns out to be accurate.

I agree. I'm actually an example of this. When I moved to DC, I lived in a tiny, cheap bedroom in a row house I shared with two other guys. Then the wife and I got a condo, then a tiny house (830 SF). Now, in our 40s, we have a house that's merely smallish (by current standards; it seems spacious to us).

The people who seem to really want the most space are those with any kids at all. Even people with just two kids seem to always expand their house till it's five bedrooms--which baffles us.

I suppose I wasn't overly precise in saying the only kids who can afford Arlington are mooching from the 'rents or cramming in with eight of their friends. I'm sure there are some who aren't. But *generally,* I think a much higher portion of the 20-somethings in Arlington now fits in either group than before the early 2000s--due to the exponentially higher housing prices now.

Speaking of Greatest Gen-ers, we had a neighbor nearby in her 90s who finally moved into assisted living. She told me she raised three kids in the same three-bedroom, 1200-is square-foot house she lived in before she moved out.