Why do the same EYA townhouses costs half in Hyattsville,MD

[Matt2789]

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Either way, I don't think it is accurate to say PG county in anyway has less of a crime problem as Fairfax, maybe pockets of one vs pockets of others but thats not an apple to apple comparison.

This is exactly my point about both areas having good and bad pockets. No one would dispute that overall Fairfax has less violent crime than PG but as the previous poster pointed out with the murder maps no one has been murdered (even by terrorists or domestic disputes) in my vicinity of PG county for about 6 years. I feel very safe on the streets in my part of PG county. Yes, the schools arent nearly as good but I don't have kids and the tradeoff for me is I am much closer to DC and I bought my SFH for less than half of what I probably would have in one of the bad pockets of Fairfax!

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by Matt2789

This is exactly my point about both areas having good and bad pockets. No one would dispute that overall Fairfax has less violent crime than PG but as the previous poster pointed out with the murder maps no one has been murdered (even by terrorists or domestic disputes) in my vicinity of PG county for about 6 years. I feel very safe on the streets in my part of PG county. Yes, the schools arent nearly as good but I don't have kids and the tradeoff for me is I am much closer to DC and I bought my SFH for less than half of what I probably would have in one of the bad pockets of Fairfax!

Thats a valid point. I agree that far too often people use broad strokes to define regions, it is important to understand that larger regions are broken into subregions are broken into individual neighborhoods, many of which are affluent and crime free, and many of which can be struggling against crime.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Matt2789

This is exactly my point about both areas having good and bad pockets. No one would dispute that overall Fairfax has less violent crime than PG but as the previous poster pointed out with the murder maps no one has been murdered (even by terrorists or domestic disputes) in my vicinity of PG county for about 6 years. I feel very safe on the streets in my part of PG county. Yes, the schools arent nearly as good but I don't have kids and the tradeoff for me is I am much closer to DC and I bought my SFH for less than half of what I probably would have in one of the bad pockets of Fairfax!

I don't think this was your intent, but since this thread started out with a comparison of EYA townhouses in Merrifield and Hyattsville, it may be worth noting that the EYA Mosaic District townhouses aren't exactly in a "bad pocket" of Fairfax. The Merrifield/Dunn Loring area is very safe.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by JEB77

I don't think this was your intent, but since this thread started out with a comparison of EYA townhouses in Merrifield and Hyattsville, it may be worth noting that the EYA Mosaic District townhouses aren't exactly in a "bad pocket" of Fairfax. The Merrifield/Dunn Loring area is very safe.

I dunno JEB the other day I saw some shady lookin folks pushin around baby strollers. How do we know there were babys in those strollers and it wasn't "pushin" drugs... or a front for the mob... how do we know? :P

[Matt2789]

Originally Posted by JEB77

I don't think this was your intent, but since this thread started out with a comparison of EYA townhouses in Merrifield and Hyattsville, it may be worth noting that the EYA Mosaic District townhouses aren't exactly in a "bad pocket" of Fairfax. The Merrifield/Dunn Loring area is very safe.

Yes, I agree with you that the EYA project in Merrifield is in a very safe area and my point is that the EYA project in Hyattsville is in a safe area as well. Relating to the original posters question about why there is such a huge difference in prices between these 2 places (Merrifield EYA costs twice as much) I will argue that it basically boils down more to the price reflects perceived value more so than anything tangible like the fact that Merrifield has better schools. I'm not knocking on Merrifield as there are a ton of variables that go into determining where one lives and what something is worth to you.

In my personal opinion I can't imagine why someone (especially without children) who works in downtown DC would ever choose to pay twice as much money for a condo and to have a longer daily commute? The benefits that Merrifield, VA provides to someone like that seems far outweighed by saving well over $400,000 (plus all that extra interest!). Both places are relatively safe so that should not factor into the decision. Yes, there currently are more places to go shopping and dining in Merrifield but is it worth having a mortgage that costs 2 times what it would in Hyattsville? For me the answer is No. Even with the hypothetical that the condo in Merrifield will appreciate at a higher value when it eventually comes time to sell you have to factor in all that money you could have saved by living in Hyattsville that could have been invested in other ways.

PG as a whole has a terrible perceived value (at least for now) that is keeping prices low even in the good pockets like those EYA Hyattsville developments. Meanwhile Fairfax has a positive "Perceived Value" (and rightfully so) that is driving prices up both in the good pockets (like EYA Merrifield) and in the bad pockets as well.

[slowlane3]

Franklin's restaurant and the attached whimsical novelty shop/ toy store is a very popular happening place on Route 1 in Hyattsville.

Another popular place also on Route 1 is "Busboys and Poets" cafe, which attracts a bohemian, socially-conscious crowd and has live folk-singers, etc.

[I'm Retired Now]

I used to work near Prince Georges Plaza in Hyattsville MD, and thought the area was fine if I were Black or Hispanic. I would go in the mall and I would be the only white person there.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by Matt2789

In my personal opinion I can't imagine why someone (especially without children) who works in downtown DC would ever choose to pay twice as much money for a condo and to have a longer daily commute? The benefits that Merrifield, VA provides to someone like that seems far outweighed by saving well over $400,000 (plus all that extra interest!). Both places are relatively safe so that should not factor into the decision. Yes, there currently are more places to go shopping and dining in Merrifield but is it worth having a mortgage that costs 2 times what it would in Hyattsville? For me the answer is No. Even with the hypothetical that the condo in Merrifield will appreciate at a higher value when it eventually comes time to sell you have to factor in all that money you could have saved by living in Hyattsville that could have been invested in other ways.

Agreed,. However, as I offered earlier, a preponderance of jobs are in NOVA. Combine that with a perception/reality that schools are better in the Merrifield area than in Hyattsville*, and the value of the former rises dramatically.

But yes, if I were a childless single or couple working in DC (rather than NOVA) then I would consider the EYA development in Hyattsville before the one in Merrifield.

*I don't profess to be an expert on schools in Hyattsville or the rest of Prince Georges County. The Washington DC suburbs of Maryland sub-forum would probably give more informed opinions.