Anywhere Commutable to Tyson's Corner with AFFORDABLE Homes Like These? (Arlington: houses, neighborhoods)

[vivo]

Olde Catonsville neighborhood association
they do specify specific boundaries

OCNA: Old Catonsville Neighborhood Association

there is a description from the site of Olde Catonsville
it is a National Register Historic District
OCNA: Old Catonsville Neighborhood Association: National Register of Historic Places Registration text

[vivo]

well at least some of the amtrak trains from bwi are faster than marc

[South Jersey Styx]

Scranbarre, I am coming onto this thread pretty late but must say that I find it entertaining so far. I just have a suggestion and a comment:

(1) I will advocate for Winchester, VA, since no one else has. However, a major contingency would be your job location. If you are heading further west with a career opportunity (i.e. Dulles Area, Ashburn, Leesburg, Chantilly, etc.), then Winchester may be your answer. Keep in mind, however, that there currently is no mass transit system out there so you’d be driving, about an hour or so, to get to work. The good thing is that (for now) your drive will be scenic (i.e., mountains, trees, horses, etc.). Unfortunately the road to Winchester is also experiencing sprawl so try not to vomit when you see a McMansion or two along the way.

All said, here is a little sampling of something you could own. Keep in mind that some of these homes are short sales, foreclosures, and need some TLC. Given that you like older homes, then I am sure you realize that an older home will always have some kind of problem you need to lookout for (i.e., asbestos-wrapped pipes) and may lack many modern conveniences you may be accustomed to, such as air conditioning. Nothing is perfect in home ownership and a historic home has different sets of problems than newer construction.

708 Woodland Ave, Winchester, VA, 22601 - MLS #WI7181272 - Single Family Home real estate - REALTOR.com®
444 Braddock St, Winchester, VA, 22601 - MLS #WI6984025 - Single Family Home real estate - REALTOR.com®
951 Woodland Ave, Winchester, VA, 22601 - MLS #WI6969342 - Single Family Home real estate - REALTOR.com®
735 Berryville Ave, Winchester, VA, 22601 - MLS #WI7090134 - Single Family Home real estate - REALTOR.com®

I don’t need to mention some of the advantages of owning one of these, including no homeowners fees, historic neighborhoods, walking distance to shops, restaurants, yadda yadda since you’re familiar with Winchester.
I have the feeling that your search for a home is more about $$$ and suburbanites. Seems like a home will make you feel grounded, provide a sense of accomplishment (heck yeah, it’s a way to see where you money is going), and a space to call your own?? One little thing about Winchester too: it is a small town and people know each other. So if you act ugly, word will get around to the locals.

(2) Although there’s always a lot of talk of how transient, mean, and arrogant some people can be in NoVA, it is refreshing to see the comments on your post. People here have taken the time out to help you out, give advice, offer suggestions, and even do a little research into possibilities houses and neighborhoods for you. Not all threads are like this. You’ve mentioned a lack of social relationships in NoVa; this forum serves as a social group, albeit visual, but one that has supported and advised you during your stay here.

Best of luck to you in any decision you make!

[vivo]

here's a catonsville blog that talks about events going on
you should come up for something

whatsgoingoncatonsville

Catonsville Gourmet is a Seafood Restaurant and market with a great reputation

The Best Seafood in Town! - About Us

here is an Organized list of community events from the Greater Catonsville Chamber of Commerce

Catonsville MD Calendar of Events

[vivo]

how does the fact that you are gay and your political positions factor in a place to live?

also what is a minimum %age of let
s say under 35?

[vivo]

Cheverly, Planned in 1918 and Still Fresh - washingtonpost.com


Cheverly, Planned in 1918 and Still Fresh
By Tony Glaros
Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, July 7, 2007

If all you have seen of Cheverly is the evening glow cast from the art deco Pepsi-Cola sign, you may want to turn off the Baltimore-Washington Parkway for a glimpse of the gentler side of life there.

From the moment you enter the town's gate on Landover Road, you're likely to see a public-works crew cutting grass, pruning or planting.

Around them, for much of the more than one square mile of the Prince George's County municipality, homes sit on steep hills with lush carpets of green.

[vivo]

the people that commented on the cheverly article seem to enjoy it. see for yourself.

[Gottasay]

As someone who is v. familiar with driving to Winchester, I would highly recommend that you try driving to your proposed place of employment from Winchester during rush hour (by staying in a hotel and driving in one morning). Its usually bumper to bumper from the Route 9 interchange with 7 to Route 28 during rush hour, supposing that your job would be along the Route 28 corridor. You don't want to make a huge financial commitment and regret it -- even $150K is huge in my book. I vote for finding a community where you can have a decent job and live close by. I also think you would find Winchester pretty boring (no offense to Winchester as it is a v. pretty town but does not offer much for a single professional such as yourself who migh prefer an urban vibe).

[novahousehunter]

I think that in most cities the majority of people like where they live, simply because it's self-selecting. People who like the positives of DC/NoVA stay, those who have other priorities don't. And both are ok.

It's also ok to love many characteristics of your hometown, wherever you are--I know I do. It's what made me who I am.

If affordable detached homes and easy commutes are priorities for you, I agree a medium-sized city would probably offer more in that area. DC has a lot to offer, but definitely those are among its drawbacks.

I share your architectural bias and I hate most NoVA houses. 1925ish was a great time for houses and the ones you posted are great.

Given your housing priorities, were you to stay, you might want to consider some of the "up and coming" areas of DC. The row houses don't have the acreage, but they have everything else in terms of charm and walkable neighborhoods. The already gentrified areas are now pretty $$ (Adams Morgan, U-St, etc.) but if you're feeling bold, maybe a place like Columbia Heights would get you a lot of what you're looking for?

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by Stephen 81

But you were told that many young people have that commute in order to live somewhere more to their liking. It's not our fault you decided that a short commute was preferable to living in your ideal neighborhood. And if you were surprised by either the cost of living or the traffic here...both of those are pretty much public knowledge and easily found on Google.

Ok, I am not going to go back and search the forums from April and May to determine the exact wording of why you rejected everyone's suggestion to find a roommate. Perhaps you intended to say that you wanted your privacy, but I had gotten the distinct impression you were worried, because of your conservative family and conservative hometown, that your bringing guys home would be the issue. Maybe you would have felt the same way if you were straight.



Are there African Americans who resent white people moving in and driving up their property values/rent? Yes. Do I blame them? No. But that is mostly beside the point. You seem to be basing all your housing decisions on potential thoughts theoretical people might be having. Nonexistent roommates barging in on your cuddling sessions and being annoyed with you, resentful African Americans frustrated that you are changing the neighborhood they grew up in and love. What about Catholic currently unemployed steel workers in Pittsburgh? Can't they be just as resentful of a successful gay accountant driving up their property values? The fact is, no matter where you move, someone could theoretically not take a liking to you. But aside from moving to a mountain in WV, that's something you're just going to have to deal with.

You don't want to live in the burbs, we get that. But you have expressed a lot of hesitation when people suggested neighborhoods that may interest you better - neighborhoods that happen to be mostly African American. Don't put words into MY mouth and say that I called you racist. All I said was that you were reluctant to live somewhere that had a lot of African Americans. There are many possible reasons for that, including (but not limited to) a fear of reverse racism.

Honestly, though...why did you write your original post? You know full well that the homes you were seeking were nowhere to be found within a reasonable commute to Tysons. Which, btw, is not on THE 7. In neither Virginia nor Pennsylvania do people put the word "the" in front of route or interstate numbers. If you were a Californian it would be understandable, but I'm not sure where your usage of it is coming from.

Another great post. Thank you.

The original post was written so that he could fuss about how awful NOVA is and how he can't have everything that he wants. Same ol', Same ol'.