Is it looked down on to live in a townhouse? (Alexandria: real estate, apartments) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

preppyglam · 06-08-2010, 01:23 AM

Just wondering what the general attitude is if you live in a townhouse in NoVa. Is it looked down on? Are SFH strongly preferred? Will people think we are "poor" if we live in a townhouse?

Im from Southern CA, and we don't really have a lot of "townhouses"....its pretty much SFH and apartments/condos (pretty much the same thing, but with a "condo" you get a carport and typically an independent owner). Its obviously more desirable, especially once you reach a "certain age" and/or have a family, to live in a SFH, rather than an apartment. People would assume you didn't have a good job, or didn't have a lot of money if you lived in an apartment with a family or well into your professional life. The only exception is a condo right on the beach, and even then, in your beach community, you would be the pauper if you were to live there with a family (single and/or elderly, not a big deal, oddly!).

Is that the same attitude in NoVa for townhouse dwellers? Or is it looked at pretty much as a SFH? From what I have seen, they are typically as large, sq. ft. wise, as SFH. Just wondering what the general attitude is since you guys have apts/condos, townhouses and SFH housing out there.

Also, I find it interesting that sometimes townhouse is used interchangeably with "condo", when they are two distinct types of structures. Is this just a NoVa thing? To use the two terms interchangeably?

smithy77 · 06-08-2010, 01:53 AM

Do people really fret over stuff like this in L.A.? Generally, most people you work with here couldn't care less where you live, or what car you drive, for that matter. Live where you're most comfortable. Find what works for you and your family. Unlike other parts of the country, there's a distinction here between townhomes and condos. Townhomes are very popular here and there certainly isn't any shame involved. Ditto with condos.

reebo · 06-08-2010, 04:00 AM

Because real estate in general is so expensive here, there's less of a stigma about living in a townhouse. We lived in a townhouse in Alexandria for ten years before moving to a SFH in Loudoun. I never felt any stigma--hell, we had hardly any yard work to do! That said, I know it's not the same in other parts of the country. I have a friend who grew up in NoVa and then moved to Texas. She said there's a big stigma like the one you mentioned in California.

And you can find jerks wherever you go. I've had people ask me which end of our street we live on, one end having larger homes, the other smaller. My attitude is you need to do what's best for your family, including finding housing you can afford.

ChristineVA · 06-08-2010, 04:30 AM

tgbwc · 06-08-2010, 05:36 AM

No, townhomes are not looked down upon.

I think of a condo as being a unit in which you as the homeowner have no outside maintenance. We lived in a "townhome style" condo for about 8 years. We owned the townhome from the slab up, but none of the yard. It was all common.

The Dissenter · 06-08-2010, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by preppyglam

Just wondering what the general attitude is if you live in a townhouse in NoVa. Is it looked down on? Are SFH strongly preferred? Will people think we are "poor" if we live in a townhouse?

Im from Southern CA, and we don't really have a lot of "townhouses"....its pretty much SFH and apartments/condos (pretty much the same thing, but with a "condo" you get a carport and typically an independent owner). Its obviously more desirable, especially once you reach a "certain age" and/or have a family, to live in a SFH, rather than an apartment. People would assume you didn't have a good job, or didn't have a lot of money if you lived in an apartment with a family or well into your professional life. The only exception is a condo right on the beach, and even then, in your beach community, you would be the pauper if you were to live there with a family (single and/or elderly, not a big deal, oddly!).

Is that the same attitude in NoVa for townhouse dwellers? Or is it looked at pretty much as a SFH? From what I have seen, they are typically as large, sq. ft. wise, as SFH. Just wondering what the general attitude is since you guys have apts/condos, townhouses and SFH housing out there.

Also, I find it interesting that sometimes townhouse is used interchangeably with "condo", when they are two distinct types of structures. Is this just a NoVa thing? To use the two terms interchangeably?

Looked downed upon? Not here. I and many others would have been more than happy to live in a townhome back in NoVA.

ajzjmsmom · 06-08-2010, 06:10 AM

This preoccupation with worrying about what others thinks baffles me. Why does it matter what others think of you? In this world it is really simple no matter where you are, there will be those that like you and there will be those that don't.

But to answer the OP's question, if one is looked down upon because they live in a th then there are alot of people in NOVAthat are looked down upon. I am so glad I am way past the stage of worrying about what others think if me, it sure frees me up to expend my energy on other things.

VA Yankee · 06-08-2010, 06:16 AM

With housing cost what they are consider yourself lucky to afford a home vice renting.

bangorme · 06-08-2010, 06:40 AM

I love living in a townhouse. No yardwork, close to everything, not mortgage poor, have lots of nice neighbors in a beautiful and maintained neighborhood.

Margery · 06-08-2010, 07:16 AM

There are some condo townhouses in my community near the Donald Trump Golf Club that are in the $800,000 range. I don't think anyone looks down on them, it is more than a lot of people pay for a detached home .

I live in an apartment style condo and I don't think anyone looks down on me.

Condo is a form of ownership, you own the structure but not the ground it is built on and the exterior is maintained by the condo association. The structure can be a townhouse or an apartment style home.