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I certainly agree about the traffic. My friend drove a long way to her job, back in the day (about 40 miles).
There are only a handful of ways to avoid the exorbitant housing costs of DC, and distance is one of em. Some commute from as far as southern PA, western MD and eastern WV. My wife's small hometown has become something of an exurb for commuters to Baltimore and (mostly) DC. It's about 65 miles away from both. If I ever spend a weeknight there, I'm on the road by 5:30 am and I'm not nearly alone.
If I ever have to work in DC (it might happen at some point) I'll just stay where I am and take the commuter train.
Not places surrounding the neighborhood because typical suburbia does not have sidewalks and trails connecting residential neighborhoods to parks and retail. Denver's suburbs are atypical of what is commonly found across the US.
Especially true in the South.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MantaRay
And East Nashville my hometown is being revitalized with many old bungalows being completely redone on the interiors to modernize the finishes and open up the floorplans. There are sidewalks and popular eating spots and the greenway nearby so it has a lot of the TND amenity.
Like its bizarro-world name doppelganger West Asheville, while somewhat denser than most southern development, these are places where cars are still pretty close to necessary.
The problem is that it's cupcake urbanism, and needs to be for the economics of development. To be honest, while the suburbs urban form is inefficient, we can't build urban affordable housing, only older housing becomes affordable to the poor, new housing very rarely ever is.
You mean the great rows of townhouses in Boston, Brooklyn, and our other old cities weren't cupcake urbanism when they were built?
Cool that the word has gotten out. The Five Points area of East Nashville has really become an eclectic happening little spot. Lots of young professionals moving to East Nashville is really helping the resurgence of the area- it's giving house flippers a solid market and the townhome/condo real estate developers as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown
Like its bizarro-world name doppelganger West Asheville,
LOL. That's funny. I wonder if anybody has ever moved from West Asheville to East Nashville.
As far as Baltimore, when I visited there in 2010, I was kinda put off by the style of housing near the city center. To me it seemed like Baltiimore and Philly too took Boston's rowhome idea and butchered it, somehow took all of the aesthetic style out of it and just threw together some bricks and windows. But I really was impressed by the Windsor Hills area northwest of Baltimore as a traditional style SFH neighborhood, and I really like what they've done with adding those expensive townhomes on the Harbor next to Federal Hill Park. Those things are NICE! They are easily as nice as any townhomes in Boston. If I had to choose between living in those and living in Boston's, I'd pick those in a heartbeat.
As far as Baltimore, when I visited there in 2010, I was kinda put off by the style of housing near the city center. To me it seemed like Baltiimore and Philly too took Boston's rowhome idea and butchered it, somehow took all of the aesthetic style out of it and just threw together some bricks and windows. But I really was impressed by the Windsor Hills area northwest of Baltimore as a traditional style SFH neighborhood, and I really like what they've done with adding those expensive townhomes on the Harbor next to Federal Hill Park. Those things are NICE! They are easily as nice as any townhomes in Boston. If I had to choose between living in those and living in Boston's, I'd pick those in a heartbeat.
Brownstones further north were for built for the middle class, while the small, not ornate rowhomes in Philadelphia and Baltimore were built to house industrial workers. The CBD and the waterfront was where the bulk of these jobs were, so it makes sense that the ones near downtown, ca. 1890 or so, are not very fancy. But look closer at some of those that have not been altered too much; you'll see interesting masonry touches and other details that aren't found in modern "budget" housing.
Outside of the core though, some nice (and larger) rowhouses can be found:
Windsor Hills is quite nice yes, as are those townhomes you mention next to the harbor. Another nice SFH community is the area of Lauraville/Hamilton: Beech Ave, Baltimore, MD - Google Maps
As far as Baltimore, when I visited there in 2010, I was kinda put off by the style of housing near the city center. To me it seemed like Baltiimore and Philly too took Boston's rowhome idea and butchered it, somehow took all of the aesthetic style out of it and just threw together some bricks and windows. But I really was impressed by the Windsor Hills area northwest of Baltimore as a traditional style SFH neighborhood, and I really like what they've done with adding those expensive townhomes on the Harbor next to Federal Hill Park. Those things are NICE! They are easily as nice as any townhomes in Boston. If I had to choose between living in those and living in Boston's, I'd pick those in a heartbeat.
Baltimore and Philadelphia were row house cities from the beginning. Boston doesn't have as many complete row house neighborhoods, and most of them were designed as high-end housing not working-class housing. Rowhouse neighborhoods is a British style; you'll find similar styles to Philly / Baltimore in much of the UK as well across the channel in Belgium and Northern France. Neither of those regions had much in the way traditional SFH neighborhoods in urban areas until recently (50? years).
Baltimore and Philadelphia were row house cities from the beginning. Boston doesn't have as many complete row house neighborhoods, and most of them were designed as high-end housing not working-class housing. Rowhouse neighborhoods is a British style; you'll find similar styles to Philly / Baltimore in much of the UK
Funny you should mention that. I never made the connection then, but I remember watching episodes of Dr. Who years ago where they would do a scene shot in what I guess was supposed to be a typical London rowhouse community, and I remember thinking "dang, they sure live kinda plain-jane over there."
When I'm thinking about "if I were to live in a rowhouse/townhouse that I could afford, what kind might it be" I'm generally thinking about
Brownstones further north were for built for the middle class, while the small, not ornate rowhomes in Philadelphia and Baltimore were built to house industrial workers. The CBD and the waterfront was where the bulk of these jobs were,
Good info. I never knew that until now. The thing I really don't like about townhomes/rowhomes is when the HOA fees are 1/3 or more as much as typical rent would be. I find it absurd to pay a mortgage and then to pay near an apartment's worth of rent on top of it. I can see $150/mo for some really good and ample landscaping, or maybe $200 if trash pickup is included, but having just an extra $250 or whatever for fees that don't get you much of anything but some mulch and the cutting of a few shrubs, that's over the top IMO. I can put my own friggin mulch down and cut my own shrubs in my small front yard and keep my $250. Or better yet buy a SFH in the same neighborhood and pay $50 HOA. It's bad enough when TNDs try to price out out, it's highway robbery with some of these outrageous HOA fees tacked on.
Funny you should mention that. I never made the connection then, but I remember watching episodes of Dr. Who years ago where they would do a scene shot in what I guess was supposed to be a typical London rowhouse community, and I remember thinking "dang, they sure live kinda plain-jane over there."
When I'm thinking about "if I were to live in a rowhouse/townhouse that I could afford, what kind might it be" I'm generally thinking about
I'd much prefer the London ones. Both the Nashville ones are adjacent to large parking lots, a bit of an eyesore to live next to. The surrounding areas areas are also a little empty. If I'm going to live dense housing stock, I'd like it to be near something. Hard to compare, as in the London example the city goes on for miles and miles at that density and all is "walkable" and the Nashville doesn't. The London one probably is $$$ or rather £££:
I like London, it's very urban without being as overwhelming and noisy as some similar cities are. Has a decent amount of parkland mixed in.
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