Things You Find Odd About NoVA (Fairfax, Fredericksburg: apartment, townhouse, buyer)

[ShannonMilligan]

Seems to me a lot of people living here use their garages for storage. My husband and I are the only people who put both of their cars in the garage every single day! I don't know how people can have that much stuff! I have a husband, 2 toddlers, a dog, and a cat and tons of childhood stuff of my own and of hubby's and we still manage to get everything into our small storage area in the basement. (And I am talking about single family homes) I am from Central PA and we used our garages there for the most part for cars. Just seems weird to me.

[ACWhite]

twinmma, a lot of people have converted the basement to living area also and don't store much there! I think it has to do with cost of land. Like you I lived in a much cheaper area previously where the average homeowner could afford a house with enough living space, plus a garage and a basement and attic. But here, space (close in anyway) is at such a premium, I think people convert everything they can to living space, so they store some stuff in the garage (or pay for storage) that people in other parts of the country put in the attic, basement, or garage. I don't see much extra "stuff" -- I seem to have more of it than others do -- but I live in Arl., so it may be where houses are bigger, people hang onto more.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by twinmma

Seems to me a lot of people living here use their garages for storage.

LOL, it's funny to see the comments about garages. I guess garages are very different depending on what part of Nova you live in.

I was also going to post a "garage oddity" at about the same time you posted yours, but mine was how odd it feels to see homes with such TALL garages.

All the homes in my neighborhood have 10' or 12' foot ceilings on the first floor, so that means the garages are unusually tall, too. This is the first time I've lived somewhere where we store things on pulleys over the top of our cars. And I'm talking BIG things like our canoe. It made me nervous the first time I drove in and parked underneath the canoe.

[robbobobbo]

I once lived in a house in Arlington that had a garage so narrow the car doors would hit the walls when you opened them (if you put a car in the garage, which I usually didn't do).

My current house has a detached garage that can barely hold one car, and I use it for storage instead, for items that some people have a shed for. Bikes, mower, weedeater, lawn spreader, work table, tool chests, plus things like Christmas decorations, camping gear, etc that some may put into their houses, but my house is small!

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by ACWhite

I'm surprised Arlandria and the Columbia Pike etc. areas have not gentrified. Obviously if there were metro access both would have, long ago. But it still seems that, at least during the bubble, there was such a discount relative to other close-in places, that more "semi-urban pioneers" would have taken the chance. Now that the bubble has burst and we may be in for a long flat period (or worse), I don't expect gentrification at all.

when is the last time your were on Columbia Pike? ISTR the inner parts looking pretty good last time was nearby (a few months ago)

I don't think the long flat period will hurt the close in place as much as the rest of the region. Columbia Pike is probably held back more by financing issues keeping new projects from getting off the ground.

[ShannonMilligan]

I'm talking about in Ashburn...Homes that are 2500sqft! They are not converted...I mean, maybe a few are, but not in my neighborhood. The neighbor right next door has more crap in their garage...I remember the first time I ever saw them open the garage and I nearly fainted, lol! Just boxes and boxes of stuff, and sports stuff, and bikes, and scooters, and pictures (lots of framed pictures just sitting on the floor)
Then the ones directly across from me...Just rows and rows of shelving with stuff on it. At least that one is more organized but they can't get cars in there.

[pcity]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

when is the last time your were on Columbia Pike? ISTR the inner parts looking pretty good last time was nearby (a few months ago)

Agreed on this. Columbia Pike is getting denser and more expensive. The frequent buses, proximity to DC, and future streetcar plans are helping out with that.

Arlandria is just a little further out, a little further from Metro, and doesn't have a streetcar coming. Also, they're in Alexandria, and Alexandria is still playing catch-up to Arlington on redevelopment plans. Still, Arlandria's got an organic market in the center of town, they're close to Del Ray, and there are quite a few underutilized properties, so it's only a matter of time.

Route 1/Hybla Valley is going to take a lot longer. There are plans, but Fairfax County moves a lot slower than the smaller, more urban counties and cities. Not to mention that, having developed a long time ago, Columbia Pike and Arlandria have more "human-scale" development rather than the 6 lane highway + 2 lane service road and gigantic parking lots of Route 1.

Arlandria can gentrify with the right transit options and just a bit of infill, but if Fairfax wanted Route 1 to gentrify, the entire area would need to be demolished and rebuilt from the ground up.

More likely, we'll see incremental improvements to Route 1- better transit; more bike lanes, crosswalks, and sidewalks; the consolidation of some parcels (i.e. fewer driveways); and the removal of those pointless service roads, which manage to annoy drivers and walkers alike.

[car54]

Originally Posted by sobe0206

Why does everyone around here park on streets? I realize that a lot of townhome communities don't have a lot of parking available, but even in single-family neighborhoods... there are always cars parked on the streets!

I think it's because people have two many vehicles. Once the kids start driving, it's not uncommon for for a family to have 4 or 5 cars. even if all would fit in the driveway, it's PITA moving them around to get one or another of them outta there.

People have too many cars! Oh wait...I just counted ours...nine + 1 motorsickle. But hey, they're all in the garage or in my mini parking lot....there's no on-street parking where I live....street ain't wide enough.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by car54

I think it's because people have two many vehicles. Once the kids start driving, it's not uncommon for for a family to have 4 or 5 cars. even if all would fit in the driveway, it's PITA moving them around to get one or another of them outta there.

People have too many cars! Oh wait...I just counted ours...nine + 1 motorsickle. But hey, they're all in the garage or in my mini parking lot....there's no on-street parking where I live....street ain't wide enough.

I have a one car driveway so it's just easier to leave one in the drive or garage and one on the street.

[cdmurphy]

Originally Posted by twinmma

I'm talking about in Ashburn...Homes that are 2500sqft! They are not converted...I mean, maybe a few are, but not in my neighborhood. The neighbor right next door has more crap in their garage...I remember the first time I ever saw them open the garage and I nearly fainted, lol! Just boxes and boxes of stuff, and sports stuff, and bikes, and scooters, and pictures (lots of framed pictures just sitting on the floor)
Then the ones directly across from me...Just rows and rows of shelving with stuff on it. At least that one is more organized but they can't get cars in there.

We've also got neighbors who have fancied up their garage so much (with custom shelving and flooring, refrigerator, etc.) that maybe it feels too nice to park a car in, even though there's room.

I understand it a little better in the townhouses that don't have basements, or only have single-car garages, but not in a house like ours. I'm a packrat even, and we park both cars in the garage *and* have shelves for lawn/household stuff, plus trash cans, kids' wagon and bikes, golf stand, lawn mower, snow blower, etc., with room to walk to the door.

On a related note, Osama El-Atari's former house (http://www.homesdatabase.com/home-listings-CHASE+AT+BLMNT+CNTRY+CLB-ASHBURN-VA-MRIS-LO7348565 - broken link) (now under contract) has a five-car garage. I wonder if we'll see cars parked in the driveway anyway.