tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30306615.post2579771737449732354..comments2024-02-28T11:29:36.860-05:00Comments on just up the pike: the once and future white oak: part oneDan Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10594208011755406956noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30306615.post-23835521410469289872009-09-15T17:58:56.806-04:002009-09-15T17:58:56.806-04:00I live in the apartments along Longwood drive in W...I live in the apartments along Longwood drive in White Oak. I attended one of the sessions but I didn't stay long. It was too unpleasant to hear the nasty comments directed at renters. It's depressing to think that the seemingly nice people I meet at the library or the park think I'm trash and don't want me living near them. (I rent because I move a lot for my job, and the White Oak area is convenient to my work. I'm 40 and well past the roommate stage, so I don't want to rent a house with 6 other people. I prefer having privacy.) <br /><br />However, I have mixed feelings about the new housing. There are a lot of apartments along Lockwood, and they usually have vacancies. I'm not sure the demand is there, especially since there is no easy access to rail. On the other hand, a mixed income development might be a nice option. There isn't a lot available for a renter other than the low-end apartments on Lockwood, especially if you don't want noisy roommates. I know a lot of people moving into the White Oak FDA site would be interested.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11393219314496954561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30306615.post-28814176215625756602009-09-15T17:15:00.233-04:002009-09-15T17:15:00.233-04:00This whole discussion is effectively moot. Aspen H...This whole discussion is effectively moot. Aspen Hill, for example, is chock full of both foreclosed houses and rental houses. There are two homes for rent -- nice houses on one of the better blocks in the neighborhood 1250 square feet or so of habitable space -- within a half block of me, and most of the foreclosed homes along Aspen Hill Road (12 of them, I think, in only 2 miles drive) are still unoccupied. <br /><br />Even if occupied to the legal limit of 7 unrelated adults, that's still over 150 people who could find housing in a generally walkable neighborhood very well served by bus and with many nearby medical and dental practices and two different hospitals in opposite directions on the bus lines. <br /><br />If the houses were rented for 1750.00/month, with 7 people, that would be $250.00 month per person. Now that's affordable, and it's in an established neighborhood. <br /><br />If you're getting a little tired of me pointing out that there is no need whatsoever to build any new housing, maybe people should stop suggesting that there's a shortage of affordable housing. <br /><br />Heck, a 1-bedroom apartment is how much? $1350 a month? For another $400 you can have 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a basement, and a yard. But that won't employ construction workers, will it? And that won't let developers make money to contribute to campaigns, eh? <br /><br />So in this era of gross oversupply of commercial real-estate and foreclosed-and-affordable houses, it makes sense to build new high-density mixed-income "affordable" rental properties (or condos) on an overly congested stretch that has absolutely no rail transit and no likelihood of any within the next 15 years?<br /><br />Oh yeah, makes a lot of sense. NOT!Thomas Hardmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07951423786343852055noreply@blogger.com