Alexia Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Personally, when I was living in DC I was perfectly happy with the building height restriction. No love for the skyscraper from me - I'd feel like I lived in a rat farm or something.JMHO.40 floors...shudders.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S John Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Yeah, I think that's what explains Rosslyn. But in DC proper, I agree, the restriction puts an added premium on housing prices and rental rates. I'd argue it even filters out to places like Arlington and Bethesda. Unqestionably, there's some additional amount of rent that you're paying right now every month, maybe $100, maybe $300, maybe more that can be laid at the feet of that 1910 ordinance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamsputnik Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Ah yea, I'd heard that too. Wiki says -"Unlike other large cities in the U.S., Washington's downtown has a low skyline. With the advent of the skyscraper and the construction of the Cairo Hotel, residents were concerned that the city's European feel might be dwarfed by high-rise buildings. Congress therefore passed the Heights of Buildings Act in 1899, limiting any new building in Washington to a height of 110 feet (34 m). The act was amended in 1910 to allow buildings 20 feet (6.1 m) higher than the width of the adjacent street."So apparently its not even some sort of patriotic nod, but to preserve a 'European' aesthetic. Weak.So, the planning laws are a century out of date and there's no clamour to repeal such a silly law? Glad I don't live up there. Who knows how far out of town I'd be. West Virginia, probably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S John Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 So, the planning laws are a century out of date and there's no clamour to repeal such a silly law? Glad I don't live up there. Who knows how far out of town I'd be. West Virginia, probably.Man, thats only the tip of the iceberg around here. :lol: (good choice on WV, though!)There is some talk of repeal. Their name escapes me, but there has been a group promoting building 'up' in DC for years. Their argument is not one of cost of living, but that businesses are moving to Maryland and Virginia in droves becuase of cost and space limitations in DC. And... they're right. Many major companies have HQ's or offices in the DC area and by and large those offices are in high rises just outside of town. I bet that a lot of those major companies would prefer to be located in the District if they could get the office space, and get it at a reasonable price, because hey a Washington, DC address is a lot cooler than Silver Spring, Maryland or McLean, Virginia address - and centrally located to boot. Plus, since all these big companies are forced outside the city limits it also greatly contributes to the terrible traffic in this area. Cause people aren't just going in and out of downtown, they're also driving suburb to suburb, meaning potential bullshit anywhere you turn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyanna Stark Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Not to the same extent, I think. In the south of England the average house price is 10x the average wage. And Britons have the smallest housing footage per person in the West. There are massive restrictions on house building, while the population is growing fast. Decent housing is very difficult to acquire, even if you can scrape together the required deposit and persuade a nervous bank to lend you the money. For instance, I earn over three times the average wage and cannot afford a detached or four bedroomed house. My parents, OTOH, never made average wage, but had a house bigger than I will ever be able to afford when 15 years younger than I am now. And I'm lucky, because I got on the housing ladder before the property boom really took off, so at least I have a house of my own.*nods*This is one of the main reasons we are moving countries, actually. We just realised there is no way ever we'd be able to afford our own house, even if we live very frugally and save a lot, there is just no way we could.I think people need to consider home ownership vs renting and also how secure renting is to adequately describe quality of life. It feels quite insecure to be a private renter in the UK. The places you rent normally don't get a lot of attention from the landlords since it's "assumed" that it's "only for letting anyway and not for selling" so the standard can be quite low. It's also quite easy to be chucked out of the landlord feels like selling. Suddenly you are facing trying to find a new family home in 4 weeks time, that will fit both your family (with whatever kids of pets or what not you have aquired) and your budget, plus be commutable from your place of work and not too far away from the kids' school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galactus Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I once took a look at the actual rules for the various forms of ownership/renting a house. And I kind of blanched (the entire distinction between "You own the right to live in a house but not the house" "you OWN the right to RENT the place" "You owna share in an association that owns the land and the house" and such kind of scared me) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexia Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Here's something interesting I stumbled across...www.playspent.orgEssentially, it is an online game that place you in the position of a working class poor person with $1,000 to spend for the month. How are you going to do it? FYI: I didn't pay my auto bill or get health insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinDonner Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Wait. DC has a "European" feel? :stunned: Does anyone, who has actually been to Europe, agree with this in any way at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tormund Ukrainesbane Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Wait. DC has a "European" feel? :stunned: Does anyone, who has actually been to Europe, agree with this in any way at all?In comparison to New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Etc? Sure. In comparison to actual Europe? Not as much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S John Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Wait. DC has a "European" feel? :stunned: Does anyone, who has actually been to Europe, agree with this in any way at all?Well, the city was designed by a Frenchman. :P I think that that idea probably comes from both the layout of the streets, that most of the architecture is based on greek/roman styles, plus all the fancy monuments and stuff. Also that statement was made at the turn of the 20th century.... 80 years before crack came to DC. :uhoh: In comparison to New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Etc? Sure. In comparison to actual Europe? Not as much.Yea I think that's a good way to put it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galactus Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I always felt NYC felt more "European" than DC, actually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime L Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Wait. DC has a "European" feel? :stunned: Does anyone, who has actually been to Europe, agree with this in any way at all?Not like many cities certainly but L'Enfant did design DC with the "grand boulevard" style you see in sections of Paris and Madrid. Kind of planning that seems centered on the necessity for frequent marches. DC's also got a million roundabouts which sucks because Americans can't drive in roundabouts and people never get used to it because it's a city of transplants. So there's always that one frightened hare of a car who never feels like they have right of way to enter a roundabout so they just sit there and in the process utterly destroy the purpose of it .I always felt NYC felt more "European" than DC, actually.Don't let all the utterances of "Pardon my French, but" fool you.ETA: Anyway the most European feeling city in the U.S. has gotta be New Orleans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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