Open House

I love to go to open houses. Sunday is the big day for them. It serves a twofold purpose. The first is that I get out and walk. In fact if I go to two or three I usually end up covering at least 2 miles or more. The second is I like to see what people have done to their houses and how much they are charging for them. The third purpose. Ok it serves a threefold purpose. The third is it gives me ideas about how I might fix up the rest of my house. Specifically how to develop the basement.

I also like to be able to say (so I guess that would be the fourth purpose sounds like the Spanish Inquisition to me) my house is much better than this and they want how much for this thing.

Anyway today I didn't do much walking. I stopped off at a new development on my way back from Target. This is call the Arts District of Hyattsville. It is about a ten minute drive from my house. It is going to be a large development. It will be on both sides of the road. It will be around 400 homes and about 200 condos give or take. It is developing an area that had consisted mainly of car dealerships. It is really beginning to take shape.

There were three models available to look at: Adams, Blake and Calder. The Calder was by far the largest in terms of square footage. All three homes were just really well done. Nothing looked cheap and space was used very wisely. In the Calder and Blake there's a half bath that's in a small landing area between the entry and main level. It is just a really great use of space.

In my opinion there is one draw back to the Calder. The optional loft which would be the fourth floor has a terrace which is 17 x 10. Part of the terrace is taken up with not one but two central air condition units. I think you loose about 5 feet of the terrace. I have to assume that if the units were on it would be rather loud out there. Of course most of the time air condition would be one you probably would not be out on the terrace but there might be occasions where you would be. Also it just takes up way too much space.

That aside, this was a really great development. There have a rec center that's going to have a gym. In fact they'd just installed the equipment. In the second phase of the project there going to add a pool. It will be interesting to check back and see how the place develops. I'm looking forward to seeing the condos and what the houses will look like in phase two.