There are numerous factors that determine whether a location is considered highly walkable. The first is that there is a central location where people congregate. Typically there are numerous businesses and access to public transportation. The infrastructure design is pedestrian oriented and planned for bicyclists and mass transit. Daily shopping needs can be met without having to get into a car, usually vehicular parking is not as accessible which discourages use. The neighborhood has mixed use with workplaces, schools, recreation integrated with housing and shopping.
Visit www.walkscore.com to assess how walkable a particular address is. The HBC Group at KW has two condos currently on the market in Arlington, Virginia.
The condo building Eastview at Ballston is located at the intersection of N. Randolph and Fairfax Drive and has an enviable walk score of 94. The list price of the unit at the time of contract in April 2019 was $365,000.
The condo building Chatham located at 4501 Arlington Blvd at Glebe Road has a walk score of 55. Thankfully it is considered very bikable with a score of 84. The list price of the unit at the time of this writing is $227,500.
Of course there are other market considerations between the two buildings, including amenities, condo fees, square footage, upgrades. However, much of the differential has to do with location. The distance between the two locations is 1.3 miles. The distance impacts the proximity to metro, shopping, restaurants and other community amenities.
The difference between the two locations is more than mileage. Truly to live at the Chatham means being vehicle dependent. The Center for Neighborhood Technology calculated for 2010 that the average household in the Washington, DC metro area spends $12,000 annually on transportation. Eliminating the need for one car is real money added to the bottom line for a family’s budget.
Karen Briscoe with HBC Group at Keller Williams is an active and experienced Realtor® in the Northern Virginia market place. Karen, alongside her partner Lizzy Conroy and team, works with sellers, buyers, investors and builders in all price ranges. www.HBCGroupKW.com, 703-734-0192, Homes@HBCGroupKW.com.
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