Living in Pimmit Hills VA
Pimmit Hills is a neighborhood in Falls Church, Virginia. It is a CDP (Census Designated Place) inside the beltway that for many decades had seen better days. Development began in the 1950’s but they weren’t the mid-century homes you would expect from that iconic decade. This was a neighborhood of 3 bedroom, 1 bath, rambler style homes intended for World War II and Korean War vets and their families. After several decades, Pimmit Hills fell into disrepair. How did it get from a run down and often overlooked neighborhood to the site of $2M homes?
Real Estate
About 10 years ago, when the market started to recover, the flippers arrived. With a location inside the beltway, close to Tysons, 495, 66 and the Dulles Toll Road, this was a no-brainer for redevelopment. There are a lot of flips here, and there are lots of houses which seem and are hugely overgrown for the lot on which they sit. When prices first surpassed $1M, it was unheard of. Now many homes come closer to $2M.
Not all of the developers in Pimmit Hills are created equal unfortunately, as we have both experienced over the years while helping clients hunt for homes in the neighborhood. Paying attention to the finishes and craftsmanship in these homes is key to picking the right home. In most cases, the absence of quality craftsmanship is very obvious.
Many of the builders don’t consult with designers in terms of selecting finishes and it shows. In some homes, the finishes and fixtures look like they were bought on clearance and thrown together. If someone is going to pay over a million dollars for a home, the developers need to invest in hiring a designer and not wing it by themselves. On the flipside, we have seen so many beautiful homes in the neighborhood and you can get the home you always dreamed of without the Arlington or McLean price tag.
Home prices range from the low $500,000s to around $2.5 million. Single family detached homes have the widest range in pricing due to a wide range in home styles. Pimmit Hills is a mix of modest homes such as ramblers and cape cods to 5,000+ square foot craftsman homes and colonials. There are some townhomes and those range from the high $700,000s to the high $900,000s for the 1990’s townhomes. There is a larger townhome development coming on Route 7 and those prices are $1M and above. There are no condominiums in this neighborhood.
Fun Facts:
A couple fun facts about Pimmit Hills. First, locally, there is a lot of shade thrown at Pimmit Hills. It’s just been hard for some to grasp that this is now a $1M+ neighborhood after the years where it was pretty rundown. Second, in the TV Show “My Name is Earl,” Pimmit Hills Trailer Park was named after Pimmit Hills as the creator of the show lived here as a child.
Commuting:
Pimmit Hills is probably one of the best areas to live in Northern Virginia if you have to commute to well, anywhere. It is centrally located to all the major arteries into DC, Tysons, Arlington and Alexandria. Commuting is made even easier because Pimmit Hills is located next to the Route 7 exit on Route 66, which functions as EZ Pass toll lanes and HOV lanes to DC in the mornings. During off peak hours, the drive into DC is 15-20 minutes. It is also a five minute drive to the EZ Pass toll lanes and HOV lanes on the 495 Beltway and the Dulles Toll Rd, Route 267.
The closest Metro station is the West Falls Church station, which is a five minute drive. If you don’t feel like driving to the Metro station, you can take the 703 Bus from Pimmit Hills to the West Falls Church station. You can catch the bus at one of the stops on Pimmit Drive. WMATA, our Metro Transit Authority, has a wonderful tool on their website to help you plan your route.
Food & Grocery Stores:
Pimmit Hills is home to both a Trader Joe’s and a Whole Foods. If those don’t work, Giant and Harris Teeter are on the other side of I-66 in Falls Church.
For restaurants, Thaisons is probably Michael’s personal favorite in the neighborhood. It’s an amazing Thai restaurant that focuses on Thai street food and the quality is unmatched. Other great restaurants in the area include Taco Bamba, Thaim Mediterranean Kitchen, Astro Donuts and Fried Chicken, Bing & Bao Chinese Street Food & Boba, Idylwood Grill & Wine Bar, and one of Melissa’s favorites, Noodles & Company! Melissa is a simple lady when it comes to food.
The wonderful thing about Pimmit Hills and its location is that you have a short drive into downtown Falls Church or Tysons, so your options for dining are endless. Many of these places also deliver to Pimmit Hills because of how close they are to the neighborhood.
Schools:
The neighborhood splits pretty evenly between either Westgate Elementary or Lemon Road Elementary School. Both schools serve Pre-K to 6th grade. They both have Level 4 academics, meaning, they offer advanced academics for grades 3-6 in the 4 core subject areas.
Kilmer Middle School serves grades 7 & 8. The Advanced Academics continues through 8th grade and is available at Kilmer as well.
Marshall High School serves 9-12th grades. They have an International Baccalaureate program and the Marshall STEM Academy which is a school within Marshall offering tech courses.
For all things Pimmit Hills, definitely check out the Pimmit Hills Citizens Association website! It’s a wealth of information and a great place to stay connected with the neighborhood.
