Limited [Use] Common Elements

The balcony was the one item of our list that we ended up not getting. That was fine for the first several years, but now that we have a child, it is a real bummer. It would be great to be able to sit outside during naps or after she goes to bed because going to a common area isn’t an option during those times. Alas, we still like our place, and we sure are glad we didn’t compromise on parking.

It’s not just hi-rise condos. There are plenty of other places where people don’t really use their balcony.
Visiting relatives in BFE, VA in one of those townhome communities I noticed the balcony was hardly used, and this was a holiday. A day that screamed, bbq on me! Hardly anyone using that space.
Some people use the space more than others. The foreign couple across the way use their’s, primarily as a place to smoke and everyso often a dining room. The lesbian couple a few doors down hang out and watch over the alley from their perch. The people across the way from me only seem to use their balcony when they have a party. The rooftop balconies rarely get used. Rarely. I can count on one mangled hand the number of times each house bothers to socialize or hang out on the roof a year.

I use mine all year round to forecast the weather and take in the monument/street view.

seasonally, I’ll sit out there to a) read the newspaper, b) surf the ‘Net, c) have a pre-dinner drink especially if guests are over and d) chase away the pigeons who like to hang out or spend the night or do their business. but, it doesn’t get nearly as much real use as I thought it would when I bought the condo.

I think you either need a small or Juliet balcony just to get some fresh air or a substantial balcony if you entertain a lot. my condo has a handful of units with very large balconies/patios on lower floors which I can see and the parties they host look like good fun. one person hosted a series of poker nights on his patio.

have also thought of putting up a clothesline to save energy when drying my clothes which my parents used to do when I was young.

even if the balcony or outdoor space doesn’t get used so much for marinating, one can always grow lots of plants. The first & only apt I had with a balcony I went buck wild with pots & flowers, even had a flowering cherry tree (it didnt live;(…now I’m working on more edible things like arugula, pathetic tomatoes & lots of herbs – all container gardening. Now is a really good time of year to find pots on sale!

Had a balcony once. Used it fairly infrequently.

The apartments I lived in in college, Richmond, and my first few years in the Northern VA area had balconies and I rarely used them. Generally these balconies were just 4 to 5ft in depth affording little room for outdoor furniture. Often they felt enclosed by the presence of another balcony above and an exterior wall jutting out on one side or the other. When sitting it felt more closterphoric as the railing was right on top of you and blocking your view. I always found a balcony to be a lackluster substitute to being outside.

In my mid twenties I began renting townhouses and later a single family house. Each of those had large patios or decks which were a joy to spend time on individually or hosting gatherings on.

When I began condo shopping in 2008 I began viewing properties in Arlington first. They had the same balconies I found useless years before. When I moved the search into the District I saw that the type of building that would have a balcony in Arlington only had a juliet ledge in downtown DC. I decided that downgrade was one I could easily swallow as I never found a 4ft balcony useful to my lifestyle anyway.

I think the ideal for city living would be to have a private terrace. A terrace is a much larger outdoor space than a balcony and can accommodate a BBQ and other social gatherings. However in DC private terraces are rare commodities and generally associated with penthouses. Since that’s not within reach of my income bracket I’m glad my condominium has an extremely large rooftop with nooks and crannys that allow you to seclude yourself from others if desired. My only wish is the roof had either fewer solid concrete walls or lower walls so you could enjoy the view while seated from more locations on our rooftop.

A lot of my Washington DC area real estate clients come in saying they want a balcony but are quick to drop it from their list.

I have a small balcony that I use year round. It receives sun at mid-day so time out there is very pleasant in both the morning and evening. It’s also shielded enough so it does not directly receive any rain, and is just large enough that two can sit okay with a small table. To have a balcony was probably my biggest criteria after a washer/dryer which limited the availability, but having it has proven to be very worthwhile for me.

The roof is so much nicer — the view from our balconies is awful — just staring at another building’s windows.

So in retrospect, should you have considered places that did not have balconies or don’t you know because you rejected them out of hand?
In any event it’s good to have a balcony just for having a door that leads somewhere that gives the impression that the space extends. Also good for its limited uses. It’s nice to step outside, even for a moment.
I think it’s good to have a balcony. The trouble is most balconies are not nice enough or big enough.

I used to think I really wanted/needed a balcony, and I lived in a rental apartment in Cleveland Park that had a pretty big balcony. But I realized I didn’t use it all that much, so when I was looking to buy a condo in Penn Quarter that was the one thing I compromised on. Some other units in my building have a balcony, but mine doesn’t. It’s not a huge deal for me since I can go up to the roofdeck; plus, none of the balconies in my building have a great view like my Cleveland Park balcony did anyway.

But it would be nice to have a balcony to grow some herbs or vegetables on!

Well I’m not in Penn Quarter, but have had varying types of balconies in all of my DC apartments. My current balcony looks out into a courtyard, meaning it’s not so private so I use it to talk on the phone (not great reception inside), sometimes eat breakfast on weekends, and read on a nice day. I use my building’s roof a lot, with a beautiful view of the city, for dinner, sharing a bottle of wine with friends. The reasons I didn’t use my old apartment’s balcony were very simple: horrible infestation of mosquitos when it got warm.

I find my clients like the idea of the balcony, even if they don’t use it. Sellers do better if they have one. Most people don’t use them, though.

A balcony was not on my list of must-haves when shopping for a condo. I guess I was of the opinion that if I couldn’t fire up a charcoal grill on my balcony (which most/all buildings prohibit), then I was probably not going to use a balcony. I still haven’t missed it. However, I do find myself opening up the windows more often these days.

Anon 3:37 pm: To answer your question in retrospect a balcony is still a must have for Mrs Columbo and I but that’s mostly because we have, and will probably always have, a dog. Most buildings prohibit dogs from going into common areas like the gym, party room, roof deck, etc.

So I think if we were not dog people the roof deck would suffice as our outdoor access. But not having that option with our pet, we made the right decision for us.

I live a bit north of Penn Quarter so having two (small) balconies is both affordable and fun. Both balconies have views of both the Capitol and the Washington Monument. I often send the both the first and last minutes of the day outside taking in the view. Also having the door wide open right now is a great feeling of the outdoors.

When I was looking to buy a condo in 2000, I had a few “absolute musts” – 2 bedrooms (separated), a view (this was in Toronto and I wanted a Lake Ontario view), pets allowed, and a balcony. I was fortunate and got all the above. I do not use the balcony as much in the winter as I do at other times but I would never go for a place without one. Here too relatively few people use their balconies – although most have invested in balcony furniture it rarely gets used – strange.

my roof top deck is much better than any balcony i could afford. There’s plenty of furniture, plants, and views from the roof. It’s more comfortable and secluded from the city than a balcony on my 7th floor condo would have. I eat dinner once a month on the roof and practice yoga (with a yoga class downloaded to my ipod) on the roof as well.

Out of the 130ish units in my building – I rarely run into others on the weekdays and only occasionally on the weekends. it’s peachy!