What makes you an expert on NoVA? (Arlington, Alexandria: home, find a job)

[normie]

Originally Posted by SFean

Normie, I have to say that I am glad to see you back on the forum. You make it fun to read and you always have good information. You, along with the other regular advisors on this forum, have been a wonderful resource.

Thank you, what a nice thing to say. I try to give useful suggestions where I can. Sometimes my suggestions come from recent experiences, but some are from things that happened a few years ago, so it's always a good idea to double check that something is still being done or that a store still exists, etc.

[Caladium]

I was born and raised here. Like many young people, at 20, I couldn't wait to "escape" from VA. I lived in a few different cities and spent many years living at the California beaches. Then one day I grew a little older and saw the VA suburbs that I once despised in a whole new way. I realized they were now the perfect fit, in fact a paradise for me. So I happily moved back here ten years ago.

I'm not sure what sort of expertise that gives me, but I do want to say that, as much as I dearly love living here, if you're under 25 you might want to think twice about moving here. Nova appeals more to an older group, it's not hip. LA or Portland or Austin are all good places for young people. I know the job situation is scary right now but I really do believe you should only move to a city you want to be in, and that you can find a job in other cities too.

OTOH, if you want to be in Virginia and you don't want to change us into some sort of clone of the place you moved from, I'm happy to welcome you.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

Caladium - Why did you depise NOVA when you were younger? What makes NOVA nicer than the beaches of California?

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

Caladium - Why did you depise NOVA when you were younger? What makes NOVA nicer than the beaches of California?

When I was younger, I hated the surburbs because they were suburbs. At the time I could have given you a list of reasons but they were really rationalizations. The real reason was "they were suburbs." Maybe it had something to do with rebelling against conformity? I'm not sure, it's something I outgrew and so now I can remember that I once felt that way but I can't really remember why. (That's just me, that's not a comment on how anyone else may feel.)

I don't think that Nova is nicer than California, it's just that right now it fits me better. Don't get me wrong, I still love California.

I guess the best way to explain it is I feel about the beach cities in LA the way I feel about mini skirts. I still love mini skirts, but a few years back I looked in the mirror one day and realized mini skirts no longer looked right on me. It wasn't that I suddenly hated mini skirts it's just that I outgrew them.

If you want some specifics, well... When I was younger I loved the funky buildings near the beach. Then one day they didn't look funky to me, they looked a little ramshackle.

I used to love walking on the strand with hundreds of people everywhere I looked, then one day I realized I wanted to hike by the Potomac with not a single other person in sight. I used to love the crowds at the beach, then one day it began to feel too crowded and I wanted to come out to the suburbs to find some space.

I used to love palm trees, then one day I flew in and looking down on my neighborhood they looked like little potted plants. I realized I longed for big trees.

I used to be into jello shots and drinking games, then one day a BBQ on a cul de sac seemed so much more appealling. I once loved having a bunch of fun loving crazy roommates, then one day I realized I wanted my own space. I used to love the sand and dry weather, then one day I realized I'd rather have lush greenery, four seasons and a bit of humidity. Now when I visit LA it seems awfully dry and smoggy. It didn't seem smoggy when I lived there, but now that I've lived here I've grown to appreciate our air.

I used to love being within walking distance to beach bars where there was always music playing. Then one day I heard myself saying "I wish it wasn't always so loud." I used to feel I fit in, then one day I looked around and everyone seemed young enough to be my kid. I used to fly from Nova to LA and feel I was returning home when I saw LAX. Then one day I flew from LA to Nova and the feeling of home came when we touched down in Dulles.

Etc. etc. etc.

[car54]

I'm a child of the 60's.....hippies and the Summer of Love and all that.

After high school graduation, literally dozens of my classmates headed for CA in their VW buses...chartreuse and otherwise.

Within a decade, exactly NONE of them were still out there...they didn't all come back here, but they all left CA. Apparently, the allure of the place doesn't stand the test of time.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by ajzjmsmom

This is the main reason we opted to live in Stafford with my husband doing the commute for the 2 yrs we will be here. I know alot in NOVA consider Stafford to be full of rednecks but I will take rednecks over know-it-alls anyday. At least out there noone gives a care where we work or how much we are worth. The first question out of ones mouth isn't "where do you work" it is "where are you from or are you military" these are just my observations and are subject to human error.

I do have to add, after having lived in Arlington for 6 months and now staying in corporate housing in Falls Church, that people tend to be more friendly in this apt complex.

I know JUST how you feel! We live in the country now and no one cares how much money you have, what car you drive (more likely what truck you drive), where you work or how many acres you have. It's WHO you are, not what you have or where you work. Country people are so much less judgmental than the city folk.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by Caladium

When I was younger, I hated the surburbs because they were suburbs. At the time I could have given you a list of reasons but they were really rationalizations. The real reason was "they were suburbs." Maybe it had something to do with rebelling against conformity? I'm not sure, it's something I outgrew and so now I can remember that I once felt that way but I can't really remember why. (That's just me, that's not a comment on how anyone else may feel.)

I don't think that Nova is nicer than California, it's just that right now it fits me better. Don't get me wrong, I still love California.

I guess the best way to explain it is I feel about the beach cities in LA the way I feel about mini skirts. I still love mini skirts, but a few years back I looked in the mirror one day and realized mini skirts no longer looked right on me. It wasn't that I suddenly hated mini skirts it's just that I outgrew them.

If you want some specifics, well... When I was younger I loved the funky buildings near the beach. Then one day they didn't look funky to me, they looked a little ramshackle.

I used to love walking on the strand with hundreds of people everywhere I looked, then one day I realized I wanted to hike by the Potomac with not a single other person in sight. I used to love the crowds at the beach, then one day it began to feel too crowded and I wanted to come out to the suburbs to find some space.

I used to love palm trees, then one day I flew in and looking down on my neighborhood they looked like little potted plants. I realized I longed for big trees.

I used to be into jello shots and drinking games, then one day a BBQ on a cul de sac seemed so much more appealling. I once loved having a bunch of fun loving crazy roommates, then one day I realized I wanted my own space. I used to love the sand and dry weather, then one day I realized I'd rather have lush greenery, four seasons and a bit of humidity. Now when I visit LA it seems awfully dry and smoggy. It didn't seem smoggy when I lived there, but now that I've lived here I've grown to appreciate our air.

I used to love being within walking distance to beach bars where there was always music playing. Then one day I heard myself saying "I wish it wasn't always so loud." I used to feel I fit in, then one day I looked around and everyone seemed young enough to be my kid. I used to fly from Nova to LA and feel I was returning home when I saw LAX. Then one day I flew from LA to Nova and the feeling of home came when we touched down in Dulles.

Etc. etc. etc.

WOW!!!! What a great post! It explains why I loved the city as a single gal, loved the suburbs when I was raising my kids, and now love the country! Thank you!

[movingtodcfromseattle]

Originally Posted by Caladium

When I was younger, I hated the surburbs because they were suburbs. At the time I could have given you a list of reasons but they were really rationalizations. The real reason was "they were suburbs." Maybe it had something to do with rebelling against conformity? I'm not sure, it's something I outgrew and so now I can remember that I once felt that way but I can't really remember why. (That's just me, that's not a comment on how anyone else may feel.)

I don't think that Nova is nicer than California, it's just that right now it fits me better. Don't get me wrong, I still love California.

I guess the best way to explain it is I feel about the beach cities in LA the way I feel about mini skirts. I still love mini skirts, but a few years back I looked in the mirror one day and realized mini skirts no longer looked right on me. It wasn't that I suddenly hated mini skirts it's just that I outgrew them.

If you want some specifics, well... When I was younger I loved the funky buildings near the beach. Then one day they didn't look funky to me, they looked a little ramshackle.

I used to love walking on the strand with hundreds of people everywhere I looked, then one day I realized I wanted to hike by the Potomac with not a single other person in sight. I used to love the crowds at the beach, then one day it began to feel too crowded and I wanted to come out to the suburbs to find some space.

I used to love palm trees, then one day I flew in and looking down on my neighborhood they looked like little potted plants. I realized I longed for big trees.

I used to be into jello shots and drinking games, then one day a BBQ on a cul de sac seemed so much more appealling. I once loved having a bunch of fun loving crazy roommates, then one day I realized I wanted my own space. I used to love the sand and dry weather, then one day I realized I'd rather have lush greenery, four seasons and a bit of humidity. Now when I visit LA it seems awfully dry and smoggy. It didn't seem smoggy when I lived there, but now that I've lived here I've grown to appreciate our air.

I used to love being within walking distance to beach bars where there was always music playing. Then one day I heard myself saying "I wish it wasn't always so loud." I used to feel I fit in, then one day I looked around and everyone seemed young enough to be my kid. I used to fly from Nova to LA and feel I was returning home when I saw LAX. Then one day I flew from LA to Nova and the feeling of home came when we touched down in Dulles.

Etc. etc. etc.

That's an awesome post!

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by car54

but they all left CA. Apparently, the allure of the place doesn't stand the test of time.

Which is why there are now over 30 million people living there? One of my favorite Yogi Berraisms comes to mind: "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded".

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by Denton56

Country people are so much less judgmental than the city folk.

Which is why you have to come here to do that?

Actually I love judgmental people. They're incredibly insightful and entertaining. One of my favorites was Alice Roosevelt who used to say "if you can't anything good about someone, sit right here by me".