Pros & Cons?? (Alexandria, Columbia: apartment, for rent, condos)

[michelleb182005]

I am a recent college graduate who currently resides in SC. I will be relocating to Alexandria for a new job. I wanted to get some information about the area. What sections of town are considered the "good" areas? What is the economy like? Is traffic real bad? How is the nightlife? Is there a lot of diversity? What are some Pros & Cons?

[Dingler]

Look for an eye opening experience in Alexandria VA. You will not be in South Carolina anymore- it is so different.

Alexandria may be the the most ethnically diverse City in America. Not just Black and White but every ethnic group in the world. A true United Nations of People. I would guess only 40% speak English at home, and 70% are non white. The demographics have changed drastically since the 2000 census.

Traffic is incredible. The North Side of town is the nicest, south the worst. Old Town is noisy, expensive and congested but considered the best the City has to offer.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by Dingler

Look for an eye opening experience in Alexandria VA. You will not be in South Carolina anymore- it is so different.

Much, but not all, of South Carolina remains rural and southern. The DC area is urban and no longer southern. Expect the expected.

Originally Posted by Dingler

Alexandria may be the the most ethnically diverse City in America. Not just Black and White but every ethnic group in the world. A true United Nations of People. I would guess only 40% speak English at home, and 70% are non white. The demographics have changed drastically since the 2000 census.

How much do you guess they have changed since the 2005 mid-decade cycle? At that time, the white, non-Hispanic population of Alexandria was 58%. Blacks were at 22%, Hispanics at 14%, and Asians at 5%. Data from 2000 are the most recent for the foreign-born population (25%) and the proportion speaking a language other than English at home (30%). Also for the proportion having at least a college degree (54%).

Originally Posted by Dingler

Traffic is incredible. The North Side of town is the nicest, south the worst. Old Town is noisy, expensive and congested but considered the best the City has to offer.

Compared to say Strom Thurmond's old hometown of Edgefield, yes, Old Town would be noisy, congested, and expensive. There are some other advantages as well.

[Dingler]

Most of the White people in Alexandria are not like they are in South Carolina. Most here are from the Middle East and Turkey. Few from Germany, Great Britain and other Western European Countries like in SC.

Go to the big Landmark Shopping Center in Alexandria and see how different the people are in Alexandria than what you are use to in SC.

I am not saying this in any racist way but just to point out how different it is in NVA.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by Dingler

Most of the White people in Alexandria are not like they are in South Carolina. Most here are from the Middle East and Turkey. Few from Germany, Great Britain and other Western European Countries like in SC.

In decreasing order of frequency, these are the countries from which at least 2,500 immigrants into the DC area originated during the 1990's...
El Salvador, Vietnam, India, China, Philippines, South Korea, Ethiopia, Iran, Pakistan, Peru, the former USSR, Bolivia, Nigeria, Jamaica, Ghana, United Kingdom, Guatemala, Sierra Leone, Taiwan, Nicaragua, Mexico, Trinidad, Bangladesh, Dominican Republic, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Colombia.

Originally Posted by Dingler

Go to the big Landmark Shopping Center in Alexandria and see how different the people are in Alexandria than what you are use to in SC.

Landmark is indeed one of the more diverse areas in a diverse region. SC, and particualry rural SC, is hardly diverse at all. No one quibbles over that difference, but your descriptions of it have been wildly inaccurate.

[dullnboring]

Firstly, I will reiterate what I said in an earlier thread. For all those of you new to the Virginia forum, ignore everything that Dingler says. It should be in a sticky at the top of the Virginia forum page. His information is almost always wildly incorrect and/or heavily biased (and he knows it) and does an incredible disservice to impressionable people seeking legitimate information about relocating to the area. His intentions on this board are incredibly suspect. Listen to saganista and others.

Now to answer the post...

Originally Posted by michelleb182005

I am a recent college graduate who currently resides in SC. I will be relocating to Alexandria for a new job. I wanted to get some information about the area. What sections of town are considered the "good" areas? What is the economy like? Is traffic real bad? How is the nightlife? Is there a lot of diversity? What are some Pros & Cons?

Old Town Alexandria is the nicest part of town, and in turn, the priciest and unlikely to be affordable for a recent college graduate. It's the somewhat touristy downtown district of the city lined with old townhomes that routinely fetch seven figures. Actually, this would be where another good question comes into play which is how much are you looking to spend on rent and what sort of accomodations are you looking for? That will help us direct you. As you may be aware, there is a huge cost of living difference between South Carolina and the DC area so I'm sure you'll be in for a shock. Within the city of Alexandria, you should expect to pay at the least $1000/month for a one-bedroom apartment (although a handful exist for a bit under).

The economy in the area is terrific. The DC area has a large, diverse and constantly growing economy, and the area also isn't as prone to recession as other parts of the country due to the high job security in many of the area's governmental jobs. The unemployment rates are amongst the lowest in the U.S. and the DC area routinely ranks at or near the top in all of those random surveys of the nation's economy (i.e. "best places to start a business" or "best places for college graduates").

Traffic is awful. It's an unfortunate fact of life in this area. While it varies depending on time of day and location you're traveling from/to, you can generally expect a rush hour commute in the area to run anywhere from 1.5 to three times as long as a non-rush hour commute. Living in Alexandria city however will at least give you better access to the Metro system which can be a godsend during the workdays provided you'll be working close to a station as well.

The area is very diverse. The figures saganista cited were correct. If diversity is what you're looking for, then you're in luck. If diversity is what you're trying to avoid, then Alexandria (and the DC area as a whole) is not for you.

[Dingler]

DO NOT IGNORE DINGLER, he tells the truth and is not into being Politically Correct.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by dullnboring

Firstly, I will reiterate what I said in an earlier thread. For all those of you new to the Virginia forum, ignore everything that Dingler says. It should be in a sticky at the top of the Virginia forum page. His information is almost always wildly incorrect and/or heavily biased (and he knows it) and does an incredible disservice to impressionable people seeking legitimate information about relocating to the area. His intentions on this board are incredibly suspect. Listen to saganista and others.

Another thing for those also new to the VA forum. Dull-n-boring's posts are usually very detailed and very objective and very accurate. Now for your relocation, speaking as a native Southerner (born in Sumter, SC, raised in southeastern VA) this city will be a major culture shock for maybe the first year. Dingler (should change his name to ding-dong) said ONE accurate thing all you have to do is go to Landmark Mall on the city's west end to see how diverse this city is. There will be nationalites that you've never seen before. One con that is really important is housing price. I'm considering relocating to Columbia and saw that some condos were the same price as a nicely-equipped Nissan Maxima. You are not gonna find that here. A condo in a decent area in the DC area may START at $200k. Also there really isnt a horrible area that is considered a no-go area. The closest you'll come inside the city limits is parker-gray and maybe edsall Rd. Some areas will be nicer than others. Now for traffic one word; nightmare. Espically on 395, van dorn, and duke st. Hopefully i was of some help to you.

[michelleb182005]

Rent that is $ 1,000-1,300 is within my range, but i'll probably have a roommate. Where I currently reside, the monthly total for rent & utilities is $1,200. Having been born & raised in SC, i've grown to hate it!! I'm looking for diversity!! I lived in NY for 3 months & I loved it but it was a little too fast for me so I threw a dart at a map & it landed on DC (seriously). A friend of mine lived in DC so he suggested that I move to Alexandria. I do plan on bringing my car but I will only drive it in & around Alexandria not to DC, I doubt that Alexandria's traffic is worse than NYC traffic so i'm pretty sure I can handle it. I have a problem with speeding & I heard that the speeding tickets up there are very high so I think it will be in my best interest to ride the Metro. What are the names of some neighborhoods in the area?

[The Dissenter]

Some neighborhoods are DelRay, Landmark-Van Dorn, West End, Old Town, Park Center, and Mark Center.