Fairfax, VA Pros and Cons (Richmond, Washington: unemployment, neighborhood, theater)

[CUDavidBanner]

Hello,

I'm considering some jobs that are located in Fairfax, VA. I don't know much about the area. I would greatly appreciate it if some of you could tell me about the area. Things like cost of living, traffic, weather, and other quality of life issues will be very helpful. Thanks.

[The Dissenter]

cost of living- very expensive
traffic- TERRIBLE
weather- you'll have both extremes snow in winter, over 100 in the summer this is all of VA
schools- great, but can miss in some places
crime- a little, but not like DC at all
public transportation- metro is def. the way to get around

[vasinger]

Pros

1. Um, its close to DC (if thats a good thing)


Cons
1.The people there are extremely conventional
2. Vinyl siding
3. Lots of Washington "redskins" fans
4.Lack of arts
5.High priced.

[claremarie]

The cost of living is high, but other areas in the US are higher. The traffic can be bad, but if you're smart about where you live and when you choose to run errands on the weekend, you can avoid the worst of it. The weather is pretty moderate -- fall and spring are beautiful, winter is generally moderate with less than 18" snowfall for the season, and summers are hot and humid (but everything is air-conditioned, so unless you are working on a road construction crew you should be able to handle it). Temperatures over 100 or under 20 are very rare.
Quality of life is excellent. Great public schools, wonderful FREE museums, several top universities, bike paths galore, national and state park areas for recreation, a truly cosmopolitan population, great cheap ethnic restaurants, high-end shopping to die for (many diplomats make special pilgrimmages to Tyson's Corner shopping center), and a great variety of housing options. Lack of arts? Right. Several major symphonies, opera, 10+ major choral groups, live theater, art museums.
And plenty of Starbucks coffee shops.

[mlv311]

Pros:
1) Job opportunities
2) Diversity (I don't mean strictly race/ethnicity, I'm referring to having so many different types of people that you can make friends through work, neighborhood, church, interests/hobbies, etc.).
3) Clean, reliable and pretty safe public transportation system
4) Very good schools, including colleges and universities
5) Great community services (e.g., excellent public libraries, great parks, etc.)
6) Four seasons in a year (the hazy, humid summers may be a con)
7) Lots of dining choices, entertainment, cultural events, etc. You can't be bored.

Cons:
1) Traffic, particularly if you are a single driver and have a long commute
2) Housing cost
3) Crowds (much more noticeable if you can only run errands on weekends; you have to wait in line for movies, restaurants, etc.)
4) Higher than average career-oriented people (i.e., the typical "What do you do" question right after you introduce yourself).
5) Personal property tax
6) Cost of living

[vasinger]

I think the hazy hot humid summers are actually a pro. I love warm weather !

[dullnboring]

Pros:

1. Terrific diverse economy with incredibly low unemployment.
2. Some of the highest-ranked public schools in the nation.
3. Very little crime.
4. Extremely diverse, integrated and with little tension.

Cons:

1. TRAFFIC TRAFFIC TRAFFIC!
2. Housing prices are stratospheric.
3. Rude people; very career-centric and not incredibly sociable.
4. Little character. Few lifelong residents with generic cookie cutter subdivisions, strip malls with chain restaurants and stores.

Some would cite the weather as a con, but like vasinger, I too don't find it that bad. I wouldn't say I enjoy it really, but I'm more indifferent to it. I think it's pretty much the epitome of a four season area which for someone like me who gets bored fast, is good.

[Aorre]

I'm planning on a move to Fairfax from Upstate NY and I like what is being said here so far. We get a lot of snow here so that's one reason we're planning on moving about 500 miles south. I know there was a snow storm this year, but that's rare, isn't it? LOL

4) Higher than average career-oriented people (i.e., the typical "What do you do" question right after you introduce yourself).

Man, I hate that so much. That's all anyone cares about here. Whenever I meet someone new: "So what do you do for a living?" It's all status. People size you up and compare themselves to you based on what you do.

EDIT: Sorry for bumping this, I didn't realize the topic was so old.

[bornindc]

Originally Posted by vasinger

Pros

1. Um, its close to DC (if thats a good thing)


Cons
1.The people there are extremely conventional
2. Vinyl siding
3. Lots of Washington "redskins" fans
4.Lack of arts
5.High priced.

Generalize much? Incidentally, sounds a lot like Richmond to me - other than the high prices...

[Caladium]

4) Higher than average career-oriented people (i.e., the typical "What do you do" question right after you introduce yourself).

Originally Posted by Aorre

Man, I hate that so much. That's all anyone cares about here. Whenever I meet someone new: "So what do you do for a living?" It's all status. People size you up and compare themselves to you based on what you do.

You find that to some degree any place, and certainly in any metro area that has a lot of transitional people. "What do you do" is a standard conversation opener.

Having said that, I've found that you'll find a higher concentration of the career-oriented set the closer you live to the central core of a metro area. If you want people to talk more about hobbies, families, movies, etc. you'll be happier living in the outer rings of the suburbs.