DC-NOVA area expats in Tampa--SIGN UP HERE! (Gateway: sales, real estate)

[RehobothBeachDela_where]

My brother & his wife were from Centerville, Va. & just sold their house in 11 days and moved to Largo and love it!

I'll turn him on to this link!

[xbillyx]

Originally Posted by RehobothBeachDela_where

My brother & his wife were from Centerville, Va. & just sold their house in 11 days and moved to Largo and love it!

I'll turn him on to this link!

That's good to hear. I didn't get to check out Largo. The west side, closer to the beaches, looks nice.

[Suncoaster]

Originally Posted by xbillyx

I agree with the pollution, traffic, beltway, housing prices. However, I don't understand the phoniness at all. I never experienced that there. Sure, incomes run higher in Arlington but all nice places are like that. The nicest places usually cost the most.

I'm shocked to hear you found the weather appalling? You probably were there during rare winters. The area usually doesn't get much snow and it's pretty mild, as far as real winters go. I was able to bike to work (from Arlington into Farragut in DC) just about every day all year. I've lived in Seattle and now NE Canada. Those places have truly appalling weather (Seattle's is terrible 10 months of the year!).

I loved how walkable all of Arlington is and open-minded everyone is. You just don't seem able to find something comparable in Florida. It doesn't seem to exist.

If you have to put up with Canada weather, then no, you definitely wouldn't think Arlington's weather particularly bad But I was comparing it to FL. I truly hate temps below 40 - really really don't like it. And "snow" is the original 4-lettered S-word Also - I'm a sun hog, and the poster child for S.A.D. - so short days and overall gloominess take their toll.

Yes, I found the people in the DC-Metro area to be beyond-belief snobby. I was comparing them to folks in South FL who are progressive, friendly, and accepting - that's a very welcoming area. Unlike St. Pete. I think it may be income-related. If you're well-off and stay in high-income places, you'll encounter a different attitude than we do in the more middle-to-working income range. Just a thought though - not sure.

[xbillyx]

Originally Posted by Suncoaster

If you have to put up with Canada weather, then no, you definitely wouldn't think Arlington's weather particularly bad But I was comparing it to FL. I truly hate temps below 40 - really really don't like it. And "snow" is the original 4-lettered S-word Also - I'm a sun hog, and the poster child for S.A.D. - so short days and overall gloominess take their toll.

Yes, I found the people in the DC-Metro area to be beyond-belief snobby. I was comparing them to folks in South FL who are progressive, friendly, and accepting - that's a very welcoming area. Unlike St. Pete. I think it may be income-related. If you're well-off and stay in high-income places, you'll encounter a different attitude than we do in the more middle-to-working income range. Just a thought though - not sure.

So you don't find people to be very friendly or accepting in St Pete? Others out there agree with this?

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by xbillyx

So you don't find people to be very friendly or accepting in St Pete? Others out there agree with this?

I can't address St Pete specifically but can say that the Clearwater/Northern Pinellas County area is quite friendly, much more so than the NE US where I'm moving from.

[Suncoaster]

Originally Posted by xbillyx

So you don't find people to be very friendly or accepting in St Pete? Others out there agree with this?

Not particularly friendly - and I get an earful about it at work, where I meet people from different parts of the country. I've been asked "is everyone in Florida this rude?" and variations on that theme.

I will say I think it's a bit friendlier by the beaches, but I can't afford to live there, so not sure.

Traffic. yikes. I find Broward to be much easier to drive in - more courteous drivers, less tailgating, red-light running, honking, hostility etc. Two of the guys I used to work with had come up here from Broward and really thought the drivers up here were awful compared to there.

And- this might not be of interest except to a few - but attitudes toward the disabled seem a lot more accepting in Broward than up here. Like night & day. just my observation.

I think how you feel about people depends a lot on where you come from. To someone from a community that wasn't friendly at all, this might be a huge improvement. I came back up here from Broward (DC before that), so I compare it to S. FL.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by xbillyx

The pollution was a real bummer. Arlington is very green-minded and, unlike Fairfax, has a huge network of parks and many people walk/bus/Metro to work. However, because of the fact that it's sandwiched between ****ty Fairfax and DC, it gets a lot of pollution. My wife and I had to buy an air purifier in our apartment. And, when I'd bike to work (along the Custis Trail paralleling 66), my throat would burn from the exhaust.

I loved how walkable all of Arlington is and open-minded everyone is. You just don't seem able to find something comparable in Florida. It doesn't seem to exist.

I've been following the DC/NOVA forum quite a bit. This entire thread is informative, as its people who know about it, but slightly different crowd then you see on the forums there.

What's your take on the areas just outside of Arlington, but still within the beltway? For example, Falls Church and Annandale?

[kyle19125]

I lived in Falls Church when I first moved to the DC area and liked it enough. It's close to the city yet feels no where near it in my opinion. The older sections (known as "Falls Church City") versus Fairfax County-Falls Church are more desirable, in that they're older, well-established and still well-maintained. The county areas of the city particularly around US-50/Arlington Blvd and Route 7 have some slummy sections. Falls Church benefits from having two Metro stations which provide easy access to the city. I have less to say about Annandale other than it always seemed kind of boring and sterile in a "1980s-built suburb" kind of way. Sections of the city like many older suburban neighborhoods have deteriorated as the white flight continued it's outward migration over the years. You're at the mercy of some of the worst traffic in the country thanks to the Beltway accessibility and there aren't any nearby Metro stations.

[ISOnewplace]

I haven't lived in the DC-NOVA area for awhile but back when I was there, the areas you mentioned were very nice nice. I pretty much agree with what Kyle said. Areas of Falls Church are very nice. There are also areas of Annandale where the homes have been renovated that are nice as well. Annandale has a large Asian population or at least it did when I was there. I only mention that because of your tag line. They have some pretty awesome markets!!

Both areas are close enough in that you dont feel you are in the "burbs". That being said, there are some sketchy neighborhoods in both. It also may depend on where you will be working and what other concerns you have...schools, types of housing, price range, community, amenities, transportation, etc.

For the most part though, I don't think there are really any BAD areas of Northern Virgina. It has good schools, diversity, a healthy job market and a stable ecomomy. I think it depends on your taste and maybe more importantly your price range with regard to where you want to live.

That's my take...I will defer to someone who has more current knowledge.

[Tiger Beer]

Many thanks to the above two posters. Falls Church and Annandale are high on the list.

It seems like anything beyond the beltway certainly isn't much more affordable anyways. I think the only other element I wish DC had was a bit of affordability.

Speaking of which, is Woodbridge alright in its own right? It's a bit out there, but Prince William County...housing costs seem to drop dramatically.

(I'd probably rent anyways, but if buying was cost effective out there, maybe I'd be looking into it for a long term scenario anyways).

I've also picked the brain of the NOVA/DC/MD forums...but got a lot of different perspectives from this thread as well. Different posters, etc. Kinda interesting.