Offered Job in Suffolk - don't know anything about area (Virginia Beach: how much, houses)

[gemad]

Hi all, I was recently offered a job in Suffolk, this job was offered to me days before I was supposed to start at a new job where I live now (Washington DC). The Suffolk job carries a significant pay raise, but I am honestly considering not taking it just because of the location.

I am originally from New York City, though I went to high school in a very rural part of New York State (and hated it), and consider myself a city person. I enjoy the DC area, partially because it is so diverse (my parents are immigrants as are my spouse's parents).

With that said, I have a young son, and the cost of living looks much lower in the Suffolk/Hampton Roads area. I guess what I'm trying to find out is: am I wrong for considering not taking this job just because of its location?

The job itself is fine, if it was located in the NoVA/DC area, I'd take it in a heart beat.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Hokie]

I wouldn't take the Suffolk job if you like the city. I am from Boston, and I miss the city terribly. The people aren't the same type of educated city people you would find in Boston or Washington, D.C. Not that there aren't any, but please think about. If the city with its shopping, theaters, restaurants, museums, and educated population appeal to you; Suffolk is not likely to make you happy.

[rtandc]

Suffolk is rural, and if you hate rural you will hate Suffolk...you stated you are a city person and after living in NYC and DC all of Hampton Roads will feel very small and lacking to you very quickly.
I understand your excitement about finding a job that pays more down here then up in the DC area (that is very surpising to me, normally its the other way around) and yes the cost of living is cheaper then what you will find around DC, but the extra money will mean nothing if you are not happy where you are living

[SiestaBay]

It would all depend on how big the pay raise is. Suffolk (depending on which part) can be semi-decent. If you're talking downtown, forget it.

Being from right outside NYC myself, I will warn you it's another world around here. Like Hokie said, people don't have the same education level. Not to make a blanket statement, but being blunt, people around here are stupid. I find myself constantly annoyed by the ignorance most people display around here.

Driving is another problem. I'm not sure whether it's because they are stupid or what, but people drive really bad (and slow!!) around here.

Boy, all that sounded really mean!

Well, anyway, I say it comes down to how much extra you're being payed. I would probably require at least $50K on top of what you're being payed now.

[gemad]

Thank you all for your insight, the pay raise I would get would be 15K, which is nice, but its not something thats gonna greatly benefit me as I'm relatively well paid considering my age.

From the posts here and after talking to friends and colleagues, it seems like moving to Suffolk would be a bad move, which is a bit of a relief, because as I indicated in my first post, my initial reaction to getting this offer was negative due to the location, especially as I have most recently lived in Washington, London and Boston, so going somewhere smaller would be a huge change.

I suppose all these comments hold for the entire Hampton Roads area, I think the actual job would be between Suffolk and Portsmouth.

Its funny that no one has scolded me for my negative premonitions about the area.

[pbehson]

I'm from the city (actually raised in a very affluent Northern NJ town), was educated at the University of Virginia (engineering), and worked at an exclusive New England boarding school before becoming an engineer.

The poster who said people down here are stupid has issues. Maybe Suffolk (I don't know), but other areas of Hampton Roads are certainly much better than "stupid." I have worked as a communications engineer for a Fortune 50 company and can affirm that we do have a few people who have a brain down here. Is it highly cultured like NOVA or Boston? No. But we don't have the poverty or cost of living like Boston or NYC metro (areas that I know well - not so sure about NOVA).

To each his own, but to suggest that this is an area full of idiots is, well, idiotic.

Edit: As a matter of fact, northern Suffolk is home to a very cultured VMASC, a modeling and simulation organization that is second only to businesses in Orlando in high tech development.

[SiestaBay]

Originally Posted by pbehson

I'm from the city (actually raised in a very affluent Northern NJ town), was educated at the University of Virginia (engineering), and worked at an exclusive New England boarding school before becoming an engineer.

The poster who said people down here are stupid has issues. Maybe Suffolk (I don't know), but other areas of Hampton Roads are certainly much better than "stupid." I have worked as a communications engineer for a Fortune 50 company and can affirm that we do have a few people who have a brain down here. Is it highly cultured like NOVA or Boston? No. But we don't have the poverty or cost of living like Boston or NYC metro (areas that I know well - not so sure about NOVA).

To each his own, but to suggest that this is an area full of idiots is, well, idiotic.

Edit: As a matter of fact, northern Suffolk is home to a very cultured VMASC, a modeling and simulation organization that is second only to businesses in Orlando in high tech development.

Being very familiar with the research park, I still have no problem saying most people around here are idiots

Funny, we're both from NNJ, in VA, obviously familiar with ODU, yet have very different opinions. Hopefully if you're close to me I don't run in to you any time soon

[Hokie]

I was shocked to see a neighborhood full of outhouses just a few years ago. Don't kid yourself. There is real poverty in Suffolk despite all those new subdivisions.

[Hokie]

Moderator cut: Inappropriate

I am quite sure if I had said you would not find the same type of working class people in Suffolk, nobody would have a problem with that. Different areas attract and have different types of people.

Boston is full of colleges and universities and a high number of professionals. The poster is a city person. The cities he mentioned are cities full of college educated and professional populations. This is not to say that nobody in Suffolk is college educated, however, the demographics are very different. You will not find the numbers you will find in these other cities. Although, as one poster mentioned, there are some professional positions in Suffolk, there are relatively very few compared to the cities I mentioned. I will not apologize for wanting to live in and raise my children around people who share my values. The Virginia Pilot reported a few years back that my neighborhood in Virginia Beach has the highest number of college graduates. This is important to me. I like my neighborhood. The poster named cities that have a large number of professionals and city life. I miss the city, but the population I live with are as close to the people I knew in Boston as I can come by around here. As for ethnic diversity, there is very little in Suffolk. The poster is the child of an immigrant. Diversity matters to him from what he wrote. Just like the education issue, there will be a problem with Suffolk. It won't be as easy to find people who come from different backgrounds as it will be in D.C. Suffolk is most likely going to more like the rural area he mentioned he did not like. Everybody is entitled to find a place that will make them happy. We all have our own criteria, which we are entitled to.

[pbehson]

Originally Posted by SiestaBay

Being very familiar with the research park, I still have no problem saying most people around here are idiots

I worked there and at Langley. I also worked in Teterboro NY, Chicago and Raleigh (Research Triangle Park).

Originally Posted by SiestaBay

Funny, we're both from NNJ, in VA, obviously familiar with ODU, yet have very different opinions. Hopefully if you're close to me I don't run in to you any time soon

Um, what?

Oh well. Good luck. Be happy.