Village of Providence (Huntsville, Madison: appointed, homes, buy)

[ionlife]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth_G

I have to strongly The grocery section did not go over well, sadly, but they have been successful with their dining section and bakery department, for sure! Thus, they are expanding that department.

Ghere.

i guess I should have clarified myself: the grocery part of the store was not busy. As to the deli, I defer to the people who live and work in Villages.

I don't frequent Grille 29 or Phuket because they carry too much seafood. And Grille 29 is, in my opinion, very pricey for the food it serves. Even DC on the to of the W Hotel overlooking the White House is less expensive and it has a much better ambience.

[djmaxwell]

Originally Posted by ionlife

And Grille 29 is, in my opinion, very pricey for the food it serves. Even DC on the to of the W Hotel overlooking the White House is less expensive and it has a much better ambience.

I'd imagine that the ambiance is much better in D.C., but to suggest that it is less expensive... not so much.

http://www.jgsteakhousewashingtondc.com/JGDC-dinner.pdf (broken link)
http://www.grille29.com/menus/G29-DINNER-909r1.pdf

[ionlife]

djmaxwell: I just came back from a return visit to DC and I can say that hands down most of the places we went to were cheaper or the same price as the upscale places in Hville and Madison areas. The grocery stores were also CHEAPER or the same price BEFORE THE 8.5% TAX and the gas prices were almost within 5 cents of the prices here? I actually took pictures of the gas prices on the the pumps and I took pictures of the prices on the menus. One of my and many other NoVA transplants' complaints about this area is that the cost for dining out is the same or more as DC/Northern VA and most of the restaurants here think steak or lobster are "special." They aren't all that special. I miss true continental, French and unique cuisines. There are two places, no make that one, that are unique here. And both are pricey.

[ionlife]

A sampling of real dining flair vs the usual boring steak and seafood this area has to offer at DC type prices without the same ambiance:

http://www.zaytinya.com/images/uploa...enu_dinner.pdf
Blue Iguana Resaurant
The Most Romantic Dinner in Fairfax, Exquisite French and Italian Faire.
Magnolias Website

And here is an amazing place in Atlanta just to shake it up a bit:

Leon's Full Service: Food (http://www.leonsfullservice.com/food.html - broken link)

Great food, reasonable price, seasonal menu and an emphasis on flavor, not shellfish and steak. BTW, anyone with a decent grill and knowledge about how to cut a tenderloin would not pay over 25 dollars for a filet mignon anywhere on this planet. Show me a unique dish, a unique flavor with a unique twist--now that's culinary expertise. And that's something I don't see a lot of in this area. Like I said, maybe ONE restaurant here has that kind of chutzpah.

[ionlife]

And let's see what POV at the W has to offer alongside the amazing view and ambiance:

POV at the W Hotel Washington DC Restaurant - Washington, DC | OpenTable

[PortCity]

I lived in Huntsville for three years and outside of the Twickinham historc district ,Providence came in as a close second as an area that I favor most in Huntsville. And before I moved ( May 2008) Providence seemed to be busier than Bridgstreet and had more energy and a better atmosphere as well.

[djmaxwell]

Originally Posted by ionlife

djmaxwell: I just came back from a return visit to DC and I can say that hands down most of the places we went to were cheaper or the same price as the upscale places in Hville and Madison areas. The grocery stores were also CHEAPER or the same price BEFORE THE 8.5% TAX and the gas prices were almost within 5 cents of the prices here? I actually took pictures of the gas prices on the the pumps and I took pictures of the prices on the menus. One of my and many other NoVA transplants' complaints about this area is that the cost for dining out is the same or more as DC/Northern VA and most of the restaurants here think steak or lobster are "special." They aren't all that special. I miss true continental, French and unique cuisines. There are two places, no make that one, that are unique here. And both are pricey.

OK. I was just pointing out that you were incorrect that the restaurant at the W Washington D.C. is cheaper than Grille 29. It isn't. As for the other stuff, I don't know and I don't really care. Nobody in this thread is suggesting that Providence is nicer than NoVA. The only one trying to make a comparison is you and so far the only specific example you gave is incorrect.

[djmaxwell]

[quote=ionlife;15145873BTW, anyone with a decent grill and knowledge about how to cut a tenderloin would not pay over 25 dollars for a filet mignon anywhere on this planet. [/quote]

So, all of the restaurants that you listed, those that serve fillet mignon charge more than $25.

[ionlife]

My point is that the prices are the same or, at times, more here. I am making the comparison to DC/NoVA because I don't understand why these restaurants in small town Madison/Huntsville charge the same prices (Check out Cotton Row for example) as a large metropolitan area in DC. The only explanation I get is that "people can afford it and/or it is the business traveler driving the costs up." I found similar grocery prices in NoVA as well. That really irked me. Dollar for dollar, my primary store in the DC area was the same or cheaper for the items I buy here in AL. That's just bizarre to me. And that is BEFORE we add in the 8.5% sales tax on groceries. And that sales tax adds to the going out to eat dinner/lunch tab as well, which drives up the cost of that steak you're buying here to make it MORE EXPENSIVE than what I would pay in DC.

I'm to the point where I'd rather take my entertainment dollars out less often and drive to larger metro areas, spend the night and truly have a superior culinary experience that goes beyond steak and seafood dishes. This is what we transplants are missing--everyone that I know who's moved here from NoVA or a larger metro area. There are only so many times you can go to Bridge Street or Villages and not get bored anyway. So why pay that amount of money for dinner (and seriously, with the added 8.5% tax it costs more--especially on the alcohol).

But that might be another thread for another day: one where we really look at the Cost of Living here after we pay the state income tax and the sales tax of 8.5% on all our dining out experiences and grocery/alcohol and gas expenditures. I have spoken to a lot of Northern VA transplants who have not seen a lower cost of living AFTER they purchase that more affordable house here. The savings on property taxes are gobbled up by the sales taxes and state income tax.

[djmaxwell]

Originally Posted by ionlife

My point is that the prices are the same or, at times, more here. I am making the comparison to DC/NoVA because I don't understand why these restaurants in small town Madison/Huntsville charge the same prices (Check out Cotton Row for example) as a large metropolitan area in DC. The only explanation I get is that "people can afford it and/or it is the business traveler driving the costs up." I found similar grocery prices in NoVA as well. That really irked me. Dollar for dollar, my primary store in the DC area was the same or cheaper for the items I buy here in AL. That's just bizarre to me. And that is BEFORE we add in the 8.5% sales tax on groceries. And that sales tax adds to the going out to eat dinner/lunch tab as well, which drives up the cost of that steak you're buying here to make it MORE EXPENSIVE than what I would pay in DC.

I'm to the point where I'd rather take my entertainment dollars out less often and drive to larger metro areas, spend the night and truly have a superior culinary experience that goes beyond steak and seafood dishes. This is what we transplants are missing--everyone that I know who's moved here from NoVA or a larger metro area. There are only so many times you can go to Bridge Street or Villages and not get bored anyway. So why pay that amount of money for dinner (and seriously, with the added 8.5% tax it costs more--especially on the alcohol).

But that might be another thread for another day: one where we really look at the Cost of Living here after we pay the state income tax and the sales tax of 8.5% on all our dining out experiences and grocery/alcohol and gas expenditures. I have spoken to a lot of Northern VA transplants who have not seen a lower cost of living AFTER they purchase that more affordable house here. The savings on property taxes are gobbled up by the sales taxes and state income tax.

For dining you can't really look at the 8.5% sales tax rate because there is sales tax in NoVA, just not 8.5%. From the city data NoVA forum, it sounds like there is a 5% state sales tax on meals plus a potential local tax as well, which could push it up to 9% - 10%. Groceries are taxed at least at 2.5% and up to 5% depending on what you buy. State income tax in AL ranges from 2% - 5%. In Virginia it ranges from 2% - 5.75%

I moved here from Denver, so I don't know what property taxes are in NoVA (I'm guessing they are at least as high), but my property tax is less than half of what it was in CO. That more than makes up for the marginal difference in the sales tax.

for reference:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...sales-tax.html
The Tax Foundation - State Individual Income Tax Rates, 2000-2010