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My 2 cents is that Woodbridge may be better for you, but don't be fooled by those who say Woodbridge is close to DC because it isn't nor does it feel too close.
Woodbridge IS closer to DC than Frederick. Frederick to DC is 45 miles, Woodbridge to DC is 22 miles.
If you're refuting statements like "VA is closer to DC than MD", then those are just silly fluff anyway--both obviously border the district. But for the two cities being compared here, Woodbridge is significantly closer to downtown DC than Frederick is.
It would help us answer your question if we knew what else you're interested in. I think we've exhausted the subjects of racial demographics and old buildings. What other interests do you have? For example, would you prefer a town that has boating or one that's close to mountains? How old are your children, and what interests do they have? Moving to a new country will be a major change for them, is there anything in particular they'd like that you want to be near? How about any special school programs? Do they need sports teams? What about your wife, what interests does she have? If she works, what sort of work does she need to be near? If she doesn't work, what sort of features would she like to have in a community? Do you need to be near a dog park, horse ranch, 4-H club? Etc. Etc. Also, when are you making this move?
Don't like horses or boats at all. Son is 2 years old. I'm indifferent to sports. Wife is into healthcare/nusing - jobs everywhere for that. Well, she isn't in it yet, and she's over here teaching English, but that's the future plan. Not into animals, so dog parks or horse ranches would be things I'd avoid. I do like mountains though.
If living in the Metro DC area, I see myself going into Washington DC for just about reason whatsoever. Political events, and rallys and such - I think that would be a lot of fun. I'd be DC-centric, and I'd be NoVA centric - all the restaurants. Another big one is bookstores and good libraries!
Now that I'm thinking about it more, Frederick would be pointless for what I'd really like to enjoy in the area. That being said....to address this point:
Quote:
Originally Posted by dkf747
Yeah, the MD forums are much quieter than the NOVA forums. I'm not sure why. This NOVA forum is very biased against Maryland though. I don't think you're getting an accurate picture of Maryland from here. That said, you didn't really ask very specific questions there like you do here. It's kind of hard to answer when the questions aren't clearer.
The Maryland forums have always been quiet. I have read and inquired about Frederick various times over there over the last year or so. I don't think I've ever met anyone who has ever lived there and who posts on these forums.
I have read another website where people make small comments about the places they've lived before, and most people seem to have favorable impressions of Frederick. But, yeah, I am on the VA forum, and getting the VA perspective. That being said, I haven't picked up any blatant bias, people seem pretty fair to Frederick. They also seem pretty honest about Woodbridge.
So far I get the strong impression that Woodbridge is nothing to take pride in, but very functional and serves it's basic purposes very well - reasonable priced, relative proximity to DC for something being reasonably priced, all your basic amenities are there.
Frederick seems like the much better city by pretty much ALL accounts. But it comes down to distance from DC that is the only real negative, and major one.
Through the great info on this thread, I am thinking more and more that proximity to things like DC itself, Old Town Alexandria perhaps, to Tysons, to Eden Center, etc. have the most value to me. Being in a small walkable town with conveniences that you can walk to sound good, but being tucked away 90 minutes from the most interesting things of metro DC would be a 'wash' or could even be a negative if the walkable isn't that interesting or desireable if actually living there.
That being said, maybe I'm leaning that way from a VA bias, where if the Maryland forum was a more active forum, I'd hear more from there. Over the last year or two though, the very consistent theme to Frederick Maryland, is that even most Marylanders over there, would NOT like to be commuting from there to DC everyday. Although it also sounds like everyone knows someone who is doing just that
Last edited by Tiger Beer; 12-08-2010 at 10:20 PM..
I was just wondering - other than price, is there something else that draws you to Woodbridge? Is housing in good parts of Woodbridge significantly cheaper than other parts of NOVA like Kingstowne or Springfield, which are closer in?
I was just wondering - other than price, is there something else that draws you to Woodbridge? Is housing in good parts of Woodbridge significantly cheaper than other parts of NOVA like Kingstowne or Springfield, which are closer in?
I know you didn't ask me but I can tell you emphatically, YES, housing is quite a bit cheaper in Woodbridge than in Kingstowne or Springfield.
I think most people try to get as close to work as possible, I know I do. When I was purchasing my home, I was definitely considering Springfield, it was my top choice, but it was out of my price range.
Agree with the others that it's all about the job location. If I worked in northern Virginia (which is this forum, after all), then I'd opt for Woodbridge. Now, if I worked in Mt. Airy MD, I'd pick Frederick.
So far I get the strong impression that Woodbridge is nothing to take pride in.....
I can certainly understand that impression, given the strong opinions expressed by people who don't live here. You've seen that in several of the threads you've started and/or contributed to here on the NoVA forum. And yes, there are parts of Woodbridge that are, to put it kindly, less than desirable.
But I'd like to suggest that the opinions of those who don't live in a community should never be the basis of determining whether or not that community's residents have pride in where they live.
I've lived in Boston, I've lived in the District, I've lived in (and got married and started a family in) suburban Maryland, I've lived in central Jersey and upstate New York, and with the exception of my time in upstate New York, I have felt the greatest degree of safety, comfort, and pride right here.
But I'd like to suggest that the opinions of those who don't live in a community should never be the basis of determining whether or not that community's residents have pride in where they live.
I totally agree! That's one reason why making decisions based primarily on internet forums can be a big mistake--you never know if the comments come from people who really know what they're talking about or from people who don't. Especially when it comes to the inexpensive areas like Frederick and Woodbridge, which attract posters who like to spout off for the fun of being bad.
Both Frederick and Woodbridge have places that are pretty nice. Having said that, there will be buildings in both Frederick and Woodbridge that are not the best places to live. They best way to gauge is to go there in person and see for yourself. Don't try to decide everything long distance because something's bound to look different than you think after you get here and see for yourself. Stay in a motel for a week when you move here, and use that week to look at places. Don't go for the cheapest place in town because if the price is really low, something is wrong.
If you like mountains, Frederick is closer. You might be able to get a place with a mountain view.
If bookstores are a big draw, Woodbridge has more of them. I'm not sure about libraries in Woodbridge. The last time I went to the library in Frederick it didn't seem to have much (but to be fair, that was a few years ago, and I was there for a meeting, not to check out the books). On the plus side, the Frederick library is scheduled to have major renovation in 2018.
As far as politics go, Frederick is a small town with small town politics. The people who are into politics there have known each other for years. There are established ways of getting things done, and don't expect things to change. This could be a real draw for you, since IMO small town politics can be fascinating to watch. You might really enjoy living there, following the debates over zoning issues, and reading the newspapers. Hot issues like whether or not a turkey farm will be allowed near a housing development will get a lot of coverage.
I'm not sure how political Woodbridge is, but I suspect the interest is relatively low. I'd contact the people at Prince William County Democratic Committee . They'd be able to give you a better picture of the Woodbridge political scene.
If your big interest is hanging out in DC, I wouldn't recommend either town. Yes, Woodbridge is closer to DC but not close enough that you'll go into DC every night just to go to your favorite bookstore. You can get closer to DC and find communities that are a little more interested in politics. Falls Church and Annandale might be more appealing to you.
I was just wondering - other than price, is there something else that draws you to Woodbridge? Is housing in good parts of Woodbridge significantly cheaper than other parts of NOVA like Kingstowne or Springfield, which are closer in?
Actually, it's ONLY the price. Nothing else attracts me. I don't really care for boating, and being near military bases doesn't seem desireable either.
Springfield does seem more interesting, even though Springfield itself has nothing. At least it's closer, and demographically-speaking, very attractive to me more than Woodbridge.
Actually the ONLY thing attractive about Woodbridge is that you see all kinds of housing in the 150K-250K range...whereas everything in Arlington County, City of Falls Chuch, City of Alexandria, Fairfax County and eastern Loudon County is sky high starting at 350K, and well above. (That's for townhouses/homes, not so interested in condos with high condo fees and shared ceilings and floors).
Manassas also has similar prices to Woodbridge...I guess it is a Prince William County thing. But Manassas is 33 miles from DC, whereas Woodbridge is 23 miles. Outside of William County, you basically have to go WAY OUT there to Front Royal or Winchester to get decent prices again (don't know - 80 miles?). Leesburg is often recommended as a way to get out there and save money, but actually it isn't cheap at all, and far. Bad combination - if you want DC proximity or reasonable-priced housing that is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caladium
Falls Church and Annandale might be more appealing to you.
If costs weren't a factor, Falls Church and Annandale are solidly in the #1 and #2 without even close competitors.
But financially speaking...I can't rationalize spending 400K to live in Falls Church for modest housing, when you can pay 150K just down the road in Woodbridge for the same thing. That's a cost saving of 250 international flights to exotic locations throughout your lifetime
Last edited by Tiger Beer; 12-09-2010 at 08:12 AM..
Woodbridge IS closer to DC than Frederick. Frederick to DC is 45 miles, Woodbridge to DC is 22 miles.
If you're refuting statements like "VA is closer to DC than MD", then those are just silly fluff anyway--both obviously border the district. But for the two cities being compared here, Woodbridge is significantly closer to downtown DC than Frederick is.
You're right! Those were silly fluff. I did get the impression, though, that he the OP believed the fluff was true. So, I thought that I should comment. There's a lot more I could say about that, but, as you said, this thread is about those 2 areas.
If I may add my own perspective here, Tiger Beer, I think you'll just have to settle for the fact that living in Metro DC will require a strong compromise for you. I've followed your contributions on this forum, the MD forum, and the Pittsburgh forum for quite some time. You and I seem to share similar tastes in terms of our idealized living environments, and I can guarantee you'd prefer the built surroundings of Frederick with its charming and thriving historic district over Woodbridge, which, while safe and attractive in its own right, doesn't have quite that same sense of "place" or "nostalgia" that you will find in Frederick because it is a much newer and much more suburbanized area. However, with that being said I firmly believe a commute from Woodbrige to DC would be preferable to a commute from Frederick into The District. In addition, NoVA seems to now be the driving economic engine of the entire metropolitan area, so if your job were to be anywhere besides DC there's a greater chance that it would be somewhere in NoVA vs. somewhere in suburban MD (and a commute from Frederick to, say, Tysons Corner, for example, would be a nightmare---my own commutes from North Reston to Tysons Corner, which was just 7 miles away, were intolerable).
If anyone can learn anything from my own "crash and burn" here in NoVA it should be to never prioritize a career over living in comfortable surroundings. I told myself that a promising job would more than account for living in an area I didn't like. I was dead wrong. Not to automatically discount Woodbridge in your mind, but if you would feel most at-home in a "Pittsburgh-like" community, then Woodbridge is the furthest thing in my mind from that whereas Frederick more closely resembles that. Prior to deciding to just move spontaneously to Pittsburgh I was flirting with the notion of moving to Winchester, VA, which offers similar qualities to what you or I would prefer in a community. I weighed the benefits of living in an area I'd love against a hellish 90-minute commute each way to Tysons Corner, though, and I just couldn't justify it in the end. My impending job transfer to Pittsburgh falling through was a blessing in disguise as it was my final kick in the derriere to make me move.
All I'm saying is don't move to Woodbridge if you think you won't be able to adapt or adjust well to a built environment 100% opposite of what you love (i.e. Pittsburgh, Frederick, Hagerstown, Winchester, DC, etc.) Much of NoVA was built post-WWII (and much later than that, for that matter) in the era of autocentricity. People here are chained to their cars, sit and endure traffic, and are stressed about both; however, they don't have any other affordable options. I was a bloody fool to think I could make a car-centered suburban place like Fairfax County work for my "car-free" urban-loving lifestyle. The best job in the world won't make up for you living in a place where you just don't feel quite right.
I would just hate for you to move to a place like Woodbridge, feel "out of your element", and then burn out after a couple of years, as I did. Moving from my hometown to NoVA and then to Pittsburgh has been horribly stressful whereas if I had just skipped the NoVA chapter in my life I'd be much better off now. I'm not trying to dissuade you from considering DC. I'm just forewarning you that "affordable to the middle-class" + "commuting ease to DC" + "Frederick-like/non-suburban" doesn't exist in Metro DC the way it does in every other major Northeastern urbanized center. DC is just different, for better or for worse, in that regard.
What do I miss about NoVA that you'll appreciate if you move there? The diversity. Everything in Pittsburgh is purely black or white. Period. In NoVA it felt like just about every race and ethnicity imaginable was represented around me, and most live harmoniously. The weather was also better. I've had only one sunny day here in Pittsburgh, and I've lived here two weeks (and little, if any, sun is in the extended forecast).
P.S. Please, forum peeps, don't hiss at me. I know I said I wouldn't contribute here, but I do still read, and I feel a special bond to Tiger Beer in particular because he and I seem to share so much in common. I just don't want to see someone end up as I did.
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