Long Island NY to Fredericksburg VA-better quality of life? (Chesapeake: transplants, how much)

[pstry4]

My husband ,myself and 2 daughters are relocating to Idlewild Village in fredericksburg VA after being lifetime residents in the southshore of Long Island NY. We will be moving around mid July. I'm not gonna lie...I am nervous about making such a big adjustment especially since I am an outdoor/culture lover and depend on the sense of community as I ride my bike and walk to town here on Long Island. It's just that Long Island has become impossibly expensive(taxes,gas) and there is no trade off because there is a rapid socio-economic breakdown happening here and not too many core values exist within the schools and the youth.The education system is falling apart here and I am an out of contract teacher that has been actively seeking permanent employment to no avail. I have a few interviews set up in VA. My husband has a steady monthly income as well so financially, I think, we will be better off.I will miss the beaches but I am hoping that the mountains, lakes are just as satisfying and that a drive to Chesapeake Bay is not unrealistic. My question to anyone who can enlighten me is this: is the quality of life involving nature, culture, community and friendliness one that we will find refreshing comparing to Long Island NY? I appreciate any feedback but hoping its positive!!!

[Jon_In_NOVA]

If I had more time I would give you a more intricate run down. In a nutshell my wife and I are both from Suffolk County (Medford) originally. The Military in years past brought me all over the US and abroad. We love it here in VA. The beaches are my only gripe, however as a big time outdoorsy kinda guy (fly fishing, camping, hiking) we love it here in VA.

Both of our families are still on the Island as well as many childhood friends and we would not move back. In fact my family once the youngest are in college want to move down here. Some(most) people I know up there never leave L.I. besides to NJ for six flags have nothing but bad to say about anywhere but L.I. However the taxes, decaying economy and the sprawling ghetto-ness eastward makes me glad we live here in NOVA.

Hope that helped a little.

[pstry4]

thanks...that did help.I researched before deciding but now that I'm about to make the move Im getting nervous. I guess the fact that i am leaving family behind that is reluctant to see us go doesnt help but my sister and our son live in N.VA so we wont be completely secluded. How do you find the people in VA or, to narrow it down a bit, Fredericksburg area? Do you have kids? My 2 daughters are 15 and 18 and they are on board but also getting nervous about meeting new friends.Funny...I work in Medford...in a private school.

[michgc]

Hmmm...how did you pick Fredericksburg? I come from a family of New Yorkers, and last year my husband was offered a promotion for a position on Long Island. So I know a bit about it. We looked and thought long and hard about making the move to LI. We visited up there and I spent a lot of time reading the Long Island board here on C-D.

Overall, as you well know, the taxes are much higher on LI. It will be much cheaper in F-burg for you! And I heard all of the negatives from the LI C-D board about being taxed to death with amenities going downhill. And there seemed to be a general feeling of people wanting to leave the Island. But when we visited we loved the towns that we saw! Simply gorgeous - towns such as Northport and Greenlawn. We were turned off by the isolation and the time it takes to get on and off the island. The towns around here are not nearly as pretty.

Here in Virginia, to me, it is more centrally located than LI, especially F-burg - right off I-95 - easy to go south or north. Traffic around here stinks, too, but there seem to be more alternatives to get out of town than on LI. We opted to stay here for several reasons, but we are in Northern Virginia closer to DC than F-burg is. (F-Burg is often thought of as the dividing line between Northern VA and the rest of Virginia). F-burg is probably a bit more provincial than you are used to. You will probably meet some southern... and may find that some are still fighting the Civil War, err, excuse me the War Between the States (or the War of Northern Agression as some people like to call it). Although I am sure there are many transplants, too. The downtown itself is very quaint - the suburbs are typical suburbs. I'm not sure how much "culture" you will get in F-burg - depends on what you consider culture. As for nature, you will miss the beach horribly. I grew 1 1/2 hours from the beach and miss having the day trips that we used to do, so I cannot imagine how you will feel living practically on top of the beach now. Getting to the beach is a royal pain from here. The mountains are nice, though.

The schools around here are generally thought of to be good, but the ones in Northern VA are more well-thought of than those in F-burg. Personally, I think a move from LI to Northern Virginia would be easier (albeit much more expensive) than a move to Fredericksburg. But it really depends on what you want out of the move and why you picked F-burg. While I like F-burg, I think it would be culture shock coming from LI. Just my two cents.

[jacmadhel]

Might be a bit of a culture shock, as it is a small place. The people are very friendly and talkative, the downtown is very quaint, the beach is less than 2 hours away and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of schools. We live in Spotsylvania and Idlewild is in Fredericksburg so I'm not sure about those schools in particular. This is a right to work state so there are no teacher's unions. The mountains aren't exactly in our backyard but at least 1 1/2 hour drive.
All in all its a very nice place but it take a little while to grow accustomed to the feel of it here.