How Come So Few Questions About Jobs? (Williamsburg: find a job, transfer)
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If I were out of a job just about anywhere else in the U.S. I'd buy a bus ticket, hitch a ride, or whatever to get here just so I could start earning a paycheck. Perhaps the media is overplaying how bad the job market is in other parts of the country and there really aren't that many people looking for work?
A lot of the jobs here are fairly specialized. For someone with a relatively generic set of job skills, or relatively unskilled, to pick up and move (leaving behind family/friends/social support) without a job in hand, is a fairly risky proposition, and not necessarily a wise one. Also I would suggest such folks who do come are squeezing into apartment shares, not looking to buy up a cheap foreclosed house in southern FFX cty. And when they DO land an unskilled /semiskilled job, they probably A. arent in a position to either make a down payment on a house (a bit harder now than it was a few years ago) B. Dont have the credit score to get a loan C. Are skittish about making the commitment, given both what theyve seen of the RE market these last 4 years, and the uncertainty of the general economy
that said the housing market in the area generally is stronger than almost any other region of the country. In my development in Annandale, TH's do come on the market, but they seem to move fairly quickly, and not at bargain basement prices.
Last edited by brooklynborndad; 07-08-2011 at 08:21 AM..
So where are all these people that are supposedly moving in? There are more houses in my close-in neighborhood for sale than ever and same for my relatives who live way out in the exurbs. Perhaps it's mostly singles moving into DC and Arlington?
I don't know if they're mostly married or single, but we can all see that more and more TH, condo, and apartment developments keep getting built and (usually) filled up.
As to your particular neighborhood, there are in any neighborhood specific factors that affect whether a house sells or sits. I don't know what the houses look like where you live or how they're priced, etc. Even in great areas of N. Arlington you have some SFHs sitting forever if they have a ridiculous price on them, are on a busy street, are just plain ugly, etc.
I don't know if they're mostly married or single, .
from threads on here, its not uncommon for a married person with kids to move here ALONE, looking for a cheap efficiency or share, till they feel ready to bring their family out, so even the demographic most likely to look for a house is not necessarily in a position to drive the housing market.
"if you miss the train im on, you will know that I am gone - you can hear the whistle blow, a hundred miles"
"not a shirt on my back, not a penny to my name, lord I can't go back home, this a way"
Fair points, BBD--but that's a far cry from saying this area is such an "awful" place to live in. You can't say that and then say "Oh, I'm really not trying to start a fight." Whatever.
This is a great place to live. Is it the only one? No. Is it expensive? Yes. Are people moving here from all over? Yes. Is it for everyone? Fortunately not.
I think that's a matter of personal opinion for you. don't know why you're so bent that someone else finds the area an "awful place" to live, as they posted. I'd say, this area is an okay place to live, there, that's my personal opinion, for me.
the area has its charms and flaws like anywhere else, but without the government here, it wouldn't be all that...but we'll never know, because the govt is here.
On that note, I always thought the gov't should outsource some of its people to other areas of the country more than they're doing. is it REALLY necessary to have so many people in this area for gov/or fed contractor jobs? I don't think so. I know I'd be the first to roll out if I could score better weather and closer, nicer beaches.
Given the same job situation would you really rather live in Little Rock, Des Moines, or here? The fact that we have a lot of good paying jobs is a bonus.
I sort of agree, but I have to say about those examples... NOBODY wants to live in Little Rock, and few people want to live in Des Moines. A lot of people would pick Fort Collins or Durango or Monterey or -- for big cities -- New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, or San Francisco over DC, though, and I can certainly understand that. Those are places people move to just to be there, so I could see people posting "how do I find a job in ____?" about them. DC is more a place you move because of your job. DC is one of the better places for that -- certainly better than Des Moines or Cincinnati or Houston or Oklahoma City or countless others -- but there are comparatively a lot fewer people who move here versus places like California or Colorado solely because they like the area.
Also, re Colorado Springs -- that isn't a bad place to raise a family, but as a former Springs resident, I'd pick DC every time!
I think basically, other popular regions, people want to be in those cities, and jobs are an afterthought, to post on a message board later.
Personally I'm attracted to the DC region because of the types of jobs there. There isn't a reason to inquire about them, as it would be like inquiring about what types of mountains are in Colorado or whats the ocean like in California.
Beyond the jobs, you also have the Atlantic and the Appalachians not too far away, and close proximity to both northern and southern styles/cultures. The many interesting ethic groups of Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Korean, etc. Make it a bit more interesting as well.
But mostly people dont inquire about jobs, as it's already understood there are certain job opportunities that are there and nowhere else, so kind of pointless to inquire about them.
At least that's the situation with me.
Last edited by Tiger Beer; 07-08-2011 at 08:45 AM..
On that note, I always thought the gov't should outsource some of its people to other areas of the country more than they're doing. is it REALLY necessary to have so many people in this area for gov/or fed contractor jobs? I don't think so. I know I'd be the first to roll out if I could score better weather and closer, nicer beaches.
There are a HUGE number of federal jobs OUTSIDE the DC area. Not just agency regional offices, etc, but entire agencies. Social Security Admin is in Baltimore, Transportation Safety Institute is in Oklahoma City, plus national labs, military commands, etc, etc.
Limiting that is the desire of agency heads to have facetime with the folks in the "office of the secretary" and other Dept HQ folks they interact with. And of course THEY are all in DC, mostly right in the center.
DOD moving to Arlington way back in 1943 (?) and DOT moving to the Navy Yard have helped to change the shape of the area, and decentralize from the old federal center to some degree. Hopefully the move of DHS to Anacostia will do something similar.
I think that's a matter of personal opinion for you. don't know why you're so bent that someone else finds the area an "awful place" to live, as they posted. I'd say, this area is an okay place to live, there, that's my personal opinion, for me.
the area has its charms and flaws like anywhere else, but without the government here, it wouldn't be all that...but we'll never know, because the govt is here.
On that note, I always thought the gov't should outsource some of its people to other areas of the country more than they're doing. is it REALLY necessary to have so many people in this area for gov/or fed contractor jobs? I don't think so. I know I'd be the first to roll out if I could score better weather and closer, nicer beaches.
This.
Awful was an exaggeration, and I apologize if I ruffled feathers. Like I said previously, I have a great job that I love. However, I would prefer to live in every other city I've lived in previously, and wouldn't live here without a job previously lined up.
Nothing is forcing me to remain a pilot, but with over $150,000 invested in the profession, I'm kind of "pot committed" at this point.
But mostly people dont inquire about jobs, as it's already understood there are certain job opportunities that are there and nowhere else, so kind of pointless to inquire about them..
I'd buy that if I saw postings that said in passing "I'm going to be looking for a job" when asking about other things, but just about every posting on here is "I just got a job offer" or "my husband just got a job offer', "please tell me about.......". We are clearly not a destination of residential choice.
As to the point that jobs here are specialized my response would be we're not robots. We eat, drive cars, and need plumbers and other service providers like everywhere else. There are plenty of opportunities outside the specialized government arena.
you DO see job inquiry threads on the DC forum. Folks from outside the region with qs about the job market tend naturally to go there, not to the NoVa forum.
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