influx of new people (Arlington, Petersburg: sales, real estate, neighborhood)

[chariega]

Originally Posted by saganista

You're not taking the point, which is with respect to the fabric of lives that have been woven here. What is the lure of an unknown far away place over the friends, family, colleagues, and tailored understandings of how to get on with life here and get the most out of this area? Is there an obligation to ride off into the sunset somehow, leaving all that one has worked so long to build behind, simply because one has decided not to commute any more? According to OPM statistics, among those who move at least 500 miles from DC upon retirement, about half have moved at least half-way back again within five years. There is a lesson to be learned from that, one that is expensive to learn the hard way.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess, though millions of people have retired away from where they built a "life," raised children or started/ended their careers. Most retirees I've known haven't had trouble adjusting to a new way of life someplace else, maybe their needs have changed and living in a metro area like nova doesn't suit them anymore or maybe they want a new adventure?? *shrugs* the way i see it, life is too short to live in one place your whole life.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

I would love to hear more about the Leesburg-Dulles commute, what its like now, what its going to be like as projected LC growth takes place, and what impact if any that will have in leading to that growth eventually slowing (some slowing of growth would of course NOT be a death blow).

Comments about Leesburg are in my earlier post (see below).

As for the eventual slowdown of growth, that's been predicted for years (after all, the current rate of growth is over heated, it's not realistic to think it would continue, especially in this economy). I don't think traffic is much of a factor, with the possible exception that new developments are usually expected to contribute proffers towards road building to be given permission to build here. Growth will continue, but at a saner pace, and I'm looking forward to that. This crazy growth spurt has been exciting, but having it slow down to a nice steady growth gives us a chance to finish the road & metro projects that are already in the pipeline. It's the road building projects that cause most of the congestion; once a lot of these projects are complete the flow of traffic will improve (and in the meantime it really hasn't been that bad).

Originally Posted by Caladium

We definitely have more traffic out here in the burbs, but as far as impacting my quality of life, I would say it hasn't been a big change. Actually, the time it took to drive to my old job in Reston 10-12 years ago was longer than time it takes to make the same drive today. Why? Because today I can zip down Fairfax County Parkway, whereas back then I had to take a circuitous route that was not as direct and had more stop lights and stop signs. Same goes for driving to Leesburg--when I needed to drive to a store out there it would take about a half hour. That's because the stores were limited (so I had to drive farther) and there was only one road you could take. Now the stores are closer, and there are alternate routes. OTOH, rush hour on Rt. 7 is definitely more congested. That's not an issue for me because I was able to adjust my work hours--others with stricter work hours are probably more frustrated.

By the way, I don't know why you feel nobody would be interested in hearing how traffic is in your part of Virginia. I would be very interested in hearing about your commute. how it's changed over the years, and how you think it might change in the future.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by stpickrell

Currently it takes maybe 15 minutes on 267 or about 20-30 on 7/28. Over the next decade this gap will shrink as traffic lights get removed on 7. As more gets built out along 7 (e.g. One Loudoun, Kincora, etc.) there will be road improvements built.

there are about a half dozen intersections that will be eliminated on rte 7, is that correct? at that point rte 7 from leesburg to the FFX line will be essentially a 6 lane expressway? How many years of growth does that accommodate? At that point, does Rte 7 get further widened? I presume there is ROW purchased already for that?

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by Caladium

By the way, I don't know why you feel nobody would be interested in hearing how traffic is in your part of Virginia. I would be very interested in hearing about your commute. how it's changed over the years, and how you think it might change in the future.

I meant my views of transportation and planning in Annandale. That is what I wanted to discuss, not my personal commute. My personal commute is a "disequilibrium situation" IE given our empty nester status we would not choose Annandale today, and we are semi actively looking to move (closer to DC, or to DC).


I have tried to respond to folks who are considering moving to annandale - I think I have expressed a mix of positives (about the diversity, and the crime not being as feared) negatives (the truely abysmal physical layout, making the actual walkability less than say walk score would indicate, the disadvantages of the mix of businesses, etc) and mixed where that is appropriate.

I do believe I posted something some time back about FFX county plans for annandale. I have posted several times about the Tysons corner redevelopment project. None of that has elicited the kind of interest comparable to almost anything about development in LC. Usually we only get that kind of interest in FFX threads if it involves electoral politics, the schools, etc. Or if it involves MetroWest.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

Most people who move after retiring presumably spend some time checking out the area they move to. between vacations, relatives, friends who have moved, places we have lived before, most of us have some knowledge of places to live other than the metro area we currently live in.

Or so you think. How many times is it recommended here that a newcomer try renting for a year so as to learn what parts of the area would work best for them before buying? How many retirees do that? How many places that you already left once in order to come here are actually on your list of places to move back to in retirement? These are rhetorical questions, by the way.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by chariega

Different strokes for different folks, I guess...

Obviously. The goal here is not to reach any decision in particular, but rather that whatever decision is reached ends up being a proper and ultimately successful one. The grass doesn't always turn out to be as green as it seemed, and there are a lot of data to suggest that a lot of people don't get retirement right on their first go at it, ending up stuck, bored, lonely, or feeling like a fish out of water as the result. That's an expensive problem to fix, if it can be fixed at all. One option: rent your house out here when you go, then rent the place you live in there. If all goes well for a year, pull the trigger. If not, you've got an easy avenue back. This is called "hedging". It isn't always a bad idea.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by saganista

Or so you think. How many times is it recommended here that a newcomer try renting for a year so as to learn what parts of the area would work best for them before buying? How many retirees do that? How many places that you already left once in order to come here are actually on your list of places to move back to in retirement? These are rhetorical questions, by the way.

Oh i see. As it happens, Ive lived in Florida (in jax, which I probably wouldnt want to go back to) and in Baltimore (which I think would be a better spot for retiring for me and DW than Loudoun). Most folks I know that are thinking of retirement to the sunbelt have visited their chosen spot for retirement for vacations often. My parents retired to a city they already knew where my brother lived - I would certainly put wherever my kid ends up high on my list.

Also I suspect most of the people in a rush to move here are mostly folks who just got a job offer here.

also I have friends and relations around the country. My synagogue has an informal satellite community in south Florida, and even a couple of folks who have retired to Israel. Its simply not the case that moving means abandoning existing ties.

It all depends on who you are, what your local ties are, what your non local ties are. and as someone else mentioned, how much you WANT a new adventure.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by saganista

Obviously. The goal here is not to reach any decision in particular, but rather that whatever decision is reached ends up being a proper and ultimately successful one.

this whole discussion of NoVa as retirement spot was not based on some specific person's decision, but comment number 4, that IF you are retiring, (And presumably IF you are already contemplating the sunbelt) this is good time to move, because the ratio of housing prices here to housing prices in locations like Florida is particularly favorable. I think that is probably the case, and represents ONE way the market could adapt to the different prices between markets. It does not mean every retiree should move to Florida, any more than it means every retiree should move to Loudoun, or to Culpeper, or that everyone should retire in place.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

It all depends on who you are, what your local ties are, what your non local ties are. and as someone else mentioned, how much you WANT a new adventure.

Haven't disagreed with a word of that. What I have said is that particularly those who have invested a good number of years of their lives in living in this area may tend to undervalue those nearly invisible, taken for granted, day-to-day details and aspects of their lives here until they all suddenly disappear on them. And then it may be too late to get them back. The cumulative significance of what seems like local minutiae is Realization #1 to come to. Realization #2 is that other places are not "just like here" but with better weather, nicer golf courses, less traffic, and lower housing prices. Underneath all the pretty wrapping paper, most other places are not like here at all. That should be intimately understood and taken into consideration from the outset.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by saganista

Haven't disagreed with a word of that. What I have said is that particularly those who have invested a good number of years of their lives in living in this area may tend to undervalue those nearly invisible, taken for granted, day-to-day details and aspects of their lives here until they all suddenly disappear on them. And then it may be too late to get them back. The cumulative significance of what seems like local minutiae is Realization #1 to come to. Realization #2 is that other places are not "just like here" but with better weather, nicer golf courses, less traffic, and lower housing prices. Underneath all the pretty wrapping paper, most other places are not like here at all. That should be intimately understood and taken into consideration from the outset.

"Underneath all the pretty wrapping paper, most other places are not like here at all."

Ever read "The Accidental Tourist" where the main character goes to review an arts festival in DC for a local paper, and his entire review is about how terrible it was that it wasnt baltimore, but at least he could pick up crabs at Lexington Market on the way back?

Of course the rest of the world is "Underneath all the pretty wrapping paper ...not like here at all. " how sad it would be if everywhere in the world were like Northern Virginia.

Maybe you should warn everyone considering moving this region, that beneath the pretty wrapping paper, NoVa is not just like home, but with jobs. Cause, damn, its not.