Potentially moving to Northern Virginia:Harrisonburg/Fredericksburg...Inisghts please (Richmond: to rent, homes)

[Stefos1]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to move from N.H. where I work for the fed. gov't to Virginia.

The reasons are:

1. Better climate...N.H. is simply too humid in summer, too cold in winter. Brutal both summer & winter.

2. More culture..N.H. is ranked #1-#5 for highest per capita beer drinkers in the U.S. and is mainly a place for people who like the outdoors & do outdoorsy things. I find no creative outlet(s) for people other than eating a Panera or some other place that blares music to get you in and out asap. I simply do not want to be in this area anymore. No hate meant btw.

3. More history...I love history and museums and appreciate the Founding Fathers. As a Freemason, Virginia has this element of history also.

So having stated the above, Would I find Harrisonburg or Fredericksburg better for me?

Please understand that I do not wish to commute to Washington D.C. or the other huge cities, only visit them!

Any insights would help.
Stefos1

P.S. I have done some research regarding the work available and weather there.

Update...More stuff to help you folks help me!

I enjoy:
Martial arts
Museums
History (Revolutionary & Civil war)
Culture
Good "ethnic" restaurants...Thai, Indian, Nepalese, Middle Eastern, etc.


My questions are:

1. Are these areas "northerner" friendly?
2. Will I have difficulty finding the "I enjoy " stuff there
3. How expensive is it REALLY?
4. How is the travel to and from Washington, D.C. or Richmond, VA?


Thank you!

[tysonsengineer]

Whoa whoa whoa

its a good thing you dont plan on working for the Feds any more because Harrisonburg would be a hellish commute

I like Harrisonburg over Fredericksburg for history and their retention of civil war history and a mainstreet. Fredericksburg still has a mainstreet and downtown too, but its become more suburban and has more neighborhood subdivision style construction. Thats just personal opinion though.

I know that a lot of people like the Central Park center in Fburg for food, not sure if it has a lot of ethnic options though, in many ways Fredericksburg holds more onto a southern feel and a bit less cultural melting pot than other parts of NOVA (though I am sure that is consistently changing with new people moving to the area).

I know there are civil war battlefields just about in every part of the region stretching from Harrisonburg through manassas, bull run, fredericksburg, Chancellorsville etc so if you like civil war history there is a lot for you anywhere. For revolutionary war, most of that centers around Fairfax, Alexandria (and of course further south in Yorktown) where colonial history is preserved in places like Mount Vernon, Williamsburg, etc.

Virginia is about as hospitable of a state as one can find and that I have always found actually becomes greater as you go into more rural regions. I dont think you will be run out of town, in fact you will likely be welcomed with open arms. Our politics make it seem like we are more "southern" than you actually find when you move here I think.

Expenses, you will find will not be bad where you are talking about, but cost of living skyrockets as you approach DC/Fairfax/Loudoun/Northern PWC.

Weekend travel to DC/Arlington/Alexandria is not bad at all from Fredericksburg (shoot right up 95 and as long as you arent mixing in with beach traffic on a friday or sunday you should be able to get to the city in 40minutes to an hour). From Harrisonburg, you'll likely find that its a bit too arduous to go into DC consistently, but with that you get some of the best vineyards and eco tourism along the I-81 and 29 corridors, so its a trade off.

Im a city boy, so I can't speak to whether you will enjoy it because its a matter of personal taste, but I know there are plenty of people who do love it, so theres gotta be something about the fields and nature that they like

[szug-bot]

as a former resident and now often visitor to the area for business and friendship reasons, i can offer you what i know about the metro area and the corridor towards fredericksburt. harrisonburg i know so little of, but im sure others can be of help here.

My questions are:

1. Are these areas "northerner" friendly?
2. Will I have difficulty finding the "I enjoy " stuff there
3. How expensive is it REALLY?
4. How is the travel to and from Washington, D.C. or Richmond, VA?

i dont think they are neither friendly or NOT towards 'northerners'. what is this, 1870? there are so many people here from a vast array of backgrounds, that you will just blend in, for the most part.

for culture/museums/history, you just cant beat the concentration you find in washington, arlington, and alexandria. the entire area, though, has outlets for the arts and culture. sounds like you did your homework! this area is excellent for the hunger of knowledge, culture, and history.

you will not have difficulty finding the stuff you enjoy, but getting there might be a chore. on weeknights, as late as 7pm, it used to take me an hour to get to DC using a highway, 21 miles one way. in fredericksburg, the main arteries see more and more volume annually. you will live in your car significantly more than you do in NH.

i cant cite living expenses since i do not reside there long term. could you provide more information - retired? on a budget? age? do you have a job lined up here? looking to rent or own? i am thinking that you might be above, say, 45-yrs old.

harrisonburg might be wonderful for you....anyone else, thoughts?

good luck w/ your move!

[car54]

Originally Posted by Stefos1

Hi everyone,

I wanted to move from N.H. where I work for the fed. gov't to Virginia.

The reasons are:

1. Better climate...N.H. is simply too humid in summer, too cold in winter. Brutal both summer & winter....

I don't think you'll like the very humid summers down here either. I doubt that it's more humid in NH in summer.

Winters are considerably milder though.

[jacmadhel]

Originally Posted by Stefos1

I enjoy:
Martial arts
Museums
History (Revolutionary & Civil war)
Culture
Good "ethnic" restaurants...Thai, Indian, Nepalese, Middle Eastern, etc.


My questions are:

1. Are these areas "northerner" friendly?
2. Will I have difficulty finding the "I enjoy " stuff there
3. How expensive is it REALLY?
4. How is the travel to and from Washington, D.C. or Richmond, VA?


Thank you!

I live near Fred and love it. It has a charming and functioning downtown and some very expensive historic homes. Just 5 miles out are the suburban developments and just as an idea, approximately $300K buy 3000 sq. ft.
As far as history goes, Spotsylvania county (just outside Fred) had a few3 major Civil war battles. Nearby is George Washington's boyhood home and other significant colonial landmarks.
The ethic restaurants a few but we have found a Vietnamese restaurant and a very good authentic Chinese restaurant that we like. There are others that we just have not gotten to yet.
D.C. is an hour away on a good traffic day and Richmond the same but traffic is more predictable.