I hate NOVA/DC and I am blowing this joint!!! (Alexandria: real estate market, allergies)

[The Dissenter]

Just looking back. I used to hate NoVA with a passion. I've been back for 4 years and it has grown on me. With a job offer I recently accepted, I'll probably be here at least 2-3 more years. This area just works for me right now plus I don't have an overwhelming desire to go anywhere else.

[baystater]

Well for all the haters. Try living in Massachuettes for awhile. Then tell me what you think. btw. I'm saying I don't like MA. I was born and raised there. It my home. But for people form the outside. Well...you can try it for yourselves.

As for NOVA. I love it. Granted my family is in great financial position. Which allow me to enjoy a lot of things NOVA has to offer. I hope we get to stay here a long while. 3 1/2 years and counting so far.

[gomason]

Originally Posted by baystater

Well for all the haters. Try living in Massachuettes for awhile. Then tell me what you think. btw. I'm saying I don't like MA. I was born and raised there. It my home. But for people form the outside. Well...you can try it for yourselves.

As for NOVA. I love it. Granted my family is in great financial position. Which allow me to enjoy a lot of things NOVA has to offer. I hope we get to stay here a long while. 3 1/2 years and counting so far.

I would gladly do that. I will trade Massachusetts cold and snowy winters and awesome seafood for DC's miserable summers any day of the week. I often tell people I wish the founding fathers had made Boston the Nation's Capital.

[baystater]

Originally Posted by gomason

I would gladly do that. I will trade Massachusetts cold and snowy winters and awesome seafood for DC's miserable summers any day of the week. I often tell people I wish the founding fathers had made Boston the Nation's Capital.

Have you already lived there? Not visit. Lived, worked, created social networks there.

As for the capital. Well like everything else in politics...it was a compromise. Honestly NYC or Philly had much better chances than Boston to be the permanent capital.

[MedvedActual]

Personally I really dont see why people 'hate' NoVA. Sure there is traffic and all, but I like the area as there is a ton to do, great restaurants and work opportunities. To each his/her own I suppose. The way I see it we all have choices where to live/work. Just because say a great job is in NoVA but one hates the area, he/she shouldn't take the job and then repeatedly state how they hate the area. There has to be a quality of life. If one knowingly sacrifices living in a more preferred area for say a better job opportunity, well that is a conscious choice one makes. No reason to go complaining about it later.

[car54]

Originally Posted by gomason

I would gladly do that. I will trade Massachusetts cold and snowy winters and awesome seafood for DC's miserable summers any day of the week. I often tell people I wish the founding fathers had made Boston the Nation's Capital.

I love Massachusetts as well! The wife and I are taking a BIG cruise this summer...to Nova Scotia. (I hope diesel prices remain low until summer's end!)

Will definitely spend a week or so cruising/anchoring around the Cape and the Islands. I think we'll skip Boston Harbor though...been there, done that. We never get tired of the Cape and especially Nantucket!

No hurricanes or nor'easters, puhleeeze!

[baystater]

Originally Posted by car54

I love Massachusetts as well! The wife and I are taking a BIG cruise this summer...to Nova Scotia. (I hope diesel prices remain low until summer's end!)

Will definitely spend a week or so cruising/anchoring around the Cape and the Islands. I think we'll skip Boston Harbor though...been there, done that. We never get tired of the Cape and especially Nantucket!

No hurricanes or nor'easters, puhleeeze!

But again your just visiting not staying. the point the other poster was trying say MA. was better than NOVA to live in. Btw he/she never confirmed whether they have ever lived there or not.

Look I'm glad you're visiting Mass. As I said earlier It my home at the end of the day and I care about the place. But living there is not easy for most people that are not used to the culture and/or climate.

For me coming from Ma. And having lived in N. NJ for 7 years. All the complaints the OP had about NOVA at the beginning of this thread was par for the course for me. I don't see anything here that I haven't experienced before. It just don't bother me all that much.

[skidamarink]

It's a shame because it's a such a beautiful metro region with so much history and gorgeous architecture. I love the look of some of the NoVa suburbs. Lots of book-smart folks and academically high achievers, but beyond that there is no substance or soul to the transplants that tend to move there for high paying or prestigious jobs. They are there to be smug and feed their egos. Perhaps compensating for something? Every time I visit DC to see my friends (who also hate living there), I smell Napoleon complexes all around me. Great place to visit as a tourist, but better to leave after a week or so and try not to interact with the transplants.

[frostopsy]

Ha, the thread that never dies. I was actually going to take a peak at this thread, and low and behold it's at the top.

I'm out of here in two weeks. In retrospect over the past 6 1/2 years I've been here, I'd say it was an ok experience. It wasn't great by any means, but I'd rather be here than say, crowded NYC, or some small community out in the middle of no-where. My biggest gripe; it's mostly the people. Now that my time in NOVA is winding down, I do, finally, have a small group of decent friends. But for the most part, making friends and meeting new people seemed practically impossible. And it's not for my lack of trying, or that I have bad people skills. Most people stuck to clics, or just didn't seem very warm and inviting. I don't get it, probably never will.

My other major gripe, traffic. It's ridiculous folks. A word of advice, you don't win a medal for being the best at rubbernecking, or blocking traffic in the passing lane, or putting your hazard lights on when there's a snow flake on the ground. Compounding that problem is the lack of roads to get anywhere. Often times, the alternative routes take as much if not more time to travel. The state has no solution other than to build more HOT lanes which do nothing to help traffic, and cross their fingers that more people take the silver line. The DC area slipped to number 2 this year as far as bad traffic, but I'm sure it will creep back up.

All in all, I'm hoping that once I move, I'll be there for a good long time. I'm finding I'm already going to get a better bang for my buck as far as housing (I've been renting, I will be buying). I also got literally tons of friends and family, so it will be nice to have things feel "normal" again.

Not gone yet, but soon.

[FCNova]

Originally Posted by frostopsy

Ha, the thread that never dies. I was actually going to take a peak at this thread, and low and behold it's at the top.

I'm out of here in two weeks. In retrospect over the past 6 1/2 years I've been here, I'd say it was an ok experience. It wasn't great by any means, but I'd rather be here than say, crowded NYC, or some small community out in the middle of no-where. My biggest gripe; it's mostly the people. Now that my time in NOVA is winding down, I do, finally, have a small group of decent friends. But for the most part, making friends and meeting new people seemed practically impossible. And it's not for my lack of trying, or that I have bad people skills. Most people stuck to clics, or just didn't seem very warm and inviting. I don't get it, probably never will.

My other major gripe, traffic. It's ridiculous folks. A word of advice, you don't win a medal for being the best at rubbernecking, or blocking traffic in the passing lane, or putting your hazard lights on when there's a snow flake on the ground. Compounding that problem is the lack of roads to get anywhere. Often times, the alternative routes take as much if not more time to travel. The state has no solution other than to build more HOT lanes which do nothing to help traffic, and cross their fingers that more people take the silver line. The DC area slipped to number 2 this year as far as bad traffic, but I'm sure it will creep back up.

All in all, I'm hoping that once I move, I'll be there for a good long time. I'm finding I'm already going to get a better bang for my buck as far as housing (I've been renting, I will be buying). I also got literally tons of friends and family, so it will be nice to have things feel "normal" again.

Not gone yet, but soon.

Where are you moving?