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Not unexpectedly I'm going to jump into this discussion as well.
Only four of the large network of early-20-something colleagues, neighbors, and friends I had when I lived in Northern Virginia (NoVA) from 2009-2010 are still living in NoVA in 2015. One is a gay ex-friend who owns a condo in Fairfax County; two are a married couple (unmarried when I met them) who have truly found success and happiness working for the DoD and for a non-profit; and another married someone from the area and is now living large way out in the sticks.
Everyone else from across various Federal agencies; employed at various contractors; etc. moved away for similar reasons to me---realizing it wasn't worth paying so much to live in a beige hinterland of incessant traffic congestion when you could move to a less expensive area and live better. Now that the economy has improved nationally I suspect the "allure" of NoVA will further diminish as people realize they don't "have" to live in Sterling or Burke in order to get a job when less expensive and less congested places (yes, like my own Pittsburgh) are exploding with economic opportunity these days.
We've spread ourselves out---Boston, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Charlotte, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, just from my personal circle. NoVA's competitive advantage for years was "come here 'cuz we've got the jobs, and YOU don't!!!" Now EVERYWHERE has the jobs, so NOW what's NoVA's competitive advantage? Good schools? Ummm...hate to break it to you, NoVA, but every upper-class suburban region of the country has excellent public schools, too. Certainly it's not inspiring residential architecture or a great cost-of-living. What is it, then? If NoVA can no longer brag "we've got all the jobs...." then what's left when your economy was revolving around people moving there solely for work for a very, very long time?
If NoVA can no longer brag "we've got all the jobs...." then what's left when your economy was revolving around people moving there solely for work for a very, very long time?
I've lived in NOVA my whole life. Quite frankly, I think it would be great if a lot of the transients who don't really want to be here left. There certainly would be a lot less bitching in this sub forum. Unfortunately, it's not going to ever happen on any grand scale, because I hate to break it to you but the job market in NOVA is still much better than most places. My wife is from North Carolina, and her family occasionally asks why we don't move there. Let's just say the job market down there is less than ideal at best and absolutely sucks in a lot of places. And I did look just for giggles last year when I was looking to change jobs.
I've lived in NOVA my whole life. Quite frankly, I think it would be great if a lot of the transients who don't really want to be here left. There certainly would be a lot less bitching in this sub forum. Unfortunately, it's not going to ever happen on any grand scale, because I hate to break it to you but the job market in NOVA is still much better than most places. My wife is from North Carolina, and her family occasionally asks why we don't move there. Let's just say the job market down there is less than ideal at best and absolutely sucks in a lot of places. And I did look just for giggles last year when I was looking to change jobs.
I think people in NoVA are mildly delusional if they think the job market "isn't good" outside of NoVA. Maybe in 2009. Not in 2015. The NATIONAL unemployment rate is 5.5% if I'm not mistaken. It's been hovering right around 5.0% here in Pittsburgh for quite some time, and PA's rate has been waffling between the Pittsburgh and national rates for the same amount of time. Just in the past two years I've been noticing flashier and flashier vehicles on the local roadways around me. Today I was off work and went to a local suburban shopping corridor to run an errand. Traffic at 11 AM on a Tuesday was like 4:45 PM on a Thursday in Five Corners. Absolutely congested with people spending money.
When I look at many states and major metropolitan areas' job postings I see that NoVA still has a slight edge in economic opportunity, but that gap is narrowing. When that competitive advantage of "we've got the jobs, and you don't" is gone, then what is NoVA's competitive advantage? It has none. The entirety of NoVA revolves around people moving there for work. Once people realize they don't have to leave Dubuque or Albany or Portland to find work in NoVA, then what's going to happen to NoVA?
Not really. The "edge" NoVA always had in courting its meteoric influx of new residents for quite some time has always been "the economy in YOUR city sucks so come here and find a job easily..." Ashburn is replete with people who moved to NoVA from Ottumwa; Saginaw; Montpelier; Kalamazoo; Walla Walla; etc. Now that the economy doesn't suck in most places I don't see much of a reason for many job-seeking migrants to pack their bags and leave their own rapidly-healing hometowns.
I really wish people would LIVE where they WANT to live FIRST and THEN take their job situation into consideration. So much of this country is screwed up with people moving to find a job FIRST and then "making the city work for me..." No. If you don't like NoVA, then you shouldn't be moving there for a job. I learned that the hard way and instead moved to a city I liked better that also had jobs galore. NoVA should only be rolling out its red carpet for people that like NoVA---not for people who just like NoVA's jobs.
I CHOSE Pittsburgh. I moved here jobless and had two job offers within two weeks back when the economy still sucked in 2010. Google is rapidly expanding here. I wouldn't want people moving to Pittsburgh "cuz I would love to work for Google and hate Pittsburgh but will try to make the city work out for the sake of the job..."
I think people in NoVA are mildly delusional if they think the job market "isn't good" outside of NoVA. Maybe in 2009. Not in 2015. The NATIONAL unemployment rate is 5.5% if I'm not mistaken. It's been hovering right around 5.0% here in Pittsburgh for quite some time, and PA's rate has been waffling between the Pittsburgh and national rates for the same amount of time.
I didn't say "it wasn't good" anywhere outside of NOVA. Don't play the strawman argument game. I said NOVA still has a stronger job market than lots & lots of places. Unemployment rate doesn't tell the whole story. Just because someone can find a job in retail or waiting tables and be gainfully employed doesn't mean the job market in that area is good. Based on my job search last year, that's likely what I'd be doing if I moved to NC with my wife. At least for the foreseeable future because jobs in my field at my current level are few and far between. The job market down there and in a lot of places like that is nowhere near as robust as NOVA, and if you don't believe me you're letting your bitterness towards NOVA cloud your judgement.
I've lived in NOVA my whole life. Quite frankly, I think it would be great if a lot of the transients who don't really want to be here left. There certainly would be a lot less bitching in this sub forum. Unfortunately, it's not going to ever happen on any grand scale, because I hate to break it to you but the job market in NOVA is still much better than most places. My wife is from North Carolina, and her family occasionally asks why we don't move there. Let's just say the job market down there is less than ideal at best and absolutely sucks in a lot of places. And I did look just for giggles last year when I was looking to change jobs.
I don't get younger people who complain about how expensive and boring NoVa is and then compare it to another entire city, when NoVa is just the affluent suburbs of DC.
It's like moving to Westchester County in NYC, Orange County in CA, Santa Clara near SF, or Lake County near Chicago. Yes, those places have corporate headquarters and good jobs, but no one bashes Manhattan, LA, SF, or Chicago because its burbs are expensive and boring.
When I worked in NoVa, a lot of the people that were under 30 and single lived in DC or close in Arlington or Alexandria. They weren't living in Burke or Reston.
But I agree, if you can't make it in this town and don't like it, moving back to where you came from or elsewhere is perfectly fine. I've met a lot of people over the years that gave cities like SF/SV, LA, Seattle, Miami, Boston and NYC a shot and eventually moved back when things didn't click.
Most of the new single family homes look just as bad if not worse.
At least they have the space and bathrooms so that a whole family can crap in unison after a night on the town. Looks are subjective, size and layout aren't.
Not unexpectedly I'm going to jump into this discussion as well.
Only four of the large network of early-20-something colleagues, neighbors, and friends I had when I lived in Northern Virginia (NoVA) from 2009-2010 are still living in NoVA in 2015. One is a gay ex-friend who owns a condo in Fairfax County; two are a married couple (unmarried when I met them) who have truly found success and happiness working for the DoD and for a non-profit; and another married someone from the area and is now living large way out in the sticks.
Everyone else from across various Federal agencies; employed at various contractors; etc. moved away for similar reasons to me---realizing it wasn't worth paying so much to live in a beige hinterland of incessant traffic congestion when you could move to a less expensive area and live better. Now that the economy has improved nationally I suspect the "allure" of NoVA will further diminish as people realize they don't "have" to live in Sterling or Burke in order to get a job when less expensive and less congested places (yes, like my own Pittsburgh) are exploding with economic opportunity these days.
We've spread ourselves out---Boston, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Charlotte, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, just from my personal circle. NoVA's competitive advantage for years was "come here 'cuz we've got the jobs, and YOU don't!!!" Now EVERYWHERE has the jobs, so NOW what's NoVA's competitive advantage? Good schools? Ummm...hate to break it to you, NoVA, but every upper-class suburban region of the country has excellent public schools, too. Certainly it's not inspiring residential architecture or a great cost-of-living. What is it, then? If NoVA can no longer brag "we've got all the jobs...." then what's left when your economy was revolving around people moving there solely for work for a very, very long time?
Yes, people in their 20's move around a lot, most often because of jobs, their job moves or they get a better opportunity in another place. Sometimes it's love, they move to the city where their partner/spouse lives or gets a job opportunity. Two of my kids stayed in NOVA and never want to leave but one left for San Francisco because he's a tech guy who got an offer he couldn't refuse. It's very rare for someone to up and move without a job or without their spouse having a job.
I've lived in several cities and states and I love NOVA and being close to DC. It's a great place to live.
If you don't like NOVA, fine, but why do you keep returning to these forums to complain? It seems strange. Be happy where you are and let people who love NOVA be happy where they are. You don't sound like a very happy person. Perhaps you resent those who are happy? That's no way to live. Be happy!
Not really. The "edge" NoVA always had in courting its meteoric influx of new residents for quite some time has always been "the economy in YOUR city sucks so come here and find a job easily..." Ashburn is replete with people who moved to NoVA from Ottumwa; Saginaw; Montpelier; Kalamazoo; Walla Walla; etc. Now that the economy doesn't suck in most places I don't see much of a reason for many job-seeking migrants to pack their bags and leave their own rapidly-healing hometowns.
I really wish people would LIVE where they WANT to live FIRST and THEN take their job situation into consideration. So much of this country is screwed up with people moving to find a job FIRST and then "making the city work for me..." No. If you don't like NoVA, then you shouldn't be moving there for a job. I learned that the hard way and instead moved to a city I liked better that also had jobs galore. NoVA should only be rolling out its red carpet for people that like NoVA---not for people who just like NoVA's jobs.
I CHOSE Pittsburgh. I moved here jobless and had two job offers within two weeks back when the economy still sucked in 2010. Google is rapidly expanding here. I wouldn't want people moving to Pittsburgh "cuz I would love to work for Google and hate Pittsburgh but will try to make the city work out for the sake of the job..."
Why do you want people to move first and then find a job? Why would you care? How bizarre to think that everyone should do it your way especially when it's not practical or realistic for the majority of people.
""Ashburn is replete with people who moved to NoVA from Ottumwa; Saginaw; Montpelier; Kalamazoo; Walla Walla"" I've never met anyone in NOVA from any of those places. I hate to bring out my inner teacher but You use 'replete' incorrectly. It's a silly, pretentious word that is rarely appropriate. Any minute you will use 'utilize' when you could use 'use'. Maybe we need a thread on grammar usage. Rule one, use the easiest word to understand if you want to communicate effectively. 'Replete' and 'utilize' are almost never the right choice.
Just sayin'.
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