Does anyone miss the Northern VA of the past? (McLean: transplants, neighborhood)

[Artsywoman]

Every place has its problems, such is life. Sincerely, The Wise Philosopher

[Artsywoman]

As I said earlier in a post, the Job Market is great, but the cost of living eats your salary up. It is a nice place to live really, but it takes getting used to I am sure. I am a native, so I have heard this from newcomers to the area all the time. I did not realize how uptight I was about things until I had a look from the other side in the South! I mean, not uptight personality, but very fast paced and moving, thinking that 1100 for a studio apt is low, expecting things to happen at the speed of light! I laugh at myself now, but I am glad to be out of that work rat race. It was awful working in the associations I worked in for years. I made good money, but now I am researching new careers. I cannot deal with the office scene.

[ArizonaBear]

One thing that many people may not realize was that inside the Beltway at least; the 'dog-eat-dog' attitude was quite prevalent 30+ years as well-----------it is not a recent phenomenon. I was born/raised in the Wash DC/NoVa area.

Outside of the winters, one of the main reasons I left in 1978 was due to the above.

The above stated: had it been warmer in the winter, I would have taken a hard look at Fredericksburg...........it had an Old School 'California' vibe in the mid 1970's

[robbobobbo]

Originally Posted by Moth

Saganista:

What about Upper Northwest DC? There you have the houses that are both large and lovely, the array of trees and gardens and other aethestics. But you also can walk to commerce and the Metro as its still built on a grid pattern. 1920s sprawl, if it were.

That's my kind of "sprawl"! Upper NW was built as DC suburbs, it's just that today people consider it "city" because now suburbs mean subdivisions and large lots.

The DC suburbs were built before car culture - I suppose you could say it was a time of streetcar culture.

Fairfax County was developed with car culture mentality.

[Alicia Bradley]

Although I never got to see the NoVA of the past, I often wish I could go back in time to visit it now.

Southern accents, trees, quiet... Now it's hard to know where NoVA starts and New Jersey stops.

Yes, I'm a relative newbie, but a newbie of a different stripe - I'm deeply interested in regional/local history, I don't drink/party at bars.. heck, I don't even drive (so I'm not really contributing to the area's congestion, at least on the roads).

Now, just give me some more indie bookstores, coffee shops, funky little gift shop-type stores/galleries, cute innovative cafes to get a salad for lunch... and I'd be happy.

[Tone509]

Originally Posted by Alicia Bradley

Now, just give me some more indie bookstores, coffee shops, funky little gift shop-type stores/galleries, cute innovative cafes to get a salad for lunch... and I'd be happy.

You need to spend more time up the road from you on King Street in Old Town.

[statecollege]

Why as we get older do we believe the good ol' days were better? Did you ever think it may not be true, that instead you are stuck in the past?

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by statecollege

Why as we get older do we believe the good ol' days were better? Did you ever think it may not be true, that instead you are stuck in the past?

With all due respect if the past was an era in which neighbors tended to be more involved in one another's lives and cared about each other's young as their own, an era in which people were willing (and able) to walk down the street (on sidewalks---yes, some more progressive parts of the country so indeed have them) to the post office, grocery store, bank, park, etc. instead of sitting on their derriere in an SUV, an era in which people treasured historic architecture instead of tearing these magnificent edifices down in favor of parking lots, an era in which people viewed living near to church, work, school, businesses, etc. as beneficial instead of being a bunch of whiny NIMBYs, etc., etc., then I'm all for reverting backwards!

While I'd never trade in the social progression made on the fronts of diversity/tolerance I'm still very unhappy that the "American Dream" for most seems to have now evolved into living in a vinyl-sided Toll Brothers home with a front-facing 3-car garage on a cul-de-sac in Ashburn or South Riding. In the "good old days" people would have had more respect for trying to better balance the needs of new development with the community at-large. Now in more recent history NoVA has just sold itself out to development interests with very little concern for long-term consequences of poor land usage (i.e. why we now have the nation's second-worst traffic congestion and some of the most uninspiring architecture around). While one member in this thread was banned I still share some of his sentiments. I wholeheartedly agree that it's a shame that inner suburban areas in Metro DC are being allowed to fall into neglect while more precious open space is lost further out. Why not REDEVELOP these brownfield sites into new housing options so you can knock out blight AND save trees at the same time?

[Fairfax Mom]

Alicia Bradley - the Jersey I come from is much mellower, funkier and cooler than the yuppie filled NOVA area - real towns - not cookie cutter Starbucks and fake Silver Diners - we had REAL coffees shops, REAL delis full of real down-to-earth people not the plastic people I see here. Heck - we have streets that actually cut through and no HOAs.
I know - you say - well - move back there - sorry - I am stuck here since my home went down 200k in value - stuck here in plastic land with all the stuck up people

[leighland]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

Alicia Bradley - the Jersey I come from is much mellower, funkier and cooler than the yuppie filled NOVA area - real towns - not cookie cutter Starbucks and fake Silver Diners - we had REAL coffees shops, REAL delis full of real down-to-earth people not the plastic people I see here.
I know - you say - well - move back there - sorry - I am stuck here since my home went down 200k in value - stuck here in plastic land with all the stuck up people

I've only visited Southern New Jersey but the towns were beautiful-ex..Egg Harbor. Wonderful locally owned shops, great walking areas, beaches--Farms! just lovely. People were laid back too, which I found a pleasant surprise on the East Coast. But from what I understood living in Philly, its really expensive to live in Southern NJ, McLean/Langley expensive.