10 things you should know about Northern Virginia... (Richmond, Arlington: rent, homes)

[vasinger]

1.Northern Virginia is a very TRANSIENT area. Its full of people from all over. Thats why it doesnt feel southern like the rest of Virginia. 50 years ago, however, it was like North Carolina.

2.Northern Virginia is just these 3 counties: Loudoun, Prince William, and Fairfax. Fauquier county is not nothern virginia. It may be located in the northern part of the state, but its not part of the region. Neither is Winchester- which is really in the Shenandoah Valley- an entirely different demographic. Western Loudoun county (west of Leesburg) is really not part of NOVA either. But now, technially being in the county that eastern Loudoun is (these counties mine as well split) it is.

3.NOVA has a great community college- "NOVA". One of the best in the country. Its as good or better as most 4 years colleges they say.

4.Northern Virginians today are very picky about being from Virginia. They will call it "Mid-Atlantic" or say they are from the "D.C." area. Anything so long as they dont have to admit they live in the South.

5.Northern Virginia is expensive!!! Property values are just sky high, and you can expect to pay at least 300,000$ or more for a bungalow of a house.

6.There are some very beautiful areas of Northern Virginia. This includes the "hunt country" of Loudoun. Eastern Fairfax used to be the same way. Now its vanilla.

7.40 +years ago Northern Virginians looked towards Richmond, not Washington, as their cultural reference point.

8.Northern Virginia had a lot of historical plantation homes. While some have been torn down in the name of "progress", there are some left. Including "Oatlands Plantation", near Leesburg, and "Sully", near Chantilly.

9. Traffic is horrible. Expect to spend up to 2 hours in rush hour.

10.For some reason, there is abundance of Asian gangs.

[The Dissenter]

1. very true
2. don't 4get Alexandria and Arlington
3. true, one of its current students
4. i'm actually from Hampton, VA so i have to say i'm from the south (which i'm proud of)
5. REALLY TRUE
6. true
7. wasn't born yet
8. i'd believe it
9. REALLY REALLY TRUE
10. got a few mexican gangs 2

[Lookingforasafehome]

Doesn't sound very nice to me, sorta of scary actually. I love going to DC to visit but I sure would be scared to live there!

[vasinger]

Originally Posted by Lookingforasafehome

Doesn't sound very nice to me, sorta of scary actually. I love going to DC to visit but I sure would be scared to live there!

Well in truth, the dc area is not all that dangerous (its actually safer than Richmond).,

But there is an increase in gangs that NEVER had occoured in old Northern Virginia before all the new development and city moved in.

People are talking about how NOVA is now part of the Megatropolis.. they are saying that could extend as far south as Raleigh/Durham, NC!

Thats how bad its getting.

[dullnboring]

These are just my own opinions:

1. True. The area is very transient. You won't find many lifelong residents. I remember looking at my sixth grade yearbook and comparing it to my graduating class and if I remember correctly, only half of the kids I was in sixth grade with wound up graduating with me.

2. Plus Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church.

3. I never knew that.

4. True. I consider it Mid-Atlantic. I don't think with all the cultural, social and demographic changes this country has experienced that a line created over a hundred years ago should continue to be applicable as the end-all divider between North and South. I feel in terms of climate, culture, and "feel", the area is Mid-Atlantic.

5. Definitely expensive to buy, but I don't consider rent to be TOO horrible (but it's still bad), and prices of other goods like food, clothes and gas, I consider to be average.

6. I actually haven't been that impressed with Eastern Loudoun. I think you have to get farther out in the Shenandoah Valley before it gets really pretty.

7. Perhaps. I wouldn't know. I'd imagine that Arlington and Alexandria at the very least due to their proximity have always had more in common with DC than Richmond though.

8. True. There are also mills and other remnants of our past, but they all seem so awkward now due to their locations; usually right off a freeway, not far from subdivisions and strip malls.

9. Yes. Absolutely horrible.

10. I wouldn't say an "abundance". They exist, but I think the media overblows the problems, both with Asian gangs and others, notably MS-13.

[vasinger]

Originally Posted by dullnboring

These are just my own opinions:

1. True. The area is very transient. You won't find many lifelong residents. I remember looking at my sixth grade yearbook and comparing it to my graduating class and if I remember correctly, only half of the kids I was in sixth grade with wound up graduating with me.

2. Plus Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church.

3. I never knew that.

4. True. I consider it Mid-Atlantic. I don't think with all the cultural, social and demographic changes this country has experienced that a line created over a hundred years ago should continue to be applicable as the end-all divider between North and South. I feel in terms of climate, culture, and "feel", the area is Mid-Atlantic.

5. Definitely expensive to buy, but I don't consider rent to be TOO horrible (but it's still bad), and prices of other goods like food, clothes and gas, I consider to be average.

6. I actually haven't been that impressed with Eastern Loudoun. I think you have to get farther out in the Shenandoah Valley before it gets really pretty.

7. Perhaps. I wouldn't know. I'd imagine that Arlington and Alexandria at the very least due to their proximity have always had more in common with DC than Richmond though.

8. True. There are also mills and other remnants of our past, but they all seem so awkward now due to their locations; usually right off a freeway, not far from subdivisions and strip malls.

9. Yes. Absolutely horrible.

10. I wouldn't say an "abundance". They exist, but I think the media overblows the problems, both with Asian gangs and others, notably MS-13.

You may call it Mid-Atlantic. Technically, its not though. The real mid-atlantic states are NY, PA, NJ, and DE. I think VA even, northern virginia is much more climate wise Southeastern.

And historically it was southern.

Now its more like vanilla.


But it kinda changes south of Fredericksburg....


I bought a map of the Southeast and Virginia is on it. I guess maybe they made a mistake?

Those Weather Channel people consider North Carolina Mid-Atlantic too. Shoot, why dont they include South Carolina and Georgia while they're at it.

[SummerFrog]

I agree totally, and after 20 years here am tired of the transient area. I am single and hoped to find the man of my dreams here..but after meeting a lot of transient, selfish, high maintenance men...I am heading south in hopes of a quieter life, smaller town and perhaps...a southern gentleman (at least a red neck with mannors) *giggle*

[claremarie]

The transient nature of the area is overblown. True, our experience is that most of our neighbors and friends were born and raised elsewhere, but once they move to the area, they tend to stay, especially if they work in politics, law, or for the government. Most of the World Bank folks we know manage to find a way to stay in DC after their stint at the Bank is completed, for example. Our oldest son went through the local elementary school with essentially the same group of kids, plus or minus a few who were children of diplomats and cycled in and out.

[DavidS827]

VA is expensive, but given the average houshold salary it's not too bad. I also agree that there is an abundance of gangs. I know that there are at least 80 identified gangs in Fairfax county alone. MS-13 probably being the worst of them, but the large Asian gang (i think they are called Oriental Playboys) is also present there. Fairfax is by no means Compton or Watts, but it's also no where near as squeaky clean as many people say. I don't know this to be fact, but I have read that much of the gang activity goes unreported for fear of retaliation by the gang.

[Lookingforasafehome]

Goodness, that paints a very different picture of one that I had when we to visit up that way and if this is safer than Richmond, that says it all actualy!