Is anyone happy living in NOVA? (Chesapeake, Arlington: crime rate, job openings, high school)

[Natthapol]

Well, for me it's the opposite of the OP. I am currently living in Falls Church and have been wanting to move to Seattle.

It's not that NOVA is a bad area to live; As many people here have mentioned, we have excellent school systems, a lot of great parks -- Burke lake and Great Falls are among my favorite, cute places for a stroll like Georgetown and Old town Alexandria, top-notched museums, hip neighborhood like Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle. An hour drive will get you to Shenandoah National park, world-class rafting and a lot of outdoor opportunities in West Virgnia, a few hour drive to the beaches in MD, DE, not to far from Philly and NYC and etc.

The bad things are of course the traffic and the cost of living. I find people here to be quite friendly though but it's also kinda transient environment -- a lot of people come and go.

In any case, I want to move to Seattle because I think it suit me more; I love winter sports and mountains of the west. Drizzle and cloudy days won't bother me too much coz I will be spending a lot of time on the slope in winter. Summer in Seattle is just gorgeous.

[popalnet]

Originally Posted by Natthapol

Well, for me it's the opposite of the OP. I am currently living in Falls Church and have been wanting to move to Seattle.

It's not that NOVA is a bad area to live; As many people here have mentioned, we have excellent school systems, a lot of great parks -- Burke lake and Great Falls are among my favorite, cute places for a stroll like Georgetown and Old town Alexandria, top-notched museums, hip neighborhood like Adams Morgan and Dupont Circle. An hour drive will get you to Shenandoah National park, world-class rafting and a lot of outdoor opportunities in West Virgnia, a few hour drive to the beaches in MD, DE, not to far from Philly and NYC and etc.

The bad things are of course the traffic and the cost of living. I find people here to be quite friendly though but it's also kinda transient environment -- a lot of people come and go.

In any case, I want to move to Seattle because I think it suit me more; I love winter sports and mountains of the west. Drizzle and cloudy days won't bother me too much coz I will be spending a lot of time on the slope in winter. Summer in Seattle is just gorgeous.

If that is what you like, then you will love Seattle. You might like Denver as well.

[Flamingo13]

Happiness is inside - I'm a happy, positive person as a rule. Once you get to that point then you can fine tune when the time is right to things like: closer to water or mountains, large home/small home, single/multi level home, large acreage/small lot, etc.

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

Happiness is inside - I'm a happy, positive person as a rule. Once you get to that point then you can fine tune when the time is right to things like: closer to water or mountains, large home/small home, single/multi level home, large acreage/small lot, etc.

that does not make any sense.

[Flamingo13]

It makes perfect sense: you must be happy w/yourself before you are happy with anything else

[Fern435]

Now that we have our escape plan in place, I'm enjoying noVA much more.

But I still see plenty of stressed-out, unhappy people. And there's the crime issue.

[popalnet]

Originally Posted by walkingnoelle

Now that we have our escape plan in place, I'm enjoying noVA much more.

But I still see plenty of stressed-out, unhappy people. And there's the crime issue.

What crime issue? NoVa is one of the safest areas in the country.

[g3org3]

"Nothern Virginia" and "crime issue"? One of the positive things about the area is the low crime rate.

[Fern435]

Originally Posted by popalnet

What crime issue? NoVa is one of the safest areas in the country.

Oh, that's right. Ignoring any crime (like the recent carjacking at Springfield Mall, bank robberies, etc.) must mean that they don't happen here!

There's less crime here than places like Miami, but this area has more crime than other areas I've lived in. And much of it goes unreported in the news.

[SouthernBoi]

Originally Posted by walkingnoelle

Oh, that's right. Ignoring any crime (like the recent carjacking at Springfield Mall, bank robberies, etc.) must mean that they don't happen here!

There's less crime here than places like Miami, but this area has more crime than other areas I've lived in. And much of it goes unreported in the news.

That is true. We are also the proud owners of the largest segment of MS 13 gang members on the East Coast. Fairfax County is also turning into a sanctuary city/county as well, so if you don't mind your tax money going to programs specifically tailored to illegals then you wont mind this area.

I had some friends from Seattle come and visit me here and they didnt like it too much, but thats not to say you won't like it. Everyone is different.

I am one of those people that hate NoVA with a passion, however there are some things I do like about the area, mainly the jobs, schools, the diversity and the history of the area.