Is anyone happy living in NOVA? (Richmond, Burke: condos, crime, homes)

[stacylee926]

I moved out of NOVA almost 5 years ago, but I still go to visit frequently. After 41 years I was over it. I agree that the area has alot to offer - especially the schools in Fairfax County. However, my quality of life had gone downhill due to the cost of living. I was really tired of having to work 2 jobs just to barely make it. Throw in the horrible traffic (at all times of the day and on weekends) and it just wasn't worth it anymore.

If you have a very good paying job, don't mind traffic and can afford the overpriced housing - then the area has alot to offer. Pesonally, I just do not miss it at all. My money goes a lot further in SW Virginia and my stress level is about zero.

[popalnet]

Originally Posted by SouthernBoi

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.

SouthernBoi, what was it that your friends from Seattle didn't like about NoVa?

[springfieldva]

I've lived in Northern Virginia for over 35 years and love it. The people are diverse, intelligent and interesting. The schools are fantastic, the parks first rate.

The area has a low crime rate and I always feel safe here. The type of crime that Springfield Mall has is pretty rare in this area. I avoid that mall.

[blossom4792]

I find this thread extremely fascinating. I was born in Seattle (left at 12 months) and very often think it is my calling to end up there. I lived in DC for 14 years and loved it, but not the way I would like to embrace my best place ever. It was maybe like finding a partner who was not a soul mate. I have a couple of thoughts about life in DC. The first is that it fits for certain phases of life, like my "go-getter" phase where career was everything and DC was my city. My second thought is that (!! I hate to say this) but the experience is very different at different socioeconomic levels. When I was visiting my affluent, "politically-connected" relative it was dazzling. When I was single and in a draining job, it was draining. [In the ex-burbs, it wasn't even DC - it was just making a real life in any place you could pick on the map - real life with no particular magic in the margins].

[newgatedenizen]

Our family has lived in NOVA for almost 20 years now and yes we are very happy here. What's not to like? We're close to DC and the museums and cultural attractions there. We're close to the Shenandoah Valley and the Appalachian Mountains. We're close to the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Coast beaches. And Fairfax County has excellent parks and trail systems not to mention adequate schools. All amenities and conveniences are close by.

Really the only drawback is traffic and guess what? If you live close to where you work it's no big deal. I've had several jobs over the years and never had a commute more than 30 minutes one way. Just live close to where you work.

Crime? I have never been a victim of any crime in NOVA. I should think this is about as safe as an area could be with 1 million + people.

[Redsorsha]

I'm happy living here in the northern Virginia area. I moved to the DC area right after graduating from high school and went to work for the government. It was a matter of necessity, because in my hometown there were no job openings unless someone died. Things were like that because the town was so small.

I lived in Arlington and Fairfax counties for 13 years, and I have to say that I liked Fairfax county more than Arlington county.

Then I moved to St. Thomas, VI. Yes, the Virgin Islands. Well, it is America's Paradise but only for about 6 months! After that, I wasn't very happy and wanted to come back to the states. It's difficult adjusting to island living, especially on an island that is 6x13 miles big. Tip: be careful what you wish for.

So, I moved back in the early '90s and have been here ever since. My husband and I live in Prince William county and enjoy it very much. It's a long commute if you work in DC but with the excellent commuter bus services, it's very do-able. Not to mention, there's always something to do, something new to see. That's what I love about this area.

Hope this helps.

[Fern435]

Sorry to break some people's bubble, but there is actual crime in northern Virginia. Plenty more in DC and Maryland, so if you are using them as the comparison, then yes, this is probably the safest part of the DC region.

Is this some kind of cult-brainwashing where people cannot acknowledge that crime exists here?

[Fern435]

Originally Posted by blossom4792

I find this thread extremely fascinating. I was born in Seattle (left at 12 months) and very often think it is my calling to end up there. I lived in DC for 14 years and loved it, but not the way I would like to embrace my best place ever. It was maybe like finding a partner who was not a soul mate. I have a couple of thoughts about life in DC. The first is that it fits for certain phases of life, like my "go-getter" phase where career was everything and DC was my city. My second thought is that (!! I hate to say this) but the experience is very different at different socioeconomic levels. When I was visiting my affluent, "politically-connected" relative it was dazzling. When I was single and in a draining job, it was draining. [In the ex-burbs, it wasn't even DC - it was just making a real life in any place you could pick on the map - real life with no particular magic in the margins].

This is very true.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by walkingnoelle

Sorry to break some people's bubble, but there is actual crime in northern Virginia. Plenty more in DC and Maryland, so if you are using them as the comparison, then yes, this is probably the safest part of the DC region. Is this some kind of cult-brainwashing where people cannot acknowledge that crime exists here?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news and all, but there is SOME crime everywhere. As the result, the question of crime is always a relative one. How much crime is there here relative to someplace else?

In 2006, Fairfax County, with a population of just over 1 million, had about 1,700 crimes per 100K of population, 1,600 of which were property crimes. Per published FBI data by state by city, the safest US city of comparable size in 2006 was San Jose CA (pop = 920K) with about 3,000 crimes per 100K of population, 2,600 of which were property crimes. And since you mentioned it, the rates in Miami (pop = 393K) were 6,700 and 5,200. The rates in Fairfax County for 2006 were far more comparable to those in places such as Amherst, OH (pop = 12K), Raymond, NH (pop = 10K), Cohasset, MA (pop = 7K), and Hillview, KE (pop = 7K).

The bottom line is that while there is of course some crime here, it is at rates that are far more typical of small-town America than of any major suburban or urban population center.

[Fern435]

There is no problem with someone posting that the crime here is low if they also provide some data.

My biased opinion without data comes from the time we lived near Fort Hunt Park (off the GW Parkway). We got to know some police officers, and they say that there is much more crime than what gets reported.