Do you think Northern Virginia will split from the rest of the state? (suburb, water)

[scottfs]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

I'm always surprised at the "big differences" people see between (the dc suburbs of) MD and NoVA. Having lived on both sides of the river, I honestly can't tell a difference 99% of the time, save for the fact that all of a sudden target stops selling UMD stuff and starts having VT merchandise as soon as you enter virginia.

There are probably more similarities than differences, but I must say, having grown up in Montgomery county and now living in Fairfax county, it's definitely different in some important ways. For one thing, local politics are what they are but IMO especially bad/one-sided in MD, especially Montgomery. I like driving here without having to worry about some photo-radar speed trap machine around every corner. (I'd rather get pulled over by an actual police officer than get mailed a ticket from some stupid camera.) In Virginia, I can do things like buy fireworks on the fourth of July. I can carry a firearm openly, and an ordinary citizen can actually get a concealed-carry permit. I can actually buy beer and wine at the grocery store instead of having to go to some seperate store.

To the credit of MoCo, there is more open space left compared to Fairfax, which is one of the only pluses I see in that area.

Anyway just my 2 cents on the differences I see. For some people, maybe things like I mentioned aren't really on their radar, but I'd be hell PO'd if NOVA turned into MD.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by scottfs

There are probably more similarities than differences, but I must say, having grown up in Montgomery county and now living in Fairfax county, it's definitely different in some important ways. For one thing, local politics are what they are but IMO especially bad/one-sided in MD, especially Montgomery. I like driving here without having to worry about some photo-radar speed trap machine around every corner. (I'd rather get pulled over by an actual police officer than get mailed a ticket from some stupid camera.) In Virginia, I can do things like buy fireworks on the fourth of July. I can carry a firearm openly, and an ordinary citizen can actually get a concealed-carry permit. I can actually buy beer and wine at the grocery store instead of having to go to some seperate store.

To the credit of MoCo, there is more open space left compared to Fairfax, which is one of the only pluses I see in that area.

Anyway just my 2 cents on the differences I see. For some people, maybe things like I mentioned aren't really on their radar, but I'd be hell PO'd if NOVA turned into MD.

ISTR buying wine at the local drug store in Bolton Hill in Baltimore, so I think some of THAT is MoCo ordinance, not state law.

As for the fireworks and gun laws, how long do you think that would last if NoVa got to decide instead of Richmond?

[Caladium]

VA is much more business friendly, and much less prone to raising taxes. Even though the two states are very similar, I see small differences that aren't a big deal if we stay the way we are, but could rub the wrong way if we tried to merge.

Virginians, IMO, tend to have much more of an independent streak, which is one reason diversity thrives here. MD likes to regulate. VA enjoys being unpredictable--the power of being a swing state. MD sees power in being more predictable and getting people to march in step. Marylanders care more about being cool or at least being PC--which leads to a certain conformity. Virginians don't give a damn about that sort of thing. You can go into a wealthy town like Middleburg and see people dressed in clothes that are completely out of style--they want to be comfortable and are too busy enjoying life and making money to give two hoots what anyone thinks about it.

Also, the fight over building a bridge across the Potomac would blow up in everyone's face. Those are just my opinions, of course, and I could be wrong.

[scottfs]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

ISTR buying wine at the local drug store in Bolton Hill in Baltimore, so I think some of THAT is MoCo ordinance, not state law.

As for the fireworks and gun laws, how long do you think that would last if NoVa got to decide instead of Richmond?

Probably not terribly long, which is why I like NOVA being part of Virginia and not it's own little domain as some have suggested. Now if we could keep those good (to me, at least) things and also get a more equitable distribution of tax revenues to the area, we'd really be in business here!

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by Caladium

VA is much more business friendly, and much less prone to raising taxes. Even though the two states are very similar, I see small differences that aren't a big deal if we stay the way we are, but could rub the wrong way if we tried to merge.

Virginians, IMO, tend to have much more of an independent streak, which is one reason diversity thrives here. MD likes to regulate. VA enjoys being unpredictable--the power of being a swing state. MD sees power in being more predictable and getting people to march in step. Marylanders care more about being cool or at least being PC--which leads to a certain conformity. Virginians don't give a damn about that sort of thing. You can go into a wealthy town like Middleburg and see people dressed in clothes that are completely out of style--they want to be comfortable and are too busy enjoying life and making money to give two hoots what anyone thinks about it.

Also, the fight over building a bridge across the Potomac would blow up in everyone's face. Those are just my opinions, of course, and I could be wrong.

If you think marylanders are predictable conformists, you havent spent much time in Baltimore City, I suspect (leaving out whether the above is really fair even to MoCo).

Also, of course for decades Va was not a swing state - thats a product of recent years - it has to do with changes in demographics, in the positioning of the parties, etc - not with a preference for being a swing state as such.

VA is certainly reluctant to regulate - to the extent that Richmond has interfered with local jurisdictions zoning decisions over the years, in ways that have not left NoVans always feeling so good about Richmond.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Virginians, IMO, tend to...

I don't know that you can really state any of that realistically. What is a "Virginian" in Northern Virginia? Most everyone I meet is from elsewhere--are they Virginians by default for living here? Or are you talking about the old timers who have been here for a long while, before NoVA became the suburban giant it is today? And besides that, I'm not really sure how you can classify "Virginians" and "Marylanders" as anything--the states are so diverse. Baltimore vs. MoCo vs. Annapolis vs. Eastern Shore...where are you talking about when you make these generalizations?

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

ISTR buying wine at the local drug store in Bolton Hill in Baltimore, so I think some of THAT is MoCo ordinance, not state law.

If I remember correctly, a certain number of grocery stores per county can sell beer/wine. The Shoppers in College Park sold it, but the Giant didn't.

Originally Posted by scottfs

Anyway just my 2 cents on the differences I see. For some people, maybe things like I mentioned aren't really on their radar, but I'd be hell PO'd if NOVA turned into MD.

Yeah, I guess none of those things make much of a difference for me. I like traffic cameras--they're unbiased, unlike police officers (and after spending yesterday in FFX County Traffic Court, oh my gosh--what a racket!!!!). And as long as I have to go to a separate store to buy liquor, it doesn't really matter where the beer/wine is. I like California's way of doing it better, where every alcohol is sold in the grocery store. (Not that I drink liquor more than a couple times a year, but the separation is dumb).

To each and all their own--the merge will never happen, but I don't really think it would be that drastic if it did. NoVA voters becoming a part of the voting pool with MoCo and DC residents would mitigate the changes and people would find a middle ground somehow.

I do think it would be SO much easier if traffic patterns in the area could be determined by one set of officials instead of 3.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

I don't know that you can really state any of that realistically. What is a "Virginian" in Northern Virginia?

Yeah, you're right. I've been regretting that post for the last hour or so and have been trying to get things done so I could get back and rewrite it. Oh well, too late. The problem is that Northern Virginia (and Maryland and DC) are too complex to stereotype, and besides I despise stereotypes--they always miss the mark. All they reflect is a person's individual experiences. I'm not even sure if that's really how I feel (although I was trying very hard to be accurate at the time I wrote it).

All I know is I don't have anything against Maryland but I don't want to marry her either. If we get a divorce from Virginia I'd rather remain a small but happy bachelor state.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by Caladium

All I know is I don't have anything against Maryland but I don't want to marry her either. If we get a divorce from Virginia I'd rather remain a small but happy bachelor state.

the thing is though, we are sleeping with maryland and DC every night. Doing it all without benefit of clergy tends to make resolving how we share the housekeeping more difficult than it needs to be.

[scott784]

Originally Posted by yankee.peddler

I like Virginia. I always have. Others have mentioned that NoVA differs from the rest of VA. I would agree; however, I would also make the point that MANY different parts of VA have unique characteristics. NoVA doesn't feel like Southwest Virginia, Southwest Virginia doesn't feel like Hampton Roads, Hampton Roads really doesn't feel like greater Richmond, and greater Richmond doesn't feel like NoVA. Most states in the nation have diverse areas and regions so I don't think VA's varying regions make it particuarly unique.

Well, I am reviving this thread from the dead.....lol! I was reading these comments and couldn't resist putting in my two cents worth. I agree that most states in the nation have diverse areas and regions that doesn't make the state particularly unique in that respect. However, Virginia truly is a state where the north meets the south! For example, the SW Va, Hampton Roads and Richmond are certainly all different. However, they still have a predominant southern culture whereas that culture generally fades rather quickly, especially in areas north of the Rappahannock River in NoVa. So yes the northern counties of Virginia are indeed distinct in this respect. And I don't think this fact can be understated.

I lived in NoVa in the 1990's and liked it very much at the time I lived there. I also did a fair amount of traveling during the time I lived there to surrounding areas below the NoVa/DC metro area. And the perceptions of what had previously been discussed on this forum were/are very much real when looking at NoVa counties versus other geographic areas of VA. Having said that, I didn't perceive the culture of NoVa the same as a Philly or NYC either. Now days, the entire country is becoming more of a melting pot all over. But even today with all the changes that have occurred in the 21st century, NoVa does stand out as having less in common with the rest of the Commonwealth of VA.

[klnash77]

No.