Need advice please!!! (Alexandria, Burke, McLean: rental homes, homes, job transfer)

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by JEB77

Do I have to? Bret Easton Ellis is the author of "Reston Psycho" (OK, maybe the book was called "American Psycho") and other novels that are notable or, in some cases, ridiculed for the sheer volume of their references to high-end luxury items. A bit like some of your posts that purport to criticize the materialism of NoVa residents.

Well I've never read "American Pshycho," hence why I've never heard of this individual. Sorry for being out of the loop.

[statecollege]

I'm curious, slw, where are you coming from? Perhaps some of us can better compare areas of NoVA with your current locale and help more.

[Yankeesfan]

The only person around here I know who obsesses over this stuff is Scran-Barre. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." (He's heard of Shakespeare, I assume.)

To the OP: here's a map of the Metro, you'll see that the Blue Line goes directly to the Pentagon and several of the neighborhoods that have been mentioned would be convenient to the Blue Line.

http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Yankeesfan

The only person around here I know who obsesses over this stuff is Scran-Barre. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." (He's heard of Shakespeare, I assume.)

Yes, I'm a fan of Shakespeare. Perhaps I am obsessive-compulsive about the materialism/sprawl down here and what it does to inhibit one's quality-of-life, but overall I'm becoming unhappy living here and am finding fewer and fewer reasons to say "NoVA is awesome" as the days wear on. To me it's just painful that people are measured here by what caliber of degree they have, what income tax bracket they're in, what school district their children are enrolled in (or what private school for that matter), what model of luxury SUV/sedan they drive, etc., etc. when people should be judged on so much MORE than that stuff.

[slw]

We currently live in Florida...very close to the beach. Most people are easy going...you know wear shorts & flip flops. I think wherever you live there's always going to be people who are "shallow" as someone mentioned. In my husband's line of work, we have come across more than I'd care to admit. We're the type of couple that have nothing to prove, definitely not show offs and quite honestly don't care what people think. You can pick and choose who your friends with. As we see it, we only have one life and we're living it!

[cdmurphy]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

To me it's just painful that people are measured here by what caliber of degree they have, what income tax bracket they're in, what school district their children are enrolled in (or what private school for that matter), what model of luxury SUV/sedan they drive, etc., etc. when people should be judged on so much MORE than that stuff.

Yeah, but you know what? Life's too short to give a crap what anyone else thinks of you. I was one of the poorest kids at Georgetown - a school where over 60% of the students get no financial aid at all - meaning they (or, in most cases, their parents) pay for everything. It was an eye-opening experience for me, because I'd never been around so many people with so much money. But it would have been counterproductive to be bitter about what I didn't have and I focused instead on the things that really do matter - and I ended up with a great education and wonderful friends - rich, poor, and everywhere in-between. Plus, a semester abroad in Cameroon really made me see how lucky I am.

I am neither impressed nor offended by the guy at the red light next to me in his BMW or Jaguar. All it means is that he pays more for his car than I do mine. If he feels superior to me because I drive a Hyundai, then whatever. It doesn't affect me in any way. But I don't have to have negative feelings toward him, either. Maybe it was his lifelong dream to have that car. Maybe he doesn't have any furniture in his living room because he chose to pay for the car instead. Or maybe not - maybe he is just a rich jerk. But I really don't care either way. I can't spare the mental or emotional energy for it.

I'm totally channeling my mom here, but if your "friends" are going to judge you for superficial stuff like the car you drive or the clothes you wear or what cell phone you use, then you don't really want those people as your friends anyway.

[Yankeesfan]

My kids are your age, Scran-Barre, they grew up here, they have many friends, and I don't know ANY of their friends who fit the profile of what you describe. None. Sure there are probably some people like that, but there are PLENTY more who aren't. You have a lot going for you; appreciate and enjoy YOUR life, not what you imagine of someone else's or what you imagine someone else is thinking of yours.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by cdmurphy

Yeah, but you know what? Life's too short to give a crap what anyone else thinks of you. I was one of the poorest kids at Georgetown - a school where over 60% of the students get no financial aid at all - meaning they (or, in most cases, their parents) pay for everything. It was an eye-opening experience for me, because I'd never been around so many people with so much money. But it would have been counterproductive to be bitter about what I didn't have and I focused instead on the things that really do matter - and I ended up with a great education and wonderful friends - rich, poor, and everywhere in-between. Plus, a semester abroad in Cameroon really made me see how lucky I am.

I am neither impressed nor offended by the guy at the red light next to me in his BMW or Jaguar. All it means is that he pays more for his car than I do mine. If he feels superior to me because I drive a Hyundai, then whatever. It doesn't affect me in any way. But I don't have to have negative feelings toward him, either. Maybe it was his lifelong dream to have that car. Maybe he doesn't have any furniture in his living room because he chose to pay for the car instead. Or maybe not - maybe he is just a rich jerk. But I really don't care either way. I can't spare the mental or emotional energy for it.

I'm totally channeling my mom here, but if your "friends" are going to judge you for superficial stuff like the car you drive or the clothes you wear or what cell phone you use, then you don't really want those people as your friends anyway.

Great post.

I can't imagine judging someone based on what they drive, what they wear, where they live, or any other choices that they make. Most of us make choices to buy things that we like. period. It's got nothing to do with the choices that others make. How silly to judge someone because they drive a pick up truck or a Mercedes. I can't imagine noticing, much less caring. To each his own. Everyone makes different choices and we're all lucky enough to live in a country where we have lots of choices.

[movingtodcfromseattle]

Originally Posted by JEB77

There are many neighborhoods in Fairfax that meet your requirements and where nice houses can be found in the $650K range. If I were in your position, I'd probably take a look at West Springfield neighborhoods in the 22152 and 22153 zip codes. The schools are very good, the commute would be much better than Manassas, and you'd get more house for your money than what you'd get in Arlington or McLean. It's also a popular area for military folks and civilians connected with the Pentagon.

Vienna is nice, as well, but the housing is more expensive because it's closer to the jobs in the Tysons/Dulles area. Burke is also attractive, but it's a bit further from the Pentagon than West Springfield.

Good luck.

We just moved here from Seattle a little more than three weeks ago. I've been scouring the real estate listings and been driving the West Springfield, Fairfax City, Vienna and other close-by areas since my arrival. JEB77 is exactly right! You will definitely be able to find a home in your price range, in a great neighborhood, with great schools. If you'd like the name of a great agent (we went through USAA), then please PM me. She has been fabulous! We haven't found a home yet, but there are many circumstances complicating our home buying process. Oh and we originally thought that we'd want to live in Burke and have since reconsidered. It just feels too far from the things that we'd like to be close too. One of my favorite neighborhoods has a Fairfax address and has some beautiful homes, great neighborhood feel, good schools, etc.....Kings Park West. PM me if you'd like my agent's number/e-mail. The other thing to consider is that some major arterials are more easily travelled than others. That might also be a consideration in where you buy.

As for the comments about being materialistic in NoVA, I actually disagree. Having just come from Seattle (lived there for 30+) years I have to admit that I'm surprised at how modest many are living here. Some will say that it's so expensive and the traffic is so awful, but it's really not any different than Seattle, or other major cities for that matter. There are cities all over the country where people wear fancy watches, drive fancy cars, tote expensive bags, etc and on the other side of the street those that are barely making ends meet. The argument that people in NoVA are snooty, etc is quite over-rated.

[Denton56]

>>>The argument that people in NoVA are snooty, etc is quite over-rated.<<<

I totally agree! I just haven't seen it. period. I honestly think it's projection by some who are envious. That never works since there will always be people who are richer, smarter, thinner, prettier, taller, whatever, than we are. Heck, they might even be happier too! who knows? But what good does envy or jealousy do? Looking down on others because of their success only hurts us. Doesn't do anything to them. And why would we want to that anyway?