Post your Nova move & success stories here (Arlington, Reston: middle-class, apartment complex)

[VRE332]

We try to be as helpful as we can to the potential newcomers and new residents. We are constantly answering the "where to move" , "appartments in 22043" , "cable vs dsl" , "commuting information" but never get any really good feedback from anyone. Most of you kind of drop-off the web after you get the information

Does anyone have any success stores they would like to share about moving to Nova ? Any good advice that was particulary helpful that you got from us ? Any regrets? Did we miss anything?

Thanks!

[ScranBarre]

The good? I really appreciated Normie taking it upon herself, no questions asked, to run around photographing Herndon for me prior to my relocation down here.

The bad? I should have stuck with my gut feeling, moved to Arlington near the Orange Line, and shacked up with a roommate. Just two weeks after starting my job in Herndon I was transferred to Tyson's Corner, so the commute from Reston to there would have been similar to the commute from Arlington to there anyways. Reston is as much of a sub-par suburban boon-doggle as I had envisioned it to be, despite some of the older folks calling us a "progressive" community (whatever that is supposed to mean?) The town center is geared towards the upper-middle-class, and the other amenities I can walk to---Lake Anne Plaza or Spectrum Center---are a dump and "tacky," respectively.

I knew full well in advance I wouldn't be happy being 22 and living in Reston, but I also wanted to have privacy as a single gay male delving into the dating pool, hence not being able to afford anything inside the Beltway on my own. I now realize I should have just said "screw it" for trying to date anyways until I'm on more solid financial footing because not only are the guys down here VERY flaky with blowing off dates last-minute and then not rescheduling, but I'm also very lonesome.

I REALLY wish NoVA "outside the Beltway" had areas that offered a decent quality-of-life for younger, non-affluent people. Then again though as has been told to me time after time, "that is the price one must pay to live here..." (i.e. if you want a career during a recession, don't make a lot of money, and don't want a long commute, then you have to live in a place you hate).

[Alanboy395]

Originally Posted by VRE332

We try to be as helpful as we can to the potential newcomers and new residents. We are constantly answering the "where to move" , "appartments in 22043" , "cable vs dsl" , "commuting information" but never get any really good feedback from anyone. Most of you kind of drop-off the web after you get the information

Does anyone have any success stores they would like to share about moving to Nova ? Any good advice that was particulary helpful that you got from us ? Any regrets? Did we miss anything?

Thanks!

Ya'll did help me when i was commuting from the Landmark area to do some training in Tysons Corner back in 07. Your directions and commute time were superb.

[lovetoboat]

I know I've had a tremendous amount of help in my "research phase". Now that I'm trying to put things into place I'm getting just as much help and appreciate it all.
Once I'm actually down there you'll see me pasting smiley faces everywhere!!

[Fairfax Mom]

This board really downplayed the traffic problem and also did not let me know how transient the area is and how standoffish the people are.

[leighland]

I feel that the info we got for our family applied to those making mid six figures. I didn't realize that 'till I tried to apply info to craigslist, etc..so there is not much info for families who rent and are making five figures or less. In SoCal, there's plenty of inexpensive, safe, family freindly buildings to rent. Here in NoVA, not so much.
Unless you've lived off the East Coast, I don't think you realize how 'underdeveloped' DC Metro area is. We are used to a Target and an Albertsons practically on every corner. Here you need to drive to get to a Safeway.
Also, its strangely not walkable here-no sidewalks on major streets, etc..no where close by to walk to.
Lastly, this NoVA forum really doesn't identify with DC. It seems that most of you work in the burbs stay in the burbs and there isn't as much info inside the beltway here. It seems more info for Arlington, Old Town, Faux areas like Falls Church, etc is available in the Washington DC forum than here.

[athousandlogins]

On the good side, people gave me fabulous recommendations for a gym when I first moved to Fairfax.

On the bad side, I feel like so much of the commuting info we give and get here is geared toward drivers; I've found it hard sometimes to find good info about commuting by public transportation, even in areas where it certainly is available.

One hard thing about this forum is that people's conceptions of space can be so different. Some people commute from Manassas to DC, and are okay with it, while others hardly consider Manassas part of the greater DC area. The advice people get is highly dependent on who is hanging around that day.

I have no regrets about moving to Nova - I like it here - but I do have regrets about the house we're renting. I wish I'd held out for something better rather than jumping on the first thing just because things move so fast here and I didn't want to end up with nothing. (I *wish* someone had PLEASE stolen this terrible rental out from under us! But we felt the Nova urge to compete and signed a lease so fast I almost got whiplash.)

No regrets about the City Falls Church, either. Where I am is very walkable and the people are seriously way nice. But it's an area that gets overlooked a lot when people are talking about the neighborhoods here.

[katarinakeren]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

This board really downplayed the traffic problem and also did not let me know how transient the area is and how standoffish the people are.

People are standoffish? That is not going to be good for a shy gal like me...coming from Germany to NoVa I was really hoping to make friends easily, since I feel starved for friendship after living abroad (with a very small group of Americans here) for so long.
And by transient, do you mean that people move around so quickly, it's hard to make friends and keep them? ugh, sounds like MORE military life to me (I've been out of the army for years now and don't miss that lifestyle!).

[NOVAmtneer82]

It really depends on where you are living in this area. I live in Arlington and the people here are anything but standoffish. When I first moved to the area I met TONS of new people in my apartment complex and at the local watering holes. I also met quite a few people at work along with my local college alumni chapter. People tend to be what you make of them and I haven't really had any problems. There is a materialistic aspect to many in my community but then again we are mostly all in our mid to late 20s which seems to be a very "me" oriented period.

I have heard a few complaints about communities in Fairfax County that are closest to military bases like Fort Belvoir being extremely transient and I guess that could lead to some standoffish characteristics. Most military families posting on here seem to be only staying for 18 months to 2 years max so some could be less inclined to meet new people if they know they won't be here for very long. Just my opinion though, I could be wrong.

[vjel]

I've been here 15 years now and consider this my home. I think a big part of being happy here (at least for ME) is finding the right people to call friends AND being happy with the community you live in. But sometimes it takes awhile to find both.

I moved here soon after graduating college and all of my great friends from school were here so I had a good support system in place. That doesn't mean I had an easy time adjusting. I had a crazy work schedule and never saw my friends. There were plenty of days I felt lonely (I lived alone which didn't help) and felt things royally sucked. But I made the decision to move here and I had to make the most of it. It probably took about 2 years for me to really get settled and feel good about living here.

Sure, we have our fair share of egomaniacs, snobs, rich folk, highly educated, mcmansion owning, bmw driving, go go go, me me me types...what big metro area doesn't? But really, who cares? You don't have to hang around these people if you don't want to. Finding friends is really no different from finding the right partner, it takes time and patience and sometimes you have to weed out the bad before you find the good.

I understand this area is not for everyone. And that's ok. But give it a chance before you decide you want to pack up and leave. Don't expect to "fall in love" right away. It doesn't always happen (sometimes it doesn't happen at all) and sometimes it takes a bit of work to find your place in the hustle and bustle. Having thick skin might help, too.