Outside of work/where you live, where do you spend most of your time in NoVA? (Chesapeake: middle-class)

[The Dissenter]

Outside of living and working, most of my time is spent in either Kingstowne, Bailey's Crossroads, and Woodbridge.

Kingstowne- If we hadnt committed to T.C. Williams, we probably would have lived here. It has great shops and has a pretty nice look. I like the condos.

Bailey's Crossroads- Has K&G which is a lifesaver for a young professional/college student. Has lots of shops.

Woodbridge- Has my favorite mall in the area in Potomac Mills. Lots of my friends live down there. If we could stand the commute we would have lived there too.

Again, outside of work/school/living where do you spend most of your time in NoVA?

[car54]

Not exactly NOVA, but I spend most of my "off" time on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland.....most every weekend year round and all summer.

I got tired of paying $2000+ a MONTH to moor my boat, so I bought a house on the Shore, where I could moor the boat for free. I deliberately avoided closer-in spots on the upper Chesapeake due the extreme cost of waterfront land...didn't want to spend more than a million on a vacation house.

Down there, my neighbors are watermen and others whose roots on the Shore go back centuries. Salt-of-the-earth types with delightful accents and mannerisms. They were isolated so long down there that their Cornwall (England) dialect lives on.

Sometimes I hop in my Whaler and shoot over to Smith Island and crew on commercial crab boats. Buy some diesel fuel and beer and they're glad to have you aboard! Some of you guys would love Smith Island....no cops and the cars don't even have license plates. Only trouble is, I don't think you could get up to 90 mph before you run out of road and end up going SPLASH into the Bay!

I'd live down there full-time, but my wife has a career she loves, so, for now, it's Annandale during the week, and the Shore on weekends.

[Teebyrd86]

Originally Posted by car54

Not exactly NOVA, but I spend most of my "off" time on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland.....most every weekend year round and all summer.

I got tired of paying $2000+ a MONTH to moor my boat, so I bought a house on the Shore, where I could moor the boat for free. I deliberately avoided closer-in spots on the upper Chesapeake due the extreme cost of waterfront land...didn't want to spend more than a million on a vacation house.

Down there, my neighbors are watermen and others whose roots on the Shore go back centuries. Salt-of-the-earth types with delightful accents and mannerisms. They were isolated so long down there that their Cornwall (England) dialect lives on.

Sometimes I hop in my Whaler and shoot over to Smith Island and crew on commercial crab boats. Buy some diesel fuel and beer and they're glad to have you aboard! Some of you guys would love Smith Island....no cops and the cars don't even have license plates. Only trouble is, I don't think you could get up to 90 mph before you run out of road and end up going SPLASH into the Bay!

I'd live down there full-time, but my wife has a career she loves, so, for now, it's Annandale during the week, and the Shore on weekends.

must be nice!

[ateo]

Local area just when I need to buy stuff, Potomac Mills area.

Other than that, Sky Meadows state park and Shenandoah national park.

I hike 1 or 2 days per week (have 3 days off every week).

I hate the city and would live out in the mountains if I could find work out there at a decent rate.

[terrence81]

Actually I spend a good bit of time in the city on the weekends. In VA I would say Old Town in Alexandria. I know a couple folks that live there and will go visit. Also it's just a neat little area with nice restaurants and scenary.

[akorosdc]

Alexandria, probably mostly Old Town or Del Ray. I took sailing lessons at the Belle Haven Marina and am still working on my free practice time. After sailing we often go to the Dairy Godmother on the way home. I also go to the Trader Joe's in Old Town at least once a week and have a tendency to hang out with my VA friends around there.

[SteelCityRising]

Usually every fair weather Saturday I'll take a drive out to Purcellville in order to go for a run from the trailhead of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail to Hamilton Station and back (about 7.75 miles altogether). I truly do enjoy that town. The Saturday before last I got my car washed by a bunch of high school or middle school kids. The farmers' market there always looks very inviting. People in Purcellville aren't ashamed to leave their McCain/Palin signs up, which I find to be very brave and noble of them to stand by their convictions as the county around them continues to turn "blue." There are some beautiful older homes in town (although I wish the downtown was a few blocks bigger). I've also been known to take relaxing country drives after some of my runs up the Berlin Turnpike from Purcellville, and then east to Route 15, where I take that south through Lucketts and Leesburg and then take Route 7 back to Reston.

Another fun drive I like is the entirety of the Georgetown Pike through the Great Falls/Langley area after which point I'll then hang a right onto Kirby Road in McLean, where I feel like my car is literally going to FLY as you enjoy the windy, hilly roller coaster-like roadway that passes some ornate mansions. Naturally I LOVE heading into DC whenever possible. Normally I'll drive to Fairfax/Vienna/GMU, park, and then hop the Orange Line into town. I've already seen the National Museum of American History and want to see the Spy Museum and the National Museum of Natural History soon.

Come to think of it I get OUT of Reston every chance I can. There's just not much here for lower-middle-class younger single people. Our downtown caters to upper-middle-class middle-aged DINKs and empty-nesters, and much of the rest of the community is family-oriented and/or car-oriented. Hopefully Reston will be getting a major transformation when the Silver Line is completed.

[Denton56]

Isn't the Silver Line to Reston scheduled to open in 2019, or something around there? Since the subway didn't make Vienna anymore exciting, I don't see it doing much for Reston either. You really need to move to Dupont Circle, or someplace similar.

[athousandlogins]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Naturally I LOVE heading into DC whenever possible. Normally I'll drive to Fairfax/Vienna/GMU, park, and then hop the Orange Line into town. I've already seen the National Museum of American History and want to see the Spy Museum and the National Museum of Natural History soon.

You may also enjoy the Building Museum.

[citydweller]

I enjoyed the Building Museum. The Old Post Office is a really cool building too. The Spy Museum and Newseum are on my list next.