does anyone else hate it here? (Reston, McLean: transplants, home, employment)

[normie]

Originally Posted by confused85

The economy in NOVA is great compared to many other places in the US. At the end of the day, you have to make a living (unless you're retired).

That said, the few times that I have been to NOVA, I didn't like it much at all. Washington DC is one place that I do not like and I feel claustrophobic in downtown DC. However, I am very much a small town and country type of guy. Will I end up in NOVA? Most likely yes, due to the strong job market.

NoVa is not the same as DC. If city living isn't your thing, there are plenty of small towns on the edge of the metro area. Also, many suburban neighborhoods where you won't get that feeling of claustrophobia. Here are a few photo tours of place you might like.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...waterford.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...esburg-va.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...rambleton.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...ts-photos.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...sa-photos.html

[JEB77]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

D-fens - Oh - how I can relate!

I am from NJ and totally different from you - middle aged, small children, married, SAHM - and EVEN I HATE IT HERE - you would think that Newark is the armpit of NJ - but - even Newark is better than here! At least you get real people, real food, fun, and an honest living - instead of the stick-up-your-butt people here.

Even the people that are originally from NY/NJ have turned into mean, DC zombies!

You are young - get out while you can.

And dont think you will get any sympathy on this board - it is full of VA lovers - my husband and I are stuck here because there are no jobs anywhere else - but as soon as the economy improves I will be on him to get out of this area - I am just so glad that so many people agree with me - maybe not on this post - but there is always a post about how mean the people are here - every couple of days - there must be some truth to it.

Dunno. They say moves are hard on kids, but maybe they are harder on the parents. Perhaps it's like learning a foreign language - easier for the young with more mental flexibility than some older folks who are set in their ways (Scran being an exception; fundamentally, it seems he wants to live in a slightly larger city version of the Pennsylvania town where he grew up).

NoVa isn't Jersey, though some of the South Jersey suburbs seem pretty similar. North Jersey suburbs very much have a local town identity; many (like Maplewood, Montclair and Westfield) have wonderful older architecture and a town center. I'd love to have a section like the Ironbound area of Newark with all the affordable Portuguese and Brazilian restaurants in DC or Arlington, but it's not going to happen. On the other hand, I can do without some of the crime and other social problems that have long plagued Newark and neighboring areas such as Irvington and East Orange.

I'm tired of the NoVa haters stating that there aren't "real people" in the area. Only malcontents who are upset that not everyone speaks with their accent, has their sense of humor, or shares their particular values would make such a statement. Of course there are real people here, and they are natives of NoVa, folks from all the country and folks from all over the world. People in NoVa may come across as reserved because they can't simply assume that everyone else is just like them, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I grew up in the NoVa of the 1970s and it was a different place to be sure - mostly white and black, with just a few Asians and Hispanics, and many of the blacks (at least in the schools) still not really feeling fully welcome at their schools. Fast forward to this decade and I attended a high school graduation where the students had dozens of ethnic backgrounds; their smiles and overall demeanor radiated a sense of belonging to the high school community; and the principal knew how to pronounce each and every one of their names more or less correctly. That doesn't happen everywhere; it happens here regularly.

There is a lot to celebrate in this region.

[athousandlogins]

Originally Posted by JEB77

Fast forward to this decade and I attended a high school graduation where the students had dozens of ethnic backgrounds; their smiles and overall demeanor radiated a sense of belonging to the high school community; and the principal knew how to pronounce each and every one of their names more or less correctly. That doesn't happen everywhere; it happens here regularly.

I took this picture outside a Baptist church in Falls Church:



And that's not even counting the English services.

[robbobobbo]

I've lived in NOVA and DC since '75. The level of rudeness and aggressive driving has increased as more people move here from other states and other countries. If anything, the NOVA attitude seems to be getting more like that of the Northeast's I-95 corridor.

Much of Fairfax County used to be slow and sleepy and, to me, rather conservative and in some parts hick-ish. I, for one, appreciate the influx of outside influences so that people in Springfield, for instance, no longer think foreign foods are "weird". Used to be you could only get Parmesan cheese in the pre-grated, cardboard container variety, forget about getting an actual block of it. Pancetta? No way. Times have changed!

And I think calling someone on the forum an alcoholic for expressing a desire to have a beer during yardwork is the definition of "stick-in-the-butt".

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by JEB77

NoVa isn't Jersey, though some of the South Jersey suburbs seem pretty similar.

Places in NJ like Cherry Hill, Mount Laurel, Moorestown and a few others are similar to NoVA. But that isn’t really south, south Jersey but more of suburbia Philly. Keep going south into the Pine Barrens and shore areas and things look real different.

[leighland]

Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx

Places in NJ like Cherry Hill, Mount Laurel, Moorestown and a few others are similar to NoVA. But that isn’t really south, south Jersey but more of suburbia Philly. Keep going south into the Pine Barrens and shore areas and things look real different.

I lived in Philly and you are right. DC is not Philly by any stretch of the imagination and yes, those Central Jersey towns are in reality Philly burbs. They are included in the Philly MSA. They also get Philly, not NYC, local news.

I love Southern New Jersey. Its farms, small quaint towns and peaceful beaches. Its beautiful there and that really surprised me. I never thought that. Like SoCal has the wrong national rep for dumb, botoxed and lipo'd blonde bimbos, NJ has the Sopranos/big hair/Bon Jovi rep.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by NOVAmtneer82

And to be perfectly honest I don't understand how people from New Jersey (not you Scran I know you're PA) could ever feel that people in the DC area are more rude and standoffish. . .

I can understand why people from NJ feel this way, especially if they are from a small town or South Jersey. It has to do with the transient population and suspicious nature of others that is somehow pervasive in the NoVA realm (generally speaking, of course). But of course, everything isn’t peaches and cream in NJ either. The North Jersey suburbs could be compared to NoVa. For many who don’t know: North Jerseyans and South Jerseyans sometimes face off with talks about “seceding” from one another. The two halves of the state are so very different from one another, especially in environment and economics—great fodder for discussion in the New Jersey forum when people debate about traffic, food, and jobs.

Originally Posted by NOVAmtneer82

The only exception in my opinion being parts of far south Jersey . . . met quite a few good friends from that area.

The people in South Jersey are nice—always hold the door open for each other, greet one another, very few back-stabbers, and will easily talk to you about anything. Outspoken folks especially about politics and taxes. And hardcore about protecting their natural habitats and wildlife. But remember: in this area, with the exception of the shore areas, it is mostly rural and farmland. I guess it’s more like West Virginia.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by leighland

. . . I never thought that. Like SoCal has the wrong national rep for dumb, botoxed and lipo'd blonde bimbos, NJ has the Sopranos/big hair/Bon Jovi rep.

Ha ha ha! Hey, I never thought of it much like this! Very loosely, I thought of things like this:

NJ has the . . .

* gambling
* gasoline
* liquor

. . .while VA has the:

* guns
* tobacco
* fireworks

[Further explanation provided for anyone who's interested!!]

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

Even the people that are originally from NY/NJ have turned into mean, DC zombies!

I think it's the traffic that does it to everyone. Folks from NY/NJ/PA are better drivers. When they move to the DC-NoVA area they can no longer drive the way they do up north.

[juniperbleu]

Originally Posted by leighland

I love Southern New Jersey. Its farms, small quaint towns and peaceful beaches. Its beautiful there and that really surprised me. I never thought that. Like SoCal has the wrong national rep for dumb, botoxed and lipo'd blonde bimbos, NJ has the Sopranos/big hair/Bon Jovi rep.

Last year I took some friends to Cape May, and for most it was their first time in Jersey (they were from CA, OH, and VA). My roommate (from Richmond) commented how she kept forgetting that she was in New Jersey. I love the drive on rt. 40 to 55, and then 47. All of them were surprised by the farms, small towns, and horses.

Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx

For many who don’t know: North Jerseyans and South Jerseyans sometimes face off with talks about “seceding” from one another. The two halves of the state are so very different from one another, especially in environment and economics—great fodder for discussion in the New Jersey forum when people debate about traffic, food, and jobs.

My mother was very pro-secession in the '80s when they lived in Cherry Hill. She still talks about it.