KC to NoVA Culture shock

[betamanlet]

Originally Posted by US-Traveller

Northern Virginia, while trending Democratic, still remains the top choice of Republicans moving to the DC area. McLean is nicknamed 'GOPtopia'. If you are looking for liberal I would suggest Montgomery County, Maryland but there are GOP folks there too.

Yeah, the PEople's Republic of MoCo is pretty good. I grew up there. I hope you enjoy nanny states if you move there.

[statecollege]

You have certainly characterized the area perfectly, but I'll make two exceptions:
- Plenty of both liberal and center-to-right attitudes. Elections in Virginia and NoVA tend to oscillate back-and-forth between Dems and the GOP, depending on the tug of influence between native and transplanted conservatives and liberals from much of the Northeast. Therefore we are considered a purple state.
- I don't believe you will find people looking down on your lack of higher ed. Your successful career will be more impressive to most than a sheepskin. Just my opinion.

[datbird]

I suppose I should clarify what I really meant by liberal. I didn't really mean that I would like to live in a metro that is all ultra liberal. I would like a metro to have balance and a decent amount of people that are like minded. For me that is moderate with social liberal leanings. In KC there are overwhelming amounts of people that are moderate, leaning right all the way to large amounts of people who are ultra right wing. For me, I am not really tied to a political party, I've met plenty of Republicans who have lots of view points that align with my own.

So yah, I'm more interested in political diversity and possibly less overwhelming ultra right (or utra left for that matter). The presence of a left leaning individuals is really all I really was referring to.

[normie]

Originally Posted by datbird

I suppose I should clarify what I really meant by liberal. I didn't really mean that I would like to live in a metro that is all ultra liberal. I would like a metro to have balance and a decent amount of people that are like minded. For me that is moderate with social liberal leanings. In KC there are overwhelming amounts of people that are moderate, leaning right all the way to large amounts of people who are ultra right wing. For me, I am not really tied to a political party, I've met plenty of Republicans who have lots of view points that align with my own.

So yah, I'm more interested in political diversity and possibly less overwhelming ultra right (or utra left for that matter). The presence of a left leaning individuals is really all I really was referring to.

I think this forum is a fair representation of the political views of Nova in general. So, if you read the forum regularly, you'll get an idea of what people in Nova are like. In other words, a little bit of everything.

Think of the people on this forum as being your future neighbors. If you would feel comfortable living in a neighborhood where your neighbors are as different as normie, alanboy, tone, car54, aspire, arielmina, denton, caladium, etc. etc. (plus a bunch of people just passing through who you never get to know well) then you'll do well here.

We're not into marching in lock-step on this forum, and Nova's like that, too. In fact, Nova takes a certain pride in being unpredictable when it comes to politics. It means we get wooed (by both sides ). This forum has all kinds of opinions, all kinds of politics. Sometimes the forum seems to lean to the left... then we'll go through a right leaning phase... but it doesn't mean as much as you might think. Occasionally one side will grab hold of a particular issue... but that doesn't mean people on the other side have changed their minds or aren't interested in the issue--it just means they got busy at work or maybe they lost interest in the thread.

The other way people in Nova are like the people on this forum is that generally, we're able to respect each other's points of views. I think it's because most people in Nova have two important things in common: 1) we like diversity 2) we're really busy, and arguments take too much time.

[OrangeFish]

Originally Posted by normie

The other way people in Nova are like the people on this forum is that generally, we're able to respect each other's points of views. I think it's because most people in Nova have two important things in common: 1) we like diversity 2) we're really busy, and arguments take too much time.

. . . and, given our proximity to the nation's capital, Nova folks are quite accustomed to A Lot of Hot Air -- from both ends of the political spectrum.

[normie]

Originally Posted by OrangeFish

. . . and, given our proximity to the nation's capital, Nova folks are quite accustomed to A Lot of Hot Air -- from both ends of the political spectrum.

So true, so true!

[jennm58]

laf, we moved from NoVa to KC and have had major culture shock -- KC and the midwest is not all that it is cracked up to be

yes, the traffic and high prices in NoVa sucked, but the lack of diversity and education in KC is astounding to me

NoVa has excellent services, KC has their DMVs inside pet stores... you will definitely miss the quiktrip though, i can tell you that much

Originally Posted by datbird

Hello, I just wanted to thank all the posters on this NoVA section of the forms. You guys are invaluable in outsiders quest to objectively categorize and think through our moves to the area. Everyday it seems like I learn something good and something bad about the area that helps shape my ever changing mental picture of what life will be like out there... so again thanks for all your guys time spent.

My questions relate to understanding what I don't know thus far from Googling and reading these forms. Things that can only come to you as a "feeling" and probably filled with non-objective bias'.

My family (wife and two twin daughters) and I will be moving from the midwest (Kansas City area) sometime in the late summer or early fall to work at a company in the Reston area (my wife and I's choice, we love what we see in the area and the east coast in general). We are looking at renting a a townhouse for $2000 or less, which does not seem to be a problem in the Reston/Herndon/Ashburn area. I currently make just under 100k a year and anticipate making around 110k or so after moving to the Reston area. I grew up in Little Rock AR until I was 13 and have lived in KC until now (I'm now 30) and my wife is originally from the Omaha NE area.

Aside from the "rude people" (especially as it relates to aggressive driving), and high cost of living, and awful traffic does anyone have any tips, surprises and/or "gotchas" they may have run into moving from the Midwest? I'm particularly interested in culture shock that other Midwesterner's may have been surprised by upon moving to the area.

Other then the culture shock, let me try and paint a picture of what I expect from NoVA:

• Well educated, liberal attitudes and culture.
• Much better mass-transit systems (as compared to KC and most other Midwest cities, including the bus system). This does not apply necessarily to the Reston area, but the NoVA/DC area in general. Even the bus system in KC is bad. It does not help that the general attitude that 'the bus is for poor minorities' is prevalent in the area, but the schedules and stops make most mass-transit options in reality a non-option.
• Better education options for children as a whole for High Schools and definitely collages. This is not to say education is all sunshine and roses, but I get the impression that education, culture and overall worldly experiences are more valued by parents etc; therefore these values are better instilled to children. I also realize there are plenty of bad schools everywhere you (like there are some great schools around KC too), but I believe just by having once child grow up in an area such as DC metro their odds of being more cultured and educated increase which would be my goal for my daughters.
• Much much better shopping and restaurants (again refering to the DC-NoVA metro, not specific to Reston).
• Living in a state that bumps against the Ocean/Bays. Within 4 hours of driving to access lots of great summer time beaches (Ocean City, Virginia Beach etc etc).
• Within 8 hours drive (most much closer) of many many of the most incredible, historic, and top notch cities and destinations in all of America. In KC the only cities of hug significance within 8 hours drive are St Louis and Minneapolis (Chicago just slightly longer).
• Excellent for building careers / Tons of jobs.
• Awful commute times. In KC we have a huge road infrastructure, with only 2million people to use it all (that's where all our potential mass-transit dollars are going I suppose) so there just really isn't any "real" traffic.
• Cost of living is awful, but it appears to be almost exclusively housing. Things like gas etc is certainly more expensive then KC but over all not going to break the bank.
• Slightly warmer then KC and less overall snow... but not by all that much.
• Very humid in the summer (miserable?).
• People are not really unfriendly and rude in NoVA. People may not make the aggressive attempts and smiling, helping, shaking your hand and initiating small talk like they would in the Midwest or the south, but they are still plenty of friendly people. The busy lifestyles of people in the area are not conducive to making friends quickly, but that does not mean they are rude and unfriendly. * Note this actually summarizes a lot of how my wife and I are as people.
• Area is actually very receptive of outsiders because there are so many transplants and short-term relocation's in the area.
• Many very interesting, historical and tight-knit neighborhoods throughout NoVA and DC; some with very good mass transit and 1700's-1800's architecture.
• I potentially will be looked down upon for not having a Collage degree. Self taught in my field (Network Engineering) and I like to think I am not a complete dummy, but I know how these things can be go.

Anyway, please feel free to alter, dissolve or reinforce in any way my illusions of NoVA/DC area. If you actually read all this thanks for taking the time