Culture shock coming from Northern Virginia/DC?

[scuba steve]

Originally Posted by xlioilx

The data that was used to compile this is about a decade old but still provides some perspective. You can you can view SA compared to other major cities (NYC, Los Angeles, etc). SA is commonly seen among sociologist as a post integration city. Obviously, you can still find areas that are predominantly one race but lines are very easily blurred with mixed race families and their children.

Race maps of America | Mail Online

I'd say more post integration than most actually.

FWIW if you're lighter arab descent there's a pretty good chance people will not notice, or think you're white if anything. Darker arab or persian and people will guess mexican. It's just the way it is.

[perticusrex]

as long as your not a total jerk-face you should be fine

[Merovee]

Originally Posted by gottamovesomewhere

Wow. Thanks for posting that link, Merovee. BTW, how was the Eid Festival? Was it well attended? I bet the food was fantastic. That's one of the things I will miss most about DC is the ability to eat delish ethnic foods from all over the world.

You are welcome. It is likely you and your husband will do well here.

The festival was rather small, it was raining though, and the music was wonderful. Seeing as it was the first festival here, hopefully next year will see it grow as well as having more food options. Pakistanis were the largest group there but I did see one person talking to them who was wearing a ghutra an iqal and I assumed they were Saudi. Most likely there were more from other regions but the food and vendors were predominately Pakistani.

I enjoyed it.

San Antonio has grown immensely since you have left. If you plan on staying away from churches then you should really be fine especially if living in a well-to-do community.

Originally Posted by GEM-Texas

there are quite a few Middle Eastern businesses and restaurants opening around the Med School area and they do quite a business from all folks.

The reason for that is because there is an Islamic mosque near Medical Dr, off of Datapoint and Fairhaven.

I used to know three men from Sudan who lived in the area. Most likely only one remained in town because the other two desired to return to Sudan as soon as they finished their training here. In addition to flight school he was also attending a local university and was very intent on building a home here for him and his family.

Very nice fellow who taught me how to write my name in Arabic, I have since forgotten how, and who invited me to smoke out of his hookah, though I do not smoke.

[BillyH]

I have read on CD many times about the south and TX being too religious and people pushing that on you. I live on a cul-de-sac in SA with eight homes and have been there over 12 years. Some are from out of state Watertown, NY, Chicago, two from rural IL. and one from Lubbock. Not once has anybody asked me about my religious or political affiliation or lack of. I have never asked either, I don't care. We've had several get togethers over the years and it's never come up. Is this unusual for living in SA, it's hasn't been for me.

[Xymox]

Originally Posted by BillyH

I have read on CD many times about the south and TX being too religious and people pushing that on you. I live on a cul-de-sac in SA with eight homes and have been there over 12 years. Some are from out of state Watertown, NY, Chicago, two from rural IL. and one from Lubbock. Not once has anybody asked me about my religious or political affiliation or lack of. I have never asked either, I don't care. We've had several get togethers over the years and it's never come up. Is this unusual for living in SA, it's hasn't been for me.

Same here. I'm originally from Los Angeles, and the automatic assumption there seems to be that you have to be conservative and religious to live here. I'm not religious at all, and more libertarian than either conservative or liberal, and, by all appearances at least, none of that has mattered at all to anyone I've encountered here (if it even comes up, which it never does).

If anything I'd say political and religious affiliation (or lack thereof) is a bigger deal on the coasts, where in my experience people seem to get quite worked up about these things.

[Merovee]

That is all true. Most people find religion boring and those who don't know better than to bring it up outside of their circles. Avoid churches (especially John Hagee's) and you will never hear about it or have to deal with any prejudices or discrimination from that subset. Same thing with politics unless you work around the military then be prepared to deal with a few, but not much, right wing commentary.

[Boghaunter]

My wife and I went to high school and college from here (no state schools here, back then), moved away in the Air Force and came back here after retiring in Great Falls, VA, last year. If anything, there's more of a culture shock for us than for you - 1604 was a two-lane country road back then.

That said, there are some shocks you'll discover.
- Shopping is one; they have big stores here, of course, but maybe not as many specialty boutiques.

- Also, recall the fights in NoVa over where high tension power lines were to go? There's much less of that here, and as a result many more neighborhoods have latticed towers nearby or right in them, regardless of the value of the land. In fact, I've never seen so many electric wires crossing freeways as here; they could be a real problem in a civic emergency.

- Car preferences are different; I doubt I could sell our VW Rabbit here for nearly the money as it would bring in Austin or Dallas; to fit in, you might have to spring for a pickup truck.

- In addition, I've never seen so many neighborhoods anywhere that are "gated communities" as I've seen here. I guess people feel safer in them, but the crime statistics don't necessarily bear that out. Regardless, inside a gate, you and the HOA are responsible for street repair and lighting, an expensive proposition. OTOH, SA City council just voted down an ordinance that would have prohibited keeping chickens in residential neighborhoods; HOAs can keep them out and make sure no one parks on the lawn.

- You "get a lot of house for the money" in SA, but part of that is lesser construction standards and cheaper parts. We tried to find a window glass maker who could do it as well as our window maker in Woodbridge, and there was no one at all, regardless of price. (I didn't have to wash my exterior windows in Virginia, as I had a coating put on them that would allow dirt to flow right off; no one here does that, or has even heard of it.)

- I can't believe how many contractor no-shows we've experienced here just in the year we've been back. They make appointments and just don't show up... This isn't a dig at the Latin culture, either, as I've seen no correlation to that in the no-shows.

- On the good side, places here are much closer than they appear on a map. What might be two hours on the Beltway/495 might be 30 minutes on 1604.

- Turn-around lanes on the freeways. We have access roads next to the freeways, so many of them also allow a U-turn without having to go through the traffic light. That's great! Some of the access roads allow two-way traffic. Think about that a bit; you're going to get on your freeway, and you have to cross on-coming traffic! You'll get used to it.

- The State of Texas is not in the alcohol business, so liquor stores abound.

- Also on the good side, strangers seem much more friendly and willing to smile. Doctors and dentist offices are full of smiling and helpful people, too. Maybe you'll be lucky and the nasty go-go work culture from NoVa will also be left behind, but since we're retired, I can't comment on that.

It's culture, so there's lots more differences. Good luck!

[Newk]

Originally Posted by Boghaunter

- In addition, I've never seen so many neighborhoods anywhere that are "gated communities" as I've seen here.

I definitely agree with this. It is rare to see a gated SFH community in Northern Virginia. Even in neighborhoods where the houses are $1,500,000+. Gilbert Arenas has a house in Great Falls, and I don't even think he is in a gated community.