Is Northern VA really *THAT* different from Richmond?

[WVMountainMan]

Richmond, Roanoke, Danville, Petersburg, Abington, Martinsville, Bristol, have always seemed more..........Old south I guess, or more southern than the rest of the state.

Northern Virginia just has a whole lot of transplants, and more of a Maryland/D.C. influence.

[iamcool]

It's definitely not the same, but it's not really better. It's a good area to work if you're a doctor or something like you said. There's a lot of practices here you could join. If you're religious, they have a lot of churches and synagagues and stuff. If you have kids, Fairfax County has one of the best public school systems in the country. But people aren't as nice and there's a lot more crime. It's good if you have dogs, to because there are A LOT of dog parks around here. But also, home owners associations are plentiful and more strct around here. I hate home owners associations.

[ric75]

Pace and style of development would be the major differences in my opinion. Richmond's pace is far slower than in NOVA. I get ill just thinking about having to drive up there for a job. People are more stressed out and thus more rude. Put on your turn signal in NOVA and see how long it takes someone to let you into their lane as opposed to down here in Richmond. Contrary to some opinions, I don't think there is a lot of true urban development there. The high rise developments I have seen are built with cars in mind, not feet, so even when you are surrounded by high rises there's a crucial missing human element. The one place I really enjoyed visiting was Old Town Alexandria which of course means it's too many zeros out of my price range. The main asset to living in Northern Virginia is the plentiful job opportunities thanks to the Federal government and proximity to DC which I do like visiting from time to time. Richmond probably doesn't have as many cultural offerings as NOVA, especially when you throw DC into the mix but it holds its own for a City its size. The big draw of Richmond for me is the number of outdoor recreation opportunities there are within site of downtown. Whitewater kayaking, fishing, swimming, rock climbing, mountain biking. It's a dream for someone who enjoys the outdoors but doesn't want to leave behind the conveniences of City living. Guess it's just all a matter of taste. There's no "better" really.

[Anders15]

So where between Richmond and Maryland will I get almost a experience (because I know nothing here on the east can compare?) like living in Seattle? Maybe I'm young and dumb but for now I find Richmond way too slow *for me*. I'm looking for something different and more modern.

My main worry is crime though. I hear it is REALLY bad. I was told unless I live in the White House I'd better get "protection". Is it that bad?.. Or I should be asking compared to Richmond, is it that bad? What areas of "NoVA" can be considered safe yet faster than Richmond? I know Richmond was murder capital for a while and we are still above national average.

Also how is racism/diversity? I dont go looking for problems but I still want to be informed. It will just be me moving out for the first time on my own so I wanted to stay close yet still living in a busy city that is different. Glass buildings, more younger people, pro sports.. Things like that.

[terrence81]

Originally Posted by 01va571

TRUE, TRUE, TRUE

I don’t know how many people I have known from Nova who have distanced themselves from the state of Virginia PERIOD. Ask someone from anywhere in Northern Virginia where they are from, 90% of the time you will get the "im from DC" answer. Because DC is more important you know, what good has ever came out of DC? I mean I know that’s the our capital but lets break this down Honestly, highest AIDS rate in the nation, Murder capital for about 9 years in the 90's to early 2003, The mayor gets caught with hookers and crack, The next mayor bragged about the murders, harshest gun laws in the US, open air drug markets all over the place, has one of the most polluted rivers in the US, and snobs and bad drivers, YEEEEAAAH!

And yet people associate themselves with that rather than they're own state they live in. SAD.

I say I live in DC all the time because nobody has ever heard of Oakton VA. So I don't think it has anything to do with wanting to distance oneself from Virginia it's the fact that saying "I'm from ______ Virginia suburb" will get a repetitive "where's that? Never heard of it" response which can be tiring especially at a party or get together where you're bumping into person after person.

[Aspe4]

Originally Posted by terrence81

I say I live in DC all the time because nobody has ever heard of Oakton VA. So I don't think it has anything to do with wanting to distance oneself from Virginia it's the fact that saying "I'm from ______ Virginia suburb" will get a repetitive "where's that? Never heard of it" response which can be tiring especially at a party or get together where you're bumping into person after person.

Saying you're from DC gives an out-of-towners a better idea of where you live. I used to live in Hyattsville, MD but if I told someone back home that's where I lived that wouldn't put my location in the proper context.

I tell people I'm from Martinsville, VA which is on the NC border, but technically I lived in Henry County. Martinsville was the central business district and the core of that area so a lot of Henry Co. residents say they're from Martinsville to outsiders when they really aren't. The Martinsville Speedway is in Henry Co.