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I think SE Michigan wins in a lot more categories than that. More natural beauty IMHO, Great Lakes, Lower taxes, cops are not waiting in every median like NOVA to give people speeding tickets, etc..
Most of all, I've noticed that the people here are much, much less pretentious around here. Maybe the arrogance in NOVA comes from the fact that there is a lot of money in the area . But what people there don't realize is that it is just the government is printing money like crazy and pouring it into that area, it's not there because NoVA residents are any smarter than people in Michigan. Then they wonder why the deficit is getting so large...
Yes, it is much easier to get a job in NoVA for people with general skills, but there are still plenty of high-wage jobs left in Michigan for people with the right education and skills.
I actually agree with you on that point, I think money has a way of going to people's head. There does seem to be a lot more people who are into money and status.
As for lower taxes and natural beauty, I don't know about that. I don't know Michigan's tax rate, but Virginia taxes aren't that bad compared to states like New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. While Michigan may have the Great Lakes, NoVa has the Blue Ridge Mountains, (which are visible from parts of the suburbs) and also the Potomac River, Chesapeake Bay, and Atlantic Ocean are nearby.
In a word ... roads! Detroit has it all over NOVA. Easy to get around and traffic flow more enjoyable. NOVA relies on the beltway, I-66 or a toll road (let's not even discuss the cost of the Greenway), everything else is loaded with stop lights and congestion all day and into the evening.
However, air quality is better in NOVA ... I certainly don't miss that industrial smell.
But I'm going to vote for Detroit's metro area. I just didn't like NOVA at all...I don't care for Detroit's metro area either...but I dislike NOVA just a whole lot more.
From what limited info you provided, you probably were not working in the main steam employment of the DC area (Government, Lobbist, or "Beltway Bandits", Military, bureaucrat, High rolling Lawyer, and so on ) Which I also conclude you were also not involved in the 24/7 beeper and cell phone instant notification of "Everything" politics that burn-out so many young adults in that town. The attraction from my own personal experience was the intellectual & mental rush from rubbing shoulders with the people who really make a difference in the running of the country. To actually see a news-maker (ie a famous congressman) shopping just like a normal non-famous person (ie myself) is shocking the first time it happens.
I've seen them, and have remained completely unimpressed. If you were to ask anyone in the United States who the Congressmen were, you would only receive a blank stare. Few even know who represent their states.
It's not like Los Angeles, where that guy who looks like Brad Pitt at Starbucks really is Brad Pitt. I see what it is that you're trying to do, but no one honestly cares if they see a Senator buying ice cream. It's just the government.
Northern Virginia is a small, terrible place with a ****ed up grid system, zero community and endless, endless suburbs. The entire region is geared to serve the folks that work in D.C. The entire metro area is about as original as a Banana Republic.
I'm not even sure what to say about the area, save that I have absolute disdain for how generic boring it is. To sum it up, it is ridiculous how much one has to pay for terrible restaurants (which close at 9), the total lack of anything approaching urban planning (where else do you find severe clusters of high rises and office buildings with no gas stations or grocery stores to be found for miles), generic American culture (the so-called bastions of urbanity are in D.C., which everyone complete disregards because they happen to be dangerous; only in NoVA do you find immigrants living in townhomes with every effort to divorce themselves from their culture), god awful shopping (Banana Republic or GAP? Which formless merino sweater would you like today?), hideously complicated roads that lead nowhere and a metro system that drops you off in the middle of Sprawlsville without any other method of connection.
Oh, and strip malls. You will never see more strip malls in your life.
I suppose this area, as unworthy of regard as it is, should somehow be mollified by the fact that you can see a politician shopping. How fascinating that is, because the worthless human beings that couldn't make it in the private sector but were elected by an apathetic populace are truly special.
Georgetown is very interesting, as small as it is, and I liked Old Town, as small as that is. Both of them remind me of West Hollywood; there's a single street with very little parking and a lot of retail, some of it unique. But the entire area is otherwise a collection of the world's worst suburbs, the vile tumors we elect every so often, hideous architecture and the worst, and I mean the worst, drivers you will ever have the misfortune to see.
To this end I chose Detroit and its suburbs, although I think until you've been to Southeast Michigan and have spoken with the people in the area... "suburban Detroit" is a great misnomer. Even Dearborn and Livonia do not consider themselves to be suburbs of Detroit. It's fascinating how little centralized thought there is, especially amongst the newer generation of Michigan citizens. It's also a vast area. Wayne County is simply enormous. I loved Royal Oak (which is in some other county, despite bordering Detroit) and Ann Arbor, both of which were simply awesome cities. Detroit itself is a sad but interesting place, although I feel that the state is beating a dead horse by trying to keep it alive.
Northern Virginia is a small, terrible place with a ****ed up grid system, zero community and endless, endless suburbs. The entire region is geared to serve the folks that work in D.C. The entire metro area is about as original as a Banana Republic.
I'm not even sure what to say about the area, save that I have absolute disdain for how generic boring it is. To sum it up, it is ridiculous how much one has to pay for terrible restaurants (which close at 9), the total lack of anything approaching urban planning (where else do you find severe clusters of high rises and office buildings with no gas stations or grocery stores to be found for miles), generic American culture (the so-called bastions of urbanity are in D.C., which everyone complete disregards because they happen to be dangerous; only in NoVA do you find immigrants living in townhomes with every effort to divorce themselves from their culture), god awful shopping (Banana Republic or GAP? Which formless merino sweater would you like today?), hideously complicated roads that lead nowhere and a metro system that drops you off in the middle of Sprawlsville without any other method of connection.
Oh, and strip malls. You will never see more strip malls in your life.
I suppose this area, as unworthy of regard as it is, should somehow be mollified by the fact that you can see a politician shopping. How fascinating that is, because the worthless human beings that couldn't make it in the private sector but were elected by an apathetic populace are truly special.
Georgetown is very interesting, as small as it is, and I liked Old Town, as small as that is. Both of them remind me of West Hollywood; there's a single street with very little parking and a lot of retail, some of it unique. But the entire area is otherwise a collection of the world's worst suburbs, the vile tumors we elect every so often, hideous architecture and the worst, and I mean the worst, drivers you will ever have the misfortune to see.
To this end I chose Detroit and its suburbs, although I think until you've been to Southeast Michigan and have spoken with the people in the area... "suburban Detroit" is a great misnomer. Even Dearborn and Livonia do not consider themselves to be suburbs of Detroit. It's fascinating how little centralized thought there is, especially amongst the newer generation of Michigan citizens. It's also a vast area. Wayne County is simply enormous. I loved Royal Oak (which is in some other county, despite bordering Detroit) and Ann Arbor, both of which were simply awesome cities. Detroit itself is a sad but interesting place, although I feel that the state is beating a dead horse by trying to keep it alive.
That's pretty much EXACTLY how I felt about NOVA. I wanted to love it, and I thought of living there to experience DC. But NOVA was just SO UNAPPEALING on every level. The above post sums it up wonderfully. The worst is that it is incredibly overpriced and geared entirely for people to work in DC...so yeah, it just LACKS incredibly on its own.
The above poster also summed up metro Detroit as well. I don't care for metro Detroit either. BUT, most of the communities around Detroit do have things going on for themselves. Agree about Royal Oak, there is also Ferndale, etc. Detroit's metro is becoming more a series of small towns/small cities...as well as some massively boring suburbs thrown in for good measure.
NOVA has pretty much NOTHING. Arlington SHOULD be interesting, but it surprisingly lacks immensily as well.
I'd say metro Detroit just so a person could live in the Royal Oak or some other little downtown in that metro area...
It's not like Los Angeles, where that guy who looks like Brad Pitt at Starbucks really is Brad Pitt. I see what it is that you're trying to do, but no one honestly cares if they see a Senator buying ice cream. It's just the government.
That's so true AND so sad!
I don't approve of hero worship of anybody. But, it's sad that most people know/care more about Brad Pitt than their senator.
Ugh..
Totally meaningless actor vs. the people we elect to spend TRILLIONS of our dollars and decide the most important issues (health care, environment, national security, economy, etc..)
Back on topic, I would choose NOVA, primary for economic opportunity. Yes, it's a sprawling suburb. But, Arlington and Alexandria have parts that are okay. You could live car free in (small parts) of both.
Old Town is charming and unique. It can't compare to Back Bay, UWS, etc, but it is pretty walkable/ urban for a commuter town.
Arlington is more of a work in progress. The Rosslyn-Ballston corridor is cookie cutter. But, it's improving slowly. Plus, the quality of life is pretty good. It has good parks/libraries, safety, access to transit/DC, amenities within walking distance, etc.
Northern Virginia. More people, more diversity, close to DC, much more temperate winter weather, much closer to the ocean, close to/in the South (depends on who you talk to), more amenities.
Northern Virginia. More people, more diversity, close to DC, much more temperate winter weather, much closer to the ocean, close to/in the South (depends on who you talk to), more amenities.
Exactly! Let's not forget that Baltimore is 30 minutes from DC, then Philly and Atlantic City, and best of all NYC is 4 hours away. No comparison - NoVa is an easy decision.
Coldwine is drunk to pick Detroit. Haahaa. I guess wine does that to you - especially coldwine.
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