Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
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.
My moniker here is actually a reference to a literary figure in a novel I enjoyed.
I definitely would not say someone is drunk or crazy to pick Detroit over NoVA. What different people want is not the same. I know plenty of stable-minded (I think ) people who chose jobs in the private auto industry-MI vs. a similar job with US-DOT/NHTSA -DC/VA paying roughly the same salary and benefits.
The insane rent prices for tiny little apartments, crowded traffic, high taxes will bother many. Others will find all of that worth it to experience the urban DC culture and the milder winters.
There's plenty to do in the Detroit metro if you take some time to look around and explore it a bit. The only thing that I miss about that area is the milder winters.
I'm sure people who've been to both places already know how vastly different these areas area. Where would you prefer to live and why?
I was working in Arlington for about a year, but then got an offer to come to the Detroit area (Oakland County) to build specialized automotive software for new cars. The job in Detroit is to be a much better opportunity, friendlier environment, and paid a lot more, so I put in my notice and left. I never thought I'd say this, but I am actually enjoying Michigan much more than NoVA. The traffic is much better, cost of living is so much lower (apt cost is about 1/3), and people seem to be generally friendlier.
Anyway, enough about my story, I'd love to hear the thoughts of people who have spent a significant amount of time in both places.
Huh? Didn't you just move to Northern Virginia from Michigan and originally from Michigan?
Quote:
Originally Posted by NSX
Anyone else here move from Michigan to NoVA. I just moved to Arlington from Ann Arbor, MI. What should I expect? What do you like better or worse about Virginia compared to Michigan?
Umm, definitely NoVa. Michigan's unemployment rate is like over 15% compared to Va 7% (and it's probably a lot lower for NoVa). NoVa is one of the most affluent areas in the country with some of the best schools. The only thing Metro Detroit probably wins in is lower cost of living and when it comes to traffic.
Yeah, that 15% unemployment rate for Michigan that was just announced is staggering. When you factor in everyone who has been unemployed for 6+ months and are no longer being counted among the ranks of the unemployed (since the statistics count them as "no longer looking for work") combined with the many people who are seriously underemployed, you must have 20-30% of the population in desperate need of a good job. I feel bad for Michigan. I hope it can come back. But for the time being, I would definitely have to choose NOVA over MI.
Huh? Didn't you just move to Northern Virginia from Michigan and originally from Michigan?
Good catch. It is definitely not much of a revelation that the OP moved from NOVA to Michigan and finds themselves surprisingly loving Michigan...when they are from Michigan!!!
Huh? Didn't you just move to Northern Virginia from Michigan and originally from Michigan?
Yes I did.
I'm originally from Michigan and then I moved to NoVA. Then I received better offers in both Florida and Michigan, so I decided to come back to Michigan. Nothing that I've stated was inaccurate and I've never said otherwise.
Coming from Michigan to NoVA, and back to MI, makes me appreciate SE Michigan in a way that I never before.
Goozer,
You are definitely right that NOVA is much easier to find a job if you are looking for one, and this is a big factor for many people. If I didn't have a job already in Michigan, it would be a toss-up. But with opportunities in both places, Michigan was a no-brainer for me. It all depends on what you are looking for.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
) people who chose jobs in the private auto industry-MI vs. a similar job with US-DOT/NHTSA -DC/VA paying roughly the same salary and benefits.
