Is SoCal the NOVA of California? (San Francisco: tech jobs, pros and cons, living)

[fiddlestick]

I'm sorry if this has been discussed but I did not find much in the search. Who has lived in both Northern Virginia and Southern California? What are your opinions on the differences between the 2 places? Pros and Cons? Which would you rather live?

[SalParadise]

No, they are both very different.

[novadude12]

I would rather live Southern California than Northern Virginia even though i never lived in SoCal

[rsh56]

I don't know how I ended up here (this board) but my uncle who lived in NoVA and for a short time the Bay area and LA metro tells me that NoVa is a lot more like the Bay Area with the weather and jobs a major difference.

[SalParadise]

Originally Posted by rsh56

I don't know how I ended up here (this board) but my uncle who lived in NoVA and for a short time the Bay area and LA metro tells me that NoVa is a lot more like the Bay Area with the weather and jobs a major difference.

The only similarity I see between NoVa and the Bay Area is there are a lot of tech jobs in both places (though far more concentrted in the Bay Area).

The climates are VERY different.

Now, if you compare San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Both are charming, walking cities with historic architecture. However, there are many, many differences between them as well (major industries: tech vs. govt, weather, demographics, etc).

[BRinSM]

i'll take the Pacific over the Chesapeake bay every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

[Curmudgeon]

Lived in both, several times each. For weather and foods, SoCal. For just about everything else, NoVA.

Ya know, in an area dominated by the Spanish speaking, this is an unfair question since "no va" in their language means "no go!" Just ask Chevrolet.

[Charles]

NOVA has (a lot of) the diversity, the traffic, the expensive housing prices of SoCal.

My favorite restaurant in the world:

Kabob Palace, Crystal City

Kabob Palace - Crystal City/Pentagon City - Arlington | Urbanspoon

[yamota]

the difference is, in NOVA people drive too damn sloooooooooooowww....in LA, people drive too fast (that is, when they can)

[Caladium]

Both places have:

--a metro area that's mostly one big suburban sprawl with lots of "mini downtowns" that have their own satellite suburbs. More people people work in these satellite downtowns than in the official downtown (compared to other cities) and as a result rush hour traffic flows in many directions..

--lots of new development, and much of the metro area is less than 50 years old. Some historic architecture, but not much.

--diversity a mundo

--a LOT of seriously wealthy residents, as well as a lot of celebrity residents (LA's celebrities are media stars, Nova's are in politics/business).

--lotsa traffic, and a huge number of people in both cities drive Prius's.

--no surfers, but kayaking's big here.

Also, these days both places have a lot of Californians living there.