RTC Rudeness - Just Me? (Reston, Winchester: loans, homes, buy)

[justtitans]

Originally Posted by Denton56

How many recent college graduates do you know who make over $50,000? I know a few, and all of them are computer and electrical engineers. Yet those young people with lower salaries seem to do fine. They share apartments and houses, drive cars, join gyms, go away for the weekend, party on the weekends in Old Town and Ballston and shop at Anthropolgie. They plan vacations, some take cruises. They don't expect to make $100,000 at age 23, but they enjoy their lives anyway. They don't consider themselves poor because they ''only'' make $40,000 or less a year. Those making over $50,000 a year at age 23 certainly aren't whining about it because they know their friends, all of whom make less, wouldn't tolerate it!

Again as I have mentioned, it depends on how much debt you have. Someone that has a $40000 salary can live much easier than someone on a $50000 if they have less or no debt at all. Think about it like this. Let's be hypothetical. Let's say you have person A makes $4000 a month and person B makes $3000. Person A has debt of $1500 a month (including credit cards, student loans, car notes, etc). Then person A also has to have money for living expenses (rent/mortgage, utilities, food) and person B has the same thing. If person B has no debt at all then does Person A really have it easier than person B if their living expenses are the same?

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Denton56

Making over $50,000 a year at age 23 is hardly ''poor folks". Most young people would be VERY happy to make that much money at that age.

My net bi-weekly paychecks are about $1,340 ($2,680/month). For comparison purpose I'll break down my most recent 30 days of spending for you to see that I'm not "wealthy."

$2,680
($1,105) Rent (not much cheaper to be found in Reston)
($25) Water & Trash Collection
($108) Electricity (understandably higher with our crazy hot summer).
($111) Comcast Internet/Cable (Okay, so I can drop the cable).
($100) Monthly Gasoline Expenditures (Reston is car-centric)
($222) Car Payment
($117) Car Insurance/Renter's Insurance
($227) Student Loan Debt
($200) Groceries/Toiletries
($150) Credit Card Payments
($26) Gym Membership (Okay, so I can drop this too for sake of argument).
($100) Charitable Giving (Average)
----------
$189/month divided by 4 weeks = $47/week left over for going out, incidentals, unexpected expenditures, etc. (plus I know I'm definitely forgetting things most likely).

Considering I spend nearly 50% of my net income on housing and base utilities alone, you can see why I would no longer EVER recommend anyone with a $50,000 salary live in a 1-BR apartment here.

I don't know who these 23-year-olds are you know who are earning $50,000 and shopping at Anthropologie, vacationing, etc. Earlier this year I had to regrettably engage in the risky tactic of payday loans (borrowing $300 from a creditor one payday to pay back $360 the next) and do some things I wasn't proud of to make sure I was able to get by during a period when I had to take a 3-week sabbatical from work due to severe health issues. I've never fully recovered from that whammy of losing that income, along with a $1,700 whammy for my car to pass inspection.

Oh, I know, Denton. I'm so rich. Just remember which one of us drives the BMW before you dare judge how "luxurious" the lifestyles of people who probably make 1/3 of what your household makes must be.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx

I don't think it's merely about money and envy. Money would allow someone to eat out at these places more often and freely (ordering whatever and in unlimited amounts). However, RestonR has eaten out at these places; that's why he's so familiar with them. I believe it's more about the atmosphere, the people, the conversation, etc.

I've eaten at Jackson's several times so I'll use it as an example. It is indeed a popular spot for the yuppy-types RR has described. It's clean, modern and the service and food are pretty good (not outstanding though). Typically it's full of local young professionals; most of them are around the bar vs dinner tables during Friday and Saturday nights. What I see with this group (generally) is that it is homogeneous and boring (to me), meaning that everyone basically looks alike, dresses alike, and talks about the same/similar things. Questions to one another are typically generic (where do you work, how long have you lived here, hey what about that Redskins game, etc.).

Okay, big deal -- let's take a similar scene in downtown historic Winchester. Environment is clean but not modern/new (historically-preserved pubs and restaurants, lots of original stone and wood). People might look similar and even dress similar but I noticed that conversations are different. People can say where they come from, how long they've lived in VA and even joke about local issues. IOW, it's a more friendly, down-to-earth feel where people aren't afraid to say whatever they want because there's not much (or no) pressure to impress everyone else.

I think it may have to do with the environments: old/historic and new/fabricated. And the people are different. At RTC most folks would be new to the area so they don't have a long history or roots in the area versus somewhere older. So they cannot talk about relatives, the school they went to, etc.

Wow. You actually know me better than I even know myself. I'd say you're actually spot-on with your observations, and, yes, Jackson's is the place I often associate most with "poseurs."

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by South Jersey Styx

Um, no one talks about Reston. And the locals don't give a hoot if someone does mention Reston.

I swear Reston must be the most often-discussed community on this sub-forum sometimes. Why, when places like Winchester are so much better?

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

I swear Reston must be the most often-discussed community on this sub-forum sometimes. Why, when places like Winchester are so much better?

To include Winchester as part of NOVA is somewhat "stretching it" IMO, although continued population growth would seem to make its official absorption and recognition inevitable.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Tone509

To include Winchester as part of NOVA is somewhat "stretching it" IMO, although continued population growth would seem to make its official absorption and recognition inevitable.

I would consider anything within the Federally-defined Washington/Baltimore/Northern Virginia CSA that lies within Virginia to be fair game on this sub-forum. Like it or not the rapidly-growing number of people power-commuting in from Winchester and nearby Frederick/Clarke Counties has now included them as part of the metro area.

Baltimore

[Bigfoot424]

And the drama continues......

[Gottasay]

Originally Posted by Denton56

What happens when new people move to Winchester and go into those old bars and restaurants? What do they talk about? How do they make friends? Can they impress the locals with their talk of having lived in a big city like Reston?

No. Their eyes glaze over. You'd have to go further west to get that kind of reaction. I have met many people who moved out to Winchester and other cities along the 81 corridor who fled places like NoVa and Baltimore.

[Yankeesfan]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

Considering I spend nearly 50% of my net income on housing and base utilities alone, you can see why I would no longer EVER recommend anyone with a $50,000 salary live in a 1-BR apartment here.

That's why everyone else your age shares housing.

[Yankeesfan]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

I swear Reston must be the most often-discussed community on this sub-forum sometimes. Why, when places like Winchester are so much better?

Maybe because so many more people live there -- including yourself, despite all your talk about Winchester?