Why the lack of African Americans (Arlington, Alexandria: taxes, living in, price)

[qwertman]

As mentioned there's a significant black population in Eastern Prince William, and it's not just the lower income areas, some upper income neighborhoods do too, at least seemingly higher then similar income neighborhoods in fairfax.

Here's an interesting graphic

2000: Race and ethnicity: Washington, DC | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/4981417821/ - broken link)
2010: Race and ethnicity 2010: Washington, DC | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/5559893527/ - broken link)

The maps don't show much of Prince William or the outer suburbs but it shows the DC area is definitely segregated and there aren't many blacks in inner NOVA, minus a few spots in alexandria and the southeast part or fairfax.

[Do a Barrel Roll]

I may stand in the minority, but I'm a black person who actually moved from PG County to (or rather back to) NoVA for a few unique reasons. One of the main reasons is because I felt like I was living under communism or some sort of dictatorship during the time I was growing up in PG County. But instead of communism or religious extremism, it was thugmentality and the "hood life."

From what I've heard from family and other blacks from DC and PG County, one of the main reasons they avoid VA is because they think it's too conservative and white, but that's only the case if they look at Old Town Alexandria, Pentagon/Crystal City, and North Arlington, which at this point is a minority of Northern VA. And most of those residents are transplants from less diverse and more conservative parts of the country. Granted, it's sort of grinds my gears that living in Clarendon, I have to deal with plenty of racially conservative a**hats from Boston/NYC suburbs and the Midwest, but most of NoVA is pretty damn racially progressive. Look at places like Springfield, Reston, Herndon, Manassas, Lorton, Woodbridge, internal parts of Alexandria and Arlington, and even Chantilly, Centreville, Leesburg, and Ashburn. Those cities are your true picture of Northern VA.

My only concern is that the less racially progressive yuppies that are swarming DC will start coming to inner NoVA in droves when they're ready to send their kids to school, and push their ideas on racially integrated NoVA neighborhoods, thus making the otherwise outdated beliefs many blacks in this area hold about Virginia more valid (once again).

To all black readers who live in PG County, I know that it seems like I'm over-hyping NoVA and dismissing your concerns, but if you look at the interaction blacks have with non-blacks in this part of the DC area, you'll see where I'm coming from. And what I've seen and experienced in DC proper, it's overdue for a race riot (from both ends).

As for the other reasons of getting more land for a less expensive price, being around a familiar culture, and easier commuting, all of those are valid reasons where I can understand why a black person would rather move to PG over NoVA. However, I can tell you that doing things for the sake of convenience isn't always the best option.

[BoomBoxing]

^I strongly disagree that Pentagon City/CC, Old Town, and N. Arlington are "conservative and white". How on Earth do you get that impression? I live in Pentagon City and estimate that maybe half the people here (maybe less) are white...the rest are mostly Asian and Hispanic, with maybe 5-10% black. I don't make a habit of asking everyone I meet their political views but judging by bumper stickers and yard signs (and talking to a handful of people), I'd say the vast majority of people in this area are liberal or at the very least moderate. We just had primaries and the Dem candidates for this district were each trying to "out-liberal" each other and make a point about how they would "stand up for our progressive values."

I'm not saying it's Takoma Park or anything but dang, I'd never in a million years want to live in a place that was strongly conservative and white.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by BoomBoxing

^I strongly disagree that Pentagon City/CC, Old Town, and N. Arlington are "conservative and white". How on Earth do you get that impression? I live in Pentagon City and estimate that maybe half the people here (maybe less) are white...the rest are mostly Asian and Hispanic, with maybe 5-10% black. I don't make a habit of asking everyone I meet their political views but judging by bumper stickers and yard signs (and talking to a handful of people), I'd say the vast majority of people in this area are liberal or at the very least moderate. We just had primaries and the Dem candidates for this district were each trying to "out-liberal" each other and make a point about how they would "stand up for our progressive values."

I'm not saying it's Takoma Park or anything but dang, I'd never in a million years want to live in a place that was strongly conservative and white.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...had-place.html

hmmm.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by BoomBoxing

^I strongly disagree that Pentagon City/CC, Old Town, and N. Arlington are "conservative and white". How on Earth do you get that impression? I live in Pentagon City and estimate that maybe half the people here (maybe less) are white...the rest are mostly Asian and Hispanic, with maybe 5-10% black. I don't make a habit of asking everyone I meet their political views but judging by bumper stickers and yard signs (and talking to a handful of people), I'd say the vast majority of people in this area are liberal or at the very least moderate. We just had primaries and the Dem candidates for this district were each trying to "out-liberal" each other and make a point about how they would "stand up for our progressive values."

I'm not saying it's Takoma Park or anything but dang, I'd never in a million years want to live in a place that was strongly conservative and white.

I live in N. Arl. and generally agree with you. That said, North Arl. is a huge area, and I think some areas are whiter and more conservative. If you go up north of Marymount--esp. Donaldson Run and around there, my unscientific yard-sign assessment is that it's more right-leaning than areas south of there. But that's not saying much; it could mean there are two Republicans per block instead of one!

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

I live in N. Arl. and generally agree with you. That said, North Arl. is a huge area, and I think some areas are whiter and more conservative. If you go up north of Marymount--esp. Donaldson Run and around there, my unscientific yard-sign assessment is that it's more right-leaning than areas south of there. But that's not saying much; it could mean there are two Republicans per block instead of one!

"Granted, it's sort of grinds my gears that living in Clarendon, I have to deal with plenty of racially conservative a**hats from Boston/NYC suburbs and the Midwest"

Im pretty sure that fairfaxian's issues are more with "transplant/yuppies" than with folks living on a quarter acre in far north arlington.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

I live in N. Arl. and generally agree with you. That said, North Arl. is a huge area, and I think some areas are whiter and more conservative. If you go up north of Marymount--esp. Donaldson Run and around there, my unscientific yard-sign assessment is that it's more right-leaning than areas south of there. But that's not saying much; it could mean there are two Republicans per block instead of one!

The whitest areas of Arlington are the areas that feed into Jamestown, Nottingham and Taylor ES in North and North/Central Arlington. They are now whiter than similar areas of Fairfax County because the Asian population has grown more rapidly in Fairfax than in Arlington. I'm not sure it has a lot to do with party affiliations, as I'd bet the majority of those living in the Jamestown, Nottingham and Taylor areas describe themselves as liberal Democrats.

http://www.apsva.us/cms/lib2/VA01000...y_Map_2008.pdf

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by JEB77

The whitest areas of Arlington are the areas that feed into Jamestown, Nottingham and Taylor ES in North and North/Central Arlington. They are now whiter than similar areas of Fairfax County because the Asian population has grown more rapidly in Fairfax than in Arlington. I'm not sure it has a lot to do with party affiliations, as I'd bet the majority of those living in the Jamestown, Nottingham and Taylor areas describe themselves as liberal Democrats.
http://www.apsva.us/cms/lib2/VA01000...y_Map_2008.pdf

But what are you basing that on? It's not accurate to assume that most Arlingtonians are liberal. Even in my neighborhood (22205), which is more diverse than those you mentioned, we have at least two familes of admitted (haha) Republicans. (One guy used to work for a GOP politician.) I myself am conservative on several issues and vote for Republicans at the local level because I hate the all-Dem County Borg.

I can only imagine that the political profile as you go further into the Great White North (north of Lee Highway) must be more conservative.

[brooklynborndad]

https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.g...51DD3524.shtml


the precinct in Arlington with the largest vote for McCain Palin in 2008, at about 45%, was precinct 35, which turns out to be the far north corner. It DID cast a majority of votes for Obama, but given that Obama in 2008 was doing well with Virginia independents, not to mention moderate to conservative Democrats, its unlikely to me that the majority of voters in precinct 35 were liberal Democrats.

Of course IIUC that precinct is only a subsection of the areas JEB mentioned. I leave it to others to map the precincts to the school zones and determine the total Obama vote in the school zones mentioned. Of course the percentage of Obama votes in any given precinct coming from liberal dems, moderate dems, and from independents, is a guestimate at best.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

But what are you basing that on? It's not accurate to assume that most Arlingtonians are liberal. Even in my neighborhood (22205), which is more diverse than those you mentioned, we have at least two familes of admitted (haha) Republicans. (One guy used to work for a GOP politician.) I myself am conservative on several issues and vote for Republicans at the local level because I hate the all-Dem County Borg.

I can only imagine that the political profile as you go further into the Great White North (north of Lee Highway) must be more conservative.

I'd spend more time researching the "Great White North" (of Lee Highway) in Arlington, but I'm not sure I could deal with the harsh winters, which is why I hedged my comment by saying "I'd bet..."

Not to mention that BBD will probably remind us shortly that only a fraction of the Democrats in Arlington supported McCarthy in 1968, or McGovern in 1972, so...it gets even more complicated. Maybe the salient point is simply that Arlington isn't what readily comes to mind when adjectives such as "white" and "conservative" are used in tandem in the same sentence.