Moving from Orange County, CA to Ashburn (schools, income)

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Moderator Cut

Comparing NoVA to all of So Cal is apples and oranges. We're talking Orange County, not L.A. if you include L.A. you'd need to include DC and PGC to be fair. If you're narrowing down to Ashburn or Loudoun County then a good comparison would be Irvine and Mission Viejo. I doubt crime rates and "ethnic tensions" (however you measure those) would be much different between those areas. How much "ethnic tension" did you experience in Irvine other than anglos worried their kids couldn't compete in school with the Asian kids (sound familiar?)

When you look up the safest and the most dangerous cities in the country, several SoCal munipalities, some of which are close to each other, will show up on the lists. Why is that? Because wealthy and poor areas with markedly different ethnic makeups are located relatively close to each other. That is bound to raise class and ethnic tension.

In contrast, most NoVA areas, particularly as one moves west from DC/Alexandria/Arlington will have mostly middle to upper middle class neighborhoods with diverse ethnic makeup. We don't have the drastically different wealthy and poor areas like SoCal.

Moderator Cut

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

Lastly, you cannot compare a crime spree by a deranged individual (the DC sniper) with mass looting, destruction, assault and murder by mobs of people with racial axes to grind. Whereas the DC sniper was brought to justice, I would bet money that quite a few people who engaged in mayhem during the riot were never arrested let alone prosecuted.

It was 20 years ago. Again, from where the OP is coming from, this debate is totally irrelevant. Reminds me when I was a kid during the Watts riots all the adults in my town 60 miles away ran out and bought guns because they were convinced we were about to be overrun by urban looters. The only thing that actually happened of course were a bunch of gun accidents. However, racial fear does make for good (right wing) politics.

[javoxii]

How did your move go? I am being asked to relocate to Orange County from Northern Virginia. What are your thoughts on which area is better?

[FrigginTodd]

Originally Posted by peckerwood101

Hi all

Last year I moved with my wife and baby daughter from the UK to Orange County, CA for a new job. Some reorganisation at work means I may now need to move to Ashburn, Virginia and I'm trying to get some advice on cost of living and places to live.

My salary is $125,000, and from my research the cost of living seems comparable between Orange County and Ashburn. Could anyone offer an opinion whether that seems correct? How much should I expect to pay to rent a 2/3 bed condo or townhouse? Should I look to live in Ashburn or should I look to live elsewhere and commute?

I love the quality of life in Orange County and I will be devastated to move away from the beach. Can anyone sell me Ashburn or Northern Virginia?

Thanks for your time

Jesus... just move back home. There's no way this will turn out well compared to OC...

[FrigginTodd]

Originally Posted by javoxii

How did your move go? I am being asked to relocate to Orange County from Northern Virginia. What are your thoughts on which area is better?

Take a pay cut to stay in the OC. As someone intimately familiar with both places , I would kill to be back on the west coast. They're both disgustingly suburban and superficial, but one actually has redeeming qualities because of the landscape and weather.

Do whatever you can to avoid moving from the OC/LA area to NoVa. You will be more disappointed than most on this forum could possibly comprehend.

[Cardiff Kook]

Originally Posted by javoxii

How did your move go? I am being asked to relocate to Orange County from Northern Virginia. What are your thoughts on which area is better?

As someone else said, comparing OC to NoVA is apples to oranges. If you are transferring with your current job, don't hesitate and pass up a great opportunity. Spend one winter in OC and you'll never want to go back to NoVA

[PK12]

You will regret moving to NoVa from SoCal. While NoVa is really nice, it does not have the beaches, weather and landscape in general that you find in SoCal.

Dont do it

[gomason]

My boyfriend just moved here several months ago from Mission Viejo and I visited OC several times while he was there.

Both, as someone said, are sprawling monstrosities. However, Northern Virginia probably has better economic opportunities. My boyfriend's pay doubled for example. On the down side, weather sucks here and we don't have a beach (although the Pacific ocean is too cold 80% of the time to swim in anyway). I think my boyfriend was actually kind of excited to live somewhere where it snowed. Traffic is no better here. We do have water here though lol.

Basically, can you sacrifice perfect weather and a beach (although we're not terribly far drive from one) for better opportunities? That's the tradeoff you have to decide.

[Cardiff Kook]

As someone who has lived in both places I recognize you may not make as much money out west, but QOL is much higher overall. (assuming you can still make ends meet)

I'm in the ocean year round. Yes you need a wetsuit for a chunk of the year but to say that you can't get in the ocean 80% of the year isn't true.

I know its a matter of opinion but I don't miss the snow at all. It's nice the first time it snows each winter but then after that it gets old. As does the cold weather and humidity in general IMO.

Can't speak to OC traffic but traffic in SD is not as bad as traffic in DC in general

If you can make ends meet comfortably in both places (even if you are making a bit less in OC) the decision is an easy one IMO

[gomason]

Originally Posted by Cardiff Kook

I'm in the ocean year round. Yes you need a wetsuit for a chunk of the year but to say that you can't get in the ocean 80% of the year isn't true.

That's great but I don't want to wear a wetsuit and I don't know a lot of people who would want to.