Northern Virginia is a nice area, why are so many people there not aware of that? (universities, incomes)

[kellyb1144]

Originally Posted by BMOCCC

I am really glad to hear that you are doing better. Someone should have mentioned to you that NOVA is way better than Maryland. I've lived in both places, and MD is like a colony of New York. People in NOVA range from quite friendly to cold, but not openly rude. Even the drivers are noticeably less aggressive as soon as you cross the bridge into NOVA. Not that they're very polite, as they are not.

There are lots of bike paths in NOVA too. Reston had lots of smaller ones that link to the bigger W&OD. From there you can bike all the way to Pittsburgh. It totally links all around town.

I seriously don't think that you'll have trouble making friends if you decide to move here. They still don't smile back, but nothing like MD.

Thank you! I am seeing Vienna as a pretty good option. It's a bit pricier, but the amenities and location seem very fitting for me.

You are all lovely. I am truly touched and am eager to meet new folks. Perhaps I should get off the internet and go outside. Hmm..

[michgc]

Kelly,

Vienna is a GREAT place to live! It is pretty family-oriented but there are many people without kids, too. There is a real sense of community that I felt was missing in other parts of the DC area that I lived in. It has a small town feel if you like that. If you find a place close to Maple Avenue (Route 123), you are walkable to many amenities - supermarkets, the library, tons of restaurants, parks, coffee shops, etc.

Church Street has become a quaint walking area with locally-owned Amouri coffee shop, Alegria Mexican, Bazins on Church, Church Street pizza, etc. Also the Vienna Inn on Maple for beer and chil dogs is a Vienna institution. And, Jammin' Java on Maple is a great music venue. Also, the W&OD runs right through town.

You just missed the annual Halloween Parade which is a big deal. But the Monday after Thanksgiving they do a holiday stroll down Church Street with a bonfire, roasting marshmallows and hot chocolate, music, a petting zoo, santa, carriage rides, etc. The past few strolls the weather has been warm, and there was a great turnout.

In the spring there is a big fair and there are fireworks on July 4. For being in the middle of the DC suburbs, it does have the quintessential small town America feeling. The only negatives are the traffic on Maple and the cost of housing. But there's a reason for both of them! In case you missed it I did a 2-part photo tour of Vienna a couple of years ago:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...ur-vienna.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...-part-2-a.html

I'll shut up now.

[kellyb1144]

Originally Posted by michgc

Kelly,

Vienna is a GREAT place to live! It is pretty family-oriented but there are many people without kids, too. There is a real sense of community that I felt was missing in other parts of the DC area that I lived in. It has a small town feel if you like that. If you find a place close to Maple Avenue (Route 123), you are walkable to many amenities - supermarkets, the library, tons of restaurants, parks, coffee shops, etc.

Church Street has become a quaint walking area with locally-owned Amouri coffee shop, Alegria Mexican, Bazins on Church, Church Street pizza, etc. Also the Vienna Inn on Maple for beer and chil dogs is a Vienna institution. And, Jammin' Java on Maple is a great music venue. Also, the W&OD runs right through town.

You just missed the annual Halloween Parade which is a big deal. But the Monday after Thanksgiving they do a holiday stroll down Church Street with a bonfire, roasting marshmallows and hot chocolate, music, a petting zoo, santa, carriage rides, etc. The past few strolls the weather has been warm, and there was a great turnout.

In the spring there is a big fair and there are fireworks on July 4. For being in the middle of the DC suburbs, it does have the quintessential small town America feeling. The only negatives are the traffic on Maple and the cost of housing. But there's a reason for both of them! In case you missed it I did a 2-part photo tour of Vienna a couple of years ago:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...ur-vienna.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...-part-2-a.html

I'll shut up now.

Wow! I don't have any kids, but I can certainly appreciate many of the items that you mentioned. I will be increasing my cost of living, but I think the ROI will be well worth it for me. I have my eye on some apartments called St Regents. Or Mark at St. Regents. Not sure, but I spoke with an agent and they seem very nice.
I will be making my decision after the holidays. Moving in the winter is never any fun.

And thank you for your super feedback. It is super helpful.

[BMOCCC]

So glad to see Kelly's outlook improve. We would be very lucky to have her move here.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by michgc

In the spring there is a big fair and there are fireworks on July 4. For being in the middle of the DC suburbs, it does have the quintessential small town America feeling. The only negatives are the traffic on Maple and the cost of housing. But there's a reason for both of them! In case you missed it I did a 2-part photo tour of Vienna a couple of years ago:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...ur-vienna.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...-part-2-a.html

I'll shut up now.

Great photographs, but they do make Vienna look as if it has no traffic whatsoever.

[michgc]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

Great photographs, but they do make Vienna look as if it has no traffic whatsoever.

I'm pretty sure I did the first photo tour while my son was in preschool - so probably about 11 am. Not sure about the second tour. I guess I just hit it on a good day. Traffic isn't ALWAYS bad in Vienna. For example, I'm sure it will be light tomorrow.

[kellyb1144]

Originally Posted by BMOCCC

So glad to see Kelly's outlook improve. We would be very lucky to have her move here.

I read that and I literally said out loud: Wow! I don't even know what to say to that.

It was so sweet. Thank you.

[BMOCCC]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

The process of assimilation and cooption is, thankfully, much less violent and much more orderly. I am absolutely against illegal immigration, especially the mass illegal immigration, but statistics show that the era of massive illegal immigration is drawing down and the current cohorts of immigrants are the most well-educated, successful and law-abiding in generations. You can see the result of that right here in NoVA where you see successful and law-abiding Korean or Indian immigrant families coexisting happily in the affluent suburbs. Their children are highly assimilated already and indistinguishable from white children of similar educational and economic background, but for their appearance.

How is all that immigration working out for ya? Minorities Helped Obama Win Second Term Your Asians voted 73 percent for Obama, and the rest were about the same. NOVA may have been responsible for Romney losing the state as a result.

Maybe we should support a new amnesty like Reagan and Bush did, and as the Democrats suggest, since it was so effective at getting immigrant votes before. You can feel good about yourself when your kids (if they are white) face massive discrimination a la the new initiatives being brought forth by Obama -- and as a hated minority. Just listen to the hateful rhetoric.

[pcity]

Originally Posted by BMOCCC

You can feel good about yourself when your kids (if they are white) face massive discrimination a la the new initiatives being brought forth by Obama -- and as a hated minority. Just listen to the hateful rhetoric.

Please provide an example of such rhetoric.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by BMOCCC

How is all that immigration working out for ya? Minorities Helped Obama Win Second Term Your Asians voted 73 percent for Obama, and the rest were about the same. NOVA may have been responsible for Romney losing the state as a result.

Maybe we should support a new amnesty like Reagan and Bush did, and as the Democrats suggest, since it was so effective at getting immigrant votes before. You can feel good about yourself when your kids (if they are white) face massive discrimination a la the new initiatives being brought forth by Obama -- and as a hated minority. Just listen to the hateful rhetoric.

First of all, they aren't "my" Asians. Second, perhaps you missed the part about Asian "party ID" being the weakest even though they turned out heavily for Obama (Bob freakin' Dole carried a majority of the Asian vote against Bill Clinton, so...). In other words, they are up for grabs and we haven't done jack to grab them.

Since most Asians are LEGAL immigrants, they couldn't care less about amnesty. They do, however, care about nativist conservatives considering them second class citizens or illegitimate Americans. Yeah, I am looking at you -- "conservatives" like you who are tone-deaf and possibly racist are the problem.

The simple fact is that immigrants, Asians or not, want to be accepted. If you give off the vibe that you don't accept them as one of us, no amount of promising "stuff" is going to reach them.

And for the record, I don't think the GOP should be Democrats-lite and offer amnesty. I am CATEGORICALLY opposed to amnesty for illegal immigration. But it's quite clear our outreach program was a joke (that's if it wasn't non-existent). We even lost freakin' Cubans! It's not like I haven't been saying to anyone who'd listen for the past 10 years or so.

But you go ahead and continue to engage in self-fulfilling prophecy. You keep telling the brown and beige folks that they'll never be "real" Americans and reap what you sow. It's sad that you are going to bring down the rest of us with you.