Honest assessment from those that live in Virginia, is it better than Maryland? Why? (Arlington: sales, real estate)
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Much as VA is better for us (mainly due to job location), RamblingMan has made a real strong case for how great a value and lifestyle Ft. Washington, MD, is. I searched in vain for a post of his about having 2 acres right on the water, with loons hooting and dolphins swimming around--perhaps I exaggerate and/or display my ignorance of riparian fauna--for something like $500K, with a decent commute to DC.
If my wife and I both worked in MD, we would almost surely live in MD.
Last edited by Carlingtonian; 06-10-2013 at 04:11 PM..
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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I lived in both (each for 10+ years) and prefer Virginia . I'm not sure what it was, but I liked Virginia better. I just never felt "at home" in Maryland. I mostly lived in Montgomery County and then Fairfax County, so it's really a comparison of the two counties. Fairfax seems more down-to-earth - less snobby. Although, I, hands down, prefer Bethesda to Arlington. Arlington seems too spread out with a few downtown areas. Bethesda is more one central downtown area. And it was great to ride my bike to Georgetown via the Capital Crescent Trail. But other than Bethesda, I like NoVA.
This may sound silly, but here goes: growing up, Virginia was always a state we learned about - colonial days, Jamestown, Williamsburg, Mount Vernon. And I think because we always learned about it, it was more familiar to me. I felt right at home when I moved to Virginia. Even today when people ask me where I'm from I say "Pennsylvania (where I grew up) and Virginia."
I was born in this state and have always lived here. I like the scenery, the proximity to DC, the abundance of jobs. I also like the low crime rate. Murders are few and far between in VA. Maybe it's because we have the death penalty, or maybe it's because we're allowed to carry concealed weapons; I don't know. I just wish the state as a whole was more tolerant of gay rights.
I believe these are the 2012 SAT score averages. I copied a previous thread that had them in order from across Fairfax, Loudoun, and Arlington, Falls Church and Montgomery Counties:
TJHSST 2186
Poolesville 1869
Whitman 1863
Wootton 1837
Churchill 1836
Langley 1812
Richard Montgomery 1775
McLean 1755
Woodson 1754
Oakton 1753
Yorktown 1747
Bethesda-Chevy Chase 1746
Walter Johnson 1744
George Mason 1734
Madison 1730
Marshall 1702
Montgomery Blair 1670
Lake Braddock 1669
Robinson 1666
West Springfield 1660
Quince Orchard 1659
Loudoun Valley 1652
So even though I prefer NoVa, I wouldn't be so quick to argue our schools are blowing MC away.
And look where Loudoun starts...
Exactly!!!......try explaining that to "ALEXANDERIALIGHTHOUSE" because he completely doesn't know what he is talking about.........I stated this to him on the Maryland (D.C. suburbs) section. I told him that MoCo schools are on the same level as NoVa schools.....He completely ignorant
Last edited by MrMaryland455; 06-11-2013 at 09:02 AM..
Much as VA is better for us (mainly due to job location), RamblingMan has made a real strong case for how great a value and lifestyle Ft. Washington, MD, is. I searched in vain for a post of his about having 2 acres right on the water, with loons hooting and dolphins swimming around--perhaps I exaggerate and/or display my ignorance of riparian fauna--for something like $500K, with a decent commute to DC.
If my wife and I both worked in MD, we would almost surely live in MD.
Hi Carlingtonian,
I don't usually want to get involved in these Virginia vs Maryland discussions. I grew up in Virginia and like it a lot. I strongly considered buying in Virginia (Old Town) until I found my current home in Fort Washington. I don't think there's anyplace in the Metro area that would be better for me than Fort Washington. I have a charming 1930s home made of brick, granite, oak, and slate with a substantial chunk of Potomac frontage (although I did pay considerably more than 500K). I can drive from my front door to my office garage in DC in 25 minutes outside of rush hour. Most mornings and evenings my commute is between 35 - 45 minutes.
Rather than repeat myself, I pulled the following from the post I think you were looking for:
...there's more to life than just schools, taxes, and low crime. I chose Fort Washington because it offers the area's best combination of boatable Potomac frontage with an easy commute to downtown DC. Sure, I wish the schools, taxes, and crime were better. I find it even more annoying that I can't mail order wine from most sources and that Maryland has really strict gun laws. But I can carry my little girl to the bottom of my acre+ yard, walk out on my pier, and catch a bass or see an eagle or an osprey or a box turtle or a fox. I can jump in my boat and take her for a quick sail or paddle or cruise. I can get blind rights, go offshore, and shoot a goose. Or I can just sit and watch the sun set over the Dyke Marsh preserve. And I can also drive to my office in DC in 35 minutes at 7 am. To me, this easily balances out the negatives of PG County. Most of my friends don't understand why I live in PG County until they visit me and see the view from my house.
Update:
Since writing that, I like my house and neighborhood even more. My yard still has eagles, ospreys (a few weeks ago I watched an osprey pull branches out of one of my trees to build a nest in my neighbor's yard), foxes, and turtles, but now I've also seen hummingbirds and woodpeckers and wild turkeys and owls and my two resident groundhogs. The neighbors invite my daughter to see the goslings that have just hatched in their boathouse. My daughter loves watching the deer graze on my garden (I'm less sanguine about that). I'm keeping an eye out for the neighborhood bobcat and river otters. I've just extended my pier and am about to install boat lifts. Life is good.
Even better, I have great neighbors. There is very little turnover of homes here, and many people on the street have been in their houses for decades. Even though they've known each other for many years, they've gone out of their way to be genuinely welcoming to my family. They socialize frequently and invite us. Several have offered to loan me vehicles, heavy equipment, or other help.
I'm not trying to assert to the OP (or anyone else) that Maryland is somehow "better" than Virginia. All I can say is that I live in Maryland (in Prince George's County that some others in this thread have already trashed) and I can't think of a place in the DC area in which I would rather live. I imagine others feel that way about their choice to live in Virginia. Similarly, I love my old-fashioned house and big yard and have no desire to live in a townhouse or a McMansion in the kind of developments I see springing up in the area. That doesn't make my house "better" except to me and maybe people who share my view. If a condo, a townhouse, or a McMansion on a small lot makes you happy, I have no problem with accepting that choice as "better" for you. Trying to convince me that the choice is anything other than subjective, however, is a losing cause.
I don't usually want to get involved in these Virginia vs Maryland discussions. I grew up in Virginia and like it a lot. I strongly considered buying in Virginia (Old Town) until I found my current home in Fort Washington. I don't think there's anyplace in the Metro area that would be better for me than Fort Washington. I have a charming 1930s home made of brick, granite, oak, and slate with a substantial chunk of Potomac frontage (although I did pay considerably more than 500K). I can drive from my front door to my office garage in DC in 25 minutes outside of rush hour. Most mornings and evenings my commute is between 35 - 45 minutes.
Rather than repeat myself, I pulled the following from the post I think you were looking for:
...there's more to life than just schools, taxes, and low crime. I chose Fort Washington because it offers the area's best combination of boatable Potomac frontage with an easy commute to downtown DC. Sure, I wish the schools, taxes, and crime were better. I find it even more annoying that I can't mail order wine from most sources and that Maryland has really strict gun laws. But I can carry my little girl to the bottom of my acre+ yard, walk out on my pier, and catch a bass or see an eagle or an osprey or a box turtle or a fox. I can jump in my boat and take her for a quick sail or paddle or cruise. I can get blind rights, go offshore, and shoot a goose. Or I can just sit and watch the sun set over the Dyke Marsh preserve. And I can also drive to my office in DC in 35 minutes at 7 am. To me, this easily balances out the negatives of PG County. Most of my friends don't understand why I live in PG County until they visit me and see the view from my house.
Update:
Since writing that, I like my house and neighborhood even more. My yard still has eagles, ospreys (a few weeks ago I watched an osprey pull branches out of one of my trees to build a nest in my neighbor's yard), foxes, and turtles, but now I've also seen hummingbirds and woodpeckers and wild turkeys and owls and my two resident groundhogs. The neighbors invite my daughter to see the goslings that have just hatched in their boathouse. My daughter loves watching the deer graze on my garden (I'm less sanguine about that). I'm keeping an eye out for the neighborhood bobcat and river otters. I've just extended my pier and am about to install boat lifts. Life is good.
Even better, I have great neighbors. There is very little turnover of homes here, and many people on the street have been in their houses for decades. Even though they've known each other for many years, they've gone out of their way to be genuinely welcoming to my family. They socialize frequently and invite us. Several have offered to loan me vehicles, heavy equipment, or other help.
I'm not trying to assert to the OP (or anyone else) that Maryland is somehow "better" than Virginia. All I can say is that I live in Maryland (in Prince George's County that some others in this thread have already trashed) and I can't think of a place in the DC area in which I would rather live. I imagine others feel that way about their choice to live in Virginia. Similarly, I love my old-fashioned house and big yard and have no desire to live in a townhouse or a McMansion in the kind of developments I see springing up in the area. That doesn't make my house "better" except to me and maybe people who share my view. If a condo, a townhouse, or a McMansion on a small lot makes you happy, I have no problem with accepting that choice as "better" for you. Trying to convince me that the choice is anything other than subjective, however, is a losing cause.
I think that's a very good perspective. Fort Washington really has some breath taking properties. In the right situation, I definitely can see someone enjoying it as much as you do. That is one of the reasons why I believe there will never be a definitive answer, each place has it's plusses and minuses.
I think that's a very good perspective. Fort Washington really has some breath taking properties. In the right situation, I definitely can see someone enjoying it as much as you do. That is one of the reasons why I believe there will never be a definitive answer, each place has it's plusses and minuses.
I agree. I remember the "Tantallon" area when I lived in PG County and I know many people who still live in that area and still love it. The difference is: none of them have school-aged children. When they did, they had to use private schools. There are some great areas in PG County but if you are facing use of the school system, it's a big decision.
Exactly!!!......try explaining that to "ALEXANDERIALIGHTHOUSE" because he completely doesn't know what he is talking about.........I stated this to him on the Maryland (D.C. suburbs) section. I told him that MoCo schools are on the same level as NoVa schools.....He completely ignorant
Should we even start throwing in things like TJ or include Loudoun or Arlington?
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