Why Fredericksburg is great.

[aquest1]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

It used to be less than 90 minutes from DC to F'burg.

It used to be 90 minutes from Richmond to DC. You can almost achieve those times with the express lanes, and bonus if you have at least three people in your car, get all the way to the DC line in under two hours.

[mikeyo321]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Take number one out and it is a great place. But I 95 down to that area is just so miserable.

Fredericksburg is basically the edge of the DC metro area and as a new and rapidly growing exurb it's housing, shopping and facilities tend to be shiny and new. On top of it there's also a vibrant and interesting historic college town that's also growing explosively. Everyone knows I-95 sucks but at least there's the end of the VRE line, Amtrak and park and ride to help out. The only thing I wish it had was a nearby canal connecting the Rappahannock River to the Potomac River and you'd also make it a boating and sailing center accessible to DC and the Chesapeake Bay as well. I kind think of Fredericksburg and Frederick, Maryland similarly. In fact maybe I'll start a thread comparing the two places.

[whiskeytangofoxtrotalpha]

I like being one foot in the country and one foot in the city. We have a 4 bedroom ranch and small farm in Spotsylvania/Orange line.

95 North and Route 3 are really bad depending on time of day for Route 3.

I love the area but fear it will become more congested as people move down looking for cheaper housing then what DC offers.

Still Publix, Wegmans, Lidl, Target, a Brothers Pizza which is close to New York where I'm originally from but without the water from the Hudson you are only gonna get the dough so good.

There is a pizza place in old town that serves what they call a Virginia Slice, it's huge. I went kicking around one Sunday afternoon and caught Mary Washington playing a baseball game, then got one of those Virginia Slices then went and visited Fredericksburg Battlefield Park, it was a fun day out for relatively less then 20 dollars spent.

Tuesday is 6 dollar movie nights, Splitsville Lanes does Military Monday,with my Veterans ID I bowl a dollar a game and a dollar shoe rental. I'm a big fan of our Books-A-Million store as well, like reading history and such, it's just really fun to live here and always something to do.

[choff5]

If you haven’t yet, check out the programs by the National Park Service. In the spring they do fitness hikes on Saturday mornings, combining a 2-4 mile “hike” (more a walk) with history. In the summer they do a Friday evening sunset programs at the various battlegrounds. Very interesting. Not all just on Cival War battles, last summer one was on the field hospital and another was in the CCC camp that was at the Wilderness. All free. There is a LOT to do!

[jobber123rd]

Originally Posted by whiskeytangofoxtrotalpha

There is a pizza place in old town that serves what they call a Virginia Slice, it's huge. I went kicking around one Sunday afternoon and caught Mary Washington playing a baseball game, then got one of those Virginia Slices then went and visited Fredericksburg Battlefield Park, it was a fun day out for relatively less then 20 dollars spent.

Benny Vitali's.

A block down Caroline Street is Biliken's Smokehouse, which has some really good brisket (for VA at least). Italian Station (adjacent to the Courtyard) is a cafe that's also worth checking out.

[whiskeytangofoxtrotalpha]

Thanks for the tips on things to do a places to eat.

[Veritas Vincit]

I think it's funny that Fredericksburg is considered part of this metro region. I know people do it, but a commute from there to D.C. is bordering on the insane. It's nice to have 'one foot in the country', I guess, but how much do you actually get to set that foot when you get home at 9 pm in the evening and leave the house at 6.30 in the morning to get to work.



Living in Arlington, I consider it well out of reach as far as commuting and leisure activities are concerned. If I think about 'the outer burbs' I think of places like Herndon, Reston, Chantilly, Centreville..because it already takes me over an hour to get there at the wrong time of day.

[Flamingo13]

I consider it "central" Virginia as well - not NoVa.

[Tarheelhombre]

Cookout is awesome! Those hushpuppies..