I heard people in Northern Virginia were snobby? (Lynchburg, McLean: houses, pharmacists)

[BonBon79]

TRUE!!! I would like to hang out more with friends but my family takes SO much time

If people seem snobby, here are a few possible reasons:

1. Nova attracts people who want to make a lot of $$$ very quickly. They lead incredibly busy lives. Many people are friendly, but they just don't have the time to become friends. Often it's because they have families here, and families take all your extra time. Sometimes it's much easier to make new friends in a place like Los Angeles, where a lot of young singles have moved, without any nearby family.

[jzcrandall]

Originally Posted by BonBon79

TRUE!!! I would like to hang out more with friends but my family takes SO much time

If people seem snobby, here are a few possible reasons:

1. Nova attracts people who want to make a lot of $$$ very quickly. They lead incredibly busy lives. Many people are friendly, but they just don't have the time to become friends. Often it's because they have families here, and families take all your extra time. Sometimes it's much easier to make new friends in a place like Los Angeles, where a lot of young singles have moved, without any nearby family.

I think that explains a lot. I've always found native Northern Virginians to be salt of the earth people. It's the transplants (especially ones from Michigan) that are the worst.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by BonBon79

1. Nova attracts people who want to make a lot of $$$ very quickly.

Sounds more like L.A. or NYC than NoVA. People here usually make money pretty slowly and spend a lot in the process. I've never thought of a government related career as a good get rich quick strategy. People also tend to stay here for a long time once they arrive.

[jzcrandall]

My friend's sister works for DHS making over six figures. The downside to that is that she hates her job. I think that might have a lot to do with it; people working jobs that suck the life out of them for that paycheck.

[jillabean]

I don't know, I don't find people here to be snobby. If I talk to someone, they talk back in a similar fashion. People smile, wave, etc. And I live in a some pretty tightly packed townhouses.

I think people see what they want to see really. If you are expecting people to be rude/snobby--then that's what you will focus in on and see. Anytime someone is rude, it will stand out in your mind and confirm your suspicions. If you expect and think people are nice--then you will see that, the rude events will be glossed over and you will remember and focus in on the nice things because that's what you want to see.

My philosophy is this. NoVa is filled with people from all over the country and all over the world with different customs, behaviors, etc. You can't expect them to all conform to what you think is "best." So control what you can, and adapt your own outlook and attitude so you are happier.

[BMOCCC]

Originally Posted by normie

And be patient--it may take a little while to make friends, but once you do they will be friends for life.

AAA ha ha ha ha. Good one. Once you do THEY'LL MOVE!

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by BMOCCC

AAA ha ha ha ha. Good one. Once you do THEY'LL MOVE!

Really? My neighbors rarely move out unless they're really old.

[BMOCCC]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Really? My neighbors rarely move out unless they're really old.

I had a whole set of friend in one part of NOVA. Within three years, all of us but one moved. We all owned our property too.

One problem is that if people are young, hence more willing to make friends, they probably rent, and will move. If they are old and in a stable neighborhood, you probably won't be as likely to be making friends with them.

I have hired people to work at my house. More than half of them moved out of the region. Most of them moved somewhere. This is a very transient area with government workers, contractors, etc. Even in older neighborhoods, a whole slew of baby boomers are retiring and moving. My area just started turning over, and in a few years, I will have mostly new neighbors because the old ones will be retired or dead.

Let's trade more anecdotes soon.

[mcleanexec]

I am an arrogant, rude, mean, unfriendly. I fit well in the Mclean/Tysons Corner area.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by BMOCCC

I had a whole set of friend in one part of NOVA. Within three years, all of us but one moved. We all owned our property too.

One problem is that if people are young, hence more willing to make friends, they probably rent, and will move. If they are old and in a stable neighborhood, you probably won't be as likely to be making friends with them.

I have hired people to work at my house. More than half of them moved out of the region. Most of them moved somewhere. This is a very transient area with government workers, contractors, etc. Even in older neighborhoods, a whole slew of baby boomers are retiring and moving. My area just started turning over, and in a few years, I will have mostly new neighbors because the old ones will be retired or dead.

Let's trade more anecdotes soon.

question is, do you have kids?

I've noticed that singles and couples without children around here do tend to be transient. They move somewhere else, come back, move again and so on. The ones with children tend to stick around because they tend to be older (more invested in their current jobs) and also for the kids (excellent schools as well as not wanting to move kids around and cause instability). If anything, the ones with kids seem to "move up" in housing and stick around in the larger NoVA area, just with bigger homes. Meanwhile their previous homes are occupied promptly by new arrivals. I think our net migration number is pretty sizable.

As for contractors, during the last boom years I saw a lot of fly-by-night operations. Many have disappeared. I generally use companies that have been around 10+ years here. Most are owned and/or run by native NoVAns. They all seem to know each other. They generally have EXCELLENT customer service, but not necessarily the lowest prices. YMMV.