Is anyone happy living in NOVA? (Richmond, Hampton: co-op, neighborhoods, where to buy)

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by stockdale.35

It really depends where you go in NoVa to find sweet tea, just doubt that many people know of these places.
1.Rocklands BBQ
2.Sweet Water Tavern
3.The Cracker Barrel
4.Any BBQ in VA
5.The Polo Grill
6.Wawa Gas station(I know its odd)
7.Find the small places, especially outskirts of the beltway.

BTW, the metro area is a category of its self, NOT North not South, its mid atlantic. I have been to NJ NY PA MD and DC is nothing like them.

other than that like stacy said head to Richmond, all along the way you will find it. Bojangles, and other places like that start popping up. DC is not North its Mid atlantic, its nothing like MD PA NJ NY MA. Its its own category

We have Cracker Barrels here in Arizona as well

I like Sweet Tea but my incipient Type 2 Diabetes is putting a stop to a lot of my fave things

[blueva]

Originally Posted by Flamingo13

IMO (and you know what those are worth - it's WAY too sweet for my taste (unless you like your teeth to hurt).

Well they usually never make it sweet enough for me,lol

Except ironically at Starbucks in Fairfax once they made it just right.

[MomInVA]

I was born and raised in Sumner, WA...moved here back in March 2001 when I became a Flight Attendant based out here.. Now I'm a sahm living in Ashburn, VA.. The area is pretty but it's too d@mn crowded for me....Plus, I guess not having family out here is tough too, all mine out back in Washington... My husband and I are looking to relocate somewhere South where it might be a little friendlier atmosphere... So yes, I'm one of the few that hates living here....Good luck to you...

[stockdale.35]

Originally Posted by blueva

I sooooo agree ! DC may not be the real South, buts its definitely not the Northeast! I grew up in the DC area and I consider myself Southern- well- my family is mostly from Richmond and points SOUTH

Anyways, even in the city of DC- I walk into a coffee shop- the girl at the counter smiles at me and asks me how Im doing. Try getting that in NY, Boston, or Philly?

Also we have much milder weather in DC. So yeah- Mid-Atlantic works fine for me. Really its the gateway to the South. When you hit Richmond- I always notice you see the signs for Durham-Atlanta- you know your'e truly in the SOUTH.

Sure thing, go down 95 when you hit Richmond you get the huge silos that have the giant words painted "Southern States" on them. You will NOT find that anywhere above DC for sure.

[Rick Lee]

I liked living in NoVA for about 10 yrs. (95-05) and the last three years I was there, I was miserable and couldn't wait to leave. I just got so sick of the congestion. It seemed worse on weekends, but was always bad getting to work. Metro used to make it a little better, but eventually got more expensive tha driving and is now so crowded too. I got so sick of it, that I didn't want to leave the house anymore unless I had to and that's when it's time to leave. Now I live out in the desert, about one mile within the Phoenix city limits. It's paradise. I've ridden my motorcycle out in the sticks for over 100 miles without seeing another person. A few times a month I have to go into downtown Phoenix for meetings and that's when I start feeling like I'm in NoVA again. I have to go today and, of course, there's an overturned tractor trailer on my way, full of carpet tack and nail strips, screwing up eveyrone's commute. I can deal with the traffic once in a while. But it was like that everyday somewhere in the DC area. And let's face it - traffic in NoVA is never ever going to get any better. It will only ever get worse.

[car54]

Originally Posted by stockdale.35

Sure thing, go down 95 when you hit Richmond you get the huge silos that have the giant words painted "Southern States" on them. You will NOT find that anywhere above DC for sure.

You kidding? There are Southern States Cooperative stores all over....including Alaska!

[akorosdc]

Originally Posted by car54

Would someone please explain:

a. What is sweet tea?
b. Why is it mentioned so regularly....is it THAT good?
c. Would I like sweet tea? (hot and iced tea make me gag!)

Originally Posted by blueva

Sweet tea is simply iced tea that has been sweetened during the brewing process. You never heard of it?

I think if you normally dont like tea of any kind- you would actually probably like sweet tea.

I never heard of it before I went to college in Fredericksburg. Actually, since it was included with our Chinese combo meals, for the first year or two I thought it was a Chinese thing. I didn't really figure it out until I worked in catering and had to make it for some events.

Personally, I don't like it, but then again I don't but any sweetener in tea and am not used to the concept of putting simple syrup in already-very-sweetened iced tea. My friend moved down to Durham and is ecstatic with her sweet tea discovery, so it just depends. If you don't like tea because it's bitter, you might like sweet tea. To me it just tastes like sugar water.

[Jeff9477]

Originally Posted by saganista

In DC, you can't get up and take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island for breakfast at the Streamliner Diner. You can't ride around all day on the streetcars (although we're working on that), and there is no place like The Herb Farm for dinner. Still...DC is a great place to live and work with tons of all kinds of different stuff to see and do if ever you can find the time for it all. I've been here for almost forty years and have barely scratched the surface. Yup, traffic and the cost of living are the two biggest complaints people have, but neither one is so out of line with other major urban areas, and DC comes with so many plusses and so few other minuses. So, to answer the question, yes...there are actually lots of us here who think DC is great...

Wonderful post thank you. I have called Northern Virginia home for 40 years. Come here, live, give it time, and you'll never want to leave.

[blueva]

Originally Posted by MomInVA

I was born and raised in Sumner, WA...moved here back in March 2001 when I became a Flight Attendant based out here.. Now I'm a sahm living in Ashburn, VA.. The area is pretty but it's too d@mn crowded for me....Plus, I guess not having family out here is tough too, all mine out back in Washington... My husband and I are looking to relocate somewhere South where it might be a little friendlier atmosphere... So yes, I'm one of the few that hates living here....Good luck to you...

You would enjoy Charlottesville, Richmond, or Raleigh much better, I believe.

[Jeff9477]

Originally Posted by blueva

I sooooo agree ! DC may not be the real South, buts its definitely not the Northeast! I grew up in the DC area and I consider myself Southern- well- my family is mostly from Richmond and points SOUTH

Anyways, even in the city of DC- I walk into a coffee shop- the girl at the counter smiles at me and asks me how Im doing. Try getting that in NY, Boston, or Philly?

Also we have much milder weather in DC. So yeah- Mid-Atlantic works fine for me. Really its the gateway to the South. When you hit Richmond- I always notice you see the signs for Durham-Atlanta- you know your'e truly in the SOUTH.

DC is where north meets south. Isn't that why they built the Memorial Bridge between the Lee Mansion and the Lincoln Memorial?