Northern Virginia has gone downhill in the last 20 years (Arlington: theater, school)

[Joke Insurance]

The only thing that comes to mind when I think of NOVA going downhill is the massive sprawl that has almost engulfed the entire region.

[I_LOVE_NURSES]

nova is perfect. all the stats say so!!!!! i couldnt wait to get out of there. the people develop attitudes, for what ever reason. They really think a lot of themselves and turn into .......the traffic is really, really bad......again, all the stats, all the jobs, all the things to do...great , great place!!! I dont ever want to live there again.

[Hesky]

I've been living here 5 years, so my perspective is certainly limited compared to others. But here are some random thoughts:

-I like it here, a lot. I arrived just before the recession when a lot of places in America started going downhill. While Northern Virginia was also affected, I feel it was a lot less dramatic. Maybe I was lucky, but I think this influences my perspective a lot, and it makes me feel lucky to have been here during those difficult times.

-Lots of construction going on, especially along Route 7, which I use to commute to work everyday. So, for me personally, traffic has gotten worse and it makes Tysons Corner look ugly. But I feel this is the short term price of a long term project that will benefit us all. Plus I'm happy to see construction workers are able to remain employed, when so many around the country are unemployed.

-Sprawl: Yes, I suppose its accelerating, and all the construction going on is a strong signal of that. I have friends moving further into Western Loudoun county, and pushing the commute boundaries every year a little further away. I never got to see the more rural side of Fairfax or Eastern Loudoun counties, so that limits my perspective, because for me NoVA has always been very suburban. I really hope I get to be an old man and see how Tysons Corner looks like in 50 years. On the bright side, growth brings jobs and economic activity.

-Merrifield has changed a lot in 5 years. A lot of the places I used to frequent have been teared down (Bank of America, 7-eleven, the movie theater, Dad's Backyard Burgers, etc).

-I have never felt unsafe here, and that is something I love about the area. I don't think it has gotten better or worse. I frequent some of the areas which some people seem to consider unsafe, such as Baileys Crossroads and Sterling Park. I think they aren't pretty areas, but I have never felt unsafe there.

[Tarheelhombre]

While I love Nova, I lament the decreasing southern feel of the area. When I moved here a decade ago, it had a much stronger southern culture and feel. It seems that Southern culture has declined in the area in the last several years at a rapid pace.

[michgc]

Originally Posted by Tarheelhombre

While I love Nova, I lament the decreasing southern feel of the area. When I moved here a decade ago, it had a much stronger southern culture and feel. It seems that Southern culture has declined in the area in the last several years at a rapid pace.

Really? I moved to NoVA over 11 years ago and it didn't feel at all southern to me. What kinds of thing were southern 10 years ago that are not here now?

[smithy77]

I moved here in '79 and culturally it has changed quite a bit. Native NoVa doesn't really have a Southern accent. It has a 'tidewater' accent (think Pat Robertson or Patrick Buchannan). Most of the people I hung with when I first moved here were born here, but their parents or grandparents came here to work for the government. I moved here pretty much after the 'old South' vibe held sway, but there were still quite a few old-school Virginians around, and they certainly ran the local politics back then. People seemed friendlier back then, and there was a slower pace, but there was also some residual casual racism and xenophobia (but it was not nearly as bad as the Midwest I left). I've watched the region turn into an international community over the years, and that's a positive development. Children of immigrants here seem to assimilate in one generation-----a remarkable feat, considering that the conventional wisdom 100 years ago held that it took 3 generations for immigrant families to achieve complete assimilation. Aside from the increased traffic, I really dislike the fact that NoVa is becoming super-wealthy (I'll be honest----I just don't like their attitude/sense of entitlement). Also, the cost of living here may eventually force me to retire elsewhere.

[MrKite]

Originally Posted by Tarheelhombre

While I love Nova, I lament the decreasing southern feel of the area. When I moved here a decade ago, it had a much stronger southern culture and feel. It seems that Southern culture has declined in the area in the last several years at a rapid pace.

I thought the South officially started in Richmond. ;-)

[terrence81]

Interesting thread. Also one of the oldest ongoing threads I've ever encountered here. It seems to have evolved just like Northern Virginia. Wow the racism was so thick on the first page you could cut it with a knife. Then it evolved into the usual complaint about traffic and the high cost of living.

I've lived here for almost 4 years. I pat myself on the back for having survived thus far. The people are rude, the cost of living is beyond insane and the traffic is emotionally, physically, and financially draining at best. However, I feel like I've hit the jackpot. I'm having so much fun living up here. My greatest fear has been getting kicked off "the island" and sent back to Georgia with my tail between my legs.

I've heard many an old timer lament for the simpler days. I, however, don't want to go back. Times change. Sure there were good things about the old days but we always seem to forget the negative. I say let's look forward not backward. Remember the good times but also work on creating new good memories.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by terrence81

Also one of the oldest ongoing threads I've ever encountered here. It seems to have evolved just like Northern Virginia.

LOL yes this thread is so old that soon the "20 years" in the title will apply to when the thread was started. This is one of those threads that gets revived for school holidays and spring break. I was surprised to see it resurrected so early this year but I guess that's just another sign that spring is early.

[Cardiff Kook]

while this thread is very old, i couldn't agree more with it. time to leave!