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I'm glad to see these pictures of Herndon, if only because there have been other threads characterising large parts of the town as undesirable. The pictures would seem to show a different side to the debate.
take a picture of of the 7-11 on Centreville Road and Herndon Parkway
Thats actually the Elden Street/Alabama drive intersection and yeah, that's the only spot I don't like in Herndon, this strip along Elden street and another strip along KMart plaza..... the rest is pretty nice.
He should have taken a job that let him live in some place where he didn't need a car - like downtown DC.
Have you been watching CNN lately? Just how many job offers do you think are falling out of the sky in my line of work right now? Do you even think Washington DC was my first choice as a relocation destination? Friends of mine who have just snagged positions with PwC, Reznick, and other public accounting firms in the private sector are now scrambling because their start dates have been pushed back indefinitely. One of my friends quit her local job in anticipation of going to one of these places right after graduation and is now stressed trying to locate something locally for short-term employment to earn a living. Many of my peers still do NOT have job offers, and our college is jumping through hoops trying to help wherever it can. Refer to my "apology" thread before resorting to name-calling.
ScranBarre - I wasn't name calling. And how could I "refer to your apology thread" when I made my previous post many hours before you posted your "apology". All I said is: It IS a bit crazy to judge a place from aerial photos, and mock people's neighborhoods. That is NOT name calling, by any stretch of the imagination. And, after being on the attack so much, you apparently need to have a thicker skin if you consider that name calling.
Funny, in the other thread you did plenty of attacks on people's neighborhoods and where they chose to live - very funny you should talk about name calling. I haven't done any name calling - but you have done plenty of it! I'm sure other's will agree with me.
You post an apology but still continue with attacks. Very nice. The job market not withstanding - people have tried to point out plenty of places you could live around here that you might be happy. All you have is a completely inflexible, highly judgemental attitude. In your apology you continue to make unbased generalizations like "I'm going to be living in an area I'll be very unhappy in---cul-de-sacs, vinyl siding, and SUVs are depressing to me, not inspiring." Cul-de-sacs probably make up a small percent of the area. For the record, I live in the suburbs, my house has a brick front, and I don't drive an SUV (might be a shock to someone like you but I drive a Toyota Prius). And its funny, I see plenty of SUV's with Washington, DC license plates down in Washington - if we are going to start making generalizations. I live on a cul-de-sac but that's because I like it quiet. Others might not, and that's their choice, and there's plenty of non-cul-de-sac choices all over the metro DC area. You knock the Reston Towne Center - how would you know when you've never been there. You sure make a lot of judgements about the area. If you come here with that kind of attitude, then it is a guarantee you will be unhappy. In another thread that you also had to apologize (where you said some unkind things about senior citizens) you refer to your "Sprawl Apology" by saying "Even though I still don't agree with the premise of 'I'll do whatever I want and live wherever I want because I can' in an era of increasing environmental consciousness, I decided it was best to just eat crow and humble myself down there too so I don't create too many arch-enemies before I even move in!" Sounds like a truly sincere apology. Try having an open mind. And the truth of it is - any other metropolitan area like this is going to be the same, but it appears you mock the metro DC area like it is the only one in the world with "sprawl". Try someplace like Los Angeles and see if it is any better.
And finally, how many people, fresh out of college, even in good economic times get to go directly to the house of their dreams, the neighborhood of their dreams, etc. Not many, I'd wager. I know I didn't. You seem to be expecting all of that immediately upon graduation. It is not realistic, even in good economic times.
I'm glad to see these pictures of Herndon, if only because there have been other threads characterising large parts of the town as undesirable. The pictures would seem to show a different side to the debate.
I was glad to see the pictures also, thanks Normie. Many of the comments made about Herndon (and Sterling Park) are from people who are just repeating what they have heard. Herndon is a lovely, walkable town. I have never felt uncomfortable there, even at the 7-ll on Elden. Hispanic gentlemen hang out there looking for work but they have always been respectful to me. Now Normie, after you rest up, can you take some photos of Sterling to show everyone it is not a "no man's land" either?
Have you been watching CNN lately? Just how many job offers do you think are falling out of the sky in my line of work right now? Do you even think Washington DC was my first choice as a relocation destination? Friends of mine who have just snagged positions with PwC, Reznick, and other public accounting firms in the private sector are now scrambling because their start dates have been pushed back indefinitely. One of my friends quit her local job in anticipation of going to one of these places right after graduation and is now stressed trying to locate something locally for short-term employment to earn a living. Many of my peers still do NOT have job offers, and our college is jumping through hoops trying to help wherever it can. Refer to my "apology" thread before resorting to name-calling.
Here's what I notice, normie just spent an entire morning walking around in Herndon so you could see an older neighborhood that might make you feel more at home. She even drove by the apartment complex you were asking about. That was an incredibly nice thing to do. Yet I don't hear any thanks from you or even any recognition. You don't have to lay it on thick or go to extremes, but you should at least recognize that someone did you a favor.
Seems like you're trying to excuse your trashing of a perfectly innocent neighborhood because you have job stress. Apparently you think that if you sneer at some random neighborhood and make false assumptions, that will relive your stress. Well, did it work? Seems like all you did was add to your stress. And you made life more stressful for everyone else who's moving here from another state and trying to use this forum to find a new home. And guess what, you're not the only one who has job stress. Try having job stress with a houseful of children to feed. We all know how stressful it is to find a job these days. Do you think you're the only one? There are plenty of people who live right here in NOVA who would love to have your job. You are incredibly lucky, but you're throwing it away by attacking your new neighbors before you've even moved here. Why not focus on how blessed you are, instead of putting us down.
Life is full of hard lessons, and here's one I hope doesn't happen to you. But just so you know, if you display this ultra defensive/attack attitude at your new job, you won't have that job for long. And you've got to lose this habit of making false assumptions, it can get you fired from most companies.
It's a hard thing for many young people to learn. The real world is not like school. Snotty behavior that seems "cool" to school kids just doesn't go over well when you start a new job in a new place. Try to avoid the urge to lash out, try to be more tolerant and open minded, and you'll find things go much better for you.
As someone who has had some mental health issues in the past I really didn't appreciate being called "crazy." I may have been doing some environmentally-oriented "evangelizing" in the "Metro" thread in which posting two aerial images of what I find to be abhorrent to prove my point made everyone all jittery, but never did I individually insult anyone. Yes, I made some snide remarks about suburban living in general, but that could be applicable to millions upon millions of people. It was a grievance aired towards a lifestyle choice that will not be sustainable in the long-term, not towards someone in particular. Nobody has ever bothered to answer my question about what someone who lives in Charles Town, WV or Chantilly, VA and drives alone to work 30 miles away will do when Peak Oil finally hits. It's something we, as a society NEED to start thinking about NOW before gas prices DO soar, leaving everyone scratching their heads thinking "never saw this one coming" and wondering what to do next.
Also, you're not the first person that told me to more or less "get another job and stop whining." Perhaps I will be able to when the economy rebounds, but as I said right now competition was very, very fierce just to have obtained this opportunity, and many of my peers are still scrambling without an offer. It's unfortunate that I've been selected to work at an office in deep suburbia when I've grown a disdain for the suburbs after having grown up in them with an unhappy experience, but there's absolutely nothing I can do about this until the recession ebbs. I feel blessed that I did not try to obtain a position with Reznick, PricewaterhouseCoopers, etc. because then I'd be among the ranks of our nation's unemployed until the end of this year or early next year, when all of my friends' starting dates have been bumped back to.
Ideally major employers would make a greater effort to centralize operations in an urban center the way things were as recently as two generations ago, but I suppose we'll never see that happen. My own region just ranked #2 in the nation for urban sprawl, and it's very visible to anyone traveling I-81 through Pennsylvania that our state just doesn't care about urban planning issues. We have a place called Montage Mountain just over the city limits that employs thousands of people with white-collar positions in shiny new office buildings just a stone's throw away from vacant and historic office buildings downtown. The "feeder road" to these buildings often becomes terribly congested. It's a pathetic waste of open space and only encourages MORE people to move OUT of existing neighborhoods to be nearer to their new workplaces, further exacerbating sprawl. Do you think the issues with continued growth and sprawl in most parts of Northern Virginia would be as bad if all of the businesses that decided to relocate to Tyson's Corner, the "Dulles Tech Corridor", etc. were instead located in DC/Arlington/Alexandria? Of course not. Mass transit options would be easier to implement as most people would be heading towards the SAME areas to work, and people wouldn't be so attached to their vehicles for everyday needs.
The "truth" may not be pleasant to hear, but when I'm 45 and gas prices spike to $10/gallon, I don't want to hear a bunch of whining from people going "what do we do now?" President Bush earns my scorn for many reasons, but one of the primary ones was his administration's failure to make great strides over the past eight years in the research and implementation of alternative fuels. The growing popularity of hybrids now is great, but once again it's only a "band-aid," as you still DO need a finite fossil fuel to power the vehicle. If Peak Oil arrives BEFORE we have successfully converted our nation's fleet of gasoline-powered combustion engine-operated personal vehicles over to something sustainable (even cow dung at this point in time might be worth checking into), then we're going to have millions of people living in suburbia/exurbia who are unable to afford to get to work, becoming so cash-strapped that they can't afford to pay their bills, default on their mortgages, etc. People will turn to desperate measures to afford to fill their tanks at the gas pump, and our nation will fall into another economic crisis more severe than our current downturn. This may come sooner than we all think as China and India each enjoy a sudden surge in their middle-classes who adopting some of the same environmentally-unfriendly decisions that we Americans established for them as a precedent, increasing their thirst for oil. Why just sit around for 40 years and wait for that to occur when we can start NOW to make some HARD CHOICES to make things better? Some of you may be saying "I'll be dead in 40 years. Why should I care?" Well, that's a very selfish burden you're placing upon our children then. You're supposed to leave this world BETTER for the next generation, not worse because of mere avarice or laziness. Why do you think I pick up litter?
Al Gore may be called a "whack job" by many in America, but if he has succeeded in getting people to think about how their actions today will affect our planet down the road, then he's not a failure in my eyes. I'm doing everything I can now to minimize my carbon footprint, which isn't nearly enough to compensate for others when I pull up to fill my tank next to a fleet of Hummers driven by people who often drive alone with no need for cargo space and no need for off-road capabilities. We're in the era where "looking cool" is now driving an Insight, Prius, Civic Hybrid, etc., not the gas-guzzlers of the past.
I'm sure there are those saying "I'll drive whatever I want and live wherever I want. This is a free country. Butt out." However, every decision any of us makes somehow either directly or indirectly affects everyone else. When we're dealing with a finite resource, then it DOES become my business if you're squandering it because in the long-run I'll also be paying the same higher price that you'll be paying. We can see that now with the credit and mortgage industries. I have a decent credit score (about 700), but even I would have a more difficult time getting approved for an extension of a line of credit or a larger mortgage because so many others have acted irresponsibly and have defaulted that interest rates have ballooned for everyone else and restrictions have become much more stringent as a result. It's sort of analogous to a high school sports team. If one of your team mates showed up late for practice without a good reason, then EVERYONE would have to run a few laps as a punishment. The "guilt-tripping" the timely ones inflicted upon the tardy one eventually whipped the latter into shape.
I don't care if people hate me at this point. I'm sticking to my guns because at some point "Green Living" WILL be a priority, and I'll be ahead of the curve for wanting to shed my automobile, utilize mass transit, hoof it to more destinations, use solar panels to help power my home, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FromVAtoNC
Here's what I notice, normie just spent an entire morning walking around in Herndon so you could see an older neighborhood that might make you feel more at home. She even drove by the apartment complex you were asking about. That was an incredibly nice thing to do. Yet I don't hear any thanks from you or even any recognition. You don't have to lay it on thick or go to extremes, but you should at least recognize that someone did you a favor.
Apparently nobody has even bothered to read anything else I've typed, as I typed THIS before YOU posted what you did above:
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScranBarre
Normie was kind enough to brave her illness and walk around snapping neighborhoods she thought I'd like, and I really do appreciate her efforts on my behalf. That was unexpected and very kind of her to do.
Call me boorish, a hip-shooter, or trigger-lipped if you'd like, but when someone DOES do me a favor I DO recognize the fact. It was nice to see what Stuart Woods looked like as this will likely be my top choice now for an apartment complex due to its relative walkability to my workplace and to the Reston Town Center, where I can hop a bus to the West Falls Church Metro Station and take a train into DC. Normie has consistently been the most helpful person on this forum, and to that I have been eternally grateful. Before you go trying to diminish my reputation to others by pointing out that I don't say "thank you," why not back yourself up with research first to make sure it hasn't already been done?
As far as the Reston Town Center is concerned you're all correct. I haven't physically "seen" it yet. However I have been on its web site, and nothing I saw appeals to me. I see almost exclusively chain restaurants and chain retailers whereas I'd be more impressed by a large percentage of businesses being independent and more of the "mom-and-pop" variety, like MOST American "town centers." I'm assuming the rental prices must have priced-out most locals from opening their own ventures in this complex, and it's a real shame that people probably FLOCK to this place, ignoring their mom-and-pop retailers and restaurants in the process. Near me we do have a terrible urban sprawl issue, but it has always been pleasant to be able to easily locate great sit-down mom-and-pop restaurants for home-cooked meals by the same family that's owned the place for many decades. I like striking up conversations with small merchants in our area, and I did 100% of my Christmas shopping in 2008 at either independent merchants or at Boscov's, a regional department store chain that I felt compelled to help "save" because they had invested so much in PA's urban centers over the years. Sadly many of my favorite local places are shuttering their doors because they can no longer compete with "the big boys." That's a sad testament to our society when someone visiting somewhere would rather eat at an Applebee's or a Bob Evans "because we already know we'll like it" as opposed to being adventurous and giving a local place a shot. I have only ever had ONE unpleasant experience at a mom-and-pop restaurant on my travels, and yet despite the good food, wonderful atmosphere, and down-to-earth owners who come out to chat with you these places are always deserted. I'm hoping people really don't flock to the Reston Town Center to eat at chain restaurants and shop at national chain stores just to "look trendy." I can't wait to try out as many local places as I can when I relocate, but if they're deserted while the town center is "hopping," as is the case with local mom-and-pop places as compared to areas around our malls, then that's very unfortunate.
ScranBarre - No one called you crazy. I said it was a "bit crazy", as in "that's a bit of a crazy idea". And, all I said was perhaps you would be happier with a job in DC. How that translates to: "get another job and quite whining is beyond me". It was just a supposition that you would probably be happier with a job in a downtown urban environment that currently had a public transportation system that was easy to get around in. While we all hope for that kind of thing out in the suburbs, it is going to be awhile coming and is extremely expensive in today's economy. However, the Metro is coming out toward Herndon but it is going to take some time.
Again, you said some awfully negative things about where people lived here and their neighborhoods ("ugly" for example) and prejudged the entire area. Besides, you are one to talk about name calling. Referring to senior citizens as "geezers" in another part of this forum, and causing one thread to be completely shut down based on your comments about old people, when it was really a music band topic! Sheesh. Your apology comes across as less sincere by the minute with all the lecturing you are doing about suburban lifestyles. Again, you are going to be awfully unhappy here if you come here with an attitude like that. And as someone pointed out, that kind of attitude isn't going to fly with a lot of employers. You have angered people on several topics on this forum, so it is clear that you say a lot of things that inflame people.
Finally, there's more companies in this area then it is possible to locate just in the areas you mention. It would be wall to wall office buildings in those areas without ANY residential space if all the companies in Northern Virginia planted themselves where you mentioned. Plenty of people live out in the suburbs and are very close to the companies they work! Not everyone hops in the car and drives 30 miles each way as you suggest. Clearly you don't like where your company is located. How about the people who live near it in Herndon that DO like where it is located. But apparently that's not important to you.
And also, as an auditor - at least in the defense businesss - one has to travel around to audit the defense contractors. Typically that involves a car in this area. Again, all the defense contractors in this area can't conveniently plant themselves in the places you mention. So you've taken a job that is going to require some travel, and some of it is going to be by car. Even in other cities defense contractors aren't located right near the airport, or near a train or subway station. So if you are working for the DCAA then expect to do a lot of traveling of the sort that you don't seem to like, because of using gas and other resources.
Last edited by fdeitz; 04-09-2009 at 09:27 AM..
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