I find Northern VA to be just "TO ETHNICALLY DIVERSE" (Richmond: movers, house)

[conversationist]

I spent the weekend looking around Northern VA a few weeks ago and saw some nice things about it, but will not be moving there. Why? It just was to ethnically diverse. It seemed like everyone was from overseas and it had to many immigrants.

Don't get me wrong. I like immigration, just as long as it is limited to a level our culture, infrastructure and schools can take. I think some new people in American brings in some new blood, ideas and some energy. A diverse City is a cultural gem and allows us all to learn about the world around us. It also allows us to eat new types of food.

But it seems like almost everyone in Northern VA is from somewhere else. I noticed that at the large shopping mall people would break into their own group by race and seem to be isolated from everyone else. The Asians have overwhelmed the area. There was little English spoken, everyone spoke their native language. I felt overwhelmed and isolated. I felt like a visitor to another country, not a 5th generation American.

[funnylaura]

I think you made a good decision. I've lived in NOVA for most of my life (43 years) and it used to be a great place. I grew up in Woodbridge and it was a nice community back then (1970's - 1980's). My parents still live there and are planning to move as soon as their house in Roanoke is built. They feel the same way you do. There are very few people left in their neighborhood that speak English.

I live in Alexandria and almost hate to go out anymore because it takes forever to get anywhere (even 5 miles from our house) and people here are unbelievably rude! In my humble opinion the only good thing about NOVA is that the salaries and job opportunities are incredible.

We are looking to move away in the near future, and it can't come soon enough!

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by funnylaura

I think you made a good decision. I've lived in NOVA for most of my life (43 years) and it used to be a great place. I grew up in Woodbridge and it was a nice community back then (1970's - 1980's). My parents still live there and are planning to move as soon as their house in Roanoke is built. They feel the same way you do. There are very few people left in their neighborhood that speak English.

I live in Alexandria and almost hate to go out anymore because it takes forever to get anywhere (even 5 miles from our house) and people here are unbelievably rude! In my humble opinion the only good thing about NOVA is that the salaries and job opportunities are incredible.

We are looking to move away in the near future, and it can't come soon enough!

i agree too. i'm a fellow alexandria resident. the people here are as rude as you can get. driving can be downright dangerous not matter the time of day. had 3 really near misses in the last 3 days at different times on seminary rd, duke st, and stevenson ave. this is no enviroment for a native southerner. I plan to back down south to Hampton Roads or North Carolina in a couple of years when i get through with college. if it wasn't for the jobs no one would choose to put up with all the garbage that NoVA presents.

[claremarie]

Nearly everyone in northern Virginia speaks English, but many also speak another language (or two). Approximately 25% of Fairfax County residents were born overseas, so the vast majority are still native-born Americans. And if you were at Tyson's Corner mall, you should realize that the mall is a major tourist attraction, especially for visiting business people, diplomats, etc. I have a friend whose job involves entertaining foreign diplomats, and he tells me that Tyson's Corner is a must-see destination for these men (sometimes topping the monuments and museums), who often bring lists compiled by their wives. So, not everyone you see there jabbering away in Hindi or Mandarin or Spanish is necessarily an immigrant.
However, my relatives in Pittsburgh have the same reaction you report when they visit here -- everyone looks and talks "foreign." If that bothers you, you might try living in Pittsburgh, where nearly everyone is white (or possibly black), almost everyone who lives there was born there, and there are no Asians or Hispanics to speak of. There is also little economic growth and considerably fewer job opportunities.
Most big cities in this country are attractive to immigrants. It's something that everyone who wants to live in a growing and dynamic community needs to get used to.

[jb124]

Nice post Clairemarie, some people just can't handle diversity.

As far as people being rude here, we're no more rude than any other metropolis.

[Thruway]

Northern VA, as a resident, is too diverse, but the bigger problem is the sprawl.
Once lush countryside is being ruined for developements with no character, very ugly.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by funnylaura

I think you made a good decision. I've lived in NOVA for most of my life (43 years) and it used to be a great place. I grew up in Woodbridge and it was a nice community back then (1970's - 1980's).

Without meaning to be indelicate about it, areas like Woodbridge and Manassas were downscale, redneck, hicksvilles in the 1970's, and places like Vienna and Burke weren't yet done escaping that either. Have there been changes in 35 years? You bet! Mostly for the better...

[codysmama]

As a NoVA native I have to agree. I grew up in the Alexandria/Mt. Vernon area (as did my parents), and it amazes me at how surprised people are when they find out that I'm a native. I guess we're becoming extinct.

I live in Woodbridge now, and cannot wait to get out of this area. As much as I loved growing up in Alexandria, it's gotten too crowded, too annoying, and a little too diverse for my taste.

[caution]

I only lived in Woodbridge for 9 months and moved quickly to Arlington, off Army Navy Drive. As a short-term (3 years) resident of NOVA, I can't offer the long-term views others can. I lived in probably the worst area of Woodbridge, behind the Giant of Route 1. I never had a problem but the commute drove me nuts due to my schedule. I'll admit it wasn't as friendly as the bigger city I moved there from, Houston, which is probably more diverse as well.

Arlington (lived at the end of Army Navy, near Glebe) was perfect. Sure there's a pocket that's like little El Salvador there and some MS-13 graffiti, but in general everyone was nice.

Is it a difference in my perception? Sure. Could I agree that the shopping areas are stuffy and unfriendly, sure, to some extent.

Here's my personal angle on the whole thing. NOVA has gotten itself into a sprawl problem that will be very difficult to overcome. The movers can't move far enough fast enough. Every new "flavor of the month" is farther out. This does a few things to those left behind -- the schools go down really fast. The areas most suburbanites call "rough" or "redneck" grow larger in the wake of the sprawl. The longer commutes change attitudes. I actually believe my neighbors (of all races and backgrounds) were nicer in the 22206 because most of them had little or no commute! We all had time to relax!

Anyway, the powers that be moved me up the road to MD a year ago, but I do miss my old place in Arlington Ridge. It's actually funny, in a sad way, that NOVA needs some suburban renewal projects when in most places it's urban renewal that's all the rage.

[vglattn]

Interesting posts! I live in Richmond and am desperately looking for diversity. I noticed that the two most diverse elementary schools in Richmond also have the highest scores. The most diverse high school has the lowest drop-out rate, the lowest teen pregnancy rate, and the lowest drug use. They also win every award in the book. I want my kids to be around Asians (and other types of kids!) because of the strong emphasis on education and family. In particular, Indian kids are the strongest academically and their familes have the lowest divorce rate. Don't shy away from diversity- if your kids are around Asians, it could change their destiny for the better.

A rough looking ethnic cab driver in Alexandria was proud to tell me that he works 365 days a year to send his son to an Ivy league college (I know he was telling the truth because I am familiar with that campus). No offense, but it seems like a lot of us native born Americans are too busy complaining to reach that kind of goal!