Are people really materialistic around NoVA? (Richmond, Reston: foreclosures, transfer, to buy)

[car54]

What the heck is materialism? If you like nice stuff and can afford it...who's (whose?) business is it? I certainly don't spend any time thinking about what other people do, nor do I give a hoot what anybody thinks about what I do...except, of course, my lovely wife and kids/step kids.

When I see a particularly nice house, I think "good for them....they must be successful at something". The only cars that impress me are very special ones...ones that are hand built or require a nationwide search and tons of cash to acquire. Benzes and Bimmers, etc?...nahhh, any idiot with a good FICO can sign on the dotted line and drive out in one. But still, if you like those cars...go for it!

Now, my wife is a bit of a clothes hound...but she turns heads everywhere she goes, and I LOVE watching peoples' expressions when we're out and about. I'm sure they think she must be a "rental"...LOL

[Alicia Bradley]

No. People in NoVA look fairly dumpy to me, on average. And I certainly don't mean they lack conspicuous designer labels (although I've never really noticed whether they have them, either). I just mean I don't often see people who make me glance twice thinking something like, "Ooh... that is so cute. What components went into that ensemble?" I prefer indie designers, though. A place like Anthropologie is ok by me, too, as far as larger chains go (and there's apparently one in Richmond, so HA!).

And I agree with the person who said older (pre-'90s) Coach bags are lovely. But since the '86 buyout by Sara Lee, they've gone the way of Burberry, sadly. At least the gold and silver Coach thongs with rhinestones that were big in the early '00s have all finally disappeared, though, I have a feeling.

I don't know about cars since I don't drive. I am Bike Girl.

bmwguy, what unique clothing stores exist in College Park?? You did mean College Park, MD, right? I must confess that I'm absolutely mystified.

[mississippimagnolia]

I worked at a major department store in Marketing. I can tell you that stores absolutely tailor their merchandise to the specific area. A store in a college town will carry very different inventory than one in the middle of a business district. Buyers know exactly what type shoppers spend money in their specific geographical area.

[OrangeFish]

Originally Posted by ACWhite

A minor quibble - a classic Coach bag will last you 20 years if you take care of it.

I still use my well-worn but in great shape Coach briefcase that was given to me by my parents back in 1980.

[703]

Originally Posted by Tish Thompson

People are no more materialistic here than they are anywhere else. Being the mother of a teen girl, I see that type of behavior more in her age group than amongst adults.

its peer pressure.

to have the latest iphone, latest designer jeans and latest tshirt.

[703]

I shop at Nordstroms and Goodwill-type stores (Unique of Tysons corner..wooo hooo)

I am confused.
Which category do I belong to?

LOL

[SteelCityRising]

I think how one perceives this region's abundance of affluence largely stems from where they were originally derived. In my personal situation I relocated to NoVA from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA, which is a horribly impoverished area. At my high school the students who came from newer tract-home subdivisions that looked like Loudoun Valley Estates or Ashburn Farms were the "rich kids", even though by NoVA standards they'd be considered "middle-class." My parents, both college-educated (also an oddity in this old coal region), earned about $90,000 combined for a while, and I myself was a "rich kid" in suburban Scranton, even though technically my parents would be earning less than the median household income here in NoVA.

In my hometown area if you were driving a new car (any style) you were doing well for yourself. Here in NoVA my 2008 Mazda3 sedan is dwarfed by BMWs, Audis, Lexuses, etc. at every stoplight here in Reston. Back "home" people would consider it a bi-weekly treat to go to a family dinner at Applebee's. Here in NoVA families might go to a place like P.F. Chang's on a Friday then Bertucci's on Saturday without batting an eye at the bill. Back home most people could only afford to give $20/week to their churches. I've served as an offering counter at my new church here in NoVA, and most people give at least $100/week, with many more giving $250+ per week. In Scranton the "rich kids" shopped at Hollister or Abercrombie & Fitch. In NoVA those are "middle-class" stores.

For myself it's been a huge adjustment to realize a lot of people do judge me for earning less than half the region's median household income (and earning just a hair too much to qualify for subsidized housing). I give $30/week-$50/week to my church, and I'm still left to wonder if people judge me for giving one of the lowest amounts out of hundreds of families. I came from an area in which I was considered "rich" for living a typical middle-class lifestyle to being considered "poor" for livign a typical middle-class lifestyle, and that's been a very humiliating experience. Most 23-year-olds would kill to be earning a $40,000 salary in an upwardly-mobile position. Then again most 23-year-olds don't also live in the most affluent area of the country---a place that caters to those who have money nearly exclusively. Let's take Reston as a prime example. It was originally founded as a community that would welcome ALL people of ALL income levels at ALL life stages. Our fabulous "fake downtown" is home to Morton's Steakhouse, McCormick & Schmick's, Cosi, Passion Fish, Il Fornaio, Paolo's, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Apple, etc., etc. Would someone mind telling me how anyone who is NOT wealthy is supposed to be able to "enjoy" Reston? Today I've learned that every single peer I've befriended in Reston absolutely HATES Reston just as much as I do for this very same reason---it is geared exclusively towards the affluent (and since most on this sub-forum are upper-middle-class they don't give a damn about those like us who have to live here and can't "enjoy" anything here).

In my eyes this is most definitely a materialistic area. If it wasn't, then why does every other person drive a large SUV or a luxury sedan? Why do people here consider granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood flooring, etc. to be "standard" instead of "luxury?" Why are there so many high-six-figure and even seven-figure homes in places like Great Falls, McLean, Arlington, Vienna, and Reston? Why are all of these crappy fake "town centers" in the area filled with 90% upscale-oriented retail/restaurants? Why do I see so many people here wearing sunglasses at night? Why do so many I know focus so much on $$$ and how to acquire more of it? People on this sub-forum can claim anything they'd like, but most are probably so blinded by their own spending habits that they've never even stopped to consider the fact that perhaps conspicuous consumption IS a noticeable problem here.

[bmwguydc]

Originally Posted by Alicia Bradley

bmwguy, what unique clothing stores exist in College Park?? You did mean College Park, MD, right? I must confess that I'm absolutely mystified.

There's an Islamic fashion/accessories store, one that sells anime and anime clothing, a store called the Treasure Chest or something like that that specializes in women's accesories. There's also a a clothing/accessories seller from there who sells at Eastern Market, though my friend told me that they don't have a traditional store. Another friend used to shop at some funky hippie type store a few years back that had hemp clothing, along with multiple other products, but I don't know if they're still around. I also want to say that one of the stores that sold natural remedies and such carried scarves and some other unique jewelry or something like that, too. It's been a while since I explored the area, but there are still some small shops in the area that have things not found in other parts of the region.

[stax]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

In my eyes this is most definitely a materialistic area. If it wasn't, then why does every other person drive a large SUV or a luxury sedan? Why do people here consider granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood flooring, etc. to be "standard" instead of "luxury?" Why are there so many high-six-figure and even seven-figure homes in places like Great Falls, McLean, Arlington, Vienna, and Reston? Why are all of these crappy fake "town centers" in the area filled with 90% upscale-oriented retail/restaurants? Why do I see so many people here wearing sunglasses at night? Why do so many I know focus so much on $$$ and how to acquire more of it? People on this sub-forum can claim anything they'd like, but most are probably so blinded by their own spending habits that they've never even stopped to consider the fact that perhaps conspicuous consumption IS a noticeable problem here.

Americans in general are conspicuous consumers; if they weren't, Wal-mart wouldn't be as successful as it is, and we wouldn't be in such an economic crisis as a nation. Yes, this area has a lot of money; so does the NY/NJ/CT area, LA, Boston, SF, Seattle, Chicago and Dallas to name a few. But you may need to spend some time in Dallas and Miami, and then S. Cali, and THEN come back and talk about materialism...to be honest, this place is rather low-key when it comes to money. I think that you have materialism intertwined with affluence, and the two aren't quite the same. I find that the richest areas in this actually have some of the coolest people (among the older crowd) when you sit down and talk with them, and most of the biggest houses in the area aren't even visible to most people unless they get a satellite view of the area. There was an article during the dot-boom talking about the typical AOL millionaire, who tended to live in a 300k house, and not do anything Remember, YOU CHOSE to move to Reston; what drew you to that locale? It wasn't because it was all blue-collar and like back home, was it? But to be fair, I think that NoVa throws a lot of people off; I still marvel at how many students at a state school (GMU) wear Coach sneakers and carry LV bags, do Sbux regularly, and still can afford to get ripped off at the school store!

[athousandlogins]

I drive a cheap used car and buy my clothes at Target. I'm regularly ostracized and mocked by the community.

Nah, nobody gives a crap. They really don't.

There are a fair number of people here have lots of money. Sometimes it stinks not to be one of them, relatively speaking, because you see all sorts of shiny nice things that you can't buy. But way more people are just trying to pay the bills and do their best with what they have.