Does ANYONE Move North Because They Want To? (Reston, Fairfax: crime rate, neighborhoods)

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by FairfaxGuy73

Do you know anyone specifically? Never in my life have I heard anyone say, "Geez I just fell in love with Boston (or Chicago) and _have_ to live there." Or "the people in Boston or Chicago) are so pleasant, I just have to live there," etc. I've heard this about cities in the Carolinas, Florida, and Colorado. _Never_ ever for a Northern city. There must be folks out there. I still suspect that the people that I'd be hearing from have lived in the area previously and are just accustomed to it.

Actually I have two high school friends from the Philly area who came down to NOVA at different times in the 90's.

One guy, moved to Arlington for a job after graduating from GWU across the river. A few years later, he moved back to suburban Philly, met his wife and started a family there.

Another guy brought his family to Woodbridge when he found a job. When an opportunity to transfer to NH came about, he jumped at it. I'm sure his wife, a Boston-area native, didn't exactly discourage him.

Granted these stories did happen in the 90's when things were perhaps a little less intense. But honestly, I think if anyone today is thinking about moving anywhere outside of NOVA, it is because they feel secure or at least optimistic about their ability to find a job or otherwise bring in income.

[normie]

Originally Posted by arielmina

you know this attitude is so odd to me. There was a thread like this a few months back = perhaps by you. WHY do you care who moves where?

LOL, I think the OP is maybe a little bored and trying to find a topic that will spark some excitement.

Originally Posted by Caladium

I don't think it's going to bust at all. There are all kinds of businesses here besides the government, and most of the people moving here are buying homes. People who buy houses tend to settle in and continue living in an area whether its trendy or not. Besides, Nova is a really nice place to live. I've moved around the country and was happy to come home having found out this is better than many other cities.

I agree. Once people buy homes and start raising kids, they tend to stay unless there's a really compelling reason to move. And about half their kids will continue living here, especially if they go to college nearby. Nova's central location works in its favor. It's convenient to a wide variety of other metro areas. It's easy to get to a number of cities worldwide, as well. It's not that attractive to young people, but it's very attractive to people in their 30s who are ready to settle down in a comfortable suburban area with low crime, good hospitals, good schools, etc. To a young person those things may be boring reasons to choose where to live, but the truth is those are the things that guarantee a stable community, not how many national parks are nearby.

[Alicia Bradley]

Originally Posted by FairfaxGuy73

Do you know anyone specifically? Never in my life have I heard anyone say, "Geez I just fell in love with Boston (or Chicago) and _have_ to live there." Or "the people in Boston or Chicago) are so pleasant, I just have to live there," etc. I've heard this about cities in the Carolinas, Florida, and Colorado. _Never_ ever for a Northern city. There must be folks out there. I still suspect that the people that I'd be hearing from have lived in the area previously and are just accustomed to it.

Actually, if you go to the Chicago forum (where I hang out occasionally), you'll see lots of "I visited Chicago and fell in love and now I want to live there but don't have a job yet"-type posts. (You see those here from time to time, too - although often it seems that the poster desiring to live in NoVA hasn't actually visited here yet, oddly.) While I love Chicago (and get to spend as much time there as my work schedule allows, since I have a key to my parents' Lincoln Park condo.. heh heh heh ), I would never, ever, ever, ever be able to tolerate another winter there. I was spoiled for years by the relatively mild winters of Missouri (which, excepting our bizarrely, anomalously arctic most recent winter, are quite similar to NoVA's) and almost perished when I had to survive six six-month-long Chicago winters in a row.

When I finally got to leave Chicago (Evanston, rather) and move back to Missouri, I sacrificed my wool balaclava and neoprene overshoes (for ice biking!! - yes, I wish I, too, had never heard of this) in a dramtic ritual honoring the sun god of the Ozarks. In fact, one thing I *can* stand about NoVA is the climate... humidity, months of 90-degree days and sultry nights, swarms of tiny flying insects.. all these feel like home to me.

[Yankeesfan]

Years of business-unfriendly tax policies have driven a lot of jobs away from the North. A lot of young people graduate and need to move elsewhere (like here) to start their careers. Or they may be transferred after they're established in their careers. For example a large established company where some members of my family worked pulled out of an area where it had been for decades. Most of the older employees took early retirement with buyouts while most of the younger ones accepted transfers to two southern states where the company was expanding. New graduates who would have stayed in the area and worked for the company weren't able to anymore.

[GreenGene]

I'm originally from Boston. My sister and husband as well as their son and family are in Mass, and my other sister and husband are in Vermont. I went to school in upstate New York.

My wife and I would have moved north after we retired two years ago, but when the housing bubble burst, we didn't have enough equity in this house to make the move practical.

While I like this area (and I like it so much better since we don't have to commute to DC every day), I *love* New England, with upstate New York a close second. Even though I've been in the MD/DC/VA area for over 45 years now, I've never thought of it as being "home."

But, this is where my father was transferred to, this is where I met my bride, this is where I found a job that turned into a 35-year career, this is where our kids were born, and if this is where I live for the rest of my life, well, there are certainly worse things than that.

If "home is where the heart is", then if I had to pick one state, home for me is Maine.

[FairfaxGuy73]

The responses are fascinating. Thanks. The general exodus from the North to the DC area and other places seems to transcend the economy because it's been going on for years. (It's obvious that the economy has played a large role of course.)

It just seems like to me that the location of DC near the the North (esp Northeast) make it a popular destination. It's almost becoming part of the Northeast. It just seems that the North (other than some places mentioned like New England) doesn't have much to offer. It's not a **** kind of area, where people would like to go regardless of jobs. There are plenty of places that lack jobs where people want to move like Jackson Hole, WY or Aspen, CO.

You don't see many Southerners moving North, and the the amount of wealth down south is petty compared to the North. They just like it where they are.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by FairfaxGuy73

The responses are fascinating. Thanks. The general exodus from the North to the DC area and other places seems to transcend the economy because it's been going on for years. (It's obvious that the economy has played a large role of course.)

It just seems like to me that the location of DC near the the North (esp Northeast) make it a popular destination. It's almost becoming part of the Northeast. It just seems that the North (other than some places mentioned like New England) doesn't have much to offer. It's not a **** kind of area, where people would like to go regardless of jobs. There are plenty of places that lack jobs where people want to move like Jackson Hole, WY or Aspen, CO.

You don't see many Southerners moving North, and the the amount of wealth down south is petty compared to the North. They just like it where they are.

Well, nothing's going to convince you of something if you've already got your opinion made up before you ask the question...

People move south for cheaper COL. It's why I didn't go back to California, and why there's such a mass exodus to the south. I loved Cali, would move back there if I could afford it. I'd love to live in New England, if we could afford it. But...we can't. So we're looking to move south because we can afford a nice house there, not because we think the south has anything more to offer than the north. I'd much rather go north for its educational opportunities, culture, and political climate, but since I'm switching careers from industry to teaching, our income is about to drop significantly and the NE or West just isn't a realistic option.

I don't think you can compare Jackson Hole or Aspen to regular cities--those are resort towns. Of course people want to move there. They'd like to move to Hawaii too.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by FairfaxGuy73

This means, who among you have or will choose to move north of the Maryland/PA/West Virginia border, which does not include reasons of homesickness/family or forced business moves? Who has decided that the North (Northeast or Midwest) is just the place to live because it's so nice there? Why?

Quite honestly I have no desire to leave the Southeastern US. The only places I'd consider North of the Mason-Dixon line are Ohio (Columbus), St. Paul, MN and that's it.

[mississippimagnolia]

Nope. Not me. I have lived in every single region of this country. And I've spent a considerable amount of time living overseas. I've lived in some areas that I've liked better than others. But the northeast is by far my least favorite.

[FairfaxGuy73]

Originally Posted by GreenGene

I'm originally from Boston. My sister and husband as well as their son and family are in Mass, and my other sister and husband are in Vermont. I went to school in upstate New York.

My wife and I would have moved north after we retired two years ago, but when the housing bubble burst, we didn't have enough equity in this house to make the move practical.

While I like this area (and I like it so much better since we don't have to commute to DC every day), I *love* New England, with upstate New York a close second. Even though I've been in the MD/DC/VA area for over 45 years now, I've never thought of it as being "home."

But, this is where my father was transferred to, this is where I met my bride, this is where I found a job that turned into a 35-year career, this is where our kids were born, and if this is where I live for the rest of my life, well, there are certainly worse things than that.

If "home is where the heart is", then if I had to pick one state, home for me is Maine.

My response is off topic, but I know exactly what you're talking about. You move away from where you grew up, maybe for school, maybe for a job. You expect to go back one day, but you're too caught up in making a living, getting married, etc. It's like that book You Can't Go Home Again.

When you visit, people are older, they've moved away, many are dead. Every year that goes by, you lose a connection to the only place that has really been your home. Really very sad.