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Husband might get job offer in Raleigh area - I cant stand living in Northern Va - crowded, traffic, rude people - Do you think Raleigh area is better, same or worse? Thanks for any input.
I travel frequently to NoVa/DC for work, and have to get to and from the 'burbs and DC itself. I simply can't fathom how people can live there and deal with that traffic every day. The worst traffic here is approximately 100 times easier than dealing with the traffic up there. I find some areas to be pretty crowded here too, but it's all relative, and you'll probably be happy anywhere down here.
Husband might get job offer in Raleigh area - I cant stand living in Northern Va - crowded, traffic, rude people - Do you think Raleigh area is better, same or worse? Thanks for any input.
Northern Virginia traffic has gotten unreal. I asked my son and his wife how they people can stand it and he had a great answer. SALARIES. If you can make the same amount of money in real dollars or even if with cost of living adjusted dollars you will find it better. Rush hour congestion now extends all the way to Fredericksburg and beyond. Soon the DC and Richmond traffic will be merging.
Northern Virginia traffic has gotten unreal. I asked my son and his wife how they people can stand it and he had a great answer. SALARIES. If you can make the same amount of money in real dollars or even if with cost of living adjusted dollars you will find it better. Rush hour congestion now extends all the way to Fredericksburg and beyond. Soon the DC and Richmond traffic will be merging.
We will take quality of life over salary any day. We took a pay cut to move here and couldn't be happier with that decision.. It doesn't matter how much we make if the area we live in just isn't right for us. Of course, that is just our personal experience and what makes us happy. I could no longer deal with being around so many rude people on a daily basis. Of course, we do run into the occasional rude person here but it happens much less often.
I live in Fairfax City now (have lived in Northern Va most of my life) and am looking forward to moving to Raleigh in the next few months. I lived there for a few years for grad school about a decade ago. I haven't found people in NoVa particularly rude unless they are on the roads (on the contrary, I have found people I've met up here in regular social settings very nice and open), but I think the constant traffic tends to bring out the worst in people after awhile.
Having said that, I'm really looking forward to moving someplace where I can do things without planning my life around traffic patterns. Even though there aren't as many cultural attractions, ethnic restaurants, events, etc. compared to a major metro area like DC I'll think I'll be able to take advantage of more things that are happening. The difference in housing costs will also allow us to live in a downtown area and be able to walk to more things--I could not afford to do this in DC as those types of neighborhoods cost so much more up here (North Arlington, Old Town Alex, etc).
I'm sure the grass is greener, and there will be some things I miss once we get there, but I'm looking forward to having a slightly slower paced lifestyle where I can get out and enjoy activities other than work!
As a former NoVA resident, I agree that traffic is far better here.
However, in time, if the area continues to grow as projected, traffic here will be darn near as bad as NoVA. The area as a whole is doing all the same things that NoVA has done development-wise. We have the same willy-nilly development gobbling up all the green spaces. The same lack of main arteries between populated spaces (is our 40 their 66?), the same patchwork of developments with roads that do not link up, forcing everyone onto the same main thoroughfares. Heck, we've even got our own Beltway(line).
I just moved here from No. VA and I'd say it depends on where you live and work in Raleigh. I'd choose a quieter suburb over a more densely populated area. Just like Fairfax is more dense, fast paced and has more traffic than say, Loudoun, the Triangle has its different areas as well.
One more thing, I think that your perceptions of/comparisons with NoVA will vary greatly as a function of where exactly you live in NoVA. I've found that each area has very different personalities (urban Ballston vs. Fairfax city vs. Fairfax Co. suburbia vs. Old Town etc.). Where Rosslyn can feel very cold, Old Town can feel very welcoming as a resident. Likewise, the Triangle has lots of different places with very different personalities.
Update: I see that Twinmomkris beat me to this thought as I was posting. So yeah, I echo what she said...
To peoples' point about projected growth in this area and traffic growing with it: That's a very good point. My commute is only about 6 miles, and it's surface roads the whole way, nothing bad at all. My wife on the other hand does a short hop on I-40 for her commute. While her driving distance is about the same as mine, it's not at all unusual for her commute to take 2-3 times as long. All depends on where you're at. I'm rarely on 40 during rush hour, but when I am... Yeah, it's not fun. Nothing like DC, but still can be pretty unpleasant.
To the OP I can tell you first-hand that Raleigh is much different from NoVa. I lived in Northern Virginia (Alexandria, Springfield, Woodbridge, and Stafford) for 23 years and moved to Raleigh in 2007 and have not even considered moving back! The traffic here doesn’t come close to I-95/495/66 traffic in VA (there are typical slow spots here and there during evening commutes). I immediately noticed that people here seem a lot nicer and patient, things are slower-paced. The housing is much more affordable (plenty of great neighborhoods),although the income is a bit less than what you’d typically receive in NoVA /DC . I think this is a great area for families and there’s plenty to do (lots of parks, family events, etc…).
My husband and I moved to Cary from NOVA a little over a year ago. My husband received a transfer and we jumped at the chance to move for several reasons. First, the cost of housing is much cheaper than NOVA (even in Cary). We were barely able to afford a nice townhouse in Reston, but we were able to purchase a nice 4 bedroom single family home down here. The traffic is so much better, and you can actually commute around the county after 3pm. There are many parks and lakes near Raleigh for outdoor activities, which is great in summer. The temperature stays a little bit warmer during the winter and spring seems to arrive earlier (great for a warm weather lover). While there is a lot to do down here (especially if you have children), I still think it was easier to find things to do in NOVA. I miss access to a large city like DC where there are great restaurants and tons of museums. Raleigh is nice, and we have found some great restaurants, but it's not quite the same. The cost of living (outside of housing) is not cheaper than NOVA, and unfortunately, I took a huge paycut when I moved. Groceries, gas, etc. seem to be the same and sometimes more than we were paying in NOVA. As a teacher, I think Fairfax Co. schools are better than Wake Co. (but this could just be the experiences that I have had at the schools in which I was employed). It's definitely less ethnically diverse down here, and the lifestyle seems to be a bit slower. Overall, it wasn't a huge change, and I love Raleigh, but sometimes miss NOVA.
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There are many parks and lakes near Raleigh for outdoor activities, which is great in summer. The temperature stays a little bit warmer during the winter and spring seems to arrive earlier (great for a warm weather lover). While there is a lot to do down here (especially if you have children), I still think it was easier to find things to do in NOVA. I miss access to a large city like DC where there are great restaurants and tons of museums. Raleigh is nice, and we have found some great restaurants, but it's not quite the same. The cost of living (outside of housing) is not cheaper than NOVA, and unfortunately, I took a huge paycut when I moved. Groceries, gas, etc. seem to be the same and sometimes more than we were paying in NOVA. As a teacher, I think Fairfax Co. schools are better than Wake Co. (but this could just be the experiences that I have had at the schools in which I was employed). It's definitely less ethnically diverse down here, and the lifestyle seems to be a bit slower. Overall, it wasn't a huge change, and I love Raleigh, but sometimes miss NOVA.
