Millenial Family Trying to Decide Between VA & NC for a Move (Norfolk: employment, neighborhood)

[VA Outdoorsman]

Originally Posted by spencer114

The NOVA whining is ridiculous.

Northern Virginians are Virginians and they count just as much as people in Denver and Seattle count in their respective states. The liberal bent in Northern Virginia is grossly overstated too. Many localities outside of Northern Virginia are more liberal than Arlington and Alexandria. It’s also important to note that the political leanings and voting patterns in Northern Virginia have remained the same for 30 years. Northern Virginia alone isn’t able to sway the politics in the state. What happened to swing Virginia is that the suburbs in Richmond and Hampton Roads became more liberal. Henrico, Chesterfield, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake are where republicans went to make up for their losses in NOVA. Those localities went blue over the last decade and a half (some more decidedly than others of course). A great election year for Republicans now is just breaking even in Chesterfield, once a reliably red county.

Nice mental gymnastics on the HRC data. Once again, the entire state of Virginia clobbers the entire state of North Carolina. Large counties are also measured. Fairfax and Virginia Beach (not a county on paper of course) both extremely suburban, score 100 (along with Richmond, Charlottesville, Arlington and Alexandria). Both Roanoke and Norfolk score higher than Raleigh (but Carborro and Chapel Hill both score 100). The score is based on state and local laws, not opinion polls…so it reflects the will of the state as a whole (insofar as the people elected representatives that favor these laws). It’s evidence of a weaker evangelical hold on Virginia than on North Carolina.

You've missed my point.

There is no other state in the nation with as wide of a regional disparity, say in income levels, than in Virginia. Not Colorado or Washington state. We have some of the richest zip codes in the nation, in NoVa, and also some of the poorest.

It's intellectually dishonest to be bragging about how Virginia is so this and that when in reality, you are talking about one specific region of the state -- one with the biggest wealth disparity compared to its host state, in the nation, no less. Richmond and Hampton Roads also do not compare to NoVa with regard to these measures either. And those counties you listed, all of them except 1 went red in the 2021 election and are still predominately light red cities/counties (2020 election was the only exception).

Originally Posted by spencer114

Northern Virginians are Virginians.

No, Virginians in name only.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by VA Outdoorsman

No, Virginians in name only.

Besides living in Virginia, what other criteria do require to become a "real" Virginian?

[badger74]

A little Virginia family history.

[Watchful]

Could we start a separate thread (that I can ignore) about who counts and who doesn't.

I pity the poor OP who is probably choosing another state about this time LOL!

[VA Outdoorsman]

Originally Posted by spencgr

Besides living in Virginia, what other criteria do require to become a "real" Virginian?

Since you asked, anyone who lives or moves to any Virginia locality outside of the core D.C. suburbs is a Virginian. It's not that exclusive of a club anymore.

However, people who move to D.C. but don't want to send their kids to even worse city schools, so they cross the river into the suburbs of Northern Virginia, are not real Virginians.

It's not that hard to understand. These people don't live or even want to live in Virginia, they live in the D.C. suburbs -- go ask them yourself.


D.C. needs to become a state and incorporate parts of Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland into it, as it's grown too big not to be it's own self-governed entity.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by VA Outdoorsman

Since you asked, anyone who lives or moves to any Virginia locality outside of the core D.C. suburbs is a Virginian. It's not that exclusive of a club anymore.

However, people who move to D.C. but don't want to send their kids to even worse city schools, so they cross the river into the suburbs of Northern Virginia, are not real Virginians.

It's not that hard to understand. These people don't live or even want to live in Virginia, they live in the D.C. suburbs -- go ask them yourself.


D.C. needs to become a state and incorporate parts of Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland into it, as it's grown too big not to be it's own self-governed entity.

This post is ridiculous. Please tell me where the dividing line is? I live in western Loudoun County and have no children - do I qualify? I've never had any interest in living in DC.

[canalcity63]

I think the forum needs to refocus on the original question instead of what makes a real Virginian. To me as someone born asn raised in Virginia I look at anyone who grew up anywhere in Virginia as a real Virginian. It doesn't matter if that is Alexandria or Roanoke. Everyone votes for the same governor and votes for the same law. Washington DC is a strong part of the culture in Virginia. The city was founded in 1790 specifically because it was in vicinity of George Washington's hometown. There have been generations of Virginians that have lived in Northern Virginia that have helped shape the capital metro area culture. I understand that people who have newly moved to Virginia from someplace else may not be considered full Virginians, but if you grew up there than I would say you represent some part of Virginian culture.

[spencer114]

What the rural right on this thread is missing is that it is actually more Virginian to have been born somewhere else. A majority of Virginians were born outside of the commonwealth and this has been true for decades. And it’s not just Northern Virginia. It’s Charlottesville, Richmond, Henrico, Virginia Beach, Chesterfield, Chesapeake, York, James City County…

[spencer114]

Virginia has one of the smallest percentages of people living in poverty. 9.48%, the 10th lowest in the country.
NC by comparison is the 18th most impoverished state.

Wages are so high in Northern Virginia that there is a huge disparity. But the reality is that only 9 states have a lower percentage of people living in poverty.

[Veritas Vincit]

Originally Posted by spencer114

What the rural right on this thread is missing is that it is actually more Virginian to have been born somewhere else. A majority of Virginians were born outside of the commonwealth and this has been true for decades. And it’s not just Northern Virginia. It’s Charlottesville, Richmond, Henrico, Virginia Beach, Chesterfield, Chesapeake, York, James City County…

I don't think this is a good argument, I mean if anything it confirms their argument that Virginia was overrun by outsiders.


As someone who's not just not Virginian but not even American but lives in Virginia, I think the whole concept of "Virginian" is kind of interesting. If you had asked me for the quintessential Virginian I would have said Robert E. Lee. But then nobody at least in NoVa today wants to have much to do with him anymore these days.



Honestly, you very rarely hear the word "Virginian", people say "I live in Virginia". And that's because someone who was born in Northern Virginia, grew up here and has never lived anywhere else for 1+ years is a unicorn you'll struggle to find. I was talking to some old dude at work who seemed pretty local, lives out in Loudoun and owns multiple properties, and turns out he's from the Toledo area. I know an old lady who is very involved in the local community here, and she moved here from central Ohio in the 70s. I don't know if either of them identify as Virginians because it's never come up. As far as state identities go, I don't think Virginia has a very strong one, at least not in NoVa. People here tend to focus on their local area and how it relates to D.C. a lot more than they focus on the state.