Great article on the terribleness of DC area driving

[*insertusernamehere*]

I don't think I'd mind Richmond all that much, geographically. It's only 2 hours from my hometown and isn't too far north. Some NOVA people are just too northern to deal with.

Richmond is 2 hours from everything, the beach, the mountains, DC. Its great. And its a growing city, so thats always nice.

[Senor_Taylor]

I don't think I'd mind Richmond all that much, geographically. It's only 2 hours from my hometown and isn't too far north. Some NOVA people are just too northern to deal with.

Richmond is 2 hours from everything, the beach, the mountains, DC. Its great. And its a growing city, so thats always nice.

Yup. Also, I'm sure the pay there is better than Lynchburg, but it's easy to have a house in a rural area, like I want. I want to be able to have a garden and some land to play on.

Anyone else have opinions on Richmond?

[Goodspeed]

It is funny to me how many VA / NoVA people especially that grew up there stay up there. I did get nostalgic when I came up last weekend but I was so happy to leave when I did and it has been one of the best decisions I ever made.

I think this is very true - I lived here for about 5 years when I was a kid (and Chantilly was considered the boonies) and only really moved back mid-2010, so I never really got used to it. I feel like the drawbacks really get to me because I'm always comparing the area to other places that didn't require you to "get used to" such craziness :lol:

And Taylor, if you're a CIS major, there tons of other places to go - upstate NY has a growing tech corridor, same with NC's triangle and upstate SC, and of course anywhere out west. Nova would be an awesome place to start out however.

[Jake]

I drove through DC on a Sunday last semester, past the washington monument and all that jazz on the way to Dulles... or Reagan. Whatever one is way downtown.

How would that traffic compare to regular traffic?

Reagan is the one that's on the edge of DC. When I say I don't drive into DC, I mean I stop at the Metro station because it makes life a million times easier.

If you lived and worked in Fairfax, Sterling, Reston/Herndon, Chantilly, etc, traffic would not be much of a hassle. Going east of Fairfax is where it starts to get hairy and you want to plan your commute (or job) more deliberately.

[*insertusernamehere*]

I want to be able to have a garden and some land to play on.

You can have that in Richmond, or rather a little ways outside the suburbs, my cousin has a medium sized house with like...the R1 lot in front of his house and three jmu quads as his backyard and its a 30-45min drive back to civilization. I wouldn't wanna do that drive everyday though. And to go with what everyone has been saying about locations vs price - I won't say how much, but his house, which is bigger than my parents costed him way less than it did my parents. I was surprised when I learned the difference.

[.RJ]

Golden handcuffs

[SlimKlim]

I want to be able to have a garden and some land to play on.

You can have that in Richmond, or rather a little ways outside the suburbs, my cousin has a medium sized house with like...the R1 lot in front of his house and three jmu quads as his backyard and its a 30-45min drive back to civilization. I wouldn't wanna do that drive everyday though. And to go with what everyone has been saying about locations vs price - I won't say how much, but his house, which is bigger than my parents costed him way less than it did my parents. I was surprised when I learned the difference.

Townhouses in our neighborhood have been selling for $500-600k. They're pretty big but they're kind of old and cheaply built. In my hometown $500k will build you a 3500sq-ft, 3br, 3ba, 2.5car garage with high end materials throughout. Some dentist bought the property right over the hill from my parents and dropped $1.2mil to build a legit mansion. Never been inside, but it's probably over 5000sq-ft and has a pool, 6-8 car detached garage in addition to the attached one, and a carriage house over the detached garage. $1.2 up here just gets you a nice house.

Location location location.

[Evan]

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/screw-n...7/@pgeorge

I read this earlier today and thought it was a pretty excellent summation of driving in the DC area. I've thought about this more and more lately as I'm wanting but currently without another fun car - I remember how hard it was to have an enjoyable drive in this area when I had the Miata, and I'm starting to think I'd feel the same way in any non-appliance car you're supposed to have fun with.

So now that we have some alumni around here with some nice street cars - Evan's Lotus, G's Cayman, etc, what say you? Are you able to get a grin as you deal with everything mentioned in that article or are you resigned to dodging potholes and sitting in traffic, with the occasional weekend trip out to the country to keep you sane?

There is a ton of car culture around here, but to me it's still a wonder people are able to enjoy the hobby in this area with literally everything stacked against them. Maybe I'm just jaded and this goes for most metro areas? Discuss.

Why is it an expectation that you should be able dorifto your way into and from work every morning?
Personally, I compartmentalize my time in an automobile. My commute is my commute, I have zero expectations to have 'fun' while commuting. Then I have my fun time on a fun road, at the track, a cruise or whatever.
There is some overlap of course, fridays in the spring and fall look like this

and are pretty fun to drive the lotus in to work, and there are a few sections of road on my commute that are both sparsely populated and fun to drive, but Id never say "im an enthusiast so i simply cant drive in traffic ever"
Same goes for cars. I commuted in a miata for almost a decade, but if you can swing it, its MUCH better to have a daily/commuter car and a separate fun car.


As far as traffic goes, the rumor is always worse than reality. Ive done some pretty hellacious commutes in my career, like Oakton to DC, Falls Church to Baltimore, and Falls Church to DC, and none of them are as bad as the legend (parking lots are rare) and every one you get used to.
Taking a job close to your house can be a mistake IMO, since you are severely limiting your career options. I swore up and down that I would never work in DC, but 7 years ago I had an opportunity to work there that I almost didnt take, but Im very very glad I did. Then when it came time to buy a house, I bought one in a central location, next to 3 major arteries, so I can work anywhere in the future.
I fully expect to move out of the area in 10 or so years, but my disdain of this area has a lot more to do with the self absorbed narcissistic assholes that are packed shoulder to shoulder here, than the traffic (which is subject of another thread entirely)

[Kaan]

I have lived in the beltway area for the last 33 years (fuck I’m old)… Alexandria, Woodbridge, Oakton, Fairfax… I’ve had a beater and a motorcycle most of the time… but I’d much rather live here in the sticks and commute into Arlington everyday (via van pool).

Moving was easy for us. The house and property was half that of a townhouse in Fairfax... the house payment is equal to or less than the apartment we had… my monthly parking was $130/month work and the new van pool is only $260 (I don’t drive, I just sleep… and we cruise the HOV lanes on 66)… so I’m practically saving money. We are 20 minutes and 20 miles from everything I could ever want… when we lived in Fairfax it could take us 20 minutes to go 2 miles to get groceries (thanks to traffic and lights… and accidents).

Currently I drive 10 miles of twisty ass roads from my house to the van pool lot and back again. Motorcycle, car, truck… whatever you want to drive there you can. Heck I don’t think I’ll get a diesel truck because I don’t think it will warm up enough on the “commute” to the lot (and who cares if I get 10 miles to the gallon when I only drive 20 miles a day).

The threat of my motorcycle or car getting stolen are slim to none (I see guys with classic cars, sports cars, and sport bikes that just sit in the driveway all day, every day)… sure I wake up early but I get to sleep on the way in… and when I get home and sip my whiskey or drinking my beer, I’m sitting on the deck looking at the mountains in the peace and quiet. I get my DC money and my country peace of mind 

[Kaan]

but my disdain of this area has a lot more to do with the self absorbed narcissistic assholes that are packed shoulder to shoulder here

lol these people drive and comprise the traffic....i feel they are the root of this thread.

[WRXtranceformed]

People are definitely jerks up there, that is one of the first things I noticed when I moved south. That is for sure a whole other conversation.

Money can definitely be alluring and if you are getting your paycheck from my tax dollars then I understand why you want to be up there...you can make good money in plenty of other places in the US that are better places to live (IMO) though. My income / earning potential is the same here as it would be up north and the cost of living is 1/2 to 1/3 of NoVA / DC in some areas.

$1.2MM or less buys you a house right on the course in Quail Hollow CC (where the Wells Fargo PGA Championship is held...you could set up a catering spread on your lawn and watch the players) or in Longview the other most prestigious private course in the area. If you want land away from the city but still be half an hour to it, that would buy you a high end horse / cattle farm in Waxhaw where a lot of the local pro sports players live.

If you are dead set on living up there per RJs point it definitely makes sense to buy if you can afford it. You will always be able to sell or rent that place, it is pretty much recession proof depending on how close to the city you are.

[Samantha]

Has anyone ever just picked up and moved far(ish) away? Going to give D.C. a trial run this summer, but if I absolutely hate it, then I'm tempted to pick up and go south (NC, SC, FL). Dunno how I would feel about being in a new city by myself, but I think location matters more to me than the job I have. Thoughts? Advice?

[*insertusernamehere*]

Yeah lets talk about this! Cause although I say I wanna stay in Va (which would also be cheaper) I'm most likely gonna have to move, anyone jump across the country? Washington, Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, California? Just saying that is scary as shit *shivers*

[D_Eclipse9916]

There are a couple people on here, that just picked up their stuff and moved across the US. Washington/Oregon.

I have talked forever about moving down to Charlotte, NC. I actually went house shopping a couple months ago there. This was after months and months of research of what/where I wanted to go. I was disappointed by my experience there, but might give it another chance in a couple months. You "dont know what you want" until you start getting out there. I didn't want to be too far from a city center, but Charlotte isn't so much a city like DC. I am really happy where I am now, so I am starting to wonder if I moving is actually a benefit.

[WRXtranceformed]

DJ if you ever house hunt down here again you should give me a shout. I can show you around the area, where is good to live, not good to live, etc. The Charlotte MSA is HUGE so there are a lot of different areas to live in. I am curious to hear about what disappointed you about the area...the only other person I have ever met that has not liked it here was an old girlfriend who moved down from Boston. She didn't like it because "it didn't have enough history and character". Charlotte isn't a super old historic city, most of uptown is brand new or under construction so if you are looking for a city like DC or NY this is definitely not the place for you. She lives in London now.

I had a few friends already here in Charlotte when I made the move so that made it easier. But if you are young and outgoing I wouldn't worry about meeting new people when you move to a new city. You will invariably make work friends, and then friends with people you meet through them, friends you meet at the pool at your complex, and so on. We have a bunch of friends through church now, etc.

[.RJ]

There are a couple people on here, that just picked up their stuff and moved across the US. Washington/Oregon.

I have talked forever about moving down to Charlotte, NC. I actually went house shopping a couple months ago there. This was after months and months of research of what/where I wanted to go. I was disappointed by my experience there, but might give it another chance in a couple months. You "dont know what you want" until you start getting out there. I didn't want to be too far from a city center, but Charlotte isn't so much a city like DC. I am really happy where I am now, so I am starting to wonder if I moving is actually a benefit.

You should've made a spreadsheet :lol:

[Apoc]

Has anyone ever just picked up and moved far(ish) away? Going to give D.C. a trial run this summer, but if I absolutely hate it, then I'm tempted to pick up and go south (NC, SC, FL). Dunno how I would feel about being in a new city by myself, but I think location matters more to me than the job I have. Thoughts? Advice?

Seattle here. Best move I ever made. My three main reasons were weather, traffic and the Evan's aforementioned assholes. Everything in a competition in that area; big houses, big cars, big money, big jobs.... and we were sick of it.

I ask everyone I interview from the DC area "What's the first two things people ask when you meet them?" The answer is always "Where do you work and where did you go to school?" As if that defines people. Come to find out, that's now how it is in other places. I've been in Seattle for 2+ years and I've been asked where I work maybe a half dozen times. I don't think I've ever been asked where I went to school.

[Mike]

There are a couple people on here, that just picked up their stuff and moved across the US. Washington/Oregon.

I have talked forever about moving down to Charlotte, NC. I actually went house shopping a couple months ago there. This was after months and months of research of what/where I wanted to go. I was disappointed by my experience there, but might give it another chance in a couple months. You "dont know what you want" until you start getting out there. I didn't want to be too far from a city center, but Charlotte isn't so much a city like DC. I am really happy where I am now, so I am starting to wonder if I moving is actually a benefit.

You should've made a spreadsheet :lol:

You should talk about it more and then not do it. :bootyshake:

[.RJ]

I lol'd

[Jewels]

Funny, traffic was never the reason for our move back to the Valley. Though I do enjoy my 2 mile commute that takes me 3 minutes in traffic through my 1 stop light.

We were pretty set on staying in NOVA, we'd even bought a house. We liked Manassas even if it was kind of ghetto in areas. We were close enough to do the things we wanted, and far enough out to miss a lot of the problems people have mentioned here. I didn't care for my 45 minute, 20 mile commute, but that was more about the job then the commute. We got the opportunity to move back to Harrisonburg when I was out of work. Like I said we were happy where we were but given the chance to buy a single family house instead of a townhouse, for cheaper than most townhouses in NOVA we kind of jumped on it. We had a pretty lucrative offer that made it a complete no brainer. We ended up with a 5 bedroom house with attached garage because of it. I got a job within a week of finding the house, and the rest was history. I don't think we'd have started a family living in NOVA, so the lucrative offer we received paid dividends to the people who offered it.