What should I know about living in NoVA?

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  • cpc1027

    Active Member
    Jun 25, 2010
    913
    Sparks
    Assuming that I can get a job lined up, I'm strongly considering a move to NoVA in the near future, and I'm trying to do my research. I'll be renting and I don't know exactly where I'm planning to live yet, but most of the defense industry jobs for engineers that are of interest to me (Orbital ATK, Lockheed, and Raytheon are the top of the list at the moment) seem to be concentrated more-or-less around the Dulles area. With that in mind, I think my plan would be to live closer to 495 (Tysons, Falls Church, etc.) and commute out to help avoid some of the traffic. Other than the more attractive gun laws and the annual car inspections, is there anything else I should know about living in VA that's different from MD?

    Thanks in advance!
     

    swinokur

    In a State of Bliss
    Patriot Picket
    Apr 15, 2009
    55,394
    Westminster USA
    traffic is horrendous and it's full of libs.

    Just like MD.

    Gun laws are logical, so that's a plus.

    Join VCDL if you move.
     

    davsco

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 21, 2010
    8,607
    Loudoun, VA
    where ever you think you want to live, definitely do a few morning and afternoon commutes to your workplace. traffic pretty much sucks everywhere, but it really sucks in some places.

    while you lose the piggyback md county income tax, you gain the fun of paying personal property tax.
     

    whistlersmother

    Peace through strength
    Jan 29, 2013
    8,948
    Fulton, MD
    Hated car tax (personal property tax).

    Douchy holier-than-thou douchball drivers

    Overcrowded restaurants - just try eating out on Saturday evenings.

    And the worse - the road straight outta hell - I-666
     

    ohen cepel

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 2, 2011
    4,509
    Where they send me.
    The gun laws (currently) are better than md but that is about it. As a born Virginian we refer to it as "occupied VA" and do not consider it part of the real state. It's more dc and md than VA.

    Live close to your job, or sleep under your desk as traffic is miserable.
     

    K-Romulus

    Suburban Commando
    Mar 15, 2007
    2,427
    NE MoCO
    The gun laws (currently) are better than md but that is about it. As a born Virginian we refer to it as "occupied VA" and do not consider it part of the real state. It's more dc and md than VA.



    Live close to your job, or sleep under your desk as traffic is miserable.



    What he said. NoVA is sort of like Montgomery County in a bigger scale. Out of state transplants to NoVA destroyed the polite Southern culture you would get in a place like Richmond. The whole no-eye-contact thing in your apartment building hallway would be unthinkable starting 50 miles south of Arlington. Traffic there is way worse than MoCo (and that's saying something). I left VA after about 12 years to move to MD in 2003. The rest of VA is really nice. Depending on your personal taste, you could even move further west closer to the Shenandoah Valley and commute east to Dulles/Ashburn.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    Klunatic

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 28, 2011
    2,923
    Montgomery Cty
    If you're going to buy in Tysons be ready to fork out $800,000-$1,000,000 for a decent home and be prepared for the worst traffic in the nation.
     

    GolfR

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 20, 2016
    1,324
    Columbia MD
    My experience is that people are just downright rude in that area. I can understand why people would always be in a bad mood since you get raped buying a home there and sit in rediculous traffic to go anywhere. I go down that way for work a couple times a month and I dread every second of it.
     

    swinokur

    In a State of Bliss
    Patriot Picket
    Apr 15, 2009
    55,394
    Westminster USA
    As I said in another thread, NOVA is Montgomery County with Confederate street names.

    And that'll be the next thing they want changed.
     

    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    Assuming that I can get a job lined up, I'm strongly considering a move to NoVA in the near future, and I'm trying to do my research. I'll be renting and I don't know exactly where I'm planning to live yet, but most of the defense industry jobs for engineers that are of interest to me (Orbital ATK, Lockheed, and Raytheon are the top of the list at the moment) seem to be concentrated more-or-less around the Dulles area. With that in mind, I think my plan would be to live closer to 495 (Tysons, Falls Church, etc.) and commute out to help avoid some of the traffic. Other than the more attractive gun laws and the annual car inspections, is there anything else I should know about living in VA that's different from MD?

    Thanks in advance!

    If I had those job options, I'd live in Ashburn. Plenty of quicker ways to Dulles area if you look at a map, and Loudoun County discounts the car tax.
     

    motorcoachdoug

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Ya If it was me moving I would look at mabe living in the Massness and or Gainsville area of VA and commute to rt 28 which runs right beside KIAD. If you live inside the beltway you would also be paying tolls on I66 inside the beltway as well. FYI people who live in the Shenandoah Valley leave home between 3 and 3:30am to beat the traffic on I66 and or Rt 28, 15 and 211 coming up from Luray.In fact a lot of people who live in Luray commute to NoVA to work and it would not be unusual to see cars parked where side streets and rt 211 meet between Luray and Admissville.Just my .02 where to live in VA if I was working out by IAD.
     

    tomrkba

    Active Member
    Jan 22, 2017
    238
    Live near the office! Commute times have gone way up over the past decade. My 13 mile commute to Reston went from 18 minutes to 45 minutes in 12 years.

    I moved to Reston and the five minute commute was a luxury!
     

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