Is Springfield really going down teh shitter....

[Apoc]

Point is, NoVA is not the end all, be all of fun, employment, & life.

Your situation is nearly unique and almost unfair for comparison because you're still commuting to Nova/DC for work. You're really no different than folks who live out in western loudoun or WV and commute to DC. Yeah it's great living where you live but you've still got the long ass commute. You're just blessed with the ability to sleep over and work less days a week than most. Come back and see us when you're not driving more than 60 miles to work.

I firmly believe that living and working in Loudoun is the best there's to be had in the area. Traffic is nearly negligible compared to other areas, you can find a nice single family home for less <$500k west of Leesburg and the people are actually decent. It may not have the teaming nightlife there is inside the beltway but it's just a short drive away and I'm willing to bet it's on par with say, Chalottesville. Mike makes fun because he can't drunken bar hop up and down the street a la Adams Morgan but there are plenty of opportunities to have a good time. When it comes down to it, if you want to party in a city you're going to pay city prices. Other cities may be cheaper but you also get paid less so it all washes out in the end.