Tell me about NOVA.

[Senor_Taylor]

Hello everyone! I've given up...

Roanoke might not be the best place to find an IT job, and Richmond isn't out of the picture, but I've been speaking with recruiters and some cool jobs are in the DC area. Accenture seems like a cool place and it's in Arlington. The problem is I don't know anything about it. I don't know the difference between Arlington and Alexandria or Reston or whatever. In my mind, it'll all Washington DC, which is not correct.

Can someone give me a run down of what the areas are? Where are the jobs, where is the commute bad, and where is it not? Apartments, yard sizes, etc. Where have you lived? I've only been to Nova 3 times in my life, so I don't know anything.

Thanks.

[Jake]

So the NoVA area is vast and every chunk of it is equal parts the same and different.The biggest advice I can give to you is live close to your job. Commuting up here blows dick, and while you may be able to live 20 miles from work in Roanoke, that's more or less a death wish in NoVA. Driving is not the worst thing, but you have to plan carefully.

As a young college grad who I know likes to be social, all of the "fun" is going to be found in Arlington or DC. I would strongly suggest living near a Metro stop, so you can both commute and go out at night without worrying about how to get home. Yes, Uber is an option (and a great one) but Ubering from DC to Reston will be expensive - aka Metro access will keep you fairly close.

If you look at the Metro train map, the orange line runs directly west out of DC and into Virginia. Rosslyn (the big dot where orange and blue meet, out west) is the last stop in Virginia. The blue line, going south from Rosslyn, takes you to DCA (airport) and to Alexandria. The orange line will break off at East Falls Church and take you to Tysons Corner and Reston.



Based on the Metro map, here's more of a breakdown.

Arlington
So Arlington runs from the Ballston stop to the Rosslyn stop. It's a city that was revitalized when Metro was built in the 60s/70s, so most of the community there is centered around the Metro stations, which is nice and convenient. Each stop is a good discussion point and some neighborhoods are more vibrant than others. You will pay more in rent to live in the middle of the fun, but can save some money (or get a bigger place) by living one or two stops out.

Clarendon is the hot spot for what feels like every JMU grad, ever. Lots of bars and restaurants right there. All the other stops are a better mix of fun and residential. Rosslyn is largely office buildings, so it's cheaper to live in Rosslyn but there is fuckall to do after 5:00 in the immediate walkable area.

Falls Church
Falls Church is more suburban and there isn't much choice of where to live if you want to be Metro friendly, as there are only two stops and housing is not as compacted there. On the plus side, cheaper rent and more space.

Dunn Loring
Dunn Loring (also referred to as Merrifield) is a very "up and coming" area. Used to be a kind of nothing shithole industrial area that is now being transformed. There is some good food and shopping near the Metro (Mosaic District) and lots of residential nearby. Rent seems to be very pricey though, given what you aren't near.

Vienna
Vienna is blurring the line into the City of Fairfax. Nice area, very old with a lot of history. Downtown Vienna is small but cool to walk or drive or bike through. You can find townhouses with garages here, easy to split with a few people if you want that wrenching space. There are some that are walkable to the Metro stop, and rent wasn't unreasonable for what you get housing-wise, last I looked.

Tysons Corner - McLean, Tysons, Greenboro, Spring Hill
There is a yuuuuuge shopping mall here. Lots of office parks. Car dealerships. It is constantly a congested dumpster fire of traffic and I wouldn't recommend living here or trying to shop here unless it's like, 2 PM on a Tuesday when nobody else is shopping here. There are a lot of jobs popping up around Tysons, most of which are walkable from a Metro stop. I have a friend who works for Capital One in Tysons and lives elsewhere. He Metros in and it's not bad walking around to work. Just don't stay.

Reston (Wiehle, which is pronounced like how you pop the front tire up on a bike)
Reston is the nation's first planned community and can be thanked for the invention of the HOA! There is space, everything is beautiful because it's not allowed to be ugly, and there are more families here. Definitely a very "nice" place to live. Reston Town Center has shops and restaurants, but in 2017 they will start making everyone pay to park there which is stupid. It's taking on a bit of a "Clarendon" vibe which is to say, trying to be bro'y. There isn't a lick of anything within walking distance of the Metro stop, which made going out (when I lived with DJ and Jess) a hassle.

You are next to Herndon, which is an older, less "pre-planned" community. Much more history, much more "diversity of income" if you catch my drift, but still nice enough to live here. You will not be Metro accessible and I'd honestly recommend Reston instead.

Alexandria - Crystal City and Pentagon City
You're near the airport (Reagan / DCA). Otherwise, not a lot going on here. A few bars and restaurants to walk to but much else. Easy Metro ride to get to DC though.

Alexandria - King St / Old Town
You are not a millionaire, so you won't be able to afford living here. Old Town is gorgeous though. Take your lady out for a date on some special occasion here.

Alexandria - Van Dorn / Eisenhower Ave
This is where I live. Definitely "suburban" but not a planned community sort of vibe. Mixed income, we have a nice Harris Teeter and we have "Ghetto Giant" nearby. Easy to find apartments and townhouses with garages, rent is not bad given the proximity to DC, and you're close to highways and back roads to make driving around not much of a hassle.

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So, commute-wise... I live about 8 miles from work and currently drive in on I-395, which always is slow during rush hour. That 8 miles takes me about 25 minutes in the morning and 40 minutes going home. My new place will be a three-block walk to the Van Dorn metro (riding to Rosslyn) and that will be a 20 minute train ride each way, unless the train catches fire or I die from smoke inhalation.

The commute will be a pain no matter what. Traffic will be frustrating no matter what. I grew up here and learned to drive here so I'm like that dog meme where the room is on fire and everything is okay.

I'm assuming you'll want a garage to park the Miata in and work on shit in. That will limit you to Vienna, Dunn Loring, Fairfax, Reston, and Alexandria. Arlington is an option if you want parking but no private storage/wrench space.

You won't want to live in DC proper given your hobbies.

You'll get mixed opinions but honestly, I really do enjoy living here. My thoughts on this area improved tenfold once I moved to Alexandria (I grew up in Herndon and Ashburn, then lived in Fairfax and Reston). I'm now close enough to get into DC as much as I want -- if it's not rush hour, I'm 15 minutes door to door -- and I've joined some social activities (kickball) that have led me to meet a LOT of new friends.

There is fuckload of stuff to do, both in DC and in the surrounding areas. It's easy to get away for a weekend and go skiing/hiking/camping/beaching within a few hours' drive in any direction. The food scene is killer. There are tons of breweries and the craft beer scene is also great. Much as people (rightfully so) bitch about the Metro, we have a plethora of public transit options, which means you will always have a way to get around or get home after too many drinks. Metro trains, Metrobus, ART/DASH/Circulator buses, Uber, taxis, easy walking, Capital Bikeshare, and your own car.

It is a very transient area so there are always new people moving here and moving away. I'm a rarity in that I grew up nearby and still live here.

My biggest bit of advice would be to interview and accept whatever job offer, then find housing. No sense doing it the other way around. But yeah, I like the area, and I think a large part of "why" is because I'm close enough to what's going on, versus being 100% out in the suburbs.

[HAULN-SS]

Counter-point: Live west of dulles, and never take a job that takes you east of Route 28. More space, cheaper rents, still plenty of shit to do. There must be 25000 IT jobs along the route 28 corridor going north from 66 until it intersects with Route 7. I don't know how you feel about living in an aparment building near vienna, arlington, or rosslyn, etc but I've literally been in some that felt like prisons.

Are you looking to do real IT work - server admin, dev-ops, etc? Or are you going to do helpdesk type things - answering phones, resetting passwords, installing monitors etc?
The short story here is that Ashburn and surrounding areas supports 70% of worldwide internet traffic, and there is also a on of government agencies moving in along Route 28. You'll never run out of jobs. Shoot for option one, by the way.

[JPolen01]

unless the train catches fire or I die from smoke inhalation.

[Mike]

it's a trap.

[Apoc]

I'm only here to say I'm left wanting after seeing Mike was the last reply.

Also, don't live in Loudoun County unless you have kids.

[BLINGMW]

Don't do it!

[V1GiLaNtE]

What about jobs not in Va? Denver is the silicon valley of the mid-west. Charlotte is the wall street of the south with IT opportunities. Austin has a shitload of great jobs too (Facebook).

Don't follow the herds because you maybe scared to take a risk and go somewhere completely foreign. You'll find the same IT consulting type job anywhere whether it be Accenture, Deloitte, KPMG, Booze, etc. Move to a place where you WANT to be that supports your hobbies and lifestyle.

[*insertusernamehere*]

Oooooorrrrr, just come to Richmond. It doesn't even need a breakdown. Just choose somewhere. Live there. It'll take you 30 mins max to get wherever you need to be. Nova will just make you insane. Rents cheap, you can actually afford a place with a yard, you can have a garage, what's traffic? #rvaisbetter

[Apoc]

I'm pretty sure Denver is a whole time zone away from the Midwest. I know a few people who have lived there and they have said it's kinda lame for young people. 320 days of sunshine isn't bad, though.

+1 for finding the job first. I made a rule that I wouldn't have a commute over 45 min when I lived there. I kept most of mine under 30 minutes, which helped massively.

Also, downsize what you think you need on living space. Spend your free time out of the house doing things. We went from 2900 sqft in Ashburn to 1900 in walking distance of things and are much better off... even with one more person in our family now. All a young single guy needs is a bed, shitter, and beer fridge.

[Senor_Taylor]

I will move where I find a job, which is why I'm asking about DC. If it turns out I'll hate Nova, I won't accept a job there. I really like Virginia and I'd like to stay around MM for a while if possible. Thanks for the info so far.

[G.Irish]

I'll second what everyone says about optimizing for commute. There are some corridors that are not too bad on track like, the Fairfax County Parkway or going against traffic (e.g. south on 395 in the morning). Be aware that some places may be close geographically but because of their poor access to major arteries, might be a painful commute. So for example, Alexandria is next to Arlington but commuting to McLean from Alexandria could be shitty.

Metro access is the only way to do some commutes but metro is really dodgy right now so be aware of that. Another commuting option is the VRE train that starts in Fredericksburg and goes all the way to Union Station. I wouldn't recommend living in Fredericksburg and commuting, but you could get a place in maybe Lorton that is much cheaper and gives you a not-insane commute.

My other advice would be, try to get that security clearance, it's the Willy Wonka golden ticket of employment around here.

[Ken]

I'm pretty sure Denver is a whole time zone away from the Midwest. I know a few people who have lived there and they have said it's kinda lame for young people. 320 days of sunshine isn't bad, though.

+1 for finding the job first. I made a rule that I wouldn't have a commute over 45 min when I lived there. I kept most of mine under 30 minutes, which helped massively.

Also, downsize what you think you need on living space. Spend your free time out of the house doing things. We went from 2900 sqft in Ashburn to 1900 in walking distance of things and are much better off... even with one more person in our family now. All a young single guy needs is a bed, shitter, and beer fridge.

1900 sqft? That's a fucking palace to me lol. You can do with way less than even that. Toni, myself and the dog make use of about 700 sqft. Really, it's all about how it's laid out but i'm sure you'll figure that out. Main point of mine here was to not dismiss "smaller" places out of hand until you see them.

[D_Eclipse9916]

I love NOVA.

NOVA is hit or miss, you really hate it or you love it and I think a lot of this has to do with who you are, and where you decide to "experience NOVA".

[Jake]

Oooooorrrrr, just come to Richmond. It doesn't even need a breakdown. Just choose somewhere. Live there.

Did you miss the part about there not being as many jobs in his field?

[*insertusernamehere*]

Oooooorrrrr, just come to Richmond. It doesn't even need a breakdown. Just choose somewhere. Live there.

Did you miss the part about there not being as many jobs in his field?

It's just a shameless plug for my city, b.

[Apoc]

I'm pretty sure Denver is a whole time zone away from the Midwest. I know a few people who have lived there and they have said it's kinda lame for young people. 320 days of sunshine isn't bad, though.

+1 for finding the job first. I made a rule that I wouldn't have a commute over 45 min when I lived there. I kept most of mine under 30 minutes, which helped massively.

Also, downsize what you think you need on living space. Spend your free time out of the house doing things. We went from 2900 sqft in Ashburn to 1900 in walking distance of things and are much better off... even with one more person in our family now. All a young single guy needs is a bed, shitter, and beer fridge.

1900 sqft? That's a fucking palace to me lol. You can do with way less than even that. Toni, myself and the dog make use of about 700 sqft. Really, it's all about how it's laid out but i'm sure you'll figure that out. Main point of mine here was to not dismiss "smaller" places out of hand until you see them.

That includes unfinished space and the garage. Livable space is 1200.

[WRXtranceformed]

Jake's breakdown is pretty spot on, and Chris and Derek's notes about Ashburn / LoCo were also accurate. Having lived in NoVA for 25+ years you couldn't pay me to go back as I am sure Mike, Chris etc. would agree with. No matter where you are it is going to be expensive relative to other good places in the nation you can live, have fun as a youngin' and have a good job in the IT field. Did anyone mention the ridiculous Arlington city car tax? I think my brother just paid his and it was like $1300. Not to mention having to pay $150 / month on top of his rent for a parking space in his own garage and another $160+ to park next to his office in the city. :lol: :lol: Hence why most people try to take public transport up there. But if you are bougie like me and don't like to travel crammed in amongst the peasants, it is going to get claustrophobic for you and eventually the allure of the area wears off. Personally, I got tired of spending two-three hours of my day every day in the car commuting. Derek weren't you commuting for a while from like NW Wisconsin or something into the city? I don't know how you people who live out in the boonies do it.

I would also plug CLT / Research Triangle (Raleigh) for tech jobs, although people have figured out how awesome it is here and are already moving in droves, so the affordability is starting to decrease and the traffic is increasing. It doesn't bother me much as someone who just gained $13K in equity between purchase and closing but my point is you would want to get going on a move if cost of living vs. salary is important. You can still make a lot of money in your field in other areas of the country and not get nickle and dimed by the "DC Tax"

[ScottyB]

I would also plug CLT / Research Triangle (Raleigh) for tech jobs

true story. i lived in the chapel hill/durham area for almost 5 years if you have any questions. the I-40 corridor through there is pretty well laced up with high-speed line, tech companies and startups. its worth noting though, that you're pretty far from the mountains if you're into that kind of thing (coming from Roanoke), compared to DC/CLT. 3.5hr drive, minimum.

[WRXtranceformed]

I would also plug CLT / Research Triangle (Raleigh) for tech jobs

true story. i lived in the chapel hill/durham area for almost 5 years if you have any questions. the I-40 corridor through there is pretty well laced up with high-speed line, tech companies and startups. its worth noting though, that you're pretty far from the mountains if you're into that kind of thing (coming from Roanoke), compared to DC/CLT. 3.5hr drive, minimum.

Yes very good point, from Raleigh you are a little closer to the beach (OBX) but CLT is perfect for outdoorsy stuff because you're <2 hours to the Pisgah forest, 2 hours to Asheville / Boone / Blowing Rock and about 3ish hours to Charleston.

And yes this area is WIRED UP. Google Fiber has been laying down lines, the plan apparently is to make all of CLT a wifi hub. Like you can walk anywhere in the city and connect to your "home" internet connection or something. Our neighborhood heading toward the sticks is FiOS, I am getting 500 down / 250 up or something like that and we are not even on the highest tier package! I didn't even bother to hardwire my work laptop station because even on wifi on the opposite end of the house I am getting 200+ down / 100+ up