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Tips for moving to VA?
hi tildians,
i'll be moving to VA pretty soon. if there's anyone who's lived there, and could possibly share any tips, that would be nice! and I mean anything -- places to check out, info for people out of state, etc.
thanks!
What part of the state?
General advice: Don’t speed. 20 over, or anything over 85 is considered wreck less driving. Radar detectors are illegal.
Giving the location would help a lot. Living in Richmond? Got plenty of rec's. Living out in the Appalachians? Not so much, outside of a few hiking trails. Living in northern VA? You're not living in VA, you're in the DC suburbs, and may god have mercy on your soul.
Haha, NoVa it is! Is it the traffic?
It is indeed, though there is also the fact that it really is more of a part of DC than VA, depending on how north you are. I don't really have anything to add for NoVa that nukeman didn't cover below other than, however bad you might think the traffic is, it will be worse, especially when it snows.
It’s wild to me that it’s illegal to listen for certain radio waves - I understand the intent, but it’s also insane.
That would make certain antenna lengths illegal. And broad-spectrum radio receivers. And I believe 5 GHz WiFi overlaps with radar bands. Packets dropped? Now you can suspect you’re being flooded with radar pings and you just broke the law.
Herndon/Reston :) and thanks for the tip!
Okay, you’re in NoVa. I grew up near Mount Vernon until 2018. I can give more relevant advice. I’ll start with the negatives:
Now the positives:
Traffic is not great, but I'll say it's gotten a lot better after the pandemic. DC area jobs broadly had simultaneously the least reason to be in the office and a lot of stuffy policies forcing people to be there. The WFH revolution had a much bigger impact on DC than most cities with a huge drop in people driving in. Traffic is still bad and if you can afford to live by one of the Metro stations in Herndon/Reston, I'd highly recommend that.
Potential areas of culture shock: you're moving into the most highly educated county in the nation. It's a lot harder to be the "smartest person in the room" here. If someone tells you they "work for the government" and doesn't seem keen to discuss it too much, don't push the issue. There are a lot of 3-letter agency employees/contractors in the area. If you see political/news people you know out and about, don't make a big deal about it; this is "Hollywood for Ugly People" as the saying goes.
Like the other commenter said, the Dog Days of summer are humid here. But I'd say a really nice thing is that Spring and Fall are both amazing and they "last longer" here. Which is nice because you are within 30/40 minutes of three very nice National Parks. If you enjoy biking, the W&OD trail is one of the nicest experiences you can have, lined with little brewpubs and bike shops along the way. Reston is literally a grid of beautiful paved trails through the woods connecting the lakes, Village Centers, and Golf Courses. It's been massively overdeveloped in places (and getting worse) but it's a quality of life you won't find almost anywhere else.
Other fun things;
Aslin brewery in Herndon Old Town (they usually have food trucks)
Jimmy's in Old Town
Lake Anne Village Center is like going to Europe... Esp. if you are a Brutalism/architecture buff.
Lots of "great experience" wineries/breweries within 30ish minutes (Vanish, Paradise Springs, Bull Run to name a few).
Meadowlark Gardens is amazing.
Wolf Trap is great - go see any show there at all, it's just fun to be in.
Occoquan/Clifton are both fun and have great hiking around.
Tons of really nice little concerts at Reston Town, Lake Anne, Herndon Fest, etc.
And, of course, all the stuff in DC 20 minutes down the road.
Ironic autocorrect?
Haha I’m letting that stay.
I grew up in the southwest part and still have family and friends there.
Go down the blue ridge parkway in September or October to see the leaves change