Crossing the border - moving to VA from MD

[Anonymous]

Moco has more of a history. You had WASPs, Catholics and Jews akin to what you would find in other cities. Nova is newer and in a sense doesn't have that history which is a plus for many.

Richmond is a tough pill to swallow, but even that is changing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Silver Spring is a suburb...

That's what I was coming to say. Arlington/SS are very similar in terms of distance to many job centers in DC, amenities, etc. Lots of my friends live in both.

Do MD people who have this mental block really not have any friends who live in VA? Most of my friends are transplants anyway so I guess we don't care where we all live, we just get together- we all live in the best commuting spots we can

Yeah, this is odd. I am a “native” Northern Virginian but I have friends who live in MD and regularly travel to Bethesda, SS, etc. for socializing, shopping, etc. I’m surprised OP as a native Marylander has this mental block about NOVA. They’re not really that different....? We looked at houses in MD and I would have happily lived there but it didn’t make the most sense for our DC and VA commutes. Never occurred to me to “hate” my neighboring state, lol.

[Anonymous]

Not sure why people are piling on.

OP, I get it. I grew up partly in NoVA so when my family left DC for the suburbs a few years ago, I didn't consider MD because it just felt "foreign" to me.

I'm in Fairfax now and really, it's pretty blue.

[Anonymous]

We live in dc and will temporarily move if dc schools follow some dumb schedule while va schools normalize. Va looks more lovely by the minute...love that state income tax rate!

[Anonymous]

Born and raised in Northern Virginia and feel the same about Maryland. Don't really hate it but it definitely feels like a very different place. I don't mind visiting but wouldn't want to live there.

[Anonymous]

I find it's all much of a muchness OP.

The Nova suburbs are more recently developed. It's easier to commute to DC from MD. Think there was probably more of a difference 20-30 years ago than now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I'm a native Marylander, and still live in MD, so I understand. I can't imagine crossing the river either, but if you can get past the mental part of it, I'm sure you'll be fine.

For me, there is something about Virginia being the seat of the Confederacy that I just can't get over -- even 155 years after the Civil War ended. It helps, though, that even in Virginia they are starting to displace monuments to the Confederacy and take Lee's name, and those of other Confederate leaders, off of schools and such.

LOL. Maryland was south of the Mason-Dixon line. Give me a break.

DP.. it's more about recent history, 1960's, than something that happened in 1860. Did you see the movie "Loving"? That coupled came up to DC to escape VA's racist marriage laws at the time. 1967 - many of us were alive in 1967.

VA also only recently ratified the ERA - Jan. 2020.

Those things don't impact our day to day lives, obviously, but it's the combination of those little things that makes VA look more like the "south" to outsiders.

BTW, I just realized how ironic the "Virginia is for lovers" slogan is. LOL

[Anonymous]

I moved to Silver Spring from out of state and lived there for about 10 years. Then we moved to Northern Virginia and have lived here for about 4 years.

Here are my observations between two counties (Montgomery County vs Fairfax County) mainly from a financial perspective in no particular order:
- Gas is, on average, cheaper in VA by 5-10 cents (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_taxes_in_the_United_States)
- MoCo has a bag tax, Fairfax does not
- Homeowners Insurance tends to be cheaper in Fairfax as compared to MoCo (even with a bigger house and the same coverage, we pay less in Homeowners insurance in VA)
- No difference in Car insurance but Fairfax has a car tax (our cars are beaters so this cost was negligible at a couple hundred dollars for both cars)
- Property taxes are smidge lower in Fairfax than MoCo
- Regarding taxes, I remember in 2015 when MoCo Council unanimously raised property taxes without a vote of any kind whereas Fairfax allowed its citizens to vote on increasing sales tax on food to fund education in 2016. I'm not a big political person but it was an interesting observation to see.
- I don't have much commentary on schools because that's neighborhood dependent but both counties spend a large portion of their budget on education
- There are more ways to get into DC from Fairfax (Orange & Silver lines, 66, Route 50, George Washington Pkway) than MoCo (Red line, 16th street, Cabin John, maybe even George Washington Pkway)
- There are more toll roads in Fairfax (267, 66) than MoCo (ICC)
- Traffic is horrible in both
- MoCo is filled with red light cameras and speed cameras (local roads and highways). Very few in Fairfax County
- Fairfax seems to have more parks but they are smaller in size compared to MoCo which may have fewer parks but they are bigger
- MoCo has an income tax (3.5%) and Fairfax does not any income tax.

All in all, none of the above financial differences between the counties are individually debilitating but collectively, they add up in favor of Fairfax (overall cost savings). That allowed us to buy a little bigger of a house, save a little more, and enjoy eating out a little more.

Overall though, the people are the same on both sides (you got nice people and crazies in both), restaurants are about the same, the temperature and air are the same (lol), etc.

Good luck on your decision OP and hope this info helps you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So so so much better. I grew up in Bethesda/Chevy Chase. People are so much nicer here and No one will ask you what high school you went to.

? MoCo is more than Bethesda/CC. No one has asked me where I went to HS. Maybe it's because I live in Rockville. LOL

[Anonymous]

NoVA is over developed IMO. MoCo has more green space. That's one of the differences I notice. And I'm originally from CA.

[Anonymous]

Interesting I am a minority and remember going to a party at Columbia Country club. I have never felt more uncomfortable in my life.. I did not feel as nearly as uncomfortable at Riverbend or Westwood which are Nova equivalents to Columbia. That is why I like Nova is that day to day you do not feel the discrimination and privilege that you would feel in certain parts of Moco.

I understand that I would have the same feelings in Richmond, but I never go there so not a big deal to me.

[Anonymous]

OP, I attended a W school, living in MoCo my whole life, though decades ago, but lived as an adult in NoVa and sent our children to FCPS.

Know what you are getting into re: gifted education in FCPS. I can not stress this enough. This alone makes me wish we had been in MoCo.

There is a military mindset in NoVa. It shows up in many, many ways, imo. It is the aspect I like least re: NoVa, and the South in particular. The result is less creativity, more emphasis on following authority. Math and science education is better in FCPS, the teaching of literature, critical thinking, creative writing is much better in MoCo.

On the other hand, there is an emphasis on fitness, on being a joiner, joining a sport. Fewer troublemakers. It's not tolerated. Differences are not as tolerated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting I am a minority and remember going to a party at Columbia Country club. I have never felt more uncomfortable in my life.. I did not feel as nearly as uncomfortable at Riverbend or Westwood which are Nova equivalents to Columbia. That is why I like Nova is that day to day you do not feel the discrimination and privilege that you would feel in certain parts of Moco.

I understand that I would have the same feelings in Richmond, but I never go there so not a big deal to me.

My spouse is an immigrant POC and prefers the MD side of the Potomac because, to be blunt, spouse feels that Black and Jewish people tend to be more friendly/accepting to visible “outsiders” than wasps. I can’t say I’ve personally witnessed this (I am a wasp so they’re nice enough when I’m around) but I believe it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I attended a W school, living in MoCo my whole life, though decades ago, but lived as an adult in NoVa and sent our children to FCPS.

Know what you are getting into re: gifted education in FCPS. I can not stress this enough. This alone makes me wish we had been in MoCo.

There is a military mindset in NoVa. It shows up in many, many ways, imo. It is the aspect I like least re: NoVa, and the South in particular. The result is less creativity, more emphasis on following authority. Math and science education is better in FCPS, the teaching of literature, critical thinking, creative writing is much better in MoCo.

On the other hand, there is an emphasis on fitness, on being a joiner, joining a sport. Fewer troublemakers. It's not tolerated. Differences are not as tolerated.

Can you elaborate more about the gifted education? My kids are too little to know if they would be gifted but still interested in your perspective.

[Anonymous]

Other than Virgina has no dentists it is not that different