Arlington or Montgomery County? [VA/MD]

[Anonymous]

So much generalizations and stereotypes in thus thread. Fly out, look at neighborhoods and houses in both areas. Visit some shopping areas and see which you like better.

Taxes and commute will likely be better in Northern Virginia. Montgomery County will maybe be a little more diverse but NoVa has a very large Asian American population. Virginia is the south but NoVa is as liberal as it gets. More in state college options too. People like to say MoCo schools are better but the school district is enormous and it really is close to a wash. MoCo is struggling financially as a county. More and more corporations are moving their HQs to Northern Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely Montgomery county.
Virginia has Richmond, the capitol of the confederacy.

Maryland until this year had the most bigoted pro-Confederacy state song, "Maryland, My Maryland." The UMD marching band and the chapel's chimes would regularly play it until recently. Virginia got rid of its state song decades earlier.

Basically anyplace you can commute to DC withing 45 minutes will be MAJORITY liberal and democrat..it will be from 65-85 percent left....does the exact percent matter to you ?

It will matter everywhere in VA if the Ds lose the general assembly this November.

Abortion bans/restrictions, defunding schools, book banning, etc. All kinds of MAGA crazy.

Is there a state without this but without Drag Queen story hours for children at public parks and libraries too? Because that’s what they have in MoCo:

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2022/08/13/lgbtq-activists-show-up-to-support-drag-queen-story-hour-at-brookside-gardens/

I’m tired of the extremism on both sides.

-Someone who thinks Obama was our best president in the past 40 years

[Anonymous]

We live in MoCo and one of the reasons we chose it was because you can get into the city without crossing a bridge. The NOVA traffic is horrible everywhere and if something happens on a bridge, woe to those trying to get into town. From MD there are myriad options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As you can see OP, it always comes down to the whole NoVa vs MoCo to try to compete with MoCo, even though you asked for Arlington v. MoCo. One county or area in NoVa cannot take on MoCo.
The hate for MoCo is strong in this forum

Did you even read the OP or just look at the title of the thread? OP said they were looking at places in both Arlington and Fairfax in NoVa and only a few places in MoCo in suburban Maryland.

Your comment is silly and contrived.

Yes she is looking at both Arlington and Fairfax but she is asking for comparison specifically between Arlington and MoCo, hence the title of the thread.

[Anonymous]

Arlington is getting to conservative. I hear they may consider enforcing non-violent property crimes. Which is ridiculous because aingtonians like having their cars broken in to all the time. Just a few months ago police would not even come out when an actual car was stolen. Just fill out a report on line for insurance claim. I hear now the police may actually come out now.

Stick with Maryland and Montgomery county for less policing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really have to caution you on MCPS and it’s alleged reputation as good. This is maybe from the 1990s - and they have been COASTING for at least the past decade plus. Know nothing about Arlington. Gosh, can you ask for transfer to another region? Just wouldn’t come here - and schools are main reason. Now if you can swing private maybe… and then either Arlington or Moco work. Arlington would win because no need for a car. Walkable. But parts of Bethesda are like that too - in fairness.

Same with Arlington schools and FCPS. People saw how bleak things are during lockdowns and watching lessons from home. They're all pretty bad school systems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So much generalizations and stereotypes in thus thread. Fly out, look at neighborhoods and houses in both areas. Visit some shopping areas and see which you like better.

Taxes and commute will likely be better in Northern Virginia. Montgomery County will maybe be a little more diverse but NoVa has a very large Asian American population. Virginia is the south but NoVa is as liberal as it gets. More in state college options too. People like to say MoCo schools are better but the school district is enormous and it really is close to a wash. MoCo is struggling financially as a county. More and more corporations are moving their HQs to Northern Virginia.

True universities would make me lean Virginia. There really is only U MD college park and my kids are reluctant to go to school with same cohort from High school.

[Anonymous]

Is the OP here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in MoCo and one of the reasons we chose it was because you can get into the city without crossing a bridge. The NOVA traffic is horrible everywhere and if something happens on a bridge, woe to those trying to get into town. From MD there are myriad options.

There are multiple bridges and Metro lines. There are reasons to live in MoCo, but I wouldn't lose too much sleep over this one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in MoCo and one of the reasons we chose it was because you can get into the city without crossing a bridge. The NOVA traffic is horrible everywhere and if something happens on a bridge, woe to those trying to get into town. From MD there are myriad options.

like the fire on the Legion bridge a few years ago that caused a 12+ hour traffic jam? People who work in NoVa and live in MD ended up turning around and sleeping in a hotel in NoVa.

[Anonymous]

Arlington or McLean for sure. MoCo peaked 50 years ago. The county even hired a consultant who compiled a report on all the ways in which MoCo had fallen behind NoVa, but then they keep electing far-left county executives who continue to make MoCo unattractive for business. As for the public high schools, MoCo is dragged down by an increasingly high-needs, low-performing student population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in MoCo and one of the reasons we chose it was because you can get into the city without crossing a bridge. The NOVA traffic is horrible everywhere and if something happens on a bridge, woe to those trying to get into town. From MD there are myriad options.

like the fire on the Legion bridge a few years ago that caused a 12+ hour traffic jam? People who work in NoVa and live in MD ended up turning around and sleeping in a hotel in NoVa.

It didn't cause a 12 hour traffic jam - the road was closed for 12 hours. This WTOP article interview talks about people taking 2 hours to get from NIH to Reston, which isn't that terrible considering?

Honestly, those people who stayed in VA overnight were idiots. There's more than one way to get from VA to MD, even if you have to wait in traffic. That would not deter me in the least from living in Northern Virginia and working in DC - chances are your average commute will be shorter than from most anyone where in MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in MoCo and one of the reasons we chose it was because you can get into the city without crossing a bridge. The NOVA traffic is horrible everywhere and if something happens on a bridge, woe to those trying to get into town. From MD there are myriad options.

like the fire on the Legion bridge a few years ago that caused a 12+ hour traffic jam? People who work in NoVa and live in MD ended up turning around and sleeping in a hotel in NoVa.

It didn't cause a 12 hour traffic jam - the road was closed for 12 hours. This WTOP article interview talks about people taking 2 hours to get from NIH to Reston, which isn't that terrible considering?

Honestly, those people who stayed in VA overnight were idiots. There's more than one way to get from VA to MD, even if you have to wait in traffic. That would not deter me in the least from living in Northern Virginia and working in DC - chances are your average commute will be shorter than from most anyone where in MoCo.

Oops, forgot the link: https://wtop.com/local/2019/03/lanes-reopen-on-inner-loop-on-american-legion-bridge/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely Montgomery county.
Virginia has Richmond, the capitol of the confederacy.

LOL. Go spend some time in rural Maryland. It's indistinguishable from rural Virginia. Heck, there are probably more confederate flags in the Maryland countryside than Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely Montgomery county.
Virginia has Richmond, the capitol of the confederacy.

LOL. Go spend some time in rural Maryland. It's indistinguishable from rural Virginia. Heck, there are probably more confederate flags in the Maryland countryside than Virginia.

Virginia doesn’t have any area that’s as much of an opiate-loaded, economically downtrodden dump as Cumberland, Maryland.

And the Eastern Shore of Maryland might as well be Alabama.