What is stopping NoVA from reaching SV level prices?

[Anonymous]

I’m not that familiar with Seattle, but from the Redfin listings I just looked at it doesn’t look anymore expensive than close-in NoVa suburbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's in Virginia, not California. A lot of people around the county have negative preconceptions about the state, and it doesn't help when there keep being major news stories about Charlottesville, Northam, etc.

You're right. Much better to have stories about human feces on the street, or a homeless problem that is a "violation of human rights" (United Nations, 2018).

Terrible as those stories are, they have not gotten anywhere near the national attention the Charlottesville rally and aftermath and Northam and company's scandals have.

I was a Lockheed Martin engineer detailed to work in Silicon Valley with an energy company building next gen fuell cells.
The difference between a SV engineer and government contractor engineer was summed up arrogantly my first week by the SV lead.

Their lead engineer looked at me and said “Lockheed Martin, you guys are really good at building what your told to.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's in Virginia, not California. A lot of people around the county have negative preconceptions about the state, and it doesn't help when there keep being major news stories about Charlottesville, Northam, etc.

You're right. Much better to have stories about human feces on the street, or a homeless problem that is a "violation of human rights" (United Nations, 2018).

Terrible as those stories are, they have not gotten anywhere near the national attention the Charlottesville rally and aftermath and Northam and company's scandals have.

I was a Lockheed Martin engineer detailed to work in Silicon Valley with an energy company building next gen fuell cells.
The difference between a SV engineer and government contractor engineer was summed up arrogantly my first week by the SV lead.

Their lead engineer looked at me and said “Lockheed Martin, you guys are really good at building what your told to.”

Was he wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's in Virginia, not California. A lot of people around the county have negative preconceptions about the state, and it doesn't help when there keep being major news stories about Charlottesville, Northam, etc.

You're right. Much better to have stories about human feces on the street, or a homeless problem that is a "violation of human rights" (United Nations, 2018).

Terrible as those stories are, they have not gotten anywhere near the national attention the Charlottesville rally and aftermath and Northam and company's scandals have.

I was a Lockheed Martin engineer detailed to work in Silicon Valley with an energy company building next gen fuell cells.
The difference between a SV engineer and government contractor engineer was summed up arrogantly my first week by the SV lead.

Their lead engineer looked at me and said “Lockheed Martin, you guys are really good at building what your told to.”

OMG what a douche. So typical! Many, many people are lovely but there are some total asses.

And for the person asking if they are right, I can tell you - no. Lots and lots of idiots, just like everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's in Virginia, not California. A lot of people around the county have negative preconceptions about the state, and it doesn't help when there keep being major news stories about Charlottesville, Northam, etc.

You're right. Much better to have stories about human feces on the street, or a homeless problem that is a "violation of human rights" (United Nations, 2018).

Terrible as those stories are, they have not gotten anywhere near the national attention the Charlottesville rally and aftermath and Northam and company's scandals have.

I was a Lockheed Martin engineer detailed to work in Silicon Valley with an energy company building next gen fuell cells.
The difference between a SV engineer and government contractor engineer was summed up arrogantly my first week by the SV lead.

Their lead engineer looked at me and said “Lockheed Martin, you guys are really good at building what your told to.”

OMG what a douche. So typical! Many, many people are lovely but there are some total asses.

And for the person asking if they are right, I can tell you - no. Lots and lots of idiots, just like everywhere.

NP. I work in Tech and the truth is the previous PP is right. Majority of the tech companies in this area are contractors who sell their services to govt agencies or non profits who are looking for bodies to do their IT work. It's a booming industry but it's not like there's any real innovation involved. And the people around here who do work for product- based companies are mostly in sales. Actually the companies doing the most innovative work in this area are the biotechs in MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it's in Virginia, not California. A lot of people around the county have negative preconceptions about the state, and it doesn't help when there keep being major news stories about Charlottesville, Northam, etc.

You're right. Much better to have stories about human feces on the street, or a homeless problem that is a "violation of human rights" (United Nations, 2018).

Terrible as those stories are, they have not gotten anywhere near the national attention the Charlottesville rally and aftermath and Northam and company's scandals have.

I was a Lockheed Martin engineer detailed to work in Silicon Valley with an energy company building next gen fuell cells.
The difference between a SV engineer and government contractor engineer was summed up arrogantly my first week by the SV lead.

Their lead engineer looked at me and said “Lockheed Martin, you guys are really good at building what your told to.”

Was he wrong?

No.
He was not wrong. Uncomfortably correct.

That being said, he had no constraints to build a fuel cell or equipment to withstand an EMP, or electronic warfare/jamming of any kind. SV is great to innovate and create; until another person/state sets out to destroy what you have created. Then their idea gets handed off to other engineers who try to make sure our enemies do not weaponize it against us.

So far they do not have a good track record and other engineers are trying to play catch up.

[Anonymous]

NP in tech on West coast. Can’t stand lawyers or government drones. Like doing interesting work. Moving to NOVA would kill us.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP in tech on West coast. Can’t stand lawyers or government drones. Like doing interesting work. Moving to NOVA would kill us.

And we are happy to keep the brogrammers out west so we can do things more worthwhile than sell ads, win-win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP in tech on West coast. Can’t stand lawyers or government drones. Like doing interesting work. Moving to NOVA would kill us.

And we are happy to keep the brogrammers out west so we can do things more worthwhile than sell ads, win-win.

I'm from the DC area and unfortunately for most folks in tech here, the highest they'll get to is being some contractor program manager for some government agency overseeing an O&M project for their archaic systems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP in tech on West coast. Can’t stand lawyers or government drones. Like doing interesting work. Moving to NOVA would kill us.

And we are happy to keep the brogrammers out west so we can do things more worthwhile than sell ads, win-win.

I'm from the DC area and unfortunately for most folks in tech here, the highest they'll get to is being some contractor program manager for some government agency overseeing an O&M project for their archaic systems.

Really? I know people here work on rockets, satellites, intelligence systems, criminal databases, as well as the new DOD cloud. Every day is different and the mission is pretty thrilling

But speaking to the core of the op, because so many people are excited to work on these things, they are not motivated by money, and the pay sucks. I have so many idealistic coworkers it’s a bit batty.

Same thing happened at SpaceX. They get paid squat, but they love the mission. And from what I hear options etc. are not very good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP in tech on West coast. Can’t stand lawyers or government drones. Like doing interesting work. Moving to NOVA would kill us.

And we are happy to keep the brogrammers out west so we can do things more worthwhile than sell ads, win-win.

I'm from the DC area and unfortunately for most folks in tech here, the highest they'll get to is being some contractor program manager for some government agency overseeing an O&M project for their archaic systems.

Really? I know people here work on rockets, satellites, intelligence systems, criminal databases, as well as the new DOD cloud. Every day is different and the mission is pretty thrilling

But speaking to the core of the op, because so many people are excited to work on these things, they are not motivated by money, and the pay sucks. I have so many idealistic coworkers it’s a bit batty.

Same thing happened at SpaceX. They get paid squat, but they love the mission. And from what I hear options etc. are not very good.

MAjority of tech people here are working for government contracting companies. This is the bread and butter of this area whether you like it or not. As one PP above said, the real innovation that's happening in this area is actually in biotech.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you been to the west coast and Virginia? One is a lovely and thriving. The other is waiting for the south to rise again.

Seeing as both Alexandria and Arlington have recently changed the name of "Jeff Davis Highway" to Richmond Highway, Arlington changed Washington-Lee HS to Washington-Loving (after the couple in the lawsuit that ended laws against interracial marriage) and Fairfax has changed JEB Stuart HS to Justice HS, I think that is not correct, at least for NoVa. Also you should take a look at our legislative delegation - almost all Dems, some moderate, some progressive, including women, POC's, Jews, and one transgender.

If Virginia leads the South to rise again, it will be a very different South. But I wouldn't count on Alabama or South Carolina to follow Virginia's lead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you been to the west coast and Virginia? One is a lovely and thriving. The other is waiting for the south to rise again.

Seeing as both Alexandria and Arlington have recently changed the name of "Jeff Davis Highway" to Richmond Highway, Arlington changed Washington-Lee HS to Washington-Loving (after the couple in the lawsuit that ended laws against interracial marriage) and Fairfax has changed JEB Stuart HS to Justice HS, I think that is not correct, at least for NoVa. Also you should take a look at our legislative delegation - almost all Dems, some moderate, some progressive, including women, POC's, Jews, and one transgender.

If Virginia leads the South to rise again, it will be a very different South. But I wouldn't count on Alabama or South Carolina to follow Virginia's lead.

And you have the gigantic stars and bars flying next to 95 south just below the express lanes. And KKK flyers in Loudon county. You NOVA dems, who I like, are stuck in the south. You cannot separate from the history and connection to the rest of the state. Now let’s talk about the NRA next..,

[Anonymous]

I think this bump has more to do with BigLaw salary wars than Amazon or any tech companies. Have you seen what a mid-level associate makes at a top law firm? Ever big firm in the country has a DC office.