Alexandria vs Arlington, McLean or Bethesda

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Flooding. I also like old town but the nearby neighborhoods seem to have major water issues during big storms. As sea levels rise it will only get worse. Initially I though flooding was isolated to old town but I have learned how wrong I was. Also, I like to live in an area with good public schools as a backup even though my kids don’t go to them.

OP here. This is good to know, I thought the problem was confined to old town. But it seems like places like Rosemont and Beverly Hills don’t have those issues, do they? And those neighborhoods seem really lovely and a short drive to old town (as I said I want a suburban feel but a quick drive to a downtown).

The issue is not so much the flooding of the streets, which does happen to a limited degree at the end of King St. The sewers back-up which pushes raw sewage into your house. My basement flooded with raw sewage several times when I lived in North Old Town. Two times it was bad enough that I needed to rip out drywall and carpet to fix it.

I moved. Not a problem where I live now.

[Anonymous]

The other sewage problem is that they are actively pumping sewage into the Potomac River when it rains a certain amount (not a lot). Here is an old Washington Post article about it. Nothing has changed in 5 years interestingly. This is not a place where you want to take your dog to the park and throw a stick into the water to be retrieved.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/when-it-rains-in-alexandria-sewage-flows-into-the-river/2016/10/10/16bed5d2-8bd7-11e6-bf8a-3d26847eeed4_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Besides the flooding and sewage issues, which are well-documented, in Alexandria, it is appropriate to bring up the traffic problems. Before considering Alexandria, take a minute and do a quick scan of FaceBook and NextDoor. You'll find lots of citizen unrest and unhappiness with city leaders and transportation officials.

While abated currently during covid because of changes in driving patterns it is sure to be a problem again once things start back up and people need to get to work or to the dentist or just go get a soda. When I drive carpool from Rosemont into DC, the worst part of my drive is from the 14th Street Bridge all the way into Old Town. That part of my drive in the afternoon can take an hour. The problems are: purposefully unsynchronized lights, failure to clear HOV lanes, failure to enforce people who don't clear the box, and the changes in King Street and Quaker Lane that have forced commuters to take alternate routes.

#JustinsTrafficJam
#TakeBackSeminaryRoad

What took you so long?

I know who she is. She's pretty much shunned in Alexandria but she's too dumb to realize it.

Shunned in Alexandria? What is the area some high school clique? That is ridiculous.

Exactly. If "she" is being shunned then sign me up, too. Nothing would make me happier than being shunned by that yokel. Sigh. Shunned! I never cease to be amazed at how embarrassing some of our residents are. We keep reaching new depths. The astounding thing is that this one is so eager to show it off. It isn't the first time that she or he has posted about shunning someone. Jeez.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Flooding. I also like old town but the nearby neighborhoods seem to have major water issues during big storms. As sea levels rise it will only get worse. Initially I though flooding was isolated to old town but I have learned how wrong I was. Also, I like to live in an area with good public schools as a backup even though my kids don’t go to them.

OP here. This is good to know, I thought the problem was confined to old town. But it seems like places like Rosemont and Beverly Hills don’t have those issues, do they? And those neighborhoods seem really lovely and a short drive to old town (as I said I want a suburban feel but a quick drive to a downtown).

You can see the problem areas on this site. Rosemont has a lot of red.

https://floodfactor.com/

I just used this to look up a bunch of addresses and I really appreciate the resource!

I did come back here to add though that it says 15% of homes in Alexandria are "at risk" of some flooding - but so are 9% of homes in Arlington. There are definitely zones in Alexandria (esp. Old Town) that are high risk but I really don't think flooding is a reason to choose Arlington, McLean, or Bethesda over Alexandria. It just is another factor to consider when looking at a specific home.

[Anonymous]

We lived in DelRay for a while, and really liked it, but moved south down the parkway to get a bigger yard/more competent school system. Not sure about the school system but love the greenery and quick shot to old town/dc. Check out 22307.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Besides the flooding and sewage issues, which are well-documented, in Alexandria, it is appropriate to bring up the traffic problems. Before considering Alexandria, take a minute and do a quick scan of FaceBook and NextDoor. You'll find lots of citizen unrest and unhappiness with city leaders and transportation officials.

While abated currently during covid because of changes in driving patterns it is sure to be a problem again once things start back up and people need to get to work or to the dentist or just go get a soda. When I drive carpool from Rosemont into DC, the worst part of my drive is from the 14th Street Bridge all the way into Old Town. That part of my drive in the afternoon can take an hour. The problems are: purposefully unsynchronized lights, failure to clear HOV lanes, failure to enforce people who don't clear the box, and the changes in King Street and Quaker Lane that have forced commuters to take alternate routes.

#JustinsTrafficJam
#TakeBackSeminaryRoad

What took you so long?

I know who she is. She's pretty much shunned in Alexandria but she's too dumb to realize it.

Shunned in Alexandria? What is the area some high school clique? That is ridiculous.

Exactly. If "she" is being shunned then sign me up, too. Nothing would make me happier than being shunned by that yokel. Sigh. Shunned! I never cease to be amazed at how embarrassing some of our residents are. We keep reaching new depths. The astounding thing is that this one is so eager to show it off. It isn't the first time that she or he has posted about shunning someone. Jeez.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We lived in DelRay for a while, and really liked it, but moved south down the parkway to get a bigger yard/more competent school system. Not sure about the school system but love the greenery and quick shot to old town/dc. Check out 22307.

You moved down the parkway for...schools? Ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll chime in for Bethesda:
No bridges, seriously, we may have a longer commute than Arlington but there’s a million ways to get home if a bridge is blocked.
Easier access to NW DC
Downtown Bethesda is no longer cute or really home to mom and pop shops but it’s a good place to grab a bite to eat and the kids seem to love it
Schools are good and there’s a better selection of privates if that’s your jam
I know this is outdated, but personally, I could never live in part of the former Confederacy
If you are Jewish, it seems to be preferable

You do know that Maryland was a huge slave state, don't you? You care more about declarations of succession than you do about holding human beings in bondage? You're either a hypocrite or a moron.

Which is it?

LOL. Virginians penned most of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. A Marylander authored the Dred Scott opinion.

So don’t rule out the possibility PP is both a hypocrite and a moron.

No dog in this fight (as I live in DC), but I just finished reading Ron Chernow's book Hamilton, and I would say that you're mistaken about the Constitution. And Virginia's Jefferson comes off very badly in the Hamilton book.

Both Maryland and Virginia have bad histories when it comes to slavery.

[Anonymous]

* I'm the poster above- just adding that I have no idea who the traffic lady is (other than an obsessive OCD person) but I'm talking about how reputation in a small town matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:* I'm the poster above- just adding that I have no idea who the traffic lady is (other than an obsessive OCD person) but I'm talking about how reputation in a small town matters.

Alexandria is not a small enough town that everyone knows each other. I’ve heard that party story but I have no idea who it is about (and don’t care-it’s not one of my friends and has no impact in my life.) I’m sure she got dropped by her friend group, but it’s not like she wears a scarlet A and can’t walk down the street without people whispering. I’m sure their are gossipy people who spend their time on this, but no one I know in Alexandria is like this. Likewise, I don’t spend all my days complaining about traffic. Please don’t take these insane people (either side of the last few posts) as representative of the City!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll chime in for Bethesda:
No bridges, seriously, we may have a longer commute than Arlington but there’s a million ways to get home if a bridge is blocked.
Easier access to NW DC
Downtown Bethesda is no longer cute or really home to mom and pop shops but it’s a good place to grab a bite to eat and the kids seem to love it
Schools are good and there’s a better selection of privates if that’s your jam
I know this is outdated, but personally, I could never live in part of the former Confederacy
If you are Jewish, it seems to be preferable

You do know that Maryland was a huge slave state, don't you? You care more about declarations of succession than you do about holding human beings in bondage? You're either a hypocrite or a moron.

Which is it?

This There is a reason middle class Black people and Jewish people have historically chosen to live in Maryland instead of Virginia. It’s because they voted with their wallets that Virginia is a more racist state. Only until a few years ago residents of Arlington and Fairfax had no problem with schools, roads, and other public infrastructure being named after racist seditionists. I’m talking a lot of roads and schools too, not an isolated case of one statue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:* I'm the poster above- just adding that I have no idea who the traffic lady is (other than an obsessive OCD person) but I'm talking about how reputation in a small town matters.

Alexandria is not a small enough town that everyone knows each other. I’ve heard that party story but I have no idea who it is about (and don’t care-it’s not one of my friends and has no impact in my life.) I’m sure she got dropped by her friend group, but it’s not like she wears a scarlet A and can’t walk down the street without people whispering. I’m sure their are gossipy people who spend their time on this, but no one I know in Alexandria is like this. Likewise, I don’t spend all my days complaining about traffic. Please don’t take these insane people (either side of the last few posts) as representative of the City!!

If you're a white, umc mom of rec sports playing kids aged 5-13, the world is very small. The further east you go, the smaller the circle.

[Anonymous]

Alexandria brings out the worst in small town socialization with lots of juvenile antics as evidenced above with the shunner as well as overt and covert racism. The small town politicos are so out of it that they don't even realize they are the laughing stock of the rest of the state. The mayor has delusions of grandeur and thinks he is going to be the next king. It is a crazy place. Come here for the laughs and giggles but make no mistake that the place is a hot mess. You can't make up the things that these people do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:* I'm the poster above- just adding that I have no idea who the traffic lady is (other than an obsessive OCD person) but I'm talking about how reputation in a small town matters.

Alexandria is not a small enough town that everyone knows each other. I’ve heard that party story but I have no idea who it is about (and don’t care-it’s not one of my friends and has no impact in my life.) I’m sure she got dropped by her friend group, but it’s not like she wears a scarlet A and can’t walk down the street without people whispering. I’m sure their are gossipy people who spend their time on this, but no one I know in Alexandria is like this. Likewise, I don’t spend all my days complaining about traffic. Please don’t take these insane people (either side of the last few posts) as representative of the City!!

If you're a white, umc mom of rec sports playing kids aged 5-13, the world is very small. The further east you go, the smaller the circle.

Sounds like you have some good parties though!

Signed,
Married Man

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:* I'm the poster above- just adding that I have no idea who the traffic lady is (other than an obsessive OCD person) but I'm talking about how reputation in a small town matters.

Alexandria is not a small enough town that everyone knows each other. I’ve heard that party story but I have no idea who it is about (and don’t care-it’s not one of my friends and has no impact in my life.) I’m sure she got dropped by her friend group, but it’s not like she wears a scarlet A and can’t walk down the street without people whispering. I’m sure their are gossipy people who spend their time on this, but no one I know in Alexandria is like this. Likewise, I don’t spend all my days complaining about traffic. Please don’t take these insane people (either side of the last few posts) as representative of the City!!

If you're a white, umc mom of rec sports playing kids aged 5-13, the world is very small. The further east you go, the smaller the circle.

UMC in Alexandria? Really? Not.