Moving from GA to DCVM area - single parent looking for advice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:@6:24 - my son's father doesn't see his son as it is. Last time he saw him was June 2013, so I'm not worried about that. He pays that voluntarily not through a court order. I'm guessing he does so out of guilt and so I don't cause problems for him at work. He is also in the military, so he knows I could if I really, really wanted to.

Wow that sucks! At least he is good about paying though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:@6:24 - my son's father doesn't see his son as it is. Last time he saw him was June 2013, so I'm not worried about that. He pays that voluntarily not through a court order. I'm guessing he does so out of guilt and so I don't cause problems for him at work. He is also in the military, so he knows I could if I really, really wanted to.

Wow that sucks! At least he is good about paying though

[Anonymous]

Op,

Whatever decision you make, I cannot tell you enough how important it is that you have as short a commute as possible. DC is nothing like Savannah--I'm sure you know that. It can take forever to go a mile. The Belle View condos sound perfect for your needs. You want to live, work, and have your son in a child care facility/school as close as possible to you. Without family here in DC area, you need to be close. In Savannah, you could live in the historic district and be at Hunter in half the time it could take you to get from Old Town to the beltway with traffic.

Be prepared, though. Everything will be much more expensive here. No comparison at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op,

Whatever decision you make, I cannot tell you enough how important it is that you have as short a commute as possible. DC is nothing like Savannah--I'm sure you know that. It can take forever to go a mile. The Belle View condos sound perfect for your needs. You want to live, work, and have your son in a child care facility/school as close as possible to you. Without family here in DC area, you need to be close. In Savannah, you could live in the historic district and be at Hunter in half the time it could take you to get from Old Town to the beltway with traffic.

Be prepared, though. Everything will be much more expensive here. No comparison at all.

Yes OP, I moved here from Georgia and it is like night and day. Can take an hour to go a few miles, crazy expensive. All the parking and metro fees add up over time.

[Anonymous]

Op here - thank you again for your input. I would love to communicate with anyone there who is willing to provide more input. Please feel free to email me at dkillian08 at gmail dot com.

[Anonymous]

I am from Savannah area as well and I think you'll like it here but it's definite culture shock. There's also not as much of a military vibe here as there is around Hunter because military doesn't make up a big chunk of the population. Everything is expensive compared to savannah: like, an oil change is $50 here vs $25 there. You'll have to have your vehicle inspected for emissions every year and pay property tax 2x a year on it plus the tag. Stuff like that. Also I hope you don't love Krystal and Zaxby's and Spanky's enough to miss them because they don't exist here. But if you drive through the hell that is I-95s to Fredericksburg you can find a Waffle House.

[Anonymous]

Also, OP, going to PA to drop your son off when you go to drill could also be a challenge. Friday afternoons/evening traffic is unbearable on the beltway and arteries. You need to double the time you expect it to take. Doing this once a month could get very tiresome.

Suggestion: Come to DC and take the trip on a weekend. See what happens before you find a Reserve unit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am from Savannah area as well and I think you'll like it here but it's definite culture shock. There's also not as much of a military vibe here as there is around Hunter because military doesn't make up a big chunk of the population. Everything is expensive compared to savannah: like, an oil change is $50 here vs $25 there. You'll have to have your vehicle inspected for emissions every year and pay property tax 2x a year on it plus the tag. Stuff like that. Also I hope you don't love Krystal and Zaxby's and Spanky's enough to miss them because they don't exist here. But if you drive through the hell that is I-95s to Fredericksburg you can find a Waffle House.

Stop trying to scare OP. She sounds like she has her shit together. She'll manage fine.

[Anonymous]

I'm not trying to scare her, I love it here. This is useful shit to know when you're moving here from somewhere very different that has a much lower COL. I went through that shock myself as a Georgian, was simply passing along useful info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am from Savannah area as well and I think you'll like it here but it's definite culture shock. There's also not as much of a military vibe here as there is around Hunter because military doesn't make up a big chunk of the population. Everything is expensive compared to savannah: like, an oil change is $50 here vs $25 there. You'll have to have your vehicle inspected for emissions every year and pay property tax 2x a year on it plus the tag. Stuff like that. Also I hope you don't love Krystal and Zaxby's and Spanky's enough to miss them because they don't exist here. But if you drive through the hell that is I-95s to Fredericksburg you can find a Waffle House.

Stop trying to scare OP. She sounds like she has her shit together. She'll manage fine.

I am another poster but I made this point upthread. Yes, everything here is much more expensive. I was amazed when we went to Virginia Beach last year and the cost of almost everything down there was so much cheaper.

[Anonymous]

OP, I haven't read your whole thread, but I wanted to suggest you look into the USPTO on-site child care. I don't know anyting about it, except that it is there. I am a patent agent and get to the PTO from time to time. I live in MD, so can't help you with housing, except I am familiar with the Belleview condos, and they seem pretty decent.

I am also in the process of moving to Georgia (Atlanta). I'd love any advice you might have for moving in the other direction. We're faced with deciding whether to go private or figuring out where the good schools are down here (I am in ATL at the moment).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am from Savannah area as well and I think you'll like it here but it's definite culture shock. There's also not as much of a military vibe here as there is around Hunter because military doesn't make up a big chunk of the population. Everything is expensive compared to savannah: like, an oil change is $50 here vs $25 there. You'll have to have your vehicle inspected for emissions every year and pay property tax 2x a year on it plus the tag. Stuff like that. Also I hope you don't love Krystal and Zaxby's and Spanky's enough to miss them because they don't exist here. But if you drive through the hell that is I-95s to Fredericksburg you can find a Waffle House.

do you even live in Va.????

Oil change is $29.99. Just got it done last week.

Emissions testing is every OTHER year.... not every year.

Property tax on your car is ONCE a year -- due Oct. 5th every year. They will send you the bill based on your car's value. Our 2009 Rav4 was $145 and our Camry '04 was $68. Newer cars cost more. Yes, you pay for registration once a year. That is pretty much the case in all 50 states (but you can pay for 2 years at a time and get a sticker reflecting that).

If OP has base privileges, she can shop at the commissary.

[Anonymous]

Op here - you are all amazing and I'm so grateful for the amount of input I've received. I feel like all inout is valuable because it will definitely be a shock. The more you tell me the more I know so I can't complain once I get up here. You all have permission to say "I told you so" if I do.

It just so happens I was up here today for my second interview. I have to say that I love it already. your honest assessments are helping me figure out how to make it work.

[Anonymous]

OP can you get over to the Belle View area and the Kingstowne/Island Creek/Landsdowne area to get a real feel for what living there is like? People can tell you X is great or Y is great, but it really depends on what looks good to YOU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here - you are all amazing and I'm so grateful for the amount of input I've received. I feel like all inout is valuable because it will definitely be a shock. The more you tell me the more I know so I can't complain once I get up here. You all have permission to say "I told you so" if I do.

It just so happens I was up here today for my second interview. I have to say that I love it already. your honest assessments are helping me figure out how to make it work.

We're rootin' for you, OP! It is a good sign that you were up for a second interview and we hope that you get the job!