Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of people have a natural affinity for one over the other--I don't think the "trashing" goes in one direction more than the other.

In general, as a liberal D, I am more comfortable with the politics in MD than VA, which still celebrates Lee-Jackson Day. On a more specific level, I do find northern VA awful to be designed only to be navigated by car, and yet awful to navigate by car.

In MD traffic is horrible because the county spent years and years on a plan which concentrates growth as much as possible and results in too many cars on the road. In VA traffic is horrible because no one ever plans for growth, resulting in too many cars on the road.

Surely you realize that NoVA is practically an entity unto itself as far as the rest of VA is concerned? I've never seen or heard of anyone north of Fredricksburg or Richmond doing this.

So what? It's the same state, same governor, same holiday.

Divided highways
Lack of zoning regulations
Strip malls
Hostility to immigrants
Hostility to gays and lesbians
Republican politics
Concealed weapons laws
Vaginal ultrasounds

When I first migrated to this country 9 years ago I lived in DC while I was illegal.
Soon as I got my paper work straight by marriage to a US citizen we moved to VA.
Many of my friends prefer MD because they are illegal and have driver's licences so they don't have to get stopped by police.They all think VA is fake because it's too strict over here

Because everything here is a pissing contest. Seriously. That's all you need to know.

I know that Northern Virginia is nothing like Richmond, but the fact of the matter is still that there is a very good chance of being governed at the state level by right wingers. Remember the requirement that anyone wanting an abortion would have to get an ultrasound? Not to mention Cuccinelli's vendetta on climate change, or some of the anti-gay stuff.

That said, I think someone from the outside wouldn't notice the differences as much. I don't think the tax difference is all that much, and the housing costs (when comparing the same close in neighborhoods with good schools) are comparable too. Someone said that people who live in DC buy in MD, but people who move to DC buy in VA and I think there is something to that.


p.s. nice to see our resident MD-trashing troll finally found this thread

I liked the diversity of close-in NoVa better than MoCo. And the ethnic restaurants are much better. But it's too close to weirdness for me. I was at the Target in Springfield a few years back and listened as a male customer in line carrying a handgun made a racist comment toward the black cashier. NOT COOL. I have never seen anything like it in 40 years of living in Maryland. Just during my short time in VA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of people have a natural affinity for one over the other--I don't think the "trashing" goes in one direction more than the other.

In general, as a liberal D, I am more comfortable with the politics in MD than VA, which still celebrates Lee-Jackson Day. On a more specific level, I do find northern VA awful to be designed only to be navigated by car, and yet awful to navigate by car.

In MD traffic is horrible because the county spent years and years on a plan which concentrates growth as much as possible and results in too many cars on the road. In VA traffic is horrible because no one ever plans for growth, resulting in too many cars on the road.

Surely you realize that NoVA is practically an entity unto itself as far as the rest of VA is concerned? I've never seen or heard of anyone north of Fredricksburg or Richmond doing this.

I'm OP and it makes me laugh that people lump Northern Virginia in with "the South." I'm from the South. This is NOT the South. You're right, Northern Virginia is its own entity. Geographically it might lie in the South but there are no Southerners here.

Bless ya'll's heart for pointing that out...

Please don't turn it into a South bashing post. My point was, if the only "minus" against Virginia is you think it's "the South", it's not a very strong point. And y'all is already plural, it doesn't require an "s" and you punctuated it incorrectly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of people have a natural affinity for one over the other--I don't think the "trashing" goes in one direction more than the other.

In general, as a liberal D, I am more comfortable with the politics in MD than VA, which still celebrates Lee-Jackson Day. On a more specific level, I do find northern VA awful to be designed only to be navigated by car, and yet awful to navigate by car.

In MD traffic is horrible because the county spent years and years on a plan which concentrates growth as much as possible and results in too many cars on the road. In VA traffic is horrible because no one ever plans for growth, resulting in too many cars on the road.

Surely you realize that NoVA is practically an entity unto itself as far as the rest of VA is concerned? I've never seen or heard of anyone north of Fredricksburg or Richmond doing this.

I'm OP and it makes me laugh that people lump Northern Virginia in with "the South." I'm from the South. This is NOT the South. You're right, Northern Virginia is its own entity. Geographically it might lie in the South but there are no Southerners here.

Bless ya'll's heart for pointing that out...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of people have a natural affinity for one over the other--I don't think the "trashing" goes in one direction more than the other.

In general, as a liberal D, I am more comfortable with the politics in MD than VA, which still celebrates Lee-Jackson Day. On a more specific level, I do find northern VA awful to be designed only to be navigated by car, and yet awful to navigate by car.

In MD traffic is horrible because the county spent years and years on a plan which concentrates growth as much as possible and results in too many cars on the road. In VA traffic is horrible because no one ever plans for growth, resulting in too many cars on the road.

Surely you realize that NoVA is practically an entity unto itself as far as the rest of VA is concerned? I've never seen or heard of anyone north of Fredricksburg or Richmond doing this.

I'm OP and it makes me laugh that people lump Northern Virginia in with "the South." I'm from the South. This is NOT the South. You're right, Northern Virginia is its own entity. Geographically it might lie in the South but there are no Southerners here.

Anonymous wrote:Op, I think its kind of an old DC thing. All the old partners at my firm live in MD, and the young ones in NOVA. I think NOVA used to be very much less desirable, and things have gotten a little more even recently. Wealthy DC commuters have generally gravitated to MD because the schools are better, homes bigger, no bridges. I have housesat for my partner several times in the Palisades however, and I find the traffic just as bad from there as it is from North Arlington. Taxes are also lower in VA. I think it depends who you ask -- the over 45 crowd, MD much better. The younger, under 35 -- its between DC and VA, and DC is obviously considered much cooler. But I still had to pay $700k plus for my wee home in NOVA, so, who knows... obviously some of us want to live there.

VA schools are superior than MD. There are a few good MD schools but the number of good ones in VA greatly greatly outnumber the good MD schools. You can also buy a bigger house in an equally desirable location for less money and taxes in VA (Bethesda vs Mclean).

Anonymous wrote:My only issue with VA is the way it's not planned out physically. I feel like my MD 'hood is an extention of DC, with walkability to town, and no strip malls. Haven't found that in VA.

Ha! That's a good one.

Op, I think its kind of an old DC thing. All the old partners at my firm live in MD, and the young ones in NOVA. I think NOVA used to be very much less desirable, and things have gotten a little more even recently. Wealthy DC commuters have generally gravitated to MD because the schools are better, homes bigger, no bridges. I have housesat for my partner several times in the Palisades however, and I find the traffic just as bad from there as it is from North Arlington. Taxes are also lower in VA. I think it depends who you ask -- the over 45 crowd, MD much better. The younger, under 35 -- its between DC and VA, and DC is obviously considered much cooler. But I still had to pay $700k plus for my wee home in NOVA, so, who knows... obviously some of us want to live there.

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of people have a natural affinity for one over the other--I don't think the "trashing" goes in one direction more than the other.

In general, as a liberal D, I am more comfortable with the politics in MD than VA, which still celebrates Lee-Jackson Day. On a more specific level, I do find northern VA awful to be designed only to be navigated by car, and yet awful to navigate by car.

In MD traffic is horrible because the county spent years and years on a plan which concentrates growth as much as possible and results in too many cars on the road. In VA traffic is horrible because no one ever plans for growth, resulting in too many cars on the road.

Surely you realize that NoVA is practically an entity unto itself as far as the rest of VA is concerned? I've never seen or heard of anyone north of Fredricksburg or Richmond doing this.

I think a lot of people have a natural affinity for one over the other--I don't think the "trashing" goes in one direction more than the other.

In general, as a liberal D, I am more comfortable with the politics in MD than VA, which still celebrates Lee-Jackson Day. On a more specific level, I do find northern VA awful to be designed only to be navigated by car, and yet awful to navigate by car.

In MD traffic is horrible because the county spent years and years on a plan which concentrates growth as much as possible and results in too many cars on the road. In VA traffic is horrible because no one ever plans for growth, resulting in too many cars on the road.

Politics