Living in DC area -- Advice?

[woodstock]

Shall we talk about the toll road, where you get to pay for the privilege of sitting in gridlock?

I pay 11-plus bucks per day in tolls. You read that right.

Luckily the greenway isn't too terribly bad, gridlock wise.

I consider myself to be very lucky in regards to traffic around here. As long as I only go to work, and home, that is.

 

[wsuffa]

I pay 11-plus bucks per day in tolls. You read that right.

Luckily the greenway isn't too terribly bad, gridlock wise.

I consider myself to be very lucky in regards to traffic around here. As long as I only go to work, and home, that is.

Isn't it about to go up again?

Before you complain too much about the tolls, you do get free parking. If you park in DC, you may pay more than that per day just to park. BTDT.

 

[woodstock]

True, good point.

I remember one time attending a DC conference. I left my home "earlier than I thought necessary". I only live about 30-ish miles from downtown, mind you.

It took so ^&*f&*(ing long that I had to exit the highway and find a starbucks for a pit stop. And I don't mean food.

 

[wsuffa]

True, good point.

I remember one time attending a DC conference. I left my home "earlier than I thought necessary". I only live about 30-ish miles from downtown, mind you.

It took so ^&*f&*(ing long that I had to exit the highway and find a starbucks for a pit stop. And I don't mean food.

The ride from out your way into DC proper may be the worst commute in the area, between the toll road congestion and having to take "city streets" because the toll road becomes car pool only inside the beltway. It's certainly in the top 4 - I rank these as "worst" in no particular order:

Toll road from Ashburn/Reston into DC
I-66 from Manassas into DC
I-270 from Frederick into DC
and I95/395 from Fredericksburg into DC.

 

[flyersfan31]

In 1994, when I first started commuting into Bethesda, from the north (Columbia), I could leave at 6:30am and be in the gym by 7. If I had to go in late, leaving anytime after maybe 9:15am meant a quick ride around the beltway.

By 2004, when I retired (!!!), getting into Bethesda by 7 meant leaving by 5:45am. I ditched the 7am routine. That's nuts. Leaving the house at 8, I resorted to back roads, obscure back roads, more obscure with every 4br house and townhouse that got built, and usually got in in about 1:20/1:30. Getting in late? Gridlock on the Beltway until maybe 10:45, which resolved until 11:40, and then it was pretty constant until 7:30pm.

Snow or rain?? It was a good thing they didn't stock razor blades in our restrooms at work. I wouldn't be here.

Then, you have to deal with all the "inside the beltway" bs. It's very stressed out, that area.

Never again. Never again.

 

[wsuffa]

In 1994, when I first started commuting into Bethesda, from the north (Columbia), I could leave at 6:30am and be in the gym by 7. If I had to go in late, leaving anytime after maybe 9:15am meant a quick ride around the beltway.

By 2004, when I retired (!!!), getting into Bethesda by 7 meant leaving by 5:45am. I ditched the 7am routine. That's nuts. Leaving the house at 8, I resorted to back roads, obscure back roads, more obscure with every 4br house and townhouse that got built, and usually got in in about 1:20/1:30. Getting in late? Gridlock on the Beltway until maybe 10:45, which resolved until 11:40, and then it was pretty constant until 7:30pm.

Snow or rain?? It was a good thing they didn't stock razor blades in our restrooms at work. I wouldn't be here.

Then, you have to deal with all the "inside the beltway" bs. It's very stressed out, that area.

Never again. Never again.

That's your fault for living in Columbia.



And I'm keeping politics out of it.

Seriously, though, I grew up in the area. I remember when the Beltway was two lanes each way, and traffic moved at 60 mph, even in the morning rush.

 

[zaitcev]

Isn't lots and lots of money needed anywhere, these days?

All that money that Feds steal from the people gets deposited where the parasites live. And the process is accelerating every year. The richest county per capita was some place in Colorado, but not anymore: migrated to DC in mid-oughs. Prices of houses fall everywhere, but DC area is the only place where they grow. As country slides into socialism, the seat of the government inevitably turns into another Moscow or Paris and the contrast between the capital and the rest of the country grows and grows. So, no, the amount of money you need in DC is not the same as everywhere. But naturally, the migration to DC is what every ambitious man must contemplate now. Unfortunately, the trends do not bode well for DC area pilots unless they are extremely rich and well-connected. There will be more restrictions, more airport curfews and closures.

 

[astanley]

:yinyang:

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I-270 from Frederick into DC

I am soooooooooooooooooo glad I don't have to do that one any more - And I only had to do it about once a month!

Actually, it was the outward trip that generally got me. I could usually do the inbound trip trouble-free at 2 or 3 AM... And pretty much had to, because aside from a relatively small Pilot in Hagerstown, there's no place to park a truck west of DC until you hit Breezewood, PA.

 

[denverpilot]

All that money that Feds steal from the people gets deposited where the parasites live. And the process is accelerating every year. The richest county per capita was some place in Colorado, but not anymore: ...

That was Douglas County, a far south suburb of Denver.

Most of that "income" was from Californians selling overpriced shoe-boxes they call "houses" and moving to the area.

Then they didn't really set up County government or tax rates quickly enough, didn't set aside enough money for the mini "schooling boom" they had, and now they're struggling to run the school busses down there, due to much of the area being semi-rural (long bus routes) and tons of kids in schools, along with little or no planning on how to pay for it all after the building boom stopped and the County had no tax base.

Still a nice place to live, but a great example of poor planning for "urban sprawl". And some of the houses that got built... well, they're cardboard and they all look the same and their over-bearing Homeowner's Associations in certain communities are completely out of control. When they still had money, some even had "patrol cars" and issued "tickets" for HOA violations. (Highlands Ranch)

Couldn't convince me to move to one of those neighborhoods if you paid me to. A whole lot of "keep up with the Jones'" types with high debt loads (even though many had a couple hundred thousand extra bucks when they moved here) for things like shiny foreign cars. Magnesium Chloride (a.k.a. "ice slicer") sticks real well to those cars and corrodes out the exhaust systems in our winter months.

Unless you get further out into "horse property" areas or the upper-end neighborhoods of Douglas County, the little beige houses are about the ugliest stuff I've ever seen anywhere in Denver, similar to the Aurora, CO housing "boom" of the mid-80's.

 

[flyersfan31]

That's your fault for living in Columbia.

That was because Mrs Flyersfan worked in Baltimore. We split our commute. She had about a 25min drive, I had a 1:25 drive. Still, it was nicer living closer to Bawlmer than the District. People were more relaxed and friendly. Not me, though, not with that awful traffic!!!!!

Have I mentioned the traffic?

 

[steingar]

Mrs. Steingar wanted to go to an after-work party in Adams Morgan, which is not serviced by the D.C. Metro (which, as expensive and dehumanizing and awful as it is, is one of the very, very few reasons to move to D.C.). I said fine, I'll pick her up on the moto and split lanes for awhile. Oh no, she would be dressed nicely, and I had to pick her up in the cage. Great. I think from Bethesda to Adams Morgan took 5 hours. The party was missed. Mrs. Steingar was curtly informed that a repeat of that particular adventure was not entirely likely.

I'd sooner shove a porcupine up my own rectum than move back to D.C.

 

[woodstock]

For all the haters - is it mostly the traffic?

What does your area have that DC lacks? Genuinely curious...

 

[dmccormack]

I can tell you my reason for "hating" the New York city area -- we weren't rich.

I'm sure Manhattan is much more wonderful when you can hail a chopper from your rooftop piazza.

 

[wsuffa]

That was because Mrs Flyersfan worked in Baltimore. We split our commute. She had about a 25min drive, I had a 1:25 drive. Still, it was nicer living closer to Bawlmer than the District. People were more relaxed and friendly. Not me, though, not with that awful traffic!!!!!

Have I mentioned the traffic?

Ah, yes, I played that game with my ex- when we lived in NY. She worked in Poughkeepsie, I worked in the city. We lived between Fishkill and Peekskill - she had a 20-ish minute commute, I had 1:15.

No, I don't think you've mentioned the traffic. Was it a problem?

Actually, I love living in the DC area. Traffic is a *****, and the FRZ/SFRA sucks, but there are tons of positives. Guess it helps that I have a place in the mountains, too.

 

[flyersfan31]

For all the haters - is it mostly the traffic?

What does your area have that DC lacks? Genuinely curious...

Peace and quiet. Verdant rolling hills. No traffic. Lots of equestrian farms. Trees. Great cycling routes.

 

[woodstock]

Peace and quiet. Verdant rolling hills. No traffic. Lots of equestrian farms. Trees. Great cycling routes.

That's near me - I live at the edge of that (the last suburb) which is 30 or so miles out from DC.

How far from a major city do you/did you live, to find that?

 

[flyersfan31]

That's near me - I live at the edge of that (the last suburb) which is 30 or so miles out from DC.

How far from a major city do you/did you live, to find that?

50-60mi W of NYC.

Fortunately, Mrs Flyersfan's employer is HQ'd in the countryside. No need to tackle NYC traffic. We're very fortunate.

 

[PittsDriver]

Peace and quiet. Verdant rolling hills. No traffic. Lots of equestrian farms. Trees. Great cycling routes.

Never been to Annapolis eh? It's a 45 minute drive to the National Mall and has all of that (numerous equestrian options, etc) and a whole lot more - world class sailing, 350 years of history, USNA, the Chesapeake Bay, and a really great little airport with a grass roots soul and a couple of hangars full of aerobatic aircraft and the best spin/upset instructor on the planet.

Please feel free to visit but don't move here - there's enough of us already

 

[flyersfan31]

Never been to Annapolis eh? It's a 45 minute drive to the National Mall and has all of that (numerous equestrian options, etc) and a whole lot more - world class sailing, 350 years of history, USNA, the Chesapeake Bay, and a really great little airport with a grass roots soul and a couple of hangars full of aerobatic aircraft and the best spin/upset instructor on the planet.

Please feel free to visit but don't move here - there's enough of us already

Went there often. Crowded on weekends. Very crowded. All those dumbazzes in their Cigarette boats making noise and stink at City Dock. Nah. I'm happy here.

 

[woodstock]

Went there often. Crowded on weekends. Very crowded. All those dumbazzes in their Cigarette boats making noise and stink at City Dock. Nah. I'm happy here.

Your description is pretty much spot on for Loudoun County. I'm lucky in that I do NOT work in DC because if I did, my life would be hell based on the commute (I'd be happy in Arlington, working in DC, though).

I have an 8 mile commute which is expensive but a piece of cake.

 

[weilke]

Peace and quiet. Verdant rolling hills. No traffic. Lots of equestrian farms. Trees. Great cycling routes.

I live 35 min from DCA and have all that.

The bad congestion is mostly on the northwest side of town, I66 and I270 corridors but some of the stuff I read here just seems to be freely invented. Sure the place is expensive, but just like divorce that is because 'it is so worth it'. For a job in Rosslyn, with a 'downsizing' mindset, there are plenty of nice residential options with a short commute available, either by metro, bike or oh-gosh car (I would make parking a part of the contract).

 

[PittsDriver]

Went there often. Crowded on weekends. Very crowded. All those dumbazzes in their Cigarette boats making noise and stink at City Dock. Nah. I'm happy here.

Funny, I've lived here for 16 years and can count on one hand how many times my lunch conversation was interrupted by a loud boat in Ego Alley - those guys like the Red Eye Dock Bar over in Kent Narrows. It can be crowded here during the season like any great tourist destination but if that's the worst of it for actually getting to live here 12 months a year, I'm good.

A Microsoft buddy of mine was once bemoaning the Seattle weather and said something that makes a lot of sense. There, people live in a place that stinks 10 months a year for 2 perfect weather months. He suggested that I live in a place where it's amazing 10 months for a couple of bad ones. If you've found that, you're doing just fine.

 

[woodstock]

Funny, I've lived here for 16 years and can count on one hand how many times my lunch conversation was interrupted by a loud boat in Ego Alley - those guys like the Red Eye Dock Bar over in Kent Narrows. It can be crowded here during the season like any great tourist destination but if that's the worst of it for actually getting to live here 12 months a year, I'm good.

A Microsoft buddy of mine was once bemoaning the Seattle weather and said something that makes a lot of sense. There, people live in a place that stinks 10 months a year for 2 perfect weather months. He suggested that I live in a place where it's amazing 10 months for a couple of bad ones. If you've found that, you're doing just fine.

I'd say we have 9 months of good weather. Amazing would be about half of that... only Dec-Jan-Feb actually suck. March is sunny but chilly, April/May/early June are great. Late June, and July and August are hot but at least it's sunny and it's light late which is a huge bonus. Sept and October are usually fantastic. November starts moving towards chilly but other than rain it's not too bad.

 

[Ghery]

About a 30 minute commute. The same as it was 15 years ago.

Never ending entertainment on Budd Inlet, the southernmost extent of Puget Sound. 20 minute drive to KOLM where the club planes are hangared. If the clouds are high enough you can see Mt. Rainier from the house. 55 miles away. And summer, all 6 weeks of it, is absolutely perfect here. Have to stay up past my bedtime to stay night current in the summer, it doesn't get dark until LATE.

We call this "God's Country" for a reason. Come on out an visit some time.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

For all the haters - is it mostly the traffic?

What does your area have that DC lacks? Genuinely curious...

The ability to get anywhere in the greater metro area within 1/2 hour 22 hours out of the day, and 45 minutes the other 2 hours.

Last time I was in the DC area, I had to go to Quantico. Couldn't park there overnight, so I had to stay in Breezewood. Got rolling at 10, even the beltway was rolling pretty well... But the last 21 miles from the beltway to the Quantico truck exit took 4 1/2 hours.

Then someone who lives there told me that's pretty normal for that stretch.

You couldn't pay me enough to live in a place like that. Okay, well, you could, but the starting salary better be well into seven figure territory.

 

[steingar]

For all the haters - is it mostly the traffic?

What does your area have that DC lacks? Genuinely curious...

I lived for years in Southern California. It was expensive, though not yet polluted and congested (it is now) but I reasoned that I was paying for good weather, which was certainly worth some money. The "sun tax', or so they call it. Moreover, most of the entertainment in which I participated (mountains, desert, beach) was free.

D.C. was similarly expensive, and crowded, congested etc... OK, what was I paying for? Wasn't the weather, we get better where I am now (or at least similar). All the great culture? Like I said, I had no time for it and couldn't afford most of it if I did. Access to government? Please tell me you're kidding.

I'm glad those of you living in the Washington D.C. greater metropolitan area enjoy it. I really am. You probably have a thicker skin for the stuff I hate. I'd sooner subject my testicles to a belt sander than live in D.C. again.

 

[woodstock]

Make no mistake - the traffic is a major suck. Major. Major. The first few years I lived here I swore I was leaving b/c errands took a good part of Saturday. That isn't the case anymore because I moved to the sticks... but now that I am stick-y it's more of an effort to visit downtown. Now I'd say the job and the friends keep me here. I do look forward to the day when I am wintering at my home in SC though.

I hear you on not having time for the culture - but you do have to suck it up and make time. I try to do so, but could do a lot better. I'm going to a Smithsonian RAP event tonight - going to hear Ruth Bader Ginsburg talk. I heard Ted Leonsis a few months ago.

 

[wsuffa]

Peace and quiet. Verdant rolling hills. No traffic. Lots of equestrian farms. Trees. Great cycling routes.

That's why I have property in the mountains 90 minutes away.... and it's why I live in an older subdivision that has trees, rolling hills, and is still only 30-35 minutes to work. Cross-county hike/bike trail is but 2 minutes (by bike - 5 by walk) away. W&OD bike tail is further, but merges into the Cross County trail a bit away. Neighbors are GREAT (think "community", and NO HOA!).

No, it's not perfect (the airport is just too darn far), and anything can be better, but the combo is fine for me. I've even considered getting a townhouse/condo closer in and considering the mountain property more as "home".

 

[steingar]

My commute this morning took ten minutes. It cost me two dollars to park in a garage. It takes about 20 minutes sans traffic get to my airport, where my $200 a month hangar has an airplane that costs me $400 for annual inspection. And I can fly it anywhere around here without fear of military interception.

My 3K square foot house is less expensive than my 700 square foot apartment in Gaithersburg. Neither my bank, my insurance agent, nor my health insurance are actively trying to rip me off, which they all did in D.C. About the only time I have to worry about traffic is just after one of the big campus sporting events.

Oh, and Mrs. Steingar went to see Ruth Bader Ginsburg last year. I couldn't go, I was too busy.

 

[dmccormack]

I drive an hour each way 5 days a week. Sure, average speed is 75, but an hour is an hour.

A move to NOVA is predicated on walking/bicycling distance to work, period.

 

[SkyHog]

From my short time in North Carolina, I can say this:

Virginia is gorgeous, and a place I'd love to live someday. I have not yet made the trek to DC yet, but I hear its horrible because of traffic, attitude, and crime. I'll bet you can reduce 2 of the 3 by picking the right place to live.

If you decide to do it, maybe we can meet up for lunch at some airport in the center of VA somewhere. I'll buy.

 

[dmccormack]

From my short time in North Carolina, I can say this:

Virginia is gorgeous, and a place I'd love to live someday. I have not yet made the trek to DC yet, but I hear its horrible because of traffic, attitude, and crime. I'll bet you can reduce 2 of the 3 by picking the right place to live.

If you decide to do it, maybe we can meet up for lunch at some airport in the center of VA somewhere. I'll buy.

Sounds good!!!

(DC Crime is bad, but we won't be looking in DC, per se)

 

[zaitcev]

In mid-00h some time I once took a wrong exit when going downtown from airpord (one of). Western Oakland looks prettier, truly. Also, I stayed in downtown Best Western 2 blocks south of The Capitol -- the dirtiest, most run-down hole ever, and I include the youth hostels and cheapest motels I was able to find on wrong side of 101 in LA. At least owners of old motels try to keep them upright. When my wife and daughter went to get a burger, other patrons asked them if they were new to the shelter. Of course... Who else would live in D.C., right?

The metro is kinda ok, I guess. Not as nice as the Moscow one, and its coverage density has nothing on London. But hey... They are working on it. With my money.

The solution everyone is taking to the hellish hellhole in the center of D.C. is to 1) live in Georgetown or beyond the river, 2) ignore the battleground, 3) insulate The Mall by police. Yay.

 

[flyersfan31]

A move to NOVA is predicated on walking/bicycling distance to work, period.

I think that point was missed. :wink2:

 

[MikeRR]

think "community", and NO HOA!.

I can't second that more strongly. I live in the Falmouth Airpark in MA and we absolutey hate it.
The first thing the jack booted idiots did when the developer left was to issue complaint forms so you could rat out your neighbor if you liked.
Kind of like East Germany....
The straw that broke the camels back was when they sued my wonderful 90 year old neighbor for something they had expressely authorized a just few years earlier. The factions changed on the BOD , and they simply forget prior agreements.
Never, never never again will we live in an HOA
Oh, I created a blog http://falmouthairparkhoa.blogspot.com/
These HOAs are designed to transfer your equity in the pockets of the lawyers and service providers.
Good luck

 

[MikeRR]

think "community", and NO HOA

I couldn't agree more! I live in the Falmouth Airpark, MA and the jack booted idiots have ruined a great place.

They have sued countless folks....lets see.....our only African American for 20K, a "New York Jew Lawyer" as described by a board member still being flayed.....my wonderful 90 year old neighbor for something they expressly authorized just a few years ago.

They are trying to sue a neighboring business, two actually.....

The Lawyer just loves the crazys who aspire to BOD postions.

NEVER NEVER NEVER again!

I created a blog with the idea that maybe shame will work...

http://falmouthairparkhoa.blogspot.com/

 

[dmccormack]

If you want to come down and check things out, let me know - We'll clean up the guest room.

Sorry, missed this, Tim!

Thanks for the offer! Still negotiating....

 

[weilke]

Just this morning, I drove around a bit in North Arlington / Ballston area. Very varied housing stock, small houses, big houses, townhoses etc. While Rosslyn may be beyond bicycle range, it is 4 stops on the subway.

 

[GeorgeC]

I've been in DC for about 10 years. Commuting is generally a nonissue for me due to metro accessibility, but as with any city, the cost of living is high. I only have to deal with traffic for extracurriculars. There are lots of attractions for when people visit from out of town, but I don't often make the time to enjoy them on my own. Plenty of good restaurants if you're into that kind of thing. Lots of good cycling, at least for roadies.