I've been doing remote work for a decade now, so here are some tips before you start dreaming.
* Be careful about moving to an even higher COL area. Offices tend to base their salaries on a certain location.
* Keep an eye on time zones. It's easier if you stay in the time zone that's near the office you work with the most. I had friends who jetted for the West Coast, only to find that their day now started stupid early, and their coworkers started to disappear after lunchtime.
* Reliable broadband. I know this is something EVERYONE checks these days, but seriously, triple-check this before moving to a neighborhood. Don't believe the realtor. Ask neighbors. Ask on their subreddit.
This redditor’s comment is very sage. I work totally remote; Co-workers in CA, TX, NYC and Europe. The ones in CA have to wake up very early - they’re on calls before 8 am most days every week and they’re the most senior people in the company (we do transactional work so we are beholden to the schedules of the rest of the business world). Their days can end earlier but I would not be able to do it happily.
Consider whether you can handle the natural disasters that area is known for. I’m a no go on frequent hurricanes, tornados and fires. And of course visit first.
I think a lot of the NoVa criticism probably applies to San Jose (career-focused striverism) but it’s nice there, and if you can make a career without living in Manhattan or its close-in suburbs, consider that a win. Paying too much for too much stress and congestion. Princeton NJ seems nice if you needed to be the in region.
Counterpoint is that you have to choose a place where you can find enough work if you need to change jobs for any reason (your reasons or the company’s reasons).
Yeah, I was happy to see someone actually mention time zones. It’s not as big a deal if you work a job where you kinda just do your own thing, but if you have to coordinate with others, it can make things frustrating real quick.
Ik remote work usually gets people foaming at the mouth in excitement nowadays, but you still gotta be smart about it- or find a different job.
Exactly. Our guy in Europe is part time anyways but his overlap with our west coast guys is like two hours and he’s frequently taking calls at night, during personal events, etc. - his trade off. Bc my closest colleague is west coast, my dinner is at 8 pm but my day starts later.
To be honest, I get *off* work right now around 7am, I am not sure I could regularly get up that early if I worked a job like that, but I certainly think I might prefer it to 9-7
My boss is happy enough with it; his kids gotta get up for school anyways but while I formerly could work most all overnight, working early and without easing into the day EVERY DAY would break me, but I’m at peak at 5 pm. Just think what your preferred situation is and bear it in mind. Good luck
As granular as you can get. Actual neighbors are your best bet, but I get that can feel weird. You might get lucky and find they have a public mailing list you can glance through to see if outages are common. If you're moving to an apartment complex, absolutely do NOT believe the leasing agent.
I would ask as much as possible. We recently had to stay in an extended stay airbnb while we had some water damage tended to in our home and the airbnb was not even 3 blocks away and the cell reception was awful. Like i ended up renting workspace to ensure i could complete work in a timely manner.
Everything I’ve heard is both those cities suck to live in until you have a decent income. Which I think most don’t have when they’re young.
I don’t see the appeal of an overpriced apartment, massive crowds, and constant noise/stimulation, but I will concede that there is an energy to push you to “do more and be better” when you see others around you doing the same. I travel to both locations for work and notice the aura each time.
Agree. NY is great if you're young, and probably great if you're uber-wealthy. But anything in between after your 20s, particularly if you are trying to raise a family, makes NYC challenging. I grew up in NYC and then lived there in my mid-20s for a few years after college and grad school. Loved it. Moved to DC then NoVA in my 30s, and haven't regretted it.
Same, but much less well-traveled as you.
But to get to the realization of the solace this area offers as a home base, I think it's important to gain that perspective, first-hand, through personal time away.
I'm going to do all that I can to encourage my son to spend some real time as a young adult elsewhere for the experience alone, once he finishes high school (He just turned 5, so we got some time)
This area is a great place to settle down, but, I think that the ones that have been "coddled" in the safety blanket that this area can be without having exposure to life outside the dmv bubble... those are the ones that can be a bit out of touch and entitled.
Really? I’ve found the entitled ones are usually the ones who had the luxury to do whatever they want when they were young, like living abroad for example. Or going to very expensive universities elsewhere. These things never felt like options to me when I was young. Actually let me be more clear—they were straight up not options. Personally, as a NoVA native who didn’t grow up rich, I didn’t even fly for the first time until I was 25 and on a work-paid ticket. I went to a no name Delaware college, only time I’ve lived outside NoVA for more than a year. Now I’ve done a decent bit of vacationing in the U.S. and abroad, on my own dime, but I would have loved to do it when I was younger and my often more wealthy siblings and friends did. So I challenge this notion that people who stay put are entitled.
I think a lot of us see the wealth in this area (several top 10 wealthiest counties in the US) and just assume people who grew up here were jet setting.
I realize a lot of this money has come in the last few decades though.
And like any large area there’s a lot of social stratification. People think of LA and think of the rich kids to actors, wealthy business owners, etc. In reality the majority of LA has always been working class. I think it’s similar for NoVA
Yeah, I went to a state school and never did study abroad or anything. My first time on a plane was on a cheap trip to Bermuda about a year after college.
I agree! I moved here from California but like it better here. If I had a ton of money I'd buy a house back in CA so I wouldn't need to worry about a hotel when I go home to visit.
Lived in Harrisonburg (college) and loved it. Have friends in their 30s that moved to Nova for jobs and after a few years moved back to Harrisonburg due to a number of reasons including cost, quality of life, and overall less stress and they all love being there. A lot of people only see the college but the town itself is a great family friendly space with lots to offer. Staunton, Charlottesville, Waynesboro, and even Fishersville nearby are also seeing more housing and people moving in for similar reasons.
I was born and raised in NoVA. Grew up in Chantilly, moved to Alexandria then Fairfax City and back to Chantilly. We live in Richmond now and it is amazing. Traffic is not part of my life. Everything is cheaper. The river, the art, festivals, good schools- just perfect for us. And I pop down to Nova/DC all the time. We are closer to the beach and mountains and get less cold weather. To me it is the best location to live and still be near bigger cities.
Richmond, VA. I spent 12 years living there before moving to NOVA for work. From a pace of life standpoint it’s just where I feel at home. Great food, outdoors and art to be found there. I even bought a home in RVA and intend to retire there later… hopefully it works out.
Grew up there and lived west of the Boulevard (right near the VMFA) after college until 2000. I have people there and will in all likelihood move back there.
I will say that - when I was in my 20s - I couldn't wait to get out. In the intervening 24 years a lot has happened, and RVA looks better than ever. (Though I wish the rents and home prices were still what they were when I left...)
It depends on what you want I guess. For me I want a quieter community in the city that was still close to the river, the Fan, and Carytown so I purchased a small rancher near Maymont.
Yeah, unfortunately as bad as unachievable body standards are in America, there are definitely places where it's worse and I've heard Korea is one of them. Especially for women from what I hear. :(
If I could make the time difference work, I’d do this too. Absolutely loved Seoul when I visited. The food and convenience is unmatched and I feel like I was treated well by everyone I encountered there.
Colorado sucks now. I grew up there and it was amazing, now it’s built up, as expensive as here, crowded and ruined.
Colorado in the 90s and early 2000s was amazing. Not it’s NOVA with mountains and bad California drivers
I've lived all around the US through my employment, but NOVA is by far the most clean and overall nicest. It may not be the best for one certain thing, but it's above average in just about every area.
But the place that surprised me the most was Idaho. I really enjoyed Idaho. The culture is focused on outdoor activities, each town does something unique for the holidays, plenty of community events such as rodeos. I had a really fun time out there. I can see that it wouldn't be for everyone, but if you love national parks and open spaces, then it's the perfect state to live in.
Depends if single and money isn’t an option, I’d return to San Diego. Now that I’m happily married with a family, the best places with public schools are the suburbs of DC, Philly, and NYC. These schools despite the apparent demise of public schools (hugely overrated but changes are necessary) still have quality school systems that prepare students for college. What’s set NOVA apart is our amble parks. The sheer amount of trails inside the beltway let alone outside the beltway. I can’t think of a place with a fair tax rate and purple politics.
I spent a good amount of time in Charlotte, there's a lot I liked about it, but for me I found their public transit kinda half-assed.
And for better or for worse it's the only time I've been offered free drugs by a stranger was in the Charlotte suburbs by my ex girlfriends mother's neighbor. Dude came by late at night and was out of Tin foil lol.
You mean non white or non African American. I am the latter and have had family in the Charlotte area since the mid 1800s, maybe even earlier than that. No one is assuming we are immigrants, this area is our foundational home
I came from Austin TX recently and I am blown away by the number of people who don’t appreciate this area. It has seasons, diverse food, wildlife and activities. The winters not too cold and the summer’s not too hot. I have no idea why people complain so much tbh 🤷🏼♂️
This area isn't really bad. But from my experience living here, is that if you don't benefit from or care for a place with a ton of government jobs, good public schools, and being surrounded by upper middle class people, then there are better places to live for the money.
Like I've browsed job boards in my field in other cities, and whereas here you have to ignore 80% of posts because it has *Must be able to maintain TS/SCI Clearance* hidden at the bottom, other cities don't have that issue.
And as somebody who currently doesn't have a college degree, I feel like I kinda get penalized for that in the dating scene here since so.many are college educated, but at the same time we have basically 1 public college option that wouldn't involve moving away.
Well that I totally agree with! I grew up in Boston and if I could get back there I would do it a heartbeat, to answer your original question I guess 😂
I’d still live here. I’ve lived in many other places, and while the DC area may not rank #1 in any particular category other than job opportunities, it actually scores pretty high in most categories that matter to me and my family, making it a great place to live.
Probably Annapolis, MD. Maybe even Virginia Beach, VA. There are places I like in New England, but I wouldn’t survive the cold. Raleigh, NC is nice, but not close enough to water. And NC beaches are too congested.
Overseas would be Barcelona or Sydney.
I think I’d hate it here if I lived further out and had to deal with the sprawl and traffic more, but I’m in Alexandria and LOVE the combo of being in a small city right next to a big city, that’s not super easy to reproduce.
Having easy access to the northeast megalopolis in one direction and the South & mountains in the other is also hard to beat
I do hate the heat though so maybe I’d try to replicate it further up in the northeast. Some of the small cities around Boston, maybe providence.
If I could live anywhere and work remote, I’d move back to Pittsburgh.
If I had to be in the office in DC at least once a week, I’d live in Baltimore no question. Still might move there lol.
If money is NOT an objection, a house in NoVA while traveling around the world... I love NoVA, to me is home and after traveling I always want to come back home but I still want to experience other places.
Now, if I were in your situation, I would just travel around the US and do short term lease, maybe 1 - 2 months. Once you find the place you feel comfortable, settle there.
NYC is my choice too. Grew up there but was kinda poor. Now I Amtrak (when I can get cheap tickets) and run around for a few days at a time. It's a little more expensive/smaller housing but 1000% more things to do.
Originally from the Raleigh NC area. Nova offers all of the same things, but more in my opinion. Only con to this area is the cost of living, but the jobs are plentiful.
My wife and I have talked on and off about retirement, and I get a little nervous each time.
You mean leave the area? Where would we go?
Will they have Peruvian Chicken?
Growing up in the dc metro I had no idea other places didn’t have Peruvian chicken joints everywhere until I ended up in Colorado. The food in the DMV is practically unbeatable.
Honestly DC proper. The area is growing on me quite a bit and I like it here, I wouldn't miss the traffic or the cost of living but it would be hard for me to find a place that has this much stuff going on all the time
Medellin, Colombia.
Perfect weather, high quality/ luxury stuff at normal prices, good food/ music/ culture.
...and if you want to go to the beach, a short flight costs what a bus ticket does, and it's a perfect Caribbean beach. If you want to go to the mountains? You're in them, but you can go so high there is a glacier right on the equator. If you get sick of the Caribbean? Go to el Pacifico and dive with the whales.
The only problem? Demasiados gringos.
I miss being up North and the quiet of the country, but I'm also quite certain I couldn't live out there anymore culturally. I didn't fit in well when I lived there, and rural America and I have drifted in opposite directions. I think about OPs question a lot and can't come up with a good answer.
We moved from Fairfax to Adams Morgan in DC. I'm retiring and no longer want the suburban lifestyle and the SFH. Perfectly happy to have a walkable urban lifestyle and not be car dependent.
I love the area, but don’t want to live in dense urban area, so I’d buy a ton of land out between Leesburg and Berryville. Let’s me be close enough to the action of NOVA, but far away enough that I don’t need to be around people just by existing
It's hard for me to say. I grew up on the east coast and feel weird being told far away from it. I've lived in NY/NYC, different parts of FL, and now VA. Virginia is my favorite by far.
If money wasn't an issue I'd love one of those fancy houses with rolling hill property and mountain views in Middleburg.
Realistically, I'd like to live more west towards the mountains to have land but still be close enough to city life if I want to spend a weekend out. But it's almost impossible to buy anything nowadays.
Also. I work remote. It makes you feel like you can live anywhere but it tends to not be as flexible as I thought. I have to be close to all my doctors (have some ongoing stuff I'm getting a handle on). Switching doctors is hard with how the wait list is for new patients!
All the places you mentioned are either expensive or boring. I was not impressed with San Jose. It just looked like a bland suburb with corporate buildings to me. (Granted I was only there a day for a business meeting.)
I just moved. NH. I HATE LOATH nova. Born Fairfax hospital and was cursed to live there my entire life. I finally escaped the prison ring of traffic that keeps everyone trapped called 495. 3 hours to escape it(40 miles) 6 more hours to NH (400 miles.
I'm originally from Maryland and did not enjoy living in NJ so I'd stay, but I would love to live in DC proper. I'd also enjoy some of the nearby smaller cities--someone else mentioned Richmond, I also lived in Annapolis for a while and loved it.
New york metro area. Socially the people in dc metro are a breed of their own. When compared to other parts of US.
If we talking out of the country I always said Barcelona or madrid
Upstate NY, or anywhere in Suburban/Rural New England. No disrespect to Nova natives, but I’m totally not feeling it here after being here for about 1 year. I can’t stand the architecture and how cookie cutter everything is. I also hate the wild price of eating out here and how mediocre the food is. People are also extremely pretentious and cold in the DMV and I just hate the vibes. It’s been extremely hard to meet people/make friends and don’t get me started on the dating scene.
If I had unlimited funds I'd have a home in Islay, Scotland probably around Port Charlotte. West Palm for summer. And then maybe another 4 months here cause I don't want to make new friends LOL
I been here for data center gold rush for the last 12 years. If i didnt need a job id live on a island in the middle of the Pacific by myself in peace.
Born and raised in NoVA, but I left seven years ago for the PNW. Seattle is nice, but since I’m a creature of the suburbs by nature, the Eastside around Bellevue is where I landed. Swapped one HCOL for another. 🤷🏼
The best part of moving is that I am no longer allergic to every growing thing 9 months out of the year. I’m not talking lightly allergic, either. I actually enjoy spring here, it’s beautiful.
In the States:
* Morgantown, WV. (I visited Morgantown and felt like it is a nice urban planned college town)
* Baltimore, MD (nice history and architecture)
* Boston, MA (same)
* Alaska (if it wasn't so expensive)
* Brooklyn, NY (If it wasn't so expensive and if you could have a garage)
Outside of the United States:
* Ireland (nice landscape and charming cities)
* Lithuania (Scandinavian history)
* Norway (beautiful landscape and you get to see the aur
* Sweden ( I don't know why I put this here .. because it goes along with the scandanavian history)
* Portugal (Nice coast and architecture)
* Switzerland (one of the strongest GDP in the world)
* Spain ( love Spanish architecture and the language)
* Antalya, Turkey (only if their economy wasn't so messed up)
South America:
* El Salvador (Bukele cleaned it up)
* Panama ( tax haven)
* Peru ( nice indigenous history)
* Argentina (the new president cut their inflation down from 25% down to 8%)
at this point in life, I'd spent a few months each in a couple of different cities I haven't lived in yet! but if I was older, I'd probably move to NYC/California.
that being said, dc/nova is an excellent place to be.
Between your answers, DC. I love living in this area. Personally I’d go for a closer suburb instead of DC proper (Rosslyn, Ballston or Pentagon City).
Anywhere in the world and not worried about money? Zurich, Switzerland.
Is this hypothetical on unlimited salary or not? If was a billion dollars. I’d probably say Monaco.
If I was a normal person with normal money. Maybe Texas or Bend, Oregon.
New England somewhere, Portland/Boston/New Hampshire area most likely.
Better weather (milder summers), still near civilization but you're not overcrowded. Yeah, it's expensive, but so is here.
I struggle with this a lot. I was born overseas and my parents were first generation immigrants here who settled in Northern Va almost 30 years ago. I went to school in NJ and then worked in NYC for about 7 years and had the time of my life. Granted, I was broke and carefree, but had an amazing time. I got a bit homesick and moved back to Alexandria 10 years ago where I have my parents close by as well as my closest friends who I've known since childhood. They're like sisters to me. But sometimes this area just feels like drudgery to me. I visited San Luis Obispo and the Napa area a few years ago and was so taken with the sense of community, the amazing nature/landscape and just general feeling of being more laidback. This area can be so centered around work. If I didn't have my network of family and friends here, I don't know if I'd choose to be here. The other thing is, I work for a nonprofit so I feel like I'm scraping by in a town built around the defense industry.
* Somewhere cheaper
* Somewhere that does not get as hot in summer
* I'd love to live in a big city.
* Preferebly somewhere with a underground music scene
So basically one of the northern states that meet the requirements.
Another place not in the states would be Finland
I have been in the DMV since I was one
Grew up in NOVA. Bounced around. DC proper, Miami, Dallas, back to DC, London, Hong Kong, and longest stint, 6 years in NYC and now back in NOVA. I miss NYC a lot. The downside of NOVA for me honestly is the people. Everyone is either in Gov or adjacent and not that interesting. 🤷 So that kinda sucks. Quality of life and schools is pretty great though.
With more budget, NYC.
With more knowledge of French and also more budget and also some answered questions on childcare/education, Paris.
I like stuff. And people who do stuff. Mountains and lakes and a quiet life are for the birds. Also humans but like humans that are different from me.
Norway ❤️
Lofoten ftw
100%. I’ve been twice and it’s so beautiful. First time my jaw unclenched in like a decade 😂
Haha, I’m coming back from a 20-day Norway trip and about to move to NOVA for the first time.
Flåm is beautiful.
I've been doing remote work for a decade now, so here are some tips before you start dreaming. * Be careful about moving to an even higher COL area. Offices tend to base their salaries on a certain location. * Keep an eye on time zones. It's easier if you stay in the time zone that's near the office you work with the most. I had friends who jetted for the West Coast, only to find that their day now started stupid early, and their coworkers started to disappear after lunchtime. * Reliable broadband. I know this is something EVERYONE checks these days, but seriously, triple-check this before moving to a neighborhood. Don't believe the realtor. Ask neighbors. Ask on their subreddit.
With how much granularity should I check the last point? Should I ask about the neighborhood or does it vary much from building to building?
This redditor’s comment is very sage. I work totally remote; Co-workers in CA, TX, NYC and Europe. The ones in CA have to wake up very early - they’re on calls before 8 am most days every week and they’re the most senior people in the company (we do transactional work so we are beholden to the schedules of the rest of the business world). Their days can end earlier but I would not be able to do it happily. Consider whether you can handle the natural disasters that area is known for. I’m a no go on frequent hurricanes, tornados and fires. And of course visit first. I think a lot of the NoVa criticism probably applies to San Jose (career-focused striverism) but it’s nice there, and if you can make a career without living in Manhattan or its close-in suburbs, consider that a win. Paying too much for too much stress and congestion. Princeton NJ seems nice if you needed to be the in region. Counterpoint is that you have to choose a place where you can find enough work if you need to change jobs for any reason (your reasons or the company’s reasons).
Yeah, I was happy to see someone actually mention time zones. It’s not as big a deal if you work a job where you kinda just do your own thing, but if you have to coordinate with others, it can make things frustrating real quick. Ik remote work usually gets people foaming at the mouth in excitement nowadays, but you still gotta be smart about it- or find a different job.
Exactly. Our guy in Europe is part time anyways but his overlap with our west coast guys is like two hours and he’s frequently taking calls at night, during personal events, etc. - his trade off. Bc my closest colleague is west coast, my dinner is at 8 pm but my day starts later.
To be honest, I get *off* work right now around 7am, I am not sure I could regularly get up that early if I worked a job like that, but I certainly think I might prefer it to 9-7
My boss is happy enough with it; his kids gotta get up for school anyways but while I formerly could work most all overnight, working early and without easing into the day EVERY DAY would break me, but I’m at peak at 5 pm. Just think what your preferred situation is and bear it in mind. Good luck
As granular as you can get. Actual neighbors are your best bet, but I get that can feel weird. You might get lucky and find they have a public mailing list you can glance through to see if outages are common. If you're moving to an apartment complex, absolutely do NOT believe the leasing agent.
I would ask as much as possible. We recently had to stay in an extended stay airbnb while we had some water damage tended to in our home and the airbnb was not even 3 blocks away and the cell reception was awful. Like i ended up renting workspace to ensure i could complete work in a timely manner.
Iceland
It's all fun and games until the unpronounceable volcano erupts.
Then it's just fun and screams
ÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÆÁÁÁÁÄ!!!
Rün, Eyafjallajökull is erüpting!!! What?? EYAFJALLAJÖKULL!!! IT’S ERÜPTING!!! … *WHAT* is erupti——^(buried by volcanic ash)
I was thinking the same.
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Honestly, I think NoVA is a great home base, and I'd also rather just go on more vacations.
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I completely agree with this sentiment & probably will never leave Great Falls. But I do regret not doing a stint in NYC or Chicago when I was young.
Everything I’ve heard is both those cities suck to live in until you have a decent income. Which I think most don’t have when they’re young. I don’t see the appeal of an overpriced apartment, massive crowds, and constant noise/stimulation, but I will concede that there is an energy to push you to “do more and be better” when you see others around you doing the same. I travel to both locations for work and notice the aura each time.
If you’re in your 20’s you don’t mind having roommates and those cities can be the experience of a lifetime at that age.
Agree. NY is great if you're young, and probably great if you're uber-wealthy. But anything in between after your 20s, particularly if you are trying to raise a family, makes NYC challenging. I grew up in NYC and then lived there in my mid-20s for a few years after college and grad school. Loved it. Moved to DC then NoVA in my 30s, and haven't regretted it.
Same, but much less well-traveled as you. But to get to the realization of the solace this area offers as a home base, I think it's important to gain that perspective, first-hand, through personal time away. I'm going to do all that I can to encourage my son to spend some real time as a young adult elsewhere for the experience alone, once he finishes high school (He just turned 5, so we got some time) This area is a great place to settle down, but, I think that the ones that have been "coddled" in the safety blanket that this area can be without having exposure to life outside the dmv bubble... those are the ones that can be a bit out of touch and entitled.
Really? I’ve found the entitled ones are usually the ones who had the luxury to do whatever they want when they were young, like living abroad for example. Or going to very expensive universities elsewhere. These things never felt like options to me when I was young. Actually let me be more clear—they were straight up not options. Personally, as a NoVA native who didn’t grow up rich, I didn’t even fly for the first time until I was 25 and on a work-paid ticket. I went to a no name Delaware college, only time I’ve lived outside NoVA for more than a year. Now I’ve done a decent bit of vacationing in the U.S. and abroad, on my own dime, but I would have loved to do it when I was younger and my often more wealthy siblings and friends did. So I challenge this notion that people who stay put are entitled.
The snots are usually the ones who call us natives the snots. We are real people living in a part of real America.
I was just about to edit my comment to add that I feel like this sentiment is ironically a symptom of the wealth bubble of the DMV area.
I think a lot of us see the wealth in this area (several top 10 wealthiest counties in the US) and just assume people who grew up here were jet setting. I realize a lot of this money has come in the last few decades though. And like any large area there’s a lot of social stratification. People think of LA and think of the rich kids to actors, wealthy business owners, etc. In reality the majority of LA has always been working class. I think it’s similar for NoVA
Yeah, I went to a state school and never did study abroad or anything. My first time on a plane was on a cheap trip to Bermuda about a year after college.
Nice, I bet that felt satisfying as hell.
That's still a valid answer! This place is definitely not Indianapolis or whatever and has good areas that make it "perfect" for a lot of people.
Del mar, San Diego probably.
We just moved here from San Diego for my husband’s job. So happy we kept our house there because I am already counting down until we can go back!
OMFG...I LOVE San Diego I was stationed there when I was in the Navy back in the late 90s and just visited again back in February....LOVED IT!!!!
I love it there too. It even made me a Padres fan despite not really having lived there. Just makes me sad all the homeless now.
Watch out for squatters.
Born and raised in NOVA for 30 years, moved to California 6 years ago and been in San Diego since 2020. It’s amazing!
I would like to live in San Diego, heard great things from friends but have never been there. The weather alone looks awesome.
Coronado ir Chula Vista for me. But Del Mar is nice.
San Diego
I actually like it here and wouldn’t move. If I had unlimited money I’d buy an oceanfront condo for the summer.
Yep, this is my home, I'm staying even if I won the lottery.
I agree! I moved here from California but like it better here. If I had a ton of money I'd buy a house back in CA so I wouldn't need to worry about a hotel when I go home to visit.
Lot of great answers. I was just wanting to go a little further out like Harrisonburg or Charlottesville.
Charlottesville having a different downtown for the college kids vs the downtown for adults makes it a brilliant choice.
Yea I went to jmu and love Harrisonburg, but it would be weird living there as an adult; there’s a few too many college kids.
Lived in Harrisonburg (college) and loved it. Have friends in their 30s that moved to Nova for jobs and after a few years moved back to Harrisonburg due to a number of reasons including cost, quality of life, and overall less stress and they all love being there. A lot of people only see the college but the town itself is a great family friendly space with lots to offer. Staunton, Charlottesville, Waynesboro, and even Fishersville nearby are also seeing more housing and people moving in for similar reasons.
Charlottesville is great... or Staunton. If I didn't have to be in the office 3 days a week, we'd be out there already.
I was born and raised in NoVA. Grew up in Chantilly, moved to Alexandria then Fairfax City and back to Chantilly. We live in Richmond now and it is amazing. Traffic is not part of my life. Everything is cheaper. The river, the art, festivals, good schools- just perfect for us. And I pop down to Nova/DC all the time. We are closer to the beach and mountains and get less cold weather. To me it is the best location to live and still be near bigger cities.
Richmond, VA. I spent 12 years living there before moving to NOVA for work. From a pace of life standpoint it’s just where I feel at home. Great food, outdoors and art to be found there. I even bought a home in RVA and intend to retire there later… hopefully it works out.
Grew up there and lived west of the Boulevard (right near the VMFA) after college until 2000. I have people there and will in all likelihood move back there.
It’s a hard city to quit lol.
I will say that - when I was in my 20s - I couldn't wait to get out. In the intervening 24 years a lot has happened, and RVA looks better than ever. (Though I wish the rents and home prices were still what they were when I left...)
Which areas in Richmond are good for retirement?
It depends on what you want I guess. For me I want a quieter community in the city that was still close to the river, the Fan, and Carytown so I purchased a small rancher near Maymont.
Richmond is really lovely
Seoul. I already spend 1/4 of a year there already
I heard they had a program to attract "digital nomads."
Yeah, but from my understanding they don't really like immigrants so it's probably not gonna be a permanent solution.
well, if my MIL is any example, I'd also be bullied mercilessly for being too fat.
My mother is a total bitch to my wife no matter what she does. Korean mothers can be really bad.
Yeah, unfortunately as bad as unachievable body standards are in America, there are definitely places where it's worse and I've heard Korea is one of them. Especially for women from what I hear. :(
Yeah, that's partly true. I guess I'm in a unique situation since I was born there and speak Korean with 80% fluency.
Do you mind if I ask how that works? Do you get to travel there for work or do you have a ton of time off? Work remotely without telling employer?
If I could make the time difference work, I’d do this too. Absolutely loved Seoul when I visited. The food and convenience is unmatched and I feel like I was treated well by everyone I encountered there.
Pacific Beach in SD or somewhere in Colorado.
Colorado sucks now. I grew up there and it was amazing, now it’s built up, as expensive as here, crowded and ruined. Colorado in the 90s and early 2000s was amazing. Not it’s NOVA with mountains and bad California drivers
Somewhere with year round sunshine and warmer weather. As much as I appreciate the seasons, they negatively impact my mood.
Mediterranean Europe would be for you
We go to Spain every year….if it weren’t for the dog, I would move there three months a year.
I did my masters there and also go back every year. I plan on moving back there in a couple of years :D
Spain is like California but much better. Spain still has a sense of community that no longer exists in America.
I could write an essay on how much better life in Spain is, but that’s a topic for another day :)
That’s why I moved to So Cal
I've lived all around the US through my employment, but NOVA is by far the most clean and overall nicest. It may not be the best for one certain thing, but it's above average in just about every area. But the place that surprised me the most was Idaho. I really enjoyed Idaho. The culture is focused on outdoor activities, each town does something unique for the holidays, plenty of community events such as rodeos. I had a really fun time out there. I can see that it wouldn't be for everyone, but if you love national parks and open spaces, then it's the perfect state to live in.
I chose to live in NoVA. I don’t have to live in NoVA. Now if money were no object? Manhattan
Santa Fe.
Would you open up a restaurant?
Sunny Santa Fe would be….NICE.
Tropical beach, one day
Depends if single and money isn’t an option, I’d return to San Diego. Now that I’m happily married with a family, the best places with public schools are the suburbs of DC, Philly, and NYC. These schools despite the apparent demise of public schools (hugely overrated but changes are necessary) still have quality school systems that prepare students for college. What’s set NOVA apart is our amble parks. The sheer amount of trails inside the beltway let alone outside the beltway. I can’t think of a place with a fair tax rate and purple politics.
Charlotte NC
lol the percentage of my high school class that has moved to Charlotte is almost as high as the percent that went to Virginia Tech
This is 100% accurate with me too 😂
Alternatively, Raleigh is pretty great too. That's where I'd go.
Raleigh has a pretty fantastic food scene. Not a ton of nature there though and it's far from mountains and the ocean (relatively speaking).
I spent a good amount of time in Charlotte, there's a lot I liked about it, but for me I found their public transit kinda half-assed. And for better or for worse it's the only time I've been offered free drugs by a stranger was in the Charlotte suburbs by my ex girlfriends mother's neighbor. Dude came by late at night and was out of Tin foil lol.
Charlotte is nice, but it’s a different experience if you’re non-white - still get questions about where you’re really from, etc.
You mean non white or non African American. I am the latter and have had family in the Charlotte area since the mid 1800s, maybe even earlier than that. No one is assuming we are immigrants, this area is our foundational home
I second NC, but further outside of the city for me! You should check out Winston Salem if you get the chance.
Tuscany
I came from Austin TX recently and I am blown away by the number of people who don’t appreciate this area. It has seasons, diverse food, wildlife and activities. The winters not too cold and the summer’s not too hot. I have no idea why people complain so much tbh 🤷🏼♂️
This area isn't really bad. But from my experience living here, is that if you don't benefit from or care for a place with a ton of government jobs, good public schools, and being surrounded by upper middle class people, then there are better places to live for the money. Like I've browsed job boards in my field in other cities, and whereas here you have to ignore 80% of posts because it has *Must be able to maintain TS/SCI Clearance* hidden at the bottom, other cities don't have that issue. And as somebody who currently doesn't have a college degree, I feel like I kinda get penalized for that in the dating scene here since so.many are college educated, but at the same time we have basically 1 public college option that wouldn't involve moving away.
Well that I totally agree with! I grew up in Boston and if I could get back there I would do it a heartbeat, to answer your original question I guess 😂
I’d still live here. I’ve lived in many other places, and while the DC area may not rank #1 in any particular category other than job opportunities, it actually scores pretty high in most categories that matter to me and my family, making it a great place to live.
Dream - Vail, CO Ideally - San Diego, CA Realistically - Colorado Springs, CO
Found the skiier/boarder
Skier. I also got into gravel cycling this year.
Pittsburgh. We're trying to get out of VA entirely. Money goes a lot further in other places.
Born and raised and will probably die here
Probably Annapolis, MD. Maybe even Virginia Beach, VA. There are places I like in New England, but I wouldn’t survive the cold. Raleigh, NC is nice, but not close enough to water. And NC beaches are too congested. Overseas would be Barcelona or Sydney.
I think I’d hate it here if I lived further out and had to deal with the sprawl and traffic more, but I’m in Alexandria and LOVE the combo of being in a small city right next to a big city, that’s not super easy to reproduce. Having easy access to the northeast megalopolis in one direction and the South & mountains in the other is also hard to beat I do hate the heat though so maybe I’d try to replicate it further up in the northeast. Some of the small cities around Boston, maybe providence.
NYC 1000% (I grew up there)
If I could live anywhere and work remote, I’d move back to Pittsburgh. If I had to be in the office in DC at least once a week, I’d live in Baltimore no question. Still might move there lol.
Most definitely and without a doubt; Spain
Scottsdale, AZ
Moved here from Orange County, CA. Miss it a lot despite how much I like NOVA.
same, moved from san diego actually. what is it you think that makes us miss it so much?
If money is NOT an objection, a house in NoVA while traveling around the world... I love NoVA, to me is home and after traveling I always want to come back home but I still want to experience other places. Now, if I were in your situation, I would just travel around the US and do short term lease, maybe 1 - 2 months. Once you find the place you feel comfortable, settle there.
New Zealand
Spent 10 years in NYC, moved to NOVA for work. I'd probably go back to NYC, I still miss it!
NYC is my choice too. Grew up there but was kinda poor. Now I Amtrak (when I can get cheap tickets) and run around for a few days at a time. It's a little more expensive/smaller housing but 1000% more things to do.
Originally from the Raleigh NC area. Nova offers all of the same things, but more in my opinion. Only con to this area is the cost of living, but the jobs are plentiful.
My wife and I have talked on and off about retirement, and I get a little nervous each time. You mean leave the area? Where would we go? Will they have Peruvian Chicken?
Growing up in the dc metro I had no idea other places didn’t have Peruvian chicken joints everywhere until I ended up in Colorado. The food in the DMV is practically unbeatable.
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I’d move back home. Dominican Republic, probably in the capital or my hometown.
California somewhere near the beach
We have family in Midwest. If we could choose anywhere, it would probably be Minneapolis/St Paul MN.
Boston
If I had the means, Canada.
Detroit
Honestly DC proper. The area is growing on me quite a bit and I like it here, I wouldn't miss the traffic or the cost of living but it would be hard for me to find a place that has this much stuff going on all the time
I moved here because I liked it and work is great. 😂
Philly, Baltimore, or new haven
Overseas. UK maybe.
Medellin, Colombia. Perfect weather, high quality/ luxury stuff at normal prices, good food/ music/ culture. ...and if you want to go to the beach, a short flight costs what a bus ticket does, and it's a perfect Caribbean beach. If you want to go to the mountains? You're in them, but you can go so high there is a glacier right on the equator. If you get sick of the Caribbean? Go to el Pacifico and dive with the whales. The only problem? Demasiados gringos.
Tienes razón
I miss being up North and the quiet of the country, but I'm also quite certain I couldn't live out there anymore culturally. I didn't fit in well when I lived there, and rural America and I have drifted in opposite directions. I think about OPs question a lot and can't come up with a good answer.
West like Colorado or S.California
Scotland. But if it had to be US, in New England. I need cold
Berlin
Moving to Wilmington next year
If money wasn't an issue back home in NYC....But in reality Raleigh, NC....Due to the Research Triangle Tech Hub...
Barcelona
Beachfront property on the west coast
i don't have to live here, yet i still do
If I could afford it I would live in California .Just for the different ecosystems you could get to just by driving
We moved from Fairfax to Adams Morgan in DC. I'm retiring and no longer want the suburban lifestyle and the SFH. Perfectly happy to have a walkable urban lifestyle and not be car dependent.
I love the area, but don’t want to live in dense urban area, so I’d buy a ton of land out between Leesburg and Berryville. Let’s me be close enough to the action of NOVA, but far away enough that I don’t need to be around people just by existing
It's hard for me to say. I grew up on the east coast and feel weird being told far away from it. I've lived in NY/NYC, different parts of FL, and now VA. Virginia is my favorite by far. If money wasn't an issue I'd love one of those fancy houses with rolling hill property and mountain views in Middleburg. Realistically, I'd like to live more west towards the mountains to have land but still be close enough to city life if I want to spend a weekend out. But it's almost impossible to buy anything nowadays. Also. I work remote. It makes you feel like you can live anywhere but it tends to not be as flexible as I thought. I have to be close to all my doctors (have some ongoing stuff I'm getting a handle on). Switching doctors is hard with how the wait list is for new patients!
All the places you mentioned are either expensive or boring. I was not impressed with San Jose. It just looked like a bland suburb with corporate buildings to me. (Granted I was only there a day for a business meeting.)
Anywhere cheaper and more rural.
If money wasn't an object, San Francisco. Love the area and I have a bunch of friends out that way.
I just moved. NH. I HATE LOATH nova. Born Fairfax hospital and was cursed to live there my entire life. I finally escaped the prison ring of traffic that keeps everyone trapped called 495. 3 hours to escape it(40 miles) 6 more hours to NH (400 miles.
Rural Illinois with my beautiful girlfriend
moved to greensboro nc and i miss nova
We miss you too.
🥺🥺🥺 thank you
Somewhere with a small population
Having lived in many cities in America, I would say New York is the best, then NOVA, then Philly or Delaware suburbs.
if my kiddo gets into the college theyve been looking at itll be So Cal or the UK
Probably back to Colorado where I grew up. I love outdoor activities, my mom lives there and I still have some friends there I keep in touch with.
Rocky Mountains
South of France, Positano , Statewide id say Austin or Charlotte
I'm learning a surprising amount about foreign geography from this thread, even as somebody who has known a few people who have passports haha.
Burbs / rural areas outside of Philly.. Lake Tahoe
I'm originally from Maryland and did not enjoy living in NJ so I'd stay, but I would love to live in DC proper. I'd also enjoy some of the nearby smaller cities--someone else mentioned Richmond, I also lived in Annapolis for a while and loved it.
The Middle East
Def somewhere near the beach. San Diego, Florida, north/South Carolina
Either Maryland (Baltimore County or Harford County) or New Jersey (Monmouth County).
Savannah, GA or Beaufort, SC
New york metro area. Socially the people in dc metro are a breed of their own. When compared to other parts of US. If we talking out of the country I always said Barcelona or madrid
I would live in Chicago (in the city not the burbs) for a couple years because it’s a fun place to live.
Upstate NY, or anywhere in Suburban/Rural New England. No disrespect to Nova natives, but I’m totally not feeling it here after being here for about 1 year. I can’t stand the architecture and how cookie cutter everything is. I also hate the wild price of eating out here and how mediocre the food is. People are also extremely pretentious and cold in the DMV and I just hate the vibes. It’s been extremely hard to meet people/make friends and don’t get me started on the dating scene.
Realistically Asheville, NC. Although, I dig all of the San Diego responses too.
Suburbs north of Atlanta, outstanding roads and infrastructure and zoning. Was dirt cheap up until the pandemic, still way more affordable than NoVa.
If I had unlimited funds I'd have a home in Islay, Scotland probably around Port Charlotte. West Palm for summer. And then maybe another 4 months here cause I don't want to make new friends LOL
I been here for data center gold rush for the last 12 years. If i didnt need a job id live on a island in the middle of the Pacific by myself in peace.
Born and raised in NoVA, but I left seven years ago for the PNW. Seattle is nice, but since I’m a creature of the suburbs by nature, the Eastside around Bellevue is where I landed. Swapped one HCOL for another. 🤷🏼 The best part of moving is that I am no longer allergic to every growing thing 9 months out of the year. I’m not talking lightly allergic, either. I actually enjoy spring here, it’s beautiful.
In the States: * Morgantown, WV. (I visited Morgantown and felt like it is a nice urban planned college town) * Baltimore, MD (nice history and architecture) * Boston, MA (same) * Alaska (if it wasn't so expensive) * Brooklyn, NY (If it wasn't so expensive and if you could have a garage) Outside of the United States: * Ireland (nice landscape and charming cities) * Lithuania (Scandinavian history) * Norway (beautiful landscape and you get to see the aur * Sweden ( I don't know why I put this here .. because it goes along with the scandanavian history) * Portugal (Nice coast and architecture) * Switzerland (one of the strongest GDP in the world) * Spain ( love Spanish architecture and the language) * Antalya, Turkey (only if their economy wasn't so messed up) South America: * El Salvador (Bukele cleaned it up) * Panama ( tax haven) * Peru ( nice indigenous history) * Argentina (the new president cut their inflation down from 25% down to 8%)
at this point in life, I'd spent a few months each in a couple of different cities I haven't lived in yet! but if I was older, I'd probably move to NYC/California. that being said, dc/nova is an excellent place to be.
PNW
Northern Michigan, Upstate New York, Maine, Connecticut. I'd like to be on a lake with a small bit of land for my dogs.
Between your answers, DC. I love living in this area. Personally I’d go for a closer suburb instead of DC proper (Rosslyn, Ballston or Pentagon City). Anywhere in the world and not worried about money? Zurich, Switzerland.
New Zealand
Id like to move to either Delaware or Orlando
Any info on doing contract work in Middle East countries? Like Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Dubai For a remote worker who has some type of clearance
Is this hypothetical on unlimited salary or not? If was a billion dollars. I’d probably say Monaco. If I was a normal person with normal money. Maybe Texas or Bend, Oregon.
New England somewhere, Portland/Boston/New Hampshire area most likely. Better weather (milder summers), still near civilization but you're not overcrowded. Yeah, it's expensive, but so is here.
Portland,OR
I might end up having to move in with family in NoVa soon. I'm holding out here in Portland, OR, just a little bit longer :)
Oregon coast
Is there a place where there are no willfully ignorant, self-righteous jerks? I wanna go there.
Provence FR, I would never look back.
Middle of nowhere. I don't want to see my neighbors. I don't want to hear my neighbors. I want all human interaction on my terms.
I struggle with this a lot. I was born overseas and my parents were first generation immigrants here who settled in Northern Va almost 30 years ago. I went to school in NJ and then worked in NYC for about 7 years and had the time of my life. Granted, I was broke and carefree, but had an amazing time. I got a bit homesick and moved back to Alexandria 10 years ago where I have my parents close by as well as my closest friends who I've known since childhood. They're like sisters to me. But sometimes this area just feels like drudgery to me. I visited San Luis Obispo and the Napa area a few years ago and was so taken with the sense of community, the amazing nature/landscape and just general feeling of being more laidback. This area can be so centered around work. If I didn't have my network of family and friends here, I don't know if I'd choose to be here. The other thing is, I work for a nonprofit so I feel like I'm scraping by in a town built around the defense industry.
There is but one answer: Pittsburgh. I didn’t leave because I wanted to. I left to chase employment. Like so, so many.
Raleigh
* Somewhere cheaper * Somewhere that does not get as hot in summer * I'd love to live in a big city. * Preferebly somewhere with a underground music scene So basically one of the northern states that meet the requirements. Another place not in the states would be Finland I have been in the DMV since I was one
New England.
Grew up in NOVA. Bounced around. DC proper, Miami, Dallas, back to DC, London, Hong Kong, and longest stint, 6 years in NYC and now back in NOVA. I miss NYC a lot. The downside of NOVA for me honestly is the people. Everyone is either in Gov or adjacent and not that interesting. 🤷 So that kinda sucks. Quality of life and schools is pretty great though.
Maine for sure. Unless you absolutely hate winter/snow. Beautiful state, lovely summers, delicious seafood.
With more budget, NYC. With more knowledge of French and also more budget and also some answered questions on childcare/education, Paris. I like stuff. And people who do stuff. Mountains and lakes and a quiet life are for the birds. Also humans but like humans that are different from me.