Recent comments in /f/arlingtonva

leibesleid OP t1_j7ii15b wrote

Reply to comment by that-gostof-de-past in do you like living in arlington? by leibesleid

I hope you have a better time in Denver! I also dislike city living but feel a bit trapped by my career ):.

One advantage of Arlington I saw online is that there are some nice Amish farms nearby, so it seems like you can get natural food if that's important to you.

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leibesleid OP t1_j7ihrzk wrote

Reply to comment by NonamerMedia in do you like living in arlington? by leibesleid

Thank you! This is super detailed and helpful. Some follow up questions:

Do you think public transit is good enough where I don't need a car?

Do you think it's reasonable to rent an apartment in Fairfax or Falls Church and commute into the office? I think my job will be flexible where I don't need to be at work at 9am every day...

Where do people move to? Is it to a nearby suburb or just out of NoVa altogether?

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NonamerMedia t1_j7ie896 wrote

Reply to do you like living in arlington? by leibesleid

Depends on where you live and if you’ll bring your car…the southern part of Arlington is very urban, and though there’s lots of nice trails and parks it’s in the context of a large (and growing) city. Northern Arlington is a bit more suburban and is close to nice parks and trails, but comes with a notable price bump and longer commutes to work. Also parking is more expensive (ie at least $100 per month) the closer you are to a major urban area. If you’re looking for nature, go closer to Falls Church or Fairfax county.

There should be enough farmers markets to satisfy you in the entire Metro DC area…at least during the right seasons.

As for making friends, the good news is that, aside from perhaps Clarendon, Arlington is a hub for introverts that would be more interested in hobbies and other nerdy passions. The bad news…is that Arlington is full of introverts, so it may seem hard at first to find people who are quick to make friends. My suggestion (for Arlington and in general) is to look up groups on meetup or other sites for your interests and see if DC, Arlington, or NoVA come up. In my personal experience, all my friends are outside Arlington.

Arlington is very liberal on social issues, but is more moderate-left fiscally and militarily (lots of defense contractors live here thanks to the Pentagon). In general, people are very tolerant of differing viewpoints as long as you demonstrate a willingness to listen and respond respectfully. If your job involves working in the federal government (as a civilian OR contractor), you are likely to be discouraged (and possibly forbidden) from being overtly political.

I think Arlington right now is good, but not great, in terms of livability. Public transit and diversity of things to do can hardly be rivaled, and you have DC across the river in case you want something more culturally enriching. However, it is expensive, and people living here are very transient, moving due to better jobs or the desire to own a bigger home. I think Arlington and NoVA in general is a good starting point for living an urban lifestyle if you can afford it.

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klubkouture t1_j7idgwx wrote

Reply to do you like living in arlington? by leibesleid

1.2 hours to Shenandoah-fall leaf changes are pretty the first year if you've never been on the east coast during autumn. 2. Drinking and promiscuous living make it easier to make friends, but tech sector makes teetotaling easier than say State College. Lots of temp buddies to do things with for a day, but many transients that keep each other single until 29 out of hidden competition. 3. Politicos live in McLean and on Capitol Hill, not Arlington. Many careers in Law, Health, and IT, and being a US Citizen (cleared office work with a few espionage). 4. The car accidents in Falls Church and Arlington are bad, the judicial system is very orchestrated, there is a constant "hustle", and many perma-singles and DINKS vs deep connections and easy baby-making. Arlington has lots of money, but it is better for guys who want to marry a foreign national at 29 than women who want families. PS-Europe has a great rail pass if you are under 26.

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that-gostof-de-past t1_j7id3hu wrote

Reply to do you like living in arlington? by leibesleid

Living in Arlington is cool if you like the urban life. There is access to nature but traffic makes it annoying to get there. It’s really easy to make friends and there’s plenty of things to do. The only downside is that it isn’t cheap. I am unhappy living here simply because I don’t think there is enough nature here. I’m packing my bags and moving to Denver.

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masshole1617 OP t1_j7dwtx5 wrote

Reply to comment by totallyuneekname in water softener recommendation? by masshole1617

Bosch dishwasher. It's so compact that I couldn't even figure out where to unscrew the first screw. Now that I've watched the repair man do it, I can try by myself next time. Good thing too, because the error message came up again just now on the dishwasher

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awooff t1_j7coqkw wrote

Reply to comment by masshole1617 in water softener recommendation? by masshole1617

Plumber but ask first on any experience as my old plumber was somewhat green. Last id checked years ago an outfit in iowa was priced decent and can choose resin quality and capacity also timed or on demand regeneration. Youd want outside faucets bypassed.

When you take water sample in, ask about capacity needed in grains (amount of resin beads which is what pulls calcium amd iron from water.)

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awooff t1_j7c4grw wrote

Reply to water softener recommendation? by masshole1617

Fleck brand softners are best bang for buck. Take a sample of your water to a culligan or ecowater store amd have them test for free. Of course they will try to sell you their brand...

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