She hates her own kind. LOL.

(Updated at 9:50 a.m.) New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D) is no fan of living in Arlington, apparently.

In her new book, “Off The Sidelines,” which is due out today, Gillibrand recounts her move from New York to the D.C. area — to Arlington, specifically — when she was first elected to the House of Representatives. It was a move Gillibrand would come to regret.

From the book:


Our move to Washington was hard — on me and my marriage. I had a new job; [my husband] Jonathan didn’t; and we were trying to find our legs with a toddler in a new city. We started having the same argument over and over. I’d say, “What’s wrong?”

Jonathan would say, “I have no job and I hate D.C.”

I appreciated Jonathan’s viewpoint. We lived in a soulless suburb. It wasn’t the right place for us, and we needed a change. I could see that, but it took me at least a year to figure out that racing 100 miles an hour to do my job well was leaving no time for us… Eventually we moved from Arlington, Virginia, to Capitol Hill, and Jonathan found a job he liked.


Read more: http://www.wtop.com/41/3698173/Senator-Arlington-is-a-Soulless-Suburb#ixzz3Cqeriqoy

Her observation is spot on.

Soulless, dream-sucking, idea-draining, thought-numbing, and null and void.

All anybody cares about is getting into TJ/UVA and finding a sports tutor for Brody's lacrosse or Hannah's soccer team.

BooHoo, they were unhappy for a little while in Arlington & had to move to Capital Hill. People make fun of these parents trying to get their kids into good colleges and being concerned about their futures like there's something wrong with that. These people aren't assholes its the parents of the many hookers around town, grocery store cashiers etc.. who really suck.

Good Riddence to the high brow well off NY Dems "enlighting the world" with their "compassion" while they spend the shit out of other peoples money

Eventually we moved from Arlington, Virginia, to Capitol Hill, and Jonathan found a job he liked within a week our car was broken into, Jonathan was robbed at gunpoint, and I came home one night to find rats in the kitchen.

There, fixed it.

Hey, something that I can agreed with a Democrat.

Dupont and Mt Pleasant are great for young families - just watch the drag queens on 17th

I lived on Capitol Hill for five years when I first moved here. It sucked
but I could walk to work. My apartment was only broken into once. Parking really sucks. I started parking my car next to the police station because
it was vandalized twice before I caught on. There's no sense of community on the Hill. Some people try and pretend there is but they're full of shit.
When I got married the first time we moved to Greenbelt and watched it turn into a third world shit hole. Marriage went belly up and I remarried two
years later. We lived in Arlington and it sucked too. Only one attempted burglary but my dog scared them off. Lots of teenage vandalism. Once again, watched my neighborhood turn into yet another third world shit hole. We lived near Columbia Pike if that tells you anything. The only sense of community there is among illegal aliens. Politicians try and tell everyone how congenial Arlington is but look at their police reports. Yeah right. I've met a lot of New Yorkers along the way and some always seem to have an attitude because it's not NYC. Tough shit for Gillibrand. I hope she enjoys living on the Hill where only the very wealthy can afford a house with a garage. The homes have bars on the doors and windows, sometimes going up three stories. Walking on the street alone and especially after dark is asking for trouble. I couldn't believe how many people were keeping vicious dogs in their tiny back yards with concertina and barbed wire along the top. Send your kids to public school and watch them get the living shit beat out of them frequently for being white. You go to Virginia to shop because of the limited number of stores and your chances of being robbed go up if the thugs think you have any money. Of all the places I've lived in my life where I felt a need to carry a firearm DC is at the top of the list but they're hard as Hell to obtain legally. I wonder how long Gillibrand will last on the Hill? Place your bets.

Isn't she looking to move into that big white house on Penn. Ave? The best way to get elected to serve in Washington is to trash Washington. That's how the game is played.

Typical elitist posing as a populist. Yes, she definitely wants in to 1600 Pennsylvania. Big article on her in the WaPo magazine last Sunday, indicating she has some media support.

ALL of DC area is "souless"....worthless POS city

Arlington may be soulless, but Fairfax will always be toothless.

Gillibrand is from a rural area up near Albany. Like many ingenues, hicks, and hayseeds, she struggled when coming to the big city. She's adapting well however, while most of you are not. It's Capitol -- not Capital -- Hill, by the way, and notions of the area's being awful and violent are an absolute absurdity expounded by brainless hicks who can't afford the Metro fare to get down there.

Soulless? Toothless?? I'm considering a move to Fairfax county Virginia from the cesspool that is Tampa, Florida... and with all this "soulless, toothless" talk; well I think it might be a perfect fit!

You guys are talking about a bunch of different areas though. What of 22033, is it soulless there too?

I have to agree. This place has no fucking soul. If you're an ILLEGAL spic than it's Disney land.

If you love massive traffic problems, ILLEGAL spics draining the system, pretentious assholes, and over priced living.....You have found The right spot.

This area is fucked up.

Actually..... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gillibrand is from a rural area up near Albany.
> Like many ingenues, hicks, and hayseeds, she
> struggled when coming to the big city. She's
> adapting well however, while most of you are not.
> It's Capitol -- not Capital -- Hill, by the way,
> and notions of the area's being awful and violent
> are an absolute absurdity expounded by brainless
> hicks who can't afford the Metro fare to get down
> there.


Tell that to Thomas Maslin.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/archives-thomas-maslin-assault/c31931a8-f542-11e2-9434-60440856fadf_topic.html

I'll sit comfortably in the 22046. Let me know when you want to come by and mow my lawn cause that is about all you can afford to see there.

Eirikr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Soulless? Toothless?? I'm considering a move to
> Fairfax county Virginia from the cesspool that is
> Tampa, Florida... and with all this "soulless,
> toothless" talk; well I think it might be a
> perfect fit!


Tampa wins on the outdoor environment by far. Just mot even close as far as that goes. But then nobody does anything outdoors here so they have no clue and don't notice it. Versus having a few beers with friends and watching the sunset from a nice place overlooking the bay, they're perfectly happy to do it on the deck at a strip mall that overlooks the Shell station across the street. People generally are more friendly down there.

DC area wins on traffic (as fucked up as Tampa's is), concrete, way over-priced houses, strip malls (versus strip joints - Tampa wins that one obviously) but here they build them vertically now and call them "Towne Centers" and charge chumps big money to live above them, and in pretentious fucks who think they're important because they live in Vienna. As you can tell from this forum, around here it's a competition to see who can be the most impressive asshole.

Fairfax County is great.

There are two types of people who hate Fairfax.

1) Misanthropic loser types who grew up here (and complained first about elementary school, then middle school, then high school, then their parents, then other people, etc.)

2) People who moved here hoping to succeed, but failed, because this place is pretty go-go and doesn't put up with bullshit.

I like it here, will continue to live here, will retire here, and wish y'all a happy good-bye as you go struggle finding somewhere else to live.

Eirikr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Soulless? Toothless?? I'm considering a move to
> Fairfax county Virginia from the cesspool that is
> Tampa, Florida... and with all this "soulless,
> toothless" talk; well I think it might be a
> perfect fit!

These are just the dregs of NoVa whining over how they have fallen behind people who lived in El Salvador until a month ago. Don't pay them any mind. None of the rest of us do.

ORLY????? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tell that to Thomas Maslin.

One two-year old incident? Are you a two-year old yourself? The Hill is an urban area. Also a vibrant, thriving conclave of well-to-do professionals. And their families. And their dogs.

> I'll sit comfortably in the 22046.

That's what you should do alright. Hunker down in fear of things that don't exist. What a loser!

> Let me know when you want to come by and mow my lawn
> cause that is about all you can afford to see there.

LOL! Falls Church is NOT all that. Of course, who could tell while cowering behind all those blacked-out windows in the basement?

I can think of no better place to live if I ENJOY peeving off fucktards. I am generally a nice, easy going person...but when my path crosses with one of these idiots I take GREAT joy in annoying him/her.

-Prius with an Obama sticker? Cut them off!

-Self-absorbed asshole walking in front/behind you? Bump into them and make it look like an accident, mobile device falls to the ground!

-Idiot driver? Pace a car going slow in the lane next to you!

-Driver on cell phone in front of you? Get in front of them and pretend you are a drunk driver!

There is NO limit to the ways you can fuck with people!

...if people get to rage fueled, I have weapons handy.

Run away... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tampa wins on the outdoor environment by far.
> Just mot even close as far as that goes. But then
> nobody does anything outdoors here so they have no
> clue and don't notice it. Versus having a few
> beers with friends and watching the sunset from a
> nice place overlooking the bay, they're perfectly
> happy to do it on the deck at a strip mall that
> overlooks the Shell station across the street.
> People generally are more friendly down there.

Tampa is basically Florida's armpit. Of course, all of FLA that isn't Disney or directly along one of the coasts is basically ghastly, fetid swampland, but after putting aside all those outright waste areas, Tampa is about the bottom of the barrel from what's left.

> DC area wins on traffic (as fucked up as Tampa's
> is), concrete, way over-priced houses, strip malls
> (versus strip joints - Tampa wins that one
> obviously) but here they build them vertically now
> and call them "Towne Centers" and charge chumps
> big money to live above them, and in pretentious
> fucks who think they're important because they
> live in Vienna. As you can tell from this forum,
> around here it's a competition to see who can be
> the most impressive asshole.

You're the drooling asshole here, Billy Bob. Vienna makes all kinds of Best Places to Live lists. The fact that you can't hack it anywhere near there is maybe a sign that you weren't cut out for anything more than alligator wrestling to begin with.

Go Greyhound: (202) 289-5141

Not sure I can confirm Tampa, but Jacksonville kinda sucked.

NoVA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There is NO limit to the ways you can fuck with
> people!...if people get to rage fueled, I have
> weapons handy.

Keeping a brain handy would serve you better, loser-dude.

Actually... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ORLY????? Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Tell that to Thomas Maslin.
>
> One two-year old incident? Are you a two-year old
> yourself? The Hill is an urban area. Also a
> vibrant, thriving conclave of well-to-do
> professionals. And their families. And their
> dogs.

Plenty more where that came from.

Read some of the articles in that archive. You might learn a thing or two.

"Robberies, armed and unarmed, are up in central Capitol Hill this year. According to police statistics, there were 56 through Sunday, up from 36 for the same period a year ago. Although far more infrequent, armed assaults are also up.

District police say 19 people have been robbed, two at gunpoint, since July 1 in the police service area that includes Eastern Market. Hickson said he is working on instituting more patrols and other measures to address the problem."

"A savage attack in a Capitol Hill neighborhood over the weekend that left a 29-year-old man in a coma has residents on alert over the increasing frequency of violent crime in an area of the city popular with young professionals.

Since the beginning of the year, the number of robberies in the area has increased by 64 percent over the previous year. While it’s unclear whether Thomas “T.C.” Maslin, who was reportedly struck in the back of the head with a blunt object, was robbed during the Saturday attack, residents in the area say they have noticed an uptick in robberies.

“There’s a sense of more brazenness and more incidents with guns,” said Ivan Frishberg, an Advisory Neighborhood Commission member from the neighborhood where the attack took place. “We had a pretty significant spike in crime last year. The spike was driven by a couple of groups of young people who were specifically targeting people for a smartphone or a purse.”



And this is just the last 10 days.

http://spotcrime.com/dc/washington/capitol+hill


> > I'll sit comfortably in the 22046.
>
> That's what you should do alright. Hunker down in
> fear of things that don't exist. What a loser!

Tell that to Mr. Maslin.

> LOL! Falls Church is NOT all that.

It appears that it is.

http://www.wtop.com/41/3660049/Falls-Church-housing-hot-rest-of-Washington-not-so-much

Yo Actually... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not sure I can confirm Tampa, but Jacksonville kinda sucked.

Never saw much of a point to Tallahassee either, but Tampa is in the coastal zone and it's STILL a hole. All you can do about it is keep on driving and get yourself over to Clearwater or St. Pete.

Actually... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Tampa is basically Florida's armpit. Of course,
> all of FLA that isn't Disney or directly along one
> of the coasts is basically ghastly, fetid
> swampland, but after putting aside all those
> outright waste areas, Tampa is about the bottom of
> the barrel from what's left.


Yep. Yet it's still better than NoVA in any number of ways.


> You're the drooling asshole here, Billy Bob.
> Vienna makes all kinds of Best Places to Live
> lists. The fact that you can't hack it anywhere
> near there is maybe a sign that you weren't cut
> out for anything more than alligator wrestling to
> begin with.
>
> Go Greyhound: (202) 289-5141


You represent the typical Northern Virginian very well.

And I mean that sincerely.

lol

Shake it off... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Eirikr Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----

>
> These are just the dregs of NoVa whining over how
> they have fallen behind people who lived in El
> Salvador until a month ago. Don't pay them any
> mind. None of the rest of us do.

I used to be a bulimic and would walk into the bakery and think so was everyone else or they wouldn't devote so large a part of the store to 20x20 cakes. Then, I was a wino and would look down the massive aisle of bottles & bottles of wine and think so was everyone else... I was wrong....

You are an asshole and think everyone else is either one too, wishes they were one or has failed, you are wrong!

ORLY???????? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Plenty more where that came from. Read some of the
> articles in that archive. You might learn a thing or two.

I doubt it, boloney-boy. I've had a townhome on Capitol Hill since the late 1990's. It's a short walk from Eastern Market. My godson owns two condo buildings near 17th and H, NE. Atlas District. Streetcar Alley. I'm pretty sure I know a bit more about the area than you and your police blotter nonsense do. And your boy Ivan's ANC6B goes all the way east and south to the Anacostia. Those are improving areas alright, and they might one day be considered extensions of Capitol Hill, but they aren't today -- unless you are some smarmy real estate agent looking to swindle somebody.

> It appears that it is.

Get a life, bozo. Falls Church City is a measly two square miles. It was built out in the 1950's. The housing stock is old and cramped. The lot sizes are small. The dominant model today is in-fill, meaning that existing homes sell based on what a developer thinks he can get for the brand new modular home he will plop onto the property. In poshness terms, Falls Church as ever loses out to virtually everything around it -- North Arlington, McLean, Great Falls, Vienna, and soon enough, Dunn Loring/Merrifeld. Such cachet as Falls Church does have today is derived from its throwback, 1950's small town, local government, bike trail, farmers market, Happy Days type appeal to nostalgic yuppies. I'm sure that's big for you.

Actually... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ORLY???????? Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Plenty more where that came from. Read some of
> the
> > articles in that archive. You might learn a
> thing or two.
>
> I doubt it, boloney-boy. I've had a townhome on
> Capitol Hill since the late 1990's. It's a short
> walk from Eastern Market. My godson owns two
> condo buildings near 17th and H, NE. Atlas
> District. Streetcar Alley. I'm pretty sure I
> know a bit more about the area than you and your
> police blotter nonsense do. And your boy Ivan's
> ANC6B goes all the way east and south to the
> Anacostia. Those are improving areas alright, and
> they might one day be considered extensions of
> Capitol Hill, but they aren't today -- unless you
> are some smarmy real estate agent looking to
> swindle somebody.


All of which does nothing to lower the crime rate. Cops even admit it. Numbers don't lie, but you sure as hell do.

> > It appears that it is.
>
> Get a life, bozo. Falls Church City is a measly
> two square miles. It was built out in the 1950's.
> The housing stock is old and cramped. The lot
> sizes are small. The dominant model today is
> in-fill, meaning that existing homes sell based on
> what a developer thinks he can get for the brand
> new modular home he will plop onto the property.
> In poshness terms, Falls Church as ever loses out
> to virtually everything around it -- North
> Arlington, McLean, Great Falls, Vienna, and soon
> enough, Dunn Loring/Merrifeld. Such cachet as
> Falls Church does have today is derived from its
> throwback, 1950's small town, local government,
> bike trail, farmers market, Happy Days type appeal
> to nostalgic yuppies. I'm sure that's big for
> you.

Sour grapes?

Chinese Compliments Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yep. Yet it's still better than NoVA in any number
> of ways.

Well, the strip joints were brought up already. Have you got another one in mind, or is that about it?

> You represent the typical Northern Virginian very well.
> And I mean that sincerely. lol

Leave if you don't like it here. The typical Northern Virginian will indeed be very happy to see your whiny and sorry ass packed up and out of here. That Greyhound number again is (202) 289-5141. Leave the driving to them.

ORLY????? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> All of which does nothing to lower the crime rate.
> Cops even admit it. Numbers don't lie, but you
> sure as hell do.

Grow up, you pathetic little boy. Police blotter nonsense makes EVERYWHERE look terrible. The simple facts as experienced hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and year-to-year by those who actually live on Capitol Hill are that notions of the area's being awful and violent are an absolute absurdity expounded by brainless hicks who can't afford the Metro fare to get down there.

> Sour grapes?

No. My primary residence is in one of those posher areas noted above. Was that meanwhile all the answer you could come up with? It was kind of short on refuting anything I said. No real surprise there, of course.

Actually... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ORLY????? Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > All of which does nothing to lower the crime
> rate.
> > Cops even admit it. Numbers don't lie, but
> you
> > sure as hell do.
>
> Grow up, you pathetic little boy. Police blotter
> nonsense makes EVERYWHERE look terrible. The
> simple facts as experienced hour-to-hour,
> day-to-day, and year-to-year by those who actually
> live on Capitol Hill are that notions of the
> area's being awful and violent are an absolute
> absurdity expounded by brainless hicks who can't
> afford the Metro fare to get down there.


No, as statistics indicate, assaults and other violent crime have gone up double digit percentage points over the past few years in the neighborhood. You either don't understand or refuse to accept facts. Either way that makes you a complete moronic boob. As for the Metro, I can afford NOT to take it. People like you can have it all to yourselves.

> > Sour grapes?
>
> No. My primary residence is in one of those
> posher areas noted above. Was that meanwhile all
> the answer you could come up with? It was kind of
> short on refuting anything I said. No real
> surprise there, of course.

Nothing you said was worth refuting. Just a bunch of hot air. Posher in your own mind of course. There is a hierarchy of things around here, you ain't near the top of it no matter how hard you wish it.

Actually... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chinese Compliments Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Yep. Yet it's still better than NoVA in any
> number
> > of ways.
>
> Well, the strip joints were brought up already.
> Have you got another one in mind, or is that about
> it?
>
> > You represent the typical Northern Virginian
> very well.
> > And I mean that sincerely. lol
>
> Leave if you don't like it here. The typical
> Northern Virginian will indeed be very happy to
> see your whiny and sorry ass packed up and out of
> here. That Greyhound number again is (202)
> 289-5141. Leave the driving to them.


Keep talking. You do an excellent job of making the case for me.

Chinese Compliments Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Keep talking. You do an excellent job of making
> the case for me.

That's SO LAME!!! Even for a pinhead.

Hey anonymous people of the internet, I have more money and friends than you! Eat it! SUck on that hahahahahh!!! I'll probably head over to my townhouse on Capitol Hill this weekend, for now I'm relaxing in my Vienna palace.

Fairfax Conservative Wrote: Fairfax County is great.
>
>
> I like it here, will continue to live here, will
> retire here,


^ Dumb Mother fucker.

We're already retired here, It's great. We know where all the good stores and restaurants are. We have all our family, friends, doctors, stylists, and so forth right here with us. Why would we want to go someplace else and have to start all over again? I don't want to waste the time or money on moving away like that. The whole idea sounds just plain silly.

Having A Fine Time Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We're already retired here, It's great. We know
> where all the good stores and restaurants are. We
> have all our family, friends, doctors, stylists,
> and so forth right here with us. Why would we
> want to go someplace else and have to start all
> over again? I don't want to waste the time or
> money on moving away like that. The whole idea
> sounds just plain silly.


So, you can't make new friends. Explains a bunch about you. I'm here to make some cash, sell my house at a ridiculous profit, and leave this area with a ton of cash in my pocket. I can move to a lower cost of living area, live comfortably, and leave a bunch of cash to my kids while enjoying retirement on the beach while surfing and fishing. The biggest waste of cash is retiring here. It just doesn't make sense.

easy living Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So, you can't make new friends. Explains a bunch
> about you.

Yes, we're a little more upscale and sophisticated than the goobers that might be found in your typical low-cost-of-living-because-there's-absolutely-nothing-to-do-there nightmare meccas, but suit yourself.

> I'm here to make some cash, sell my house at a ridiculous
> profit, and leave this area with a ton of cash in my pocket.
> I can move to a lower cost of living area, live comfortably,
> and leave a bunch of cash to my kids while enjoying
> retirement on the beach while surfing and fishing. The biggest
> waste of cash is retiring here. It> just doesn't make sense.

Don't stay if it doesn't make sense to you. Go live in some god-forsaken dust bowl instead. But if it's nice beaches and good fishing you're after, don't expect all this low cost of living stuff to be following you around. Beaches and fishing mean tourists, and tourists mean jacked up prices. You know, there's a long, long list of people who foolishly did what you are planning to do and are miserable for having done it now. Worse yet, they can't afford to sell that awful new place and move back. Got to feel bad for them. Worked hard all their lives and look what they got for it. Don't make that same mistake.

Having A Fine Time Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Yes, we're a little more upscale and sophisticated
> than the goobers that might be found in your
> typical
> low-cost-of-living-because-there's-absolutely-noth
> ing-to-do-there nightmare meccas, but suit
> yourself.

Yes, so sophisticated that you fail to recognize that there are pockets of culture and an plenty to do in numerous areas outside this area. Maybe one day you'll be able to afford to travel and find that out for yourself.

> Don't stay if it doesn't make sense to you.

I won't and it doesn't.

> Go live in some god-forsaken dust bowl instead.

Why would I do that? Again, get out and about more. Leave your little bubble.

> But if it's nice beaches and good fishing you're
> after, don't expect all this low cost of living
> stuff to be following you around.

Lower than here. We already own the first home we will retire to.

> Beaches and fishing mean tourists, and tourists mean jacked up
> prices.

You really do need to get out more. It's almost like you haven't ventured too far off the Metro line.

> You know, there's a long, long list of
> people who foolishly did what you are planning to
> do and are miserable for having done it now.

And there is an even longer list of people who did it right and are having the times of their lives. It's OK if you are to scared or not financially prepared to make that move. We all have different goals and ideas.

> Worse yet, they can't afford to sell that awful
> new place and move back. Got to feel bad for
> them.

I feel worse for those that spend their retirement years in an overly congested suburban maze where it could take an hour commute just to get a good meal.

> Worked hard all their lives and look what
> they got for it. Don't make that same mistake.

The only mistake I won't be making is retiring here.

Having A Fine Time Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> easy living Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
But
> if it's nice beaches and good fishing you're
> after, don't expect all this low cost of living
> stuff to be following you around. Beaches and
> fishing mean tourists, and tourists mean jacked up
> prices. You know, there's a long, long list of
> people who foolishly did what you are planning to
> do and are miserable for having done it now.
> Worse yet, they can't afford to sell that awful
> new place and move back. Got to feel bad for
> them. Worked hard all their lives and look what
> they got for it. Don't make that same mistake.


We have a house a couple blocks away from the beach in St Augustine, it cost us $270k 3 years ago, and isn't worth much more now, so its still affordable. The cost of living is much less than it is up here, so not sure about the whole jacked up prices statement. The only things that are high down there are the property taxes and insurance, we pay almost $5,000 annually which is a lot for a house of that value.

I don't have NOVA by any means, plan on staying here for at least half the year. Will probably downsize my current home, and get a nice little town home.

hate*

not the above posters.. but Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Will probably downsize my current home, and get a nice little
> town home.


That is a distinct possibility for us as well. I doubt we'd stay here half the year though and it would probably be a condo instead of a townhome.

easy living Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, so sophisticated that you fail to recognize
> that there are pockets of culture and an plenty to
> do in numerous areas outside this area.

Probably depends on the definition of culture and things to do. Those can be personal to some extent, but there simply are not many places that can hold a candle to the DC area on those counts.

> Maybe one day you'll be able to afford to travel and
> find that out for yourself.

Did you see the words "upscale" and "sophisticated" earlier? Any idea what they might have meant? We spent about seven years doing research travel in anticipation of retirement. In the US and abroad. In the end, everywhere else lost out. There is more available here for less -- especially considering that relocation and other costs to get and get established here are $0.

> I feel worse for those that spend their retirement
> years in an overly congested suburban maze where it
> could take an hour commute just to get a good meal.

HINT: Retired people do not need to drive around in rush hour traffic. 66 and the Beltway can of course be a mess in any direction at any hour, but it's surprising how well the roads actually work when there aren't thousands of commuters all trying to use them at the same time. We can and do fly around NoVa with the greatest of ease. A breezy 20-mile jaunt into the District takes less time than I used to allot for a 5-mile trip over to Tysons in the AM rush.

You and everybody else can of course do whatever you like. And live with whatever the consequences. What I'm saying is that so long as you can afford to live here, you would want to take care not to sell the area short. It's easy to become fixated on images of sandy beaches, golf, tennis, and ukelele music, but you need much, much more than images to live a comfortable life.

not the above posters.. but Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We have a house a couple blocks away from the
> beach in St Augustine, it cost us $270k 3 years
> ago, and isn't worth much more now, so its still
> affordable. The cost of living is much less than
> it is up here, so not sure about the whole jacked
> up prices statement. The only things that are high
> down there are the property taxes and insurance,
> we pay almost $5,000 annually which is a lot for a
> house of that value.
> I don't have NOVA by any means, plan on staying
> here for at least half the year. Will probably
> downsize my current home, and get a nice little
> town home.

You seem to be doing it the right way. Planning. Learning. Finding all the right ducks and then lining them up. That should work well for you. I grew up there, but the palmetto bugs alone (that's the "nice" name for "giant flying cockroaches") would rule out FLA for us as a couple. Ten days in March for Spring Training is fine, but living there more than that was never under serious consideration. The dangerous stuff though is the pie-in-the-sky, land-of-milk-and-honey nonsense that some to many do manage to get hung up on. That's a lot of regrets and heartache waiting for the unsuspecting there.