Can you tell me about VA?

[Living Learning Loving]

I am about to move there in a month or so from IL and just wondering what people have to say about it. I homeschool and my kids are 15, 7, 5, and 3.

 

Here's what I've heard:

People want out of there because the water is bad.

The cost of living is 36% more than IL.

There is a lot of commotion about mining.

It is beautiful and I can say good bye to flatlands! :001_smile: And hello to mountains and the ocean.

 

Overall, I welcome the change and I imagine all the new and fun educational things to do. Whoo Hoo! Btw, do ya'll have accents there?

[Chris in VA]

It totally depends which area of VA you are talking about--Northern Va is quite different from coastal areas, and the mt areas are different, too! So whereabouts, if you don't mind?

And I've never heard the water was bad.:confused:

[Heather in WI]

:bigear:

[Living Learning Loving]

The cities I'm supposed to look up are Culpepper and (Little) Washington. I suppose that is in the middle towards the north?

[Ellie]

What part of Virginia?

 

And yes, there is certainly a Virginia accent, which changes depending on where you are in Virginia. It tends to be what I think of as a refined Southern accent, very genteel, very sweet to the ear. :-)

 

You may see this when you're out and about:

 

 

To be a Virginian either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption,

or even on one’s Mother’s side,

is an Introduction to any State in the Union,

a Passport to any Foreign country

and a Benediction from Above.

 

 

 

 

 

and we mean it. :001_smile: I'm in Texas now, after many years of living in California, but I grew up mostly in Virginia, and I'm a Virginian in my soul. :001_smile:

 

 

[Chris in VA]

Culpepper is about an hour south of DC (roughly). It's on the edge of Northern VA--more country, but still a suburban feel in most parts.

The only Little Washington I know of is The Inn in Little Washington! I didn't realize it was a town! lol

 

Someone with more knowledge will have to help you, but I'd say the cost of living goes down the further out you are. Homeschooling is easy here--we just test at the end of the year, and don't have any curriculum requirements or time requirements at all. Easy-peasy. There are other options as well. In State colleges are wonderful, with reasonable tuition. Small town people are fairly friendly, but that depends on you, like anywhere, really. There's a ton to do right outside Culpepper, but I don't know what the central part is like. (One of my friend's parents live there, and we pass the turn-off on the way to Richmond.)

[Living Learning Loving]

 

To be a Virginian either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption,

or even on one’s Mother’s side,

is an Introduction to any State in the Union,

a Passport to any Foreign country

and a Benediction from Above.

 

 

 

Aw, that is warm and cozy. But I would be a Virginian by job relocation :tongue_smilie:

 

O.K. Chris, I looked up Washington which is nicknamed Little Washington and little is right! It said it is a town that is .3 square miles. :001_huh: You are right, it is associated with the Little Washington Inn.

I love hearing that there is a ton to do and I love the suburban life, that's what I am looking for. But I need to be far enough away from the big cities to afford it. Hope Culpepper takes the cake!

 

Shoud I start drinking sweet tea now to fit in? Oh, just kidding!

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

well, since I was 3.

 

Never heard of sweet tea until I visited Georgia.

 

;-P

 

Welcome to VA. I'm northeast of Culpeper. I think you will find plenty to like about the area.

[Ellie]

To be a Virginian either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption,

 

or even on one’s Mother’s side,

is an Introduction to any State in the Union,

a Passport to any Foreign country

and a Benediction from Above.

 

 

 

Aw, that is warm and cozy. But I would be a Virginian by job relocation

We could count that as "adoption." Welcome to Virginia, sister!

 

 

Shoud I start drinking sweet tea now to fit in?

Yes. I drank sweet tea all my life in southeastern Virgnia (Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach). :001_wub:

[Margo out of lurking]

Shoud I start drinking sweet tea now to fit in?

 

I never drank it until I moved here. But I buy it by the cup from McDonald's.

:lol:

 

I'm in the south so can't offer advice. We loved Colorado; we love Virginia, although it is very different.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I am about to move there in a month or so from IL and just wondering what people have to say about it. I homeschool and my kids are 15, 7, 5, and 3.

 

Here's what I've heard:

People want out of there because the water is bad.

The cost of living is 36% more than IL.

There is a lot of commotion about mining.

It is beautiful and I can say good bye to flatlands! :001_smile: And hello to mountains and the ocean.

 

Overall, I welcome the change and I imagine all the new and fun educational things to do. Whoo Hoo! Btw, do ya'll have accents there?

 

It sounds like the answers that someone might give about living in IL without qualifying if they were speaking about the Chicago area or farm country.

 

VA is a huge state that ranges from the Shenandoah mountains (with great fall foliage and hiking) to areas suitable to wineries, to Northern Virginia within a metro ride of Washington DC and all its attractions (and yes a high cost of living, high average income and lots of type A personalities, plus some of the best ethnic food you will find) to the Historic areas of Richmond, Petersburg, Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown to the Tidewater areas of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. And I'm sure I'm slighting huge swaths of the state.

 

I'm sure that you could find somewhere in the state where everything you've heard is true. But it might not apply to where you're headed.

 

I can say that when dh was ready for the last set of sea duty orders, I wanted overseas, then Norfolk. I didn't expect to like Norfolk when we moved there just after we were married. I couldn't not cry when we had to move six years later. I thought it was a great family place and a grand place to homeschool.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

The cities I'm supposed to look up are Culpepper and (Little) Washington. I suppose that is in the middle towards the north?

 

It's been a long time since I was out that way, but I remember (Little) Washington as being rather on the expensive side as it attracted a rather posh sort of vacationing type. You might want to look at some of the other towns around there.

[Heather in WI]

Can I hijack for just a second? Please? :)

 

I'd love to hear more about the Norfolk/Chesapeake/Virginia Beach area. We are setting up for a mid life adventure and seriously considering moving from WI. (We were looking at SC, but were frightened off.)

 

And, I was born in VA! Fort Belvoir! (But, haven't lived there since I was 2.) :D

[Living Learning Loving]

Hijaking is welcome from me, fellow Wisconsinite! I lived 21 years in Whitewater, WI and am here now.

 

I agree with you about the adventure! It is so exciting moving, especially thinking about what would be closer to drive to and visit. Virgina Beach? Just the name sounds awesome, but I knew nothing of VA until recently. I had to look it up on a map to see exactly what was going on over there. :tongue_smilie:

[Chris in VA]

Can I hijack for just a second? Please? :)

 

I'd love to hear more about the Norfolk/Chesapeake/Virginia Beach area. We are setting up for a mid life adventure and seriously considering moving from WI. (We were looking at SC, but were frightened off.)

 

And, I was born in VA! Fort Belvoir! (But, haven't lived there since I was 2.) :D

 

We're literally next door to Ft Belvoir!

Bet I've seen your house...:D

 

You might look at the Northern Neck area of VA. It's VERY laid-back, small-townish, but there 's lots of access to the Chesapeake, and good values for the $. Look into the development at Eagle Landing in Lancaster. (I'd love to someday have a neighbor...)