Conference turris::womannotes-v2

    Nancy,
    
    My folks live in Arlington and from what I have seen when I visit
    I would say that the cost of living is on the high side.
    
    Bonnie
    
    I'd be glad to ask my folks for specific information.

    I lived in the next town over from Arlington most of my life.  My
    parents just last year sold their house down there in Springfield,Va.
    It was a 4 bedroom house about a block and a half away from the
    Elementary School.  With a good sized fenced-in backyard, two baths,
    etc. 
    
    They were renting it out the past few years for $450 per/month!!!
    Up here in the Boston Area, they could have rented it out for 
    much much more.  In fact I was renting out a studio apt. for about
    425 per month up here.           
    
    Plus, the weather is warmer down there in the winters so the heating
    and electric bills are much lower.  Taxes and insurence rates are
    much lower as well.  
    
    Gee, I really miss Virgina alot!
    
    

Was being written (I hope it was done! I always feel safer when there's a
signature at the bottom).
	Mez

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Note 641.4                Info needed on Arlington, VA                    4 of 4
MAMTS1::TTAYLOR                                       0 lines  13-JUN-1989 15:21
                        -< It's a Great Place to Live! >-
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    re: .3 -- Forget it!  The cost of living down here is EXPENSIVE
    NOW!  But that isn't to say that it's terrible, having moved down
    here to the DC area from Boston (actually, "Slum"erville, MA), it's
    basically the same.  The electricity bills are a lot cheaper, that's
    for sure.
    
    Arlington is a very nice suburb of DC.  It's close but it's relatively
    expensive to live there.  The traffic down here is a nightmare,
    but the weather is fantastic, and I wouldn't move home if I had
    a choice!
    
    I was paying $675 for a small 1 bedroom garden apartment in Lake
    Ridge, VA for a year.  Lake Ridge is about 20 miles from DC (but
    with the traffic, sometimes it takes up to 2 hours to make it into
    town).  Your son's best bet is to find a couple roommates and rent
    a townhouse.  Also, there are TONS of vanpools and the Metro system
    is wonderful.  Prices for clothing and food tend to be more expensive
    than in MA, due to the fact that they tax EVERYTHING down here.
    I have my car registered in MA, since insurance is a little higher
    due to the enormous volume of traffic.  It makes more sense, since
    the Staties enforce the law down here and you can end up with your
    license revoked for 3 speeding tickets, or HOV (car pool) violations.
     They use the "point" system down here for that sort of stuff.
    
    As far as career advancement for your son (and to meet eligible
    women -- they outnumber the men here like 4 to 1!), DC is the place
    to be!  The economy is booming down here, he will never lack for
    a job and there's always the Government if he gets bored.  Everything
    is free (culturally speaking) and there's something for everyone
    in this area.
    
    The only thing I hate is the fact that the area is so competitive
    and "keeping up with the joneses".  Coming from MA, the attitude
    is so different, I am turned off by the materialistic attitudes
    down here.  
    
    Crime down here isn't so bad, you hear all the horror stories of
    the DC drug problem, but it's no different than anywhere else. 
    There's a large concentration of ethnic mixes (and DC is predominately
    black, by the way) in the area.  But what makes good/bad people?
    Not their nationalities, but their backgrounds and temperment. 
    I haven't had any problems whatsoever.
    
    If he is interested in pursuing his education, there are some excellent
    schools down here that have evening courses -- AU, Catholic (my
    school!), GW, Georgetown, George Mason, and NOVA (N. VA Comm. Coll).
    
    If he decides to make a go of it down here, I think he'll be happy.
     And you can always come visit for the cherry blossoms!
    

    re: .4
    
    Thanks for finding that note and putting it in the proper place!
     My system went down and I thought it got lost!
    
    To .0 - you can reach me at MAMTS1::TTAYLOR or GRANPA::TTAYLOR
    for further information - I can probably send you literature on
    DC/MD/VA and the Washington Post for your son if he's interested
    in job hunting/apartment/roommate hunting.
    
    Tammi
    

    My experience is that Arlington is one of several pricey suburbs
    of D.C.  I wouldn't mind working there, but I think I'd elect
    to live a town or two away.  I'm kind of biased (one of these
    days I dream of "settling" in Virginia, preferably out in the 
    foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains. . .), but offhand, I'd
    say the $3K differnce in salary is in line with the difference
    in the cost of living.  As one person mentioned, heating costs,
    for example, are a fraction of what they are here.  My personal
    experience (including as a cab driver) is that driving in and
    around Boston about as nasty as it gets (tho' I've heard Rome
    is a real hell on wheels. . .)  For a $3K difference in salary,
    I'd personally concentrate more on how much I like the job and
    the area.
    
    Steve

    Thanks for all the info -- it's great to have a place to turn to for
    help!
    
    My son has decided to turn down the offer.  Not only is it financially
    disappointing, but he says the specific duties are not what he had
    thought at first.  Your responses were important data, and we thank
    you!
    
    Nancy