The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

I call it “occupied” Northern Virginia. The South ends at Fredericksburg.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(02-21-2018 07:36 PM)ODU1986 Wrote:  I call it “occupied” Northern Virginia. The South ends at Fredericksburg.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Which is funny, because I'm in Richmond and if I ask friends who live in nova, what's considered northern Virginia, they absolutely do not like including Fredericksburg for some reason lol

Sent from my SM-N950U using CSNbbs mobile app

More like Quantico

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

(02-22-2018 05:54 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  More like Quantico

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

The I-95 part of it I can agree with. Don't forget that a whole hell of a lot of NOVA exists west of DC as well on 66.

(02-22-2018 01:04 AM)ODUMONARCHZ1 Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 07:36 PM)ODU1986 Wrote:  I call it “occupied” Northern Virginia. The South ends at Fredericksburg.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Which is funny, because I'm in Richmond and if I ask friends who live in nova, what's considered northern Virginia, they absolutely do not like including Fredericksburg for some reason lol

Sent from my SM-N950U using CSNbbs mobile app

Fredericksburg is kinda the edge of where commuters come in from and it is really the edge of typical I95 traffic congestion so I can see that. Also, the locals are huge rednecks....or as others call them....frednecks.

(02-22-2018 09:39 AM)Gilesfan Wrote:  

(02-22-2018 01:04 AM)ODUMONARCHZ1 Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 07:36 PM)ODU1986 Wrote:  I call it “occupied” Northern Virginia. The South ends at Fredericksburg.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Which is funny, because I'm in Richmond and if I ask friends who live in nova, what's considered northern Virginia, they absolutely do not like including Fredericksburg for some reason lol

Sent from my SM-N950U using CSNbbs mobile app

Fredericksburg is kinda the edge of where commuters come in from and it is really the edge of typical I95 traffic congestion so I can see that. Also, the locals are huge rednecks....or as others call them....frednecks.

Not really. Fredericksburg actually has it's own local congestion unrelated to DC/NOVA, especially where 95 merges with 17. Then it clears up and it is smooth sailing for about 20 miles to Quantico and sometimes all the way to Dale City. I travel up there about twice/month. Fredericksburg is significantly outside of the NOVA area. They do have a commuter train to DC that cost about $20 per trip to ride (not really economical for a daily commute for the average resident), but I don't know a single person in the Government or contractor community that works in DC or NOVA and lives in Fredericksburg. It would be a good place to set up a GovCon business with a cheap labor pool, cheap rent, and cheap access to DC, but would be a nightmare our very expensive to try to commute that everyday.

(02-22-2018 09:50 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  They do have a commuter train to DC that cost about $20 per trip to ride (not really economical for a daily commute for the average resident), but I don't know a single person in the Government or contractor community that works in DC or NOVA and lives in Fredericksburg.

Having went to high school in Fredericksburg, you couldn't be more wrong about the amount of people who live there and work in DC. I would say at least half the kids I went to school with had parents that worked in DC. My parents included.

Many take the 5am VRE, some drive, some slug and others take bus or van pools.

And the VRE is not $20 per ride. A monthly pass is $90 from Fred (it was free for me since my job reimbursed me for it). I used to ride it daily when I worked at Quantico. It was much better than risking getting caught in 95 gridlock and a good way to catch up on podcasts or reading.

(02-22-2018 09:50 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(02-22-2018 09:39 AM)Gilesfan Wrote:  

(02-22-2018 01:04 AM)ODUMONARCHZ1 Wrote:  

(02-21-2018 07:36 PM)ODU1986 Wrote:  I call it “occupied” Northern Virginia. The South ends at Fredericksburg.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Which is funny, because I'm in Richmond and if I ask friends who live in nova, what's considered northern Virginia, they absolutely do not like including Fredericksburg for some reason lol

Sent from my SM-N950U using CSNbbs mobile app

Fredericksburg is kinda the edge of where commuters come in from and it is really the edge of typical I95 traffic congestion so I can see that. Also, the locals are huge rednecks....or as others call them....frednecks.

Not really. Fredericksburg actually has it's own local congestion unrelated to DC/NOVA, especially where 95 merges with 17. Then it clears up and it is smooth sailing for about 20 miles to Quantico and sometimes all the way to Dale City. I travel up there about twice/month. Fredericksburg is significantly outside of the NOVA area. They do have a commuter train to DC that cost about $20 per trip to ride (not really economical for a daily commute for the average resident), but I don't know a single person in the Government or contractor community that works in DC or NOVA and lives in Fredericksburg. It would be a good place to set up a GovCon business with a cheap labor pool, cheap rent, and cheap access to DC, but would be a nightmare our very expensive to try to commute that everyday.

You would be surprised. I work with someone who commutes to DC from Winchester and another person that commutes from Spotsylvania. They all take commuter buses and/or trains.

(02-22-2018 10:12 AM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(02-22-2018 09:50 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  They do have a commuter train to DC that cost about $20 per trip to ride (not really economical for a daily commute for the average resident), but I don't know a single person in the Government or contractor community that works in DC or NOVA and lives in Fredericksburg.

Having went to high school in Fredericksburg, you couldn't be more wrong about the amount of people who live there and work in DC. I would say at least half the kids I went to school with had parents that worked in DC. My parents included.

Many take the 5am VRE, some drive, some slug and others take bus or van pools.

And the VRE is not $20 per ride. A monthly pass is $90 from Fred (it was free for me since my job reimbursed me for it). I used to ride it daily when I worked at Quantico. It was much better than risking getting caught in 95 gridlock and a good way to catch up on podcasts or reading.

I'll take your word for it, but I have never come across anyone that does it.

Quantico, sure, that's an easy commute even on I95. Quantico draws talent all the way from Richmond. Fairfax wouldn't even be that bad, though I don't know anyone that actually does it (I've cut through from 17 on the country roads many of times in morning rush only hitting some minor traffic at red lights in Centerville and Manassas).

I'm talking about inside the beltway. I would imagine getting up at 3:30AM to catch a 5AM train and getting home at 8PM would be a pretty crappy quality of life for a family man and there is little draw to Fredericksburg for the single millennial. I could see it being worth it for the home prices if you could work from home 3 days/week and thus only enduring 2 days of hell per week.

(02-22-2018 10:25 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(02-22-2018 10:12 AM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(02-22-2018 09:50 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  They do have a commuter train to DC that cost about $20 per trip to ride (not really economical for a daily commute for the average resident), but I don't know a single person in the Government or contractor community that works in DC or NOVA and lives in Fredericksburg.

Having went to high school in Fredericksburg, you couldn't be more wrong about the amount of people who live there and work in DC. I would say at least half the kids I went to school with had parents that worked in DC. My parents included.

Many take the 5am VRE, some drive, some slug and others take bus or van pools.

And the VRE is not $20 per ride. A monthly pass is $90 from Fred (it was free for me since my job reimbursed me for it). I used to ride it daily when I worked at Quantico. It was much better than risking getting caught in 95 gridlock and a good way to catch up on podcasts or reading.

I'll take your word for it, but I have never come across anyone that does it.

Quantico, sure, that's an easy commute even on I95. Quantico draws talent all the way from Richmond. Fairfax wouldn't even be that bad, though I don't know anyone that actually does it (I've cut through from 17 on the country roads many of times in morning rush only hitting some minor traffic at red lights in Centerville and Manassas).

I'm talking about inside the beltway. I would imagine getting up at 3:30AM to catch a 5AM train and getting home at 8PM would be a pretty crappy quality of life for a family man and there is little draw to Fredericksburg for the single millennial. I could see it being worth it for the home prices if you could work from home 3 days/week and thus only enduring 2 days of hell per week.

The person I mentioned that commutes from Spotsylvania leaves the office at 3:30 and is home by 5 or so. Its still a long day, but its not 8pm...Manassas, Gainsville, Leesburg, etc. all commute to DC from those places every day.

Don't get me wrong, it still sucks, and I don't know how some of those people do it, but just like anything else I guess you get used to it...I live inside the beltway and its like an hour door to door, but there are some weeks where I don't drive my car M-F. Plus the Gov't pays for it.

Since the mixing bowl area construction has finished, the giant daily traffic jam seems to have moved south between Quantico and Fredericksburg. There are tons of people in Fredericksburg working in NoVa and DC now. I wish Virginia would split into three states since it has three vastly different regions with very different demographics, economies, interests and needs. Fredericksburg North should be NoVa, West of 95 should be Western Va and east of 95 Eastern Va. Those three areas have practically nothing in common, don't understand each other and don't care to.

(02-22-2018 10:25 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(02-22-2018 10:12 AM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(02-22-2018 09:50 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  They do have a commuter train to DC that cost about $20 per trip to ride (not really economical for a daily commute for the average resident), but I don't know a single person in the Government or contractor community that works in DC or NOVA and lives in Fredericksburg.

Having went to high school in Fredericksburg, you couldn't be more wrong about the amount of people who live there and work in DC. I would say at least half the kids I went to school with had parents that worked in DC. My parents included.

Many take the 5am VRE, some drive, some slug and others take bus or van pools.

And the VRE is not $20 per ride. A monthly pass is $90 from Fred (it was free for me since my job reimbursed me for it). I used to ride it daily when I worked at Quantico. It was much better than risking getting caught in 95 gridlock and a good way to catch up on podcasts or reading.

I'll take your word for it, but I have never come across anyone that does it.

Quantico, sure, that's an easy commute even on I95. Quantico draws talent all the way from Richmond. Fairfax wouldn't even be that bad, though I don't know anyone that actually does it (I've cut through from 17 on the country roads many of times in morning rush only hitting some minor traffic at red lights in Centerville and Manassas).

I'm talking about inside the beltway. I would imagine getting up at 3:30AM to catch a 5AM train and getting home at 8PM would be a pretty crappy quality of life for a family man and there is little draw to Fredericksburg for the single millennial. I could see it being worth it for the home prices if you could work from home 3 days/week and thus only enduring 2 days of hell per week.

My dad did it from 99 to 2015, working at Pentagon, USCG HQ and H&HS. I always wondered how he did it. But looking at how he's living now, it paid off bigly. He has zero debt, a military retirement, government pension and works from home in Great Bridge as a consultant; all at a relatively young age (mid-50s).

And he was far from the only one doing that commute. Just go to one of the many commuter lots in Fred mid-day. You'll be lucky to find one open spot.

(02-22-2018 10:39 AM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  My dad did it from 99 to 2015, working at Pentagon, USCG HQ and H&HS. I always wondered how he did it. But looking at how he's living now, it paid off bigly. He has zero debt, a military retirement, government pension and works from home in Great Bridge as a consultant; all at a relatively young age (mid-50s).

And he was far from the only one doing that commute. Just go to one of the many commuter lots in Fred mid-day. You'll be lucky to find one open spot.

Yep. I had a friend at ODU whose dad would slug or VRE in from Fredericksburg for his Park Service job at the White House. He would get into Union Station and get a PS Jeep to drive over to the White House. Reverse it in the afternoon. He did that I know for 10 years before retiring to Florida.

(02-22-2018 10:35 AM)monarx Wrote:  Since the mixing bowl area construction has finished, the giant daily traffic jam seems to have moved south between Quantico and Fredericksburg. There are tons of people in Fredericksburg working in NoVa and DC now. I wish Virginia would split into three states since it has three vastly different regions with very different demographics, economies, interests and needs. Fredericksburg North should be NoVa, West of 95 should be Western Va and east of 95 Eastern Va. Those three areas have practically nothing in common, don't understand each other and don't care to.

Yes we do.
We are united in our suffering as Redskins fans.
25+ years running...

(02-22-2018 10:35 AM)monarx Wrote:  Since the mixing bowl area construction has finished, the giant daily traffic jam seems to have moved south between Quantico and Fredericksburg. There are tons of people in Fredericksburg working in NoVa and DC now. I wish Virginia would split into three states since it has three vastly different regions with very different demographics, economies, interests and needs. Fredericksburg North should be NoVa, West of 95 should be Western Va and east of 95 Eastern Va. Those three areas have practically nothing in common, don't understand each other and don't care to.

Couldnt you say this about most states? Most states have a rural area and at least 2 bigger cities that aren't that alike with different needs and goals.

I think HR and the rest of VA can coexist, but agree that NOVA has nothing in common with VA and everybody would be better off if they were absorbed by DC.

(02-22-2018 12:05 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(02-22-2018 10:35 AM)monarx Wrote:  Since the mixing bowl area construction has finished, the giant daily traffic jam seems to have moved south between Quantico and Fredericksburg. There are tons of people in Fredericksburg working in NoVa and DC now. I wish Virginia would split into three states since it has three vastly different regions with very different demographics, economies, interests and needs. Fredericksburg North should be NoVa, West of 95 should be Western Va and east of 95 Eastern Va. Those three areas have practically nothing in common, don't understand each other and don't care to.

Couldnt you say this about most states? Most states have a rural area and at least 2 bigger cities that aren't that alike with different needs and goals.

I think you are right to an extent, but in those other states, I think their is some element of the overarching culture, even in the large metros. NOVA shares nothing culturally with the rest of VA since almost none of its growth has come from from inside VA.

(02-22-2018 12:12 PM)Monarchblue Wrote:  

(02-22-2018 12:05 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  

(02-22-2018 10:35 AM)monarx Wrote:  Since the mixing bowl area construction has finished, the giant daily traffic jam seems to have moved south between Quantico and Fredericksburg. There are tons of people in Fredericksburg working in NoVa and DC now. I wish Virginia would split into three states since it has three vastly different regions with very different demographics, economies, interests and needs. Fredericksburg North should be NoVa, West of 95 should be Western Va and east of 95 Eastern Va. Those three areas have practically nothing in common, don't understand each other and don't care to.

Couldnt you say this about most states? Most states have a rural area and at least 2 bigger cities that aren't that alike with different needs and goals.

I think you are right to an extent, but in those other states, I think their is some element of the overarching culture, even in the large metros. NOVA shares nothing culturally with the rest of VA since almost none of its growth has come from from inside VA.

I get what you're saying on culture but the growth part is not unique. Maryland has the same growth related to DC. Connecticut and NJ have NYC. NH has Boston. Indiana and Wisconsin have Chicago. We're a nation of commuters trying to save whatever we can on cost of living while getting the best schools we can for our kids.

If areas of the state could be given away in order of importance, NoVA would likely be the last to go. If there was any question about what part should be let go, it certainly wouldn't be the portion that is attracting the lion's share of the business and tax revenue growth.

(02-22-2018 11:58 AM)Petey Hodge Wrote:  

(02-22-2018 10:35 AM)monarx Wrote:  Since the mixing bowl area construction has finished, the giant daily traffic jam seems to have moved south between Quantico and Fredericksburg. There are tons of people in Fredericksburg working in NoVa and DC now. I wish Virginia would split into three states since it has three vastly different regions with very different demographics, economies, interests and needs. Fredericksburg North should be NoVa, West of 95 should be Western Va and east of 95 Eastern Va. Those three areas have practically nothing in common, don't understand each other and don't care to.

Yes we do.
We are united in our suffering as Redskins fans.
25+ years running...

Thankfully, not all of us.