Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with VA

"Remember kids - when you're eating eggs, you're eating babies!"

FatherDagon — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:13:51 -0800

I want to try balut in Northern VA! I've been looking to try this for ages, but I've never seen any place that sells it near to where I live (Sterling, VA - about 25 minutes from DC as the toll road flies). Anyone have any recommendations of a place to get good balut? Sterling/Reston/Leesburg area would be best, but I'm not averse to going to Fairfax, Alexandria, or DC and the surrounding areas.

Recent graduate dating in DC

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:50:10 -0800

I get the impression that DC is not a great dating town for young 20-something college graduates. Am I totally off base? I'm a 23 year old guy, gainfully employed, more attractive than average, sociable, approachable, no physical deformities, I've had a successful dating life in multiple other cities, etc.

Basically: I don't think my problems meeting people have anything to do with me. I think they have to do with DC.

However: I don't know many people in town. My coworkers -- though great -- are all significantly older than me (29 is the youngest I can think of). I don't have a substantiative friend base to work. I don't want to be the creepy guy who goes to bars or concerts alone to pick up girls.

I'm probably way off base, but my impression after living here for 6 months is that it's too expensive of a town for many recent graduates, especially considering that many of the graduate-attracting jobs are low-paying government ones. And the ones who make it here work crazy hours and multiple jobs, not leaving them much time to get out there.

Or maybe I'm just looking in all the wrong places.

So what I'm looking for by asking this question is this:
1) Affirmation that this is actually an issue with the town (i.e. I'm not being a wimp)
2) Specific suggestions about where I might go to meet girls ("Bars" would be an okay response; "The U Street Busboys and Poets on poetry reading nights" would be a great one). Feel free to email me if you know the town well and would like to get a better idea of what I'm like.
3) Other strategies for meeting people (I've dabbled with things like OKCupid and Meetup with little success, but those would be good examples)

Thanks, all!

E-mail followups: datelessindc@gmail.com

(Asked anonymously because my account is tied to my name and job)

Anything is better than driving?

tmcw — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:00:09 -0800

I've heard that there are twice-daily commuter flights to/from Charlottesville, VA and DC. I can't find any online... everything seems to be typical big-airliner, normal-expensive flights. Am I looking in the wrong place, and what's the best option for traveling between those two places minus a car? More specifically... I'm not actually commuting but rather visiting Charlottesville when I'm not working in DC. And it would be nice if it were fast, cheap, and convenient, but I'd understand if it's just two out of the three.

Deserted beach camping in the DC-area

charmston — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 05:21:38 -0800

I'm looking for extremely primitive beach camping sites (preferably on the Chesapeake) in the DC/MD/VA area. I'm talking about places with no running water, no bathrooms, nothing but nature for miles around. Assateague Island's backcountry camping sites are a perfect example of what I'm looking for. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Brunch in Old Town, Alexandria

aelish — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:24:09 -0800

Sunday brunch in Old Town Alexandria, VA? Looking for a good restaurant that does Sunday brunch in Old Town, Alexandria, Va. Help me find a great place!

Where should I live in Arlington, VA?

decrescendo — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:15:47 -0800

Where should I live in Arlington, VA? I want to live on the orange line metro. I'm 23 and single and I want to be as close to the action as possible. I've been trying to find a place in DC proper for the last 2 weeks to no avail. I need to sign a lease by the end of September so time is running out. I believe I'm going to fall back to Arlington (not a bad 2nd choice, though). It'll be cheaper, easier to have a car, and safer, but still close to the DC action. I will be commuting to Crystal City, VA. Should I drive or metro? My company will pay for my metro fares.

Where should I live on orange line metro?

Rosslyn?
Courthouse?
Clarendon?
Virginia Square?
Ballston?

I would like to be near a lot of bars/live music/restaurants/young people/fun, and within walking distance to a metro.

What do you all think?

Camping suggestions for NC/VA in July

ZackTM — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:33:39 -0800

Where in northern NC or VA should we go camping from July 10-12th? My girlfriend and I (mid-twenties, outdoorsy, and outgoing/adventurous) want to take a camping trip together from the night of Thursday July 10th to the afternoon of the 12th. She needs to be in DC by about 4-5pm Saturday. We're currently in Raleigh.

Where do you recommend we go?

Things we're really interested in:
- We'd really really like to find a place we can camp next to water, then take out kayaks or canoes to explore with.
- We'd prefer to be relatively far from obnoxious parking lots/roads (but obviously close enough we could walk without much trouble)
- It'd be cool if we could have a contained fire in a fire-pit without getting arrested.
- As close to free as possible
- We'd like to be pretty secluded if possible. Although wandering into a drum circle with lots of friendly folks wouldn't be too bad.
- We'd like a place where there are some pretty hiking trails / mountain bike trails

It'd be great if we could rent the boat near the lake but if we need to rent somewhere along the way thats fine.

Suggestions?

Help Me Pick a VSO

Irontom — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:22:48 -0800

Does anyone have any advice on which of the Veterans Service Oranizations are best for assisting somebody in filing a VA disability claim?

Can you recommend a safe DC-area city/neighborhood for a military couple who want to start a family?

creedling — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:40:53 -0800

My husband is a Marine we will be moving to the DC Area in November. He will be working near the Washington Navy Yard, and his commute is a concern for us. We are planning on starting a family, so living in a safe neighborhood is a priority. We would like to live in a "nicer" neighborhood, preferably quiet and family-friendly. We would like to spend about $1,600/month on rent, but would be willing to spend as much as $1,850 to get what we want. Here are our specifications:

Must have/be (ranked in order of importance):

Pet friendly (We have a 50 lb dog and a cat)
Safe neighborhood
Fenced in yard
Parking for 2 cars
3 bedrooms
Be within 30 minutes (without traffic) to Washington Navy Yard, the closer the better
At least 1200 square feet, but more would be nice
In unit washer/dryer hookups (supplied W/D is ok, too)

Would like:

Single family home
Dish washer
Driveway/Garage
At least 1.5 bathrooms
Metro accessible - does not have to be within walking distance, but would be nice to have the option to take the Metro if I wanted to
Relatively close to shopping - i.e. a grocery store, a Target or the like
Relatively close to a military base that has a commissary

We would probably only be there for a few years, so schools are not a big concern.

Basically, here are my questions:

1.) Do you know of any cities/areas/neighborhoods where we could rent a home the fits our wants and needs?

2.) Is there any area where the commute would be the 'least bad' (i.e. east of the city, north) or are they all going to be pretty bad?

3.) Could you recommend a realtor? I really don't want to pay that much if we don't have to. (I don't know what the normal rates are. 1 month's rent?)

Any information would be greatly appreciated, even if you can't answer all of my questions. Thank you!

Looking for an Apartment in Norfolk, VA

Verdant — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 10:26:29 -0800

My wife has landed a job as a professor at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. In anticipation of moving in August, we are visiting to look at apartments next weekend. What neighborhoods/areas (or specific locales) can you recommend for a young academic/professional couple on a budget? Some factors that we think add to a location: cultural amenities like book stores, music shops, good food, and music venues. We have read about Ghent and will check it out, but are there other neighborhood to look into as well?

Activities in Luray, VA?

skwm — Tue, 22 May 2007 07:01:05 -0800

Activities in Luray, VA? I'll be staying in a cabin near Luray, VA (right on the edge of Shenandoah National Park) this coming weekend with a few friends. What activities are nearby that 4 males could partake in?

Advice for working with virtual or remote assistants?

AceRock — Wed, 02 May 2007 10:20:27 -0800

Anyone have experience with virtual assistants or remote assistants? I am considering using a remote personal assistant service to free up some free time. Any MeFites have any experience with this? I am considering YMII, Brickwork, GetFriday, etc. The tasks I want to delegate include things like: finding an apartment in a new city, researching potential new employers, setting up interviews and meetings, etc. Please help me out with any advice, tips and tricks for getting the most bang for my buck, avoiding confusion, and any unspoken rules or etiquette involved, or just talk about any experiences, good or bad, you've had with these services. Thanks!

Did they have copyright in 629?

thecjm — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 11:59:57 -0800

At the bottom of this list of available emblems of belief for veteran's headstones two symbols, the christian scientist cross and crown and the muslim five pointed star, are said to be not shown due to copyright. What's up with that? I can see the christian scientists, being new-ish, perhaps having a copyright on their symbols. But the muslim star copyrighted?

Also, how does copyright let you put a symbol on a tombstone, talk about that symbol on a tombstone, but not show on your website about symbols for tombstones that particular symbol on a tombstone?

And if anyone wants to discuss the various interesting/esoteric faiths listed at the above link, I don't mind the slight hijack. I was surprised to see the moravian lamb listed, due to my personal connection.

Where to live in Alexandria

Flamingo — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:25:56 -0800

Where should we live in Alexandria, VA? My boyfriend and I will be moving to Alexandria at the beginning of May, but we're unsure which area would be best for us. We're both in our early twenties and enjoy going out, eating well, and being able to walk to interesting things. As a point of reference, we lived in DC's Eastern Market last summer and we loved the easy walk to restaurants, bars and the Market itself.

We're looking to move into a 1 bedroom apartment (can't be a studio) and we'd like to pay less than $1400. We only have a passing familiarity with the city and we're looking for specific recommendations for certain areas (or ideally, certain apartment buildings). It would be nice to live near a metro as I may be working in DC, but it's not a requirement.

BONUS: My boyfriend would love to find a place to play baseball, roller hockey, or basketball on some sort of recreational team in the city. Any recommendations?

VA Medical Records

Mom — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:10:00 -0800

Does Veteran's Administration medical treatment information get to the insurance world? Similar to this concern, is the medical record for anti-depressant prescription and therapy provided by the VA available to the insurance industry, and would it affect future insurance coverage and/or hiring? thanks.

Non-Christmas getaway near DC?

callmejay — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 12:42:12 -0800

Christmas getaway near DC for people who don't celebrate Christmas? I'd like to take the gf for a relaxing/romantic getaway for or around Christmas. Being Jewish, we don't celebrate it, so obviously we'd prefer something that won't be too Christmasy. (Decorations and songs are fine, we just don't want it to be a whole Christmas thing.)

Recommendations?

DC Metro area towns

Shanachie — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 03:13:55 -0800

I'm seeking opinions... What is the best place to live if you're commuting to the Union Station area of Washington, DC? I'm open to anything, but, I need to buy a relatively affordable house. Also, my Mom lives in Frederick, my Dad lives in Baltimore, and my brother-in-law lives on Capitol Hill. It would be nice to be somewhat central to all of them. For a bonus point: Are there any towns that are simply so great (have a great downtown/restaurants, etc...) they are worth consideration regardless of these other factors?

Williamsburg VA

Classic Diner — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 10:43:46 -0800

The partner and I are going to Williamsburg, VA this weekend (Oct 26-30). What is so amazing (particularly delicious) that if we miss it, we will weep over the omission.

Good Movers in the Northern VA area?

XQUZYPHYR — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 11:41:00 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good mover in the DC/NoVA area? I'll be moving to a new apartment in two weeks from Alexandria to Arlington- about three miles, if that. I'll have packed all the boxes myself, so basically I just need to find a reputable place that can spare two guys and a truck for three hours or so to load the boxes and my furniture into a truck and bring it up to the new apartment.

I saw a recommendation in this thread for a near-DC company but couldn't find any other information. Any advice from local District residents much appreciated, and no, "just rent a truck and do it yourself" is not considered useful advice in this particular situation.

Tips for Relocating to Richmond, VA?

lalalana — Thu, 26 May 2005 14:00:58 -0800

We're off to Richmond VA. What neighborhood should we live in? How much should we pay? Any tips for looking for an apartment? We have a very small dog. This seems to limit things a bit

Boyfriend will be making pennies as a grad student at VCU, and I'll be making pennies as an Autism teacher/researcher at a hospital in the Ginter Park area. I can drive to work. He should be able to walk/bike/bus to school.

We found a big one bedroom for $550 (+$25 a month for the dog) in Carytown near a bus to VCU. Is this a rip off? Should we jump on it? I would be nice to have things finalized asap...

What are the secrets to finding a great vacation rental?

TuxHeDoh — Fri, 07 Jan 2005 20:22:26 -0800

Does anyone have any secrets for finding vacation rentals? My family and I are trying to plan a trip to Va Beach or Nags Head, for the first week in June... I can search google and find all the rental sites, but I'd really like perhaps a site that might do searches for both locations and return the results on one page... or insider information, hopefully from people that live in that area, or do it frequently.

Escape from New England

TurkishGolds — Tue, 13 Jul 2004 13:14:54 -0800

Inspired by this thread and informed by this thread, I've decided that I definitely need to run away from home. I've been in New England all my life, and I have close to zero experience with the rest of the country. Specific questions inside (covering topics such as Virginia, Oregon, commercial radio stations, and being young and looking for good nightlife). I'm in my mid-twenties, and I'm finally ready to run away from massachusetts.

This is my ideal situation:

-There will be a wide variety of apartments available (perhaps I'd even share a place with a stranger -- college town style).
-Great social opportunities and nightlife including arts, music and food.
-Good commercial radio. A station or group of stations that has something good going on (Not even necessarily from a programming standpoint -- locally owned, a budget to hire people and do interesting promotions, etc).
-Openminded community, in general. (Liberal/Gay friendly).
-Not a HUGE city. Smaller than Boston.
-Bigger than a small town.
-Sometimes it snows, but when it does it doesn't last long.

Any ideas?