Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with arlington and virginia

How do I adjust from sunny LA to freezing cold Virginia?

invisible ink — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:30:15 -0800

Have you ever moved from a warm, mild climate like Los Angeles, to one that experiences four seasons - and did you do so in the dead of winter? What was it like? What do you wish you had known beforehand? In other words, what am I, a native Angeleno currently taking for granted? A compelling job offer has me seriously considering moving from Los Angeles to Arlington, VA. I will most likely be relocating mid-January 2010. Unfortunately, I have never lived in a four-season climate, much less moved myself and all of my belongings to one.

I found this thread, but am hoping more LA transplants can respond.

Long, diverse, rambling responses are most welcome - I really want to know the kind of impact a rapid shift in climate can make in peoples' lives. Thanks in advance:-)

Are leases transferrable from one landlord to another?

charmston — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 04:15:58 -0800

The owners of my apartment building have turned control of the building over from the extremely reputable apartment management company that I signed a lease with to a much less reputable company. Am I legally bound to continue honoring the lease? Since my earlier question, I've done research into the law and my specific lease. My recourse isn't obvious to me. What to do? (Arlington County, VA) The first section of my lease:

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THIS LEASE AGREEMENT is made this 28th day of October, by and between [OLD LEASING COMPANY], LANDLORD, AND [My Full Name], TENANT.

THIS LEASE AGREEMENT IS GOVERNED BY THE VIRGINIA RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT (VRLTA)(55-248.2 et. Virginia Code) WHICH IS INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ANY REQUIREMENT OF THIS LEASE OR OF THE VIRGINIA RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD & TENANT ACT OR ANY OTHER APPLICABLE LAW IS A BREACH OF THIS LEASE.

The Landlord is a nonresidential owner as defined in VA code Section 5-218.1. The agent appointed by the Landlord is [OLD MANAGEMENT COMPANY]. The agen'ts business address in Virginia is [Old Management Company's Address]. The agent's name and address is also filed in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court for the county or city in which the residential unit lies.

For and in consideration of the rent herein agreed to be paid, and the rights, and obligations of the respective parties agreed to herein, the Landlord hereby leases to the Tenant above named, and the Tenant leases from the Landlord the following rental unit on the terms and conditions as stated in this Lease.

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There are a few things that interest me:

In the first paragraph, my old leasing company is explicitly defined as landlord. There are no mentions of the building's owner throughout the lease.
VA 55-248.15 states that "notice of any change by a landlord or tenant in any terms or provisions of a tenancy at will shall constitute a notice to vacate the premises". Am I right in that this seems to imply that I can make a clean break?
Possibly also relevant, VA 55-248.21 seems to give me the power to get out with 30 days' notice.

Thanks for any help!

English practice for ESL students in Northern Virginia?

ambrosia — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 11:27:49 -0800

ESL-filter: Where can a fairly advanced ESL student practice her English for free? My sister-in-law teaches ESL classes in Arlington, Virginia. She has a Thai student who is pretty advanced and is looking for a safe place to practice her English face-to-face with another person. Her local library has a conversation practice group weekday evenings but she can't make that because it conflicts with her work schedule. She does have free time weekday mornings, however.

What other places might an ESL student get some English practice in for free? Are there volunteer opportunities that would get her some English practice while she volunteers?

What's the going rate for a pleasant apartment in DC?

little e — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:57:48 -0800

Specific question about apartment hunting in DC/Northern Virginia... Hi! I've browsed previous threads on the topic, but didn't this particular issue addressed. I am, very likely, moving to the DC area from a land far, far away, where $700 will get you a very nice one bedroom, there's lots of free parking, and it's perfectly safe to walk anywhere at any hour of the night. I have a pretty good idea of where to look for an apartment, but I'm not so sure for what I'm looking.
I don't need much space, a tiny studio is fine, but I do need functional heating, cooling, and appliances, freedom from roaches and other pestilence, and, generally, a place that won't make my family and friends shudder when they come visit. In what price range should I be looking? I've been browsing $1200-1300 places, but if I need to be thinking closer to 1500, that's okay, I'd just rather know ahead of time. When I travel back to apartment hunt, I'm going to need to make a quick decision, so I don't want to get there and discover that all the buildings on my list are shady. Realistically, I could pay more than that if I need to to be somewhere pleasant and liveable, but I'd rather not. I just don't have any concept of what to expect for a given price in a larger city.
Other potentially relevant information: My job will be near the Foggy Bottom metro station, so I'm thinking near the red line, as long as it's not too far out, or orange line over on the Virginia side. I'm a female in my mid-20s, and as I said I'm used to being able to wander around any time of the night without concern. I would like to be able to safely go for a stroll alone at night. I like the idea of living near fun stuff, but that's not requisite; I've managed to find fun stuff in a lot of different locales there, and I don't mind travelling out of my way to do cool things. Also, I do own a car, but I would prefer to use it as little as possible unless I'm actually leaving town.
Or, y'know, if you want to tell me that you hate DC and this is a terrible mistake, that's also a welcome answer...it's not too late for me to choose some other city! I've been lurking for years and gotten a lot of excellent information here, but this is my first question. Thanks in advance for your help!

Give me cupcakes or give me death!

mrhaydel — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:18:23 -0800

Where can I find awesome cupcakes in D/FW, D.C., and Boston? After (finally) purchasing a baker's dozen of cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes in Dallas, I've come to the realization that I want to seek out other cupcakeries both in my hometown, and upcoming travel destinations. I'm in Arlington, Texas, so, Sprinkles in Dallas is/was a rather far drive (albeit worth it IMO).

All that being said, I'm really wanting to find some great places to get great cupcakes. And, I'm not talking about your run of the mill Mega Mart kind that come in a plastic container. I'm talking about the gourmet type with amazing flavors like Ginger Lemon and Key Lime.

First and foremost, I'm interested in bakeries in the Arlington/Fort Worth, TX area. Ideally, these bakeries wouldn't be much further west from Arlington than downtown Fort Worth already is, but, I'm willing to drive if the cupcakes are mind blowing.

Secondly, I will be traveling to Annandale, VA/Washington, D.C. in October, and Boston, MA in November. I'd love to check out cupcakeries while I'm there if at all possible.

Bonus points if you've actually frequented your suggestion and can recommend your favorite flavor.

So, help me, Hive Mind, you're my only hope!

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?

Trusted collision repair shop in Arlington, VA?

UrbanEconomist — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:33:00 -0800

Arlington, VA filter: My wife had a parking lot mishap when a lamp post jumped out in front of her car; now we need to find a good collision repair place. We drive a 2001 Honda Civic and live nearby to the Pentagon. The car is in fine shape to drive, so we don't mind going out of our way far a good and honest body shop. Thanks very much for your suggestions!

Looking for office space

Nathanial Hörnblowér — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:37:15 -0800

Help me find office space to sublease in Arlington or McLean, VA. My two-person company is looking for two offices (~175-200 sf total) to sublease in N Arlington (Clarendon/Courthouse/Rosslyn/Ballston) or McLean. We don't need to be near a Metro, but do need parking available. I check Craigslist daily and the City Paper weekly, and have posted notices on various listerves, but am not finding much out there. We've tried going through commerical Realtors, but know we are small potatoes compared to the larger companies looking for larger space. Is there some hidden resource I can tap into?

Bargain-bin computer parts near Washington, DC?

Kadin2048 — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 00:11:14 -0800

I'm looking for a good computer-parts store in or around the DC Metro area; 'good' meaning one that has "junk bins" of parts that can be pawed through, lots of used gear, no salespeople, etc. Specifically not a big-box store. Where I used to live (rural New England) I had a short list of local places that did computer repair and were good sources for used computer parts. They were the kind of places you could stop by if you needed a $5 Ethernet card or a $3 modem, as long as you didn't mind digging through a giant Rubbermade tub 'o' junk for it.

Since I've moved to N. VA, there seems to be a shortage of places like that, and I've found myself resorting to eBay or purchasing things from the big boxes (CompUSA, MicroCenter, Best Buy, etc.) more often than I'd wish and can really afford. I make a point of visiting the local hamfest circuit in the summer, browsing Craigslist occasionally, and trolling eBay, but I'm looking for something more predictable.

It seems like there have to be places like this around, that I'm just missing. So I'm hoping the DC MeFi crowd can help me out. Do these places exist in the metro area? And if so, where can they be found?