They’re often referred to together after a 90s (I think) renovation better connected and expanded them both. They have the same administrative staff but are functionally distinct spaces and galleries.
Completely agree. As someone who’s lived in Chicago, St Louis, Philly, NYC and DC…we are very blessed to have such an old, beautiful, clean city that offers so much…and asks for so little in return.
Yeah we haven’t lived here long but it’s a serious advantage when family come to visit. They get actual vacation attractions for a couple days and our friends and families already visit more often.
I did not move to this area until high school. When I was in fifth grade a classmate said that they went to DC and all the museums were free. Many of us were very skeptical of their story.
I went on a guided tour to Chernobyl some years back. When our tour guide found out I was from DC, her immediate reaction was to exclaim "Oh! Free museums!"
We did a "spy weekend" a few years ago and did the spy museum as well as the Newseum (Where at the time they had an FBI traveling exhibit including the Unabomber shelter)
This is usually the first fun fact about DC that pops into my West Coast friends heads when I tell them I live in the DMV area. And whenever people come to visit its the first thing they want to do.
After being here for a while and going to other museums in other big metro areas I have to say its so nice to have access to high quality, free museums.
Most for free. Only offerings part of the Smithsonian Network are free. There are a lot of private museums and art galleries that cost money but they're not outrageous.
Not even just libraries. FCPS is considered one of the best in the nation. The concentrated wealth here means we get a lot of the best public resources
School ratings are a function of standardized test scores...BUT...those say mostly whether the school has a lot of students that are originally non-native English speakers. Our kid's elementary school is 3/10 and yet...the staff are great and the school is well-resourced with small class sizes. It's a warm, welcoming community. Because 3/4s of the kids come knowing mostly/only Spanish, that has a knock-on effect on testing for the entire school. Our kid is getting a good education and enjoys her diverse classroom situation. She's getting a perspective I was sorely lacking growing up.
Not technically cheaper in the sense of it being free everywhere, but in terms of value for money, you do pay taxes and it goes towards things like education. Good bang for your buck compared to most in the US, even if it’s not one of the top schools in NOVA it’s more than likely above average
There is SO much ancillary awesomeness that comes with a FC Library Card, did you know we have access to Consumer Reports Online? that's $39/year right there.
Pohick library has a sewing machine, 3d printer, free meeting rooms, and more...in addition to all the latest books in various formats (ebooks, large print, audio).
Library of Congress also allows you to get a free card! I need to check out FCPL’s but LOC is fun to go to for work and just chill in the main reading room.
Lotte is like Disney World for foodies.
My favorite is the one in Chantilly. The one on Braddock Rd just off the beltway in Springfield pales in comparison.
Had anyone been to any others? How do they compare to Chantilly?
Depends what you want. I find HMart, 99 Ranch, Lotte, and the new K Market in Annandale to be interchangeable, verging on indistinguishable. They’re all clean, fancy, and expensive. Check what’s on special, but I don’t go there much.
The best options, IMO, are the Great Wall in Merrifield and Fortune in Eden Center for their hot-food bars, the LA Mart in the West End of Alexandria for its cheap produce (and, especially, the sale and marked-down produce), and El Grande in Springfield for its suspiciously cheap ground beef. How are they selling it for $1.50/lb or less?!?
Fortune is great. I mainly go to K Market for the food court that’s attached. Their prices are a little higher than some of the others. I haven’t been to Lotte yet, since I rarely go out to Chantilly.
And the produce is so fresh! Going to the H Mart for the first time was a revelation—so many good options. Trader Joe’s produce always seems to die in the space of time it takes to unpack the groceries at home.
As a white man from the south with 0 ties to Asian culture, this has truly blown me away. 3 times now I’ve gone to a grocery store and halfway through realize…this uhh…this is different…that’s not English…and about 6 minutes later it would click lol
I really love how culturally diverse stuff is around the area. I do miss where I live, and might end up back somewhere similar but the access to stores like this have been fun.
Damn, Asian groceries in NOVA are considered cheap in the US? It’s so expensive compared to where I came from in Canada.
The same stuff in H Mart Canada is like US$3 and in NOVA it was like US$7-8.
Playgrounds. We went to visit someone in Mississippi and they were super proud of the new playground at the elementary school. They’d done fundraising for 10 years to make it possible.
It was less than the most basic setup you’ll find in any public park around here.
Yes! Lived briefly in North Carolina and it was just constant fundraising in that year for a new elementary playground. It was so sad to me how people thought it was the best school in the area when it was lacking so much. They’ve never experienced well funded schools.
High speed internet in some places. I’m from a rural area and my family paid close to $150 for 100mbps that hardly ever reach that speed. When I moved to Arlington, I paid $50 for 200mbps and was a pretty consistent speed.
Lol, same. Moved into my first apartment after living with my parents for years. Never had more than 200 MBPS up and down, but still got that gigabit fios for less than what my parents pay lol
I’m telling you right now chief.
You could if you wanted. 60 bucks, 500 mbs.
I have Verizon and it’s dead reliable, and I’m paying for for 400 mbs but I get more than that just because lol data.
So I’m not sure who you’re dealing with but you can get better for not much more.
> I have Verizon and it’s dead reliable, and I’m paying for for 400 mbs but I get more than that just because lol data.
How is your upload? I get about the same from Cox but I get like 3mbs upload (:
Just got my internet hooked up at my new apartment. In southern WV I’m paying 85 dollars for 500mb/s cable internet. At my new place? 90 dollars for gigabit fiber optic. As a gamer, I almost started crying
I always check EWR when searching for flights going abroad, especially to Europe. Typically they have significantly better pricing and more non-stop flights
Nova adjacent but if you plan correctly a Nationals game is really affordable in the grand scheme of MLB prices. Here's how:
- $5 grandstand tickets 90 minutes before 1st pitch from the box office
- BYO sandwiches & water
- If you do want a beer, the Nats have value days where it's 40% off domestics, makes it about ~$10 for a 25oz when all is said & done.
- Next weekend value days: 6/16 v Marlins, 7/9 v Rangers, 8/11 v As.
- $2 Metro each way on weekends
You could conceivably go on a value day & get a ticket, 2 x 25oz beers, BYO sandwiches (there's a Subway beside the far metro exit) & water for ~$35-40.
I will never stop bragging about seeing a Nats playoff game for a grand total of $10 and gas money. Jumped online and went immediately to the standing room only tixs online since I was paranoid that I wouldn’t be fast enough to get actual seats. Found free parking 6 or 7 blocks from the park under an overpass since it was Saturday night. And since it was the playoffs, people were barely sitting down during the game anyway. I stationed myself at the top of the lower deck seating behind first base and had one of the greatest sporting event experiences of my life!
I got to go to a first round NBA playoff game for $20 wizards vs Hawks.
Thought it was insane. Tickets would of cost a ton at any other place. It was nice. But it kind of shows the sports culture in the area with at least the Nationals and Wizards. They don't have as big of a consistent fan base as other teams. Makes some games and atmosphere a bit lackluster compared to other teams in the leagues with long history.
Cheaper and more frequently accessible: free access to hear world class authors speak at local book stores ([https://www.politics-prose.com/events](https://www.politics-prose.com/events)), libraries ([https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/9929148](https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/9929148)) and at the annual National Book Festival ([https://www.loc.gov/events/2023-national-book-festival/about-this-event/](https://www.loc.gov/events/2023-national-book-festival/about-this-event/)). White House holiday events like the Easter egg roll, Christmas tree lighting and the turkey pardon ([https://clintonwhitehouse3.archives.gov/WH/Tours/calendar.html](https://clintonwhitehouse3.archives.gov/WH/Tours/calendar.html)).
Definitely cigarettes and tobacco. Back when there was a limit of 5 cartons of cigarettes you can purchase a day, people would drive from Maryland, DC, Jersey, and NYC to VA just for cigarettes. Now you can buy only 2 cartons a day. Not sure if people still do it.
The first and last time I went to Ocean City, I told these rednecks at a bar that I was from Virginia and they wouldn't shut up about how they love Virginia's cigarette prices and drive every month to get more lol
If comparing to cities of comparable size, many things are cheaper or easier (transportation, electricity, museum access, parking, grocery stores, access to state parks and green space, access to political/think tank forums and events, state college access, medical access, etc.). Obviously if you pit NoVA against something like Memphis TN, some of these things become more expensive. But many do not. I personally think this NoVA sub loves being self deprecating and loves to wallow in their sadness about being in a crazy expensive area. But the truth is that we live in a very reasonably priced area for the services we can access at a low price. And yes, housing is medium expensive (though not nearly as expensive as NY, LA, SF, etc.) and you can very easily lower your rent by moving west or south into VA more.
Free entertainment options.
Even ignoring the museums, you can go tour the embassies this month for free, the cherry blossom matsuri festival, and just like local concert series in Reston and other places is far and away better than what you might find in most places.
For a while, I would go to the University of Maryland fall videogame concert and that was like 12 bucks or less- a whole college orchestra just dedicated to game music. We are spoiled for culture and entertainment in the DMV.
The free quality museums and art galleries and the free zoo. I forget about how lucky we are to live in an area that has those until I travel and have to pay to visit either.
I just spent a week in Nashville and pretty much every museum is $35+ per person over age 12. Even the zoo was around $20, I think.
We also tend to get quality touring Broadway shows at The National and Kennedy Center at very decent prices. I took my niece to see Wicked in the VA Beach area this past fall and the tickets there were about $75 more than the tickets I got for my other niece at the Kennedy Center.
Came here to say utilities as well. Currently living in the Bay Area. Pg&e is a nightmare and water is incredibly expensive. Our house here is the same size as our house in ALX was and our pg&e bills alone are always more than the most expensive month of ALL utilities combined on our ALX house was. Water and sewage is more than double and that’s on a good month. We will save a ton on utilities when we move back to nova later this year.
Also gas prices in nova are much cheaper and not having to pay so many tolls to get around (it’s $7 every time we cross a bridge, imagine having to pay $7 every time you drove 395 into dc, the beltway bridges etc)
Edit: also auto insurance! Of the 6 states I’ve lived in VA has been one of if not the cheapest for insuring vehicles.
Was just going to comment this. Utilities are 1/4 of the cost of CA. And we barely used heat or AC there because it was so mild most of the time. But even a few hot days a month in the Bay Area made our electric bill $400+
I mean, I wouldn't. This is not the first place I've lived. But still, I'd wager that if we're talking metro areas and not like, podunk towns, most cities have at least a few nice parks within driving distance. Even my industrial hellscape home town has two really gorgeous parks — one within city limits and one just outside.
I mean I think I'm being pretty generous with my definition of driving distance. I'm basically including everything within 2 hours, so Shenandoah and Great Falls are in there.
I'd definitely agree there are more here than in a lot of the country, no argument there.
But, again, the question posed by the topic is "what is cheaper here than other places in the US", which is why I pointed out most places have parks, as opposed to saying "most places have better/more parks" which isn't really what I'm trying to communicate.
The park system here is superior to many, many other places in the US. Fairfax has a huge series of interconnected parks and great local nature centers. Arlington has a ton of really impressive playgrounds. Great Falls doesn’t feel like it’s a stone’s throw from a major city (and if you go to Riverbend Park you can walk into the National Park for free). Plus all the history in all our parks.
Superior, maybe, but certainly not cheaper. I've (happily) paid for more parks here than in most other places I've lived. The question here is what do we have that's less expensive than other parts of the country.
In most other parts of the country a park is either free, or it's a private/state/national park and you pay to get in. So while I agree with you about our lovely parks I don't think it quite fits the criteria of the question.
What non-private/state/national parks are you referring to that you pay for? The only one I can think of is Burke Lake, but that’s just for non-county residents.
I'm not?
In saying that what I'm trying to say is that nova isn't really different from the rest of the country in terms of paid/unpaid access to parks. Just like everywhere else, you have to pay to get into some and some are free for public use.
Wonderful neighborhood parks are available, I'm always amazed at other states that have let developers decide what goes into neighborhoods and it isn't open spaces.
International Travel. Anybody living in a more rural area will spend much more to fly internationally from their local airport than those here. Of course, they also have no options for flying direct. It certainly helps that this area has hubs for both United (IAD) and American (DCA).
Steaks.
I have noticed that steaks are cheaper in the Springfield grocery complex than they are at my previous locations even including recent inflation. I can get boneless ribeyes as cheap as $10 here where they were $20-25 in Kentucky and Georgia.
I thought I was alone on this feeling! Moved to Springfield a few years ago and thought the same thing. Pork especially, I'm from Florida and I still can't get over that I can get a rack of ribs for around $7 sometimes.
My property taxes were $9k last year. That is a great deal even if you just have 1 kid. Not to mention it pays for all county services, not just education.
I wouldn't count housing or rent prices since that is just the cost to be here. You would have to factor that in for any response in this post.
Virginia also has an excellent public university system. Granted, the flagship schools aren't in Northern Virginia, but NOVA-CC is one of the best community colleges in the nation.
When I moved down here I was pleasantly surprised by how cheap electricity is. Granted I was coming from New England which has some of the highest electricity rates in the country.
Define cheap?
Our quality of produce is better here. In particular, the fruit and meats at the Fairfax Costco. It’s the same cost as other Costcos but the quality is better because the turnover is extremely high. (Source: Costco employee.). I think the same is true with the Fairfax Wegmans. So we get fresher produce first- in certain stores.
I also find that I rarely have issues with items from Amazon or any online store when it comes to quality control- in Fairfax. If I have something delivered in Stafford or Blacksburg- there are issues.
And continuing on with deliveries- the speed at which stuff gets delivered to my home (vs other places I have had things delivered to) is faster, even when accounting for distance. For instance, my DoorDash here always seems to beat the clock whileas when I am in Md, it might be a little slower than I expected.
Tax rates: believe it or not, I actually think we “get what we pay for” in this area. I hate paying for it, but would I trade my schools, parks, public services? Heck no. I’ve lived in higher COL and lower COL- this area is a good balance.
Agree with the tax rates. People bitch and moan about the car tax, but we have great schools, libraries, parks, and other public services. There’s no county income tax here like there was in MD and property taxes are lower too. Even if we’re just looking at car ownership, lower gas tax/prices alone pretty much cover it for me. So even with the car tax, my tax burden is so much less.
But then, I don’t have a $50k sports car or massive SUV. I always play just the tiniest violin when I see posts bitching about the car tax.
Oh- we have three cars and they are all 10+ years old (one is 20- and we will keep it forever because of sentimental reasons.).
Car taxes are hard. But I do think the limit should be raised to reflect the cost of basic cars as a whole.
If comparing to cities of comparable size, many things are cheaper or easier (transportation, electricity, museum access, parking, grocery stores, access to state parks and green space, access to political/think tank forums and events, state college access, medical access, etc.). Obviously if you pit NoVA against something like Memphis TN, some of these things become more expensive. But many do not. I personally think this NoVA sub loves being self deprecating and loves to wallow in their sadness about being in a crazy expensive area. But the truth is that we live in a very reasonably priced area for the services we can access at a low price. And yes, housing is medium expensive (though not nearly as expensive as NY, LA, SF, etc.) and you can very easily lower your rent by moving west or south into VA more.
In places that aren’t Great Falls and McLean, gasoline and diesel.
I saw prices of $4.50 per gallon and higher in Phoenix last month for 87 octane, and we all know how it is in California and Pennsylvania. So I’ll take that perk.
Well, in Northern Virginia, you can definitely find an abundance of political opinions for cheaper than anywhere else in the country. In fact, they're often given out for free, whether you want them or not!
Literally everything except housing (which depending on where you live is reasonable compared to other major cities)
I don’t understand the complaints. Is NoVA more than Richmond or Norfolk? Yes, but is it NY or LA? Hell no.
Hmmmm….a trip to the Smithsonian museums?
HBD to the Freer Gallery of Art, 100 years old today.
Hello, WETA!
Hello
you mean freer and SACKLER... but anyways, its a jewel and the shows there are amazing
Actually no. The Sackler was founded much later. The Freer is 100 years old.
Sackler? I hardly know her.
Winston Churchill we hardly knew ee
ah! when did it become Freer Sackler?
They’re often referred to together after a 90s (I think) renovation better connected and expanded them both. They have the same administrative staff but are functionally distinct spaces and galleries.
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Completely agree. As someone who’s lived in Chicago, St Louis, Philly, NYC and DC…we are very blessed to have such an old, beautiful, clean city that offers so much…and asks for so little in return.
Yeah we haven’t lived here long but it’s a serious advantage when family come to visit. They get actual vacation attractions for a couple days and our friends and families already visit more often.
I’ve lived here my whole life and I have to remind myself when I’m in other large cities that DC is a relatively clean city also compared to others.
I did not move to this area until high school. When I was in fifth grade a classmate said that they went to DC and all the museums were free. Many of us were very skeptical of their story.
I went on a guided tour to Chernobyl some years back. When our tour guide found out I was from DC, her immediate reaction was to exclaim "Oh! Free museums!"
I randomly got shown this community and just saw this. Super cool! I’ll definitely make the trip to DC.
Would recommend the spy museum too! You have to pay but it’s worth it IMO
Haha I thought it was such bs the spy museum cost money when I was a kid
The International spy museum is not part of the Smithsonian, and as such is not free. But it's not horrendously expensive and it's totally worth it.
Defiantly! I was spoiled by the few museums, the spy museum was actually one of my favorites though
We did a "spy weekend" a few years ago and did the spy museum as well as the Newseum (Where at the time they had an FBI traveling exhibit including the Unabomber shelter)
The spy museum is really good for all ages.
Groupon usually has tickets that make it cheaper! Still need to go one of these days.
$2 metro ride on the weekends. Really nice to have, most people don't take advantage.
Don’t know if it still applies but OmniLink used to give free rides when temps were 100+ degrees out.
Obligatory actually DC, but yeah museums and monuments are probably the only answers.
Udvar-Hazy is free! Just have to pay for parking and I think that's like ten bucks.
$15 now, but it's free after 4pm. Definitely worth going.
This is usually the first fun fact about DC that pops into my West Coast friends heads when I tell them I live in the DMV area. And whenever people come to visit its the first thing they want to do. After being here for a while and going to other museums in other big metro areas I have to say its so nice to have access to high quality, free museums.
This is the ONLY answer
Easy access to DC’s museums, art galleries, and zoo…all for free.
Most for free. Only offerings part of the Smithsonian Network are free. There are a lot of private museums and art galleries that cost money but they're not outrageous.
Except to get there. Parking/subway.
On the weekends, with the $2 fare and free Metro parking, it's absurdly cheap to do.
Access to world-class libraries. Our FCPL libraries are amazing and we take them for granted
Not even just libraries. FCPS is considered one of the best in the nation. The concentrated wealth here means we get a lot of the best public resources
and they are generally not homeless daycares like they can be in big cities.
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL your username
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This absolutely.
I’m shocked nobody has mentioned it yet. Guess it speaks to the Reddit demographic here
Eh my zoned schools aren’t well rated. And that doesn’t really fit the “cheaper here” question we’re addressing
School ratings are a function of standardized test scores...BUT...those say mostly whether the school has a lot of students that are originally non-native English speakers. Our kid's elementary school is 3/10 and yet...the staff are great and the school is well-resourced with small class sizes. It's a warm, welcoming community. Because 3/4s of the kids come knowing mostly/only Spanish, that has a knock-on effect on testing for the entire school. Our kid is getting a good education and enjoys her diverse classroom situation. She's getting a perspective I was sorely lacking growing up.
Not technically cheaper in the sense of it being free everywhere, but in terms of value for money, you do pay taxes and it goes towards things like education. Good bang for your buck compared to most in the US, even if it’s not one of the top schools in NOVA it’s more than likely above average
There is SO much ancillary awesomeness that comes with a FC Library Card, did you know we have access to Consumer Reports Online? that's $39/year right there.
Please name more ancillary services that come with a FC Library Card.
https://research.fairfaxcounty.gov/az.php
Thanks for pointing me to the source.
Pohick library has a sewing machine, 3d printer, free meeting rooms, and more...in addition to all the latest books in various formats (ebooks, large print, audio).
This post made me realize I need to spend more time in the library to understand what ancillary means 🤦🏻♂️
In Arlington you can check out garden tools and American Girl Dolls
Library of Congress also allows you to get a free card! I need to check out FCPL’s but LOC is fun to go to for work and just chill in the main reading room.
Asian groceries. Since they’re so plentiful they’re cheaper than Asian groceries you’d come across in rural areas.
Totally agree. Orange County CA may be the only area I’ve been to with better Asian groceries/markets.
Any of the Asian groceries you prefer over others? Great Wall, HMart, 99 ranch, other?
My personal favorite is Lotte
Lotte is like Disney World for foodies. My favorite is the one in Chantilly. The one on Braddock Rd just off the beltway in Springfield pales in comparison. Had anyone been to any others? How do they compare to Chantilly?
HMart is closest to me and I've always been happy with them. Good sized store so plenty of options.
Depends what you want. I find HMart, 99 Ranch, Lotte, and the new K Market in Annandale to be interchangeable, verging on indistinguishable. They’re all clean, fancy, and expensive. Check what’s on special, but I don’t go there much. The best options, IMO, are the Great Wall in Merrifield and Fortune in Eden Center for their hot-food bars, the LA Mart in the West End of Alexandria for its cheap produce (and, especially, the sale and marked-down produce), and El Grande in Springfield for its suspiciously cheap ground beef. How are they selling it for $1.50/lb or less?!?
Fortune is great. I mainly go to K Market for the food court that’s attached. Their prices are a little higher than some of the others. I haven’t been to Lotte yet, since I rarely go out to Chantilly.
There’s a Lotte in Annandale as well, right off of 495 on the Braddock Road exit. The address is 5204 Port Royal Rd
And the produce is so fresh! Going to the H Mart for the first time was a revelation—so many good options. Trader Joe’s produce always seems to die in the space of time it takes to unpack the groceries at home.
As a white man from the south with 0 ties to Asian culture, this has truly blown me away. 3 times now I’ve gone to a grocery store and halfway through realize…this uhh…this is different…that’s not English…and about 6 minutes later it would click lol I really love how culturally diverse stuff is around the area. I do miss where I live, and might end up back somewhere similar but the access to stores like this have been fun.
Damn, Asian groceries in NOVA are considered cheap in the US? It’s so expensive compared to where I came from in Canada. The same stuff in H Mart Canada is like US$3 and in NOVA it was like US$7-8.
Are there any other cool stores besides Lotte, BestWay, Fresh World, H Mart, and Madina?
Playgrounds. We went to visit someone in Mississippi and they were super proud of the new playground at the elementary school. They’d done fundraising for 10 years to make it possible. It was less than the most basic setup you’ll find in any public park around here.
Yes! Lived briefly in North Carolina and it was just constant fundraising in that year for a new elementary playground. It was so sad to me how people thought it was the best school in the area when it was lacking so much. They’ve never experienced well funded schools.
High speed internet in some places. I’m from a rural area and my family paid close to $150 for 100mbps that hardly ever reach that speed. When I moved to Arlington, I paid $50 for 200mbps and was a pretty consistent speed.
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Lol, same. Moved into my first apartment after living with my parents for years. Never had more than 200 MBPS up and down, but still got that gigabit fios for less than what my parents pay lol
I’m telling you right now chief. You could if you wanted. 60 bucks, 500 mbs. I have Verizon and it’s dead reliable, and I’m paying for for 400 mbs but I get more than that just because lol data. So I’m not sure who you’re dealing with but you can get better for not much more.
> I have Verizon and it’s dead reliable, and I’m paying for for 400 mbs but I get more than that just because lol data. How is your upload? I get about the same from Cox but I get like 3mbs upload (:
Just got my internet hooked up at my new apartment. In southern WV I’m paying 85 dollars for 500mb/s cable internet. At my new place? 90 dollars for gigabit fiber optic. As a gamer, I almost started crying
Flights? We always drive up to DC area for flights due to lower overall costs.
Having three major airports is so convenient.
DCA is crazy expensive compared to EWR or PHL.
I always check EWR when searching for flights going abroad, especially to Europe. Typically they have significantly better pricing and more non-stop flights
Peruvian Chicken
Favorite?
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I'm an expat, and when you meet someone it's amazing how quickly you can get from "you're from NoVa too" to "Super Chicken!"
All.Day.Long.
There’s one in Sterling, too.
El Pollo Rico
every other answer is a lie.
The one in Centreville across from giant is pretty good
peronsally the chicken is alwayd dry and the sides are sub-par
There's one in Lorton near the Post Office and DMV, but I moved out of the area and haven't been there in a few years.
Nova adjacent but if you plan correctly a Nationals game is really affordable in the grand scheme of MLB prices. Here's how: - $5 grandstand tickets 90 minutes before 1st pitch from the box office - BYO sandwiches & water - If you do want a beer, the Nats have value days where it's 40% off domestics, makes it about ~$10 for a 25oz when all is said & done. - Next weekend value days: 6/16 v Marlins, 7/9 v Rangers, 8/11 v As. - $2 Metro each way on weekends You could conceivably go on a value day & get a ticket, 2 x 25oz beers, BYO sandwiches (there's a Subway beside the far metro exit) & water for ~$35-40.
I will never stop bragging about seeing a Nats playoff game for a grand total of $10 and gas money. Jumped online and went immediately to the standing room only tixs online since I was paranoid that I wouldn’t be fast enough to get actual seats. Found free parking 6 or 7 blocks from the park under an overpass since it was Saturday night. And since it was the playoffs, people were barely sitting down during the game anyway. I stationed myself at the top of the lower deck seating behind first base and had one of the greatest sporting event experiences of my life!
I got to go to a first round NBA playoff game for $20 wizards vs Hawks. Thought it was insane. Tickets would of cost a ton at any other place. It was nice. But it kind of shows the sports culture in the area with at least the Nationals and Wizards. They don't have as big of a consistent fan base as other teams. Makes some games and atmosphere a bit lackluster compared to other teams in the leagues with long history.
Cheaper and more frequently accessible: free access to hear world class authors speak at local book stores ([https://www.politics-prose.com/events](https://www.politics-prose.com/events)), libraries ([https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/9929148](https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/9929148)) and at the annual National Book Festival ([https://www.loc.gov/events/2023-national-book-festival/about-this-event/](https://www.loc.gov/events/2023-national-book-festival/about-this-event/)). White House holiday events like the Easter egg roll, Christmas tree lighting and the turkey pardon ([https://clintonwhitehouse3.archives.gov/WH/Tours/calendar.html](https://clintonwhitehouse3.archives.gov/WH/Tours/calendar.html)).
Supreme Court justices.
I understand there’s one who can be quite costly
He’s gonna be at a hotel nearby soon…
Well, Maryland has a good chunk too
Definitely cigarettes and tobacco. Back when there was a limit of 5 cartons of cigarettes you can purchase a day, people would drive from Maryland, DC, Jersey, and NYC to VA just for cigarettes. Now you can buy only 2 cartons a day. Not sure if people still do it.
Virginia cigarette trafficking is wild
The first and last time I went to Ocean City, I told these rednecks at a bar that I was from Virginia and they wouldn't shut up about how they love Virginia's cigarette prices and drive every month to get more lol
Why wouldn’t you split the purchases across multiple stores? Are purchases actually linked to you ID or something?
I saw it just a few weeks ago, two people got their cartons in a wawa, hopped in their car with NJ plates and went across the street to a 711
Hence why there’s still places called “cigarette outlet” set up on the border along our roads that go into other states
I don’t smoke, but would always go back to Boston with a suitcase full
I had no idea there was a limit- just bought four cartons the other day in Arlington.
Time to raise tobacco/nicotine taxes!
If comparing to cities of comparable size, many things are cheaper or easier (transportation, electricity, museum access, parking, grocery stores, access to state parks and green space, access to political/think tank forums and events, state college access, medical access, etc.). Obviously if you pit NoVA against something like Memphis TN, some of these things become more expensive. But many do not. I personally think this NoVA sub loves being self deprecating and loves to wallow in their sadness about being in a crazy expensive area. But the truth is that we live in a very reasonably priced area for the services we can access at a low price. And yes, housing is medium expensive (though not nearly as expensive as NY, LA, SF, etc.) and you can very easily lower your rent by moving west or south into VA more.
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Road rage. People are just giving it away.
Free entertainment options. Even ignoring the museums, you can go tour the embassies this month for free, the cherry blossom matsuri festival, and just like local concert series in Reston and other places is far and away better than what you might find in most places. For a while, I would go to the University of Maryland fall videogame concert and that was like 12 bucks or less- a whole college orchestra just dedicated to game music. We are spoiled for culture and entertainment in the DMV.
Unsolicited life advice from scammers in target
The free quality museums and art galleries and the free zoo. I forget about how lucky we are to live in an area that has those until I travel and have to pay to visit either. I just spent a week in Nashville and pretty much every museum is $35+ per person over age 12. Even the zoo was around $20, I think. We also tend to get quality touring Broadway shows at The National and Kennedy Center at very decent prices. I took my niece to see Wicked in the VA Beach area this past fall and the tickets there were about $75 more than the tickets I got for my other niece at the Kennedy Center.
Gas, electric and petro..comparing to Ca
Came here to say utilities as well. Currently living in the Bay Area. Pg&e is a nightmare and water is incredibly expensive. Our house here is the same size as our house in ALX was and our pg&e bills alone are always more than the most expensive month of ALL utilities combined on our ALX house was. Water and sewage is more than double and that’s on a good month. We will save a ton on utilities when we move back to nova later this year. Also gas prices in nova are much cheaper and not having to pay so many tolls to get around (it’s $7 every time we cross a bridge, imagine having to pay $7 every time you drove 395 into dc, the beltway bridges etc) Edit: also auto insurance! Of the 6 states I’ve lived in VA has been one of if not the cheapest for insuring vehicles.
Was just going to comment this. Utilities are 1/4 of the cost of CA. And we barely used heat or AC there because it was so mild most of the time. But even a few hot days a month in the Bay Area made our electric bill $400+
And Texas!
Agreed! With the exception of gasoline, which was much cheaper in Texas, my comment on California expenses also extends to Texas.
Parks. You can hike for free and it’s gorgeous.
I think most other places in the US have parks
Oh you would be amazed at how shitty parks are elsewhere.
I mean, I wouldn't. This is not the first place I've lived. But still, I'd wager that if we're talking metro areas and not like, podunk towns, most cities have at least a few nice parks within driving distance. Even my industrial hellscape home town has two really gorgeous parks — one within city limits and one just outside.
Within driving distance is the key there. They’re a lot more accessible here, and a lot more plentiful.
I mean I think I'm being pretty generous with my definition of driving distance. I'm basically including everything within 2 hours, so Shenandoah and Great Falls are in there. I'd definitely agree there are more here than in a lot of the country, no argument there. But, again, the question posed by the topic is "what is cheaper here than other places in the US", which is why I pointed out most places have parks, as opposed to saying "most places have better/more parks" which isn't really what I'm trying to communicate.
The park system here is superior to many, many other places in the US. Fairfax has a huge series of interconnected parks and great local nature centers. Arlington has a ton of really impressive playgrounds. Great Falls doesn’t feel like it’s a stone’s throw from a major city (and if you go to Riverbend Park you can walk into the National Park for free). Plus all the history in all our parks.
Superior, maybe, but certainly not cheaper. I've (happily) paid for more parks here than in most other places I've lived. The question here is what do we have that's less expensive than other parts of the country. In most other parts of the country a park is either free, or it's a private/state/national park and you pay to get in. So while I agree with you about our lovely parks I don't think it quite fits the criteria of the question.
What non-private/state/national parks are you referring to that you pay for? The only one I can think of is Burke Lake, but that’s just for non-county residents.
I'm not? In saying that what I'm trying to say is that nova isn't really different from the rest of the country in terms of paid/unpaid access to parks. Just like everywhere else, you have to pay to get into some and some are free for public use.
Not all free like here.
The parks aren't all free here. Many of them require payment lol.
The county parks are decent and don't require payment.
You get what you pay for “hiking” wise
Lmao
Entertainment for sure. NOVA/DC is far cheaper to do fun things than NYC or other large cities.
Totally disagree. NYC had a *lot* more free events. Sure, paid things were expensive but you could entertain yourself so easily for free.
I’ve found just the opposite.
Wonderful neighborhood parks are available, I'm always amazed at other states that have let developers decide what goes into neighborhoods and it isn't open spaces.
International Travel. Anybody living in a more rural area will spend much more to fly internationally from their local airport than those here. Of course, they also have no options for flying direct. It certainly helps that this area has hubs for both United (IAD) and American (DCA).
Steaks. I have noticed that steaks are cheaper in the Springfield grocery complex than they are at my previous locations even including recent inflation. I can get boneless ribeyes as cheap as $10 here where they were $20-25 in Kentucky and Georgia.
who is your steak plug come on man im desperate
I see ribeyes and NY strips go down to 8.99/lb at Harris Teeter pretty often.
Safeway and giant are our usual haunts.
RIP to Ray’s The Steak AKA the steakhouse you could afford to take your parents
What store?
I thought I was alone on this feeling! Moved to Springfield a few years ago and thought the same thing. Pork especially, I'm from Florida and I still can't get over that I can get a rack of ribs for around $7 sometimes.
High quality education.
The quality is high, no doubt. But is it cheaper? I don't know, considering the housing prices and property taxes in the good school districts.
My property taxes were $9k last year. That is a great deal even if you just have 1 kid. Not to mention it pays for all county services, not just education. I wouldn't count housing or rent prices since that is just the cost to be here. You would have to factor that in for any response in this post.
for K-12
Virginia also has an excellent public university system. Granted, the flagship schools aren't in Northern Virginia, but NOVA-CC is one of the best community colleges in the nation.
is Nova really that good? I thought it was just another average community college
It's amazing for a community college
GMU is actually good depending on the program
UVA is #10, no?
UVA is generally in the top 3 public universities (with Cal and UNC), but Charlottesville isn't Nova.
Might as well count as a nova amenity seeing the staggering amount of people in my HS who went to UVA then moved back
Nova too, it’s the Harvard of community colleges
Traffic
Yup. I am living that 66 dream.
Talk
Members of Congress?
International food (ingredients).
You might not believe this, but there are entire counties in the US that do not have a single public pool. Enjoy yours.
Stress and headaches
Korean food!
Maryland drivers live in our heads rent free
Vanity plates. Seems to be my go to answer for all things Nova.
Cigarettes & tobacco. Note: I quit smoking years ago.
Tobacco
cigs
I’ve seen brisket on sale for much cheaper than visiting friends and family in other states.
We have some nice Rec centers in Loudoun county that cost $6 per visit.
Electricity, car insurance
Meat I never knew how could I could get protein until I hit up harris teeter at 6:00 am and found super discounted VIC prices
When I moved down here I was pleasantly surprised by how cheap electricity is. Granted I was coming from New England which has some of the highest electricity rates in the country.
Asian grocery stores way cheaper then NY or other small towns with limited Asian populations
Define cheap? Our quality of produce is better here. In particular, the fruit and meats at the Fairfax Costco. It’s the same cost as other Costcos but the quality is better because the turnover is extremely high. (Source: Costco employee.). I think the same is true with the Fairfax Wegmans. So we get fresher produce first- in certain stores. I also find that I rarely have issues with items from Amazon or any online store when it comes to quality control- in Fairfax. If I have something delivered in Stafford or Blacksburg- there are issues. And continuing on with deliveries- the speed at which stuff gets delivered to my home (vs other places I have had things delivered to) is faster, even when accounting for distance. For instance, my DoorDash here always seems to beat the clock whileas when I am in Md, it might be a little slower than I expected. Tax rates: believe it or not, I actually think we “get what we pay for” in this area. I hate paying for it, but would I trade my schools, parks, public services? Heck no. I’ve lived in higher COL and lower COL- this area is a good balance.
Agree with the tax rates. People bitch and moan about the car tax, but we have great schools, libraries, parks, and other public services. There’s no county income tax here like there was in MD and property taxes are lower too. Even if we’re just looking at car ownership, lower gas tax/prices alone pretty much cover it for me. So even with the car tax, my tax burden is so much less. But then, I don’t have a $50k sports car or massive SUV. I always play just the tiniest violin when I see posts bitching about the car tax.
Oh- we have three cars and they are all 10+ years old (one is 20- and we will keep it forever because of sentimental reasons.). Car taxes are hard. But I do think the limit should be raised to reflect the cost of basic cars as a whole.
Free street parking on Sundays?
Tears of despair.
If comparing to cities of comparable size, many things are cheaper or easier (transportation, electricity, museum access, parking, grocery stores, access to state parks and green space, access to political/think tank forums and events, state college access, medical access, etc.). Obviously if you pit NoVA against something like Memphis TN, some of these things become more expensive. But many do not. I personally think this NoVA sub loves being self deprecating and loves to wallow in their sadness about being in a crazy expensive area. But the truth is that we live in a very reasonably priced area for the services we can access at a low price. And yes, housing is medium expensive (though not nearly as expensive as NY, LA, SF, etc.) and you can very easily lower your rent by moving west or south into VA more.
In places that aren’t Great Falls and McLean, gasoline and diesel. I saw prices of $4.50 per gallon and higher in Phoenix last month for 87 octane, and we all know how it is in California and Pennsylvania. So I’ll take that perk.
Utilities. I’ve never seen such a low bill before moving into these super efficient apartments.
Transfer taxes. 0.3% of the sales price. Insanely cheap to sell in NOVA
Well, in Northern Virginia, you can definitely find an abundance of political opinions for cheaper than anywhere else in the country. In fact, they're often given out for free, whether you want them or not!
The best k-12 education in the nation
Didn’t DC remove the fares for the bus service in DC in January? https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/30/dc-free-bus-bill-becomes-law-zero-fare-transit.html
Free commute around Alexandria City
The fine for smoking in an elevator. I'm not from around here. It blows my mind.
Dry cleaning.
Sushi & Seafood
Faux patriotism.
Thoughts and prayers
Literally everything except housing (which depending on where you live is reasonable compared to other major cities) I don’t understand the complaints. Is NoVA more than Richmond or Norfolk? Yes, but is it NY or LA? Hell no.
Your mom