Just got a job offer in Virginia beach

So, I just got a job offer I'm seriously considering pursuing in Virginia Beach. I'm looking to you guys to provide me with pros and cons.

 

Not much offroad here

 

Not a whole lot nearby?

 

the mountains have the best which is a 3-4 hour drive from VA Beach. You can drive on the beach in NC outer banks which is 1.5 hours away.

 

iv never not had a good time virginia beach...

 

What kind of fun is there in the mountains?

 

Ton of camping, fishing, bunch of offroad spots like Bald mountain, Flagpole Knob and Peters Mill to name a few. Bunch of caves and hiking. Check out some stuff online for the mountains

 

VA beach is fun! Have a cousin there and always enjoy visiting. I would base it more off your career development and family issue than off-road issue though.

 

I've got family down in Virginia Beach and Norfolk. Don't get stuck around the tunnel during traffic peaks.

 

It’s alright if you like traffic, tunnels, and tourists.

 

Gotta have more to go on than that.

How do *you* compare your current situation to the prospective one?

How do you rank the importance of a life/career change to recreation, and the types of recreation?

Folks are saying there is no off roading there (or very close). While that is true, boating and water related opportunities are abundant.

I can say that my kids experience there showed housing is limited and expensive, the area is very flat and heavily congested with traffic.

OTOH, sometimes those things can be overlooked if other life factors have more value to you.

 

The cost of living is higher than say, Austin, TX. Booze, food, and produce cost more. Housing has a premium price. Mt. Trashmore is cool, I guess (google it). There’s a nice museum of modern art. To me, the place has a Myrtle Beach vibe through a Pat Robertson filter.

 

There is a ton of things to consider. Don’t know where you are coming from but this area isn’t completely terrible. There is nothing I want to do that I can’t do here or a few hours drive away.

 

fishing...was that said already?

 

I would recommend not driving threw any tunnel or over any bridge to go to work. If your staying here for good I can help you with good areas and some not so good. Do you like Jet noise (F-14 and the super hornets) If not living in certain areas are not going to work for you. Where are you coming from? being a common wealth makes things a little more expensive but the quality of life is better then my home town.

 

How far away are you? I would come spend a weekend. Check shit out. Put my boots on the ground.

 

So i don't want to reveal too much on the internet on the off chance that it could harm the job offer. Basically id be moving from coast to coast. Similar cost of living. Little to no change in pay. For a long time I've wanted out of the state i live in. And id be changing from a physically intensive industry to one that isn't. This is something I've been looking for as people in my industry tend not to make it to the age of retirement due to injuries/ worn out bodies.

 

As somebody who is physically worn out, I can't recommend that you take that step strongly enough. Here, there, or somewhere in between, it is a great idea to stop relying on your body for your income.

For VB, it has its ups and downs. I grew up out west and have lived on the east coast 3 times now. (Military) In my opinion VB is one if the best spots on the east coast. There isn't a lot of open space, but the access to the waterways is a good substitute. The outer Banks are nice and it isn't too far to get up into the mountains if you like to ski or snowboard---they just aren't real mountains. I definitely agree that you should not live somewhere that requires a tunnel transit to get to work. Jet noise is an issue--I used to live on MCAS Miramar-- f\a-18 noise was an hourly occurrence at a minimum. The super hornets here are MUCH louder.
Other random notes:
Cycling kinda sucks here
VB rec centers are nice and affordable
The beach is outstanding! You just have to find the hidden spots away from the tourists during the summer.
Water is cheap
AC will eat your lunch. If you haven't ever lived out here in the summer... AC is a must
High schools have stupidly early start times--catch the bus at 0630.
The rental market is inflated due to the military. It is way cheaper to buy.
Traffic can suck, but it isn't that bad--there is usually two or three alternate routes unless you bottleneck yourself behind a tunnel.
Very diverse area--great food of all varieties.
Residential dump runs are essentially free.
More to follow if you're interested.

 

that was an epic review @Klierslc