all great info, keep it coming
all great info, keep it coming
Well heard back from the Patent Office today. They needed me to fill out another form. It asked if I have ever been resigned from a position. I told them yes, my last job, and that the employer was taking the company in a different direction and that I was given a severance.
I got an email back and it said I had to go to the Employee Relations board to get the go ahead.
Did I just screw myself?
You truly cannot imagine the traffic congestion of Alexandria. It's been some years since I worked there, but several times the traffic jammed so solidly wreckers were called to clear it. Seriously. I doubt it's improved.
The traffic cops in NOVA are measured by the square foot. I've never seen so many anywhere else, ever.
Virginia has a wildly vicious traffic ticket fine structure for in-state residence. Read up on it.
There is no such thing as cheap or affordable in NOVA, especially in the Alexandria area.
You have Metro and Amtrak stops near USPTO, use them. Look for somewhere to live that is near the other end of a line. That makes your commute doable and gives you a chance to live sanely. In the DC area, mass transit is your friend.
Flight Service wrote: Well heard back from the Patent Office today. They needed me to fill out another form. It asked if I have ever been resigned from a position. I told them yes, my last job, and that the employer was taking the company in a different direction and that I was given a severance. I got an email back and it said I had to go to the Employee Relations board to get the go ahead. Did I just screw myself?
I've never heard of that but it is the gubment. After the new VA head guy said they couldn't just fire the people that falsified records, nothing surprises me.
It's not going to help in any way but is short of relevant to the discussion.
I saw a news story a while ago about a guy that lives in Charlotte, I believe, and commutes into DC every day. It was completely insane, but he's done it for years.
you sure it was charlotte and not charlottesville? The latter is 2-3 hour drive while the former is 6-7...
Yep, it was like a six hour commute one way. He didn't want to pull his kids out of school and his wife refused to move. I think it was on sixty minutes or something.
Found it, wasn't Charlotte but 7 hr commute
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/virginia-man-commutes-220-miles-a-day/
I never understood why that guy didn't just take the train from Richmond. It's only about half an hour from where that guy lives to the train station, and then an "easy" train ride into DC. Lots of Richmonders do similar things.
Or telecommute 
szeis4cookie wrote: I never understood why that guy didn't just take a different job
Fixed. Yes, the "easy" train ride is probably better than the driving/slugging/trains combo, but it is still a soul-sucking commute.
foxtrapper wrote: You have Metro and Amtrak stops near USPTO, use them. Look for somewhere to live that is near the other end of a line. That makes your commute doable and gives you a chance to live sanely. In the DC area, mass transit is your friend.
yep, get on at the first station so you can get a seat.
but do the right thing and give up your seat for a lady. ;-)
FWIW I have a friend who owns several rentals not far from bluej's block. it always cracks me up when i hear about people living near 14th and U. that used to be where you went to find porn theatres, hookers, and junkies.
AngryCorvair wrote: ... FWIW I have a friend who owns several rentals not far from bluej's block. it always cracks me up when i hear about people living near 14th and U. that used to be where you went to find porn theatres, hookers, and junkies.
You're absolutely right and you wouldn't even recognize it from a decade ago. 14th st. has turned into one of the hottest restaurant scenes in the country at the moment. Kind of a pain in the ass when you just want to grab a bite or a drink after work. My gf bought her place here 7 or 8 years ago and she used to not be willing to walk from down by logan circle up to here, but now it'll be great when she's ready to sell!
Well this has went more from soft conversation to a real scenario. I just got extended an offer.
Advice?
Does the offer make you happy enough to move?
DC is pricey to live in and around, Baltimore is somewhat less so but still not inexpensive. I grew up just south of Baltimore and left because I couldn't afford it, didn't feel like there was much if any opportunity there for me, and really started to hate the politics and ever-increasing taxes. I loved it otherwise. If I had the career I have here there, I probably wouldn't have left.
One of the best SCCA regions in the country (WDCR) with several other clubs within easy driving distance means you can autocross every weekend from April to October. Summit Point, NJMP, VIR are easy enough hauls. Great riding and driving roads in the area if you search for them, especially West Virginia. Non-car related, you can be in New York by bus for $20-30 in 4-5 hours if you wanted to make a weekend out of it.
I don't much of anything about Alexandria as I avoided northern VA for the most part, never had any real reason to go there. As others have mentioned traffic sucks, but you'll learn to deal with it or avoid it.
The opportunity gives me some options for a future that my career wouldn't otherwise afford. I like DC.
and I am fairly political. 
Congrats! Any new questions?
Yeah, where can I find a cheap place to live till my kids finish the school year and move up?
Congrats.
Some car related bits of information.
Virginia has the following:
I wasn't expecting all the additional costs involved with having my cars here. Especially when minor modifications may get flagged and fail you from an inspection. Like non factory sway bar links. sigh Luckily I talked them out of failing me for that one. One time the guy failed me for having tint when it turned out he didn't notice the black minivan on the other side of my car, I didn't have TINT!!!. sigh. Finding a good inspection shop took time.
If you can't rent or buy a home next door to work then I think the best options for you to go to the PTO maybe to ride Metro in from along the yellow blue Metro lines; near the Franconia-Springfield Metro there are some good neighborhoods.
Can't help with schools, I hear there are very good ones around though.
Flight Service wrote: Well heard back from the Patent Office today. They needed me to fill out another form. It asked if I have ever been resigned from a position. I told them yes, my last job, and that the employer was taking the company in a different direction and that I was given a severance. I got an email back and it said I had to go to the Employee Relations board to get the go ahead. Did I just screw myself?
A little after the fact but the main issue was that the US Government has to make sure that they don't send you any patents related to that business you may have grievance against due to being reorganized out of the job there. So if they were hiring you to work in the blue widget patents department then they may not hire you if you got fired from Blue Widgets of the Bay INC and have an outstanding lawsuit against them plus posts on your facebook page demanding all your old management be fired.
In my agency we have to annually certify what connections we may have with certain industries to avoid any risk of perceived or real bias.
Flight Service wrote: Yeah, where can I find a cheap place to live till my kids finish the school year and move up?
Maryland, maybe.
Maryland would be a good choice if the job was in DC instead of Alexandria. My neighbor here in Frederick rides his bike or the bus to the train station and then walks the 2 blocks on the other end to his office. Been doing it for 6 years now.
Cheap housing and Alexandria do not exist. You will need to go further out in Loudon County and drive in 
or maybe in DC and use the Metro out.
I will get a metro subsidy per month to use the train.
as far as housing 164% difference from where i am now 
New Orleans isn't a cheap place to live. If you take housing out, there is only about a 5% COL difference. I am finding places in the $2k range with decent schools for a 3 bedroom. Not as nice as what $2K would buy you in Nola but not bad. I was paying $1400 for similar spots. So it all seems to be coming out in the wash.
Someone asked about the offer. The first 6 months are going to be HARD. Like get a second job hard. The way the USPTO is set up, if you hit your marks and everything works out you get a 2 GS step jump bump at 6 months. That puts me back to where I am now. Not to mention my federal student loans go away after 10 years of service. 
and the opportunity for law school or grad school after 3 years. (I am going to go for law school for patent law.) This issue is the first 6 months. Got to get over that hump and then things seem to look up from there.
As far as permanent housing, I will go to a few zoning meetings and figure out where gentrification is going on next and start looking for reasonable repos. Sweat equity is sweet and this won't be the first one.
Advan046 wrote: Congrats. Some car related bits of information. Virginia has the following: - Property Tax on the car, varies for the specific car - Fairfax/Loudoun counties (you would be in Fairfax county to live near work) have taxes on the car varies for the specific car - Registration is a recurring fee either annually or every two years - Safety inspection annually (some exceptions) - Emissions inspection every other year (some exceptions) - Insurance rates are very much lower than my former Michigan rates but YMMV. - State troopers don't play. VERY strict laws on speeding, only state with mandatory jail time for some speeding offences. Also, vehicle inspection road blocks, which I was surprised to learn about. Just cops blocking the road inspecting cars for tint, not enough tread on tires, cracked windshields, modified exhausts, etc. I wasn't expecting all the additional costs involved with having my cars here. Especially when minor modifications may get flagged and fail you from an inspection. Like non factory sway bar links. sigh Luckily I talked them out of failing me for that one. One time the guy failed me for having tint when it turned out he didn't notice the black minivan on the other side of my car, I didn't have TINT!!!. sigh. Finding a good inspection shop took time. If you can't rent or buy a home next door to work then I think the best options for you to go to the PTO maybe to ride Metro in from along the yellow blue Metro lines; near the Franconia-Springfield Metro there are some good neighborhoods. Can't help with schools, I hear there are very good ones around though.
anybody have similar information on Maryland?
We moved to the Alexandria area a year ago and had also looked at Maryland. In a comparable school district MD was slightly cheaper, but higher taxes made it a wash.
Short term accommodation is readily available - when we first moved we stayed at Washington Suites on Duke St ( Alexandria ) - very civilized 1,2 or 3 bedroom apartments. I'd be looking at rent in a decent school district in the $2000 - $2500 /month range for a Fairfax county townhouse or home, and a little less for an apt.
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