DC & surrounding—fall

[tmitchell]

We are slowly looking at places outside of SoCal to live. I grew up in 4 seasons and am one of the weirdos who likes winter. My partner is from TX and has never dealt with long term winters so I’m slowly trying to break him into some weather.

Last fall we parked it in Portland ME for a month and used it as a base to explore New England, which we both loved. We’ve been watching winter temps there and so considering some snow bird locations.

This fall we are looking at a month around DC/VA for October. We have both visited DC and liked it a lot, but I’m interested in exploring an area outside the city with access to nature, but still reasonable access DC when we would like.

I liked Portland ME because it has a natural vibe but also good coffee shops and restaurants, a decent gym, etc.

I know the sweet spot between country & city life isn’t easy to nail but curious about your recommendations.

We are also planning a scouting trip to NC, including Asheville during that time.

Thanks for helping!

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

Might want to check out the areas just west of Dulles airport. The Metro goes out that way now, so you could avoid driving into DC if you want to go to an event. It's growing quickly though, and things are getting more expensive. But that's near horse country, wineries, and not far from the Blue Ridge mountains.

May want to check out the Roanoke and Smith Mountain Lake areas too.

 

[Andre1969]

Depending on how much you actually like winter, the DC area can disappoint sometimes. I live in Crownsville, Maryland, which is a bit NW of Annapolis. Currently in the lower 60s. I think I've seen snow twice so far this season. First was the weekend before Christmas, when we had a serious cold snap. It went from the mid 50s to maybe 6 degrees within a 24 hour period, but it only snowed when the cold front first came though. Temps were still in the lower 40s/upper 30s, so it didn't last, and nothing stuck, and by the time it was below freezing, it was sunny again (but cold and windy).

The next snow was maybe around the beginning of February. I had to go into the office that day, and it was just enough to coat everything and make it look pretty, and I had to scrape the car. But when I got to work (about 15 miles west), there wasn't much of anything, and it melted fast.

But, some years we do better, when it comes to snow and that "wintry" feeling. The last storm I'd consider "serious" was back in early 2016. We got about 19" where I was living at the time (about 12 miles west of my home, and much closer to work). But if you just went 10 miles, maybe even less, to the north/west, I think they got up to 30.

Anyway, I've lived in Maryland all my life. Supposedly it's not a state that's known to be "retiree-friendly", mostly because of high taxes I think. But, I like it. And there are some places you get get to where it feels like you're in the country, but there are larger towns and cities near by. For instance, I'm on 6 1/2 acres, and it looks like the boonies. But Annapolis is about 10 minutes away. I can be in Baltimore or DC in 30 minutes, if traffic cooperates.

I'm there with you, too, in that I like having four seasons. Just as long as the winter isn't TOO extreme! I used to hate summer when it would get brutally hot, but the place I moved to in Crownsville has a pool, so my attitude these days with those heat waves, is bring it on!

 

[harllee]

If you are interested in the NC mountains, check out Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock. Not as populated at Asheville and at higher elevation--so there is more snow in the winter but wonderful spring, summer and fall.

 

[Walt34]

My first thought when you mentioned wanting to live near D.C. was "bring your checkbook" but then I saw you're coming from SoCal, so instead the D.C. area is going to look like a bargain. Maybe. But you probably won't get sticker shock like so many do.

I grew up in the D.C. area and worked there until I was 52, when I retired and we bailed to West Virginia mostly to escape the traffic there. That was 20 years ago.

Andre1969 is dead on about D.C. area winters. It's a bit of a crapshoot and more often than not you'll have a dull winter if you're looking for snow. But once in a while they get hammered (meaning a foot or more) and then everything (and I mean everything!) comes to a screeching halt because traffic is terrible all the time and there simply is no capacity to absorb the effects of a snowfall. Not to mention that half the population has never even seen snow, so of course hasn't the foggiest idea of how to drive in it. The other half hadn't quite figured it out and by the time of the next snowfall they forgot what they did learn, if they learned anything the first time. If you decide to live there and it snows more than an inch, the best survival advice is to stay home and keep your car in the garage where hopefully some idiot won't run into it. If you don't have a garage park your car in the back yard. Seriously.

If you do decide to explore the limits of sanity and venture out in a snowfall in your car, be certain that all of your insurances (vehicle, medical, life, etc.) are paid up. Odds are excellent that you're going to need them.

If I sound a bit cynical about D.C. area drivers, you're right. All but about 20% of them are idiots or maniacs or both.

 

[tmitchell]

Thanks all. Sorry I think my initial post was a bit misleading.

The idea would be to find a spot near DC/MA/NC as a refuge from winter in case the North East proves to be too brutal

 

[Montecfo]

Thanks all. Sorry I think my initial post was a bit misleading.

The idea would be to find a spot near DC/MA/NC as a refuge from winter in case the North East proves to be too brutal

It probably works for that. Here In eastern Loudoun County, where I live (near Dulles airport), we average about 10-13 inches of snow annually.

I'd say 3 of five years it is 6-10 inches, one in 5 is 25-30 inches or so and 1 in five is 1-5 inches.

This year has been one of the 1-5 inch type years at least so far.

And sometimes those heavier snow years do not correspond to heavy snow years further north, as this is just the nature of weather.

 

[donheff]

I have lived on Capitol Hill in DC for 40+ years and plan to stay here for the duration. We are bike riders and like the network of trails that blankets the area. We also like the feel of the national monuments, Capitol, Mall, etc. Traffic sucks, but we're retired so what me worry. Snow has definitely decreased over the years but it still gets chilly in winter so you get a taste of four seasons.

If you want to live outside the city there are options galore. West of Dulles toward the Blue Ridge is nice and the new Metro line is an asset. The Annapolis area or Eastern or Western Bay shores are also nice. For 25 years we had a weekend house on the Potomac in Virginia's Northern Neck, 65 miles south. It was a beautiful place but a bit remote for full time living from my perspective.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I have friends out in Hagerstown and Frederick, MD, and it's generally cheaper to live out there, but of course it's not as convenient or as well-maintained as the closer-in suburbs with higher taxes. The usual tradeoff between being closer in or further out from a big city, and both states have something of that. If you look at Baltimore, Montgomery, or Howard counties in MD, feel free to message me as I've lived in all of those places.

 

[Jerry1]

Thanks all. Sorry I think my initial post was a bit misleading.

The idea would be to find a spot near DC/MA/NC as a refuge from winter in case the North East proves to be too brutal

If you seek refuge from winter, the further south you go the better. If you want 70 degrees (summer weather), you pretty much have to go south of Orlando Florida. In your chosen areas, I’d focus on NC.