Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

Hi all,
I've been looking at Canada for over a year now, then get an offer to transfer to my present employers plant in Mount Vernon Ohio or Reston Virginia!
So, slight change of tack there!
I have been invited out for interview later this month and was wondering if anyone currently (or previously, I suppose) in either location can give us any tips, clues or opinions that may help us focus our efforts in our attempt to find a way to decide which way to jump!
Thanks in advance,
Bax

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

I don't know anything about Reston, but I live in Ohio. Mt Vernon is in Central Ohio in the heart of farm country. Not far from Holmes County, which has a large Amish and Mennonite population. You'd be living a pretty rural lifestyle.

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

I'd say that's an understatement!

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

Reston is a suburb of Washington, DC, not far from Dulles Airport (very convenient!). It's what's known as a "planned community" and is a pretty nice place to live. If you prefer a suburban lifestyle and community, with parks and good schools and lots of nice shopping centers, etc, then Reston is for you. I've never lived in Reston but I grew up about 10 miles away from there in Annandale and lived in nearby Fairfax and Centreville later as an adult; my former in-laws and ex-husband lived in Reston, also.

Like other parts of western Fairfax County, Reston used to be considered "the sticks" or "the boonies" to those of us who lived closer to the Beltway. But now, the DC metro area has expanded so far out that Reston doesn't seem that distant anymore. The traffic around Reston, as in the rest of Northern Virginia, is horrendous. It's right off the Dulles Toll Road and there are plans to move the Metro system out to Dulles Airport with 1-2 stops in Reston (although, they've been talking about doing that for DECADES, at least since I was in high school; I'm 36 now). Still, the Metro is still accessible by car or bus (the closest stop is Vienna) and that'll take you straight into DC for work/entertainment.

I haven't lived in the DC area now for a few years, but it's pretty multicultural. Reston used to be pretty white-bred back in the day but I'm sure that's changed a lot in the last few years. The only negative things that pop to mind are: 1) traffic's a bitch (but it's that way for everyone in the DC area anyway); 2) it's a fairly affluent area, definitely pricey; and 3) you do hear the planes flying into/out of Dulles, but after a while you get used to it (I speak from experience after living in nearby Centreville).

If you enjoy suburban living that's close to a major city like DC, you'll like Reston. There's more info in Wikipedia if you're interested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reston,_Virginia

~ Jenney

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

What she said about Reston.

Would emphasize not just the multi-cultural but the multi-national nature of the Washington, DC region. You'll literally be surrounded by folks from all over the world eventhough you are living in the US. Unlike many cities, Washington has a very strong international professional class, from the diplomats, media and many multi-national companies in the area. Reston/Herndon is home to VW/Audi USA for example. There are also dozens of tech companies on the Dulles Toll Road, from biggies like AOL down to small startups.

NoVa (Northern Virginia) traffic is pretty hairy, but if you are working in Reston and living nearby than it should be much of an issue. On a Sunday the drive into DC proper from Reston is about 25-30 minutes. On a rush hour weekday it's an hour, or worse if there is traffic.

Schools are pretty good out there if that's a consideration. You're also 5 minutes from Dulles which is served by United, Virgin and BA to London several times a day (including the lovely morning flight in the Summer months).

But come out and see for yourself. If Ohio (don't know that area well) is 'very rural' as someone pointed out, then this is probably the total opposite. A major planned suburb in a large metropolitan area.

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

It's quite a contrasting pair of places they have offered you! I would imagine that Ohio would be the Unadulterated American Experience (which has positives and negatives). I had a colleague that lived in Columbus OH and he said that Ohio winters could be fearsome. But OTOH, DC area can be pretty pricey. But DC can offer quite a high standard of living. Hmm, I can see why you're conflicted!

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

I'd say Reston is very much an "unadultered American experience". I used to live there, it's a fairly hardcore American suburb, with all of the pluses (nice parks, cleanliness, friendly family-based people, big houses with spotless lawns, great schools, easy shopping) and all the minuses (keeping-up-with-the-Joneses-itis, traffic, cul-de-sacs, boredom, characterless planned "town center" that's nothing more than another mall). Northern Virginia is surprisingly attractive. If you go about an hour south, there are many beautiful rural areas to hike or mountain bike (if you're into that). Also DC is a great city to visit on a day trip, there's lots to do for free. Jenney & Mark already nailed a lot of what living in Reston is actually like.

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

Just to give you an idea, this is Mt Vernon.

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

A little bigger than I thought, TBH. To The_Bax, Mt Vernon is Small Town USA. Overall cost of living will be (I suspect) much lower there than the outskirts of DC. If you have school-age kids, the choices will be limited there. You will be totally dependent on your car(s) for transport; forget about public transit.

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

For real. About 50 miles to Columbus which is the closest major city.

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

I thought about cost so I found a site to compare Arlington VA with Columbus OH. Columbus came in at about 98% of Arlington. It didn't sound right, but.....

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

I did a comparison and Arlington was 77% more expensive than Columbus. I then did it with Mount Vernon vs. Reston. Reston is 66% more expensive (if you make $100k in OH you would need $166k in Reston to have the same standard of living).

http://www.bestplaces.net/COL/

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

Sounds much truer, I went to:

http://www.cityrating.com/costofliving.asp

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

If you make 100k in Mt Vernon that I think you own the city! The average income is something like 30k a year there.

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

Hmmm - thank you all for your thoughts.

So far, rural don't scare us, in fact we generally prefer it to suburban living. Have to wait and see just how rural Mt Vernon is though I suppose:eek:

Schooling is not much of an issue as we homeschool. Surprisingly, there is usually a stronger support network in the more rural areas as this is enforced by Geography and population density. But there are better forums that this to discuss that on, so I will leave it there.

The cost of living difference is scary - especially as the grapevine is saying that the salary might be better for the Ohio post than the Reston one. Ouch. Mind you, need to look at the whole package first I guess.

Right, back off too see what Google can provide...further inputs always appreciated.

Bax

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

This site will give you more on the ground research re: Reston
http://www.city-data.com/forum/northern-virginia/

but they also have an Ohio forum as well.

If the money is the same, then the money isn't the same. You'll be paying a premium to live in Reston.

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

Homeschooling is much more religiously driven in the US than in the UK, too, and it's in the "heartland" where you find the most profound religious observance (typically).

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

I lived in Newark, OH, in the late 80s, and we used to go up to Mr. Vernon quite often. It is a typical small college town; Kenyon College is actually in Gambier, just outside to the east. I seem to remember that there was a smaller college, with the name of Nazarene, or something like that actually in Mt. Vernon. Housing did cost less than Newark, and certainly less than Columbus. If you like small towns and rural areas, I think that you would like it, as long as you can stand the winters. Best thing to do is to go and check it out though. Good luck.

Re: Mount Vernon, Ohio/ Reston, Virginia
 

I don't suppose you're a Rolls-Royce employee are you? I'm based out of Indianapolis now (previously worked for the company in the UK), and have been to/worked at the offices in Mt Vernon and Virginia.

In my opinion, it all depends on what sort of lifestyle you want to lead. Reston is a growing community, lots around the area, more of a social scene. Mt Vernon is in the middle of nowhere. Most people I know who work in Mt Vernon commute from Columbus, which is a cool city, but a bit of a drive away. As already pointed out, the cost of living in Mt Vernon is less than living in Virginia.