Possibly moving to DC/Springfield, VA area
02-10-09, 02:11 PM
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Possibly moving to DC/Springfield, VA area
Hey all,
So I may be moving up to the springfield, VA / Washington DC area and had a few questions I was hoping some of my fellow cyclists wouldn't mind answering:
First as I'm sure you all could guess, what is the cycling scene like in the area, I really like mountain biking and also ride a fixie around town, are there actually good mountain biking/camping areas around there?
Secondly, I have heard that the DC area is not the safest, but it hardly seems dangerous to me are there any specific areas I should try to avoid living in?
And lastly what are peoples general perceptions and like/dislikes of the area?
FYI, I currently live in the Boulder/Denver, CO area.
I really appreciate the help and look forward to reading your responses!
Thanks,
- legit
So I may be moving up to the springfield, VA / Washington DC area and had a few questions I was hoping some of my fellow cyclists wouldn't mind answering:
First as I'm sure you all could guess, what is the cycling scene like in the area, I really like mountain biking and also ride a fixie around town, are there actually good mountain biking/camping areas around there?
Secondly, I have heard that the DC area is not the safest, but it hardly seems dangerous to me are there any specific areas I should try to avoid living in?
And lastly what are peoples general perceptions and like/dislikes of the area?
FYI, I currently live in the Boulder/Denver, CO area.
I really appreciate the help and look forward to reading your responses!
Thanks,
- legit
02-10-09, 10:09 PM
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I grew up in Springfield - not a bad place to live. It's a fairly typical suburb. I hear it is a little rougher there than it was when I lived there, and there have been some gang-related incidents at Springfield Mall (enclosed shopping mall), but I still go to the mall and haven't seen anything more dangerous than rampaging toddlers myself. The DC area really isn't any more or less dangerous than any other major urban area.
For a mountain biking experience, you'd probably have to head 50 miles west to the Blue Ridge, or north into Pennsylvania. And what we call mountains, you might call large hills - ours rarely go higher than 4,000 feet or so. Around the city, we have gentle rolling hills. The area is very nice for recreational and city biking, and there are lots of paved bike trails and bike lanes.
For a mountain biking experience, you'd probably have to head 50 miles west to the Blue Ridge, or north into Pennsylvania. And what we call mountains, you might call large hills - ours rarely go higher than 4,000 feet or so. Around the city, we have gentle rolling hills. The area is very nice for recreational and city biking, and there are lots of paved bike trails and bike lanes.
02-11-09, 06:47 PM
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keep it foolish, yeah?
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You'd have to travel as far as I know to get to a decent off-road mountain to bike on. But I know nothing about mountain biking.. just that we don't have many mountains.
Springfield is OK, I believe it has gone downhill, like the previous poster had said. It's really fast paced and busy around here most of the time; I know a lot of my friends who have moved here aren't used to it.. used to the laid back lifestyle.
But yeah. Once you get used to it, you'll have some fun.
Springfield is OK, I believe it has gone downhill, like the previous poster had said. It's really fast paced and busy around here most of the time; I know a lot of my friends who have moved here aren't used to it.. used to the laid back lifestyle.
But yeah. Once you get used to it, you'll have some fun.
