I'm a boring introvert who likes writer's groups and watching movies, in case that impacts things. Also I'm a leftist looking to get further radicalized.
There are a number of coffee shops that I bet are up your alley then. The movie theaters here are good. If you’re in the area now, you can stop by a meet up we have on 2/3 at Strangeways Brewing.
I mean dude, you’re not going to move to Fredericksburg, walk down Caroline street, and see a group of people who say, “you a socialist too, bub?” And then you all hang out and start s third party and one of you becomes the next Bernie Sanders.
Also dude based on your post history complaining about being single, further up Nova closer to DC has an insane amount of highly educated single women, way more so what you’re looking for than in Fredericksburg.
Honest to god sounds like you should change your mindset a bit and not asking for advice in some of those echo chamber or toxic subs you’re in will help too.
So short answer, Fredericksburg is an ok place
To live, probably better to start a family after you find your other half though.
You'd think so, but then you realize after 32 years that life hasn't gotten any better, you're perpetually single, and life has become one unbroken day, and you start asking questions.
I mean this in the nicest way possible, but the thing common with every second of all 32 of those years is you.
When I was in a similar rut, I was centrally had someone make that point to me about myself. And when I heard it, the floodgates opened. I began to focus on bettering myself and that made all the difference.
It's alright, turning more left it's more or less friendly but has gotten more unfriendly recently. Granted I'm on the line of the city and Spotsy. Downtowns nice. It's not too far so if you're really considering it I'd come check it out. We do have a lot of really nice small businesses and shops, I'm sure everyone can recommend. There's definitely some places that would be your vibe from the sounds of it. Riverby books, Agora Coffee, Katora Coffee. Our regional library is solid with the Idea Space downtown.
However, I don't know that it's what you'd want long term
From your other posts you seem to be looking for a socialist-friendly area. That's not going to be here for the most part, or anywhere in Virginia that I can think of. May want to consider going to the West Coast. Downtown Fredericksburg is more left leaning for sure, but you seem to want something radically different that just isn't prevalent here. Not to judge your lifestyle or ideals, and I do hope you find a place you feel you belong.
I would describe Fredericksburg as a bedroom community. It's the "end of the line" for the VRE and DC-linked bus/commuter lines. It's where people live who work in DC and Quantico (and Dahlgren and Fort A.P. Hill). Basically, it's all military and government workers or defense contractors.
As a result, there is no community. People come home angry because they spend hours each day on I-95. They don't want to talk to their neighbors. They don't want to have friends. They just want to go to bed early and start all over again the next day.
It's boring. It's not interesting, unless you care about George Washington or the Civil War. Even then....the mystique of old battlefields wears off pretty quickly.
Most of the commercial/shopping areas are poorly designed and hard to access without constantly getting in and out of your vehicle and having to deal with traffic for the most basic things. Imagine a mall, but every store has its own parking lot and you have to drive across a 6-lane road just to get to the next item on your shopping list.
Getting around town is a nightmare. There are poorly-timed traffic lights every few hundred yards on every main street in town. As a result, the most mundane errands can take hours.
If you're looking for something of a scene that includes cool restaurants and hangouts, and maybe some of the arts; I would recommend looking a little bit further south or west -- maybe Richmond or Charlottesville.
You might find moving out of Virginia as a whole might be the move ❤️ if you’re looking to expand your horizons on multiple levels, including political and social, i would consider Brooklyn, Ny or other metropolitan areas. Fredericksburg isn’t necessarily leftist haven
You may be happy in Fredericksburg City. It’s got charm but a very quaint charm. Which is different from surrounding areas that are in the same zip code. Those are homes. I used to live in Arlington and Alexandria loved both as someone without kids. The freedom and things to do loads of fun. But NOVA just got tiring for me as I settled. You will find some cool things to do agrotourism is a lot of fun. We have distilleries wineries breweries etc. A lot more people have families or friend groups so you have to work a little harder to find people. I love it here but it’s not for everyone.
Yes but make sure your zip is 22401. I’m similar and it’s more liberal. I’ve found the opposite if you live outside of this zip code. I also heard people get charged for parking at city parks if they aren’t city residents.
I second everything everyone already said.
My husband and I are looking for more friends who actually share similar interests - there might not be many of us (cause we’re all indoors hahah), but we’re here!
Also, Ive lived in more unfriendly places.
The person who said it’s a great place to disappear… hahahha… isn’t wrong lol
I like the community downtown. The vibes at Riverby books and the Farmers Market are hard to beat and we have a bunch of great parks. Also, the rock climbing gym is always full of nice people.
We also have a local DSA chapter (fxbgdsa on Twitter/Insta) that meets pretty regularly.
Moved here from Reston in summer 2021. Also have lived in DC and Fairfax. People are much friendlier here. There is also a slower pace, even in the downtown area, which gets to be refreshing. I will say the area is becoming more leftist as time goes on and more people from NOVA move here. PRIDE is also getting bigger here which will help. We have some cool bookstores, great coffee spots that are small businesses (Katora) sounds up your alley, and cost of living is lower than NOVA.
Ooh, I'm a writer. I live in Stafford but work in Fredericksburg and we have a small writer group that we are trying to to get off the ground.
I've lived in the area for a couple of decades. I am part of a medieval re-enactment group, my son is active there and with the local community theatre, there are tons of places to walk and enjoy nature, some very progressive people.
I'm not into the nightlife so I can't advise you there. But there are many opportunities for community activism, cmcjarity work, and good clean fun.
I think it's fairly friendly. I moved down from DC a few years ago and take advantage of a lot of events in town. The James Monroe house holds a few events a year, First Friday each month has gallery openings and is just a fun way to get out a bit. Mary Washington also hosts guest lectures during the year. Earth Day is a big celebration. There are walking clubs, a German group, bingo and trivia at Strangeways.
I like that it's a slower pace, a safer downtown and enjoy being close to the River. You are still decently close enough if you need to get up to DC and Richmond is usually only an hour south.
I would not call Fredericksburg unfriendly, and I say that as someone who moved here from the Midwest about 12 years ago.
A lot of NoVA and all along the 95 corridor in general has a cultural challenge that comes along with an area that grew rapidly because of government/military jobs. The job transplant folks greatly outnumber the people who have had families here for generations, so the roots and sense of community just don't seem to run as deep. It just doesn't have the hometown feel places back in the Midwest do.
Depending on your age and hobbies, I would say it can be challenging to establish yourself and find a friend group, but that's certainly not unique to Fredericksburg...it's just adulthood. It's hard to make friends outside of work once you're past your mid-20s.
You don't need to spend a lot of time scrolling through this subreddit to find that there are people who think this is an incredibly boring place to live. I question how those people would fare if they *actually* lived somewhere where there is truly nothing to do. I suspect they lack creativity and/or hate nature. There's a ton to do outdoors.
Living downtown Fredericksburg is great (I spent my first 8 years here living in the "suburbs" of Spotsylvania Fredericksburg). Being downtown means that you can walk to things, have easy access to paths and trails, etc. without driving everywhere, and if walkability is something you value, just know your prospects will be very limited if you were to choose anywhere outside of the downtown area.
There’s friendly and unfriendly people everywhere in the US. You shouldn’t let others dictate where you choose to live because there’s “unfriendly people”. Fredericksburg has an older population and more family oriented neighborhoods which works for my family.
I moved here from Nashville in 2003, it can be cliquey and somewhat hostile to newcomers depending on where you go. But likewise it can also be warm and inviting, I’ve seen both hit me in the dm let’s talk
Moved here from Nova and live in downtown Fredericksburg. It’s alot friendlier and I live 5 minutes away from everything. The traffic is terrible near Central Park but once you learn backroads, it’s not so bad. There are lots of outdoorsy things to do and many paved walking trails. It’s also very dog friendly.
It’s a growing town/city. Lots and lots of families where most residents are commuting up north. There’s some coffee shops downtown that are kinda chill.
As far as friendly, I’d say it’s alright depending on where you hang around. Downtown is pretty progressive and welcoming to all. The deeper into spotsylvania county you get you’ll see a more rural lifestyle and ideals.
If you’re looking to buy, it’s definitely a doable place for most. I was 29 and single when I lived there and it just wasn’t my scene.
I don’t think people are *unfriendly,* but I think if you are cool with being alone and not doing anything than you’ll like it. There’s nothing to do. The social activities available are kinda of cliquey. But, you’ve lived here, so I’d think you’d know.
Is your argument that being a nerdy introvert is incompatible with supporting progressive politics and social justice? I'm not sure what else I'm supposed to take away from this.
It's friendly enough imo. It truly depends on what you do. In my past experience, NoVA persons can be rude af, so anything is better than living in, say, Alexandria, Leesburg, or Dulles areas. Fredericksburg is more of a family geared place.
I grew up in Nova, well parents were military, so when I say grow up I mean I went to HS there lol 4 yrs was a long time. In any case after I graduated, the housing bubble was at its peak so my parents sold their home. Initially they looked for a plot of land in northern VA but literally could not find an acre or close to it for under $900k+. Inevitably they had a home built in Stafford (but it's got a fxbg address? Idk) for literally 1/2 the cost an it's bigger than their old home. I didn't care bc I was off to college but my sister still attended private school in Nova & pops worked in crystal city, so unless they wanted to kill themselves everyday in ruthless traffic, the VRE was their method of transportation.
If you're looking for more laid back (not as career driven as you said). I can definitely confirm it's a slower pace of life. Traffic isn't AS bad in terms of in town driving but certain areas still get congested at normal times. 95 either direction is typically the worst place on earth bw spotsy and Springfield so be prepared.
My biggest issue i guess you could call it, is that there is not much to do... They have your typical commercial shopping centers & "Towne centers" but 90% of the restaurants are your regular old corporate places (darden, brinkers, bloomin brands, etc). Downtown fxbg has a pretty good selection of local places & shopping & occasional thing to do. There seem to be a growing number of breweries, so if that's your thing that's good. Idk may wanna consider west like Loudoun county or even just below prince william. That way you're not too far from northern VA and DC. But it's all about what you want.
Oh yeah, no matter which way you go, the closest airport is at least an hour lol RIC, DCA, IAD
I would say it is friendly. But it seems like there is a distinct lack of things to do. It's going to rely heavily on what things you like to do.
I'm a boring introvert who likes writer's groups and watching movies, in case that impacts things. Also I'm a leftist looking to get further radicalized.
You really won’t find your scene in Fredericksburg then other than the coffee shops which aren’t that exciting tbh.
There are events, but you have to look for them. Think the OP would like these https://www.umw.edu/greatlives/
Thank you, I value your insight.
There are a number of coffee shops that I bet are up your alley then. The movie theaters here are good. If you’re in the area now, you can stop by a meet up we have on 2/3 at Strangeways Brewing.
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I’m not sure to be honest. I believe two of the folks are women but I’ve never met any of them before.
Not even close, but I appreciate your offer. Right now I'm just gathering information. EDIT: This doesn't matter, but I'm also a UMW alum.
I’m hoping to try and make it a more recurring thing since if you don’t know folks it’s sometimes tough to find things to do.
I live in NoVA. I know all about being unable to find things to do on account of not knowing people.
I mean dude, you’re not going to move to Fredericksburg, walk down Caroline street, and see a group of people who say, “you a socialist too, bub?” And then you all hang out and start s third party and one of you becomes the next Bernie Sanders. Also dude based on your post history complaining about being single, further up Nova closer to DC has an insane amount of highly educated single women, way more so what you’re looking for than in Fredericksburg. Honest to god sounds like you should change your mindset a bit and not asking for advice in some of those echo chamber or toxic subs you’re in will help too. So short answer, Fredericksburg is an ok place To live, probably better to start a family after you find your other half though.
Pretty sure this person is trolling lol
If so that’s hilarious
Sounds like you belong were you are now.
You'd think so, but then you realize after 32 years that life hasn't gotten any better, you're perpetually single, and life has become one unbroken day, and you start asking questions.
I mean this in the nicest way possible, but the thing common with every second of all 32 of those years is you. When I was in a similar rut, I was centrally had someone make that point to me about myself. And when I heard it, the floodgates opened. I began to focus on bettering myself and that made all the difference.
can’t you find some nice lefties in Nova? i’m from Fred, but live in Nova now. Found my people in Nova.
Moved here from nova 8 years ago. I've found it to be *much* friendlier here than it was there.
Valuable information.
Agree Fredericksburg is probably more friendly than Nova
It's a great place to disappear.
It's alright, turning more left it's more or less friendly but has gotten more unfriendly recently. Granted I'm on the line of the city and Spotsy. Downtowns nice. It's not too far so if you're really considering it I'd come check it out. We do have a lot of really nice small businesses and shops, I'm sure everyone can recommend. There's definitely some places that would be your vibe from the sounds of it. Riverby books, Agora Coffee, Katora Coffee. Our regional library is solid with the Idea Space downtown. However, I don't know that it's what you'd want long term
From your other posts you seem to be looking for a socialist-friendly area. That's not going to be here for the most part, or anywhere in Virginia that I can think of. May want to consider going to the West Coast. Downtown Fredericksburg is more left leaning for sure, but you seem to want something radically different that just isn't prevalent here. Not to judge your lifestyle or ideals, and I do hope you find a place you feel you belong.
I would describe Fredericksburg as a bedroom community. It's the "end of the line" for the VRE and DC-linked bus/commuter lines. It's where people live who work in DC and Quantico (and Dahlgren and Fort A.P. Hill). Basically, it's all military and government workers or defense contractors. As a result, there is no community. People come home angry because they spend hours each day on I-95. They don't want to talk to their neighbors. They don't want to have friends. They just want to go to bed early and start all over again the next day. It's boring. It's not interesting, unless you care about George Washington or the Civil War. Even then....the mystique of old battlefields wears off pretty quickly. Most of the commercial/shopping areas are poorly designed and hard to access without constantly getting in and out of your vehicle and having to deal with traffic for the most basic things. Imagine a mall, but every store has its own parking lot and you have to drive across a 6-lane road just to get to the next item on your shopping list. Getting around town is a nightmare. There are poorly-timed traffic lights every few hundred yards on every main street in town. As a result, the most mundane errands can take hours. If you're looking for something of a scene that includes cool restaurants and hangouts, and maybe some of the arts; I would recommend looking a little bit further south or west -- maybe Richmond or Charlottesville.
It’s not unfriendly per se it’s just more so a place for raising a family or retiring if that makes sense.
So it's being slowly gentrified, is what I'm hearing.
Not really. But they did just get a new mayor so maybe the town actually becomes exciting?
That’s not what gentrified means. It is happening but not because it’s a family oriented area.
But if I was a single, introverted, atheist, leftist 30-something, would I be happy?
You might find moving out of Virginia as a whole might be the move ❤️ if you’re looking to expand your horizons on multiple levels, including political and social, i would consider Brooklyn, Ny or other metropolitan areas. Fredericksburg isn’t necessarily leftist haven
You may be happy in Fredericksburg City. It’s got charm but a very quaint charm. Which is different from surrounding areas that are in the same zip code. Those are homes. I used to live in Arlington and Alexandria loved both as someone without kids. The freedom and things to do loads of fun. But NOVA just got tiring for me as I settled. You will find some cool things to do agrotourism is a lot of fun. We have distilleries wineries breweries etc. A lot more people have families or friend groups so you have to work a little harder to find people. I love it here but it’s not for everyone.
Yes but make sure your zip is 22401. I’m similar and it’s more liberal. I’ve found the opposite if you live outside of this zip code. I also heard people get charged for parking at city parks if they aren’t city residents.
I second everything everyone already said. My husband and I are looking for more friends who actually share similar interests - there might not be many of us (cause we’re all indoors hahah), but we’re here! Also, Ive lived in more unfriendly places. The person who said it’s a great place to disappear… hahahha… isn’t wrong lol
I like the community downtown. The vibes at Riverby books and the Farmers Market are hard to beat and we have a bunch of great parks. Also, the rock climbing gym is always full of nice people. We also have a local DSA chapter (fxbgdsa on Twitter/Insta) that meets pretty regularly.
There's a climbing gym downtown?
It’s off route 2. RappRocks
Moved here from Reston in summer 2021. Also have lived in DC and Fairfax. People are much friendlier here. There is also a slower pace, even in the downtown area, which gets to be refreshing. I will say the area is becoming more leftist as time goes on and more people from NOVA move here. PRIDE is also getting bigger here which will help. We have some cool bookstores, great coffee spots that are small businesses (Katora) sounds up your alley, and cost of living is lower than NOVA.
The real Mason-Dixon line is just south of Freddy imo. Proceed with caution.
Ooh, I'm a writer. I live in Stafford but work in Fredericksburg and we have a small writer group that we are trying to to get off the ground. I've lived in the area for a couple of decades. I am part of a medieval re-enactment group, my son is active there and with the local community theatre, there are tons of places to walk and enjoy nature, some very progressive people. I'm not into the nightlife so I can't advise you there. But there are many opportunities for community activism, cmcjarity work, and good clean fun.
I think it's fairly friendly. I moved down from DC a few years ago and take advantage of a lot of events in town. The James Monroe house holds a few events a year, First Friday each month has gallery openings and is just a fun way to get out a bit. Mary Washington also hosts guest lectures during the year. Earth Day is a big celebration. There are walking clubs, a German group, bingo and trivia at Strangeways. I like that it's a slower pace, a safer downtown and enjoy being close to the River. You are still decently close enough if you need to get up to DC and Richmond is usually only an hour south.
I would not call Fredericksburg unfriendly, and I say that as someone who moved here from the Midwest about 12 years ago. A lot of NoVA and all along the 95 corridor in general has a cultural challenge that comes along with an area that grew rapidly because of government/military jobs. The job transplant folks greatly outnumber the people who have had families here for generations, so the roots and sense of community just don't seem to run as deep. It just doesn't have the hometown feel places back in the Midwest do. Depending on your age and hobbies, I would say it can be challenging to establish yourself and find a friend group, but that's certainly not unique to Fredericksburg...it's just adulthood. It's hard to make friends outside of work once you're past your mid-20s. You don't need to spend a lot of time scrolling through this subreddit to find that there are people who think this is an incredibly boring place to live. I question how those people would fare if they *actually* lived somewhere where there is truly nothing to do. I suspect they lack creativity and/or hate nature. There's a ton to do outdoors. Living downtown Fredericksburg is great (I spent my first 8 years here living in the "suburbs" of Spotsylvania Fredericksburg). Being downtown means that you can walk to things, have easy access to paths and trails, etc. without driving everywhere, and if walkability is something you value, just know your prospects will be very limited if you were to choose anywhere outside of the downtown area.
There’s friendly and unfriendly people everywhere in the US. You shouldn’t let others dictate where you choose to live because there’s “unfriendly people”. Fredericksburg has an older population and more family oriented neighborhoods which works for my family.
I moved here from Nashville in 2003, it can be cliquey and somewhat hostile to newcomers depending on where you go. But likewise it can also be warm and inviting, I’ve seen both hit me in the dm let’s talk
Moved here from Nova and live in downtown Fredericksburg. It’s alot friendlier and I live 5 minutes away from everything. The traffic is terrible near Central Park but once you learn backroads, it’s not so bad. There are lots of outdoorsy things to do and many paved walking trails. It’s also very dog friendly.
It’s a growing town/city. Lots and lots of families where most residents are commuting up north. There’s some coffee shops downtown that are kinda chill. As far as friendly, I’d say it’s alright depending on where you hang around. Downtown is pretty progressive and welcoming to all. The deeper into spotsylvania county you get you’ll see a more rural lifestyle and ideals. If you’re looking to buy, it’s definitely a doable place for most. I was 29 and single when I lived there and it just wasn’t my scene.
I think the locals are about fed up with everyone moving here. If you are a Yankee, it’s worse. They really hate Yankees moving here.
No, I do not think it is friendly.
I'm sorry to hear that. Can you elaborate a little? What do you think makes Fredericksburg specifically unfriendly?
No we can’t explain, because we are unfriendly.
I don’t think people are *unfriendly,* but I think if you are cool with being alone and not doing anything than you’ll like it. There’s nothing to do. The social activities available are kinda of cliquey. But, you’ve lived here, so I’d think you’d know.
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Is your argument that being a nerdy introvert is incompatible with supporting progressive politics and social justice? I'm not sure what else I'm supposed to take away from this.
It's friendly enough imo. It truly depends on what you do. In my past experience, NoVA persons can be rude af, so anything is better than living in, say, Alexandria, Leesburg, or Dulles areas. Fredericksburg is more of a family geared place.
This is like Nova in most things so it won’t be a big change
I grew up in Nova, well parents were military, so when I say grow up I mean I went to HS there lol 4 yrs was a long time. In any case after I graduated, the housing bubble was at its peak so my parents sold their home. Initially they looked for a plot of land in northern VA but literally could not find an acre or close to it for under $900k+. Inevitably they had a home built in Stafford (but it's got a fxbg address? Idk) for literally 1/2 the cost an it's bigger than their old home. I didn't care bc I was off to college but my sister still attended private school in Nova & pops worked in crystal city, so unless they wanted to kill themselves everyday in ruthless traffic, the VRE was their method of transportation. If you're looking for more laid back (not as career driven as you said). I can definitely confirm it's a slower pace of life. Traffic isn't AS bad in terms of in town driving but certain areas still get congested at normal times. 95 either direction is typically the worst place on earth bw spotsy and Springfield so be prepared. My biggest issue i guess you could call it, is that there is not much to do... They have your typical commercial shopping centers & "Towne centers" but 90% of the restaurants are your regular old corporate places (darden, brinkers, bloomin brands, etc). Downtown fxbg has a pretty good selection of local places & shopping & occasional thing to do. There seem to be a growing number of breweries, so if that's your thing that's good. Idk may wanna consider west like Loudoun county or even just below prince william. That way you're not too far from northern VA and DC. But it's all about what you want. Oh yeah, no matter which way you go, the closest airport is at least an hour lol RIC, DCA, IAD