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Cooking_with_MREs t1_je5dzun wrote

>and sat/listened to a podcast watching the train scoot through NOVA.

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That's the biggest plus for me (of Metro in general). I don't have to deal with the stress and headache of other drivers. I don't have to think about where I'm going (other than the station), I don't have to worry about turns, getting in an accident, or bad weather.

Yeah, it might take a bit longer to Metro to Dulles vs. driving, but I lived in East Tennessee for ten years. Your options were fly out of Knoxville and pay a LOT of money, fly out of Chattanooga and drive an extra 1.5 hours, or get a cheap flight from Atlanta but die in Atlanta traffic. All of which included parking at the Airport.

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ertri t1_je5ko9v wrote

You also get off the train and just walk in. I’ve been stuck more than a few times in the drop off line which really sucks. Like 40 minutes to the airport, 15 to get out of the car.

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jblah t1_je5qdvi wrote

It really is a huge thing. Back when I did the whole M-F work travel thing, when I was in cities without easy transit to the airport (coughcoughLGA), there were plenty of times I'd miss my flight due to sitting in traffic at the airport.

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Kylearean t1_je7qfls wrote

Not to mention JFK, getting stuck on Belt pkwy and literally being able to see your plane, that you missed, taking off.

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shanem t1_je5qlhu wrote

I don't know about "just walk in" given all the walking under the parking lot, but I've also learned to add 15m when i go to Dulles to just walk through the massive place

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sandman8727 t1_je5soma wrote

I think what they mean is that the walk from the station to the terminal is always going to be the same amount of time every trip.

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ertri t1_je5vcrr wrote

It’s like 6-7 minutes from baggage claim to the platform.

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shanem t1_je5xhq1 wrote

The long underground walk way to the metro? Maybe it just feels like forever to me.

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ertri t1_je612xp wrote

I timed it a few trips ago. I actually made it from the escalator to baggage claim in 3 minutes to make a train last week but would heavily not recommend.

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shanem t1_je61rxq wrote

wow, :)

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ertri t1_je7feif wrote

Yeah like I was full blown running pretty hard to the last escalator but it’s doable

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marvsup t1_je6eq75 wrote

Yeah I feel like you walk a lot further in 6-7 minutes than you'd think. Especially in a tunnel with not a lot going on.

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Tigerzof1 t1_je6ietj wrote

And the power of the moving walkways, when they’re working

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SgtPeppy t1_je5lryn wrote

Never got the complaints of how slow Metro trains are. Yeah, they're marginally slower (sometimes, depending on where you're going and the traffic situation). They also give you time to decompress, not stress out about all the idiot drivers on the road, maybe read a book, listen to some music, play something. It doesn't have to be "wasted" time.

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mediocre-spice t1_je6g6k3 wrote

It really depends on where you are. For some people it's an extra 15 min, for some people it's 2-3x longer than driving because you have to transfer, do the metro, etc. I like it but it really really really depends where you live.

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UmbralRaptor t1_je6yhf5 wrote

Yeah, it's an extra 1-1.5 hours at a minimum for me. Potentially 2-3 on the return leg if I get unlucky with buses / have to walk from Vienna.

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[deleted] t1_je9zefz wrote

[deleted]

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UmbralRaptor t1_jeadq3f wrote

Busses getting stuck in traffic may slow them down, but that's not why they're slow. I'd be more interested in BRT after there's a 3rd (2nd off-peak) bus running on those routes.

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WeaselWeaz t1_je6aes2 wrote

Some people enjoy driving and being by themselves. I get that, especially if you can't tune out everyone around you. For me, Metro is faster than driving from MoCo and best opportunity to relax before my kid goes to bed.

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MFoy t1_je68yiq wrote

This is why I always take Amtrak to NYC instead of driving.

It might take an extra 20 minutes (or might not), and my time is limited by the train, but the Amtrak fare is usually cheaper than tolls and parking, and I can just veg and listen to whatever on my phone.

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zwiazekrowerzystow t1_je6hbgo wrote

You also don’t get stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel!

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MFoy t1_je6hqaj wrote

I did have to sit near Havre de Grace for about 20 minutes last time.

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dwalls90 t1_je7l35r wrote

I think even the Amtrak regional is faster than driving (Acela blows driving out of the water). When driving, It's very difficult to avoid DC and NYC traffic, which can easily tack on 30-60 min (at a minimum). It's at least a 3.5 hour drive without traffic but you have to be speeding to accomplish this.

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eponinesflowers t1_je5ldy8 wrote

I’m from Western Kentucky, so I feel you. I got into a couple of accidents when I was a teenager, and I have a lot of anxiety around driving. I love being able to just zone out on public transit lol. Much better than driving two hours to the nearest airport

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Brickleberried t1_je64vag wrote

I can drive to work in rush hour in about the same time it takes me to metro, but metro is free, and I can be on my phone the entire time instead of stressing out driving in the car.

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TheDroidMan t1_je5oa03 wrote

I grew up in Atlanta and live in Chattanooga now, and you're absolutely right. I dislike Chattanooga airport because, in addition to the higher prices, they have fewer flights in a day so if there is a cancellation it takes way longer to get rebooked than Atlanta flights. I'm lucky my parents live in Atlanta so I can park at their place and take MARTA to the airport (otherwise I wouldn't since MARTA doesn't run up I-75) but still a hassle.

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rocketman1969 t1_je7hmku wrote

Seriously considering a move to Nooga. Any other insider tips?

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TheDroidMan t1_je8gez8 wrote

The first advice I'll give is that I haven't met anyone that calls it Nooga (just like in Atlanta no one actually called it Hotlanta haha). We say the full name or just Chat. Funny you're considering a move here because I'm considering a move to Alexandria in mid-2024.

I like Chattanooga though, lower cost of living, lots of natural beauty, big enough to still have some fun stuff but more quiet/calm than a huge city. Lots of places to hike and climb and also two lakes. Internet here (in city limits) is world class, being cheaper, faster, and more reliable than my ISP in Atlanta. Being only ~2 hours from Atlanta and Nashville is also super nice.

For insider tips I'd probably need to know more of your specifics, like what are you hoping to get moving here, or what do you dislike about the DMV area that you're hoping to minimize here. For example, with Chat right on the TN-GA border, most people live in the TN side because we have no income tax and most the jobs are on the TN side, but if you have kids you might want to pay the 5%-6% income tax on the GA side since I hear the schools are better there. If you also don't have a lot of income to tax and want cheaper housing, GA would also be better.

You can also check out r/Chattanooga, although I'd recommend searching for older posts instead of making your own; the people on the subreddit seem pretty anti-transplant, blaming us for all their housing and traffic woes. They also over hype how bad the traffic is; it's probably worse than a similar size city due to all the natural bottlenecks (mountains, tunnels, rivers), but compared to Atlanta or the DMV it's really good.

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LetThemEatVeganCake t1_je7g01i wrote

I’m from Knox and fully agree! Everyone always asks why I drive home. And my husband always bitches when I want to take a cheaper flight out of Dulles. I’m so used to driving everywhere because flying is so expensive from TYS that an extra 30 minutes to get to the airport doesn’t phase me lol

My husband went down a week after me for Christmas and I had him fly to BNA instead of TYS for a $300 savings. I think he understands the reason I’m so willing to go an extra 30 minutes for a cheaper flight now lol

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jxf t1_je7omt2 wrote

You were driving from Tennessee to Atlanta to fly somewhere? 😯 My sympathies!

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Yithar t1_je8kfx3 wrote

As someone who lives in MD, even though BWI is technically closer, IAD is far easier to get to via public transportation. The MTA 201 bus only runs in the morning and afternoon for a few hours while the Metro runs pretty much all day from 5 AM - 12 AM.

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_-nocturnas-_ t1_je6uvqz wrote

I hate driving. So the metro is even better for me. It’s not efficient by any means but I don’t have to worry about speeding, merging, and traffic

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