# Any advice to someone moving to Fairfax, Virginia? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 9, 2013, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452 "2013-09-09T22:32:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/41 "2013-09-12T17:05:02Z")
> [@](#): > > … the whole system is single-tracked, so if a train breaks down, it shuts down the entire line until that train can be removed. Completely incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![Cowboy8467](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/42 "2013-09-12T17:09:32Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > That might be a tough one, most of the Russian diaspora seem to live in NoVa rather than DC proper. There area couple of Russian/Eastern European restautants in DC though. Off the top of my head there is **W Domku (Polish/Scandinavian, but the owner is a huge asshole) on Upshur St, NW (a few block from my house)**, and Mari Vanna on Connecticut, NW, plus the Crown of Serbia out by Wolf Trap in NoVA. There is a pretty large number of Russian expats in Northern Virginia and I know there are a couple of Russian grocery stores in Alexandria. I’m surprised to hear you say that, I also grew up a few blocks from where Domku is now and I’ve gone there a few times with my dad who still lives in the area and I though it was great. I seem to remember the owner coming to our table to ask how everything was on the times I’ve gone there. ---
**Author:** ![Cowboy8467](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/43 "2013-09-12T17:10:39Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > Completely incorrect. He’s not completely incorrect. Thankfully I don’t ride the metro anymore but I remember a bunch of times when a train would break down and they would have to single track trains in both directions in that area. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/44 "2013-09-12T17:14:58Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > Completely incorrect. Okay so then it practically functions as if that were true. There are frequent, long delays all along the line caused by trains stuck at stations. Whatever their system for removing inoperative trains from the line is, it’s worth shit. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/45 "2013-09-12T17:16:15Z")
> [@Cowboy8467](#): > > I’m surprised to hear you say that, I also grew up a few blocks from where Domku is now and I’ve gone there a few times with my dad who still lives in the area and I though it was great. I seem to remember the owner coming to our table to ask how everything was on the times I’ve gone there. If you check out Yelp, there are a lot of reviews that talk about how rude the owner has been, same on the Prince of Petworth blog. Originally, there were two women owners (a couple), but I believe they split up and one owner bought out the other. It could be that you interacted with the one who wasn’t a jerk, or it could be that the owner just hates me and my friends. I agree with **Caffeine Addict** that the traffic in the city proper isn’t really that bad. I never worry about traffic, parking, or whether its rush hour or not if I’m driving in the city. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/46 "2013-09-12T17:40:16Z")
> [@Cowboy8467](#): > > He’s not completely incorrect. Thankfully I don’t ride the metro anymore but I remember a bunch of times when a train would break down and they would have to single track trains in both directions in that area. The fact that they can single track when there is a malfunction or maintenance is precisely because the system is double tracked during normal operations. A train can malfunction at a site where utilizing the cross-overs is made more difficult, but that is differnt than a malfunction shutting down the entire line. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/47 "2013-09-12T17:51:50Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > The fact that they can single track when there is a malfunction or maintenance is precisely because the system is double tracked during normal operations. Sorry, my deficiency in knowledge of railroading jargon shows through. What I meant was that there’s only one track going in each direction. > [@](#): > > A train can malfunction at a site where utilizing the cross-overs is made more difficult, but that is different than a malfunction shutting down the entire line. But it does shut down the entire line for some period of time, until, as you say, a crossover can be used. And then after that the entire line is slowed down because of sharing a single track. The system should have redundancies so that on the event of a breakdown trains going in opposite directions shouldn’t have to share a single track. You wouldn’t have to double up the entire line – just double the tracking at each station. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/48 "2013-09-12T18:26:55Z")
Perhaps is it semantics but “shut down the entire line” is like saying an accident in Woodbridge shut down I95 in Virginia. Not wrong but certainly paints a worse picture than reality. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/49 "2013-09-12T19:31:45Z")
I have a degree in Russian studies, so I got interested in what Russian communities are in the DC area and came across this site (in English and Russian): > **[ALL RUSSIAN Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia - Russians in Washington DC...](http://www.allrussiandc.com/engversion.html)** > > Russians in Washington DC , Virginia VA, Maryland MD USA, Russian community in District of Columbia, Russian stores in DC area,russian Baltimore,Russian Rockville, Russian Reston,Russian Embassies,learn russian, Russian America, Russian Events,... ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/50 "2013-10-31T16:20:22Z")
Update: We’re all moved in, and now live in the Fair Oaks mall area. Doperfest, anyone? ;\> ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/51 "2013-10-31T16:28:15Z")
Welcome to our little corner of hell. But we just call it home. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/52 "2013-10-31T16:52:22Z")
Welcome to the neighborhood! I would be up for a Doperfest. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/59ef9b/32.png) [@FlyingRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRat)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/53 "2013-10-31T19:04:40Z")
Welcome! I would be totally up for a Doperfest too. Perhaps Dogfish Head Alehouse would be a good location? I was going to suggest Honey Pig in Centreville, but that’s not really conducive to sitting and chatting… ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/54 "2013-10-31T23:43:37Z")
Dogfish head would be awesome… we’ve been to the location in Rehoboth, but not in Fairfax. So… does anyone have experience in setting these things up? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/55 "2013-11-01T03:27:07Z")
If it’s a time and date that I can make it, I would be interested in a Dopefest. (Note: That’s the typical name, not Doperfest.) You should start a separate thread titled something like “Dopefest in Fairfax, Virginia”, because most posters who would be interested won’t be reading this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2013, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452/56 "2013-11-01T12:30:39Z")
Duly noted! Thanks for correction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advice-to-someone-moving-to-fairfax-virginia/668452.md?page=2)