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MarcusSA posted:I was stationed in Everett for like a year. It mostly sucked. 5. Can concur.
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Jul 31, 2022 20:15
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I think I am the only person in the thread that liked being in Everett, aside from the Navy part, of course. I enjoyed the weather and the convenience of Seattle was very close, and there was skiing not too far of a drive. If only I had been in port enough to enjoy that, that would have been cool. Was out to sea so much I literally never had time to go skiing once when I was stationed there.
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Jul 31, 2022 20:22
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Everett is only terrible in parts but it sucks that they put the commissary etc. in Smokey Point. The community college is good tho.
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Jul 31, 2022 20:38
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I stayed and worked in Seattle for 4 years after I got out and I was beyond ready to GTFO. It’s great sometimes but drat that weather.
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Jul 31, 2022 20:39
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Mr. Bad Guy posted:For sure! You'll be the first goon I've ever met in person. Can vouch for Crab Dad - he's a good dude, even though I only met him once at a goon meet in a way-too-small-for-the-amount-of-people-present apartment. So a typical goon meet, basically. If you're a fan of pickles, suck down some Dick's while you're in downtown Seattle. The closest one to the ports will be the one by the Space Needle, or get on the Link and get off at the Capitol Hill stop. And if you want the best view, piss on the Space Needle and get a Groupon for Columbia Tower instead. The only thing decent around the Space Needle is the MoPOP. Consider visiting the Museum of Flight as well. Easiest way to get there via public transportation is to take the Link to Tukwila and catch the 124 bus north. It's a straight shot. BIG HEADLINE fucked around with this message at 21:33 on Jul 31, 2022 |
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Jul 31, 2022 21:25
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BIG HEADLINE posted:Can vouch for Crab Dad - he's a good dude, even though I only met him once at a goon meet in a way-too-small-for-the-amount-of-people-present apartment. So a typical goon meet, basically. Literally everything in this post is true.
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Jul 31, 2022 21:35
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One thing I forgot to mention, you can get your possum in a peanut in person at the Archie McPhees, so definitely worth stopping there. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=4004011&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1 https://mcphee.com/
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Jul 31, 2022 21:38
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Mr. Bad Guy posted:For sure! You'll be the first goon I've ever met in person. Look at this guy with no PM’s.
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Jul 31, 2022 21:40
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Crab Dad posted:Look at this guy with no PM’s. Lol I had everything, then half the forums got nuked in the Democratic Primary Toxx-pocalypse, and I never got around to rebuilding. Not even an avatar. I think Lowtax got milkshake duck'd around that time too, so I didn't want to give him any more of my :tenbux: than I had to.
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Jul 31, 2022 21:49
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Mr. Bad Guy posted:Lol I had everything, then half the forums got nuked in the Democratic Primary Toxx-pocalypse, and I never got around to rebuilding. Not even an avatar. I think Lowtax got milkshake duck'd around that time too, so I didn't want to give him any more of my :tenbux: than I had to. If only Lowtax had married alcoholism, he would have beaten it.
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Jul 31, 2022 21:50
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MarcusSA posted:I stayed and worked in Seattle for 4 years after I got out and I was beyond ready to GTFO. It’s great sometimes but drat that weather. Got out and have stayed in Norfolk for two years so far. I'm only here for my daughter but drat I wanna leave so bad. Mr. Bad Guy posted:Lol I had everything, then half the forums got nuked in the Democratic Primary Toxx-pocalypse, and I never got around to rebuilding. Not even an avatar. I think Lowtax got milkshake duck'd around that time too, so I didn't want to give him any more of my :tenbux: than I had to. Now that Lowtax isn't around anymore I find my occasional  to these here forums somewhat worth it now.IncredibleIgloo posted:If only Lowtax had married alcoholism, he would have beaten it. 
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Jul 31, 2022 21:58
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Mr. Bad Guy posted:Lol I had everything, then half the forums got nuked in the Democratic Primary Toxx-pocalypse, and I never got around to rebuilding. Not even an avatar. I think Lowtax got milkshake duck'd around that time too, so I didn't want to give him any more of my :tenbux: than I had to. If more people had been paying attention, he'd have ducked a lot earlier than that.
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Jul 31, 2022 22:38
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Everett wasn't bad but I was only there 3 weeks as a transient person and was basically told "be here for muster in the morning then make yourself scarce" and so I spent 3 weeks basically not being in the navy except for the muster in the morning.
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Aug 1, 2022 02:33
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E: actually nevermind, i have a story to tell about transient assignments but I'll wait until i can type it instead of trying to phonepost But yeah for the two weeks i was in TPU waiting to get out that was literally all i had to do, show up to muster and then go home. And also take piss tests. I had twice as many piss tests in TPU as i did the whole rest of the time i was in the navy including the one at meps titties fucked around with this message at 03:55 on Aug 1, 2022 |
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Aug 1, 2022 03:48
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Everett is also close to some of the best, most beautiful hiking and camping in the world. Besides that, not much to recommend the town itself. Lots to do in/around Seattle though, plenty of good food, places to drink etc. And both Crab Dad and I live a ferry ride away.
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Aug 1, 2022 04:38
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MarcusSA posted:I stayed and worked in Seattle for 4 years after I got out and I was beyond ready to GTFO. It’s great sometimes but drat that weather. Seattle 10 day forecast: 81 partly cloudy, 77 partly cloudy, 77 partly cloudy, 70 partly cloudy, 75 sunny, 79 sunny, 81 mostly sunny, 81 sunny, 79 partly cloudy Seafair is in August for a reason
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Aug 1, 2022 05:57
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Right now I've got orders to Norfolk next year but I have the option of switching that to a Pentagon job if I want to. What are some upsides of the Pentagon/NoVa area that might sell me on it? If I do decide to go there, what are some good living areas to look at as a single guy trying to rent an apartment? A Pentagon gig really isn't very appealing to me compared to the Norfolk option, but my commodore personally wants to try and sell me on it so I've got to at least consider it.
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Aug 1, 2022 06:33
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Wingnut Ninja posted:Right now I've got orders to Norfolk next year but I have the option of switching that to a Pentagon job if I want to. What are some upsides of the Pentagon/NoVa area that might sell me on it? If I do decide to go there, what are some good living areas to look at as a single guy trying to rent an apartment? A Pentagon gig really isn't very appealing to me compared to the Norfolk option, but my commodore personally wants to try and sell me on it so I've got to at least consider it. Arlington is a nice place to have an apartment and there's lots of new ones near the Pentagram and if you have any sort of curiosity about things the various DC museums will keep it satisfied. Of course you can just as easily take a day trip from Norfolk to visit them so really it depends on just what the DC job offers that the Norfolk one doesn't.
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Aug 1, 2022 06:40
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I love love love the DC area and I’d move there in a heartbeat.
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Aug 1, 2022 07:07
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Wingnut Ninja posted:Right now I've got orders to Norfolk next year but I have the option of switching that to a Pentagon job if I want to. What are some upsides of the Pentagon/NoVa area that might sell me on it? If I do decide to go there, what are some good living areas to look at as a single guy trying to rent an apartment? A Pentagon gig really isn't very appealing to me compared to the Norfolk option, but my commodore personally wants to try and sell me on it so I've got to at least consider it. If your Commodore is trying to sell you on a NDW job my guess is that you've likely got a favorable future promotion-wise (if you care about that) and he's trying to make you "well-rounded." Aside from that, you'll also network (whether you want to or not) in the DC area and that'll likely set you up nicely when you get out - it might sound impersonal, but DC is where the money is. There's also way more to *do* in the DC/MD/VA vicinity than in Hampton Roads, and the Tidewater area is...well, it's kinda depressing. Think "weeds growing out of shopping center parking lots and lots of raised RAM trucks" depressing. The area feels like Flint, Michigan on life support outside of Waterside/Downtown Norfolk, "Virginia Beach Town Center," and of course, the Boardwalk/Oceanfront area. I've lived in both areas and I can say that the Norfolk area has not meaningfully improved logistically or socially since the late 80s. It feels dated, stuck in time with that "military town" vibe outside the aforementioned areas, and depressing as gently caress eight months out of the non-beachgoing year, and twelve months if you're not the beachgoing type. But aside from that: Arlington's nice, but it's getting pricier because of Amazon HQ2. Alexandria's pretty nice and not terribly far from the Pentagon. Falls Church (both East and West) give you plenty of routes to and from as well. Del Ray is nice, but pricey because it's ~trendy~. The Metro is nice, but don't *rely* on it - the network's old and overtaxed, and there might be six-plus month stints where the line you live nearest to is down for track maintenance. Stay away from Hybla Valley and don't live near Fort Belvoir, we're not talking "Bragg Bad," but let's just say you'll hear police helicopters more often than other spots in NoVA. Bailey's Crossroads would be another area I'd advise avoiding. Not sure if he's still mulling about in here, but nwin *hated* this area. Of course, he had a family with a newborn when he took a Coastie billet here. He also didn't really ingratiate much with the DC Goon Slack (feel free to ask for an invite if you want to pick our brains in real time), but that was his choice - not everyone wants to get to know Goons socially. I suppose the questions are "why do you want to go to Norfolk?" And also "why NoVA and not also Maryland?" And lastly, "what do you like to do in your free time?" BIG HEADLINE fucked around with this message at 09:31 on Aug 1, 2022 |
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Aug 1, 2022 07:32
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The only reason I would say come to Norfolk is if you ride a motorcycle. We have the greatest community out here but that’s not loving worth it so just go to DC.
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Aug 1, 2022 09:44
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BIG HEADLINE posted:There's also way more to *do* in the DC/MD/VA vicinity than in Hampton Roads, and the Tidewater area is...well, it's kinda depressing. Think "weeds growing out of shopping center parking lots and lots of raised RAM trucks" depressing. The area feels like Flint, Michigan on life support outside of Waterside/Downtown Norfolk, "Virginia Beach Town Center," and of course, the Boardwalk/Oceanfront area. I've lived in both areas and I can say that the Norfolk area has not meaningfully improved logistically or socially since the late 80s. It feels dated, stuck in time with that "military town" vibe outside the aforementioned areas, and depressing as gently caress eight months out of the non-beachgoing year, and twelve months if you're not the beachgoing type. I was in Norfolk 20 years ago, and I was in Norfolk last year. It sucked 20 years ago and it hasn't changed .
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Aug 1, 2022 12:45
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That metro track maintenance thing is no joke. The closest 3 to me up in MD were out for it felt like a year. Still I would plan to live in close proximity to the blue / yellow if I was working at the pentagon, but it’s also like one stop from where you would transfer from any other line. The caveat is always that you may have to drive if there’s some weird metro issue, so I wouldn’t live too far around the other side of the beltway unless you’re prepared for that.
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Aug 1, 2022 14:01
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I’d take orders back to DC over just about anything else. So much to do and it’s such a central point for Virginia to NYC.
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Aug 1, 2022 17:04
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I would rather be chained to a desk in the Pentagon basement 24/7 than spend a single day in a cake job in Norfolk, let alone an afloat one.
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Aug 1, 2022 17:50
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DC seems like a much better option if this is your last command and where you will be leaving the Navy from. There are so many options in DC that are Navy adjacent or looking for folks with that sort of background that it will make transitioning out a lot easier and you won't end up having to work quite so closely with the Navy. When I was in Norfolk a lot of people got out and then went directly to the shipyard, which while I am sure is better as a civilian, is just too directly involved with the Navy for me.
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Aug 1, 2022 18:13
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Norfolk is bad!
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Aug 1, 2022 18:43
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IncredibleIgloo posted:When I was in Norfolk a lot of people got out and then went directly to the shipyard Why are you exposing me!  M_Gargantua posted:Norfolk is bad!
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Aug 1, 2022 18:54
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BIG HEADLINE posted:
This is the real question. Why?
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Aug 1, 2022 18:55
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ManMythLegend posted:I would rather be chained to a desk in the Pentagon basement 24/7 than spend a single day in a cake job in Norfolk, let alone an afloat one. Have you…done a Pentagon stint before?
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Aug 1, 2022 19:35
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AlternateNu posted:Have you…done a Pentagon stint before? Directly, no, but have worked there briefly and lived in the area. My worst day in DC was better than my best day in Norfolk. By a large margin. I loving hate Norfolk. It is purpose built to be miserable. Not an exaggeration: I would rather take unaccompanied orders to Djibouti than take accompanied orders to Norfolk.
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Aug 1, 2022 20:55
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ManMythLegend posted:Directly, no, but have worked there briefly and lived in the area. My worst day in DC was better than my best day in Norfolk. By a large margin. What about Newport News?
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Aug 1, 2022 21:12
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ManMythLegend posted:It is purpose built to be miserable. that's just the Navy and Norfolk is a byproduct hth
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Aug 1, 2022 21:48
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maffew buildings posted:that's just the Navy and Norfolk is a byproduct hth Norfolk is the epicenter.
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Aug 1, 2022 21:52
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Thanks everyone, appreciate the inputs. I did my training O tour in Norfolk, so I'm familiar with the area, and lived downtown which I enjoyed. I grew up around Cleveland so Norfolk is nothing new in terms of crumbling infrastructure and urban blight. I figured the DC area would be better living, so thanks for the recommendations on what areas to look into (and avoid), that's a big help. I'm guessing that as a larger population center it's got a less "military vibe" than Norfolk? That's definitely one of the worst elements of the whole Hampton Roads area. The big upside to the Norfolk job is that I get to stay in the community, in particular the WTI community, and still get to (occasionally) fly with the fleet. It's the best, most rewarding job available and it's one that I really enjoy. I'm sure the Pentagon job gets to do some cool stuff, but my perspective from the outside is that those program office guys mostly vanish into the depths of the acquisitions world and only occasionally pop up at conferences and working groups to drop some nuggets of insight. I know that Pentagon tours are usually very good career-wise, but I'm not sure how much of a benefit that will be since I've been very open that I don't want to go down the CO route and basically told my front office to go ahead and shoot me in the head in order to double tap one of the other rockstar DH's who has "future CO" written all over him. The networking potential is appealing, and while I'd get some of that with Norfolk I'm sure nothing beats the Pentagon in that department. I'd be interested to hear how much military bullshit actually working at the Pentagon involves, I've gotten away with wearing glorified pajamas to work every day for more than a decade now and it's been great.
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Aug 1, 2022 22:09
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If you don't want to be a CO you'd still be better taking the program job at the Pentagon for networking for your post-navy career
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Aug 1, 2022 22:13
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I grew up in Nova and recently moved back here for NOAA stuff 18 years later (in MD though). It’s not a military area like Norfolk but it’s a fed town. My dad always had similar advice about not staying operational too long, especially as an NFO. Unless you want to go work for something very specific related to your aircraft after you retire. I’m about in the same spot as you career wise and took orders up here to start that life. I knew people that bailed and worked for whatever contractor developing P-8 coursework, and niche stuff like that is all that a flying career translates directly to since ducking out of the command path means you’re retiring as an O-5 at most. There’s plenty of fed stuff you can get involved in and double dip later if you want though. If you don’t care about post-retirement then I’d stick with the flight suit life. They’ll probably get you for something stupid next time though. I was always told that once you don’t screen, the navy doesn’t have a lot of use for you and will give you crappy stuff until you punch out.
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Aug 1, 2022 22:56
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The DC area has such a *lack* of a "military vibe" that outside of your work circles you'll be hard-pressed to run into someone else who's still in. Plenty of people who are out, though - and they're going to be way more helpful. If you've got shipmates down in Norfolk, it's only a 3-5h (one way) drive from the DC area and hotels are (usually) pretty cheap in the off-season. As for uniforms? Are khakis *really* that bad? BIG HEADLINE fucked around with this message at 23:02 on Aug 1, 2022 |
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Aug 1, 2022 22:59
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I have no desire to return to anywhere in the greater Chesapeake Bay area.
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Aug 1, 2022 23:03
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BIG HEADLINE posted:
Personally, I prefer them.
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Aug 1, 2022 23:10
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