> If I judged all of Virginia just by Alexandria and Richmond, I would think your state was a hellhole too. <
Alexandria is a hell-hole? In what sense? I was just there yesterday, and it looks great to me.
Alexandria has some nice parts down along the water "Old Town" but it also has some crime issues and some horrible neighborhoods. The traffic in and around Alexandria is some of the worst on the east coast. If you like urban areas, office complexes, apartment builings and traffic jams, then Alexandria is not that bad.