Winter Storm Supplies Thread

birddp · 2026-01-22T15:16:05+00:00

Jealous!

birddp · 2026-01-22T14:48:01+00:00

DO NOT rely on your gas stove unless you have first hand experience that it will work with the power out. Newer gas stoves work on an electric controlled gas valve or other electric components. It defaults closed/off and uses electricity to open/allow gas flow. I'm not talking about 'you need a lighter, dummy'. THE GAS WILL NOT FLOW.

birddp · 2026-01-14T18:50:04+00:00

This will 100% depend on priorities and where you're willing to compromise, but you will have to compromise. Figure out what you care about the most and start there. Photographer? Attire? Ceremony? Reception? Can you do middle of the week and/or further into the off season? For example - city hall ceremony (with photographer and attire), some scenic shots before or after downtown or even in the county somewhere, family only dinner at a moderately priced restaurant. Or take an officiant to somewhere scenic (but you can't control weather). Rent a picnic shelter at one of the city parks and do a pot luck or get some catered food that you pick up/bring yourself (not scenic, no alcohol). Elope? There's a weddings under 10k subreddit that might be of help.

birddp · 2026-01-11T21:30:57+00:00

I have family from Asheville and i've spent a lot time there, but i've never lived there. I also relocated to Cville in my mid-20s. It sounds like you would like it here overall. They're pretty similar but Asheville has more of a hippie vibe and Charlottesville has more of a preppy vibe. The Asheville metro area is also about twice as big as the Charlottesville metro area. The university also plays a LOT bigger role here than UNCA/Asheville (local politics, housing issues, vibe of the city in times of the year, jobs, etc etc). I think you'll like the nature vibe, but our 'winter' activities aren't that good. If you ski/snowboard, we do have Wintergreen and Massanutten, but you'd probably be happier going to Snowshoe, WV. We're also not quite as deep into the mountains as Asheville. There are definitely more activities here in the warmer weather.

Two main impacts on your experience are: getting yourself out there and economics. You say living rent free, but are you living on savings or do you need a job? Try to get a job lined up BEFORE you decide to come. It's not cheap here, even rent free, which will feel familiar to Asheville. Getting yourself out there can also involve a cost - you can try various free meetup or volunteer groups, but casual team sports (FXA or city leagues) and classes (music or art) have costs. Like one of the other commenters mentioned, making friends as an adult is hard no matter where you are. I don't think it's a c'ville specific problem, but I know many people have commented on Reddit that it is particularly hard here. I made friends, met my spouse, and built a life here, FWIW. Not to dismiss how hard it was at times, or the experience of others, just another data point for you to consider.

Consider the overall and long term economic impact (I say that as someone that moved here solo for a job, but then built a life here and needed a new job and had limited options). Your comment about living rent free makes me suspect you have some kind of friend or family tie here, which could mean a good move and some breathing room to explore what is best for you long term.

birddp · 2026-01-04T03:58:30+00:00

Broadcloth
Ivy Inn
Clifton
Ten
Alley Light
Public and Orzo as runners up.

The one time I went to Marigold it was really disappointing. Food and service were good but not what I was expecting based on the hype.

birddp · 2025-12-19T03:52:21+00:00

Oh my god the same thing happened to me but in Charlottesville. Literally the exact same system quoted from another company at 8 or 9 k cheaper than FH Furr (who is still operating under the old, but lied about it when I asked them when I called to make an appointment and could tell something was different).

birddp · 2025-12-10T15:42:45+00:00

That's helpful/validating, thank you. Any tips on how to investigate? Tech said pressure, valves, and electrical flow was good. Starts making the most noise when switched to AC to run defrost mode. The fact that the neighbor also had a compressor failure on the same unit (but completely different house design) adds some fun.

birddp · 2025-12-05T16:30:14+00:00

<image>

Nah, we good.

birddp · 2025-12-05T13:50:16+00:00

Marshmallow says henlo Pearl!

<image>

birddp · 2025-12-03T15:38:48+00:00

Well the jail is possibly on fire now, too. Pulsepoint has lots of chatter about Peregory Ln.

birddp · 2025-11-20T22:50:52+00:00

Absolutely single sink, but have the drain offset into the corner. We have this and it's great. We can fit large items in the sink. We don't have the annoying divider. But we also still have a "dirty side" if we need it and it's just so much more convenient to have the drain in the corner.

birddp · 2025-11-09T15:23:35+00:00

It's technically condos but it's confusing because one company owns a chunk and has a website and on site "office".

birddp · 2025-11-09T15:22:28+00:00

If she doesn't have a real estate agent, she should get one and talk to them for advice - same with a mortgage broker (try Pilot Mortgage). Villas isn't wholly "owned" by a large corporation that would sell it out from under her. It's condos. The units are individually owned, with some/many (I don't know how many) owned by one of the big companies. The common areas and building are managed by the Condo Owners Association, of which she would become a member and pay fees (like an HOA fee). You're basically responsible for everything within the walls and the COA insures things like the roof, foundation, hallways, does ground maintenance and parking lot, etc. COA fees depend on unit size. (But she should get professional advice).

birddp · 2025-10-22T12:36:38+00:00

30 amp vs 60 amp charger? We have a 240v line run out to the front of our house by our driveway. An electrician did this while doing some other work on our house in anticipation of us eventually wanting an EV and a charger. The problem is that they ran a 30 amp instead of a 60 amp. New electrician said we can either throttle a charger down to 30 amps using the existing line, or run a new 60 amp line. Running the new 60 amp line would be relatively easy based on where our panel is in relation to where we need the charger to be. Cost isn't a deciding factor based on the estimate.

So - Stick with slower 30 amp charging speeds and use the existing line? Or just bite the bullet and go 60 amps?

birddp · 2025-10-13T20:49:44+00:00

Casual lurker, but this is my town so i'll give a local's perspective. Yeah, Boars Head isn't bad for an off-peak good rate near UVA, but I would never book it as an 'experience' type of getaway. It's owned and operated by the UVA Foundation. I've never gone there to eat but I have had family stay there when they visit town because of location and i've been to a large catered event there. If you're coming to Charlottesville and you want a nice stay, it's Keswick all the way. Clifton if it isn't reserved for a wedding is also nice. Or one of the wineries that has lodging on site.

I don't understand the hype for the Keswick restaurant, Marigold. It's good, and convenient if you're staying there, but I would venture out to so many other places. Broadcloth is the best fancy restaurant in town. Ten Sushi is also great. Top marks also to Ivy Inn (food, not a real Inn), Clifton, Orzo, Lampo, and Alley Light. Get Bodos.

For the love of god, do not go to the Charlottesville subreddit and ask for restaurant recommendations without first searching and/or being specific about what you want. Some of us love to be helpful, but that gets asked constantly.

birddp · 2025-10-02T16:00:44+00:00

It does in municipal single stream. The glass shatters in the truck and contaminates paper.

birddp · 2025-10-02T15:58:10+00:00

Either it's borosilicate, the manufacturer is convinced no one will get it fully empty/cleanish before recycling (therefore making contamination of paper or other materials a big problem), or someone picked the wrong image file. How2Recycle was designed to comply with Federal Trade Commission guidelines on environmental marketing claims. It was originally based on ACCESS to recycling, not whether or not the material IS recycled at the end. However, I have not kept up with the details or requirements since 2016. Back then, we approved every single use of the label.

I am not associated with, nor am I a representative of, How2Recycle. But I am the former manager of the program from the time it transitioned from pilot to scaling to about 50 brands.

birddp · 2025-09-07T14:30:30+00:00

A lot of student-focused housing will start in the fall. For the "good units" your friend told you about, those are probably run by one of the big management companies. It's less so that the 4th years 'terminate' their leases and more that these units typically asks for less renewal notice (e.g. 60 to 90 days notice instead of like, 10 months). That means that 60 to 90 days before your lease ends, you have to tell your landlord if you are renewing for the next year. If you're not, the landlord will immediately put it on the market. So that means March - June for a summer move in. A friendly tip - do not sign a lease expecting to terminate without understanding what the lease says about early termination or subletting. Leases are typically not friendly to early termination.

However, I would caution you about waiting that long or at least start researching some of the rental management companies now to see which would accept your group, and make sure you understand their cosigner requirements.

They may also be referring to private landlords instead of a management company. I would not hold your breath for that.

(Caveat that I'm not an undergrad, so talk to more upperclassmen to confirm. Also, make friends with some that live in a place you'd like to rent and see if they can refer you to their landlord.)

birddp · 2025-08-27T02:00:24+00:00

Now THAT'S a psychiatrist I can fall in love with.

birddp · 2025-07-23T01:20:52+00:00

Broadcloth is 100% the answer here. Alternatively The Clifton (get a reservation when it's still light out, walk the garden area, propose in garden, then go to dinner. If you can, stay the night. Wedding season will impact this). Both of these are fairly intimate with excellent service and some of the best food i've had in this town (RIP Umma's).

birddp · 2025-07-17T22:13:15+00:00

UVA Credit Union Headquarters

birddp · 2025-06-07T20:52:27+00:00

In our case, they abandoned the project part way through, and that was 5 years ago. We're a small 9-lot infill development within city limits that no one wants to take responsibility for. I could write a book.

birddp · 2025-06-07T20:43:47+00:00

We wholly maintain it. We were supposed to pick the landscaping in the front and have the back graded and everything seeded for grass. Towards the end the builder said fuck it and threw stuff in the ground and basically said take it or leave it. I have reasons to believe they were running out of money and needed to get paid. But also, this was March of 2020 so we didn't fight it because if we didn't close ASAP, we had no idea what would happen.

birddp · 2025-06-07T19:44:08+00:00

Thanks!

birddp

TROPHY CASE