Navigating .NET

I’ve been immersed in Java and J2EE programming for several years now. I’ve become very used to the tools, APIs, and conventions. Now I’m out searching for the .NET equivalents of things I’ve taken for granted. I’m sure most of them exist; it’s just a matter of navigating this (to me) new world. There are plenty of articles and even books which introduce the core concepts of .NET and C# to Java developers, but what I’m really looking for is an introduction to the .NET world as a whole—to its culture, its conventions, and its common points of reference. What tools do people use for what? What web sites offer the best resources? What are the current developments?

This is the sort of introduction I’m looking for. I feel more like looking in the travel section of the bookstore than the computer section. Computer languages and frameworks have a culture which transcends things like syntax and constructs. Often these are the facets which are most difficult to learn, discover, and master.