How can you NOT like living in DC?

[Anonymous]

Most of the people in my NW neighborhood have lived here for a long time. Their kids went to STA or NCS and they're finally downsizing and moving to Naples Fl or even DuPont.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My main issues are:

1. The weather - too hot and humid too much of the year. I like crisp weather, and I like cold weather.
2. The distance from the ocean or for that matter, any natural bodies of water.
3. The lack of character in the suburbs.

I'm not a hater. I just think DC is very expensive for what it is.

No. 3 would be a good reason to not like living in Gaithersburg, and I might agree. But I love living in D.C. (Though, yes, it is expensive.)

And, heck, our suburbs are pretty darn nice, for suburbs. Alexandria? Even Bethesda? Arlington could well be the most interesting and diverse suburb in the country.

[Anonymous]

Let's get real. Sure, Arlington is better than Fairfax County or Loudoun County (especially in terms of its walkability), but one would only have to travel the country briefly to recognize that there are hundreds of places that are superior to Arlington, especially in terms of aesthetics. Other states have well-formed towns with village squares and the like. See, e.g., Whitefish Bay, WI, North Shore Chicago towns, , Philly suburbs, etc., etc. As for diversity, sure there is diversity on paper, but endless talk about "school pyramids" and related matters suggests that for many people, they want meaningful diversity to end where their actual neighborhood begins. I rest my case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't particularly like DC, and I love many cities around the world and in the US.

People don't like to admit it, but black-white relationships in DC are horrible. There is no middle class. The public schools are not good. The elitism of the NW residents has virtually no equal anywhere else in the US. The younger residents seem old before their time and just waiting to stop playing kickball and take up shuffleboard.

Some of the architecture is nice, but there is nothing that truly soars or inspires. The federal buildings are mostly bland. Once you've seen the monuments and museums once, that is enough. And, of course, the centers of government in DC are largely failures. Obama is feckless, Congress is worthless, and the Supreme Court is not remotely in tune with the lives of average Americans.

I like DC and live mostly happily smack in the middle of the city but I can't really disagree with any of this. (Well, I do consider us middle class because we live in a very modest house and don't take nice vacations. But we are a two-income family earning close to 200k. Most most places in the country, that income would put us in a very different economic stratum.)

We moved from DC to Denver, HHI 170k, don't feel rich here at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too many lawyers, lobbyists and angry low income residents. And yes, I know that there are people who are not these things.

I live in a low-income neighborhood. The vast majority of them are not angry. Maybe try getting out more?

But there is this white-apologist attitude of most of the white neighbors that I find appalling. I can't choose my skin color either.

+1. Too much racial tension. When I go to my hometown in the south there is less racial tension, believe it or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the folks that don't like living here. Cost of living aside it's an amazing city.

Great downtown. Not too big, enough greenery. Nice neighborhoods close to downtown. Good food, diverse with large international population, I had Ghanaian food the other night. 2 international airports, great schools. Where do you people want to live ? Atlanta? Charlotte? Chicago? Bleh. DC is amazing.

I like DC but yeah I'd probably move to CLT if I could.

What the heck is clt?

not PP, but I guess you don't travel much? or can't use google?

I've never heard of it either. I could Google it, but I just don't care.

[Anonymous]

Sheesh, people can be rude!

CLT is the airport code for Charlotte, NC.

[Anonymous]

Moved from DC and couldn't wait to leave - though I admittedly teared up at the airport.

Reasons I did not like living in DC:

1) COST. My salary goes way, way further in Texas. I bought a nice home in a neighborhood with good schools in the city for about a fourth of what I would I would have to pay in DC..
2) The type of person drawn to DC. Lots of type A personalities who thought they were Very Important. I did not like the competitive types who felt like they had to walk all over other people to advance themselves. Let your work speak for itself. I do miss people who are knowledgeable about world events and politics. That is harder to come by here.
3) Lack of community. Though I had a fair number of friends there since I did live there for quite a while, DC just felt like a very transient city. It felt like home base until it didn't and then I was ready to go and didn't feel like there was much keeping me there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sheesh, people can be rude!

CLT is the airport code for Charlotte, NC.

So you want to live at the airport?! Since when did IATA codes become the names of cities?! Frankly, I thought that the CLT abbreviation was intended as an obscenity.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the folks that don't like living here. Cost of living aside it's an amazing city.

Great downtown. Not too big, enough greenery. Nice neighborhoods close to downtown. Good food, diverse with large international population, I had Ghanaian food the other night. 2 international airports, great schools. Where do you people want to live ? Atlanta? Charlotte? Chicago? Bleh. DC is amazing.

I like DC but yeah I'd probably move to CLT if I could.

What the heck is clt?

not PP, but I guess you don't travel much? or can't use google?

I've never heard of it either. I could Google it, but I just don't care.

Your world is depressingly small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sheesh, people can be rude!

CLT is the airport code for Charlotte, NC.

So you want to live at the airport?! Since when did IATA codes become the names of cities?! Frankly, I thought that the CLT abbreviation was intended as an obscenity.)

Right, because everyone spells out District of Columbia every time. Let me guess, you're an attorney?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Moved from DC and couldn't wait to leave - though I admittedly teared up at the airport.

Reasons I did not like living in DC:

1) COST. My salary goes way, way further in Texas. I bought a nice home in a neighborhood with good schools in the city for about a fourth of what I would I would have to pay in DC..
2) The type of person drawn to DC. Lots of type A personalities who thought they were Very Important. I did not like the competitive types who felt like they had to walk all over other people to advance themselves. Let your work speak for itself. I do miss people who are knowledgeable about world events and politics. That is harder to come by here.
3) Lack of community. Though I had a fair number of friends there since I did live there for quite a while, DC just felt like a very transient city. It felt like home base until it didn't and then I was ready to go and didn't feel like there was much keeping me there.

This is my point. I feel like all 3 of your points do not apply to us, which I guess would explain why we are happy here. We live in a really nice, welcoming nova suburb. Our house is nice and affordable to us. We are very happy so far with the schools and feel we have a very strong community. I 100% admit this is not possible in many area near/in DC. But for us it has been great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the folks that don't like living here. Cost of living aside it's an amazing city.

Great downtown. Not too big, enough greenery. Nice neighborhoods close to downtown. Good food, diverse with large international population, I had Ghanaian food the other night. 2 international airports, great schools. Where do you people want to live ? Atlanta? Charlotte? Chicago? Bleh. DC is amazing.

I agree. I'm a native and do not desire to live anyplace else.

[Anonymous]

ugh, too conservative.
1. everyone walking down the street is a cookie cutter of the next person. no one original for miles.
2. the weather most of the year is either too hot or too cold. 3. schools are impossible to get into (DC just got accepted to first grade YESTERDAY -that is ridiculously stressful!!)
4. COL is insane
5. traffic
6. houses are unaffordable for most
7. too social-climby and pretentious
8. city closes too early
9. it's too small
10. too far from the beach

i could go on and on. we are here bc my friends are here and i own a home and my job is here but we are actively searching for a new home. maybe southern california.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's get real. Sure, Arlington is better than Fairfax County or Loudoun County (especially in terms of its walkability), but one would only have to travel the country briefly to recognize that there are hundreds of places that are superior to Arlington, especially in terms of aesthetics. Other states have well-formed towns with village squares and the like. See, e.g., Whitefish Bay, WI, North Shore Chicago towns, , Philly suburbs, etc., etc. As for diversity, sure there is diversity on paper, but endless talk about "school pyramids" and related matters suggests that for many people, they want meaningful diversity to end where their actual neighborhood begins. I rest my case.

Exactly.

See also: Towns (real towns, not corporate-fabricated ones) throughout New England.