The Pandemic Hit Cities Hard And Then There's Washington, DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read every single reply, but one issue is traffic. I work downtown and most of my colleagues do want to be back in person at least half-time. But we don't *have* to be back in person. And right now the traffic into DC is really lousy because the DC government is more concerned with bike lanes and giving NWDC residents free street parking than in winning back office workers.

As long as I have to sit in a nightmare of 2 lanes on Conn Ave to get home at night, why should I bother? I can just meet colleagues for lunch when we want to have informal opportunities to interact. Some degree of personal flexibility on telework is now the norm for a lot of people, including many more USG offices than was previously the case. So if DC wants to ensure businesses thrive downtown, they'll have to make it worth our while. Revert to pre-Covid commuter traffic (including re-opening Beach Drive and the 4-lane rush hour switch on Conn Ave) and you'll get more of us back in the office and spending money at DC restaurants and shops.

DC resident here. We don't care what you think. You don't even pay DC taxes -- you don't own a home here and DC can't impose a commuter tax. You're a drain on our resources, not a net gain, and we don't care if you or your stinking car ever come back.

Fine by me. But perhaps the shops and restaurants that are dependent on office workers might like to see us come back? And your neighbors might want to have more viable businesses in the city. But hey, why not make all of NWDC into an upper middle class gated community - that's a really vibrant and exciting future vision for DC.

There is not a lot of point in arguing with people who are ideologically committed. What I’m waiting to see is what happens when these fantasies confront realpolitik. Multi-billion and trillion dollar commercial real estate firms in downtown are unlikely to sit back for long and watch their investments compromised because the DC government decided to create unnecessary congestion on an untested and simple-minded theory that when inconvenienced, people will choose other modes of transportation instead of just deciding to stay home or go somewhere else. So we’ll see where this goes.

My sense is that there are two scenarios: (1) As the weather turns foul in November, the city will change course and become more accommodating to commuters. (2) Bowser continues her proclivity to demonstrate a capability of being responsive to adverse events, things continue to slide and she loses the next election to a challenger backed by existing commercial property owners (the speculative developers who fund Bowser have already cashed in and there’s not much left to develop in the city).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't assume childless high earners are going to shut up and accept living in a city in decline. Eventually you get sick of having your packages stolen all the time, having a local gov that is unresponsive and works against your safety interests (Charles Allen), having a uniquely horrible USPS problems in DC proper, having homeless encampments everywhere, seeing drugged out zombies loitering near your library, fearing that your car wheels are going to come off overnight, etc. You don't even realize how this all weighs you down until you have a few months away from it all.

Let's see how it all shakes out over the next couple years. Telework is here to stay. I don't know how that would NOT create an impact on the downtown long term. There's less incentive to put up with the above nonsense when you can commute 1-2 days a week.

You sound like your grandmother.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't assume childless high earners are going to shut up and accept living in a city in decline. Eventually you get sick of having your packages stolen all the time, having a local gov that is unresponsive and works against your safety interests (Charles Allen), having a uniquely horrible USPS problems in DC proper, having homeless encampments everywhere, seeing drugged out zombies loitering near your library, fearing that your car wheels are going to come off overnight, etc. You don't even realize how this all weighs you down until you have a few months away from it all.

Let's see how it all shakes out over the next couple years. Telework is here to stay. I don't know how that would NOT create an impact on the downtown long term. There's less incentive to put up with the above nonsense when you can commute 1-2 days a week.

Sorry, but these singles are bored stiff when they get out to the 'burbs or the sticks. It's one thing to spend a month at the beach in the summer.....but it's A LOT more isolating to spend the year there. The young & childless crave socialization and that doesn't happen in a meaningful way outside the cities.

DC, NYC, LA, Boston, Chicago, etc has ALWAYS had homeless, drugged out mental cases, and petty theft. It's a part of city life, even if unsavory and undesired. These complaints have been on Popville for the last 15 years.

As we say: "Welcome to the city, transplant."

The young and childless will keep coming here. Those with means will insulate themselves in nice parts of NW DC, MoCo, and NoVA. All your complaints have been apart of city living since.....forever.

Yep, and people smart enough to remain childless are also smart enough to realize that the incredibly minor inconvenience of the occasional missing package and the infinitesimally small statistical likelihood of being a victim of violent crime as a relatively wealthy professional are peanuts compared to the actual, real, daily downsides of the suburbs.

Only the most myopic and hysterical residents are going to seriously think "You know what seems better than spending 5 minutes requesting a refund from Amazon twice a year? Exiling myself somewhere to spend hours a week in my car, far from nightlife and culture, so that I can occupy a giant house that I don't need and will have to waste even more time cleaning and maintaining."

Your stereotype of the suburbs is pretty laughable, particularly when everyone I know who lives in DC with kids drives more than I do which is what happens when a city has school choice and no school buses and insufficient parks with athletic facilities. Why you feel the need to try to pass judgment on others about where they decide to live is honestly weird to me. I am sure that your neighborhood is great and that you enjoy it. Guess what? I like my neighborhood too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read every single reply, but one issue is traffic. I work downtown and most of my colleagues do want to be back in person at least half-time. But we don't *have* to be back in person. And right now the traffic into DC is really lousy because the DC government is more concerned with bike lanes and giving NWDC residents free street parking than in winning back office workers.

As long as I have to sit in a nightmare of 2 lanes on Conn Ave to get home at night, why should I bother? I can just meet colleagues for lunch when we want to have informal opportunities to interact. Some degree of personal flexibility on telework is now the norm for a lot of people, including many more USG offices than was previously the case. So if DC wants to ensure businesses thrive downtown, they'll have to make it worth our while. Revert to pre-Covid commuter traffic (including re-opening Beach Drive and the 4-lane rush hour switch on Conn Ave) and you'll get more of us back in the office and spending money at DC restaurants and shops.

DC resident here. We don't care what you think. You don't even pay DC taxes -- you don't own a home here and DC can't impose a commuter tax. You're a drain on our resources, not a net gain, and we don't care if you or your stinking car ever come back.

Fine by me. But perhaps the shops and restaurants that are dependent on office workers might like to see us come back? And your neighbors might want to have more viable businesses in the city. But hey, why not make all of NWDC into an upper middle class gated community - that's a really vibrant and exciting future vision for DC.

I live in the U Street/Logan area and don't have kids. We have plenty of viable businesses in our area already and more on the way, thank you very much. We don't care about commuters who don't pay taxes, and we doubt that other than your occasional visit to Potbelly you contribute nothing to our city beyond more traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's sad that I'd actually thought that DCUM would offer some useful perspectives on the article, like it used to in the early years. Unfortunately, this thread is full of drivel and vitriol, like most these days.

It’s kind of hard to have an interesting and thoughtful discussion when there is basically one or two people responding to every post with a version of “that article is lies because my neighborhood is awesome. Ok Karen. Neener, neener.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read every single reply, but one issue is traffic. I work downtown and most of my colleagues do want to be back in person at least half-time. But we don't *have* to be back in person. And right now the traffic into DC is really lousy because the DC government is more concerned with bike lanes and giving NWDC residents free street parking than in winning back office workers.

As long as I have to sit in a nightmare of 2 lanes on Conn Ave to get home at night, why should I bother? I can just meet colleagues for lunch when we want to have informal opportunities to interact. Some degree of personal flexibility on telework is now the norm for a lot of people, including many more USG offices than was previously the case. So if DC wants to ensure businesses thrive downtown, they'll have to make it worth our while. Revert to pre-Covid commuter traffic (including re-opening Beach Drive and the 4-lane rush hour switch on Conn Ave) and you'll get more of us back in the office and spending money at DC restaurants and shops.

DC resident here. We don't care what you think. You don't even pay DC taxes -- you don't own a home here and DC can't impose a commuter tax. You're a drain on our resources, not a net gain, and we don't care if you or your stinking car ever come back.

You're the perfect combination of a stubborn refusal to listen to any opposing viewpoints, and utmost certainty of your own.

I'm surprised you're not a Trump voter.

The Trump voters live in the suburbs. Now, tell me again why we should care about some commuter who doesn't set a foot into this city when she's not working and paying us zero dollars in taxes and doesn't know a thing about us other than her commute?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's sad that I'd actually thought that DCUM would offer some useful perspectives on the article, like it used to in the early years. Unfortunately, this thread is full of drivel and vitriol, like most these days.

It’s kind of hard to have an interesting and thoughtful discussion when there is basically one or two people responding to every post with a version of “that article is lies because my neighborhood is awesome. Ok Karen. Neener, neener.”

Do you live in the city? Be honest, now. This is all anonymous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's sad that I'd actually thought that DCUM would offer some useful perspectives on the article, like it used to in the early years. Unfortunately, this thread is full of drivel and vitriol, like most these days.

There are 1-2 posters on this thread who don't want to listen to any opposing viewpoint. When people bring up the quality of life issues that have gotten noticeably worse during the pandemic, they scoff and act smug.

But, what the last couple of generations have shown us is that cities can reach tipping points pretty quickly, if things like crime, homelessness, and bad schools spiral out of control. And, people now have a lot of options as to where they can live and get the "urban" experience in the region. DC is competing for residents with all of the neighboring jurisdictions. And the government and business community is nowhere near as blase about it as some of the fools on this thread. They know the District is facing some hard problems.

Do you live in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read every single reply, but one issue is traffic. I work downtown and most of my colleagues do want to be back in person at least half-time. But we don't *have* to be back in person. And right now the traffic into DC is really lousy because the DC government is more concerned with bike lanes and giving NWDC residents free street parking than in winning back office workers.

As long as I have to sit in a nightmare of 2 lanes on Conn Ave to get home at night, why should I bother? I can just meet colleagues for lunch when we want to have informal opportunities to interact. Some degree of personal flexibility on telework is now the norm for a lot of people, including many more USG offices than was previously the case. So if DC wants to ensure businesses thrive downtown, they'll have to make it worth our while. Revert to pre-Covid commuter traffic (including re-opening Beach Drive and the 4-lane rush hour switch on Conn Ave) and you'll get more of us back in the office and spending money at DC restaurants and shops.

DC resident here. We don't care what you think. You don't even pay DC taxes -- you don't own a home here and DC can't impose a commuter tax. You're a drain on our resources, not a net gain, and we don't care if you or your stinking car ever come back.

You're the perfect combination of a stubborn refusal to listen to any opposing viewpoints, and utmost certainty of your own.

I'm surprised you're not a Trump voter.

The Trump voters live in the suburbs. Now, tell me again why we should care about some commuter who doesn't set a foot into this city when she's not working and paying us zero dollars in taxes and doesn't know a thing about us other than her commute?

Fascinating that you don’t seem to care that neither local businesses leaders nor city officials share that sentiment. As long as life is good for you as a non-working person living in Logan Circle.

https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2020/10/02/dc-chamber-report-commuters-economy.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't assume childless high earners are going to shut up and accept living in a city in decline. Eventually you get sick of having your packages stolen all the time, having a local gov that is unresponsive and works against your safety interests (Charles Allen), having a uniquely horrible USPS problems in DC proper, having homeless encampments everywhere, seeing drugged out zombies loitering near your library, fearing that your car wheels are going to come off overnight, etc. You don't even realize how this all weighs you down until you have a few months away from it all.

Let's see how it all shakes out over the next couple years. Telework is here to stay. I don't know how that would NOT create an impact on the downtown long term. There's less incentive to put up with the above nonsense when you can commute 1-2 days a week.

Sorry, but these singles are bored stiff when they get out to the 'burbs or the sticks. It's one thing to spend a month at the beach in the summer.....but it's A LOT more isolating to spend the year there. The young & childless crave socialization and that doesn't happen in a meaningful way outside the cities.

DC, NYC, LA, Boston, Chicago, etc has ALWAYS had homeless, drugged out mental cases, and petty theft. It's a part of city life, even if unsavory and undesired. These complaints have been on Popville for the last 15 years.

As we say: "Welcome to the city, transplant."

The young and childless will keep coming here. Those with means will insulate themselves in nice parts of NW DC, MoCo, and NoVA. All your complaints have been apart of city living since.....forever.

Yep, and people smart enough to remain childless are also smart enough to realize that the incredibly minor inconvenience of the occasional missing package and the infinitesimally small statistical likelihood of being a victim of violent crime as a relatively wealthy professional are peanuts compared to the actual, real, daily downsides of the suburbs.

Only the most myopic and hysterical residents are going to seriously think "You know what seems better than spending 5 minutes requesting a refund from Amazon twice a year? Exiling myself somewhere to spend hours a week in my car, far from nightlife and culture, so that I can occupy a giant house that I don't need and will have to waste even more time cleaning and maintaining."

Your stereotype of the suburbs is pretty laughable, particularly when everyone I know who lives in DC with kids drives more than I do which is what happens when a city has school choice and no school buses and insufficient parks with athletic facilities. Why you feel the need to try to pass judgment on others about where they decide to live is honestly weird to me. I am sure that your neighborhood is great and that you enjoy it. Guess what? I like my neighborhood too.

We have two elementary school aged kids, live in Shaw, and don't have a car. If we wanted your lifestyle, we'd move to the burbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read every single reply, but one issue is traffic. I work downtown and most of my colleagues do want to be back in person at least half-time. But we don't *have* to be back in person. And right now the traffic into DC is really lousy because the DC government is more concerned with bike lanes and giving NWDC residents free street parking than in winning back office workers.

As long as I have to sit in a nightmare of 2 lanes on Conn Ave to get home at night, why should I bother? I can just meet colleagues for lunch when we want to have informal opportunities to interact. Some degree of personal flexibility on telework is now the norm for a lot of people, including many more USG offices than was previously the case. So if DC wants to ensure businesses thrive downtown, they'll have to make it worth our while. Revert to pre-Covid commuter traffic (including re-opening Beach Drive and the 4-lane rush hour switch on Conn Ave) and you'll get more of us back in the office and spending money at DC restaurants and shops.

DC resident here. We don't care what you think. You don't even pay DC taxes -- you don't own a home here and DC can't impose a commuter tax. You're a drain on our resources, not a net gain, and we don't care if you or your stinking car ever come back.

You're the perfect combination of a stubborn refusal to listen to any opposing viewpoints, and utmost certainty of your own.

I'm surprised you're not a Trump voter.

The Trump voters live in the suburbs. Now, tell me again why we should care about some commuter who doesn't set a foot into this city when she's not working and paying us zero dollars in taxes and doesn't know a thing about us other than her commute?

Because commuters pay sales taxes and frequent restaurants and other venues. The people who own those businesses pay property taxes and employ DC residents. That’s why. DC needs neighboring jurisdictions more than Va or Md need DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's sad that I'd actually thought that DCUM would offer some useful perspectives on the article, like it used to in the early years. Unfortunately, this thread is full of drivel and vitriol, like most these days.

There are 1-2 posters on this thread who don't want to listen to any opposing viewpoint. When people bring up the quality of life issues that have gotten noticeably worse during the pandemic, they scoff and act smug.

But, what the last couple of generations have shown us is that cities can reach tipping points pretty quickly, if things like crime, homelessness, and bad schools spiral out of control. And, people now have a lot of options as to where they can live and get the "urban" experience in the region. DC is competing for residents with all of the neighboring jurisdictions. And the government and business community is nowhere near as blase about it as some of the fools on this thread. They know the District is facing some hard problems.

Do you live in DC?

Q.E.D.

Congratulations.

[Anonymous]

I have seen a noticeable difference, even in areas like Georgetown. There are a lot more tents with homeless people and drugged out people doing crazy things in public at all hours. In areas I didn’t see that before. The K Street area is a ghost town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have seen a noticeable difference, even in areas like Georgetown. There are a lot more tents with homeless people and drugged out people doing crazy things in public at all hours. In areas I didn’t see that before. The K Street area is a ghost town.

Well massive economic instability tends to increase the homeless population.

I also think we are more apt to notice the homeless when 80% of commuters and visitors are missing from the streetscape. Confirmation bias.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The post has run articles with District leaders almost begging for a return to the offices. Feds definitely aren’t ever coming back en masse and this will inform other sectors decisions. WFH is here to stay as the President has alluded to.

Based on quotes in the article, the plan from city officials is to convert hotels in downtown to residences with the goal to provide demand for retail and restaurants. But who wants to live at Metro Center?

All the people who want to be close to the River, museums and sporting events, with easy access to bike trails and other amenities.

It will turn into more AirBnBs