If you don't like DC, what prevents you from leaving?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Money?

I feel like this thread is posted on a monthly basis. There's a reason that people put up with living in crowded, high COL places like NYC, Boston, DC, SF etc. -- there are lots of job opportunities and those jobs pay more than the same job in Cleveland (for most industries), if you can even find a job in your exact field in Cleveland. And there's the added plus of if you lose your job or hate your job and want/need to get another one, you'll find another one in aforementioned HCOL big city, whereas in CLE, you may likely have to pick up and move to another city which is no easy feat esp. if you need to sell a home in a rust belt/no growth market.

Now if you're in a field like medicine or teaching or IT, they may not apply to you so go where you please. But for the rest of us, living decisions go hand in hand with working decisions.

Right, but then they bitch and moan and bitch and moan and bitch and moan and yearn for the good ol' days in Kalamazoo (now really gone; in reality everyone's a meth addict) where everyone is just so durn friendly.

(Now offense to Kalamazoo... just a stand in for wherever anybody came from...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Money?

I feel like this thread is posted on a monthly basis. There's a reason that people put up with living in crowded, high COL places like NYC, Boston, DC, SF etc. -- there are lots of job opportunities and those jobs pay more than the same job in Cleveland (for most industries), if you can even find a job in your exact field in Cleveland. And there's the added plus of if you lose your job or hate your job and want/need to get another one, you'll find another one in aforementioned HCOL big city, whereas in CLE, you may likely have to pick up and move to another city which is no easy feat esp. if you need to sell a home in a rust belt/no growth market.

Now if you're in a field like medicine or teaching or IT, they may not apply to you so go where you please. But for the rest of us, living decisions go hand in hand with working decisions.

Right, but then they bitch and moan and bitch and moan and bitch and moan and yearn for the good ol' days in Kalamazoo (now really gone; in reality everyone's a meth addict) where everyone is just so durn friendly.

(Now offense to Kalamazoo... just a stand in for wherever anybody came from...)

My theory on this is that a LOT of people in DC are from the Midwest and the south where life is just "easy" -- LCOL; no traffic; generational families so you know not only your neighbors but also their parents. Come to DC where you're dealing with traffic, higher rents/mortgages, people who aren't holding your hand to be nice to you and they are OVERWHELMED by how horrible it is here. I find the ones that complain loudly about DC are people who have never lived in a big city before. OTOH I know people who moved here from NYC who feel like life here is a vacation. Others who moved from NJ or CT or Boston who don't think it's expensive or congested at all bc their hometowns are like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Money?

I feel like this thread is posted on a monthly basis. There's a reason that people put up with living in crowded, high COL places like NYC, Boston, DC, SF etc. -- there are lots of job opportunities and those jobs pay more than the same job in Cleveland (for most industries), if you can even find a job in your exact field in Cleveland. And there's the added plus of if you lose your job or hate your job and want/need to get another one, you'll find another one in aforementioned HCOL big city, whereas in CLE, you may likely have to pick up and move to another city which is no easy feat esp. if you need to sell a home in a rust belt/no growth market.

Now if you're in a field like medicine or teaching or IT, they may not apply to you so go where you please. But for the rest of us, living decisions go hand in hand with working decisions.

Right, but then they bitch and moan and bitch and moan and bitch and moan and yearn for the good ol' days in Kalamazoo (now really gone; in reality everyone's a meth addict) where everyone is just so durn friendly.

(Now offense to Kalamazoo... just a stand in for wherever anybody came from...)

My theory on this is that a LOT of people in DC are from the Midwest and the south where life is just "easy" -- LCOL; no traffic; generational families so you know not only your neighbors but also their parents. Come to DC where you're dealing with traffic, higher rents/mortgages, people who aren't holding your hand to be nice to you and they are OVERWHELMED by how horrible it is here. I find the ones that complain loudly about DC are people who have never lived in a big city before. OTOH I know people who moved here from NYC who feel like life here is a vacation. Others who moved from NJ or CT or Boston who don't think it's expensive or congested at all bc their hometowns are like this.

And some of us transplants just think DC land sucks! But we're here for a spouse's career, so here is where we are for now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Money?

I feel like this thread is posted on a monthly basis. There's a reason that people put up with living in crowded, high COL places like NYC, Boston, DC, SF etc. -- there are lots of job opportunities and those jobs pay more than the same job in Cleveland (for most industries), if you can even find a job in your exact field in Cleveland. And there's the added plus of if you lose your job or hate your job and want/need to get another one, you'll find another one in aforementioned HCOL big city, whereas in CLE, you may likely have to pick up and move to another city which is no easy feat esp. if you need to sell a home in a rust belt/no growth market.

Now if you're in a field like medicine or teaching or IT, they may not apply to you so go where you please. But for the rest of us, living decisions go hand in hand with working decisions.

Right, but then they bitch and moan and bitch and moan and bitch and moan and yearn for the good ol' days in Kalamazoo (now really gone; in reality everyone's a meth addict) where everyone is just so durn friendly.

(Now offense to Kalamazoo... just a stand in for wherever anybody came from...)

My theory on this is that a LOT of people in DC are from the Midwest and the south where life is just "easy" -- LCOL; no traffic; generational families so you know not only your neighbors but also their parents. Come to DC where you're dealing with traffic, higher rents/mortgages, people who aren't holding your hand to be nice to you and they are OVERWHELMED by how horrible it is here. I find the ones that complain loudly about DC are people who have never lived in a big city before. OTOH I know people who moved here from NYC who feel like life here is a vacation. Others who moved from NJ or CT or Boston who don't think it's expensive or congested at all bc their hometowns are like this.

+1 million

Folksy folks from the South and Midwest despise it here in DC. It's never as good as "back home" and you make sure to remind the rest of us constantly, yet you show up here looking for jobs after you finish college or JD at your Big 10 or SEC school.
I grew up in California and spent my 20s in NYC. DC is so easy to live in compared to NYC. Nowadays I get insane sticker shock at DC. You think it's bad here? It's nothing compared to the rat race & price inflation of NYC, Boston, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. DC resident are really under-leveraged compared to everyone I know in those other major cities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Money?

I feel like this thread is posted on a monthly basis. There's a reason that people put up with living in crowded, high COL places like NYC, Boston, DC, SF etc. -- there are lots of job opportunities and those jobs pay more than the same job in Cleveland (for most industries), if you can even find a job in your exact field in Cleveland. And there's the added plus of if you lose your job or hate your job and want/need to get another one, you'll find another one in aforementioned HCOL big city, whereas in CLE, you may likely have to pick up and move to another city which is no easy feat esp. if you need to sell a home in a rust belt/no growth market.

Now if you're in a field like medicine or teaching or IT, they may not apply to you so go where you please. But for the rest of us, living decisions go hand in hand with working decisions.

Right, but then they bitch and moan and bitch and moan and bitch and moan and yearn for the good ol' days in Kalamazoo (now really gone; in reality everyone's a meth addict) where everyone is just so durn friendly.

(Now offense to Kalamazoo... just a stand in for wherever anybody came from...)

My theory on this is that a LOT of people in DC are from the Midwest and the south where life is just "easy" -- LCOL; no traffic; generational families so you know not only your neighbors but also their parents. Come to DC where you're dealing with traffic, higher rents/mortgages, people who aren't holding your hand to be nice to you and they are OVERWHELMED by how horrible it is here. I find the ones that complain loudly about DC are people who have never lived in a big city before. OTOH I know people who moved here from NYC who feel like life here is a vacation. Others who moved from NJ or CT or Boston who don't think it's expensive or congested at all bc their hometowns are like this.

+1 million

Folksy folks from the South and Midwest despise it here in DC. It's never as good as "back home" and you make sure to remind the rest of us constantly, yet you show up here looking for jobs after you finish college or JD at your Big 10 or SEC school.
I grew up in California and spent my 20s in NYC. DC is so easy to live in compared to NYC. Nowadays I get insane sticker shock at DC. You think it's bad here? It's nothing compared to the rat race & price inflation of NYC, Boston, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. DC resident are really under-leveraged compared to everyone I know in those other major cities.

This is very true.

[Anonymous]

I'm just sick of these threads. I don't care why you came here (I came here from the midwest too). If you don't like it, leave. The fact that you don't means this area has something to offer, even if it's only money.

Look, it's fast-paced, expensive, and traffic stinks. But, you can make other trade-offs while living here (I did and now telework 2 days/week and have a flexible job). I also don't get the people who think you are just a name in the crowd here. We have a very nice suburban village out here that is a nice stand in for family. Yeah, it's not the cool urban lifestyle some want (and I used to want in my 20s) but that's my choice and it's a good fit. You can have just about anything here, and there are a lot of benefits. To me they outweigh the negatives. If you don't, fine. But, don't get all pissy when those of us who like it come on here to defend it. And bide your time until you can fly back from the dusty little town you grew up in. Your choice, which is fine by me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Money?

I feel like this thread is posted on a monthly basis. There's a reason that people put up with living in crowded, high COL places like NYC, Boston, DC, SF etc. -- there are lots of job opportunities and those jobs pay more than the same job in Cleveland (for most industries), if you can even find a job in your exact field in Cleveland. And there's the added plus of if you lose your job or hate your job and want/need to get another one, you'll find another one in aforementioned HCOL big city, whereas in CLE, you may likely have to pick up and move to another city which is no easy feat esp. if you need to sell a home in a rust belt/no growth market.

Now if you're in a field like medicine or teaching or IT, they may not apply to you so go where you please. But for the rest of us, living decisions go hand in hand with working decisions.

Right, but then they bitch and moan and bitch and moan and bitch and moan and yearn for the good ol' days in Kalamazoo (now really gone; in reality everyone's a meth addict) where everyone is just so durn friendly.

(Now offense to Kalamazoo... just a stand in for wherever anybody came from...)

My theory on this is that a LOT of people in DC are from the Midwest and the south where life is just "easy" -- LCOL; no traffic; generational families so you know not only your neighbors but also their parents. Come to DC where you're dealing with traffic, higher rents/mortgages, people who aren't holding your hand to be nice to you and they are OVERWHELMED by how horrible it is here. I find the ones that complain loudly about DC are people who have never lived in a big city before. OTOH I know people who moved here from NYC who feel like life here is a vacation. Others who moved from NJ or CT or Boston who don't think it's expensive or congested at all bc their hometowns are like this.

+1 million

Folksy folks from the South and Midwest despise it here in DC. It's never as good as "back home" and you make sure to remind the rest of us constantly, yet you show up here looking for jobs after you finish college or JD at your Big 10 or SEC school.
I grew up in California and spent my 20s in NYC. DC is so easy to live in compared to NYC. Nowadays I get insane sticker shock at DC. You think it's bad here? It's nothing compared to the rat race & price inflation of NYC, Boston, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. DC resident are really under-leveraged compared to everyone I know in those other major cities.

NYC is worth it. Best city in the world.

DC, not so much. It has nothing to do with whether you grew up in the South or Midwest, and everything to do with whether you realize what makes a city interesting (hint: it takes more than crappy bars and food trucks, and a few blocks of renovated row houses full of dweebs).

[Anonymous]

I find that the people who just loooove DC have never been in a city before. Most are from Kansas, Nebraska, etc. and have no idea what a city should be like.

I'm from Manhattan. DC has a lot of the COL expenses and none of the amenities you get in NYC, London, Tokyo, or other real cities. Block upon block of brown-brick popups, boring government people, out of control crime, and embarrassing public transit that gets worse every week. What isn't to love!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Money?

I feel like this thread is posted on a monthly basis. There's a reason that people put up with living in crowded, high COL places like NYC, Boston, DC, SF etc. -- there are lots of job opportunities and those jobs pay more than the same job in Cleveland (for most industries), if you can even find a job in your exact field in Cleveland. And there's the added plus of if you lose your job or hate your job and want/need to get another one, you'll find another one in aforementioned HCOL big city, whereas in CLE, you may likely have to pick up and move to another city which is no easy feat esp. if you need to sell a home in a rust belt/no growth market.

Now if you're in a field like medicine or teaching or IT, they may not apply to you so go where you please. But for the rest of us, living decisions go hand in hand with working decisions.

Right, but then they bitch and moan and bitch and moan and bitch and moan and yearn for the good ol' days in Kalamazoo (now really gone; in reality everyone's a meth addict) where everyone is just so durn friendly.

(Now offense to Kalamazoo... just a stand in for wherever anybody came from...)

My theory on this is that a LOT of people in DC are from the Midwest and the south where life is just "easy" -- LCOL; no traffic; generational families so you know not only your neighbors but also their parents. Come to DC where you're dealing with traffic, higher rents/mortgages, people who aren't holding your hand to be nice to you and they are OVERWHELMED by how horrible it is here. I find the ones that complain loudly about DC are people who have never lived in a big city before. OTOH I know people who moved here from NYC who feel like life here is a vacation. Others who moved from NJ or CT or Boston who don't think it's expensive or congested at all bc their hometowns are like this.

+1 million

Folksy folks from the South and Midwest despise it here in DC. It's never as good as "back home" and you make sure to remind the rest of us constantly, yet you show up here looking for jobs after you finish college or JD at your Big 10 or SEC school.
I grew up in California and spent my 20s in NYC. DC is so easy to live in compared to NYC. Nowadays I get insane sticker shock at DC. You think it's bad here? It's nothing compared to the rat race & price inflation of NYC, Boston, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. DC resident are really under-leveraged compared to everyone I know in those other major cities.

NYC is worth it. Best city in the world.

DC, not so much. It has nothing to do with whether you grew up in the South or Midwest, and everything to do with whether you realize what makes a city interesting (hint: it takes more than crappy bars and food trucks, and a few blocks of renovated row houses full of dweebs).

Why? I enjoyed living in NY but certainly see the downsides. The tiny expensive apartments, crowded subways, high taxes, smashed together with people in restaurants, dirty streets etc. at least one can own a row house here instead of renting an overpriced shoebox for the rest of their life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find that the people who just loooove DC have never been in a city before. Most are from Kansas, Nebraska, etc. and have no idea what a city should be like.

I'm from Manhattan. DC has a lot of the COL expenses and none of the amenities you get in NYC, London, Tokyo, or other real cities. Block upon block of brown-brick popups, boring government people, out of control crime, and embarrassing public transit that gets worse every week. What isn't to love!?

I don't think this is true. I know many people who like it here, including foreigners. I like it here much more than NY. I don't know of what amenities I received in NY. The subway is arguably better than the metro but it was packed and my morning commute was literally hell. The day to day struggles in NY got old. Having to wait in such long lines for everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm just sick of these threads. I don't care why you came here (I came here from the midwest too). If you don't like it, leave. The fact that you don't means this area has something to offer, even if it's only money.

Look, it's fast-paced, expensive, and traffic stinks. But, you can make other trade-offs while living here (I did and now telework 2 days/week and have a flexible job). I also don't get the people who think you are just a name in the crowd here. We have a very nice suburban village out here that is a nice stand in for family. Yeah, it's not the cool urban lifestyle some want (and I used to want in my 20s) but that's my choice and it's a good fit. You can have just about anything here, and there are a lot of benefits. To me they outweigh the negatives. If you don't, fine. But, don't get all pissy when those of us who like it come on here to defend it. And bide your time until you can fly back from the dusty little town you grew up in. Your choice, which is fine by me.

PREACH. The miserables who come here to moan about how much they hate it here are the most tiresome lot around. Their lofty ideas of what a city "should" be just make me laugh. Those of you who want the cool, urban, artsy lifestyle that you insist can't be found here... please move along. You'll be happier and so will we.

[Anonymous]

DH is a fed and 99% of the jobs he qualifies for are in DC.

Now we don't hate DC by any means, but I would love to live elsewhere just for a new adventure (a bit slower pace wouldn't hurt lol).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find that the people who just loooove DC have never been in a city before. Most are from Kansas, Nebraska, etc. and have no idea what a city should be like.

I'm from Manhattan. DC has a lot of the COL expenses and none of the amenities you get in NYC, London, Tokyo, or other real cities. Block upon block of brown-brick popups, boring government people, out of control crime, and embarrassing public transit that gets worse every week. What isn't to love!?

I don't think this is true. I know many people who like it here, including foreigners. I like it here much more than NY. I don't know of what amenities I received in NY. The subway is arguably better than the metro but it was packed and my morning commute was literally hell. The day to day struggles in NY got old. Having to wait in such long lines for everything.

The NYC subway is "arguably" better than DC's broken-down, delayed, limited-in-reach, no-working-escalators, no-AC, crime-ridden Metro system?

And your commute on the NYC was "literally hell"? Literally? So Satan was driving and you were on fire the whole time?

Ok then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find that the people who just loooove DC have never been in a city before. Most are from Kansas, Nebraska, etc. and have no idea what a city should be like.

I'm from Manhattan. DC has a lot of the COL expenses and none of the amenities you get in NYC, London, Tokyo, or other real cities. Block upon block of brown-brick popups, boring government people, out of control crime, and embarrassing public transit that gets worse every week. What isn't to love!?

I don't think this is true. I know many people who like it here, including foreigners. I like it here much more than NY. I don't know of what amenities I received in NY. The subway is arguably better than the metro but it was packed and my morning commute was literally hell. The day to day struggles in NY got old. Having to wait in such long lines for everything.

The NYC subway is "arguably" better than DC's broken-down, delayed, limited-in-reach, no-working-escalators, no-AC, crime-ridden Metro system?

And your commute on the NYC was "literally hell"? Literally? So Satan was driving and you were on fire the whole time?

Ok then.

You've clearly never commuted on the 4/5/6.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find that the people who just loooove DC have never been in a city before. Most are from Kansas, Nebraska, etc. and have no idea what a city should be like.

I'm from Manhattan. DC has a lot of the COL expenses and none of the amenities you get in NYC, London, Tokyo, or other real cities. Block upon block of brown-brick popups, boring government people, out of control crime, and embarrassing public transit that gets worse every week. What isn't to love!?

I don't think this is true. I know many people who like it here, including foreigners. I like it here much more than NY. I don't know of what amenities I received in NY. The subway is arguably better than the metro but it was packed and my morning commute was literally hell. The day to day struggles in NY got old. Having to wait in such long lines for everything.

The NYC subway is "arguably" better than DC's broken-down, delayed, limited-in-reach, no-working-escalators, no-AC, crime-ridden Metro system?

And your commute on the NYC was "literally hell"? Literally? So Satan was driving and you were on fire the whole time?

Ok then.

You've clearly never commuted on the 4/5/6.

I honestly think the people who come here and wax lyrical about NYC have never lived there or lived there for 1 yr post college at age 22 when everything is cool. Have they been in the NYC subway (or Penn Station or Grand Central) at rush hour? People bitch and moan and get passive aggressive here when the metro is messed up and the train in front of them offloads, cramming 2 train fulls of people into 1 so that there are people breathing all over you. How often does that happen to you here? Once a month? 1-2 times/wk max? That is EVERY single commute in NYC. It gets old fast and the NYC-ers who move here do enjoy the slower, less congested way of living.