Why do people say they are from DC when they are not?

[Anonymous]

When we were in Las Vegas earlier this year I told someone I was from Maryland. Blank stare. My husband said "DC" and got a smile and a nod.

For the record, I grew up in "farm town" Virginia, and it bears no resemblance to Arlington, McLean, or Vienna (the only NOVA towns I know). If I lived in one of those places, I would say the town name or DC, but not Virginia, because to me, that's not the "real" Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, where are you actually from? I am from DC, meaning I grew up there, in Woodley Park. I now live in Bethesda, but I consider myself from DC because that is where I grew up. I think it is very weird for people who moved to DC in their 20s to say they are from there because I think that question means "where did you grow up?". When I lived in NY and was traveling and people asked where are you from, I would say that I lived in NY but was from DC. I'm willing to bet that anyone on this thread who keeps talking about living in "the city" of DC is a transplant. It's a district, not a city, and I've never heard anyone who grew up here say they lived in "the city". It's called living "in town" or "in DC." So, I'm glad you feel really cool about where you live now, but if you're from Ohio, you're from Ohio. No need to try to join the DC snobbery (I have been guilty of it) this late in the game. Thanks for playing, though.

We're making DC a city. The state of things as they were a generation ago is not so relevant now. There's no grandfather clause limiting voting and property ownership to people who grew up here or whose great-grandparents chewed straw here. Some rebranding is in order.

I'm "from" a much bigger city and am proud to say so, but I live in DC.

When I say "the City" I am referring to New York (sorry LA, London, Paris and Tokyo). And I live in the District.

[Anonymous]

The city/district thing is something I only think about when I'm here. I'll just call it a city when I'm home or otherwise out of town - most folks don't know and don't really care about the difference.

[Anonymous]

OP, you need to get a life. Really.

[Anonymous]

From now on, I'm going to say that I'm from Kenosha, Wisconsin. That ought to piss people off mightily.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes it's confusing when a form asks if your location is Washington. Washington state or Washington, DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

zumbamama wrote:When I am asked where I am from, and I answer, "Arlington" or "DC," the person asking will always re-ask, "No, where are you really from?"

You must be Asian if they're asking that.

That's because there are no Asians born here

Reminds me of an Episode of Gene Simmons Family Jewels. He was talking to some Japanese businesmen, and a young girl walked in. He said hello, and asked the men if she was the dd of one of them. One man said "She is clearly Viet Namese, we are Japanese. Two different wars."

Really though, I think all of them said they were from DC, since everyone wants to be from DC.

[Anonymous]

It's more than just "where you are from" questions when you are on vacation and everyone seems to be striking random conversations. It is the fact that even this website is called DC URBAN MOMS, yet all you Virginians and Marylandians are on here. I'm more ok with that than other stuff though. Like in our mommy groups, why can't you NOVA people stay with groups over the bridge?? And why cand you MD people stay in yor state? If you love saying DC so much, you should really stop holding onto your wallet so tightly and live your life in the city, where things actually happen outside the Target. Oh, and to the PP who said everyone does their shopping in Tysons, puh-leaze! Only you surbanites + friends do their shopping there.
And for everyone who is wondering where I am from, keep speculating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am on the phone with my bank asking for my ABA number and the operator says: I can see your account is in Washington DC
I live in VA.

So OP, I don't think you have a point. We fly to DC, we have accounts in DC, heck we even take the DC metro system!

yet we also live in VA and MD.

Yes. Everyone flies to DC but National is in Arlington and Dulles straddles Fairfax and Loudoun counties. All 3 are in Virginia so is it most appropriate to call this the DC metropolitan area?

[Anonymous]

Why are you hung up on the airport? I always fly into newark to get to manhatten.

[Anonymous]

19:09 PP- you really are from the farm town, if you don't know how to spell MANHATTAN

[Anonymous]

19:35 Thanks for plunging me deeper into my spelling inferiority compex.

[Anonymous]

19:35 okay that was a typo...complex

[Anonymous]

Ok, I know it seems like OP has gone overboard... but part of me wonders if there IS some truth to the whole thing... wait, hear me out. I'm not saying DC is better than VA or MD. I love all three places as equally as I do my three different and unique children. BUT, maybe it does make sense to stop grouping the three states together into "DC". They are close in proximity (somewhat) but in New York City, people from Jersey don't say they are from New York City. They calmly accept that they are from New Jersey, a great state in its own right, and may appreciate or even acknowledge their close proximity to New York City, but they never say "New York City". That's my 3 cents.

[Anonymous]

When I fly into Newark to go to MANHATTAN, I make sure to say a bunch of "It's good to be home" on the plane, just so people DON'T think I am from NYC, where they are, as you know, uptight and arrogant.