DMV Sticker Shock Advice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

ikornika wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. No ya'll. It sounds so cheesy and fake.

You haven't heard me say it! It's so truly genuine excitement ... usually.

OP you sound like a delightful and happy person. Be prepared for many unfriendly, even rude people. (see above) I understand your enthusiasm for better job opportunities. You should consider coming here and staying for a week, before you decide to move to this area. Go to the stores, police stations, schools, etc. Not only is the COL very high, but the schools in this area do not do the type of standardized testing that is done in Florida. It is very liberal here. Recreational marijuana is legal in DC. Read comments on the other forums, like the relationships and religion ones. Did you go to an Ivy? Do you believe that a person is only worth talking to if you can "network"? I moved here for "opportunity"; looking forward to getting out. Ask around & you will find many transplants don't stay more than 3-5 years.

That's a shame that has been your experience. I went to a mid-level university and work at a pretty normal, mediocre job (albeit well paid) and I love it here. I don't know where most of my acquaintanced went to college and I know what the do for a living but it doesn't come up much unless there's something interesting to tell. I do think people here are, on the balance, smarter and more engaged people than average but I suspect that's also true of NYC, Boston, etc.


You are right that everyone is a liberal but I see that as a huge huge advantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

ikornika wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. No ya'll. It sounds so cheesy and fake.

You haven't heard me say it! It's so truly genuine excitement ... usually.

OP you sound like a delightful and happy person. Be prepared for many unfriendly, even rude people. (see above) I understand your enthusiasm for better job opportunities. You should consider coming here and staying for a week, before you decide to move to this area. Go to the stores, police stations, schools, etc. Not only is the COL very high, but the schools in this area do not do the type of standardized testing that is done in Florida. It is very liberal here. Recreational marijuana is legal in DC. Read comments on the other forums, like the relationships and religion ones. Did you go to an Ivy? Do you believe that a person is only worth talking to if you can "network"? I moved here for "opportunity"; looking forward to getting out. Ask around & you will find many transplants don't stay more than 3-5 years.

Wow. It’s like PP and I live in completely different places. We’ve been in DC itself for four years and have not encountered the above IRL. Most people have been very friendly, if busy. Yes, we live in a super liberal, diverse, inclusive neighborhood, but that fits our politics, so works for us. Most neighbors have moved here for the foreseeable future, and there is very little turnover (when a house sells, it’s usually because and elderly neighbor dies or downsizes, and then families with toddlers usually swoop in).

Yesterday, we did a bunch of kid and adult activities spanning four different cultures. Our kid is in immersion learning a new language at a school with over 50 countries represented. At school, her BFFs’ families come from Europe, Africa, and South America. Some of her neighborhood friends are from DC native families, and others are transplants like us. I was talking to my spouse (who grew up in NYC and a large European city) last night about whether any other city could rival DC for the enrichment activities and exposure to other cultures. He thought NY definitely, but we disagreed about any other US city.

We don’t really like the weather—that’s our one, consistent complaint. We moved here from a warm place, and spouse doesn’t like the winters. I don’t like the hot sticky summers. It’s also very busy here—you have to sign up for activities, camps, etc. as soon as they become available or they book. We had plans to go to a Mexican restaurant last night without reservations—45 min wait. Had to change plans.

Really, on balance, a good life can be had here, IMO.

[Anonymous]

This area is ugly and insanely expensive. Traffic is hell. We're all here for the jobs and schools in areas which cost even more money. Trust me, if I'd have the same job opportunities somewhere else with the same pay I'd be on the beach in siesta key. On the plus side this area has a small risk for natural disasters, so less worry about earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, wild fires etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the crazy poster going on and on about trash cans.

I am from Florida. Three things to note

1) until about the 60s almost no one lived in Florida full time until a/c became ubiquitous. Florida spring/summers are a humid hell if you have to actually go to work etc. hence very few old homes except beach houses and vacation homes.

2) Florida is HUGE and flat. No topography, so they build a community of new homes, then abandon them after the retirees die off and move 5 miles over and build brand new community. That is at least true for any of the houses you post. Truly desirable coastal areas are very expensive. If you were to post the 1960s tract homes that litter the state basically abandoned, those trash cans and townhouses look stellar.

3) Florida weather sucks. And the roaches and wolf spiders and mosquitos.

1. I don't know about the 60s. I was dead. "hence very few old homes..." huh? Non-sequitur.

2. I grew up on a beach. I don't care where you grew up or where you lived. I didn't post those houses. Someone else did. Coastal areas, like Miami Beach, aren't that expensive. At least not in my price range. I don't know about the 60s tract homes that litter the state -- I fly in and out of MIA. Why would I need to see all that sh**?

3. I miss the heat and humidity. Get in an air conditioned car to go to work. Don't work somewhere that doesn't have air conditioning. Embrace your frizzy hair. I didn't deal with roaches - I understood how to utilize pest control. Don't have to worry about mosquitos anymore. Monsanto released their GMO mosquitos that murder non-gmo mosquitos. I don't know what a wolf spider is and I was born and bred in Miami. Sounds like you lived on an Indian reservation.

Anyway, I remain disgusted by the trash cans. I get the spirit of defending your hood, but, dude, your ugly huge garbage cans lined up in front of your horrible little row houses depress me. But if you love it, that's all that matters. Let's agree to *agree* that we're happier'n sh*** never to be each other's neighbor.

You sound insipid, insufferable and of limited intelligence (you were dead in the 60s? wtf...). My suggestion is that you move back to the heat and humidity of Miami because you're not adding anything to this area.

To each his own, but I would never choose to live in Florida. I've even stopped going there for vacation - it's old people and strip malls and I find it to be unbelievably depressing.

I was thinking the same thing, why listen to somebody from Florida, I thought. Especially a likely simple minded person from Miami Beach! The moment she said she was proudly from Miami Beach I thought to myself next. And the fact that she’s worried about garbage cans being in front of row houses seals in my mind there was nothing of substance there.

[Anonymous]

OP, I don’t know if you’re even checking this anymore, but I would recommend N. Arlington like a few others have. Great schools, nice communities, very close to DC. Here’s a place in my neighborhood.

https://hotpads.com/4635-20th-pl-n-arlington-va-22207-swqw6w/pad?propertyTypes=house

[ikornika]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I don’t know if you’re even checking this anymore, but I would recommend N. Arlington like a few others have. Great schools, nice communities, very close to DC. Here’s a place in my neighborhood.

https://hotpads.com/4635-20th-pl-n-arlington-va-22207-swqw6w/pad?propertyTypes=house

Still checking in every so often.

Thank you!

We're actually headed up there this weekend to check out a few neighborhoods. We'll definitely see if we can get in here.

[Anonymous]

Are OP and Garbage Can Lady different posters?

[ikornika]

Anonymous wrote:Are OP and Garbage Can Lady different posters?

Yes. Yes, we are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ikornika wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. No ya'll. It sounds so cheesy and fake.

You haven't heard me say it! It's so truly genuine excitement ... usually.

OP you sound like a delightful and happy person. Be prepared for many unfriendly, even rude people. (see above) I understand your enthusiasm for better job opportunities. You should consider coming here and staying for a week, before you decide to move to this area. Go to the stores, police stations, schools, etc. Not only is the COL very high, but the schools in this area do not do the type of standardized testing that is done in Florida. It is very liberal here. Recreational marijuana is legal in DC. Read comments on the other forums, like the relationships and religion ones. Did you go to an Ivy? Do you believe that a person is only worth talking to if you can "network"? I moved here for "opportunity"; looking forward to getting out. Ask around & you will find many transplants don't stay more than 3-5 years.

Please. dc isn’t that different from any other large city in the US.

actually, dc is quite different

Nope. There are ambitious and cutthroat people in any city with high paying jobs. People will also be mean whenever they are dealing with fighting traffic and crowds which again applies to most us cities. I’ve lived in a number of cities and they are alll very similar.

Lots of people in the DC area are mean, boring materialistic strivers.

[Anonymous]

If we all didn't prefer talking to mean people over stupid people, no one would post on this website.

[Anonymous]

We moved away from Florida and can't wait to get back. After a dozen years, the cold and the rat race gets old. Florida is a much easier life in many ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If we all didn't prefer talking to mean people over stupid people, no one would post on this website.

LOL this comment wins DCUM forever.

[Anonymous]

ikornika wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I don’t know if you’re even checking this anymore, but I would recommend N. Arlington like a few others have. Great schools, nice communities, very close to DC. Here’s a place in my neighborhood.

https://hotpads.com/4635-20th-pl-n-arlington-va-22207-swqw6w/pad?propertyTypes=house

Still checking in every so often.

Thank you!

We're actually headed up there this weekend to check out a few neighborhoods. We'll definitely see if we can get in here.

Come live in Cleveland Park. It's a great neighborhood and feeds an excellent elementary school. You can probably find a rental in McLean Gardens while you decide on a home.

We moved here 4 years ago and I have nothing but good things to say about my neighbors, the school, the friends we've made, etc. It really feels like a small town within the city to us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

ikornika wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I don’t know if you’re even checking this anymore, but I would recommend N. Arlington like a few others have. Great schools, nice communities, very close to DC. Here’s a place in my neighborhood.

https://hotpads.com/4635-20th-pl-n-arlington-va-22207-swqw6w/pad?propertyTypes=house

Still checking in every so often.

Thank you!

We're actually headed up there this weekend to check out a few neighborhoods. We'll definitely see if we can get in here.

Come live in Cleveland Park. It's a great neighborhood and feeds an excellent elementary school. You can probably find a rental in McLean Gardens while you decide on a home.

We moved here 4 years ago and I have nothing but good things to say about my neighbors, the school, the friends we've made, etc. It really feels like a small town within the city to us.

Cleveland Park is awesome and honestly maybe my #1 choice of DC neighborhoods if I could afford it, but I doubt it's going to fit OP's budget...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ikornika wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I don’t know if you’re even checking this anymore, but I would recommend N. Arlington like a few others have. Great schools, nice communities, very close to DC. Here’s a place in my neighborhood.

https://hotpads.com/4635-20th-pl-n-arlington-va-22207-swqw6w/pad?propertyTypes=house

Still checking in every so often.

Thank you!

We're actually headed up there this weekend to check out a few neighborhoods. We'll definitely see if we can get in here.

Come live in Cleveland Park. It's a great neighborhood and feeds an excellent elementary school. You can probably find a rental in McLean Gardens while you decide on a home.

We moved here 4 years ago and I have nothing but good things to say about my neighbors, the school, the friends we've made, etc. It really feels like a small town within the city to us.

Cleveland Park is awesome and honestly maybe my #1 choice of DC neighborhoods if I could afford it, but I doubt it's going to fit OP's budget...

And she is explicitly looking for TAG programs, Deal and Wilson would not be my first choice for those needs