Moved to the burbs and hate it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The good aspects of DC as a city are very different from large cities like NYC or London. It doesn't have the kind of 24/7 energy that comes with millions of people from everywhere living together. Nor does it have a significant amount of creative industries. It does, however, have a lot of breathing room, green space and human-scale size and some cute historic neighborhoods. The crime is pretty bad here tho - I feel much more susceptible to becoming a victim here than I ever did in those other cities. We lived in Logan circle when we first moved here but moved to a close-in burb with good schools and walkable to metro and other stuff not long after. Logan circle was ok - probably the most "urban" vibe that DC could offer but it still felt kinda weak. More like a shiny retail version of urban vibrancy but without any of the non-consumption-based fundamentals that make an urban area interesting.

Therefore the vibrant subdivisions of Montgomery County or Fairfax County.

Pretty much this. DC has some surface appeal but as an urban environment it is decidedly underwhelming. Perhaps you need to have spent significant amounts of time in other, more interesting cities to grasp this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The good aspects of DC as a city are very different from large cities like NYC or London. It doesn't have the kind of 24/7 energy that comes with millions of people from everywhere living together. Nor does it have a significant amount of creative industries. It does, however, have a lot of breathing room, green space and human-scale size and some cute historic neighborhoods. The crime is pretty bad here tho - I feel much more susceptible to becoming a victim here than I ever did in those other cities. We lived in Logan circle when we first moved here but moved to a close-in burb with good schools and walkable to metro and other stuff not long after. Logan circle was ok - probably the most "urban" vibe that DC could offer but it still felt kinda weak. More like a shiny retail version of urban vibrancy but without any of the non-consumption-based fundamentals that make an urban area interesting.

Therefore the vibrant subdivisions of Montgomery County or Fairfax County.

Pretty much this. DC has some surface appeal but as an urban environment it is decidedly underwhelming. Perhaps you need to have spent significant amounts of time in other, more interesting cities to grasp this.

Wait you lived within blocks of Studio Theater and said that you lived somewhere that was "without any of the non-consumption-based fundamentals that make an urban area interesting." Did you even see a show there??????? What is your definition of "non-consumption-based fundamentals that make an urban area interesting" if Studio Theater doesn't make living in an urban area interesting. Did you not see their production of "Topdog/Underdog" or "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson"?

Sometimes I think that the people from NYC who move here and trash it are the people I knew in NYC who loved the idea of living in the capitol of the world but never really took advantage of any of the arts and culture that surrounded them. With kids I now only get to the theater about 4 times a year and there are plenty of amazing productions (some of which end up in NYC but I got to see them first) to see here, along with things like Open Studios from the Mid City Artists to get my culture fix. If I were rich and retired, I think I'd eventually exhaust the DC options and yearn for NY or Chicago -- but for a normal person with a job and a family, DC has more than enough amazing "non-consumption based" opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The good aspects of DC as a city are very different from large cities like NYC or London. It doesn't have the kind of 24/7 energy that comes with millions of people from everywhere living together. Nor does it have a significant amount of creative industries. It does, however, have a lot of breathing room, green space and human-scale size and some cute historic neighborhoods. The crime is pretty bad here tho - I feel much more susceptible to becoming a victim here than I ever did in those other cities. We lived in Logan circle when we first moved here but moved to a close-in burb with good schools and walkable to metro and other stuff not long after. Logan circle was ok - probably the most "urban" vibe that DC could offer but it still felt kinda weak. More like a shiny retail version of urban vibrancy but without any of the non-consumption-based fundamentals that make an urban area interesting.

Therefore the vibrant subdivisions of Montgomery County or Fairfax County.

Pretty much this. DC has some surface appeal but as an urban environment it is decidedly underwhelming. Perhaps you need to have spent significant amounts of time in other, more interesting cities to grasp this.

Wait you lived within blocks of Studio Theater and said that you lived somewhere that was "without any of the non-consumption-based fundamentals that make an urban area interesting." Did you even see a show there??????? What is your definition of "non-consumption-based fundamentals that make an urban area interesting" if Studio Theater doesn't make living in an urban area interesting. Did you not see their production of "Topdog/Underdog" or "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson"?

Sometimes I think that the people from NYC who move here and trash it are the people I knew in NYC who loved the idea of living in the capitol of the world but never really took advantage of any of the arts and culture that surrounded them. With kids I now only get to the theater about 4 times a year and there are plenty of amazing productions (some of which end up in NYC but I got to see them first) to see here, along with things like Open Studios from the Mid City Artists to get my culture fix. If I were rich and retired, I think I'd eventually exhaust the DC options and yearn for NY or Chicago -- but for a normal person with a job and a family, DC has more than enough amazing "non-consumption based" opportunities.

PP was pretty clear about why DC didn't knock her socks off. You honestly sound really needy about getting affirmation that DC is an interesting city. Obviously DC has a lot of museums and some second-rate theatre, but for people who are looking for a vibrant urban environment that is just not enough to cut it.

[Anonymous]

I've lived in Rabat, Philly, London and Stuttgart and visited several 'vibrant, urban' US cities like NYC. I prefer DC precisely because its none-of-the-above. It's small and feels quaint but its packed with vibrancy and architecture. I can't tell you how much it pleases me that DC does things differently, from the height restriction laws that actually guarantee you a pleasing view no matter where you are in the city (except Navy Yard and NOMA - what is UP with that??) to the centuries-old rowhomes in Kalorama/Georgetown to the international eclectic scene to the hundreds of museums. Maybe I'll move on again one day, but I'm perfectly happy now living downtown and enjoying what it has to offer. You have my sympathies OP.

[Anonymous]

I always assume that the love/hate people have from DC has little to do with the metropolistic factor of where they grew up, but just more to do with whether they liked where they grew up. One of my best friends had an idyllic childhood in suburban Kansas City. Hates it here. Another friend grew up in Manhattan. Hates it here. I have another friend who grew up in non-charming parts of suburban Indiana and finds DC quite nice compared to that. Same thing with the friend from rural Pennsylvania. And another friend who spent quite a bit of time in London but didn't love it there, but loves DC.

In other words, DC is better in comparison than a bland childhood. Or an unhappy childhood. Or a stressful childhood. But it's not better than a satisfying childhood.

[Anonymous]

Getting back to OP, I would suggest parks, maybe a moms group in the area. Give it time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always assume that the love/hate people have from DC has little to do with the metropolistic factor of where they grew up, but just more to do with whether they liked where they grew up. One of my best friends had an idyllic childhood in suburban Kansas City. Hates it here. Another friend grew up in Manhattan. Hates it here. I have another friend who grew up in non-charming parts of suburban Indiana and finds DC quite nice compared to that. Same thing with the friend from rural Pennsylvania. And another friend who spent quite a bit of time in London but didn't love it there, but loves DC.

In other words, DC is better in comparison than a bland childhood. Or an unhappy childhood. Or a stressful childhood. But it's not better than a satisfying childhood.

Nah. I grew up in NYC, and loved it, and still like NY. And I also like DC just fine. Including the theater.

A lot of the refrain of "NYC is REALLY urban, DC is nothing like that" comes from people justifying a move to the suburbs. Not that there is anything wrong with moving to the suburbs, but the "its okay because DC is not really urban anyway" meme is silly, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in Rabat, Philly, London and Stuttgart and visited several 'vibrant, urban' US cities like NYC. I prefer DC precisely because its none-of-the-above. It's small and feels quaint but its packed with vibrancy and architecture. I can't tell you how much it pleases me that DC does things differently, from the height restriction laws that actually guarantee you a pleasing view no matter where you are in the city (except Navy Yard and NOMA - what is UP with that??) to the centuries-old rowhomes in Kalorama/Georgetown to the international eclectic scene to the hundreds of museums. Maybe I'll move on again one day, but I'm perfectly happy now living downtown and enjoying what it has to offer. You have my sympathies OP.

I almost spit my coffee out that you put Stuttgart in with London. Stuttgart is...not even DC. Nashville, I think.

--Berliner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in Rabat, Philly, London and Stuttgart and visited several 'vibrant, urban' US cities like NYC. I prefer DC precisely because its none-of-the-above. It's small and feels quaint but its packed with vibrancy and architecture. I can't tell you how much it pleases me that DC does things differently, from the height restriction laws that actually guarantee you a pleasing view no matter where you are in the city (except Navy Yard and NOMA - what is UP with that??) to the centuries-old rowhomes in Kalorama/Georgetown to the international eclectic scene to the hundreds of museums. Maybe I'll move on again one day, but I'm perfectly happy now living downtown and enjoying what it has to offer. You have my sympathies OP.

I almost spit my coffee out that you put Stuttgart in with London. Stuttgart is...not even DC. Nashville, I think.

--Berliner.

Same with Rabat. And Philly. Come on people.

[Anonymous]

Get in aforementioned car or take the metro to Boogie Babes at Union Market or Eastern Market (http://www.dcdiaperbank.org/boogie-babes/) and spend some time with more city-oriented parents and families. Hang in there!

[Anonymous]

DC I'd not city enough for me therefore tract home or McMansion in the urbane quarters of MoCo, Arlington, or Fairfax. Only the finest in cul de sac neighborhoods appeal to my discriminating cosmopolitan tastes. The traffic in DC suburbs is truly an indulgence only the most seasoned city connoisseurs can appreciate. Who needs a show at Studio Theater, an opera at Kennedy Center, or exhibit opening at the National Art Museum during the week when you have endless columns of SUVs to ogle at on 66, 270, or, yes, that splendid jewel of white flight, the Capitol Beltway.

[Anonymous]

PP here. Typo corrected below. Damn Android auto correct.

DC is not city enough for me therefore tract home or McMansion in the urbane quarters of MoCo, Arlington, or Fairfax. Only the finest in cul de sac neighborhoods appeal to my discriminating cosmopolitan tastes. The traffic in DC suburbs is truly an indulgence only the most seasoned city connoisseurs can appreciate. Who needs a show at Studio Theater, an opera at Kennedy Center, or exhibit opening at the National Art Museum during the week when you have endless columns of SUVs to ogle at on 66, 270, or, yes, that splendid jewel of white flight, the Capitol Beltway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here. Typo corrected below. Damn Android auto correct.

DC is not city enough for me therefore tract home or McMansion in the urbane quarters of MoCo, Arlington, or Fairfax. Only the finest in cul de sac neighborhoods appeal to my discriminating cosmopolitan tastes. The traffic in DC suburbs is truly an indulgence only the most seasoned city connoisseurs can appreciate. Who needs a show at Studio Theater, an opera at Kennedy Center, or exhibit opening at the National Art Museum during the week when you have endless columns of SUVs to ogle at on 66, 270, or, yes, that splendid jewel of white flight, the Capitol Beltway.

Oh us urbane DC dwellers are constantly at the Kennedy Center abd Studio Theater watching shows, an amenity that is utterly unavailable to anyone not residing within District limits! We are oh so cultured and also have lots of free museums that only city-dwellers can use. Nothing says "cultured" like visiting Air & Space and riding in the similator games! We are so smug and urban as we ride around in our laughingstock of a Metro system. NYC is lame compared to us smarmy DCers, they wish they could pay for the urban grit of a subway system that is never on time and has killed more people than any transit system in this hemisphere. DC is for true urban sophisticates, who enjoy thr finer things in life, like stepping over piles of 7-11 filth and dodging bullets even in the nicest neighborhoods. We are so smarmy and important andedit our DCUM posts to fix typos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in Rabat, Philly, London and Stuttgart and visited several 'vibrant, urban' US cities like NYC. I prefer DC precisely because its none-of-the-above. It's small and feels quaint but its packed with vibrancy and architecture. I can't tell you how much it pleases me that DC does things differently, from the height restriction laws that actually guarantee you a pleasing view no matter where you are in the city (except Navy Yard and NOMA - what is UP with that??) to the centuries-old rowhomes in Kalorama/Georgetown to the international eclectic scene to the hundreds of museums. Maybe I'll move on again one day, but I'm perfectly happy now living downtown and enjoying what it has to offer. You have my sympathies OP.

I almost spit my coffee out that you put Stuttgart in with London. Stuttgart is...not even DC. Nashville, I think.

--Berliner.

And that is the beauty of it. All these people saying they'll move to NYC and Los Angeles really need to experience different types of cities to understand what do and don't have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. Typo corrected below. Damn Android auto correct.

DC is not city enough for me therefore tract home or McMansion in the urbane quarters of MoCo, Arlington, or Fairfax. Only the finest in cul de sac neighborhoods appeal to my discriminating cosmopolitan tastes. The traffic in DC suburbs is truly an indulgence only the most seasoned city connoisseurs can appreciate. Who needs a show at Studio Theater, an opera at Kennedy Center, or exhibit opening at the National Art Museum during the week when you have endless columns of SUVs to ogle at on 66, 270, or, yes, that splendid jewel of white flight, the Capitol Beltway.

Oh us urbane DC dwellers are constantly at the Kennedy Center abd Studio Theater watching shows, an amenity that is utterly unavailable to anyone not residing within District limits! We are oh so cultured and also have lots of free museums that only city-dwellers can use. Nothing says "cultured" like visiting Air & Space and riding in the similator games! We are so smug and urban as we ride around in our laughingstock of a Metro system. NYC is lame compared to us smarmy DCers, they wish they could pay for the urban grit of a subway system that is never on time and has killed more people than any transit system in this hemisphere. DC is for true urban sophisticates, who enjoy thr finer things in life, like stepping over piles of 7-11 filth and dodging bullets even in the nicest neighborhoods. We are so smarmy and important andedit our DCUM posts to fix typos.

Clearly suburbanites do use DC museums, just as they also use Metrorail. But its more convenient to go to cultural events in DC if you live in DC, and more so if you live in a close in suburb than a more distant suburb.

As for metrorail, not only do many suburbanites use it, in some ways they rely on it more, as many DC residents can get to work on frequent bus lines, and more can get to work by bike or by walking (of course suburbanites who also work in the suburbs are a different story) Also far fewer people have been killed on metro than are killed crossing the streets in the suburbs every year.