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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty damning quote in the article from a lady who moved to Frederick.

“The exodus calculation, for me, included the social unrest in D.C., the cost of living, becoming a mom,” said Ms. Zachariah. “But we could never make a move like this without flexibility at work.”

Meh. Anyone quoting social unrest was going to the suburbs (probably Silver Spring or Wheaton) 100%. Nothing to see there.

We were at the wharf this weekend it was packed.

Turn some empty offices into rock climbing gyms (already happening), ninja courses, art studios, you’ll see the DINK millenials and gen a line up.

Most jobs will still require some presence in office, so you can’t go full Fargo.

DINK millennials are attracted by rock climbing gyms and ninja courses? I don't think so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty damning quote in the article from a lady who moved to Frederick.

“The exodus calculation, for me, included the social unrest in D.C., the cost of living, becoming a mom,” said Ms. Zachariah. “But we could never make a move like this without flexibility at work.”

Meh. Anyone quoting social unrest was going to the suburbs (probably Silver Spring or Wheaton) 100%. Nothing to see there.

We were at the wharf this weekend it was packed.

Turn some empty offices into rock climbing gyms (already happening), ninja courses, art studios, you’ll see the DINK millenials and gen a line up.

Most jobs will still require some presence in office, so you can’t go full Fargo.

Yup. I moved to Frederick as well (...not due to "social unrest") and people making this move are doing it because we are so priced out of DC. For people who can afford it, an actual residential downtown would be amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty damning quote in the article from a lady who moved to Frederick.

“The exodus calculation, for me, included the social unrest in D.C., the cost of living, becoming a mom,” said Ms. Zachariah. “But we could never make a move like this without flexibility at work.”

Meh. Anyone quoting social unrest was going to the suburbs (probably Silver Spring or Wheaton) 100%. Nothing to see there.

We were at the wharf this weekend it was packed.

Turn some empty offices into rock climbing gyms (already happening), ninja courses, art studios, you’ll see the DINK millenials and gen a line up.

Most jobs will still require some presence in office, so you can’t go full Fargo.

If you read the article, they interview a few people whose jobs have gone 100% virtual. One organization even gave up their office space and has gone 100% virtual.

[Anonymous]

Most feds are not yet back in the office. Lobbyists will never move to Frederick. Get back to me when kids are vaccinated and the people who are going back to offices go back to offices. Then we can talk about the permanent changes to downtown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty damning quote in the article from a lady who moved to Frederick.

“The exodus calculation, for me, included the social unrest in D.C., the cost of living, becoming a mom,” said Ms. Zachariah. “But we could never make a move like this without flexibility at work.”

Meh. Anyone quoting social unrest was going to the suburbs (probably Silver Spring or Wheaton) 100%. Nothing to see there.

We were at the wharf this weekend it was packed.

Turn some empty offices into rock climbing gyms (already happening), ninja courses, art studios, you’ll see the DINK millenials and gen a line up.

Most jobs will still require some presence in office, so you can’t go full Fargo.

If you read the article, they interview a few people whose jobs have gone 100% virtual. One organization even gave up their office space and has gone 100% virtual.

Sure some non profits and low margin business will go 100%, but any company meeting clients will want an office and that’s a LOT of DC business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty damning quote in the article from a lady who moved to Frederick.

“The exodus calculation, for me, included the social unrest in D.C., the cost of living, becoming a mom,” said Ms. Zachariah. “But we could never make a move like this without flexibility at work.”

Meh. Anyone quoting social unrest was going to the suburbs (probably Silver Spring or Wheaton) 100%. Nothing to see there.

We were at the wharf this weekend it was packed.

Turn some empty offices into rock climbing gyms (already happening), ninja courses, art studios, you’ll see the DINK millenials and gen a line up.

Most jobs will still require some presence in office, so you can’t go full Fargo.

Interesting that you are more optimistic and confidence about this than city leaders or downtown BID officials. Do you know something that no one else does? Also, where are these rock gyms, ninja course and art studios in DC office buildings?

Civic leaders worry that a prolonged cooling of the commercial real-estate market and slower tourism could damp the downtown foot traffic that keeps restaurants and retailers afloat.

https://brooklynboulders.com/eckington/

Also Earth Trek in Crystal City sets the model for reuse of vacant office space laying fallow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty damning quote in the article from a lady who moved to Frederick.

“The exodus calculation, for me, included the social unrest in D.C., the cost of living, becoming a mom,” said Ms. Zachariah. “But we could never make a move like this without flexibility at work.”

Meh. Anyone quoting social unrest was going to the suburbs (probably Silver Spring or Wheaton) 100%. Nothing to see there.

We were at the wharf this weekend it was packed.

Turn some empty offices into rock climbing gyms (already happening), ninja courses, art studios, you’ll see the DINK millenials and gen a line up.

Most jobs will still require some presence in office, so you can’t go full Fargo.

Yup. I moved to Frederick as well (...not due to "social unrest") and people making this move are doing it because we are so priced out of DC. For people who can afford it, an actual residential downtown would be amazing.

Seriously Ms Social Unrest packed her lunch and never ventured anywhere but her cube to the metro.

[Anonymous]

DH commutes to NY for work...things there are much more back to normal with the exception of midtown, which he said is about 25% capacity. But the businesses he serves are mostly back in person to some degree, and the young folks have all moved back.

DC meanwhile is a ghost town outside of a couple of nodes, and at most will be back to 50% maybe by the end of next year, with no sense of demand growth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty damning quote in the article from a lady who moved to Frederick.

“The exodus calculation, for me, included the social unrest in D.C., the cost of living, becoming a mom,” said Ms. Zachariah. “But we could never make a move like this without flexibility at work.”

Meh. Anyone quoting social unrest was going to the suburbs (probably Silver Spring or Wheaton) 100%. Nothing to see there.

We were at the wharf this weekend it was packed.

Turn some empty offices into rock climbing gyms (already happening), ninja courses, art studios, you’ll see the DINK millenials and gen a line up.

Most jobs will still require some presence in office, so you can’t go full Fargo.

DINK millennials are attracted by rock climbing gyms and ninja courses? I don't think so.

I agree. When was Ninja Warrior popular? 5-10 years ago? These are not current fads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH commutes to NY for work...things there are much more back to normal with the exception of midtown, which he said is about 25% capacity. But the businesses he serves are mostly back in person to some degree, and the young folks have all moved back.

DC meanwhile is a ghost town outside of a couple of nodes, and at most will be back to 50% maybe by the end of next year, with no sense of demand growth.

I go downtown every day, you won't even find a single taxi anywhere. There is basically zero traffic downtown. Nearly all of the small businesses have closed, leaving behind only chains. Meanwhile, the neighborhoods all seem to be doing well. There is more traffic on Wisconsin than K Street. Hard to find parking on a weekend at the Wharf. A Whole Foods is about to open at the old Walter Reed.

Even more worrisome for downtown DC is that traffic in the suburbs is back to normal. 270, 66, the Beltway are all congested but those people are not going downtown.

[Anonymous]

Get rid of the homeless on every block and then we will talk.

I would go in more if every open area downtown was nice green space rather than a homeless encampment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty damning quote in the article from a lady who moved to Frederick.

“The exodus calculation, for me, included the social unrest in D.C., the cost of living, becoming a mom,” said Ms. Zachariah. “But we could never make a move like this without flexibility at work.”

Meh. Anyone quoting social unrest was going to the suburbs (probably Silver Spring or Wheaton) 100%. Nothing to see there.

We were at the wharf this weekend it was packed.

Turn some empty offices into rock climbing gyms (already happening), ninja courses, art studios, you’ll see the DINK millenials and gen a line up.

Most jobs will still require some presence in office, so you can’t go full Fargo.

DINK millennials are attracted by rock climbing gyms and ninja courses? I don't think so.

I agree. When was Ninja Warrior popular? 5-10 years ago? These are not current fads.

Just did a quick Google search and these places exist, but they are all out in the exurbs. Ashburn, Sterling, Frederick, Columbia and their target audience seems to be kids birthday parties, like the old bounce houses. The idea that they would convert a $500 million dollar K Street office building into an exurban ninja birthday gym doesn't seem credible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty damning quote in the article from a lady who moved to Frederick.

“The exodus calculation, for me, included the social unrest in D.C., the cost of living, becoming a mom,” said Ms. Zachariah. “But we could never make a move like this without flexibility at work.”

Meh. Anyone quoting social unrest was going to the suburbs (probably Silver Spring or Wheaton) 100%. Nothing to see there.

We were at the wharf this weekend it was packed.

Turn some empty offices into rock climbing gyms (already happening), ninja courses, art studios, you’ll see the DINK millenials and gen a line up.

Most jobs will still require some presence in office, so you can’t go full Fargo.

Interesting that you are more optimistic and confidence about this than city leaders or downtown BID officials. Do you know something that no one else does? Also, where are these rock gyms, ninja course and art studios in DC office buildings?

Civic leaders worry that a prolonged cooling of the commercial real-estate market and slower tourism could damp the downtown foot traffic that keeps restaurants and retailers afloat.

https://brooklynboulders.com/eckington/

Also Earth Trek in Crystal City sets the model for reuse of vacant office space laying fallow.

Yeah, that's not going to save downtown DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
We were at the wharf this weekend it was packed.

We go to the Wharf on weekends also. It's a nice place to visit. Then we go back to Maryland to our house. I guess DC makes a bit of money from us in the form of sales tax and we support those restaurants which then pay payroll tax, but MD gets most of our "local tax" money since we live in MD and pay property and income taxes in MD. DH works for a company in DC but their offices have gone virtual permanently, and DC and MD have reciprocity on earned income tax withhheld on employees anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I go downtown every day, you won't even find a single taxi anywhere. There is basically zero traffic downtown. Nearly all of the small businesses have closed, leaving behind only chains. Meanwhile, the neighborhoods all seem to be doing well. There is more traffic on Wisconsin than K Street. Hard to find parking on a weekend at the Wharf. A Whole Foods is about to open at the old Walter Reed.

Even more worrisome for downtown DC is that traffic in the suburbs is back to normal. 270, 66, the Beltway are all congested but those people are not going downtown.

I was in downtown DC during the day mid-week a few weeks ago and I was stunned how empty it was. Barely anyone on the street. I was meeting a lobbyist for lunch and the restaurant was thrilled to have some customers.