Real talk about the city’s economy, federal buildings leases, and telework impacts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like there are a lot of people who would be, or think they would be, happier living somewhere else.

To the contrary. What you seeing is a lot of people who are VERY HAPPY about where they live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like there are a lot of people who would be, or think they would be, happier living somewhere else.

To the contrary. What you seeing is a lot of people who are VERY HAPPY about where they live.

They're so happy, they can't stop posting about how much they hate the city they live near.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like there are a lot of people who would be, or think they would be, happier living somewhere else.

To the contrary. What you seeing is a lot of people who are VERY HAPPY about where they live.

They're so happy, they can't stop posting about how much they hate the city they live near.

You mean the city that they chose not to live in. I’m not sure how you don’t understand this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like there are a lot of people who would be, or think they would be, happier living somewhere else.

To the contrary. What you seeing is a lot of people who are VERY HAPPY about where they live.

They're so happy, they can't stop posting about how much they hate the city they live near.

You mean the city that they chose not to live in. I’m not sure how you don’t understand this.

+1. People who live in DC often take a very narrow-minded view of the suburbs and think that they're just full of people who would live in DC but are priced out. The truth is that many of us are totally happy in the suburbs, and we really only come into DC for work and don't find anything about DC to be particularly enjoyable. I'm sure this is true of other major cities as well; not everyone has bought into the idea that you can't have an exciting and fulfilling life if you don't live in a city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like there are a lot of people who would be, or think they would be, happier living somewhere else.

To the contrary. What you seeing is a lot of people who are VERY HAPPY about where they live.

They're so happy, they can't stop posting about how much they hate the city they live near.

I like DC! I wish I lived biking distance to my office! But I'm an actual GS-12 with kids, so I did what DCUM always says to do and moved way out where I could afford a house. Can you blame me for not wanting to commute 3 hours a day? I promise I can only afford to buy lunch out once a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like there are a lot of people who would be, or think they would be, happier living somewhere else.

To the contrary. What you seeing is a lot of people who are VERY HAPPY about where they live.

They're so happy, they can't stop posting about how much they hate the city they live near.

You mean the city that they chose not to live in. I’m not sure how you don’t understand this.

I’m one of the countless feds who left the heart of the city (Columbia Heights), for close in MoCo in late 2020. I am so happy. My kid is happy. I go into my office twice a week (in theory, in practice, it’s more like once). In any case, if my job starts saying I need to come in more than that, I’ll find a new one. No thanks. I loved living in the city, but the crime, the noise etc are such now that I’m never going back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like there are a lot of people who would be, or think they would be, happier living somewhere else.

To the contrary. What you seeing is a lot of people who are VERY HAPPY about where they live.

They're so happy, they can't stop posting about how much they hate the city they live near.

You mean the city that they chose not to live in. I’m not sure how you don’t understand this.

+1. People who live in DC often take a very narrow-minded view of the suburbs and think that they're just full of people who would live in DC but are priced out. The truth is that many of us are totally happy in the suburbs, and we really only come into DC for work and don't find anything about DC to be particularly enjoyable. I'm sure this is true of other major cities as well; not everyone has bought into the idea that you can't have an exciting and fulfilling life if you don't live in a city.

There's a big difference between 'don't find anything about DC to be particularly enjoyable' and 'relentless post on DCUM about the hell that is DC'.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like there are a lot of people who would be, or think they would be, happier living somewhere else.

To the contrary. What you seeing is a lot of people who are VERY HAPPY about where they live.

They're so happy, they can't stop posting about how much they hate the city they live near.

You mean the city that they chose not to live in. I’m not sure how you don’t understand this.

+1. People who live in DC often take a very narrow-minded view of the suburbs and think that they're just full of people who would live in DC but are priced out. The truth is that many of us are totally happy in the suburbs, and we really only come into DC for work and don't find anything about DC to be particularly enjoyable. I'm sure this is true of other major cities as well; not everyone has bought into the idea that you can't have an exciting and fulfilling life if you don't live in a city.

There's a big difference between 'don't find anything about DC to be particularly enjoyable' and 'relentless post on DCUM about the hell that is DC'.

I think the issue moreso is that there is a group of relentless DC boosters who seem to believe that everyone wants to live in the city and take it personally that they don’t. By jumping to the exaggeration that people are calling DC “hell” you are unwilling to confront what people are actually saying about their preferences and issues with the city instead of getting so defensive.

I get it, you have this extreme close bond with the place you live. Well other people feel similarly about where they live as well in places that are not DC. I get that you have a dim view of the suburbs and suburbanites, but your reaction is to project that onto others.

[Anonymous]

I've never seen so much doom and gloom from so-called "economists" on here. None of you have a degree in economics, none of you know anything about City planning or know what the hell is really going on. Stop trying to spread information and be so gloomy about everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never seen so much doom and gloom from so-called "economists" on here. None of you have a degree in economics, none of you know anything about City planning or know what the hell is really going on. Stop trying to spread information and be so gloomy about everything.

Could explain what everyone is getting wrong on the economics and city planning aspects about their comments about how telework is impacting downtown DC and the future fiscal condition of city?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This isn't an issue unique to DC. Every city now has more teleworking folks than before. The issue is that DC has terrible traffic, terrible crime, terrible public transportation, and a terrible homeless problem, so lots of people have no desire to come into DC unless forced to do so for work reasons.

Then stay the fukk out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
+1. People who live in DC often take a very narrow-minded view of the suburbs and think that they're just full of people who would live in DC but are priced out. The truth is that many of us are totally happy in the suburbs, and we really only come into DC for work and don't find anything about DC to be particularly enjoyable. I'm sure this is true of other major cities as well; not everyone has bought into the idea that you can't have an exciting and fulfilling life if you don't live in a city.

Suburbanites are parasites on host cities. Film at 11.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
+1. People who live in DC often take a very narrow-minded view of the suburbs and think that they're just full of people who would live in DC but are priced out. The truth is that many of us are totally happy in the suburbs, and we really only come into DC for work and don't find anything about DC to be particularly enjoyable. I'm sure this is true of other major cities as well; not everyone has bought into the idea that you can't have an exciting and fulfilling life if you don't live in a city.

Suburbanites are parasites on host cities. Film at 11.

Perhaps you should tell our employers to pay us enough to live there then. Given the cost of housing in DC, this isn't an "avoiding property taxes" thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
+1. People who live in DC often take a very narrow-minded view of the suburbs and think that they're just full of people who would live in DC but are priced out. The truth is that many of us are totally happy in the suburbs, and we really only come into DC for work and don't find anything about DC to be particularly enjoyable. I'm sure this is true of other major cities as well; not everyone has bought into the idea that you can't have an exciting and fulfilling life if you don't live in a city.

Suburbanites are parasites on host cities. Film at 11.

Perhaps you should tell our employers to pay us enough to live there then. Given the cost of housing in DC, this isn't an "avoiding property taxes" thing.

The amount of money that I would need to be paid to live in DC in an equivalent safe neighborhood on a large lot on a quiet, tree lined street would be unconscionable. In any case, where I live the infrastructure and government services are much better so even if I was paid enough for the equivalent lifestyle it would not be an equivalent exchange. Particularly since it is vastly more convenient to get around and shop.

[Anonymous]

I live in Shaw. Been here nearly 20 years. I’m very worried about the direction the city is going in— which is rapidly into a cesspool of crime, blight and vacancy. I think we can’t undo the remote work. I work in DuPont just two days a week and my spouse with full time. Our neighborhood is loud (constant construction which I now worry will sit empty), motorcycles/atvs, loud engines, etc). This has gotten worse, not better. The bike lines sound like a good idea, but have led to ore rush hour congestion, not less, leaving cars to idle longer in traffic, leading to more pollution exposure.

I feel like this is dire. We need big ideas to realign downtown that doesn’t bank on feds and k street suits coming back. We need to get enforcem no public camping and address violent crime with more police and get rid of this woke Coincil. How about converting buildings into live/work loft spaces, with a good number of affordable units. Incentives for small businesses, cafes, etc. destroy ugly, outdated and vacant buildings for green space? Make some core thoroughfares into pedestrian malls with semi permanent outdoor markets and streeteries?

Was just in Paris which was thronging with tourists, tons of restaurants, cafe, markets and small businesses. Besides their culture, what other things do they do to ensure their cities remain vibrant? I noticed street cleaning trucks out everyday picking up litter and washing the streets literally.