New York transplants asking about the general politics of the DC area

[Anonymous]

While this thread is making me laugh, it's all so spot-on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While this thread is making me laugh, it's all so spot-on.

Agreed, it’s pretty funny!

Also, for those of you claiming MoCo is “totalitarian leftism” please gain some frigging perspective. MoCo is positively centrist compared to CA, NJ, NY, or most of New England. Seriously, you sound like a bunch of nutcases when you use that language.

[Anonymous]

I lived in Arlington and found it liberal in the way that Wellesley MA is liberal - basically it's socially fairly middle of the road and otherwise pretty conservative, with a healthy helping of judgment thrown in. Not the place I would expect a lesbian couple would feel great. Fake welcome, sure.

Silver Spring/Takoma Park I don't know as well but it seems zany, and at least TP's reputation is that it is lefty central around these parts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Silver Spring/Takoma Park I don't know as well but it seems zany, and at least TP's reputation is that it is lefty central around these parts.

For a taste of how zany lefty downcounty moco is:

Lesbian-owned craft brewery Denizens (of which co-owner Julie Verrati was a candidate for Lt. Governor) where you'll see a smattering of "Resist" and "It's Mueller Time!" and other anti-Trump references, has taken flak from some left of left of left circles because of their opposition to the liquor monopoly (Yup, the County Government sells you booze) and their initial opposition to the $15 minimum wage. The brewery owners also endorsed David Blair, who, despite being for universal legal representation for immigrants, universal pre-K, and free Ride On buses, was just not leftwing enough in a district that voted 85% for avowed socialist Marc Elrich, for County Executive. Elrich is a former Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) rabblerouser who has an affinity for Cuba and Venezuela.
I think Denizens now has come into the fold and is now one of the many hangouts of the Elrich crowd.

While most sane, market-oriented people think that the government has no place in the liquor business, Elrich supporters will tell you that the DLC should be transformed into the DLCC - the Department of Liquor and Cannabis Control. They want Comrade Marc to sell you booze AND weed.

Bethesda's Barking Dog is also a socialist/Elrich bar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

We both work in DC, but we are planning on moving to the suburbs (any metro line will do) and we are intersted in the political tenor of our potential new home.

Stay in DC. People in the suburbs are pre-occupied with long commutes even when they take the metro and less politically engaged than in the city. The wait times for metro get longer the further out you go, parking at many is a pain, and walking home after dark is often not safe as there isn't the same foot traffic and lighted areas all the way back to your home as you find DC.

I disagree.

You get many more moderate and international families in Bethesda; if I were in OP's shoes I'd move to a modern condo next to Bethesda metro.

[Anonymous]

This thread is hilarious. A lot of good descriptions.

As a resident of Takoma Park, I want to add that many of the older residents are obsessed with activism about everything, including preserving a parking lot near their beloved food co-op. Younger residents are still liberal, but are busy raising families and so have less free time for these things. There is definitely something to the poster who said that we want to live in Bethesda, lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is hilarious. A lot of good descriptions.

As a resident of Takoma Park, I want to add that many of the older residents are obsessed with activism about everything, including preserving a parking lot near their beloved food co-op. Younger residents are still liberal, but are busy raising families and so have less free time for these things. There is definitely something to the poster who said that we want to live in Bethesda, lol.

True for the most part, but the politically active Gen-X, Millennial and Gen Z residents have distinct strains of activism.

My observations as an "elder millennial" (35) living in Silver Spring, of politically active residents in Downcounty:

Baby Boomers = civic activists, anti-development, older hippies, 2/3 of Elrich voters
Gen X = YIMBY/Urbanist, more pro-development and libertarian/pro-business but very socially liberal
Millennial = Bernie Sanders voters, left on economic issues, want jobs but also keen on democratic socialism/"free stuff", the other 1/3 of Elrich voters
Gen Z = a lot like Millennials but a fair amount are skeptical of all of the above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've got some.

Kentlands - If you have totalitarian leanings but couldn't must more than a C- average in school then the Kentlands is the place to be. You can join the HOA board and spend your evenings (after your 3 hour commute) measuring your neighbors windows ballasts and issuing HOA citations. First one to 300 citations, gets a coupon for Bucca di Beppo! Local politics are hot, hot hot with lots of debate around which door colors to approve. You wont get much left or right debate because its Stepford here. Everyone is identical.

Darnestown Always wanted to live on a farm but hate farm animals and don't like to actually grow things? Darnestown is the place for you. Large, huge houses on basically multi acre empty lots with nothing but some ugly developer grade white pine trees -until they fall town. Sit back and sip wine while watching your landscaping crew mow endless acres of crabgrass. Politics - why yes of course. One of the most exciting and only events in the area is when the local church becomes a voting location. There is an old guy in a tiny house that was here before all the mega houses went up. He has a trump bumper sticker on his beat up truck. When friends from the city come out to see you, you can drive them by it -sort of like your own personal zoo exhibit.

You do realize that you sound stupid, right?

DP

Stupid? That was f’ing BRILLIANT!!!!

So where are you? Kentlands or Darnestown ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've got some.

Kentlands - If you have totalitarian leanings but couldn't must more than a C- average in school then the Kentlands is the place to be. You can join the HOA board and spend your evenings (after your 3 hour commute) measuring your neighbors windows ballasts and issuing HOA citations. First one to 300 citations, gets a coupon for Bucca di Beppo! Local politics are hot, hot hot with lots of debate around which door colors to approve. You wont get much left or right debate because its Stepford here. Everyone is identical.

Darnestown Always wanted to live on a farm but hate farm animals and don't like to actually grow things? Darnestown is the place for you. Large, huge houses on basically multi acre empty lots with nothing but some ugly developer grade white pine trees -until they fall town. Sit back and sip wine while watching your landscaping crew mow endless acres of crabgrass. Politics - why yes of course. One of the most exciting and only events in the area is when the local church becomes a voting location. There is an old guy in a tiny house that was here before all the mega houses went up. He has a trump bumper sticker on his beat up truck. When friends from the city come out to see you, you can drive them by it -sort of like your own personal zoo exhibit.

You do realize that you sound stupid, right?

DP

Stupid? That was f’ing BRILLIANT!!!!

So where are you? Kentlands or Darnestown ?

+1

[Anonymous]

The unifying quality is being utterly humorless...recently moved back here and finding the super serious listen to me now we're all going to die! Take on things to be pretty hideous....

[Anonymous]

So you're from New York. Where exactly?

If you want to stick with the somewhat familiar...

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez district? Try Silver Spring/Takoma Park.
Financial district? Arlington
Upper Manhattan? Stay in the district.
Upstate NY? Culpeper County or Frederick County
Long Island? Potomac

[Anonymous]

Arlington is Libertarian Bro central. They won't care that you're lesbians, in fact they'd probably be into that. Just make sure you're into Ayn Rand.

PG County is so corrupt but the people don't care and they are generally apolitical. Those who are are left wing and Woke. Except interestingly enough you'll run into a few Black conservative Christian families - but are apolitical.

Montgomery County is now the People's Republic of Socialist Elrichistan

Alexandria is the only sane place around.

[Anonymous]

This might be a good place to start, though of course it doesn't provide much detail:

Detailed results from the 2016 election. You can see that all of DC is blue, but some areas are bluer than others

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/upshot/election-2016-voting-precinct-maps.html

[Anonymous]

Pets are just as important as politics in this equation. OP- do you have pets?

We've already established that TP is the home of cat ladies. If you're a dog couple then move to Chevy Chase. Everyone in Chevy Chase has a dog, if your dog is a cat eating dog even better. Politics in CC is very global as in everyone talks about their glamorous global job that is connected to politics.

If you have large sporting dogs and always thought if you weren't a lesbian then Dick Cheney would be your dream guy then head to old McLean. By old McLean ,the house needs to be near Langley, huge and built before 1980 when McLean turned into people who worked at AOL and now work at some other tech company. Political conversation is all about defense contracts and Reagan era political maneuvers.

If you have a dog breed with the word -doodle or -orky in it then you aren't allowed in old McLean. You'll need to buy one of the huge houses in Great Falls and just say you live in McLean. Politics lean center right and your neighbors probably voted for Trump (hoping for lower taxes) but wont admit it. NPR is very popular as everyone has hours in the car with nothing else to listen to during the ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pets are just as important as politics in this equation. OP- do you have pets?

We've already established that TP is the home of cat ladies. If you're a dog couple then move to Chevy Chase. Everyone in Chevy Chase has a dog, if your dog is a cat eating dog even better. Politics in CC is very global as in everyone talks about their glamorous global job that is connected to politics.

If you have large sporting dogs and always thought if you weren't a lesbian then Dick Cheney would be your dream guy then head to old McLean. By old McLean ,the house needs to be near Langley, huge and built before 1980 when McLean turned into people who worked at AOL and now work at some other tech company. Political conversation is all about defense contracts and Reagan era political maneuvers.

If you have a dog breed with the word -doodle or -orky in it then you aren't allowed in old McLean. You'll need to buy one of the huge houses in Great Falls and just say you live in McLean. Politics lean center right and your neighbors probably voted for Trump (hoping for lower taxes) but wont admit it. NPR is very popular as everyone has hours in the car with nothing else to listen to during the ride.

This post is funny. We love dogs in Bethesda too! Rescues and -oodles equally welcome! It goes with our weird mix of country club types, foreign embassy/IMF staff, brilliant Nih research scientists, military doctors, and government/nonprofit lawyers. We’re an eclectic bunch living in our old cape cods next door to McMansion tear downs.