What is the value added proposition for living in the District?

[Anonymous]

When you really think about it, there is none. High crime, high taxes, very very flawed political system, one party state (no checks and balances), poor services, high cost of living (even when compared to just across the line), high number of poor people leeching off services, etc etc. Not to be a District basher but what do you get from living there except some novelty social climbing, but even, most of the "people you should know" live in Potomac or Mclean/Great Falls.

[Anonymous]

The value added proposition is not living near you.

[Anonymous]

Different strokes for different folks. I'm a city girl.

People I should know? They are right here, in my building, on my block, at my child's school. I like the women at the front desk, the cashiers at the Safeway, my child's teachers. Them's the people I need to know!

[Anonymous]

I live in DC and am happy NOT to know people in McLean or Potomac. I don't go to the burbs because I don't have to, thank God. Schools, job, friends are all right here. Guess I'll miss out on the "people I should know".

[Anonymous]

Funny PP. I'll try to respond to OP's query at least from our family's perspective.

Short commute to downtown DC and other things we like to do in the city. Would probably send our kids to private schools anyway and living in DC is closer to the schools we want to use. Love our neighborhood (Cleveland Park).

Crime is not a big problem where we are (and not any worse than close-in suburbs would be). City services are not great but not terrible for the things that we use. Our street is plowed well before friends in farflung suburbs and since we are only a couple of blocks from a major street instead of a mile down the road to get out of the subdivision, we are rarely stuck in snow or bad weather.

I like living in a liberal jurisdiction. I am proud to live in a jurisdiction with gay marriage and civil rights. Political situation is not the best, but has certainly been reasonably good for several years now. I am proud to live in a diverse city that is on the upswing. With respect to the OP's comments about the poor, taxes, etc., I know that OP would not agree but I want to participate in the process of helping those in need rather than fleeing to another jurisdiction and taking my money with me. There are big problems in DC it is true, and I hope that in my small way I can help make them better. I simply would not feel right moving to stop having my money go to help people who are less fortunate than my family has been.

I wouldn't fault anyone who decides that they prefer to live in the suburbs. But there are lots of reasons that individual families have to stay in DC (and those who live elsewhere but work in DC should be thankful for those of us who live in DC and contribute to making it a nicer place to visit. If we all left, what would happen then?

[Anonymous]

--Short commute so more time with family
--Walkable to shops, restaurants, amenities, parks, etc.
--Great neighbors from all different backgrounds
--Easy access to museums, sporting events, culture, music, history, etc.
--Character
--Most of our friends live within a 10-minute walk

[Anonymous]

Well I live in the county, and even I know this is a ridiculous OP. Cities fill up for a reason, all over the world. And cities have pretty much the same problems, all over the world. OP lacks basic social awareness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The value added proposition is not living near you.

o how i love you!

[Anonymous]

Wow OP paints with a very broad brush. I have no worries about crime where we are, our services are decent and we have a pretty good quality of family life because no one is commuting two hours a day (20 mins RT is more like it). Weekends are great because we can get where we need to go without traffic. I'd rather stick needles in my eyes than deal with Rockville Pike on a Saturday! To each his own though and I suspect the OP posted only to get a rise out of everyone.

[Anonymous]

Wilson High School.

Really.

Have our heart set on an Ivy, and this is the surest road there.

[Anonymous]

Many reasons for me, but one of the main ones is I don't have a car and don't need one, at all. Saves me money and lowers my carbon footprint, and I feel good about both. DD and I walk, take Metro, and cab it. I can rent a car the very few times a year I need one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The value added proposition is not living near you.

Agree!

[Anonymous]

I am not the slightest bit reliant on traffic or public transportation. Everything I want on a daily basis is within a 10-15 minute walk (work, school, grocery, farmers markets, CVS, museums, libraries, parks, . . . ), and if I do want to go somewhere else, there is generally a bus or metro within a couple blocks that can get me there pretty quickly.

Plus, I like the people here, and I have time to connect to my community because I spend most of my time - work, school, home, shopping - within the same neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Another positive biproduct of living in a liberal enclave -- my statutorily-guaranteed 16 weeks of maternity leave! Can't wait and am so grateful for those 4 extra weeks (over & above FMLA) to spend with my baby.

[Anonymous]

OP, meet Jane Jacobs.

Although, her books have lots of words and some of them are big words. There aren't too many colorful pictures, either, but I think you can still try to follow along.

Take breaks of the content gets too challenging.